Fantasy Clock～Dream Ruler～

The first alarm in the morning that broke through the silence woke up the tired consciousness.

I babbled sleepily, grabbed the phone, swiped my index finger skillfully to the right to turn off the alarm clock, and the turbulent rhythm came to an abrupt end.

Wisps of sunlight shone through the thin slits of the curtains in the air. I raised my wrist to cover my eyes, the softness under my body seemed to have an irresistible attraction.

Close your eyes and squint for a while after turning off the alarm, is this the most reliable "time travel method" in the world? As long as you fall asleep for just 5 minutes, you may arrive at the "future" a few hours later after waking up.

Although I really want to sleep for a while. But I know that once I close my eyes in a daze, I may fall asleep again. I don't want to experience this kind of "time travel"... This makes me grab the poor little will to sit up from the bed and stretch up.

My mind went blank for a few seconds before I yawned and walked out of the room.

The corridor in the scorching sun was deserted—it was really rare that he woke up earlier than Su Huilin.

That may not be right, because I should actually be up all night, right? Probably when the hazy night gradually faded, I closed my eyes and fell into a drowsy consciousness. I didn't dream before I woke up.

It may be because of this that I didn't see the gap between the dreams tonight.

I remembered Xia Yinci once said, "The time of dreaming is not the time of sleeping ~ because you are not necessarily dreaming when you are asleep." In this way, I always feel that the time difference with Su Huilin will be farther and farther away.

At this time, she happened to be passing by Su Huilin's room, and her door was opened inward by chance. Looking back, I saw Su Huilin who was scratching her messy hair with a distorted face in a daze. The trembling lavender eyes glanced at me indifferently.

"Obrother ちゃん, おはよう (brother, good morning)." Su Eirin beckoned listlessly.

The clear and sweet tone combined with the cold tone, the most important thing is this kind of classic Japanese sister language, which really made me feel like I was still in a dream. Su Huilin would never speak like this. When I came back to my senses, I couldn't help but gave her a strange look.

"... Hey, what stimulated you?"

Su Huilin and I went downstairs together. She didn't respond to my meaning, but squinted her eyes, staggering as if she would fall asleep at any moment.

Walking into the restaurant, there is the aroma of coffee and milk.

The old mother, who brushed her blond hair loosely behind her back, held the plate and handed it to the table. I was stunned for a moment, and then I remembered that my mother came home just the day before yesterday. Just when I was about to sit down, I found that Su Huilin had disappeared. I turned my head and found that she was standing at the door with her eyes closed, and she seemed to have fallen asleep in such an incredible standing position.

I walked over helplessly, shaking in front of her eyes. Only then did Su Huilin's eyes open the lavender streamer. Hmm... Although she had her twin tails tied up as usual, there were still a few strands of hair curled up playfully. In addition, the eye circles are also slightly darkened.

This look is both disturbing and amusing. I couldn't help raising the corners of my mouth.

"...What are you giggling about?"

Su Huilin asked lightly. I put away my smile and stretched out my hand to rub the raised gold threads. Then he raised his back.

"Did you sleep late last night?" I stared into her eyes and sighed softly, "Su Huilin...the college entrance examination is still a long way for you. Don't try too hard."

"What are you? I went to bed early last night." Su Huilin gave me a blank look. He seemed to think that I was meddling, and said, "What about you?"

"What's wrong with me?"

"What's the matter with you and Xiaoyin?" Su Huilin's words made my hands froze when I wanted to pull the chair away, and when I looked up, I saw the worried look in her eyes, "Yesterday I saw her absent-minded, and she looked a little weak."

——Suddenly returned to the coffee shop yesterday. Up to now, I can still clearly recall that cold look, like a basin of ice water poured from the top of my head.

at that time. "I already know about this kind of thing! You don't need to go into such details. If it's okay, I'll go back." Xia Yinci's voice gripped my heart tightly, which made me feel a little depressed. As if aware of her slip of the tongue again, the girl bit her lower lip and gave me a light glance, then said an incomprehensible apology, and disappeared before my eyes.

