The Recurring Dream

Is this the same dream again?

In a dim, nameless room, Chu Xin slowly opened his eyes. Unlike previous instances, this time he could perform some simple actions, like moving his fingers. Moreover, his perspective had changed; instead of the ‘God’s eye view’ from before, he was now seeing through his own eyes. His body remained bound to the bed.

The second he glanced forward, his pupils constricted. The role of the ‘girl’ in his dream, which was previously a single figure, had now become three. Their flawless bodies glowed faintly in the darkness of the room, like pearls on the sea. Their features were still blurred, making it impossible to see clearly, but their bodies had distinct differences.

Chu Xin guessed that the task’s reward must be strengthening his physical and mental focus, which in turn allowed him to feel more intensely. The three girls’ long hair brushed against his body, creating an unusual sensation. Yet, he couldn’t utter a sound.

With a glance, he saw a blonde girl with blurred features, bound to a chair, struggling violently. Despite her blurred features, he could sense the girl’s overwhelming hatred and endless regret.

‘Shouldn’t they be killing me now?’, Chu Xin thought.

Sure enough, the three girls raised the knives in their hands, stabbing him over and over. Crimson flowers bloomed repeatedly, and Chu Xin felt his soul separating from his body.

‘Why did you lie to me?’, ‘Why did you choose to be with her?’, ‘Why didn’t you wait for me?!’

Huh? There was an extra line? Chu Xin sensed something unusual; why were the details of this dream so vivid? But his consciousness kept sinking, until the very last moment, he heard a voice calling, ‘Chu Xin.’

…

Chu Xin woke up from the dream, his head throbbing more intensely than usual. He grimaced in pain but didn’t cry out, enduring it silently. After a while, the pain subsided.

This dream was different from the others, with more details and a faster recurrence. It had gone from happening occasionally to twice a week, and now almost daily. The content of the dream had also changed, and he couldn’t remember who called his name at the end. It felt like an important event was about to happen, but no matter how much he pondered, he couldn’t figure it out. So, Chu Xin decided not to overthink it.

He checked his phone; it was just past seven in the morning. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he rubbed his head and sighed. It was Monday already…

The scene from last night with Ji Yue Xuan flashed before his eyes. Seeing the chat app with the top message marked as ‘My dearest~’, he blushed and shook his head, pushing the thought away. But no matter how many times he thought about it, he still found that person amazing, and… so adorable.

Chu Xin went to the bathroom, took a quick shower, and put on the uniform specially prepared for him by Maria Academy. It was similar to the girls’ uniform, with a short-sleeved shirt, a green-edged tie, and black checkered pants. Looking at his reflection in the mirror, with his slightly disheveled hair, he sighed. He really did look like the protagonist of a world of yellow, but… he was more of a victim.

But he still didn’t know what kind of world this was. After all, he had spent the whole night with that ‘yellow-haired girl’ just yesterday. After making breakfast for himself and Su Jin, he knocked on Su Jin’s door, ‘Small Jin, it’s time for breakfast.’

But the only response was Su Jin’s grumbling from within the room. Chu Xin shook his head, a bit helpless. Su Jin was always like this, liking to sleep in and often skipping classes. Despite her frequent absences, her school, which prioritized ‘grades’, turned a blind eye.

‘I’ve put the food in a thermos. Remember to eat when you wake up,’ he said, but there was no reply from Su Jin. Chu Xin could only slowly eat his breakfast while looking at some of this world’s literary works.

This was their daily routine after their adoptive mother and sister left for a trip. Although it was a bit boring, Chu Xin found it quite pleasant, as ‘boring’ was the true essence of life. He didn’t know when his adoptive parents would return, but they would probably be back before the summer break.

They usually sent him a photo from wherever they were. It was only two or three weeks until the summer break, and there weren’t any significant activities. To be honest, yesterday was exhausting, but from now on, it would probably just be his ‘daily’ life with that person.

It was already eight o’clock, and Su Jin still hadn’t woken up. Chu Xin decided not to wait any longer. He assumed she still had some money left from what he gave her yesterday. Chu Xin wasn’t a fan of rushing; he preferred to arrive a bit early. But because of his neighbor, the so-called ‘childhood friend’, who always left early for school, he usually delayed his departure until around eight o’clock, avoiding any encounters with her.

After confirming that neither of the neighbors was around, he let out a sigh of relief, grabbed his usual backpack, and left the house. The reason for avoiding them was simple: both were troublesome. And that ‘childhood friend’ had a habit of sneaking into his home through the balcony at night, startling him awake, only to leave after saying something ‘tsundere’. Thankfully, he now locked his windows and doors every night.

He hadn’t seen her in about three or four days, not out of any special affection, but because he feared this surface ‘tsundere’, deep ‘village black’ ‘childhood friend’ might be plotting something. Anyway, he decided not to dwell on it for now.

Walking to the subway, he saw a mix of schoolgirls and businessmen rushing to start their day. This city had two distinct paces: a fast one for those under pressure and a slow one for those without. He followed the crowd, swiping his card to enter the subway station.

Since it was Monday, the subway was crowded, especially this line, which passed by many schools, so the car was filled with female students. To avoid any misunderstandings or unwanted touches, Chu Xin had no choice but to stand by the handrail, listening to the chatter of the schoolgirls around him. He sighed, but there was nothing he could do.

The subway raced through the dark tunnels. As it slowed down to approach the station, the car swayed like a wave, causing Chu Xin, who was resting his eyes, to stumble and almost fall. His phone nearly flew out of his hand. Fortunately, he grabbed the handrail just in time, steadying himself.

As Chu Xin stood up, he thought to himself that he shouldn’t be so careless. Suddenly, a familiar figure with a tuft of hair on her head appeared in the crowd, wearing the uniform of Maria Academy. Chu Xin recognized her as Shimizuma. With nowhere to avoid, he shouted, ‘Class…’

But before he could finish, the girl collided with him, and they both fell to the ground. The crowd made way, but no one stopped or took photos; they only whispered among themselves. Along with the pain, Chu Xin felt a distinctive scent belonging to Shimizuma. The two lay on the floor in an awkward position, with Shimizuma on top of him. She covered her head, then looked at Chu Xin, froze for a moment, and hugged him tightly, burying her face in his chest. Feeling Shimizuma’s unique scent, as well as her softness and warmth, Chu Xin stiffened and softly said, ‘Class… Class President?’

But Shimizuma seemed not to hear him, mumbling to herself, ‘Oh… I fell down…’