Memoirs of the Returnee - Chapter 146

Returner’s Notepad Episode 146

Short story (2)

In this [fragment of time], the day repeats infinitely. Extinction and creation follow one another.

Elise is trapped in that cycle of regression.

I watched her for a long time.

Some days we searched for an exit together,

On some days, he calmly informed her of her situation,

Some days we just spent time together without doing anything.

The days here were at least in the hundreds, but the results were not all good.

If I was around during the search, her magnetism wouldn’t work,

If I were to tell the situation calmly, Elise’s spirit could not hold on completely.

If I just stayed up, time really just passed by.

The worst case scenario is… … .

Elise kills herself from the ceiling of a greenhouse.

This is why I concluded that ‘I have to leave everything to Elise herself.’

From that day on, I stopped counting the days.

However, we prepared the same thing differently every day.

“ruler. Chicken kalguksu and king dumplings.”

Most of it was food.

“ruler. “Salmon steak and corn cheese.”

Some days noodles, some days meat, some days fish and shellfish.

I sought as diverse a menu as possible.

Even these can act as ‘variables’, and the materials are regenerated after just one day anyway.

“ruler. “Spaghetti and buffalo wings.”

“… … “Isn’t that too much?”

Elise’s sometimes unreasonable cowardice.

This is an event that happens about once out of ten when you are given too much food to even look like the amount. Isn’t it too much to blame?

“Eat and leave.”

“what. “Thank you, so I won’t leave anything behind.”

Omulmul- Elise eating rice is quite worth watching. I’m quite honest about food, so my expression changes every time.

I lick the tip of my mouth while holding the very delicious food in my mouth,

After taking a bite of some pretty tasty food, lick your lips with the tip of your tongue,

Food that is edible in moderation only raises eyebrows.

All expressions are rich and rich.

Today, the tip of my mouth trembles as if it is very delicious.

“It’s delicious. Do you think the spaghetti noodles are organic? Grilled buffalo wings are just right. “It’s a passing grade.”

Don’t forget to appreciate it after you’ve finished eating it. It seems like a remnant of the habit of having a personal chef.

After eating like this, I start a full-fledged conversation with her.

“then. “You mean this is the future?”

“uh. But the allowed time itself is not long.”

Every day, I tweak the content a little bit. To make her think a little differently than yesterday.

There are two major premises.

１. Her exit search must be hers alone.

２. Never tell the truth about infinite regression.

“Can you do it?”

“… … I’m a little tired, but I’m okay. “I can go right away.”

Also, you have to put them to sleep as soon as they first arrive. If you don’t let it sleep, it will pass out during the search.

“That’s it. Go to sleep first. “I will stay by your side.”

“… … “If you say so.”

Elise, with her lips narrowed, crawls into her sleeping bag like a slug and sleeps.

I leave to explore, leaving behind the words, “I’ll come back when I wake up soon,” and when the next day comes… … .

Another day repeats itself.

Today’s menu is salchisal steak.

“it’s good. It’s crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. “It’s a passing grade.”

After the meal that received a passing grade, again.

I talk to the guy.

“So does that mean you’re from the future?”

“Well, that’s kind of it.”

like that… … .

Time passes.

The same conversation continues every day.

“you… … “Are you Zion?”

She was just as surprised to see that I had grown much taller than in the past.

“It’s delicious.”

They enjoy the food I serve equally.

“Then what we’re trapped in is a fragment of time… … Is it because of that?”

How many thousand days have passed before those days were repeated?

Has it already reached tens of thousands of days?

Fortunately, the body does not age in [Fragments of Time]. The time contained here is only for one day. This means that it is so small that it cannot cause aging.

However, it seems that even I cannot prevent mental wear and tear. It is not easy, at least not with ‘human’ mental power.

Nevertheless, I must persevere.

This [Fragment of Time] itself is a crack caused by my return. Because I have a promise with you.

therefore… … .

“ruler. “Chadol meat rice noodles and fried rice.”

I just wait anytime.

Elise.

Until you find the answer someday.

“… … “Isn’t that too much?”

* * *

───After countless days,

After passing,

It passes again.

It’s an endless, bloating time where you have no choice but to try almost every type of food that exists on the continent and prepare the meals you’ve already prepared again.

In the tens of thousands of moments where my past became blurred, my future was scattered, and even my existence became doubtful.

Today too, Elise comes back and is eating.

“It’s delicious.”

