Chapter 6

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Is this... another dream?

I could tell it was a dream intuitively, but is this a premonition dream? It could also be a lucid dream, where I just realize I'm in a dream.

In premonition dreams, there are those where I clearly know it's a premonition dream, and those where I'm unsure if it's a lucid dream or a premonition dream.

The dream I'm seeing now feels like the latter. And even though I'm in a dream, I'm lying on a bed as usual.

What a strange dream...

"Sophie"

Huh...?

A voice calling my nickname came from beside the bed, and when I turned to look, Alan was lying on the same bed.

"Are you awake?"

He was looking at me with a very gentle and kind smile. I can't imagine the real Alan smiling like this... but wait, why are Alan and I in the same bed?

"A-Alan?"

Oh, I just realized, in this dream, I can move around normally as if it were reality.

"Good morning, Sophie"

"Good morning...?"

"Sophie, why are you using formal language? And you can just call me Alan, remember?"

"Eh...?"

Wait, hold on a second.

I'm calling Alan without any honorifics, and I'm not using formal language?

Is the me in this dream that close to Alan?

No, it's not just close... it's like we're a normal married couple.

"Sorry... I-I'm sorry, Alan. I forgot."

"Ah, that's fine."

Alan smiled happily when I called him by his name.

Yeah, this definitely isn't a premonition dream. I can't imagine the real Alan smiling so sweetly.

Hmm? Then this dream must be something my subconscious wants to see?

But, isn't that bad too?

I shouldn't love Alan, yet I'm having a dream like this...

I suddenly sat up and pulled back the covers.

"I, I need to wake up from this dream...!"

In two ways, really.

"What's wrong, Sophie? Why do you need to wake up from the dream?"

Alan sat up with me, tilting his head at my words.

"Well, I... I just thought I needed to wake up from this dream."

I told Alan this strange thing.

In a dream, saying "this is a dream" out loud makes it easier to wake up quickly. This is a rule of thumb I've learned from having premonition dreams.

"A dream... Yes, this does feel like a dream."

"Really, you think so too, Alan?"

"Formal language, name."

"...A-Alan, you think so too?"

"Yes, I do. Until a few months ago, the idea of me loving someone and becoming a family with someone was hard to believe, even in a dream."

"Oh, you mean that."

Well, this is a dream, after all.

"But now, I can truly love Sophie, and I've become a family with Rebecca. I'm really happy about it."

Alan smiled gently, then placed his hand on my cheek... huh?

"Still, Sophie, I'm sad to be called a dream."

"Well, I..."

"So, I need to teach your body that this isn't a dream."

Alan leaned closer to me, his handsome face coming very close.

"No, A-Alan...!?"

"Close your eyes, Sophie. This is your punishment."

He grinned, and his face came even closer...

No, no, this is going too far...!?

It was very embarrassing, but I couldn't help but close my eyes tightly...

---

"---Huh!?"

I woke up.

It was definitely a dream, though I knew it was a dream from the start.

I think I just barely avoided it...

Dreams like that often leave a lingering sensation even after waking up, so... well, the fact that I don't remember means it didn't happen.

I got out of bed... and couldn't help but glance at the side. Was the dream I just had a premonition dream or a lucid dream?

No, it was definitely a lucid dream. There's no way something like that could be a premonition dream, Alan seemed like a completely different person.

But even if it was a lucid dream, it means my subconscious wants to be like that...

I shouldn't think too deeply about it.

I called a maid to help me change and headed to breakfast. When I arrived at the dining room, Alan was already eating.

"Hmm, good morning, Miss Sophie."

"Good morning, Alan."

"...Hmm?"

"Ah..."

I realized after I said it that I had called him without an honorific, a leftover from the dream.

"I-I'm sorry, Alan."

"Perhaps I didn't hear wrong. No, there's no need to apologize."

Alan's eyes widened slightly, but he didn't seem angry. I thought he wasn't the type to be so petty, and I'm glad.

As I sat across from Alan and waited for my meal, he spoke to me.

"Perhaps this is a good opportunity to start calling each other without honorifics."

"Eh?"

"I don't want to keep calling each other formally, even as family."

Alan met my gaze and smiled slightly.

"Sophie"

"..."

"Is it okay if I call you that?"

"Y-Yes, of course."

"Thank you."

For a moment, the Alan from the dream and the Alan who smiled and called my name overlapped.

"Sophie, you can also call me Alan."

"O-Okay, Alan."

"That's fine. But in public, please use honorifics. Only call me without them when we're alone."

"Understood."

Alan nodded and started eating again, but he seemed in a better mood than usual.

Maybe it's because we're calling each other without honorifics. I'm starting to wonder if that dream was really a premonition dream or a lucid dream.

But we just started calling each other without honorifics, so it's probably a lucid dream, yeah.

As I started eating, my heart didn't calm down for a while.