The comments section all think I'm a really good person.

[I've been wanting to say this since earlier: The Silver Garden must have noticed Ahara, which is why they arranged all the events around there, right?! And they've already run into several people in just half a day!]

Next, we went to Kita-Kirihara to drink coffee brewed by Nana Oba:

...What a coincidence, haha.

PS: This is just a part of my daily life; I'll continue to advance the story next.

Waaah, why am I owing so many chapters? I've already owed three more, and I've only paid back one so far, leaving 20 more to go.

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45. Mother and child

Shiori Hachiya began to have some doubts about herself.

During this time, she had actually been secretly keeping an eye on Nana Ohba's Line.

The other person would occasionally greet her on Line and send her some reflections on the day's practice, as well as their helplessness regarding their teammates' picky eating habits.

She was just like any other ordinary girl, and her conversation was quite lighthearted, almost making Shiori Hachiya forget her recent encounter with Nana Ohba in a dream.

At that time, the scene where Nana Oba defeated her in her dream left a very deep impression on Shiori Hachiya, so the latter subconsciously kept it in mind, and the questioning from that night kept lingering in her mind.

This is not just a defeat in terms of ability.

The data from the Tower of Civilization reveals that Nana Ohba's "stage" can actually influence reality. In fact, she can create a stage in any setting, even within dreams—a sinister underground theater.

In other words, Nana Ohba is not a mental ability user. Her ability can affect not only dreams, or rather, the mind, but also the real world.

It is very practical.

Shiori Hachiya was well aware that although she had mastered some close-quarters combat techniques for self-defense, she was still no match for Nana Oba.

Her abilities were severely countered by Nana Ohba.

Dream Weavers can enter the mental space of others and use their superior mental power to influence the core of their hearts. However, in Nana Oba's stage realm, everything must follow the rules of the stage, and even Shiori Hachitani cannot directly change the stage with her abilities.

but……

There are ways to overcome this problem.

Nana Ohba controls that stage, but she is also bound by it. Whether they are outsiders or those who were already on the stage, they are all subject to its rules.

In the previous exchanges, Shiori Hachiya had already gained a basic understanding of the mechanisms by which the stage operated.

Once she steps onto the stage, she must use her acting skills, singing, and dancing to overshadow Nana Ohba's "shine."

Whoever shines brighter on the stage and best fits the theme of the stage—that is, whoever is more likely to become the star on the stage—will win.

Shiori Hachiya was at least known as a child prodigy during her childhood, and she struggled in the entertainment industry for quite some time, which is evident.

Whoever resonates more with the stage will be the one who receives the victory.

These are the rules of that stage.

However, this rule is somewhat harsh for Shiori Hachiya now.

Because of her obsession with heroic activities, her original training and courses had been neglected for a long time, and her physical condition was not as good as before. Not to mention, due to the mental imprint she had placed on herself, it was difficult for her to derive even the most basic excitement and longing from the stage.

Standing on the stage, Shiori Hachiya felt only emptiness. It was as if a huge hole had been opened in her chest, and the wind blew through it, making a hollow, whistling sound.

Moreover, it seems that the stage is controlled by Nana Ohba.

The other party has a strong desire for control.

Shiori Hachiya gleaned the meanings of "domination" and "projection" from the eight puppet stage girls on the stage.

Despite being alone, Nana Ohba is still able to control the stage in this way, projecting her ideal "co-performers" onto the stage in this manner.

Playing away from home is bad enough, but without any advantage to suppress the opponent, Shiori Hachiya doesn't know how she can win.

Thinking about this, Shiori Hachiya became distracted and almost made a mistake in her next move.

Although Shiori Hachiya reacted quickly and stopped before making a mistake, the sharp-eyed dance teacher still noticed her inattentiveness and pointed it out sternly:

"Fenggu, don't get distracted."

Shiori Hachiya blushed deeply: "...No, I'm sorry."

The dance teacher was somewhat puzzled: "What were you thinking about just now? You're going to perform tomorrow, so don't cause any problems at this crucial moment. If you're not feeling well, it's best to rest first."

However, she noticed that Shiori Hachiya's complexion was getting better day by day, so she figured there shouldn't be any major health problems.

The only problem then must be a psychological one.

This dance teacher had collaborated with Shiori Hachiya many times several years ago, before she became famous and a hero, and was quite well-known in the industry.

