A pendulum hung in the sky.
Its hands ticked away, minute by minute, second by second, with absolute precision. No one knew why such an enormous pendulum existed in this world of blue and violet. Nor did anyone know what it meant when its hands pointed to a certain hour.
…Where am I?
Admire Vega opened her eyes. The sky glowed with a faint, eerie blue, like a jellyfish. Strange, flower-like shapes drifted overhead, and all sorts of enigmatic patterns swam seamlessly across her field of vision. The entire world was bathed in a dizzyingly beautiful, kaleidoscopic display.
The wondrous sight compelled Admire Vega to push herself upright, turning her head to look around.
Then, her hand brushed against something incredibly soft.
Focusing her gaze, Admire Vega's eyes widened slightly.
To her left sat a girl with a waterfall of black hair, dressed in a long black coat.
The dark clothing made the girl's face appear even paler.
Her chest rose and fell rhythmically; she seemed to be fast asleep.
'Cafe!? …No.'
Seeing her attire, Admire Vega quickly realized her mistake.
The black jacket, the golden tie, the two golden morning stars on her right ankle, and the golden stripes on her skirt.
This outfit, reminiscent of the night sky, belonged to that figure who had appeared on the racetrack.
The nameless black Uma Musume, the black phantom galloping across the course—that's what the spectators called her.
Why was she here?
And… what even was 'here'?
Admire Vega didn't understand it herself.
Looking around, the scenery was utterly incomprehensible. Those mysterious patterns made her wonder if she was in a dream.
But if this were a dream, her thoughts felt far too clear. There was none of that usual hazy, vague sensation.
She could even see the long eyelashes of the black-haired girl, lying on the ground with her eyes tightly shut, trembling faintly.
Not only that…
Admire Vega stealthily reached out a finger and poked the girl's cheek.
It was incredibly smooth and soft, like a ball of carefully cultivated cotton.
Her cheek was warm, too.
So, was this a dream or not?
Admire Vega couldn't answer.
Sitting beside the black-haired girl, Admire Vega scanned her surroundings blankly.
What should she do now? It seemed like they were the only two here. If she didn't wake the girl, Admire Vega had no way of understanding their situation.
She poked the girl's cheek again, hoping she would wake up.
But the other girl seemed to be in some deep state; no matter how Admire Vega touched her, she remained with her eyes closed, utterly unresponsive to the outside world.
'So it's no use?'
For Admire Vega, who preferred solitude, this was already the limit of physical contact she could initiate.
If it came to actually grabbing her shoulders and shaking her vigorously…
Frankly, that would be very difficult.
Holding her head, she thought for a moment, then turned away.
There was no helping it. The girl didn't look like she'd wake up anytime soon.
'Sorry, girl who looks so much like Cafe. I didn't mean to disturb you.'
Just as her hands slowly moved towards the girl's shoulders, a voice sounded from behind.
"How interesting. You're not that child, are you."
The sudden, clear, cold voice made Admire Vega's heart clench. She swiftly turned her head towards the source of the sound.
Yet, there were only those patterns emitting a strange light drifting around. No one was there.
"Who's there!" she demanded sharply.
"Oh? Your reaction is quite normal. Not like a ghost's."
The voice now came from in front of her, as if an invisible person was circling her, looking her over.
"Are you a human who just died?" the voice asked.
"Or perhaps a living soul who hasn't yet crossed the Sanzu River?"
"Just who are you!"
Instinctively moving closer to the black-clad girl, Admire Vega mustered her courage, stubbornly pressing the question despite the bizarre scene.
"Who am I? Before that, shouldn't you first tell me who you are?"
"Me?"
"Indeed."
As soon as the words were spoken, a mirror rose from the ground.
A girl with brown long hair stood before the mirror.
Her purple pupils reflected the girl's own stunned expression.
This is… me?
No, it's different…
Admire Vega touched the cold mirror surface.
Although the appearance resembled her own, Admire Vega distinctly felt that 'she' was different.
The girl inside seemed more fragile, more in need of care.
She looked like a flower bud blooming in a greenhouse—tender and naive.
'This isn't me.'
Admire Vega reached out to touch the cheek of the girl in the mirror.
The girl's slightly parted lips seemed to be whispering something.
'Si… ster…'
She said.
"Sister…" Admire Vega spoke aloud.
She couldn't tell if the person in the mirror was speaking, or if she herself was.
"I see. So this is the invisible red thread connecting souls," the voice said.
A black figure appeared behind the girl in the mirror. On its pale face, a golden pupil met Admire Vega's gaze.
Whipping her head around, Admire Vega saw the black-haired girl still lying on the ground.
The reflection in the mirror wasn't hers.
"What in the world… is going on?"
"Don't be nervous. This sort of thing happens occasionally," the black-clad girl said with a smile. "One person's soul experiencing another's story."
"I don't understand…" Admire Vega stared dumbfounded at the mirror. She wanted to reach in and pull that person out.
She had so much she wanted to say to her.
For a long, long time, Admire Vega had felt that her sister, the one who died in their mother's arms, was somewhere in the world, endlessly… endlessly searching for her.
Admire Vega had always believed that it was her sister who had given up her life, allowing her to come into this world.
Therefore, she carried another soul within her.
'Do you recognize me?'
Admire Vega whispered in a voice barely audible.
'After all, I am…'
BONG—! BONG—! BONG—!
The pendulum above emitted heavy, resonant chimes.
"It seems time is up," the black-clad girl said.
"Time? Time for what?"
"Go back." She waved a hand. "The living cannot remain in the world of souls."
A layer of white mist began to rise before her eyes, like a dream about to shatter, ready to send her back to reality.
"Wait! Wait!" Admire Vega cried out.
"Will I be able to see her again?"
"Unknown," the black-clad girl replied.
"That depends on fate."
In the shattering world, the voice reached her ears.
She thrust out her hand, desperate to clutch that retreating figure tightly.
But she grasped only empty air.
The bell tolled faster and faster, the sound growing more urgent, until it morphed into a rapid, ringing chime.
BRRRRIIIIINNNNGGGG—!
The sound of an alarm clock rang in her ears. The girl blinked, dazed.
A star-patterned pendant lamp hung from the ceiling above.
The dream was over.
The girl breathed rapidly. The events of moments ago faded from her mind like bubbles dissolving in water, disappearing swiftly.
'No… This is important. I must not forget!'
She struggled to recall, but no matter how clear the dream, upon waking, the forgetting inevitably began.
Just as Admire Vega pressed her fingers to her temples, silently repeating her experience, the duvet beside her shifted.
Turning her head, Admire Vega saw a girl in light gray pajamas, with a waterfall of black hair, lying next to her. Her golden eyes were full of astonishment.
"It's you… You're… You're…" Admire Vega sat bolt upright in bed.
On the other side, a girl with a brown bob haircut, startled by the sudden exclamation, sleepily stretched and sat up.
"Good morning… Cafe," she mumbled vaguely.
"Ca… Cafe…" Hearing the name, Admire Vega blinked.
At the same time, Manhattan Cafe also sat up, and the two stared at each other.
"Um… Admire Vega-san," Manhattan Cafe began slowly. "Might I ask… why are you in my bed?"
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.