『 After walking for a while, the group arrived at the plaza in the center of the campus.
[ Wow—is this really a school? ]
[ It looks even more luxurious than the Clock Studios Theme Park! ]
March 7th looked at the luxurious layout of the school, letting out a gasp of admiration!
[ Paperfold University's motto is Color your dreams, free your ideals. What we see before us reaffirms those words. We still have some time before the anniversary celebration's opening ceremony. Let's take a look around ]
Dan Heng checked the time and suggested it to the two.
Hearing this, Stelle and March 7th nodded in agreement and began to wander around.
[ Bana! ]
As they passed by a booth, a banana-like sound drifted over.
[ Aw, Slumbernana Monkey is so cute! ]
The sound caught March 7th's attention, and she saw a lifelike Slumbernana Monkey toy at the booth.
[ Oh, are you a Slumbernana Monkey's Ripe Banana too? ]
Hearing March 7th's exclamation, the student running the booth warmly stepped forward to greet them.
[ You could say I'm more of a Fresh Banana than a Ripe Banana. Is that a plush next to you? ]
March 7th looked at the vivid, realistic Slumbernana Monkey and asked curiously.
[ I bought this from the Creator's Market. Doesn't it look realistic? The booth owner said this design is especially popular and really hard to get. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Furina de Fontaine: "Is that… really a plushie??"
Furina de Fontaine: "Why do I feel like it's a living creature?"
Paimon: "It's way too realistic. I think it's alive too!"
Paimon: "But considering this is Penacony, a dream world, maybe…"
Paimon: "Making a realistic plushie isn't that hard?"
Stelle: "March actually called this thing cute."
Stelle: "Look at how goofy they look. Where is the cute part?"
March 7th: "It's ugly-cute, which is also a type of cute!"
....
『 [ Ba, Bana bana! ]
After the student finished speaking, the Slumbernana Monkey made a few banana sounds in cooperation.
[ So cute. I'm totally sold. I'll have to go check it out if I get the chance. ]
March 7th smiled and bid farewell to the student running the booth.
The three continued their stroll.
[ Hi! New students! ]
[ Hello there! ]
As they walked, they were suddenly called out to by a strange member of the Sweet Dream Troupe.
[ What on earth is that! ]
The appearance of this Sweet Dream Troupe member was extremely bizarre, giving March 7th quite a fright.
[ It's the Dreamjolt Troupe! ]
[ Prepare for battle! ]
Stelle stared at the creature, instinctively reaching for her bat!
[ Did I scare you? My apologies! ]
[ I'm Assistanana 416 from the welcoming committee! ]
Seeing Stelle's movement, the Sweet Dream Troupe member named Assistanana 416 quickly explained.
[ Assistanana? Like a teacher's assistant? ]
Hearing Assistanana 416's words, March 7th couldn't help but scratch her head.
[ It's Bananese. Students are in love with Slumbernana Monkey right now, so our faculty did our homework and changed up our image, bana! ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Qingque: "Isn't that the strange TV-headed member of the Sweet Dream Troupe?"
Qingque: "What?"
Qingque: "Even the Sweet Dream Troupe can be university teachers now??"
March 7th: "Probably not a teacher, right?"
March 7th: "Just an assistant teacher."
Stelle: "It actually changed its TV screen to the face of a Slumbernana Monkey."
Stelle: "I'm really not used to looking at it."
Stelle: "I really want to give it a good whack with my bat!"
Hu Tao: "The Slumbernana Monkeys have actually become popular to this extent!"
Hu Tao: "Even the Sweet Dream Troupe has taken on this look."
Stelle: "The Slumbernana Monkey is too abstract. I honestly can't fathom how it became popular."
Stelle: "My rating is: far inferior to Clockie!"
Silver Wolf: "Believe it or not, if you post that in the newly joined freshman group chat, you'll be flamed for thousands of replies in minutes."
Stelle: "Tch, who's afraid of who?"
Stelle: "I refuse to believe Penacony's Clockie has fewer fans than this newly emerged Slumbernana Monkey!"
Stelle: "Watch me rally the troops, lead Clockie's fans, and charge this Slumbernana Monkey thing!"
March 7th: "And here you say I spend too much time surfing the web. I think you're practically more professional than me."
March 7th: "But we're civil people; we still need to practice proper netiquette, okay!"
....
『 [ Why are the faculty members of Paperfold University part of the Sweet Dream Troupe? ]
Dan Heng pondered for a moment and questioned the Assistant Banana.
