Chapter 244

Chapter 143: A Happy Dream

“Everybody—!”

Cure Heart descended from her screen and landed among the others who had been waiting.

“Really, Mana, you’re too slow!”

In the face of Rikka’s playful reprimand, Ai seemed somewhat embarrassed and stuck out her tongue.

“I’m sorry, saying goodbye to them took some time.”

Matthew’s expression darkened as he watched the memories of Mana and the others disperse in the form of film. This meant that the past could no longer hold these girls back.

Facing the five unhurt girls looking at him, Matthew could no longer maintain his得意自满得意自满 (smugness) of controlling everything.

“Why did you leave? I prepared a path for you to live forever in beautiful memories…”

“Forever? We don’t need that!” The determined purple girl immediately rebutted him. “The road to the future may be dangerous, but that’s why we must overcome difficulties and keep moving forward!” The blue and yellow girls were only made more determined after this experience.

One learns to become stronger through experiencing pain; this is something I learned from Ash! Mana fearlessly stared at Matthew with her bright eyes, looking straight through his mask.

“This way, us Pretty Cure can share more love with everyone!”

“Oh, so even if the past is happy, you do not need it… Hahaha!” Matthew suddenly looked up, laughing at the nervous girls. “You may think that, but some people don’t think like that!”

He snapped his fingers, and a huge screen appeared in front of the girls. They instantly readied themselves, but no preconceived attack came.

Is this not an enemy attack? The girls carefully moved their arms, noticing that the screen seemed only to play images.

“Look, you all know this person, don’t you?”

Yes, of course, how could they not know!

The girls’ gazes were fixed on the person on the screen, unblinkingly.

“Ash?!”

Ash looked around as if waking from a dream.

“Happy birthday!”

“Happy birthday!”

“On your birthday, seeing everyone isn’t a surprise?”

The dynamic young man with the rocket head patted Ash’s back, nearly knocking him down with his expansive movements.

“Indeed.” Ash didn’t mind it, since his mouth had remained open ever since he saw this scene.

Kamen Riders, Ultramen, Battle Connections, Galactic Police… all sorts of great people in my house celebrating my birthday?

Am I hallucinating? Well, though one of the two Gamera plants I used to collect mysteriously disappeared before, there’s no way that explains this.

“We went out of our way to hide this from you as a surprise, by the way, this was Ten’s idea!”

A surprise, huh? That sounds exactly like your style.

“What’s with you, Ash?” Another acquaintance walked up, the handsome man in red and white制服制服 grinning and seeming to try to make him laugh, as if he was特意扮成丑角扮成丑角 intentionally playing the fool.

“It’s your birthday today, everyone’s here too, so you should be happier, smile smile!”

“Forget it, Kenji.” Ash responded somewhat awkwardly, waving his hand. “I’ve already told you not to act like a fool all day, but you got it right today…”

It is a joyous occasion, after all, to gather together.

The cake with robot candles was pushed towards Ash. As everyone encouraged him to make a wish, he also closed his eyes bashfully, silently whispering his desire.

“I hope my favorite heroes can all get their due happiness.”

“Hey, what’s your wish? Come on, tell us.” The man in pirate attire sat casually beside Ash, greeting him. Ash grinned mischievously and blew out the candles in one breath.

“Not telling you, it’s a secret, hehe!”

“Then let’s have the cake, Ash, as today’s main character, eat the first bite.”

“Seriously, knowing I can’t taste sweetness—” When the cream from his piece of cake reached his tongue, he widened his eyes at its sweetness.

So sweet, delicious… cake, this tastes so long lost and wonderful! I love it!

“My grandma said—” The man in chef attire pointed upward with his finger. “You truly taste something only with your heart.”

“Today, I will cook, everybody should eat more!” Another chef who also ran his own garden restaurant cooked up a storm, leaving everyone wanting more of his delicious dishes.

“Wow, delicious! This dish is amazing, brothers, come give it a try.”

“Ah—Genjiro, leave me some!” Snatching the skewers from the cheerful gluttonous man, Ash ate and drank with both hands and reunited with old friends, argued with newly met acquaintances, and ended up laughing in a heap together.

Almost instantly shedding all worries, he joined everyone else in a carefree celebration.

“Everyone, today we’re all going full force for Ash!”

“Yes!”

Everyone raised their cups and glasses, bringing the birthday celebration to its peak.

In the midst of the lively birthday party, including Ash, they all fully immersed themselves in the ocean of laughter beyond this world.

Outside the screen, the girls stared blankly, feeling inexplicably angry.

What is this? We escaped from the past, and now you’re enjoying yourself alone?!

“Mana!”

Belulu quietly slipped away and jumped into Ai’s arms, recounting what she saw earlier to the girls.

The girls’ expressions shifted from initial displeasure towards Ash to astonishment and despair upon seeing the rarely seen smile on screen from Ash. Sadness and sympathy rose together.

“Ash…”

Upon hearing about Ash’s childhood experiences, Rikka’s hands trembled slightly.

Even only hearing Belulu’s recount, it was enough to make one feel sad.

No friends, isolated and bullied, misunderstood by parents.

None of them had faced such similar situations, not even Makoto, who lost her parents young but had a beautiful childhood under the gentle guidance of the Cardboard Kingdom.

They couldn’t empathize and didn’t know how to express their mixed feelings; with truth known, all words and descriptions lost meaning here.

“How could it be, so unfair?”

Mana hugged Belulu’s arm tighter, unintentionally tightening her grip.

She lived in a beautiful family and a beautiful world, facing hardships and joys alike.

Therefore, she found it hard to imagine the cold, joyless past Ash experienced.

“That’s right, I never thought, his past had no joy, my power is useless on him, therefore!”

Matthew raised his hand, pointing at the laughing Ash, whose cake accidentally got onto his face.

“Without joy, then I’ll give him a happy dream!”

“No one would abandon their dreams, especially someone who has never experienced them!”