Minami no Hanashi : Yume - Adagio

As she drifted into sleep, Minami once again found herself in her dream, in the same place as the night before.

"Rereading my book brought back so many memories. I need to try 'materializing' what I think of. It should be possible in this space. If six-year-old me could do it, there's no reason I can't."

Minami focused, and after a few moments, a cereal bar appeared. "Wow, so cool!"

Just as she was about to pounce on her treasure, the same door as before appeared. "Nope, not going through that door again. I'd rather stay here and materialize whatever I think of. So disappear."

At her words, the door vanished.

"Haha, this is awesome! It really works! I don’t want to enter a world where I get killed by cereal bars."

Minami sat down in a meditative pose and focused once more. She opened her eyes, and there was Jun's car right in front of her. She couldn’t believe her eyes.

"Is this a joke?!" she exclaimed, jumping up.

Without missing a beat, she tried to open the door. But it wouldn’t budge.

Minami struggled with it, shouting, "Huh?! Open up already!"

Exhausted, she imagined her home sofa, and it materialized a moment later.

"Is it just me, or was that quicker than the car?" she wondered, sitting down. "I think I’m losing it…"

Minami made a mirror appear and observed her reflection. It wasn’t perfect and didn’t quite show the face she knew, but she didn’t pay it any more mind.

"Oh! But I don’t have the keys!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands.

She stood up, concentrating on materializing Jun's car keys, but suddenly froze, her eyes wide open. "Wait… What do they even look like?"

Frustrated that she couldn’t summon the keys, she cried, "NOOO~ I COULD HAVE—"

A heavy silence filled the air, then a sudden realization struck her.

"Oh… But I don’t even know how to drive," she admitted at last, a mix of irony and resignation in her voice.

Despite her disappointment, she didn’t give up. In fact, she seemed inspired with new ideas.

Rubbing her chin, she pondered, "I wonder if I can make living things appear???"

Excited at the thought of summoning living beings, Minami calmed herself and thought, I should choose carefully; if I get carried away, I might summon something that could kill me.

"I’ll summon a familiar! This way, I can see if I can create not only living things but also imaginary beings!"

Our summoner was eager to test her theory. She planted her feet firmly on the ground, raised her right hand toward the 'sky,' and shouted, "Your master calls you! Hear my voice and appear! Come to me, Little Angel!"

The moment she spoke those words, a small cloud, no bigger than a basketball, appeared above her head.

She caught it, its texture feeling like modeling clay. Confused, Minami thought, What’s this? This isn’t Little Ang—

The cloud suddenly exploded, and a small cherub emerged. Minami cried, "It’s Little Angel!"

Little Angel was the main character and the name of Minami’s favorite comic when she was little.

Eyes wide open, Minami was frozen in awe of the feat she had just accomplished. Little Angel floated at her eye level, looking around with a curious expression.

Noticing this, she spoke up, "Little Angel? Is that really you?" He turned and asked in an excessively high-pitched voice, "Who are you? What’s your name?"

"YOU CAN TALK?!!!" Minami was melting from his adorableness.

She quickly regained her composure and introduced herself: "Ahem, I’m, uh… My name is Minami, and I’m the one who summoned you!"

Little Angel, surprised, replied, "Oh! So you’re my master!"

Minami, beyond excited, almost shouted back, "YES! YES! That’s exactly right!"

Humming a melody, Little Angel floated closer, perched on her head, and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I have no idea! But I can make all sorts of fun things appear! Wanna see?!"

Little Angel flew up, responding, "Oh, definitely!"

She continued summoning everything that came to her mind, from the most trivial to the most bizarre. Meanwhile, Little Angel had vanished, but she, absorbed in her ever-more-outrageous creations, hadn’t noticed.

She lay down, gazing at what resembled a sky. Suddenly, something occurred to her: "I—I forgot something again! I was sure of it!"

Abruptly, she dispelled everything she had summoned and sat up, a shiver of frustration running through her. She forced herself to remember, tapping her head lightly in frustration. "This isn’t going to work. Too bad this dream can’t really help me."

She twiddled her thumbs, when suddenly: "Oh… now I remember. I fell asleep with that feeling… But what is it? It’s been gnawing at me for so long in such an unpredictable way."

She paused, reflecting deeply.

"Now I feel… better? It doesn’t bother me as much as it does when I’m awake… I really wish I knew what it is."

Suddenly, a mysterious aura filled the horizon, a celestial ballet that instantly captured her attention. A cloud, seemingly a heavenly canvas, slowly took shape in the firmament. It was composed of ethereal gases, shimmering hues dancing in harmony, like reflections of an eternal dawn.

Each movement was a visual symphony, an entrancing celestial choreography unfolding before her. The dust particles, illuminated by an unseen light source, sparkled like suspended stars, creating a scene of otherworldly beauty.

