3. Huh? An illegal immigrant? Me?

Page 1/3

Unbelievable!
This interview went so smoothly!!!
Even though Rachel had prepared thoroughly and held considerable confidence in herself, she still could hardly believe how successful the interview had been—practically a flawless journey from start to finish, without a single hitch, a success so seamless it was almost dull.
She just effortlessly got selected?
Could this be a dream...?
Wait, isn’t she in a dream right now?
Rachel’s steps felt light as she exited the classroom, then she pinched her cheek.
She pinched hard enough that, despite the protective mechanisms of the dream world shielded by her family, she felt real pain.
This wasn’t a dream within a dream, nor was she unconscious—this was genuine!
Instantly, Rachel’s spirits soared. Just moments ago, she had been confidently speaking before the true Dream Host—the current real leader of Pinocconi, the previous head of the Oak family, and the foster father of Mr. Sunday and Miss Robin—and had earned his approval!
She felt she had performed exceptionally well; every question he asked fell within her prepared range, none beyond her capacity, allowing her to speak fluently and freely.
From the Dream Host’s words and tone, he greatly admired her origami crane hair accessory and was deeply interested in the Dream Color Theory she applied in her submitted assignments.
He even decisively approved her entry into this practical project and assigned her to the Dream Border of the Golden World!
That was the Golden Moment—every family’s dream crafter yearned to be assigned there, for it was a place where one’s imagination could shine most brilliantly and wonderfully, but not everyone was granted such recognition.
Rachel touched the crane atop her head, her eyes now brighter than before. A wild thought crossed her mind—perhaps a bit crazy, but she felt it was very likely...
That song, “Good Luck Comes.”
And maybe also the other song she had heard earlier, the background music that played when Mr. Sunday appeared—“YMCA.”
Could it be possible that upon first encountering the dense Dream Essence world, she had awakened some latent ability? Like those musically gifted members of the Tianhuan tribe, said to be favored by Hype, harmonious travelers who walk the path of harmony through music.
She...
Ahem.
Rachel didn’t want to think too highly of herself—that was something only a teenager in their rebellious phase would do—awakening some supernatural power suddenly—she had long passed that age. Having experienced her adolescent years in a past life, this lifetime she never went through such a phase.
Back on her home planet, while other children boasted about being chosen by Nanuk and becoming destruction heralds, summoning invincible dark flame tornadoes to obliterate planets, or carrying the soul of a last sea ranger hunter, inheriting a legendary legacy—Rachel was busy with mock exams and memorizing knowledge beyond textbooks to perform well in tests.
But that’s just reality, isn’t it?
It seemed she had stumbled upon a remarkable encounter and gained a great advantage from it—Rachel resolved to experiment, to see if the power of music could manifest in other situations.