Elise says with satisfaction. That expression looks good at first glance.

As I look at him, I suddenly feel fortunate. Elise is a very variable person and shows many different reactions.

If it had been someone else, I might have given up a long time ago.

He may have become even more worn out than he is now and has become something other than a human.

“I’m glad it suits your taste.”

I smiled softly and turned around to take out the ‘cookies’ on the shelf.

Suddenly.

A feeling of discomfort passes coldly through my mind.

‘It’s delicious.’

The sentiment that Elise had just uttered echoed in my ears.

“… … .”

The movement of my entire body stopped. I quietly looked back at Elise.

The food on her table was truffle cream bacon risotto.

I asked back quietly.

“This is delicious?”

Elise nodded, flicking her hair with the back of her hand.

“… … Why are you so embarrassed to ask? “I was pretty hungry.”

Now Elise answers calmly, but I have a huge database.

There is a “notepad” that remembers all kinds of food presented to Elise and all of her reactions.

Among them, the truffle cream bacon risotto was made exactly 3,805 days ago.

Why does the database work so quickly?

Elise, who was half like a little pig, was not picky about her food, to the point where I wondered if her cheeks were chubby because she ate too much.

It’s the only food that makes me frown while eating it.

“… … you.”

I put my hands on the table. I looked at Elise across from me. Her expression hardened slightly, as if she also sensed something.

“You have escaped regression.”

“… … .”

She bit her lower lip gently.

And then, haha… … .

Letting out a light sigh.

He answered with a rather sad face.

“huh.”

* * *

It bloomed during many, many repetitions.

It was a very slim possibility.

Quaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

The moment when lightning strikes, signaling the regeneration of [Fragments].

At exactly that moment, as if by chance, Elise tripped and looked up at the thunderbolt of [Fragments] while she had lost her footing.

The angle of view is so off.

Not 45 degrees, not 60 degrees, not 90 degrees.

The core of the [fragment] in the lightning that is revealed only from a specific angle, where coincidence, coincidence, and coincidence overlap without the slightest error.

Elise observed the ‘source’. He ‘pulled’ its singularity towards himself.

It was a gap through which the answer could be found.

It was an enlightenment to understand the principle of [Fragment].

At the same time, it was the awakening of “Spectrum.”

She anchored herself using magnetism as if by instinct.

To put it simply, he set the source of [Fragments] as the S pole and his own existence as the N pole.

Even if the [fragment] collapses, the source does not break, so it preserves its existence by connecting itself with the source.

It resists collapse and regeneration.

“What is this…?” … .”

Just like that, Elise looked up into space blankly.

A sight that she could never have witnessed.

A world that is cracking and disintegrating.

The sky blooms like falling flowers.

Eventually, as I stared blankly at the illusory moments when all natural objects came to a halt –

──Rustling.

The sound of footsteps approaching from somewhere.

Elise quickly ‘pretended to stop’. It was quite an easy task. All you have to do is hold her body magnetically for a moment.

“great job.”

A warm voice that touches my ears.

He slowly approaches me, looks at me, and gently fixes my hair.

Zion Askal.

Elise’s heart was secretly pounding.

Suddenly, I remembered what he said today.

‘You don’t have to deal with it. It’ll pass like a normal day’.

An ordinary day that you don’t have to deal with.

If you don’t remember, there’s no need to deal with it.

then… … .

How much has Zion, not me, endured so far?

What kind of time did you spend instead of me?

“See you later.”

Soon he returns, and the world of [Fragments] is recreated again.

However, Elise, who has already changed, and Elise, who has retained her memories and existence, can never go back to the way she was before.

From that day on, Elise repeated her old actions.

I ate the meal he prepared, went on an expedition, and at the moment of return, I pretended to stop and went back to Zion.

He treated himself the same all along.

… … 30 days passed like that.

* * *

Elise looked at Zion with anxious eyes.

I was worried that if I hid it, he would get angry, or that he would hit me, etc.

Surprisingly, Shion shrugged his shoulders as if he was used to it.

“You’re one step closer. congratulations.”

He just smiled and looked at himself.

Elise pursed her lips for no reason.

“… … “I see.”

“You haven’t found the exit yet, right?”

“huh. I continued exploring, but it seemed like I was far away. “It’s difficult because there’s no map.”

She looked at Shion with a relaxed mind again.

“But how long have you been here?”

“well. “500 days?”

“… … lie.”

Anyone who hears this is a lie. I’ve been watching for a month.