"Hey~ What did you do that was too much?" The tea cat propped its head lazily, staring at me with eyes as deep as a pool of water. I froze and tried to think carefully, but I still couldn't find the answer and shook my head left and right. She asked again, "Then did you say something unreasonable to her?" I still denied it as confused as before. The tea cat let out a "huh" with ulterior motives, and didn't ask me any more.

Obviously, Elus finally mustered up the courage to return to reality, and the gate of the Dream Palace was opened. My heart felt empty. It is indescribable.

The sound of the chair being pulled brought me back to my eyes. Su Erin finished breakfast before me as usual and walked out of the restaurant. But she didn't lean against the wall and kick behind her heels arbitrarily like when she was waiting for me before, and she seemed a little weak at this time. I don't know if it's because my mother is back.

After eating and leaving home, I have to turn around and say goodbye to my mother. She would also tell us "be careful all the way" and close the door unhurriedly when we left. This is probably another place that is different from usual.

Not long after walking along the street, someone suddenly hooked my shoulder mischievously, as if all the weight of my body was on my back. Su Erin was probably one step ahead of me when I realized that someone was coming, and before the person behind me did so, she took a step away from me to the side, walking on her own, as if she had nothing to do with the two of us.

"I saw it just now!"

The boy behind him is Chen Zekai, a classmate in the class. He is of medium height, but he is quite popular because of his good looks and sunny disposition.

When I first met him, I thought he was very similar to Hayama Hayato in "Spring Things". Hair color is also very similar. In addition, he is born with the characteristics of being familiar with himself. It's just that it's a little different from Hayama Hayato's type...

Hmm, just like now, he casually hooked my shoulder who didn't know him too well.

"What... what did you see?" I couldn't help feeling confused.

"Don't pretend, you bastard! I passed by your house just now, and I saw a blond big sister telling you 'be careful all the way'. What's going on?"

When he said "be careful all the way", he deliberately pinched his throat softly, and I couldn't help curling the corners of his mouth when I saw him like this.

"You idiot, that's my mother!"

As soon as the words fell, Chen Zekai's face was full of incredible astonishment. The raised eyebrows looked a little happy.

"Stop joking."

"Really. I don't need to lie to you about such things, do I?"

Seeing that I said such words so seriously, Su Huilin couldn't help but stop pretending to be a stranger, and let out a "poof" laugh. I have to say that I was a little happy to see my sister's smile. All brothers in the world should be like this, right?

It must be so...

Well.

I guess so.

In this way, they passed the residential area of ​​Xia Yinci's family. Realizing this, I slowed down near her apartment building.

On the side facing the street is the window of her bedroom, and the closed curtains prevent me from seeing the inside of the house—although I can’t see anything from the window on the tenth floor even if the curtains are not closed, but I probably want to see She just opened the window and smiled and waved to me, right?

That would really give me a lot of peace of mind.

In any case, it must be because her words and deeds yesterday were so cold, which made me so uneasy.

"Hey! What are you looking at? Are you listening to me?"

Chen Zekai next to me grabbed my shoulder again. I quickly squeezed out a smile and shook my head, said "nothing" to him, and accelerated the speed of my feet.

"What do you mean by 'nothing'! I asked you if you want to go out to play on weekends this week, can you give me a relatively definite answer?"

"This...whatever...you can go if you want."

Following a bustling crowd of high school students into the talking and laughing atmosphere of the teaching building, I couldn't help but glance around, looking for Xia Yinci's figure.

However, I did not see her along the way. When I wanted to see her, she stopped wandering around me.

Thinking that I would see her when I got to the classroom, I stepped up the stairs.

When we reached the floor where Su Erin's classroom is located, I said goodbye to Su Erin. Just about to continue walking up with Chen Zekai, but then vaguely saw a familiar figure——

Lin Yu, who appeared as a vampire in the dream, lost her pair of fangs in reality. Although the mean-speaking bystander is his real side. At this point, it is true that dreams are more "real" than reality.

On second thought, what about me? Am I also more real on the other side of the dream?

Just as she was thinking, Lin Yu's gaze slowly turned to this side, and met mine. I stared blankly at him for a few seconds, only to see him smile at me, turn around and walk into the classroom. I also went upstairs with Chen Zekai who was full of confusion.

From the day Xia Yinci asked me to participate in the domination war until now, it was actually just a few days. But I clearly feel that I have changed a lot compared to the previous me.