The cloud undulated with an entrancing grace, forming and dissolving in an almost erratic rhythm, as if nature itself were composing an ephemeral work of art. Every change in shape seemed to reveal a hidden message, an invitation to dive into the depths of the dream.

Under her amazed gaze, the cloud continued its celestial dance, filling the "sky" with a magical and captivating aura. Suddenly, the voice of a little girl seemed to come from the cloud: "I’m coming; don’t move."

"Uh-oh… This doesn’t feel right." Feeling that something was about to happen, Minami thought of a weapon to defend herself. A sword appeared.

"A sword against a cloud?! That’s what reading too many books about heroes with swords does to you!"

She didn’t have time to think of another weapon, as the cloud had already descended. It was right in front of Minami. Struck by its beauty, she stood frozen, unable to do anything but gaze at what was in front of her.

Suddenly, the voice spoke again: "I’m here!"

Minami took a step back, "N–No! You’re way too suspicious!" Minami focused once again to make the strange cloud disappear, but its crying prevented her from doing so.

"Are you going to make me disappear… and forget me again?" The words resonated in the air, carrying a palpable sorrow that touched Minami's heart.

"What?" Minami asked, very intrigued.

"Nothing. As long as I don’t disappear…" the cloud murmured.

The cloud floated around Minami. It seemed to be waiting for something. After a few moments, young Katayama stepped in front of it and called out, "So? What do you want? You don’t seem to be like the other things I’ve summoned."

Although it had no face, Minami could tell it was deep in thought. The cloud seemed to search its memory. "Hmm~ How could I convince you this time…?"

Intrigued by its words, Minami interrupted, "What do you mean ‘this time’? So we’ve met before?"

"Yes." Lost in thought, it fell silent again.

This time, Minami circled it, pondering what this cloud could represent.

After a while, both deep in thought, the cloud finally broke the silence. "I know! This time it’ll work!" The cloud positioned itself in front of Minami, as if to block her path, and enthusiastically declared, "You’ve won the lottery! Claim your rewar—"

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Minami ignored these words and interrupted, "This is weird. The feeling of forgetfulness I had when I fell asleep… It’s like it’s turned into a warm, peaceful feeling."

The cloud glowed in every color for an instant, showing its surprise. "W-What?! You ▒▓▒▓▓ of THAT weird feeling?? Finally!!"

Minami jumped back and clutched her head, "Ouch! What is this?!"

"Oops! I got carried away, sorry, please don’t make me disappear…"

Not understanding its words, Minami questioned it further. "Why would I make you disappear?"

"Um… I’m getting to that! But, uh… where to start…?"

Minami was all ears, waiting for the cloud’s explanation.

"It’s not the first time we’ve talked, but you keep making me disappear and forget every time—Oops!"

Minami, intrigued, asked, "What's wrong?"

The cloud let out a relieved sigh and continued, "There are words I can't say, or else you won’t understand, and it'll give you a headache!"

"Ah!! So that's what it was!"

The cloud, worried, pleaded, "P-Please! Don’t make me disappear! Listen to me!"

"Haha, I'm not a monster; no need to worry! Go ahead, tell me everything!" she said with a smile.

"Ah... maybe a little..." murmured the cloud.

"Hm?"

The cloud jumped and continued, "I-I was saying that I've always wanted to sign a contract with you, but you always stopped halfway because of the pain..."

Minami was completely lost. "A contract? Pain? What are you talking about?"

The cloud, embarrassed, explained further, "Actually, I'm looking for someone, and I want you to help... it's really for you… Yes! You need to find someone!"

"And what's that got to do with the contract?" she replied.

With a gloomy tone, he answered, "It's impossible to find them… without the contract... I'd have to use only words… it could hurt you, and I might disappear..."

Minami was utterly lost, but the cloud looked so sad that she decided to make an effort to understand. "Hmm... What can you offer me with the contract?"

The cloud took on a business tone and continued, "I could build you dreams that give clues to the person you need to find!" then, more guiltily, "But for that, you’d have to sign the contract so I can access all your dreams to create a bridge to the Perfect Dream..."

"And why do you need me to find them?"

"The person I'm searching for is trapped in a big place, and I can't go there! It’s a well-guarded place… and it's scary..."

"So if I understand correctly, I’ve always refused to help you because the contract caused me pain?"

"Yes..." he replied, defeated.

Minami looked at the cloud and declared with a smile, "You seem to be telling the truth, and it's true that I wouldn’t accept anything that hurts me!"

The cloud seemed inconsolable and said nothing more.

"Normally, I'd have said no, but I don’t know how to explain… I feel really at peace with you… like I’ve finally grasped something I’ve always forgotten. That’s what must make this time different."

The cloud, excited, glowed in all colors and flew around Minami, "You're going to accept?!"

"On one condition: you’ll be careful not to give me a headache like you did earlier with all that mumbo-jumbo!"

