Master of the Machete Style Manga

Chapter 137 Reaction to Reality

In the third round, Ken Sakamoto was completely defeated.

Fortunately, Ai Hoshihara did not intend to conduct a fourth round. According to her, time flows at the same speed in this dream as it does in reality.

In other words, several hours of their sleep elapsed within the same number of hours outside.

I estimate I've been in the dream for three or four hours now.

According to Ai Hoshihara, there are two ways to quickly end a dream.

The first method is to be woken up by someone outside, or by setting an alarm clock.

The second method requires stronger sleep control to force oneself to wake up.

The fact that Ken Sakamoto was able to sleep until now means that neither his editor, Kaji, nor his three assistants came to wake him up.

After all, he is the owner of the studio, and he doesn't have the pressure of rushing to finish a manuscript. He probably won't come back to call them until they are about to leave work.

Ken Sakamoto asked Ai Hoshihara, "I didn't set an alarm, and no one should be coming to wake me up, so how do I use the second method?"

“I don’t need you to come.” Ai Hoshihara sat on Ken Sakamoto’s lap, leaning against his chest, and said, “Perfect, this is also a test after I wake up to see if you will automatically break free from this dream. If you succeed, send me a message.”

“We haven’t exchanged contact information yet,” Sakamoto Ken said.

Ai Hoshino said, "I called your number, but it's not in service."

“According to the original timeline, I changed my phone number when I went to university because the plan was cheaper, but my number hasn’t changed,” Ken Sakamoto said.

"Then you should remember my number, right?"

"Recite it like a stream."

"Add me on LINE after you leave."

“Okay.” Ken Sakamoto nodded in agreement.

“Well…” Ai Hoshihara put her arm around Ken Sakamoto’s shoulder, a slight smile playing on her lips, and said, “Goodbye~”

After saying that, she kissed him directly.

Their lips touched, and Sakamoto Ken was about to take it a step further when he discovered that the girl in his arms had disappeared.

At the same time, everything around me was becoming distorted, and after a few breaths, my vision returned to chaos.

Despite the complete darkness, Ken Sakamoto remained clear-headed and slowly opened his eyes.

Before me was the familiar ceiling of the studio.

Sakamoto Ken blinked, still somewhat dazed, his nostrils seemingly still tinged with the scent of their intimate moments.

He was still lying on the reclined ergonomic chair, covered with a thin coat, which must have been put on him by someone.

He slowly sat up and stretched his stiff neck a little.

With a soft click, the latches on the chair back popped open, restoring the chair to a normal sitting angle.

Almost as soon as he sat up straight, the four people in the studio who were originally focused on their own work—Keiko Kaji, Nobuyuki Tatsuyuki, Tomoharu Kaku, and Tatsuya Endo—all turned their attention to him.

That look in his eyes... well, it was a bit complicated.

"What's wrong?" Sakamoto Ken asked, puzzled. "Why are you looking at me like that..."

The four exchanged glances, and finally Kaji Keiko spoke up, asking, "Sakamoto-sensei, did you have a nightmare just now?"

Nightmare?

Ken Sakamoto paused for a moment.

That couldn't be called a nightmare; in fact, it could be described as...

It was a really exciting and thrilling experience.

My body just can't keep up with my mind.

He glanced at the clock on the wall and realized he had slept for a full three and a half hours.

This is indeed a bit too long for a nap.

Ken Sakamoto rubbed his temples and casually asked, "Was I talking in my sleep just now?"

“You weren’t talking in your sleep.” Keiko Kaji shook her head, a hint of worry on her face. “But… Sakamoto-sensei, you were in the chair just now… um… moving around every now and then. I thought you had woken up… since you weren’t going to wake up anytime soon, I got you a coat to cover yourself with.”

twitch?

Ken Sakamoto frowned slightly each day, thinking about his somewhat unrestrained activities with Ai Hoshihara, and how his body would react in real life...

Kaji Keiko then added, "But don't worry too much, Sakamoto-sensei. It's just like having a nightmare; it's not serious."

"That's good..." Ken Sakamoto breathed a sigh of relief. Keiko Kaji said with concern, "Sakamoto-sensei, have you been staying up late every day to finish your manuscript and worn yourself out? You don't look too well. You should get some rest earlier in the future."

"It's nothing, it's nothing," Sakamoto Ken quickly waved his hand and said, "I'm probably just a little tired."

Fortunately, it was just some physical movement; he didn't say anything in his sleep, and apart from being slightly sweaty, there were no other abnormalities.

In short, my crotch won't get wet...

Speaking of which, Haruna Mikazuki often talks in her sleep.

I imagine her dream was quite dramatic, very unrestrained, but I don't know exactly what she did to him.

I wonder if she talked in her sleep and let anyone around her hear her during that "online" dream we just had last time...

Ken Sakamoto shook off the jumbled thoughts in his mind and focused his attention back on the dream he had just experienced.

I remember every single detail of everything that happened between Ai Hoshihara and me.

Even the feel of her skin, the rhythm of her breathing, and the temperature inside her body seemed to linger in my senses.

But surprisingly, I didn't feel tired or drained at all.

If you went through that ordeal in real life, you probably wouldn't even want to lift a finger.

This is good news.

Thinking of his final promise to Ai Hoshihara, Ken Sakamoto picked up his phone from the table.

He remembered Hoshino Ai's phone number very clearly.

Since being reborn in this cycle, I haven't taken the initiative to contact them because I was determined to stay away from them from the beginning.

He chose to search by phone number on the LINE friend adding interface.

Enter familiar numbers.

Soon, an avatar appeared in the search results.

Her profile picture is a starry sky, the same one she used in the previous game.

Kenjiro Sakamoto sent out a friend request.

Soon, a notification popped up on the screen:

"Ai Hoshino has added you as a friend."

The fact that she got through so quickly means she was waiting too.

Ken Sakamoto opened the chat interface and began typing on the keyboard.

Ken Sakamoto: "Love, I am Ken Sakamoto."

Ai Hoshihara: "/heart"

She first sent a heart icon, and then another message popped up.

Ai Hoshihara: "[Image]"

This time it's a photograph.

Ken Sakamoto clicked on the image.

The background of the photo is the floor-to-ceiling window of Ai Hoshihara's apartment, with a view of the Tokyo cityscape outside.

The subject of the photo, Ai Hoshihara herself, is sitting sideways on a recliner by the window, in a languid posture.

She remained in the cool, undressed state she was used to when she was alone, completely naked.

The soft indoor light outlined her graceful figure, and her skin shone with an ivory-like luster under the light.

Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were unfocused, but a sly smile played on her lips.

She held up a whiskey glass filled with amber-colored liquor and an ice ball in one hand, making a "cheers" gesture towards the camera.

Ken Sakamoto: "Looks like what I dreamt about was real."

Ai Hoshihara: "Of course, how could it be fake?"

Ken Sakamoto: "When should I come to your house tomorrow?"

Ai Hoshihara: "Morning is fine, you decide the time."

Ken Sakamoto: "OK"

　Two chapters for now. There's one more chapter that's been stuck in the approval process and I've revised it twice... Anyway, I'll post two chapters for now... The next chapter will be released whenever it's approved...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)