For example, I began to change my concept of "dreams", for example, I gradually realized how many people are bound by the past, for example, I understand that there are always people fighting fiercely in places I can't see.

Another example... I don't understand what Xia Yinci is thinking.

I pulled the corner of my mouth with a wry smile. Walking into the classroom and separating from Chen Zekai, I put down my schoolbag and sat down in front of my seat, and instinctively looked towards the empty seat beside me. I thought that I would always see Xia Yinci when I got to the classroom. Of course, I also wanted to ask her what happened yesterday.

...However, I didn't see Xia Yinci until the class bell rang.

Xia Yinci's late arrival was actually nothing new. But after one class, she still didn't show up.

I looked at the only chair in the classroom next to me that was still upside down on the table, and felt deserted and uneasy for no reason.

Morning reading time is between the end of the first class and the start of the second class. Although yesterday's situation caused some embarrassment between us, the slight worry in my heart still overwhelmed the embarrassment. I took out my mobile phone and used the desk board as a cover to send a text message to Xia Yinci. Hearing the footsteps of high heels hitting the ground, I quickly put my phone away and raised my head.

The young teacher with a single ponytail put down the materials, glanced at the seat next to me, said "morning reading starts" out of nowhere, and then picked up the phone.

Probably contacting Xia Yinci's parents.

Not long after, I saw her put the phone to her ear and leave the classroom.

I chased after the figure of the teacher and looked out, pinching the pages of the book in my hand and not opening it for a long time. Just like that, he met someone's gaze. At this moment, it cut off my eyes from following the teacher. I looked at that person—Chen Yun, who was in the same group—for a while, and he looked away first, pinching the tip of his nose and looking out, as if he didn't think there was anything strange, but looked at me even more puzzled. .

"Hello? Why are you two old men looking at each other so stupidly?"

It was Bao Xiaofeng from the next table group who spoke. Those little eyes, nearly a slit, watched us strangely.

"It's okay, I was wondering if I forgot to bring some homework... Maybe Chen Yun was a little curious seeing me in a daze."

I smiled awkwardly and said to him in a low voice.

After I finished speaking, I cast a glance at Chen Yun, only to see that Chen Yun, who was suspected by several classmates to suffer from narcolepsy, had already squinted his eyes on his wrist and seemed to have fallen asleep while I was talking. Bao Xiaofeng also felt that it was meaningless, so he responded to me out of boredom, and then returned to the book absent-mindedly. I also lowered my head and opened the book, fiddled with the corners of the pages. After a while, the corner of the paper turned up.

"Su Ruoyang, come out here."

As the classroom door was pushed open heavily, the voice came straight to me. I quickly raised my head, the head teacher waved at the door, and I walked out of the classroom unhurriedly.

I absent-mindedly met the gaze of the supervisor at work. She put the phone back into her pocket and asked me, "Did you see Xia Yinci yesterday?"

"Ah? Oh, I've seen it." Hearing Xia Yinci's name when I was always thinking about her, I couldn't help feeling like someone poked me awake with an arm while I was sleeping, and my heart beat faster. "What happened to her?" I asked tentatively.

"It's nothing. Usually Xia Yinci doesn't come to school so late, I will call his dad. He will apologize to me every time, saying that he is too busy and forgot to ask for leave for Xia Yinci. But this time he told me about Xia Yinci Yinci didn't say she couldn't come to school." At this point, she folded her hands, "No matter how much she messes around, she won't stop coming to school for no reason. Of course I'm a little worried about her."

This made my eyes wander from side to side. The phone in my pocket never vibrated.

I was silent for a moment, and couldn't help but said: "Teacher... can I leave the school for a while? I want to go to her house to see what's going on."

I don't know why the head teacher gave me a meaningful glance, and I don't know why she misunderstood my relationship with Xia Yinci. It seems that young teachers are so cranky about something not so good.

"Actually, that's what I mean too." She said and handed me a leave slip, then thought of something, and continued, "Also, don't delay the class. Remember to come back early if you have nothing to do. I know you are on good terms, but don't You forgot your duty as a student.”

Hmm... I always feel that the young teacher has misunderstood something. Sure enough, it is a teacher's nature to be suspicious of students. I still nodded, took the leave slip, turned around and went downstairs quickly.

