Wanna Go on a Trip with Me? Lea's Long-Awaited Dream
Lea had a dream after a long time.
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Under a blue and dark night sky shrouded in faint mist, in a misty training ground that felt both familiar and strange, like it straddled the line between dream and reality, the girl quietly opened her eyes.
"This place... it kinda looks like where that red-haired lady was, da...?"
The dream she'd had not long ago. The weird red-haired woman who'd lied about hating someone while gazing at the night sky.
— "I thought if I hated you, pushed you away, and rejected you, I'd eventually erase you from my heart."
— "But the more I did, the clearer you became."
It looked very much like the place where she'd recited her regrets and affection to the night sky.
"Umph, it really does look like where that lady was! So this time—"
Lea wanted to meet her and tell her, 'Stop lying and be honest, da!'
"Today, this body will say it to her face myself, da!"
—Thud thud thud!!
The girl ran all over the dream training ground.
"Frustrating lady! You here, da?"
She searched from the bushes and armory behind the training ground to the stone stairs in the corner, but there wasn't even a trace of her, as if she'd never been there to begin with.
—Thump!
"Hahk, hahk... Even in dreams, running around tires you out, da..."
Lea lay flat on the stone floor for a moment, gazing up at the sky.
Twinkle—
Twinkle—
She hadn't found that damn lying lady, but why was the night sky so beautiful? A deep blue night. Countless stars floating silently in the heavens, twinkling like tiny flames, showing off for all they were worth.
"Umph, even in a dream, the stars are so pretty, da."
Lea felt like running toward that beautifully shining sky. She wanted to grab her sword and swim through the stars like flying.
Then, suddenly, she remembered the story Si-hyun had told her about the Knight King. In that tale, there was a lofty realm that exceptional knights could reach.
Knight Granted the Names of Stars and Nebulae
The so-called Knight of the Celestial Oath—that was it.
"I didn't get it when Si-hyun told me, but a knight who reaches those twinkling stars? That's super cool, da!"
—Swoosh.
The girl reached toward the sky with a faint smile. Knowing she couldn't touch them, but with a pure wish to get just a little closer to the starlight—
Lea wanted to express it this way, at least.
"Someday... this body wants to become a star in that sky too, da. Like the knights in the stories... I want to reach the stars, da."
The moment Lea murmured to herself about wanting to reach the stars.
"If you're with me, you can reach them."
A strange voice rode the wind and settled in the girl's ear.
—Spring!
"Who's there, da...?"
Lea jumped up and looked around, but the training ground was the same as before—just her alone, no one else in sight.
"Hmm?"
As Lea scratched her head in confusion, "Over here."
The unidentified voice came again. A scraping sound, like something being dragged out. A noise that even in a dream felt like it shouldn't be heard.
"Umph, who are you, da? Stop hiding and come out, da."
"I've been here all along."
—Whoosh.
The lingering mist slowly cleared, revealing a hazy silhouette. Countless weapons stuck in the training ground floor.
"There was nothing before, but suddenly weapons appeared, da."
And in the center, a brilliantly shining silver sword, as if condensed starlight, was plunged into the ground.
The particularly beautiful blade began to vibrate faintly, calling to the girl.
"Hello, Lea?"
The sword greeted her familiarly. Its voice was eerie somehow. Manly yet womanly, old yet young... an emotionless echo.
"Are you... a sword, da?"
"Lea, more importantly, don't you have something on your mind?"
"??"
"You said you wanted to reach the stars, right? Then take me. I'll take you higher than the stars."
The silver sword made a sweet offer.
"Like that time."
—Shiiine.
It gleamed with starlight, but it carried a chilling, spine-tingling coldness.
Even accounting for the ominous vibe, the sword before her was stunningly beautiful. The kind that made you think there was no other sword under the sky quite like it.
So Lea was a little intrigued by its promise to take her to the stars.
'If I grab this, maybe I really could fly up there, between the stars, da.'
But.
Shake shake—
Lea shook her red hair side to side, signaling refusal.
"I appreciate the offer, but... this body wants to go alone, da."
The girl firmly refused with her purple eyes shining.
"Not with anyone's power, but with this body's own strength, I want to reach the stars, da."
"......"
The silver sword fell silent at Lea's resolute refusal. It stayed quiet briefly, then vanished like smoke.
"The chance is always open. When the day comes that you need me—"
"Let's meet again then, Lea."
Leaving those prophetic final words.
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—Rustle.
With that scene, Lea woke from the dream.
"Lately, I've been having weird dreams, da."
Starting with the dream of the red-haired woman regretting alone, now a strange sword tempting her to come along.
Who was that red-haired woman? Why couldn't she find her this time? And what was the silver sword that spoke to her today?
"......No idea, da."
Left with questions she neither understood nor wanted to, Lea instinctively burrowed into Si-hyun's arms beside her.
—Squeeze.
"Si-hyun, lately this body has been having weird dreams, da."