[ Most of the teachers are attending the academic conference during the school's anniversary. That's why the dean asked the Sweet Dreams Troupe to be substitute teachers, bana. ]
[ Don't you worry. The BananAdvisors come loaded with the memories of the senior professors. Our banacademic standards remain top-notch. There's no need to worry about studies right now, though. Please enjoy the Dreamlight Anniversary first, bana! ]
The Assistanana replied with a chuckle.
[ Of course, I didn't plan on studying hard anyway! ]
March 7th grinned and nodded.
[ Don't say that so proudly. ]
Dan Heng was somewhat speechless.
[ Haha, that's alright! Paperfold University is a school of freedom. Spend your youth however you'd like! ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Well, look at you, good student March 7th."
Stelle: "You really know how to treat a school like an amusement park."
March 7th: "Ah?"
March 7th: "Don't tell me you went to Paperfold University intending to study hard?"
Stelle: "You've got to be kidding!"
Stelle: "Studying is impossible. It's impossible in this lifetime!"
Hook: "Sister Natasha said that if you don't study, you won't be smart!"
Hook: "And you'll turn into a bad kid in the future!"
Stelle: "Uh…"
Stelle: "Hook is right. I want to study!"
Stelle: "I want to be a good kid!"
Stelle: "Don't learn from March. March is a bad kid who doesn't study! (funny_face.jpg)"
March 7th: "Ah, haha… I forgot there were kids here."
March 7th: "Ahem, I was just joking just now!"
March 7th: "Actually, I'm also a good kid who wants to study hard!"
Dan Heng: "Sigh… you'd better be…"
....
『 [ You there, please wait a moment! ]
The three bid farewell to the Assistanana 416 and continued forward, but after only a few steps, they were called out to again.
[ Huh? Are they calling us? ]
[ And you are...? ]
The three arrived in front of an unfamiliar girl.
[ You guys were easy to spot. You, the pretty pink girl with the camera, you're Say~Cheese~, aren't you?! ]
The girl appeared somewhat excited upon seeing the three.
[ Say~Cheese~? ]
Hearing this name, Stelle was slightly stunned.
[ That's me. ]
[ Didn't I hear that university students love using nicknames? So I just let everyone call me by my online handle. ]
March 7th briefly explained to Stelle and Dan Heng.
[ Hi there! I'm TreasureNana from the campus group chat. You can call me Montana. ]
The girl introduced herself.
[ Nice to meet you. My name is Dan Heng. ]
Dan Heng greeted her politely.
[ I'm Baseball Bat Ninja. ]
Stelle used her new title at Paperfold University!
[ ...When did you start going by that name? ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "This is the new title given to me by the Ninja Hero Master Rappa!"
Stelle: "Isn't it cool?"
Silver Wolf: "Tsk, the word 'Bat' still runs through your new title."
Silver Wolf: "It seems you really can't part with that bat."
Mualani: "I'm a bit curious, why is Miss Stelle so fond of that bat?"
Mualani: "Is it because it's very handy to swing?"
Stelle: "Good question!"
Stelle: "Thinking about it carefully, this is all March's fault!"
March 7th: "???"
March 7th: "What does this have to do with me?"
Stelle: "If you hadn't egged me on to use this bat Curio as a weapon back at the space station, perhaps my signature weapon wouldn't be a bat today."
March 7th: "Huh??"
March 7th: "Under those circumstances, shouldn't you just use whatever is available?"
March 7th: "That was the only bat suitable as a weapon there. We didn't have a choice!"
Lumine: "To be fair, Miss Stelle's bat looks incredibly powerful, and its quality is surprisingly good!"
Lumine: "It indeed lives up to being a wondrous Curio!"
Stelle: "It's also very handy to swing. I do really like it!"
....
『 [ Oh gosh, I recognize you! You're this season's Festive Superstar! You're famous! ]
[ I never thought I'd go to the same school with someone famous. I bet you'll be assigned to the Charmony Academy! ]
Montana suddenly looked at Stelle and revealed a shocked expression. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "This girl's reaction time is a bit slow."
Stelle: "I've been standing here for so long, and she only just recognized me?"
Hu Tao: "Superstar??"
Hu Tao: "Is it because of the Festivity Auditions you participated in earlier?"
Hu Tao: "I didn't expect that show to be so famous?"
Furina de Fontaine: "Since it's that show… then wouldn't the other Superstar one be Miss Hotaru?"
Furina de Fontaine: "After all, the two of them cleared the trial together."
Hotaru: "Eh?? Me?"
Hotaru: "To think the term 'Superstar' would be applied to me…"
Hotaru: "It's truly a very novel experience."
Silver Wolf: "Ha, now you've really become an Iris performer."