When I passed Su Huilin's classroom downstairs, I saw Su Huilin squinting her eyes on the table and breathing evenly.

After all, she still had faint dark circles around her eyes in the morning, which was expected.

besides. Lin Yu in front of the podium raised his eyes and spotted me, and cast his gaze through the window.

I breathed a sigh of relief, met his gaze and left the teaching building.

＊＊＊

He kept an eye out all the way, but he didn't see Xia Yinci passing by. I tried to call Xia Yinci again, but there was only noise along the road and the notification sound of the phone being turned off. I walked into the apartment building with my head full of cranky thoughts, and just as soon as I saw the elevator door open, I stepped forward and took the elevator without hesitation.

Press the button for the tenth floor. I grabbed the phone with the screen still turned off, and the number of floors displayed swiped to point to the tenth floor.

After getting off the elevator, I found Xia Yinci's room among several similar doors based on my memory, stopped in my tracks, and rang the doorbell uneasily.

...

There was no movement in the room for a long time, but for a while in the air-conditioned corridor, his forehead was covered with sweat. I shook my head to get rid of those random thoughts, and continued to ring the doorbell a few times anxiously, even lying on the peephole to try to see what was going on in the room.

At this moment, there was a quietly clicking sound from the opposite side of the door, and the door was pulled open hesitantly.

I hurriedly took a step back, and the girl who was rubbing a few strands of blue hair leaned against the door with her face tilted in confusion, as if she had just woken up with tears in her eyes. A slightly hoarse voice let out an exclamation similar to "Huh".

"Why... are you here?"

Xia Yinci was wearing a long-sleeved pajamas that was one size too big, her fingertips were faintly hidden in the light pink cuffs, and the collarbone marks were exposed from the neckline.

"Don't you know that you are in class today?? Not only did you not see you at school, you didn't ask for leave, and your mobile phone was turned off..."

I incoherently explained the reason for my visit. She held the doorknob as if she had forgotten to let me in. But after a second, she suddenly hugged me. I was really taken aback by this hug, and the long-winded words that kept coming out of my mouth suddenly stuck in my throat.

I stretched out my hand involuntarily and stroked her back gently. I could feel her tender skin through the thin pajamas, and I quickly moved my hand up. After an unknown amount of time, she gently let go of her hand.

Her eyes blinked slowly and frequently, flashing apologetic and confused lights, no matter how you looked at her, she felt weak.

"You...why do you always come here so early these two days?"

The words seemed to be complaints, but there was warmth hidden in the tone. The girl's voice seemed to disappear at any moment. I always have an urge to hug her tightly again.

"Who made you disappear suddenly, and you didn't reply to the news, and something like that happened yesterday..."

I didn't say any more, feeling a little emboldened in my heart. Xia Yinci's eyebrows became more and more perplexed. After a long time, she seemed to think of something, and she opened her eyebrows again, revealing a weak smile.

"Don't worry. I'm fine." Xia Yinci pursed her lips when she said this, with a bit of guilt in her eyes, "Don't worry so much, right? You're so nervous...it seems like we're going to separate."

"You still have the nerve to say that, just now you suddenly hugged me like a person who separated?"

And that look you put on yesterday... I didn't say that, but swallowed it back. After all, Xia Yinci seemed to deliberately not mention what happened yesterday.

"I'm sorry... It's just a rare... I just had a nightmare." Xia Yinci replied softly. Easily overwhelmed by other sounds.

"You, a lucid dreamer, are still afraid of nightmares?"

After I said that, I immediately noticed her uneasy expression, and suddenly thought of something.

Xia Yinci did not answer my question. Instead, he changed the subject and said, "Are you still in class? If you have nothing else to do, you should go back to school first...By the way, help me ask for leave."

As soon as the words fell, she made a gesture to close the door. I hastily stretched out my hand against the door. I was almost pinched by the door, but I opened the door regardless of these, stretched out my hand to brush away the bangs on her forehead, put my palm on her forehead, and then retracted my palm to touch my own forehead.

It may be that this series of actions was too sudden, so that she took a step back in panic.

