Space station 6: A Week of Beautiful Dreams

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After revisiting all the places they had explored together, Firefly naturally documented these experiences anew in her notes:

"May 15th, Solar Time - This Dreamscape encapsulates Penacony's history and culture."

"Origami University held a one-day experience event here. Initially, I thought Su Qing would just take photos as usual from the sidelines, but surprisingly, he pulled me along to participate."

"The day's experience included attending classes, dining at the cafeteria, touring the campus, and culminated with a mock graduation ceremony."

"Speaking of the cafeteria, that's when I first noticed..."

"Was he constantly taking pictures of me today...?"

"What should I do? Should I pretend not to notice?"

In the cafeteria, Firefly sat upright but kept her head bowed low.

Her long silver hair concealed half of her slightly flushed cheeks as she absentmindedly interacted with her food using chopsticks.

Beside her, Su Qing leaned against the table, holding up his camera towards her direction.

Passersby glanced curiously. "What's going on here?"

"Don't know, maybe they're shooting for a photo album?"

Overhearing these remarks, Firefly blushed even more deeply and lowered her head further, quickly taking a bite of her meal.

[March 7th: Ha ha, the camera was practically in your face! How could you pretend not to notice?]

"However, attending classes together and strolling around the campus made it feel like Su Qing and I truly became classmates."

"Walking under the shaded paths of the university, there might have been a moment when I genuinely forgot our original identities."

"Finally, during the mock graduation ceremony, we almost missed the opera because no one wanted to disperse."

"I regretted it; the opera was so boring, even Su Qing fell asleep."

Inside the resplendent theater, a soprano on stage passionately delivered her aria.

Firefly nudged Su Qing's arm gently. "Wake up."

"Ah, sorry." Su Qing briefly roused himself but soon started nodding off again.

This time, Firefly didn't wake him up.

Stealthily glancing around, she took out her phone and quietly snapped a photo of Su Qing sleeping.

Since I'm always being photographed, isn't it fair to return the favor?

A note is attached with a picture of Su Qing dozing off, arms crossed.

It was Firefly's first time doing something like this, and holding her phone, she felt a slight thrill.

Hopefully, nobody saw me, right?

[Stelle: I saw it!]

[Qingque: Me too.]

[Tingyun: +1]

[Xueyi: +2]

[Natasha: +3]

[Acheron: +4]

[Pela: Quite an audience here.]

[Seele: Everyone popped up, huh?]

[Sparkle: Nobody saw it? (X) Everyone watched it! (√)]

[The live-streaming Firefly instantly covered her face.]

[She never anticipated that secretly photographing Su Qing during the simulation would attract such a crowd!]

[If only she had known beforehand, she might have taken more photos... No wait, she wouldn't have done it at all!]

"May 16th, during the stars' hour. This place was filled with clubs holding various competitions."

"We participated in a robot piloting competition, and Su Qing showed great interest."

"Accidentally won first place; everyone else was quite weak."

"Su Qing was astonished and kept questioning me for my secret."

"Practice makes perfect...? I think that's all I could answer him with."

The note is accompanied by a photo of a medal.

[Stelle: We—Are Champions!]

[March 7th (roasting): What does this have to do with you?!]

***

"May 17th, we went to the red sand hour. It's a vast open field with wild winds, taverns, and SoulGlad preliminary auditions."

"What happened on this day again? Can't quite remember."

"I wrote this journal entry the next morning, feeling quite dazed."

"What's going on? My memories from yesterday are so hazy."

***

"May 18th, Ahhh, it all comes back now! Yesterday, I got drunk!"

On May 17th, at the tavern:

Holding her glass, Firefly wondered aloud, "Why doesn't this wine taste like anything? Is it just plain water?"

Su Qing took a sip and was surprised by its spiciness, raising an eyebrow.

Dream Chasers during the red sand hour tended to be more daring, and the taverns served potent alcoholic beverages accordingly.

Firefly requested the bartender for even stronger liquor. Taking a sip, she licked her lips and said, "Ah, now that has some kick to it. Feels pretty good."

Su Qing hesitated, then suggested, "Maybe you shouldn't drink such high-proof alcohol..."

"It's alright." Firefly cradled the glass, sipping slowly. "Who knows, I might have a surprisingly high tolerance."

After finishing one glass, Firefly's cheeks gradually turned rosy, feeling a warmth spreading through her body.

"So hot, but not quite enough yet." Her voice raised, carrying a hint of adventurous bravado, as she slapped the table. "Boss! Another round!"

