Chapter 397
Christmas has been over for a long time, but no one has taken over yet.
[In this dream, after your idol graduates, you don't have as much savings as before. How do you plan to live until you graduate high school?]
In reality, Sakaki Chika's savings are enough for her to continue living for a long time, and even to attend university.
But the conditions here are not so favorable.
"Since it's just a dream, it doesn't really matter."
Sakaki Chika didn't seem interested in thinking about those things for the time being.
She just kept staring at the Christmas tree.
What would you think of at that moment?
Christmas gifts, Christmas wishes, or even a Christmas date.
I see.
[Then, those who used to like you, support you, and watch your performances will all disappear. Gradually, you will become unnoticed and forgotten.]
Tachibana described it simply.
This was an inevitable outcome.
Sakaki Chika's gaze lingered for a moment, then quickly returned to normal.
This seems to be just the beginning.
Or perhaps it was over from the very beginning.
The streets became excessively quiet on a snowy day, making Sakaki Chika, a timid person who fears loneliness, feel depressed and sad.
"Can I text Teacher Haihara in this dream?"
She asked.
[It's just a dream, it doesn't matter what I do with it.]
That's true.
In the end Sakaki Chika did nothing.
She just wanted this period to pass quickly, to let dreams replace this agonizing time.
During this period, a trivial little incident occurred.
A female student noticed her standing by the roadside looking at the Christmas tree and then came closer.
Who are you?
Like everyone else in the dream.
Sakaki Chika couldn't remember the face or voice of the female student who was the same age as her.
After the other person explained, Sakaki Chika learned that the girl wanted her autograph.
Sakaki Chika, of course, already used to this kind of thing.
However, even after graduation, people still asked her for autographs, which was a first for her.
During her brief time with this girl, Sakaki Chika tried to recall what features she could use to remember her.
Sakaki Chika has had this habit since she first became an idol.
She wants to remember her fans as much as possible.
However, that idea was obviously no longer possible.
As she said goodbye, the female student also offered some words of encouragement:
"Um, Ms. Tachibana Aeruru, please do your best too."
When she first became an idol, it seems that some fans said encouraging words to her.
I don't know when it started, but she stopped paying attention to such blessings.
Finally, she looked at the female student again.
The only thing that caught her attention was... the pink Pendulum the girl was wearing; it was quite pretty.
It's the type she would like.
In this dream, Sakaki Chika did not become the popular idol she is in reality.
Therefore, her sudden announcement of graduation did not cause any major uproar.
At most, there will be one or two posts discussing the rare occurrence of announcing graduation at the end of a performance, something that's quite unusual these days.
After that, what Sakaki Chika wanted to do most was, naturally, to go back to school and continue her studies.
An idol who debuted in junior high school and graduated in her first year of high school, she was a lot of talk about at school.
But that's all there is to it.
Her high school life got on track faster than she had imagined.
Although life is stable, there are still things that make people sad.
So, is this the life you want?
The Demon King asked her.
Sakaki Chika raised her head and looked towards one side of the classroom because of her words.
Beside her stood Kirishima Ai.
Not far away, you can see Takanashi taking a nap.
Although their faces were somewhat blurry in this dream, they were indeed the way she remembered them.
"Isn't this... good enough?"
She no longer needs to worry about work and studies.
There was no longer the debt and beatings brought by her father.
I get to see my favorite teacher every day, listen to her speak, and stare at her during class.
As for the Magic girls, she was already of little use to begin with.
Even without her, we can still defeat the Monster.
There's nothing wrong with it.
[So, Chika.]
What do you have left?
Tachibana said things that Sakaki Chika couldn't understand.
This is truly a statement without any basis.
What's left of her...?
Sakaki Chika blinked in confusion, then looked at the things she had just thought of.
Kirishima, Takanashi- kun, and my new friend Kuroki Yuka.
And of course, there's Teacher Haihara.
They were all fine in this dream.
But then, Tachibana let out a soft laugh, as if she were an adult worried that the child might be a little slow-witted.
[No, they have nothing to do with you, Chika.]
Gradually, Sakaki Chika seemed to understand a little.
She looked slightly bewildered.
And in his mind, Tachibana's voice continued to echo.
First is "Kirishima Ai".
Although in reality, Kirishima Ai is somewhat silent and aloof when she's with her, she always listens patiently to her finish her topic, and then awkwardly tries to respond after racking her brains.
But here, Kirishima Ai would never notice Sakaki Chika's presence out of the corner of her eye.
It felt like we had just met.
Kirishima Ai always sat quietly in her seat, facing her with a distant air.
That child doesn't like to open up to others.
[If you hadn't built a relationship through numerous life-or-death battles, you would never have been able to become friends with someone like her.]
Even when they first started fighting together as Magic girls, Kirishima Ai and Sakaki Chika didn't have a good relationship.
They know absolutely nothing about each other.
They also wouldn't intentionally try to find out the other person's interests.
In other words, in this dream, Kirishima Ai, as a Magic girl, will never become Sakaki Chika's friend.
Although they were deskmates, Sakaki Chika and Kirishima Ai often skipped classes or asked for leave, so their relationship was no different from that of strangers.
Sakaki Chika remained silent for a while, then stopped looking at Kirishima Ai.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the teacher had just woken up Takanashi Shiori was sleeping in class again.
[And her, that child is even less likely to have any contact with you, right?]
She is a Magic girl from R'lyeh.
[She finds it extremely difficult to integrate into any relationship on Earth that is unrelated to Magic girls, let alone establish relationships with the ordinary people around her.]
This is not a lie.
If we disregard the Magic girl aspect, given Sakaki Chika's personality, it would be impossible for her to become friends with them.
We're not friends, and there won't be any other contact.
"... Perhaps so."
Inevitably, thinking about this Sakaki Chika feel somewhat disappointed.
Even when she was an idol or a Magic girl, Sakaki Chika wasn't good at making friends.
So now, it seems she really doesn't have anyone at school who she can call a friend.
As she thought about these things, she looked at Teacher Haihara with a glimmer of hope.
Although it was just in a dream.
[So, what about Teacher Haihara?]
[This semester, there's not much time left for you.]
[Once this semester ends, you'll no longer be her student, and she'll have no reason to continue contacting you, right?]
[You're not a Magic girl anymore, you're boring, and you're not even an idol anymore. If things continue like this, you'll leave her with nothing but a pitiful child.]
We're still on this topic.
Like a concerned parent, Tachibana naturally talked to her child about topics such as friends, love, and youth.
These topics, unlike past nightmares, did not leave scars on Sakaki Chika's body, nor did they cause her fear and pain like Sakaki Chika pricks.
It wasn't that heavy.
To cry and despair over this would be far too fragile.
But each topic cast a shadow over the girl's mood, and she couldn't help but lower her head and look down in disappointment.
So, this is the question I wanted to ask you.
Under the rising sun, the Pendulum around Sakaki Chika's neck appeared particularly dim.
[Chika, you've never had it since you were a child.]
['Smile' and 'happiness'.]
How can you obtain them?