Chapter 464
Finally, the whole family sat down at the dining table. Although they didn't say much, it was nice to just sit together quietly.
Mom was casually scrolling through other dessert videos, while Dad poured himself a cup of tea.
In the desolate, cold winter, the warmth of her home and the caramel shortbread seemed completely out of place with the ongoing battle. Kazama Kiriori knew that time was ticking away.
The time lost will become a needle of regret, pricking you in the future.
But Kazama Kiriori felt that both reality and dreams were stabbing at her, and it hurt her deeply.
Should she go out?
We can't stay here too long.
Kazama Kiriori took another bite of the overly sweet dessert her mother had made, and gradually seemed as peaceful as the house itself.
But is it really a good idea to leave so hastily?
Kazama Kiriori's mind kept shifting between thoughts of leaving and wanting to stay a little longer.
However, after she finished eating the biscuit in her hand, she took a sip of hot tea.
We've finished eating.
My stomach didn't feel empty because it was a dream; on the contrary, it felt just as warm.
In that case, she might wonder if everything before was just a dream, since even today she can't imagine that such a sudden change would occur and alter her life.
Hmm, that's incredible.
"..."
His breathing, which had been steady, became slightly uneven.
In the bright living room, the girl's eyelashes drooped, casting a dim shadow, whether from drowsiness or her mood, it was hard to tell.
Her gaze remained silent, her heart quiet for a long time—perhaps not long in reality, but for her it felt both incredibly long and incredibly short.
She was brought to her senses by her mother's concerned and worried voice:
"Kiriori... who are you?"
Kazama Kiriori then noticed that her eyes were a little wet.
She quickly wiped it away and replied:
"I... just woke up, I might be a little sleepy."
Mom didn't say anything, she just nodded.
Kazama Kiriori blinked.
At times like this, it seems necessary to say something substantial enough to respond to everything about myself.
But nothing seems to provide a sufficient answer.
In fact, she was so captivated by everything before her that she felt it wasn't a dream.
Just as the Flower Demon King said.
The rumbling noise and clamor around her disappeared without her realizing it; reality was receding from her, and she gradually couldn't hear the sounds outside anymore.
In this quiet and warm home, at some point, the happy and healthy couple heard---
"Um, I... had a dream."
Mom turned her head first and said curiously:
"Tell your mother?"
For this woman, it was just another ordinary day in her happy but uneventful life.
But for Kazama Kiriori, the memories of her mother that she saw this time were filled with peace and happiness.
She wanted to lower her head, but in the end she looked at her mother's face.
Kazama Kiriori seemed to have already decided what to say. She raised her head, carefully gazing at the woman's face, trying to remember every detail about her:
"I dreamt that you all met with an accident when I was a child and left me forever."
Her expression was somber, a stark contrast to the bright and warm atmosphere of her home.
The woman initially showed a surprised expression, but then she gazed at her child's expression as if trying to understand what the child was thinking, and the confusion on her face gradually faded into other emotions.
This sounds like a nightmare you just want to wake up from.
That's really scary.
"So many unpleasant things happened, and it took me a long time to get over the pain of losing you all."
"Actually, there isn't any now."
Kazama Kiriori's tone was calm and earnest, something others rarely saw in her well-behaved and obedient face. Everyone who met her felt that this child deserved a better and more fulfilling life than others.
But in reality, she was no different from anyone else.
After that tragedy, she easily lost everything and felt equally helpless.
If there was anything fortunate about this misfortune that she was grateful to fate for, it was meeting that person.
When her mother showed a worried expression after hearing the content of the dream, Kazama Kiriori continued—
"But I also had a beautiful dream."
"I dreamt that I met a gentle person who became the most important part of my life."
Because of that person, this dream wasn't all pain.
It gradually gave dreams color and warmth.
It was somewhat cold, somewhat bland, and contained wounds that could never be healed.
But it was also her beautiful dream.
It was a happiness she didn't want to lose.
"So... I can keep going, I'm willing to live on, I'm living a life without you, and I've even started to feel happy and content."
Her eyes held a guilty look.
"If that were the case... would you feel lonely or sad?"
The girl slightly raised her head and asked the man and woman in the living room.
This problem had troubled her for a long time.
The woman initially found her daughter's words somewhat puzzling.
But after she began to understand, she smiled gently at her child again:
"Maybe a little."
She raised her hand and stroked her daughter's face.
Beside her, the girl's father's gaze was equally gentle and warm, just as she remembered.
At this moment, my parents' faces are as gentle and beautiful as I remember them.
"But you will eventually have to leave your parents and live your own life."
The woman's soft fingertips seemed to gently soothe past wounds; though only slightly, they brought comfort.
As Kazama Kiriori's mother thought, she said:
Even so, we hope you can be strong, that others will love you, and that you can make choices that will make you happy, such as going to the university you want, finding someone you like, or having a less stressful job.
"That's good, that puts our minds at ease."
After a long moment of reverie, Kazama Kiriori's complex gaze gradually calmed, and she whispered:
"I see."
Outside, the sound of wind and snow called to her.
Kazama Kiriori no longer had those perplexing traits that puzzled her parents, and her eyes held less sorrow.
"Mom, I'm so sorry."
"What?"
"Do you remember when I was little, you were going on a business trip, and I argued with you about something strange. I didn't even know you were sick at the time."
"Is that so?"
"Um."
Kazama Kiriori touched the teacup, feeling its lingering warmth, and looked at the design she had long forgotten. She no longer had a cup like that in her home.
"Later I thought, I must never make this mistake again, but I think I might still make it several more times."
"It's okay, because you're my child."
"... Um."
That's about it.
That's all I wanted to say.
Finally, she asked:
Can I have a hug?
"Hmm? Why so suddenly? But of course, it can be anytime."
She hugged her parents, just like she did when she was a child, something she probably wouldn't have done intentionally as a child.
But finally, I got their answer.
The sweet aroma and warmth of caramel lingered in the living room, creating a cozy atmosphere that made one feel sleepy and want to take a nap.
Outside, the snow and wind howled.
In this kind of weather, no child would want to go out or leave home; they would all want to curl up in bed.
Why leave the warmth of home to wander in the cold outside?
What else can we find?
Tick-tock, tick-tock.
There was also the sound of wind howling, as if driving stray puppies back to their kennels.
Kazama Kiriori gently hugged her parents, then walked to the door without taking anything with her.
Looking at the heavy snow outside, the mother in the dream asked again:
"Are you leaving?"
Kazama Kiriori was silent for a moment, her tone somewhat hesitant, but finally she waved her hand easily:
"Okay, goodbye Mom and Dad."
"Be careful when you go out."
The couple waved to her.
Kazama Kiriori slowly turned around, paused briefly in front of the door, her shoulders seemed to tremble slightly before returning to normal.
The couple could no longer see her expression.
She opened the door.
There are no answers, no questions.
There were no cries or loud shouts, no heavy, solemn conclusion to such an important moment.
Kazama Kiriori left to find someone else.
What is she thinking?
Kazama Kiriori covered her face, her breathing becoming somewhat labored, but she managed to suppress it all.
She might feel like crying, but she'd been holding it in for so long, so she decided to wait until she got back to cry. For now, she should think about something else.
The world of dreams is eroding her; she can feel it.
Her consciousness was fading.