The faint glow of early morning dreams still clung to the air when Dremo leaned casually against the doorway, tipping his hat forward.
"Hello, Felly. Finished your work yet?" His tone was the kind of lazy curiosity only Dremo could pull off—half-interested, half-teasing.
Felly, sprawled in a chair with his boots on the desk, didn't even look up from the strange notebook he was scribbling in. "Already done. Why? Need something?"
Dremo's lips twitched into a grin. "Not exactly. I just thought I'd show you the other side of the dreams."
He reached into his pocket, fishing around until his hand emerged with… a candy. Not just any candy—this one shimmered faintly, as though it had stolen light from the stars themselves. With a practiced flick, he popped his hat onto his head, and the candy spun in his palm, twisting and unfolding until it was no longer candy at all, but two perfectly folded pieces of paper.
Felly arched an eyebrow. "That's a weird way to hand someone their next assignment. You're really bad at subtlety, Dremo."
"Subtlety's boring," Dremo replied, handing him the papers. "That's your task. Two dreams. Two personalities. Figure them out."
Felly glanced at the papers, then tucked them into his pocket with a sly smile. "I know exactly what to do." He hopped to his feet, brushing the dust off his jacket. "Well, let's go investigate."
The Streets
A short while later, Felly found himself walking down a busy street in the waking world. Morning sunlight poured between the buildings, bathing the pavement in warm gold. He paused on a street corner, watching young students march toward school in neat lines, their faces a mixture of sleepy resignation and mechanical routine.
He jotted in his notebook:
"Boring. Eyes glazed. Same route, same pace—every day. Perfect subjects."
His gaze drifted toward a large, worn-down building that stood at the end of the block. It had the kind of air that whispered rules, schedules, and endless repetition.
"That's where they're gathering…" he murmured. "Let's have a closer look."
The Gatekeeper
Felly strolled toward the school's entrance, but before he could step inside, a man in a security uniform blocked his way.
"Hold it. Are you a student here? And… what's with that ridiculous costume?" the man asked, giving Felly's dreamworld-tailored outfit a long, baffled stare.
Felly grinned. "This? Oh, it's the work of the Wiser Frog from Dreamers' Land. He makes all my clothes."
The guard blinked, then snorted. "What kind of joke is that? A frog makes your clothes?"
"Not a frog," Felly corrected, "the Wiser Frog."
The man rubbed his temples. "You know… on my first day working here, I met a weird student just like you. I thought that was strange enough, but now…" He trailed off, sighing.
At that moment, a memory flickered in Felly's mind—Dremo's voice from a previous briefing:
"If someone blocks your way in the waking world, knock them out. Then, give them a pleasant dream as repayment. But never—never—do that inside Dream Land."
Felly tilted his head thoughtfully. "Alright, then."
One swift, precise motion later, the guard slumped unconscious into Felly's arms. Felly caught him easily, then glanced around.
That's when he noticed a girl watching from a short distance away. She saw the whole thing… and simply walked past, completely unfazed.
Felly blinked. "She ignored me? Huh." He scribbled in his notebook:
"Not easily startled. Good personality."
He propped the guard comfortably against the wall, whispered a pleasant dream into his ear, and stepped through the doors.
Invisible Observer
Felly spent the rest of the day wandering the school halls like a ghost. Students brushed past him, chatted with friends, scribbled notes in class—yet no one stopped to ask who he was. No one even seemed to notice him.
He jotted again:
"Being ignored… kind of sad. But they all seem to have decent personalities."
By the time the sun dipped low, painting the windows in gold and crimson, Felly closed his notebook. "Investigation complete. Now… the boy."
Kai
Kai was a boy with messy dark hair and a smile that was equal parts charm and mischief. This morning, he was walking to school when he spotted a group of girls jogging ahead.
Smirking, he easily caught up—and passed them. Just to entertain himself, he turned around and called, "Do you girls ever try running properly?"