Maybe he'd know if she asked.
"Today it felt a bit scary too, da..."
It would've been great if Si-hyun had been in the dream then.
With that absurd thought, Lea whispered her small wish like a complaint.
"Si-hyun, from next time on, come in and stay by my side, da..."
The moment the girl grabbed his collar and made her plea, "Lea... I'll always... be by your side..."
"...?!"
A voice between dream and reality, laced with sincerity. Lea giggled at his perfectly timed mutter.
"Ehehe... It's just sleep-talk promise, but you can't take it back, da...!"
Lea rubbed her chubby cheeks against Si-hyun's chest with a happy smile.
Rub rub—
If she fell asleep now, she'd probably have a warm dream, different from before. One with a cool guy who murmured he'd stay by her side even in his sleep.
* * *
A few days later.
"Hic... Hic...! S-Si-hyun is a liar, da...!"
Lea was bawling her eyes out from the morning on a weekend.
"Si-hyun is a dummy! Pervert! Lolicon sea anemone, da!!!"
"Uh... First off, where'd you even learn that? Lea?"
"Huing... The black-haired lady who comes every day to change this body's clothes told me, da."
Ha, Eun-ha Mom, please. Don't teach Lea weird stuff.
No wonder she'd been asking 'Is Si-hyun a lolicon?' every time we hugged or cheek-kissed lately... It was all Mom's scheme.
'Sigh, but I don't have the guts to confront Mom...'
I resolved to take it out on Uncle Do-jin instead later.
Anyway, skipping Lea's weird behavior, what's this about me being a liar?
I've been living squeaky clean lately, haven't I?
Shake shake.
I shook the water from my hair and approached the sniffling Lea.
"Lea, when did I ever lie?"
"Sniff...! S-Si-hyun always said he'd stay by this body...! But these past few days, you left this body alone in the lab and... rolled around with other girls...! Hweeeeng!!"
The promise from when she was asleep a few days ago—how'd she know? More importantly, what rolling around with other girls?
"Hmm..."
I crossed my arms, recalling the past few days.
《Ga-eun sniffing me for 10 minutes every morning since the Kraheim incident》
《Emilia always glued to my side when going to the research building》
《Victoria weirdly clinging during lunch every day》
《Cheon Seol-hwa, the student who's been following me around lately for some reason》
And the occasional Elissa and Eun-ha Mom.
Six in total. All pretty girls with great figures hanging around me—Lea must've misunderstood.
'But this is kinda unfair?'
Not one of those six did I seek out first!
I could've said that, but.
"Huu... Si-hyun said he liked this body...! But it feels like you're always with other girls... Sniff!"
In front of the girl shaking her little shoulders and crying, hemming and hawing excuses would just make me look like a coward.
No matter what, my carelessness had hurt the sensitive Lea—that was fact.
—Squeeze!
I sat on the floor and stroked the cheeks of the tearfully crying Lea.
"Sorry, Lea. I've been neglecting you a lot lately, huh?"
"Uung...! This body was lonely, da...! You've been so busy lately, da!"
"But Lea, what if I said I was busy for our knight's sake... would you believe me?"
"H-Huu...?"
Aah~ That thrill. A cute girl's surprised face with tears welling up—what a delicacy!
'This is why I can't quit surprise events.'
—Swipe.
I wiped Lea's surprised tears and continued.
"Lea, you said you wanted to see the stars a while back, right?"
"Umph... The night sky in my dream was so pretty, I wanted to see it with Si-hyun, da..."
"So~~~ I prepared! Introducing: Lea Sweetie Weekend: Camping Edition!!"
"C-Camping...?"
I showed Lea some camping site photos and night sky pics on my phone.
"What do you think? I booked a spot where the stars are super clear. Took real effort finding it. Haha."
"Th-Then all this time you've been busy...?"
"To avoid weekend overtime. Gotta cuddle with Lea, but guild calls would ruin it— Gyaaah!!"
—Leap!!
Before I finished, Lea tackled into my arms.
'Oof, no matter how many times, I never get used to this.'
Sorry for the misunderstanding, Lea kept rubbing her face in my chest without looking up.
"Huu... Th-This body didn't know and got mad at Si-hyun, da..."
"Hahaha, don't worry about it."
"Hehe... Si-hyun is such a cool, sweet guy, da...!"
"Alright then, knight? Shall we prep for the trip?"
"Umph!! This body will pack pudding and snacks, da!"
—Thud thud thud!!
Like she hadn't cried at all, Lea beamed and dashed to the kitchen.
I watched her fondly, sighing inwardly in relief.
'Whew, if I'd been a bit later, it would've been game over.'
Mengmang-grade Ghost Story 'Lea's emotions are becoming unstable!! → User 'Yoon Si-hyeon''s quick thinking has calmed 'Lea's emotions once more.
Please take care not to let the girl feel anxious.
Do people know the world almost ended just seconds ago?