Shrinking into her sleeping bag, Starlight pulled out her phone and scrolled through her message list.
She responded to messages from friends one by one, sharing some interesting anecdotes.
Just then, her sleeping bag was unzipped from the outside.
A black-haired Uma Musume in light pink lace pajamas stood there with her long hair down.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her eyes were filled with anticipation.
"Starlight-chan... can we sleep together?"
"Sure, let's sleep together then... but my leg is injured, so be careful when you come in, Rice Shower."
Nodding, Rice Shower carefully crawled into Starlight's sleeping bag.
Her head rested near the other girl's ear, and a faint fragrance filled her nostrils.
"Starlight-chan... goodnight."
Hearing Rice Shower's soft, sweet voice in her ear, Starlight nodded, a smile curving her lips.
"Mm! Goodnight..."
A pair of small hands slowly wrapped around Starlight's waist.
Rice Shower pressed her face against the Silver-Haired girl's neck, falling into a deep sleep to the sound of steady breathing.
As for Starlight, she arrived at the Tracen Academy of her dreams.
Standing before the empty statue of the three goddesses, she waited for a long time, but the Pink and white figure did not appear.
"Breaking-chan... where are you?"
After calling out a few times, Starlight began to wander around looking for her.
The entire Tracen was deserted. That familiar pink and white Uma Musume seemed as if she didn't exist at all.
Eventually, Starlight arrived at the Tracen Cafeteria.
She saw a bowl of steaming rice on the center table, with a note pressed underneath it.
[Bye-bye, Starlight-chan. I had a great time with you, but I have to go back now! Back to my own world...]
[I'm leaving this dream Tracen to you. I hope you like it... oh, right! There's a surprise waiting for you!]
Fingering the note, Starlight's eyes flickered for a moment before she tucked it away in her pocket.
"So she went back... well, thank you for your company these past few days, Breaking-chan."
"Goodbye..."
Sitting on a dining chair, Starlight picked up a spoon and began to taste this final bowl of rice.
Halfway through eating, she suddenly remembered something and wondered aloud with her cheeks puffed out.
"Speaking of which, what was the surprise Breaking Waves mentioned?"
Just as she finished speaking, another familiar voice came from outside the door.
"Starlight-chan?!!"
Rice Shower stood at the entrance of the Tracen Cafeteria in disbelief, staring at Starlight eating inside as if it were a miracle.
"Rice Shower!"
"No, why... why is Rice Shower's dream so realistic this time...?"
Walking in cautiously, Rice Shower reached out without hesitation to pat Starlight's head, then began to knead the other girl's ears.
"Hey, Rice Shower, stop it, that tickles~"
"Starlight-chan actually reacted! And it feels so real... just like reality..."
Rice Shower didn't stop. Instead, she applied a bit more pressure.
Seeing the somewhat uncomfortable expression on the silver-haired girl's face, a happy smile instantly spread across her lips.
"This is Rice Shower's dream, so it's okay to be a little excessive, right? The real Starlight-chan wouldn't mind, right?"
Hearing Rice Shower's mutterings, Starlight suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
"Rice-chan~ Um, actually... ah!"
In the next second, Starlight was tackled to the ground by Rice Shower.
Seeing the abnormal expression on the other's face, Starlight actually felt a bit of fear.
She quickly broke free from Rice Shower and scrambled toward the door.
"Rice-chan, calm down, please don't be like this~"
Sitting up, Rice Shower frowned.
Watching Starlight's retreating figure, she stood up and patted the dust off her clothes.
"In the real world, I can't be too excessive with Starlight. In the dream, if Rice Shower continues to endure, she'll break— so Starlight-chan in the dream, please cooperate with me!"
"No, no, no, Rice Shower, I am also the real Starlight, not someone you created..."
Stopping in her tracks, Rice Shower looked at the Starlight before her, appearing very dissatisfied.
"You have self-awareness... No, but that's fine too. This makes it even more real."
"Starlight-chan, I won't do anything bad, can you just come to Rice Shower?"
Divine Starlight swallowed hard as she looked at Rice Shower's posture.
'Rice Shower, do you really think I'll believe that?'
"Ah, I have to go to training now, bye-bye Rice-chan~"
"Wait! Starlight-chan... don't run—"
The two Uma Musume engaged in another chase.
"Calm down! Rice Shower, I really am Divine Starlight!"
"Rice Shower knows, so can you stop, Starlight-chan? Rice Shower won't do anything to you..."
'You clearly don't know at all!'
'Why is she so fast? I feel like I'm about to be caught!'
Thud!
In the end, using some unknown power, Rice Shower easily tackled Divine Starlight to the ground.
She slowly reached out and pinned Starlight's hands behind her back.
"Starlight-chan, Rice Shower caught you... Although, although we can't be together, Rice Shower... Rice Shower still loves Starlight-chan."
"Since this dream gave Rice Shower such an opportunity, Rice Shower has decided to use this moment to bid farewell to these feelings~"
Struggling, Starlight listened to the words Rice Shower whispered from behind her, feeling like she was about to cry but had no tears.
"So please, Starlight-chan, please cooperate... Rice Shower, Rice Shower will be as gentle as possible!"
Turning her head with difficulty, Starlight saw the determined look in Rice Shower's eyes.
Her mind raced to find a solution.
Suddenly, she had a flash of inspiration.
"I have to wake up. As long as I wake up, there's still hope!"
Hardening her heart, Starlight used all her strength to slam her head against the ground.
Thud.
In the next moment, Divine Starlight's figure turned into a cloud and slowly dissipated.
Rice Shower fell flat on the ground.
She looked at her empty hands and waved them over the floor in disbelief.
"Starlight-chan... how did she disappear? Is it because Rice Shower's brain is too stupid to maintain the imagined Starlight-chan?"
"As expected, Rice Shower is still too useless, unable to even say goodbye in a dream to this relationship that ended before it even began..."
The real world, late at night.
Starlight sat up, shook her head, and looked at Rice Shower beside her, who was still constantly grabbing at the void.
She took a deep breath.
"Rice Shower... Rice-chan~"
"Ah... Good, good morning, Starlight-chan..."
Successfully awakened, Rice Shower was momentarily dazed.
She rubbed her eyes and sat up.
"Uh, it's not morning yet, Rice Shower."
"Ah? Then, is something wrong? Did Rice Shower bump into your injured leg..."
With a guilty conscience, Rice Shower's eyes darted around as she asked.
"No, Rice Shower is very well-behaved when sleeping. It's just that there's some other things we need to talk about..."
"Um, what is it?"
Tilting her head, Rice Shower became confused.
"I just had a nightmare... I dreamed that Rice Shower was very scary, chasing me halfway across Tracen, and eventually tackled me..."
Looking at Rice Shower's current state, Starlight finally decided to say it.
After hearing Starlight's account, Rice Shower was first stunned, and then a deep blush spread across her face.
She quickly pulled the sleeping bag up to cover her face.
"So, so just now, just now wasn't a dream? I'm sorry, Starlight-chan..."
Shaking her head, Starlight patted the other girl's head.
"It's okay... it just seems like our dreams can connect. So to ensure each other's sleep, can we be a bit more normal, please?"
After a while, Rice Shower finally calmed down a bit and nodded.
"Then... then can Rice Shower do... do that kind of thing with Starlight-chan in the dream?"