"You sleep on this side, I sleep on this side." March 7th used a bolster pillow to clearly define the boundary.
"This way, I won't disturb you!" March 7th gave a thumbs-up gesture.
"It's okay, I should be a heavy sleeper. March 7th, just sleep however you're comfortable." After all, it was her bed; how could she make the owner uncomfortable?
"Hehe, Theresia is so nice! Don't worry, I definitely won't disturb you," March 7th promised, patting her chest.
Seeing March 7th say this, Tian An felt relieved.
"Mm, okay..."
...
Okay...嗎..... (Okay... really...?)
Tian An stared helplessly at the arm draped around her neck, unable to move.
March 7th was clinging to Tian An like an octopus, her arms impossible to pry off.
Is this right?
Tian An carefully tried to shift her body. If this continued, she'd be dead before they even reached the Herta Space Station.
This should count as a work injury, right...? Whose service am I even accompanying here?
Tian An thought this while gently trying to nudge March 7th's arm away. Unexpectedly, the arm felt like it was suctioned onto her, impossible to pull off no matter how she tried.
I know I'm charming, but it shouldn't be... like this!
Tian An suddenly used force, pulling her limbs free, then quickly shoved the bolster pillow—the one used to mark the boundary—into March 7th's arms.
Good, she didn't wake up.
Phew~
Tian An took a deep breath and exhaled, then opened the bedroom door and walked out.
Another eventful night.
She had been sleeping quite well, only to be woken up by some unknown force. When she opened her eyes, she saw March 7th stroking her horns.
Are these horns really that nice to touch...? I haven't even touched them myself. Tian An tentatively poked them twice. Besides some tactile sensation, there was no other feeling. It's probably because it's my own body; it doesn't feel the same as when others touch it.
Tian An walked over to the sofa and sat down.
I'll just make do here for tonight. The lights on the train were all off; she couldn't possibly trouble anyone else.
What? You say March 7th woke her up, so why not wake March 7th up and go back to sleep properly?
Because I'm willing. Tian An thought.
"Greatness of heart is cultivated starting from daily life," Tian An mused, pulling out some tissues to place on the sofa before putting her feet up. Without a blanket, she decided against taking off her shoes to sleep. Ugh, sleeping upright still requires a lot of caution, like, you might bump into things...
This resolve didn't last long. Tian An felt drowsiness creeping in. Not daring to delay, she immediately closed her eyes. Soon, only the sound of her breathing remained.
———————————————————
"Hiss... hoo..." The desk lamp was still on, and the moon in the sky was still awake.
This wasn't that vast galaxy.
Instead, it was a landship.
A figure sat slumped in a chair, dozing off, their head nodding rhythmically. Two long things stuck out from the top of their head. A black pen had drawn messy, chaotic characters one after another on the paper.
"No... can't sleep yet..." the figure mumbled, but they had already slumped onto the desk, eyes closed. Sleepiness was truly hard to resist; even with an inhuman will, one couldn't go against the body's desires.
But the rise and fall of the figure's body indicated their sleep was not peaceful.
.....
Because... she dreamed of a galaxy, one she had never encountered before. She often used to dream of such scenes, but this time, the feeling was incredibly clear.
Yet, the scene of floating alone in space made it clear to her that this was just a dream. How could she possibly survive alone in space without any protective measures?
Suddenly, she saw a flash of brilliance – a light source traversing from the other side of the galaxy. The darkness around the light source seemed to compress, then swell, and finally tear apart. An object that absolutely shouldn't be able to appear in the galaxy broke through the barrier of the universe, emerging from one end and abruptly plunging into the other.
The sensation was like the tunnels she had seen over there, but placing it here felt far too fantastical.
She faintly felt a palpitation in her heart but had no way to investigate further. Because she knew this was just a dream, she would wake up soon enough. Even if there was something worth pursuing over there, she couldn't selfishly abandon everything else.
Someone had once told her that dreams are precious, yet also utterly valueless.
She wanted to pinch herself, to urge herself awake, but unexpectedly, her body began moving at an extremely high speed...
No, it wasn't her moving, but space itself. She was being dragged, heading somewhere unknown. Stars vanished behind her, light scattering with shadows, occasionally enveloping her.
She seemed to arrive in a train carriage hall. There was nothing inside, just bare framework. She thought she saw a rabbit doll moving. Outside the window was an azure planet.
In the blink of an eye, the scene changed again.
A person wearing a mask walked into the carriage under the watchful eyes of several others. The carriage now had many decorations. That person sat obediently on the sofa, but their head was turned towards the conductor's room.
Just as she was about to raise her hand, the scene shifted once more.
This time, the previous figures were gone. Her perspective returned to the starry sky, until she saw that train, now dilapidated and broken, drifting powerlessly in space.
She thought she heard sighs, like a farewell for those who had passed away.
But before she could look closer, the scene changed again.
She didn't understand why she was so lucid in this dream, and why it was so strange.
She saw the train that had appeared several times already. It seemed to have regained its vitality, continuing its journey through the star river. But this time, she saw that the end of the train seemed to be dragging some kind of white tail.
She wanted to get closer, to see more clearly, but a clear, cold voice pulled her out of her sleep.
She woke up dazedly at her familiar desk, only to find bright daylight outside the window.
How long had she been dreaming?
"Go brush your teeth first, then drink the milk." The person put down the cup and walked out.
What exactly was that dream...?
—
"Yes, I understand, Doctor Kal'tsit."
...