Chapter 2

Dust rose from the gray road, gradually drawing closer.

Upon closer inspection, it seemed someone was riding a horse. And it wasn't just one person, but a group.

As I stared intently, the group stopped for a moment before starting to run again. When they reached the bottom of the hill where I was, they began to gallop up towards me.

Huh? Are they coming this way?

As I blankly watched the group approach, they stopped a short distance from me.

"A child here!?"

The person at the front pointed at me. I couldn't see their face clearly due to the backlight, but they had a really good tenor voice. Who could it be? It sounded like a voice actor from an anime I recently watched.

Maybe I actually really like that voice actor's voice, to the point of seeing them in my dreams. The anime itself wasn't that interesting, though.

"Why are you here? Where are your parents?"

Asked by the person with the deep, resonant voice, I tilted my head. I couldn't answer why I was here, since it was a dream.

If I said my parents were at home, would that be a good answer?

As I pondered, the person who spoke began talking to someone beside them.

"Can you say your name?"

After some discussion, the person asked me again.

"My name is Yūri Kujō."

"Kujō Yūri... I can't tell where you're from just by your name."

Kujō Yūri... I don't even know which country I'm from!

"It's not Kujō Yūri, it's Kujō, Yūri!"

"Kameimoji?!"

What, a rice cake?

"But I don't recognize a Kameimoji named Yūri. Algo, what about you?"

"No, I don't either."

The person beside him also had a great voice.

Is this really a dream? It feels like a paradise of beautiful voices. Hehehe.

"My name is Yūri. Kujō is my... family name."

"Hmm... But I've never heard of that family name. However, I can't just leave a child with a family name here."

Ah, so Kameimoji has a family name. I thought they might give me a delicious rice cake.

Speaking of rice cakes, I really want to eat the grilled rice cakes from Jingū Shrine. The kinako is amazing.

"We'll take her to the fort. Algo, put her in front of me."

The person with the beautiful voice said, and the one called Algo dismounted and came over to me. He had brown hair and gentle, light blue eyes, and was quite handsome.

Wow. Eye candy.

Yeah, even in a dream, it's fun to look at beautiful faces.

Algo said, "Sorry," and picked me up.

Oh~ The view is so high!

As I looked around, Algo's eyebrows drooped in a funny way.

"Wow, this kid is so soothing..."

Hehe. I got a compliment.

Feeling happy, I smiled and waved.

Algo's eyebrows drooped even more.

Smile, smile, smile, smile.

Droop, droop, droop, droop.

The endless battle of smiles and drooping eyebrows was finally ended by the person with the beautiful voice.

"Algo, that's enough. Give me the child."

"Ugh... I don't want to. Captain, please take good care of her."

Reluctantly, Algo handed me over to the person with the beautiful voice.

"Wow~"

When Algo held me, the view was high, but being on the horse was even more amazing!

And the person with the beautiful voice, seen up close, was even more stunning.

He had wavy golden hair and long, green eyes like fine emeralds. He was incredibly handsome, but not in a feminine way. He had a masculine charm, and I could almost feel a wave of male allure coming from him.

He looked to be in his late twenties, but it's hard to tell the age of Westerners.

It's like... the protagonist of an anime came to life. I couldn't help but stare at this handsome person, mouth agape.

Yeah. This dream is amazing.

I definitely want to remember it when I wake up!

---

So, right now, I'm riding a horse with a handsome person I've never seen before.

The horse is designed for a child, so I feel completely enveloped and secure.

There's a saddle-like thing, and I'm holding onto the reins with one arm. His arm is quite muscular.

Still, horses are quite bumpy...

This dream is way too realistic.

"Do you remember which country you're from, Yūri?"

"Japan."

"Japan... I've never heard of it."

Looking up, I met the eyes of the handsome person looking down at me.

Wow. He's still cool even from below. That's unfair.

"It's an island nation in the sea. It has four seasons and is very comfortable to live in."

"Four seasons...?"

"Yes. Spring, summer, autumn, and winter. In spring, cherry blossoms bloom. In summer, we go to the pool. In autumn, we eat roasted sweet potatoes. In winter, we make snowmen."

"That sounds... fun."

"Yes!"

He didn't seem to understand, but since it's a dream, I don't need to explain any further, right?

But...

It's a bit scary.

The sensations are so real. I can't explain it, but it feels strangely realistic...

But, in reality, I've never seen anyone as handsome as a Hollywood star or a model, so this must be a dream, right...?

Maybe my unease showed on my face, because the blonde guy gently ruffled my hair with the hand I wasn't holding onto.

"It's okay."

Yeah. Hearing that deep, resonant voice, I started to feel better.

"...Okay!"

That's right. Since it's a realistic dream, I might as well enjoy it.