I gently put down my hand, and really felt that her body temperature was a little bad. Just remembered that when she talked on the phone yesterday, her voice seemed a little hoarse, and then her face turned red abnormally. Plus, it's rare to have a nightmare——

"Hey, do you have a fever?"

I gently put her shoulders on her shoulders. She shook her head, trying weakly to break free from my hand, but instead staggered and couldn't stand firmly. I quickly supported her. Xia Yinci exhaled warm breath softly, her cheeks were flushed with cherry blossoms as if drunk. Even if the little mouth that opened didn't make any sound, I could guess what she would say "I'm fine".

She is always so needlessly brave. Is she too free or too restrained?

"Come with me to the hospital." I said to her unquestionably, taking her arm.

She was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and stubbornly wanted to free her arm, but seeing that she couldn't break free no matter what, she had no choice but to use no more force. I also put on a posture that if you don't promise me, I won't let go, but I soon saw her helplessly glance at me.

"Can you let go, idiot..."

"no……"

"I'm going to change clothes. Even if I go to the hospital, I can't wear it like this..."

Her words made me swallow the words I was about to say "I won't let go unless I go to the hospital with me", and the expression on my face was replaced by embarrassment. I let go of her hand with a twitching corner of my mouth. Seeing her enter the room with a weak smile and close the door, I breathed a sigh of relief.

While waiting for her, I took out my mobile phone and told the head teacher that I would accompany Xia Yinci to the hospital, but I received an emoji of "secret observation" from her, which is really strange. I reluctantly turned off the screen. Xia Yinci quickly changed her clothes and came out wearing a mask.

I have been by her side since I took her to the hospital. She also didn't talk to me because of her sore throat, she just looked at me strangely from time to time.

"What are you looking at?" I couldn't help raising my eyebrows.

"When I was sick when I was young, you just continued to drag me to play, but now you even take me to see a doctor."

Although obviously meant as a joke. But I was suddenly stunned by these words—because there was an invisible deviation from my memory, and I couldn't help but think of the thing I didn't remember. In my memory, I didn't play with her when she was sick, but dragged my frail body to pick her up and put her on the bed with difficulty. Seeing that my expression became a little weird, Xia Yinci didn't know what to think of, so she didn't speak anymore.

When it was time for lunch, she didn't have much appetite. I think of the time when she was sick and had no appetite when she was young, and she was the only one who could only eat strawberries. I hurried downstairs to buy big strawberries, washed them and gave them to her. But she shook her head. I suddenly remembered the deviation of my memory just now. Absently, I had to put the strawberry into my mouth. The sweetness is just right.

After a while, I saw her looking at the bag of strawberries in my hand. I still tried to take another strawberry to her mouth, but she still shook her head from side to side with difficulty. I pouted and ate myself again. Could it be that even the matter of eating strawberries is something that only I remember? Or do I only remember what happened in these suspected dreams, but forget what they all remember that actually happened?

But at this time, I saw Xia Yinci was in a hurry, and weakly said to me who was in a daze: "I asked you to pull the mask off my face, you idiot."

I was taken aback for a few seconds by this statement. In this somewhat suffocating silence, I coughed, gently tore off her mask, lowered my hot face slightly, and stuffed the strawberry into her mouth. And her slightly pale face also showed a beautiful smile with a "poof", and suddenly felt that her heartbeat seemed to slow down by half a beat.

"I'm quite happy~"

Xia Yinci spoke in such a feeble voice with no clear meaning. I squeezed the plastic bag in my hand, not understanding what she meant.

"what do you mean?"

"Hmph, seeing you, an idiot who doesn't know how to take care of others, trying hard to do something you're not good at. Even though you're so stupid, I think it's cute."

Uh... the word "cute" is a bit inappropriate for me, right? I always feel that she doesn't mean to compliment me... But seeing her smiling face, even though I think she is deliberately teasing me, the stone hanging in my heart still gently fell down. I also raised the corner of my mouth slightly, and stuffed the strawberry into my mouth again. "Hmm, cough~" The girl's voice mixed with a little coquettish sounded in my ear. I turned my head while savoring the sweetness that slipped into my mouth. I saw Xia Yinci looking at me from the corner of my eye. I couldn't help but smile more, and gently stuffed another strawberry into her mouth.