Dream Wanderer: Select the targets included in the dream, consume the corresponding targets' catalysts, and create a customized beautiful dream connecting the participants!
What followed the description was a detailed rulebook. Curious, Shimaura Hitomi carefully read through it, her eyes filling with increasing disbelief.
"It has to be a prank... Or maybe it's just the setting for some superpower game? Yeah, it's a game. It has to be."
Shimaura Hitomi came to that conclusion through reason, yet her emotions compelled her to turn her attention to the carbon pen inside the sealed plastic bag.
According to Dream Wanderer's rules, this carbon pen met the catalyst requirements. She could consume it to customize a beautiful dream involving her senior.
At that thought, Shimaura Hitomi's breathing gradually quickened.
Anyway... it seemed like all she had to do was point her phone at the catalyst and tap the absorb option. It sounded ridiculous, but what if it was real?
Even if it was fake, she had nothing to lose. As long as she stayed vigilant and didn't enter any personal information, she wouldn't get scammed!
With the mindset of it doesn't cost anything, so I might as well believe it a little, Shimaura Hitomi aimed the front of her phone at the carbon pen.
Absorb Catalyst
The carbon pen, which had been lying perfectly fine inside the sealed bag, slowly dimmed and vanished into thin air.
At the same time, a prompt popped up on her phone screen.
Level 1 Catalyst x1 absorbed. Associated person: Kiyoharu Chihaya. Begin designing the dream now? Yes
Following the app's instructions, Shimaura Hitomi found a multitude of complicated options laid out before her.
However, because the catalyst was low-level and she only had one, the available dream parameter range was fairly limited. It didn't matter, though. This was only an experiment anyway.
Dream settings complete. The dream will automatically begin the next time all participants are asleep simultaneously.
By now, Shimaura Hitomi had realized that Dream Wanderer probably had some real substance to it. Otherwise, how could that pen have disappeared?
Could it be that heaven had taken pity on her unrequited love for Kiyoharu and sent her this blessing?
Her plan for tonight had been to use that pen for some girl-only fun.
The mysterious app's appearance shattered those plans—or rather, if the dream truly was as wonderful as its parameters suggested, Shimaura Hitomi might be able to enjoy an even happier experience.
So she decisively finished the boxed meal she had bought from the convenience store and fell asleep under the drowsiness brought on by her post-meal blood sugar rise.
She hoped her senior would go to bed early tonight.
Of course, Kiyoharu had no intention of going to bed early.
The punishment was over. Tonight, he was definitely going to game like crazy!
Chihaya Airi was displeased by this, as she still preferred the arrangement from the past two days, when she could order Kiyoharu around however she pleased. Unfortunately, according to their agreement, she had to allow Kiyoharu time and space for personal freedom.
That was also why Kiyoharu had chosen to cooperate with Airi. Although the Red-Eyed Devil had plenty of terrible flaws, she possessed the admirable quality of keeping her promises.
With nothing else to do besides watch TV, Airi went to chat with Ayano and ask about the progress of Ultimate Masterpiece.
Not bad. It's gradually coming together, thanks to your Kiyoharu helping out. With him around, things are much easier for me.
Tch, what could he possibly help with? Ayano thinks too highly of him.
Airi, you're being too modest. With a man as outstanding as Kiyoharu, who knows how many people would envy you?
Seeing such praise put Airi in quite a good mood. The outside world's recognition of Kiyoharu was also recognition of her own judgment.
What she didn't know was that Ayano, who was messaging her, was currently sketching out Kiyoharu's body structure on a drawing tablet.
"Still a little limited... I need to unlock more pose references. Hmm, going shopping would be a great setting. I just wonder how cooperative Kiyoharu-kun would be, hehe~"
Late at night.
After finishing his workout, Kiyoharu lay down in his bed right on schedule and fell asleep at lightning speed.
Rumble—
A dull yet piercing peal of thunder jolted Kiyoharu awake.
"Senior, you were spacing out."
Kiyoharu found himself in a dim office, with torrential rain and thunder outside.
The room had lost power, yet Shimaura Hitomi was still grading papers beside him under an emergency lamp.
Everyone else had gone home. Shimaura Hitomi had voluntarily stayed behind to work overtime—though calling it voluntary wasn't quite accurate. She had originally been assigned to grade these papers with two older female teachers, but they had both coincidentally made excuses and pushed the work onto Shimaura Hitomi.
Shimaura Hitomi had always been a girl who struggled to refuse others, so she became the one who took the abuse.
After Kiyoharu learned about this, he had planned to reason with those two older teachers. But they had already left, and it was too late now, so he could only stay with Shimaura Hitomi and help her grade the papers first.
"Sorry, I was thinking about something personal just now, so I..."
"I'm not blaming you, Senior. Um, what I mean is, even in such terrifying thunderstorm weather, you can still space out so calmly. That's amazing."
"Uh, is that amazing?"
"Yes, Senior is super brave. I could never do that..."
Before Shimaura Hitomi could finish speaking, another bolt of lightning struck.
Her face turned pale as she anxiously waited for the delayed thunder a few seconds later.
Rumble—
Her body visibly trembled, and the impressive presence before her swayed with remarkable elasticity.
"Senior, m-my head feels a little dizzy. Can I lean on you for a moment?"
Kiyoharu froze.
Shimaura Hitomi had never so directly made such an inappropriate request before.
So Kiyoharu called out to the system in his mind. Just as expected, he received no response.
"So it's a Lucid Dream." Kiyoharu immediately came to a conclusion.
A Lucid Dream was when someone realized they were dreaming while still being able to continue the dream's events.
He recalled this scene. It seemed to have happened during Shimaura Hitomi's first year after joining the faculty, when he had stayed late with her and the two had been trapped at school by a sudden torrential thunderstorm.
Only, in what had truly happened back then, Shimaura Hitomi had not sought Kiyoharu's support. Instead, Kiyoharu had lent her a pair of noise-canceling headphones, which had somewhat eased the fear the thunder caused her.
Since it was a dream, Kiyoharu agreed to Shimaura Hitomi's request and let the girl lean against his shoulder.
He had no other intentions. He was simply curious about how things would develop next.
Shimaura Hitomi's body cautiously pressed against his. She wasn't fat at all, really; it was just that her bust was too impressive, and since she didn't know how to dress herself, she sometimes looked a little odd.
Her petite body pressed against Kiyoharu's, her arms wrapping around his neck.
"Haa..." Shimaura Hitomi let out a long, suppressed breath. It seemed that the instant she found something to rely on, she relaxed considerably.
So that was it. It was because Ayano had posed Shimaura Hitomi like this earlier that Kiyoharu dreamed of such a scene. The saying about dreaming of what one thought about during the day probably meant something like this.
"With Senior here, I feel so safe. No matter what happens, I won't be afraid anymore."
"I'm glad you feel safe." Kiyoharu responded, reaching out with his left hand to wrap an arm around her shoulders.
Shimaura Hitomi's delicate shoulders and collarbones were both beautiful. Yet she seemed to have no confidence in herself at all.
Since he could do whatever he wanted in a dream, Kiyoharu wanted to see what it felt like to hold the slender woman with such abundant curves.
And the instant Kiyoharu took the initiative to reach out, feeling his warm embrace made Shimaura Hitomi tense up again. This time, however, her tension did not come from fear, but excitement.
Dream Wanderer was absolutely amazing!
Before you continue