It was strange.
Today, Manhattan Cafe was radiating an unusual cheerfulness. Whether tackling tedious tasks or engaging in negotiations she wasn't particularly skilled at, a faint smile always seemed to grace her lips.
It gave off a feeling like gardenias blooming.
"Mmm? My, my, Cafe, did something good happen?"
During the lunch break, Agnes Tachyon, having brewed herself a cup of black tea in the cafeteria, happened to run into Manhattan Cafe, who had just finished making her own coffee. Seamlessly, she took a seat beside her.
Uncharacteristically, Manhattan Cafe showed no resistance. Instead, she began to share her news with visible enthusiasm.
"Well, actually, last night, I had a wonderful dream."
"Oh?"
So a dream had lifted her mood? That was quite rare for Cafe.
Dropping lump after lump of brown sugar into her tea, Agnes Tachyon idly asked, "What kind of dream was it?"
Cradling her cheeks, Manhattan Cafe said, "I dreamed of 'Friend'. I took her to all sorts of places. We walked on clouds, stepped across the sea, then sat on a chair, talking, sharing our hearts, holding and cud—Ahem... I mean, we just stayed together."
Doing her best to ignore Cafe's last stammered words, Tachyon nodded. "Sounds pretty normal to me."
After all, wherever 'Friend' was, Manhattan Cafe was usually nearby. Precisely because of this, any attempt by Tachyon to do anything to 'Friend' behind Cafe's back was pretty much impossible.
"It was different." Manhattan Cafe shook her head. "In the dream, I touched 'Friend'. In that moment, I felt it... the warmth coming from her..."
Tachyon took a sip of her tea, which was essentially sugar water by now, and narrowed her eyes.
Touched her?
That likely meant physical contact.
From a psychological perspective, dreams are the desires of the subconscious mind. While awake, these desires are suppressed, but during sleep, when conscious control weakens, human desires manifest in the brain as dreams.
So Tachyon thought.
In other words, Manhattan Cafe deeply yearned to touch 'Friend'.
Tachyon could understand that.
Humans, being one of the species most inclined to touch taboos, commit countless acts that defy reason.
Take 'Friend', for instance.
Through her research, Tachyon had discovered that when 'Friend' touched a normal human's body, the contacted area would become unnaturally transparent, turning into a state similar to aerogel.
That part of the human body would lose mass, and simultaneously, the transparent area would briefly phase through solid objects upon contact.
Tachyon couldn't fully explain this phenomenon yet, but she speculated that a series of material transformations occurred in 'Friend's body upon touching a human, converting her original unknown substance into a quantum entity akin to electromagnetic waves.
Thus, her body would exist in a state between presence and absence, resulting in an unstable superposition.
Come nightfall, this superposition would revert.
Though the principle remained unclear, Tachyon theorized that if this state were to spread throughout her entire body, it could lead to an irreversible outcome.
Namely, the 'ghost' would become a true 'ghost', perpetually stuck in an unstable state, invisible to all.
Therefore, Tachyon seriously believed that humans were extremely dangerous to 'Friend'.
Just as fire cannot enter water, being fundamentally incompatible, 'Friend' absolutely must not touch a 'human'.
She would disappear.
And this dynamic, for Manhattan Cafe, could already be called a taboo.
It wasn't just Cafe; for a research fanatic like Tachyon, it was also an incredible taboo.
She desperately wanted to touch 'Friend', so much so that she wished she could have 'Friend' stand naked before her, allowing her to study every inch of her skin.
But she couldn't.
Whether 'Friend' would agree was one thing; if this idea accidentally reached Cafe's ears, her life would probably be over.
A chill ran down her spine. Tachyon cleared her throat.
"Well, for you, that certainly sounds like a pleasant dream."
"Right? I think so too. It was truly incredible." Manhattan Cafe placed a hand over her chest. "This feeling lasted until morning. When I opened my eyes, the sensation of 'Friend's' touch was still lingering on my hand..."
As if savoring the memory, Manhattan Cafe slowly clasped her hands together, a tender smile on her face.
Tachyon watched her.
It was clear that Manhattan Cafe's dependence on 'Friend' had surpassed the normal distance between friends, reaching an 'abnormal' degree.
She knew that Manhattan Cafe and 'Friend' had maintained their relationship for a long time, possibly longer than Cafe's relationship with her own parents.
But precisely because of this, Tachyon felt concern.
The more intimate the bond, the easier it is to act on impulse.
Like now—Tachyon had never seen Cafe display such obvious emotional fluctuations before.
Her state of mind was subtly changing.
More intensely than ever.
"Cafe, you're not planning to cross that red line, are you...?"
"Hmm?"
"Ah, no, it's nothing." Tachyon waved her hands dismissively; her muttered words had almost been overheard.
Regardless, 'Friend' was an unknown entity. No, calling her a living being wasn't accurate. By existing scientific understanding, her very existence might not even qualify as 'life'.
'Ghost' or 'spirit'—Tachyon disliked these terms named for their material appearance, but there was no more suitable word to describe her.
What would be the consequence of a human crossing that red line and forming a deep connection with an unknown existence?
Tachyon didn't know.
But in her words, the risk was too high; it could easily destroy the entire experiment.
Of course, if Cafe insisted, Tachyon wouldn't forcibly stop her.
Because she, too, was intensely curious about this potential 'outcome'.
"Desire, it truly is an indispensable part of promoting human evolution. One might even say it's because of desire that humans, and Uma Musume, have developed to this day."
The desire to win, the thirst for knowledge, possessiveness, lust, appetite, hedonism...
Countless desires propel the world forward.
"How marvelous. The greedier one is, the more one obtains."
"What are you talking about...?" Completely failing to follow Tachyon's train of thought, Manhattan Cafe blinked in confusion.
"Nothing."
Tachyon shook her head.
She just felt that if one feared the result wouldn't meet expectations and thus abandoned the entire experiment, they were unworthy of being called a researcher.
Wasn't there a saying? Everything experienced in a dream is real, not in this world, but in another.
"Perhaps, Cafe, I too am anticipating that miraculous moment when two souls make contact."
Draining her teacup, her sugar levels replenished, Agnes Tachyon stood up, ready to return to her laboratory.
Watching her leave, Manhattan Cafe held her coffee.
Contact between souls...
If such an opportunity really existed, the final wall separating her from 'Friend' would vanish.
At that time, perhaps...
Manhattan Cafe imagined herself interlocking fingers with 'Friend'.
Their legs overlapping, their bodies slowly drawing closer. That face, no different from her own, firmly held Cafe's gaze.
They seemed about to merge into one, warmth radiating from their entire beings.
That feeling... was truly wonderful.
Suddenly, her face grew hot. Her fingers twitched involuntarily, spilling a few drops of coffee.
Ah, shoot...
Rummaging in her pocket for something to wipe the spill, she found that someone had already placed a handkerchief over it.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.