Observing her expression, Su Qing gently pressed down on the cup. "Don't drink any more."

"It's fine, I can still..." Firefly tried to stand up, but the room spun wildly. Su Qing quickly steadied her shoulders, guiding her back into her seat.

"Huh?" Sitting down, Firefly felt dizzy, rubbing her eyes. "Su Qing, why do I see...one, no wait, two, three of you..."

***

May 18th.

After meeting with Su Qing, following his prompts, Firefly began recalling her experiences from the previous day.

And furthermore...

Embarrassed, Firefly exclaimed, "So you did take photos after all! And multiple ones too!"

Su Qing showed her several pictures.

In one photo, Firefly was holding a wine glass and taking small sips, looking quite adorable, almost like a squirrel.

Another depicted her with flushed cheeks, stubbornly insisting that she definitely wouldn't get drunk.

The first two weren't too bad.

However, the third picture showed her with her head pillowed on the table, the camera angle tilted accordingly.

This photograph captured her dazed expression, wearing a silly grin, completely devoid of any graceful maidenly demeanor...

"Aaaaaah!" Upon seeing this image, Firefly's defenses crumbled instantly. She tiptoed and tried to snatch the camera from Su Qing, crying out, "Give it to me, delete it! Quickly, delete it!"

Laughing, Su Qing held the camera high, refusing to delete the photo no matter how much she insisted.

[Kafka: Tsk tsk tsk.]

[Silver Wolf: Tsk tsk tsk.]

[Kafka: Rarely seen indeed.]

[Silver Wolf: Quite interesting.]

[Firefly (wishing for a hole to crawl into): Silver Wolf? Kafka?! When did you guys arrive?!]

[Silver Wolf: Let me think...]

[Silver Wolf: Probably around the time when you were watching Clockie at the square.]

[Firefly: But I thought you were there from the beginning!]

[Firefly (face beet red)] (buries head completely under pillow)

[Firefly (oh no, oh no, I'm going to be teased for ages now...)]

"May 19th - To escape the wildness of the red sand hour, we went to the oasis's green time.

"Thinking back on the events from just two days ago still fills me with occasional embarrassment.

"Fortunately, the afternoon at Sunlight Park was quiet and peaceful. After watching the automated orchestra perform for a while, my mood gradually calmed down.

"Today, Su Qing and I didn't do much; we simply took a leisurely stroll under the warm sunlight.

"Time is incredibly precious to me.

"Although The Family's Harmony Ceremony is still far off, I wish to dream as swiftly as possible, experiencing as much as I can.

"But today, even just this slow-paced walk has left me utterly content.

"It truly feels like a luxurious indulgence."

***

"May 20th, twilight hour.

"We came here to rent our outfits for tomorrow. I chose a light-colored dress, and he selected a black tuxedo.

"The twilight hour was indeed crowded, nearly causing us to get separated."

***

"May 21st, blue hour. Today there's a cruise performance and ball happening."

"Everything was so beautiful."

"Su Qing invited me to dance, but we both weren't very skilled."

"But as we were surrounded by the Sea of Dream Bubbles and danced to the music, I could distinctly feel the joy within my heart."

"It was a sensation sweeter than cake, light and delightful."

"To be honest, it made me somewhat uneasy..."

"Can one truly be this happy? I couldn't help but wonder."

Inside the Daydream Hotel.

Firefly held her phone, typing down the final sentence for the day: "This must be the feeling Penacony often advertises with their 'beautiful dreams'."

After finishing, Firefly put down her phone, resting her chin in thought, her mind seemingly elsewhere.

One week had passed too swiftly.

[March 7th: Alright, once again, let's rely on Detective March 7th to analyze and explain.]

[March 7th: Previously, Firefly's tour notes were simple and strictly business-like.]

[March 7th: Now, her notes contain much more description, brimming with various emotions.]

[March 7th: Especially that last part about the ball—woo-hoo! Shipping goals achieved!]

[Himeko: Little March seems quite fond of romance-related content.]

[Himeko: But is it really appropriate to ship them right in front of the person involved?]

[Firefly: ...Um, how should I respond to this?]

[Sparkle: Just smile, it's enough ~]

[Stelle: Seriously, does this even need analysis? It's so obvious; even an old man on the train could understand.]

[March 7th: Huh? Are you implying something about Uncle Yang?!]

[Stelle: No, not at all.]

***

"May 22nd, Golden Hour. We returned once more to the skydeck."

"Su Qing had a serious expression, as if he wanted to tell me something."