Aiko's dream that night was vivid and emotionally charged, replaying the evening's events with intense clarity.
In the dream, she was standing in the campus gardens with Hiroshi, just as they had been hours earlier. When he stepped closer and reached toward her face, time seemed to slow.
As his hand moved toward her cheek, another presence filled the dream. She could feel warm brown eyes watching from somewhere beyond her vision—not judgmental, but observing with the same gentle attention she remembered from that transformative afternoon in the park.
In the dream, Hiroshi's face was kind and hopeful as he leaned closer to kiss her. But as their faces drew near, those brown eyes from her memory became more vivid, more real. She could almost feel the patient hands that had once worked through her tangled hair.
"What are you doing?" a voice seemed to whisper in the dream—not condemning, but curious. It was her own voice, but younger, the voice of the desperate girl who had been saved by a stranger's kindness.
"He cares about me," dream-Aiko replied. "He's kind and supportive and everything I should want."
"But is he what you do want?"
In the dream, Aiko pulled back from Hiroshi's approaching kiss, just as she had in reality. But this time she could see clearly what had driven her decision—the brown eyes that had never left her memory, the connection that had shaped every choice she'd made since that autumn afternoon.
"I can't," she said in the dream, her voice carrying absolute certainty. "My heart belongs to someone else."
The dream shifted, and suddenly she was running through the streets of an unfamiliar city—Madrid, her sleeping mind supplied—searching faces in crowds, looking through windows of salons and cycling shops, following every glimpse of brown eyes that might belong to the person who had started her journey.
Even in the dream, she felt deep purpose, of following a path that was uniquely hers.
Aiko woke gradually, the dream's emotions still coursing through her as consciousness returned. She lay in her narrow dorm bed, feeling more certain than ever about the choice she had made with Hiroshi.
The dream had confirmed what her waking heart already knew: stepping back hadn't been about fear. It had been about fidelity to the love that had saved her, loyalty to the mission that had given her life meaning.
Mari stirred in the bed across the room, already reaching for her phone to check the time. "Morning, Aiko. You were talking in your sleep again. Something about brown eyes?"
"Was I?" Aiko felt heat rise in her cheeks. "Sorry if I kept you awake."
"You didn't. But you seemed peaceful. Like you'd resolved something important."
Aiko nodded, understanding exactly what Mari meant. The dream had reminded her that some loves were worth protecting, some missions worth any sacrifice.
"Mari," she said carefully, "do you think it's possible to build your entire future around one moment that changed your life?"
"You mean the person who helped you that day?"
"Yes. Everything I've done since then has been leading toward the possibility of finding them again."
Mari was quiet for a moment. "I think some connections are worth following, no matter how impossible they seem."
As they prepared for their morning classes, Aiko found herself thinking about her Spain application. The research she'd been conducting had been fascinating, but if she was honest, her deepest motivation remained personal.
"I've been reading about Spanish hair culture," she told Mari as they walked toward the academy building. "The regional variations are incredible."
"It must be exciting to think about studying there firsthand."
"It is. And maybe..." Aiko paused, then continued quietly, "maybe I'll finally get answers to questions I've been carrying since that day."
Professor Martinez was waiting for her in the advanced techniques classroom when she arrived for her individual consultation session.
"Good morning, Aiko. How are you feeling about your application submission?"
"Nervous but determined," Aiko replied honestly. "This opportunity means everything to me."
"Your application is exceptional, Aiko. Your technical skills, your research, your dedication—everything demonstrates exactly what international programs seek."
As Professor Martinez reviewed the final components of Aiko's application, Aiko felt the weight of how much this moment represented. This wasn't just about academic study—this was about following her heart to its destination.
"Your application will be submitted this afternoon," Professor Martinez said. "Results will be announced in six weeks. In the meantime, continue developing your technical skills and cultural knowledge. Regardless of the outcome, this preparation has already made you a stronger stylist."
Walking back to her dorm after the consultation, Aiko felt the familiar thrill of being one step closer to Spain. The country where the cyclist might have come from, where she might finally find answers to the questions that had driven her transformation.
Six weeks to wait. Six weeks until she learned if her path would lead her where her heart had been pointing since that afternoon in the park.