Page 2/3

There weren’t many chances to use such power on campus—it was too safe here, and opportunities to exert any power were scarce. Rachel waited several days without hearing any background music or feeling the same impulse as when “Good Luck Comes” played.
She did not rush but patiently awaited the day of her external internship.
No matter how cutthroat or grueling the internship might be, the first day typically came with a friendlier face shown to newcomers.
Rachel was no exception. On her first day, an outgoing dream crafter named Anna, with a sweet, youthful face, took her on a tour of the Golden Moment, showing her the styles here and letting her observe how other dream crafters expanded the dreamscape at the Dream Border.
No matter how gifted Rachel was, a new student could hardly be trusted to handle things alone. Rather than real practice, it was more like shifting the classroom to another location.
Anna was talkative and lively, matching her appearance, favoring sweet and soft design styles—curved lines, intricate patterns. She pointed out excellent examples of such architecture to Rachel.
“Come on, Rachel darling,” she said, flashing caramel-colored eyes and a sweet smile, “look here—this is a spot with an incredible view, a rooftop we’ll eventually transform into a sky garden. See, the railing is still flat now, but it can become a semi-circular platform extending outward. Roses would fit perfectly here, of course, there’ll be other flowers too. Look out there—that’s where the Harmony Music Festival is held, the grand theater’s right over there.”
Rachel also liked the spacious rooftop. Who wouldn’t appreciate a splendid view? Although the natural conditions limited the dream crafters’ adjustments, it inherently offered a higher potential.
Anna smiled and pulled her to the railing, where beautiful music floated in the air—light, nimble notes leaping like agile deer. Rachel recognized it as Miss Robin’s new piece, which had quickly become popular throughout the cosmos after its release.
Anna said, “As a promising future dream crafter, you’ll learn to love these scenes. Loving and passion bring abundant inspiration. I bet you’ll like it.”
Rachel smiled and nodded—she did indeed enjoy these views.
Honestly, part of the reason she was considered well-suited for the Dream Academy was her desire for a home of her own—a place beautiful and comfortable enough, a nest that made her feel safe and happy.
She wanted to design such a place meticulously, and this desire had grown into a longing to become a dream crafter after entering Pinocconi and seeing the grand architecture and the freer building styles.
While Anna imagined this place as a sky garden, Rachel pictured having a large terrace in her future home—maybe not filled with roses or classical sculptures and fountains, but with a cozy sofa bed where she could lie back, watch the rosy sunset, and see the countless stars scattered across the sky.
Rachel’s thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a new song that completely overshadowed Miss Robin’s voice. It began without lyrics, just a piece of electronic music sounding like a DJ’s set.
It wasn’t quite her taste, but it was pleasant, carrying an old yet timeless vibe.
Hmm... what song was this? Rachel hadn’t expected to encounter a third tune—or maybe even a fourth—one she felt she had never heard before.
Even if she had, she had completely forgotten it.
What was going on?
This time, Rachel didn’t check if Anna heard the song—Anna’s expression suggested she hadn’t.
Rachel began to wonder why she could hear this song.
Since she had heard the song accompanying Mr. Sunday’s appearance many times and had played with related memes, Rachel carefully analyzed the situation and came to this conclusion:

Page 3/3

To her knowledge, Mr. Sunday was the current power broker of Pinocconi, a benevolent figure devoted to ensuring everyone lives happily in the dream world.
And “YMCA,” though somewhat overplayed, originally carried great lyrics—a place to have fun, a new world unlike any other, a place where all dreams could come true—that was Pinocconi!
Rachel could only say that if it weren’t for that accordion-playing blond old man, the song would truly suit Mr. Sunday well.
She suspected the background music playing now was like those in anime when an important character appears, where the music shifts to a theme unique to them, reflecting their nature or foreshadowing what’s to come.
It was just a guess, but one with a fairly high likelihood.
However...
Damn it, what kind of song was this? What was it even about? She had no clue! What use could this background music have? Was it meant to alert her that an important person was nearby?
If so, maybe she should become a paparazzo, following Miss Robin’s theme song (though she didn’t even know if Robin had her own) to track down the hidden figure who had even removed her Tianhuan adornments from the crowd.
...But being a paparazzo was way too unethical.
As Rachel pondered this, the music suddenly stopped, as if someone had pressed pause.
Taking advantage of Anna leaning on the railing and peering down at the unfinished construction site below, Rachel quickly scanned her surroundings.
No one was in sight.
If someone had really passed by here, Rachel thought, they probably didn’t want to be noticed.
Of course, it was also possible her theory about the background music was off, which was quite reasonable.
Rachel gathered herself and didn’t feel discouraged.
After all, hearing background music on the very first day out was already better than no progress at school. She didn’t ask for much—just more chances like this to gradually uncover what was happening within her.
Anna drew back from the railing and said with lingering enthusiasm, “Come on, let’s move somewhere else. This place is nice, but there’s not much you can learn here. I heard you’re a top student at the Dream Academy this year and might soon join our team. I have to show you our work and the family’s preferred dream crafting styles over the past decade or so—”
Before Anna could finish, two panting members of the Hound family suddenly appeared at the stairs leading to the platform behind them. Clearly, climbing so many stairs required considerable stamina, especially since they were rushing up.
They ran toward Rachel and Anna, drawing their special weapons from their waists, pointing them at the two, shouting:
“Hands on your heads! Drop to the ground! Illegal crossers and their accomplice, you’re surrounded!”