Considering this was her last performance, Shiori Hachitani specifically asked her manager to invite the other person. Although the other person was strict, their professional skills were truly outstanding, and just the practice over this period of time had allowed Shiori Hachitani to vaguely rediscover her former feeling.

However, it's still a bit lacking.

"Yes, I will concentrate more from now on." Shiori Hachiya bit her lower lip slightly.

She is in very poor condition right now.

She herself is very clear about this.

Having witnessed such overwhelming brilliance and been so deeply shaken, Shiori Hachiya spent every single second of her practice asking herself:

Do I really deserve to stand on this stage?

I even invited Nana Ohba to watch the final performance... I'm sure I'll be laughed at.

Shiori Hachiya felt uneasy.

She knows her own limitations very well.

The dance teacher could see that Shiori Hachiya was wavering, so she sighed slightly and told her to rest for a while and recover her energy.

Shiori Hachiya stopped, and suddenly heard her manager's voice from the doorway: "Hachiya-san, someone is looking for you."

She walked out of the rehearsal room blankly, wiped the sweat from her face with the towel hanging around her neck, and asked her agent, "Who is it?"

"The lady and child who came to visit you are waiting in the reception room." The agent from back then has been replaced. The current agent is a subordinate employee of the Tower of Civilization, who is much more capable than the original agent and knows what to say and what not to say.

The agent hesitated for a moment, but still told Shiori Hachiya, "It's the mother and son who received your sponsorship back then."

This was also the opportunity that led Shiori Hachiya to embark on the path of a hero.

After failing to save the child due to her own inability, Shiori Hachiya would periodically send financial compensation to the mother and child from her account through the tower.

She made the tower tell the other party frankly that the child's mental problems back then were caused by the Dream Weaver's dereliction of duty.

Therefore, they will provide regular financial compensation.

Although she was not a hero at that time, she still chose to take on this responsibility.

Now, the other party has taken the initiative to contact her.

...

P.S.: Miss Bee Valley is actually a completely kind-hearted idiot, don't try to be like her.

I've finally updated it! Let's get going!

I've counted, and I owe about thirty chapters... You guys are amazing...!

46. ​​You are shining.

Shiori Hachiya is an idiot.

He's a pushover, overflowing with sympathy.

Despite constantly telling myself not to meddle in things that don't concern me, to avoid getting into trouble, I still often find myself reflecting on my day in bed at night, wondering if I did something wrong.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have taken on this responsibility, which wasn't originally theirs, at the risk of being misunderstood.

She's the kind of person who turns every positive obligation into a negative one, forcing herself to fulfill it—a complete idiot.

Because her childhood was too smooth and she received an overly kind education, she developed such a soft and innocent personality.

Not to mention, after using his abilities to modify the core of his mind, he has so much compassion that it's almost flooding Tokyo Bay.

They would blame themselves for any misfortune they saw on the roadside.

But she also retained some self-awareness.

After all, her abilities are limited, she is not good at many areas, and there are still hardships that her hands cannot reach.

However, she would actively lend a helping hand wherever she could reach.

Take, for example, the child who led her down the path of becoming a hero.

The child's family was not well-off. After the child became mentally challenged and had the mental capacity of a three-year-old, the already irresponsible father left home one day and never returned.

Only the mother is struggling to keep going.

Therefore, after learning about this, Shiori Hachiya, who had already become a hero and had made initial contact with the young lady of the Kobayashi Foundation who had not yet built a tower of civilization, hoped to help this impoverished family through the "Dream Weaver".

Shiori Hachiya's origin story isn't particularly thrilling; it's simply about a fool silently hiding her guilt and compassion in her heart, gradually changing herself, and striving to lend a helping hand to others.

No one told her "With great power comes great responsibility" before she died; she simply sat in a desolate dream all night and then suddenly realized it.

A child's silent weeping is more painful than any condemnation.

She didn't want to see any more tears shed because of her negligence, and she didn't want to see so much misfortune again.

So she chose to become a dream weaver.

Even now, Shiori Hachiya still finds it foolish and stupid when she thinks back on it.

But being a little silly is actually quite good.

Shiori Hachiya, having put on her coat, walked to the reception room and gripped the doorknob, her palms actually sweating profusely.

She never saw that mother and son again after that.

On the one hand, she was indeed very busy, and on the other hand, she was also vaguely avoiding meeting them.

On the other hand, she took the blame upon herself, but the other party never criticized her even once.