Dinner ended in a warm and lively atmosphere.
Myriad Dreams patted her stomach in satisfaction.
Almost as if by muscle memory, her fingers habitually reached into her pocket and skillfully fished out a piece of gum, preparing to unwrap it.
"Dreams-chan!"
Her mother, Brilliant Radiance, was quick and sharp.
With a somewhat helpless smile, she lightly slapped the back of Myriad Dreams' hand and took the opportunity to confiscate the gum.
"How many times have I told you? Don't chew gum immediately after eating, it's bad for digestion. Besides, Muteki-san is right here— watch your manners!"
Myriad Dreams recoiled her hand in pain and muttered aggrievedly, "I know, I know... just for a second..."
Sitting to the side, Yaeno Muteki was amused by this domestic interaction and spoke up gently to help.
"It's alright, Ma'am. It seems Dreams-chan really loves gum. I often see her eating it at school, too."
Her intention was to ease the tension, but she didn't expect Brilliant Radiance's next sentence to be like a stone thrown into the lake of her heart, sending out layer upon layer of ripples...
"Yes, this child just has that habit. She shows her true colors in front of close friends— she can't hide it at all. Her mommy and I don't know how many times we've lectured her, but she just won't change."
'In front of close friends... shows her true colors...'
This seemingly ordinary sentence was like a bolt of cold lightning, instantly striking Yaeno Muteki.
Her smile froze on her face, and her heart felt as if it were being tightly squeezed by an invisible hand.
(Internal shock intensifying)
'In front of... close friends?'
'But... Dreams-chan... she hasn't naturally pulled out gum in front of me for a very long time...'
She suddenly recalled that.
She wasn't sure when it started, perhaps after she had once tactfully mentioned that "chewing gum might affect others" at the start of the term?
The number of times Myriad Dreams chewed gum in front of her grew fewer and fewer until it almost vanished entirely.
She had originally thought this was a sign of Myriad Dreams listening to her suggestion and becoming "obedient," and she had even felt a secret trace of joy because of it.
But now, the words of Myriad Dreams' mother were like a key, unlocking a terrifying suspicion.
(Insecurity and self-doubt begin to grow wildly)
'Could it be... that in Myriad-chan's heart... I... don't count as a close friend?'
'Is that why she feels the need to restrain this small, authentic habit in front of me?'
'What I perceived as obedience was actually... a subconscious distancing and politeness?'
This realization made Yaeno Muteki feel as if she were sitting on pins and needles.
She had always believed that living under the same roof, sharing their space and time, and even possessing the privilege to "supervise" her meant their relationship had long ago surpassed that of mere roommates.
But this tiny detail about "gum" cruelly suggested that the boundary she thought she had crossed might still be standing clearly between them.
She lowered her eyes to hide the swirling complexity of emotions— shock, loss, and a deeper obsession stung into life by this possibility.
'No... impossible...'
(Paranoid thoughts begin to argue back)
'We are clearly so close... I will never allow us... to be just acquaintances...'
Myriad Dreams didn't notice the storm raging inside her roommate.
She just rubbed the back of her reddened hand and whispered a complaint to Yaeno Muteki. "See? My mom is like this. She's super strict."
Yaeno Muteki looked up and forced a gentle smile that appeared no different from usual, responding softly.
"Mmh... your mother only wants what's best for you."
However, beneath that smile, a certain determination was quietly hardening.
If the current distance wasn't close enough, if the status of a "close friend" wasn't enough to make her show her truest side...
Then she would use every possible means to completely erase that boundary until, in Myriad Dreams' world, she was the only special existence left in whose presence she could "show her true colors."
This New Year holiday seemed to have become the first "battlefield" for her to achieve this goal.