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V10 Story IV – Part 06

I found myself standing in a crimson space.

My phone in hand, I stared at the red wall. A message was displayed on the bluish-white screen of my phone. It read: Butterfly Dream. Nothing changed with the text and image.

Closing the message, I lifted my gaze to take in the surroundings, all painted in a red shade reminiscent of a womb. In this red space, one unusual element caught my eye—a door embedded in the crimson wall.

The door looked like a metal fragment that had been forcefully implanted into organs. I grabbed the knob to open it, but my hand hesitated.

Drawing in a deep breath, I closed my eyes, and my entire body began to tremble. The door stood in silence, the knob so cold it could almost burn my skin.

I opened my eyes, held my breath, and moved my hand.

As I opened the door, a stream of sweet air rushed out. The rich scent of chocolate burned my lungs.

Coughing a bit, I closed the door behind me, finding myself in front of a dark hallway.

As always, the air-conditioned room looked surreal.

The sweet smell filled me with an intense wave of nostalgia. Tears streamed down my face. Relief washed over me, like I was a child who had finally made it home. Still, it felt like I was stepping into an uncharted place.

Mayuzumi’s apartment was like the inside of a candy box. It was almost hard to believe that it existed on the plane of reality.

I stood frozen in the corridor, lost in my thoughts. Then, a voice shattered the illusion, dispelling my reverie.

“What are you doing, Odagiri-kun?” **** grouched. “You’re creeping me out just standing there in the hallway. If you’re coming, come quickly, will you?”

“…”

Ignoring her comment, I made my way down the hallway. Upon entering the living room, the lights dazzled me.

Mayuzumi lay on the leather couch, her cat-like eyes staring at me.

She was buried in a mound of ribbons and wrappers. Thin paper engulfed her black figure. Red ribbons entwined around her outstretched feet, lazily swaying as she sighed.

Today, like any other day, Mayuzumi wore an outfit resembling a dress. The luxurious sleeves and glamorous jabot suited her well. She looked like a medieval princess out of a painting.

Suddenly, her appearance changed. A woman in a red kimono was looking up at me with a displeased expression. I realized, then, that I was at a crossroads.

If I started talking to her like I always did, I would return to my old life. If I acted all cheerful, I could regain the relaxing days. This was most likely my last chance.

Mayuzumi—****—stared at me. Swallowing the words, I sat down in front of her, face-to-face.

Silence enveloped the room, with the window entirely blacked out. I couldn’t see anything outside. Time seemed to stand still. Mayuzumi opened her mouth to speak.

“So, what are you going to do, Odagiri-kun?” ■■■ asked softly.

This was undoubtedly my final warning. There was no escaping this place, this woman. Fatigued weighed heavy on me.

Beep.

As I prepared to speak, resigning myself to my fate, there was a ping. The words stopped in my throat.

In my right hand rested my phone. I unlocked the screen. There were only the words “Butterfly Dream” on the text message. It had not changed a bit. I didn’t think it could help me at all.

At that moment, a frown creased my forehead. A question shot through my mind like a lightning bolt.

Who sent this?

Mayuzumi Azaka, who was right in front of me, had not sent any text my way. I pulled up the address book, revealing only a handful of registered contacts. I chose Mayuzumi Azaka and pressed the call button. My phone started ringing.

“Odagiri-kun, what are you doing?” the woman in front of me asked dubiously.

But I ignored her. I raised the phone that persistently called into the unknown and pressed it against my ear.

The next instant, the call connected.

“…Hello? Who is this?” I asked desperately.

“Well, well. Took you long enough to notice. Good effort, though. You did better than expected.”

An arrogant voice poured into my ear, accompanied by sounds of chewing. She was eating chocolate while talking to me. My eyes grew wide.

I was certain that I finally arrived at my destination. I had grasped the correct answer among the hidden choices. I stared ahead with teary eyes.

■■■, seated on the couch, had her mouth hanging open. “It can’t be,” she murmured.

“Now that’s just rude. Who do you think I am?” the voice responded directly from the phone. Chocolate crumbled.

I squeezed the phone tight. A dignified voice echoed from the receiver.

“I am Mayuzumi Azaka. And I’m in.”

Like old paint peeling off, countless cracks appeared on the walls. The world fractured and collapsed. Fragments danced in the air. The fabrication was coming undone.

And in the middle of the crimson world was Mayuzumi Azaka.

We stood in the red space, surrounded by absolute nothingness.

The living room had disappeared, replaced by a flat, expansive ground that resembled the interior of a person’s womb.

Before me, two women stood facing each other—one attired in a traditional kimono, the other in gothic lolita fashion. One held a black umbrella, the other a red parasol.

The two looked similar, but were complete opposites. Inverted versions of each other. The woman smiled faintly, studying us with great interest. In front of me stood Mayuzumi Azaka.

“Mayu-san,” I called. “It’s you, isn’t it? The real Mayuzumi Azaka?”

“The question of whether I’m real or not is nonsensical, Odagiri-kun. Your dreams are as real as you believe them to be. Then again, you did reject your dream, and now I’m here to pick you up. I suppose I’m the real one to you. You took so long to call.”

Mayuzumi shrugged lightly, not even bothering to turn to look at me. She twirled her parasol irritably.

“I bear responsibility for you being trapped here. I do have enough mercy to reel you in, but it would have been less trouble if you had noticed earlier. Honestly, you’re too slow.”

I nodded dumbly. But I still struggled to comprehend the current situation. In front of me were the scarlet woman and Mayuzumi.

This Mayuzumi seemed like the one I knew. But then, who was the Mayuzumi I had been talking to until now? What was the world I had been living in? It didn’t make any sense to me.

As if sensing my confusion, Mayuzumi turned around, a deep frown on her face. She sighed.

“Dreamwalking. As long as you mentally reject me, I can’t fully materialize. Seriously. You just had to believe that your dream was reality. And I appear in it too, apparently, so I couldn’t intrude.”

“My dream… as reality? What?”

“If only you knew how much effort it took to find a crack. Oh, I would love for you to hear it. I lost count how many times the clan head rushed me. I never want to see her terrifying face ever again.”

Mayuzumi shuddered. The scarlet woman remained silent, spinning the black umbrella with an immaculate smile that sent shivers down my spine.

Little by little, I began to understand what that strange, crumbling world actually was. As the fog in my brain lifted, I recalled a particular memory. It was right after I lost my left hand and fainted.

In the borderline between dreams and reality, I delved into a dream deeper than any before.

The woman squeezed my hand tight, as if crushing a fruit, then let go. She fixed my hand, as if she were supplementing missing flesh with clay.

“Keep having those sweet dreams,” she had said sweetly.

“Am I still…”

Mayuzumi nodded. “Yeah, you haven’t actually woken up yet. Since Kugutsu-kun cut off your fingers and you jumped off the pathway.”

A wave of dizziness struck me. I had memories of Shirayuki embracing me, Yusuke expressing relief, Kugutsu and Maihime figuring out how to live their lives from here on out. And that wasn’t all.

There were memories I couldn’t just dismiss as mere dreams.

Azuma turning himself in, Yuina finding her own path, Nanami, Yusuke, Aya helping me. Although things gradually turned twisted, I experienced beautiful things after waking up. I couldn’t bring myself to believe the sudden revelation.

Was everything that happened just a dream?