“Oh~”

Shion chuckled as if he was sharp.

“I’ll be honest. “It’s definitely been more than three years.”

If you count it as a day, it’s a thousand days.

It’s a painful enough time.

It’s such a difficult repetition.

Elise said, wiggling her fingers.

“… … thank you. “For waiting.”

“There’s no need to be thankful.”

“you. But do you know how I don’t regress?

“That’s also because of magnetism.”

“… … Ah yes.”

How do you know? Did my future self tell me?

Elise twisted her lips for no reason.

“that’s right. “It’s magnetism.”

Elise picked up a piece of wood from the farm floor. It was sculpted here and there using telekinesis. It was shaped like a camel’s face.

“Now look. I’m going to give magnetism to this camel sculpture. To connect with the source of [fragments].”

Weeeee─

Her magic resided in the camel sculpture. Although there was no outward change, she was clearly connected to her roots.

“If you do this, it won’t collapse when you regenerate. How do you feel?”

“What are you doing?”

“… … “I’m telling you to at least have a hobby until I find a way out.”

In Elise’s opinion, the reason this world is painful is because there is no continuity. Even if you make something, it will break tomorrow.

However, one’s own magnetism can provide continuity.

Until she finds her way out, Zion can get the joy she deserves.

“Ah, that’s right. “I could make something.”

“yes. There are a lot of ingredients. “There are stones and trees.”

Elise muttered as she looked around the farm.

“I want to make a bed first.”

“… … .”

bed.

Then Shion blinked his eyes in silence. Elise’s face soon turned red as well.

“Oh, no. The bed is just a sleeping bag. My back hurts. What are you thinking right now? “That’s gross-”

“Arthur. “There is a hundred year age difference between us.”

“what.”

Elise also smiled at Zion’s joke. Then, he handed back the truffle cream bacon risotto on the table.

“I’ll be honest. This. “It wasn’t my taste.”

Shion laughed slightly.

“know. “I’ll do something else.”

* * *

… … Day 5.

Elise resumed her exploration. She headed towards her destination, the ‘exit’. At the end of each day she left a mark so she wouldn’t get confused on her way.

A pretty-looking rock. It was regenerated at the entrance of Askal Farm every day, and was pinned down like a signpost after connecting it to the source.

All you have to do is use it as a guide and move forward.

“… … “End of the day.”

I’ve already hit five milestones, one a day.

Today will soon be over, so let’s go back now.

Elise hummed and walked home to the greenhouse.

What’s for dinner tonight? Salchisal steak? Tomahawk steak?

When I think of Zion, who is waiting for me, a sheepish smile comes to my face.

… … Day 63.

“now. Concentrate. “This is the map I made here.”

Askal Farm. Elise started the lecture by creating a board somewhere.

“My ‘Spectrum’ radar only works when the sun sets. So you can only explore 6 hours a day. Still, if you walk along the signpost I marked… … “I think I’ll be able to leave within 8 months.”

The area covered by this [fragment] is surprisingly large, so even if you were to find your way by leaving a mark, it would take at least 8 months.

In other words, 8 months is all it takes to escape!

“Good.”

“… … Is that your only reaction? “They say you can escape.”

Shion answered with another word.

“I’ll make you a sirloin steak today. “Your favorite one.”

“… … .”

Elise swallowed her saliva.

“I don’t really like it. “Aren’t you mistaken?”

Hmph, she snorted and closed the lid of the vodka, but she smiled quietly as she turned around.

… … Day 143.

“camel… … complete.”

Elise sculpted a camel that looked like a wooden horse.

I plan to put this on one side of the farm now. It serves as interior design and a place to sit and think like a rocking chair.

“… … Come to think of it.”

Elise quietly looked around at the greenhouse.

A lot has changed in 100 days.

There is a hammock, a bed, a desk, a pool table, a ping pong table… … . These are furniture fixed by her magnetism.

Now it looks a bit like a place where people live.

“Elise.”

Suddenly, Zion called to him. Elise looked back at him and frowned.

“Why Shion?”

He showed me a bundle of paper.

“Shall we write each other a novel?”

“… … novel?”

“uh. I’m bored. But since what we wrote isn’t fun, let’s write it and show it to each other.”

For Shion, an effort to maintain reason.

Elise cleared her throat and nodded.

“what… … Sounds fun. But you know. Do you know where we first met?”

It’s not that she didn’t, she had a dream today.