"Oh! Don't worry! I already planned on that because it makes me sad when you're in pain..."

Minami was surprisingly happy to hear that and reached out to gently embrace him, saying, "Come here, you—"

The cloud turned pink.

"By the way, why do some of your words hurt me?"

He replied, saddened, "Because they don't want you to hear them, so they destroy my words!"

"Who?" she asked.

"I don’t know… They're the bad clouds... the shadows."

Minami saw that he felt guilty for not knowing much about them and decided not to press him on the subject. "So! How do we sign this contract?!" she asked with a smile.

The cloud, excited, replied, "I’ll go inside your belly! Woo-hoo!"

A brief silence fell.

"Huh?"

The cloud slipped from her embrace and took a running start. "One! Two—"

Panicked, Minami shouted, "AH! Wait! STO—"

"THREEEE~!"

The cloud almost entirely entered her abdomen, and struck by the pain, she tried to pull it out in one swoop. He felt her hands trying to remove him and cried out, "I BEG YOU, MINAMI! JUST GIVE ME A FEW SECONDS!"

Despite the pain, she decided to let go and let him in.

A few seconds later

The contract was signed. Minami lay on the ground, face down, groaning in pain and muttering, "I-I really hope… this person is worth it..."

………………………………………………………………….

Just like that, Minami woke up, gasping, her heart beating erratically; she instinctively got up and went to her desk. Dizzy, she looked as if she’d just had a wild night out.

She plopped down onto her chair, still unable to control her breathing, but that didn’t stop her from continuing.

Distressed, she reached for her book, pen in hand. Almost blindly, she was now searching by touch, sweeping her desk surface to find it. Her body and five senses were failing her, but her thoughts were clear: What was all that? she thought.

What am I even trying to do? she wondered.

Since waking, Minami had only been reacting instinctively. As soon as she was overwhelmed by that discomfort, she immediately felt the need to write down her dream, as if it were a matter of life and death.

Despite her distress, she managed to clear her mind: Yeah, that's right, why am I struggling? I’ll just let it be... she thought, slumping in her chair, eyes fixed on the ceiling.

Her bedroom door burst open.

Minami glanced over and saw Narumi, clearly troubled by the situation. Her younger sister approached and asked with concern, "W-What’s going on? Wh-"

Minami cut her off, barely hearing her, "M-My book… I can’t find it..."

Narumi saw it at the foot of the bed, retrieved it, and placed it in front of her sister, who still hadn’t fully regained control over her body.

"Thank you, Narumi," she said.

Instead of asking anything further, Narumi sat on her sister's bed and decided to observe in silence.

A few seconds later, Minami straightened up, opened her book, and started writing without saying a word.

Five minutes later

Minami got up to leave her room, but her sister quickly grabbed her arm, "So you’re just gonna leave without explaining anything to me?!"

"I’m not feeling well. I’ll tell you later, I promise," she replied.

"W-Wait, Minami! At least reassure me, I’m worried! You won’t faint again like last time with Sanae, will you?!"

Minami turned to her sister, placing her hand on Narumi’s head to reassure her, though it had the opposite effect: "Don’t worry; I'm just exhausted," she said, smiling.

Then she left the room, leaving Narumi alone.

Narumi didn’t know how to react to such an unusual situation.

What was that look? Was that really Minami? she wondered.

Half an hour later

At school, Minami was still lost in her thoughts. The feeling that had disturbed her and had once felt warm now left her empty. An aching void gripped her heart, as if something important had been taken away. "I’m going crazy; this can’t be happening…"

Just as she was about to burst into tears, Tsuka and Taiya arrived, as cheerful as ever. "Heeey, Minami!!" shouted Tsuka, while Taiya tapped Minami's shoulder. "How are you?" they added.

"Please, just leave me alone."

"O–Okay?" Seeing that the situation was more serious than usual, they fell silent, exchanging whispers as they went off to find Sanae.

"I really need to rest now."

This morning, Class 2-2 had art class. As they entered the room, the students chatted amongst themselves. The otakus, for example, were engaged in a debate about romance in stories with Saki and Kana, now nicknamed “the lovebirds” since the last incident.

Tishiku was arguing with Asayoshi about the best sport, Ayemi's group was clashing with the delinquents, while Haru tried to calm both sides. In short, everyone in class had started to find their place.

As Minami made her way through the bustle to reach her seat, she saw Sanae waiting for her, sitting by her desk.

“Well, Minami? You’ll tell me, won’t you? Take your time, but don’t forget me.”

These words struck Minami in a unique way: “There’s no way I’d forget you, trust me,” she replied, resolute.

As the class seemed to quiet down, Minami slapped her face as if to wake herself up: “This better be worth it, Cloud!”

