The next day felt lighter.
Rin still walked to school alone.
Still sat quietly during class.
Still listened more than he spoke.
But something inside him had shifted.
He wasn't just hiding anymore.
He was starting to understand.
At lunch, he sat with Toma and the talkative boy again.
And then she arrived.
The girl.
The only girl in their little group.
Beautiful. Kind. Always smiling… but now Rin knew how to listen beyond that.
She sat down gracefully, opening her bento with gentle hands.
Rin looked at her from the corner of his eye.
Her smile was soft.
But behind it, the echo came through.
"I wish someone would notice… that I'm tired of pretending."
Rin's chest tightened.
He had always admired her from afar.
But this was the first time he truly heard her.
He wanted to help.
Not out of pity.
But because she deserved to be seen for who she really was.
That night, the dream returned.
The Dreambox Shop waited, bathed in silver glow.
Moonchan greeted him with a warm nod.
Kuro floated by the ceiling, lazily munching a glowing jellybean.
"I want to help someone," Rin said quietly.
Moonchan tilted his head. "Someone dear to you?"
Rin nodded. "She always smiles… but it's not real."
Moonchan reached under the counter and retrieved a soft pink Dreambag—smaller than before.
Inside was a delicate hairpin, shaped like a blooming moonflower.
"This will let her emotions shine, just once," he said.
"Not through words. Through light."
Rin held the Dreambag carefully.
"And the price?" he asked.
Kuro spoke, his tone more serious than usual.
"For every heart you open… yours becomes a little more exposed.
The closer you get to others… the less you can hide."
Rin nodded.
"I accept."
The next day at school, he waited until they were alone in the hallway.
Without speaking, he gently placed the hairpin in her hand.
She blinked, surprised. "For me…?"
He nodded.
She hesitated, then tucked it gently into her hair.
The moment she did—
A soft glow bloomed from the petals.
It was subtle. Only Rin could see it.
But in that light, he saw memories.
A young girl standing alone under a cherry tree.
A quiet wish whispered on her birthday.
A smile she wore even when she wanted to cry.
And then—she looked at him.
Her smile changed.
It wasn't forced.
It wasn't polite.
It was real.
That night, Rin watched as the hairpin faded into light in his room.
The Dreambag had already vanished when he pulled it out.
He smiled quietly to himself.
He didn't need a thank you.
He didn't even need her to remember.
Just knowing she smiled… that was enough.