Qingque: "It has to be Stelle. She's a prominent figure wherever she goes."
Stelle: "Of course. My strength simply doesn't allow me to keep a low profile!"
March 7th: "Stop being so full of yourself!"
....
『 [ Assigned...? ]
Hearing Montana mention a college assignment, March 7th showed a puzzled look.
[It refers to the Tuning Test. At the entrance ceremony, The Family's Members will analyze the potential of students through tuning and assign them to the appropriate academy. ]
Dan Heng, who had done his homework beforehand, explained to the two.
[ Dan Heng, remember to let me copy your answers! ]
Stelle treated this as an entrance exam and began to negotiate with Dan Heng.
[ Calm down. It's not a real exam. ]
Dan Heng shook his head.
[ Hmm, The Family assigns every student their major? Doesn't sound very harmonious to me. ]
March 7th felt that this method of enrollment seemed a bit too arbitrary. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "So, what major I study at school is decided by the school?"
Stelle: "I have no right to choose?"
Stelle: "Is this a school of Harmony, or a school of Order??"
March 7th: "Could it be a regulation set by Sunday or the Dreammaster before?"
Sunday: "No, the Oak Family generally does not interfere with the affairs of Paperfold University."
Robin: "You've misunderstood."
Robin: "Things are not as you think."
Robin: "This Tuning Test Exam is just a reference suggestion the school gives to freshmen."
Robin: "It reflects which college is most suitable for you personally."
Robin: "But the final right of choice is still in your own hands."
Paimon: "Oh, I get it!"
Paimon: "The school just provides free advice, but you still have the right to decide which college you want to go to."
Paimon: "That's good, that's good!"
Paimon: "That way, we don't have to worry about going to a college we're not interested in!"
....
『 [ Don't worry. If a student disagrees with the result, they can apply for a transfer to another academy. It's just that most people don't. ]
[ After all, the pressure is high even in a dream. Not to mention, competition has grown fierce ever since Penacony relaxed their entrance reviews after the place went public. Most of us are just grateful The Family is willing to guide us.]
Montana expressed great gratitude toward the Chord-Measuring Exam arranged by the Family.
[ That's reality for you... ]
Montana's words made March 7th sigh.
[ Anyway, let's change the subject. Are you going to attend the dean's speech? My friends and I are going to check out the Creator's Market, so I won't be joining you. They're not taking attendance anyway. See you later, bana! ]
After speaking, Montana hurriedly ran off.
[ Whether it's the teachers or the students, the people here sure have personality. ]
March 7th looked at Montana's retreating figure disappearing into the crowd and couldn't help but shake her head.
[ How do you do, fellow student? ]
Stelle turned and called out to March 7th.
[ Alright, you old fogy. ]
[ Look at the time. The anniversary celebration's opening ceremony should be starting soon. Let's go see the dean. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
March 7th: "Judging by what classmate Montana just said, after Penacony went public, it seems to have become even more competitive?"
Dan Heng: "With the dream entry policy relaxed, it's not hard to imagine that more people will flood into Penacony to live."
Dan Heng: "And with more people, competition naturally becomes fiercer."
Stelle: "Oh boy… I really worry about the future of the people of Penacony."
Stelle: "Having to compete desperately even in a dream, doesn't that go against the original meaning of the word 'dream'?"
Lumine: "It's called a dream world, but in my eyes, it's basically no different from the real world."
Qingque: "Perhaps that is the price of being awake?"
Qingque: "After all, there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world!"
Aventurine: "Why worry so much?"
Aventurine: "People always find a way of life that suits them."
Aventurine: "Provided they can clearly recognize what they truly want."
....
『 The three arrived at the center of the school plaza, waiting for the dean to take the stage and deliver the speech.
[ Look, the dean is going on stage. ]
Suddenly, whispers spread through the crowd as the dean had already stepped onto the stage.
[ Wha... No way. The dean is... ]
March 7th looked at the figure of the dean on the stage, unable to hide her shock!
Seeing this, Dan Heng's brow also furrowed slightly.
[ Hello, students. Or should I say, bananjour? ]
The dean on stage actually appeared in the form of a monkey, instantly causing a massive stir!
[ What's going on? Is this a gag? ]
March 7th was somewhat bewildered.
[ Bananana! ]
Stelle intentionally made banana sounds, seemingly having realized what the dean was role-playing.
[ Oh my god, it's Slumbernana Monkey! ]
Some students nearby also recognized the Principal's appearance one after another, letting out exclamations of surprise!
[ I'm Professor Primon. You may also call me by my more fashionable moniker — Profnana. ] 』
『 ....』