The whole class had their eyes on her. Sanae discreetly sat back down and gestured for Minami to do the same. Indeed, Mrs. Kobanocchi had just entered. “Could you sit down, please?”

Embarrassed, Minami didn’t even respond and quickly sat down, covering her face slightly.

“Oh, the embarrassment! Anyway…” She opened her book and added to herself, “I should give that dream a name. It left me in such a state, it deserves one.”

She took a moment to think, then picked up her pen again: “‘Yume.’ I didn’t put much effort into it, but it fits perfectly.”

The teacher clapped her hands, as if to capture the attention of those lost in thought. “Attention, everyone. Do you remember the first day of school when Atorisuta Kiyo took a class photo?”

“Finally!” Ayemi exclaimed.

“Yes, I know how eager you’ve been to see yourself on display. I’ll tell you right now, you shouldn’t have been at the back row that day. Too bad.”

“P—Pardon!?” Trying to hide her surprise, she continued, “Ahem… oh well, let’s see it already, see if I’m missing out.”

“Oh, you’re missing, trust me. All right? You can come in.”

Kiyo entered with a cart, holding a canvas covered by a white sheet. He began, “To those who were patient, and to those who didn’t know what a canvas was…”

The jab hit its mark, and the target quickly got annoyed, though they didn’t say a word.

“Here, before your amazed eyes, is the fruit of my labor.” He removed the sheet, revealing his work.

Kiyo unveiled the artwork, revealing a large canvas decorated with a beautiful portrayal of the class.

A few students moved forward for a closer look. Each person was captured in a vibrant, expressive style, their features and personalities skillfully brought to life by the artist’s brushstrokes. The details were striking, from facial expressions to body language, creating a lively, dynamic atmosphere on the canvas.

However, most of the class’s attention was focused on the more prominent characters. The students in the foreground seemed to glow with life, their faces animated with palpable emotions. Curious glances turned toward these central elements, captivated by the vividness and authenticity of their portrayal.

Tadao Nao, a member of the Chika-bankaa, pushed aside the students in front of the painting. There, he focused on one person in particular. “Boss! You’re perfectly represented! You look fantastic!”

“Well done, artist!” shouted Kurou from afar.

Daisuke, who was among those shoved by Nao, shoved him back in turn. He took a photo of the painting, both from afar and up close, to capture every detail. He went over to show it to his loyal friends. After a few murmurs, Daisuke returned, this time grabbing Kiyo’s hands and suddenly asking, “Join us! We’ll hire you as our illustrator!”

“Haha, thanks for the invite, but I must decline,” Kiyo replied politely.

“If you change your mind, we’re here!”

“Well, I’ll make sure to remember,” he replied with a smile.

Sanae asked Minami to come closer with her to get a better look, and Minami willingly agreed.

As the little crowd in front of the painting began to thin out, everyone having taken a photo for their memory, Sanae and Minami came face-to-face with the artwork. Ayemi was also there with her friends. The situation was starting to get tense when suddenly Sanae spoke up, “It’s really great work, Atorisuta! The students in the front row are the luckiest!”

Minami and Ayemi, who sat next to each other, moved to the same spot at the same time to see their representations. “He painted me eating a granola bar!? Amazing!”

The fact that Minami noticed this little detail made Kiyo laugh. He thought it ridiculous to marvel at something so small.

Ayemi, however, was disappointed. Nothing stood out, and she was somewhat obscured by Taiya, who was in front of her during the photo. Although she recognized Kiyo’s talent, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sadness at seeing her own absence in the more highlighted parts of the canvas. Her face expressed a mix of sorrow and frustration, her gaze lost in the details of the artwork as she wondered what could have been if she’d been painted more prominently.

She returned to her seat without a word. Kiyo noticed and exchanged a knowing glance with Konibuku, the other quiet student in the class.

After a few minutes, when everyone had time to take their desired photos, Yasushi Takumi stepped forward, smiling. Just as he did, Rikiza Jukugo spoke up: “Don’t go near your classmate’s artwork. You’ll stain or break it.”

Indeed, Takumi had accidentally stained Jukugo’s sweater during lunch break, and since then, Jukugo bore a grudge.

In this awkward silence, only one person in the class could make the scene even more uncomfortable: Nemushi Jouka. “If Kiyo has gold in his hands, you’ve got sauce on yours!” Fascinated and pleased with his joke, he laughed until he cried.

As Takumi turned around, Mrs. Kobanocchi was about to speak but was cut off by Kurou: “Where are you going? Go look at yourself on the artwork. Mr. Unfunny and Mr. Rich should shut it.”

Suddenly, Rikiza and the leader of Chika-bankaa exchanged a look, tension rising. Finally, the teacher intervened. Once Takumi had marveled at the painting, Mrs. Kobanocchi placed the canvas aside to find it a fitting spot later. In ‘laughter’ and ‘good spirits,’ the class began.

END OF CHAPTER