Editing City Series:Volume7 Layer 8 (section)

===Record 49: How Can I Laugh at That?===

'''01/22/1998

'''23:59

A week had passed since our coming-of-age ceremony and I was patrolling the city with Snowy. There was a simple reason for that:

“Remnants of dreams have been wandering the city of late,” she said with her katana on her shoulder.

We were near the civic center a short distance from the city hall. It sounded like wandering around this area had a higher chance of encountering the dreams.

I kept my hands in my jacket’s pockets.

“Dreams, huh? Could this be a side effect of the coming-of-age ceremony? I really hope they don’t do any harm to young people like us.”

My breath came out white and Snowy looked in my direction. It was a casual thing, but her eyes were fixated on a spot behind me and she drew her katana.

“Do not move.”

“Wh-why? What are you going to do?”

“I can see a dream behind you. I will cut it down, so do not move.”

“Okay, but what happens to me while I stand in front of this dream?”

“You will be a noble sacrifice. Although how noble you are is up for debate.”

“Generally, people leave that last part unsaid, you idiot. Whose dream is it anyway? You can’t just cut it down without checking, can you?”

She narrowed her eyes toward the dream behind me.

“I see a steaming bowl, a long plate with something on it, and a rice bowl dancing together.”

“Oh, that’s probably a ramen rice gyoza set. I was just thinking I wanted one of those.”

“So this is your dream? Then I will cut you down along with kit.”

“You’re going to cut down my ramen rice ''and'' my gyoza!?”

“They are a set, so what choice do I- oh.”

I looked back to see my dream vanishing. She clicked her tongue in disappointment and glanced to the side while I tilted my head.

“I don’t think this is just dreams wandering around. I think our own dreams are being dragged out to the surface too.”

“But why did it disappear?”

“When you notice a dream, you have two options: try to make it real or give up on it. Either way, the dream ceases to be a dream once you’re aware of it.”

“You think that line makes you sound cool, don’t you?”

She sighed and resumed walking. I followed after her and changed the subject.

“To change the subject, is it true the Kansai students are at it again?”

“Yes. I often encounter them and rumors of them. Our new special duty officer coming next month will apparently be a former Kansai student, which I imagine is meant as a response to this.”

“Huh. I’d heard some weird students who were accepted in last summer had gone to the Mountain partway through the training period, but does this mean one of them made it to the end?”

“Personally, I would prefer a successor to the Vice Chancellor’s Aide role instead of a special duty officer.”

The Vice Chancellor generally had two aides. Snowy and the other one were both 3rd years, so they were trying not to get involved in our generation’s issues.

I walked up next to her and asked a question.

“Is it hard being the only aide who can actually fight?”

“Yes, because it means protecting an idiot all on my own.”

She had to say that with a straight face, didn’t she?

Then she looked to me. No, behind me.

“…”

She silently faced forward again and walked on ahead.

“What? Was there a dream back there again?”

“Do not turn around.”

Her words were sharp but not cruel. I obeyed them and let my dream remain a dream.

I did look behind Snowy as she walked ahead and saw someone there.

A grownup version of her was smiling up into the sky while looking the picture of health. I started to raise my fist but stopped myself.

I looked up in the sky and saw some snow falling.

I noted how much it looked like flowers as I caught up with Snowy again.

'''Author Comment:

I feel like this is getting off topic, but I think it’s worth asking whether a dream is something out in front of you that you pursue or something you create behind you that pushes you onward.

Also, this layer feels like it has more snow than flowers.