A dream of meeting Shion, who was suffering from leukemia.

“… … well. “Where was it?”

Shion showed a sincere expression of ignorance, but it was probably just an act.

“It was a hospital. “You couldn’t even make eye contact with me back then.”

“Oh, I guess so.”

Looking at Shion’s faint smile… … Elise is so cute I can’t stand it.

I hit his chest with my forehead.

… … Day 230.

“Zion. “Did you write this as a novel?”

Elise frowned and waved the manuscripts.

Zion’s novel [The Family’s Struggle].

It’s about the main character destroying a family called Rabri, but it’s so confusing. It feels like a comedy novel.

“… … “Not so good?”

“of course.”

“I see. Yours is fun. “Isn’t there a second volume?”

Shion seems to be having a lot of fun reading her novel. Do you like crime thrillers? It’s not a novel that’s fun to read.

Elise slowly approached behind him.

“I have to start writing volume 2 now… … .”

He placed his chin on his broad shoulder.

Quietly, he rubbed his face and whispered.

“Yours was actually worth reading. “If you take out the brain, that is.”

“Is that a compliment?

“Yes… … .”

“Why do you keep bumping into me?”

Shion pinched my cheek. She smiled brightly because she liked the feel.

… … Day 330.

Shoot ──.

A mountain with heavy rain.

Elise discovered a river.

A river so full of water that it rages like a dragon.

“… … .”

She stared at it blankly.

Her intuition, the magnetism of the “spectrum” speaks.

It’s over once you cross this river.

There is definitely an exit out there.

but… … .

“The water has risen too high.”

Elise doesn’t want to cross.

Because the water is rough. Because you can get caught up in the current.

If something goes wrong, you could die, right?

Yep.

Nodding, Elise placed a large stone in the middle of the river and fixed it with magnetism.

It is a stepping stone.

If you come here once a day, you can build a stepping stone in 60 days.

60 days is enough.

Because the novel I’m currently writing isn’t finished yet.

Because the novel I have to show to Shion is unfinished.

Just a little later.

Elise quietly turned around.

… … Day 350.

“Zion. I think it will take a little longer because the river’s current is so strong. Is that okay?”

Elise spoke to Zion. It was a bit unsettling, but fortunately he smiled. He asked while chopping vegetables.

“Are you fine. “Have you finished writing the book?”

After all, does he want to be with me too?

Elise answered happily.

“yet. It will come out soon. “You can look forward to Volume 3.”

“okay? “I’m looking forward to it.”

Elise walked up to him while he was cooking and hugged him with both arms. Shion chuckled and shook his back.

“Aaaah-”

It didn’t fall at all. She stuck like a barnacle.

“What kind of gum are you?”

“… … What are you talking about to the author? “Please let me recharge.”

There is no need to be pretentious anymore.

All you have to do is show yourself as you are.

There is no worldliness in this [fragment]

There is no family called Petra, there is no vengeance of Zion, and all those external values ​​are missing.

There are only Zion, who waited for him for over a thousand days, and himself, who realized his return for his sake… … .

“Because I think it was fun to write. “You can look forward to it.”

“okay. “Let’s eat something.”

“huh.”

Today’s menu was salchisal steak.

… … Day 450.

Wind—!

Elise completed the stepping stones. A total of 100 boulders were buried in the river.

Now it’s enough to get by.

Beyond… … You can escape with Zion.

but.

but.

but.

Dark thoughts keep rising in Elise’s mind.

“… … “I don’t want to go out.”

She muttered absentmindedly.

I keep thinking about the times I spent with Zion.

We decorated a greenhouse together, played billiards, table tennis, baduk, chess, wrote books, poems, read them interchangeably, and talked nonsense.

Eating during the day, drinking beer at night, learning how to make whiskey for the first time, and watching the stars collapse together.

All those days… … It’s your own preciousness.

One year like that is greater than 18 years of happiness combined.

Once you go out the exit, it’s over.

[Fragments] themselves disappear.

The ‘origin’ is destroyed.

Everything connected to the source disappears.

The furniture of Askal Farm, the novels he wrote, the wooden camel, the billiards table, the table tennis table, and――

Even my own memories.

loss of memory

For Elise, who has already lived for over 400 days, it is the same as death.

Even if another Elise lives in the future, that Elise is not the same person she is now.

Now, I am in this [fragment]… …

“I don’t want to die.”

I want to stay here forever.

With Zion.