The girls laughed, though one—a short redhead—rolled her eyes. "One day, I hope you wake up in a girl's body. Then we'll see how funny you are."
Kai clutched his chest dramatically. "Terrifying! What's the worst that could happen? My mom gives me more candy, people fuss over me, and I get to relax while playing games all day? Oh no, the tragedy!"
The girls exchanged glances. One whispered, "I was mad at first… but now I just feel sorry for him."
Kai muttered under his breath, "Pull it together, Kai. Don't show weakness. Not in front of the enemy."
Lily Appears
That's when she arrived—Lily. Dark, messy hair, sharp eyes, and a smirk that could slice through steel. She stepped right into the middle of the group without hesitation.
"Kai, it's not confidence—it's a complex," she said. "You're just afraid of girls. Admit it."
Kai's eyes narrowed. "Lily… my eternal rival."
"You couldn't handle a single day in a girl's life," she taunted.
Kai waved her off. "What's so hard about it? Free stuff, everyone wants to help you, and in games? Every clueless guy hands you loot like you're royalty."
Nearby, a few girls were struggling with their backpacks.
"See? Hey, these girls need help!" Kai called out.
Instantly, several random boys swooped in, grabbing the bags and carrying them toward the school.
Later, in class, Lily sighed. "Thanks to the weirdos who carried our bags like some kind of express delivery service."
Kai sauntered in, leaning toward his friends Jay and Max. "No free delivery for me, just had to sprint here like a normal person."
Jay snorted. "Yesterday, I asked for help in a game, and I swear some guy almost reached through the screen to hand me loot."
Their banter escalated until the teacher stepped in, putting an end to it.
The Bus Incident
After school, Kai, Jay, and Max missed the bus. They ran to catch it, but it rolled right past them—only to stop when a group of girls waved it down a moment later.
"What the heck?" Jay shouted.
"Just boys," Kai muttered, glaring at the retreating bus.
The walk home was quiet, a strange emptiness settling over them.
The Switch
That night, Kai collapsed onto his bed. "Whatever. Tomorrow's a new day."
Morning light streamed in through his curtains. He stretched, yawned… then froze.
Something felt off.
He stumbled to the mirror—and nearly fainted.
Long hair. Soft, delicate features. A voice that squeaked when he yelled, "WHAT THE—?!"
A glowing message appeared before his eyes:
[System Message: Player has entered the Empathy Trial.]
[Survive as a girl for 1 month. Complete successfully to return to your original body.]
Kai's jaw dropped. "One month?! No, no, no. Please, take it back! I'll be nice! I won't tease anyone ever again! Just change me back!"
[Continue the trial or remain as is.]
Kai's Morning Disaster
Five minutes later, Kai discovered the real problem—clothes. His old T-shirts fit awkwardly, his jeans were all wrong, and his reflection made him blush in a way that deeply unsettled him.
He grabbed scissors to cut his new hair short… then froze. "Wait, no. What if this is permanent? I'll be stuck like this forever."
Next came the voice. Every time he spoke, it was a soft, slightly high-pitched sound that made him wince. "Nope. Can't take myself seriously like this."
Breakfast was no easier. His mom took one look at him and gasped. "Oh my goodness, you look adorable! Here, have more pancakes!"
Kai sighed. "Great. I'm not even in school yet and I'm already getting spoiled."
Meanwhile, Lily
Across town, Lily stared at her reflection—Kai's face staring back with her wide-eyed shock. She clenched her fists.
"This idiot's body… I swear, if this is a prank…"
Her phone buzzed. A group chat lit up.
Jay: "Yo Kai, you coming to school?"
Max: "Don't be late again, man."
Lily smirked. "Perfect. Time to see what it's like being on his side of the fence."
Felly Watching
And from a park bench across from the school, Felly flipped his notebook open, jotting a final line for the day:
"Switch successful. Observation begins. Let's see what they learn about each other… and themselves."
He closed the book, smiling faintly. "The dream has only just begun and I think it is time to just use it i don't have enough budget to continue anyway."