ARML Side Story 2-2 🍒

Side Story 2-2
Hello, everyone. I’m the Lara Bed.

Carlyle looked down at his sleeping junior with pity.

Layla had already fallen fast asleep, making strange little sounds.

“Puuung… puu…”

How could she start snoring the moment she lay down on the All-Purpose Magical Office-Use Antique-Style Bed?

Was she really that exhausted from the workshop?

He was pushing forward with his junior’s bold plan, but still, seeing her suffer like this didn’t sit well with him.

If only there were another way to catch the Ceres Order’s agents…

Carlyle gazed at Layla with a troubled heart.

Sleeping deeply was fine, but one of her arms was sticking out of the bed.

I should tuck it in properly.

But the moment he took hold of Layla’s wrist, he suddenly felt embarrassed.

[Senior. Do you… perhaps have feelings for me?]

“Ahem.”

Carlyle cleared his throat.

It was awkward timing, but since she had caught him turning into a dog back then, at least he’d been able to change the subject.

Even after seeing him make such a fool of himself, Layla treated him completely normally. That alone proved she was truly the best junior.

But… what if I hadn’t turned into a dog?

Then he would’ve had to answer somehow.

Yet every time he tried to think of an answer, his chest churned uneasily, making him anxious.

Is my myocardial infarction acting up again?

He’d been so busy that he hadn’t had time to go to the hospital.

I’ll get checked once this is over.

Shaking his head, Carlyle returned to his seat.

But while plowing through paperwork at a frantic pace, his eyes closed for just a moment.

…He thought it was only an instant, but when he opened his eyes, his vision swam.

“Mm…”

Carlyle rubbed his eyes in a hurry.

Damn, did I nod off too?

After days of all-nighters, it wouldn’t be strange to finally hit his limit—

“Huh?”

Once he came to his senses, Carlyle looked down at himself and froze.

He was wearing a suit he’d never seen before.

It looked somewhat like a uniform worn in the Imperial Palace, yet also different.

And the place he was in was completely unfamiliar.

The partitions are so tall… these documents are new to me… and why are there so many strange artifacts here?

Yet his instincts screamed at him.

This was an office.

Even in his dreams, he was still in an office!

Carlyle muttered in disbelief.

“What on earth is this?”

Don’t tell me—

Was he actually working even in his dreams?

Just as he was about to look around more carefully, a surprised voice called out from behind him.

“Team Leader? Why are you here?”

“…?”

Carlyle turned his head silently.

Though he’d never seen these people before, it felt strangely natural that they called him Team Leader.

“You said we should check things among ourselves before the Director’s meeting at three, didn’t you?”

“Ah… right.”

Carlyle answered reflexively, but cold sweat ran down his back.

What kind of dream was this?

Oh my, my.

It seems even Carlyle—my number one regular customer, the Lara Bed—is terribly exhausted.

Since Carlyle lives like a ghost bound to the office, I even know his biorhythm perfectly.

That’s why I can use my special functions on him even when he’s far away from me.

Buuuut then…

Oh my, oh my. The dream Carlyle wants to see is very similar to Layla’s!

In that case, I can just merge the settings and show the same dream to both of them at once!

I’ll simply insert Carlyle into Layla’s dream, since she fell asleep first.

Hehe, this must be what Layla often calls one shot, two kills, right?

This is a dream.

My way of telling dreams from reality is simple.

If Mom and Dad are alive, then it’s a dream.

That’s the only way I can see people who’ve passed away.

“See you later!”

So this time, I even said goodbye properly—something I’d never once done before because I was always too sleepy.

And the place I went to was…

Damn it. The company.

How is it possible that even in my dreams, I still go to work?!

Well, if it’s a weekday-based dream, I guess going to work is inevitable. Still better than dreaming about taking the college entrance exam.

I dragged my feet toward the office, hating it but having no choice.

But once I arrived, something felt strange.

Everything was… perfect.

“Assistant Manager, I sent you the meeting log.”

“Huh? Already?”

“Yes. And I’ll finish the tasks assigned to me there by today.”

“W-What…?”

The employee who usually slacked off and never listened was actually doing their work on their own.

“Assistant Manager, today’s Director meeting got canceled. Our team doesn’t need to attend.”

“Huh? Really?”

“Yes. Only the neighboring team will go. We’ll probably get approval for the quarterly budget proposal right away.”

“Oh?!”

All the annoying schedules were canceled, and I didn’t even have to see that disgusting, sexually harassing Director!

I drank coffee for an hour and a half at lunch.

And during that entire time, nothing went wrong.

I stared blankly at my laptop in shock.

There wasn’t a single email.

This is insane. Am I finally leaving work on time after a whole year?

If I leave on time, what should I do?

Call friends and hang out?

My heart fluttered with excitement.

No, no. I shouldn’t get too excited. If I do, the dream might suddenly fall apart.

I decided to go pour myself some water at the hallway dispenser to calm down.

But right at that cheerful, humming moment—

“Lowell? Why are you here?”

A familiar voice reached my ears.

I looked up and froze.

…Why on earth is Carlyle in this world?

He was even dressed in business casual.

Simpler than what he wore in the Arfelt Imperial Palace, yet he still looked great.

That precious romance-fantasy male lead face in my lowly modern-world dream…?

No, seriously. What is this man doing in my dream?!

I widened my eyes and whispered.

“Senior? It’s really you, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then why are you appearing in my dream?”

“…? Didn’t you appear in my dream?”

“Huh?”

Dream-Carlyle was saying nonsense.

But it was a dream, so there was no need to argue logically.

I shrugged.

“Well, I guess we’re sharing the same dream. Once we get off work, it’ll end anyway.”

“Hm, but…”

Carlyle pulled out his phone with an awkward expression.

A romance-fantasy male lead… using modern technology…

What kind of genre destruction is this?

He looked like a photoshoot model, yet also like an alien creature—beautiful but unfamiliar.

Still, nothing could be more shocking than what he said next.

“I think we promised to have dinner together tonight.”

“What? Wait a second.”

I hurriedly checked my phone.

There it was—clearly written in my calendar.

<Dinner with Senior!! Ppuu>
<7:30 PM – 9:00 PM>

Uh…?

What is this.

Why did I make a weekday dinner appointment with my boss even in my dream?

And why are there two exclamation marks?

…And what does ppuu even mean?

Also, Dream-Carlyle seems to be a team leader from the neighboring team.

Me.

With someone from another team.

A post-work dinner?

This is basically…?

Just then, Carlyle cleared his throat, making me look up.

“Well, shall we go for now? It’s time for dinner.”

“What? Dinner? You and me?”

“Yes.”

Carlyle frowned slightly.

But somehow… his face looked a little red.

“It seems I promised to treat you here as well.”

“Uh… o-okay…?”

What on earth is this dream supposed to be?