Memoirs of the Returnee - Chapter 157



Only Krnovel

The Regressor’s Notepad 157

Test (4)

“Does Zion like me?”

The tone of the soliette was carried by the damp wind. The waves of the sea flowed in like echoes.

I watched her from afar, absorbed in the scenery.

I’m thinking about it for a moment.

Why does Soliet say this?

What made you think that?

Sagrak-

Suddenly, the sound of writing being scribbled in my arms.

It’s Gerken and Raye’s signal.

“wait for a sec.”

I took out the card.

[We found another market, but there are already 48 people there. Sorry, if we go in, it’ll be full with 50 people.]

A sentence with the gist of “You guys figure it out yourself” – wadadada-

Anyone can see that it’s Laye.

“Do you think we’ve been betrayed?”

I showed the card with a hollow laugh.

“… … .”

However, there was not a hint of wavering on Solliet’s face. She looked up at me with her still, unwavering eyes.

“Zion. You’re changing the subject.”

Two eyes that stare intently, not wanting to avoid anything.

I scratched the back of my neck and put the card in my pocket.

“I thought about it too, Zion.”

Soliet continued in a breathy voice.

“Zion approached me as if they knew me from the beginning. They knew what I needed and what I lacked, everything.”

Her lips slightly curled as she recited the words one after another.

“… … As if you’ve been watching me for too long.”

A word said with a shy expression.

I smiled bitterly.

Wait, I thought about it too.

Should I confess honestly to you?

Even if I tell you my biggest secret—my regression—wouldn’t Soliet believe me now?

I wonder if you will understand me.

……but.

Faith and empathy are always separate.

Solliet and I, we both have different starting points.

Even if she does trust me, if that’s an excuse to build a relationship, it won’t be much different from before.

A relationship formed by sympathy, compassion, and mercy.

We were like that in the past.

I don’t want to repeat that mistake.

So now, perhaps, is the time for a little bit of honesty.

At least I think so… … .

“Oh. I liked you.”

“… … !”

When I honestly confessed my feelings, colors like paint spread in Solliet’s eyes.

“Quite a lot.”

She took a deep breath. Her clenched hands shook.

I don’t know.

Is it because of this sea of ​​souls? What kind of echo does the wind and sea, spreading out like prisms, have in my heart?

“……and.”

I looked down at her quietly.

Things I’ve come to understand so far, but still feel so frustrated.

“I’ve been thinking of you as much as you’ve been thinking of them.”

Things I would never normally say.

Poured out on her.

“It would have been more if it had been added, never less.”

I loved Soliet before her return.

Solliet pitied me, but I pitied her too.

loss.

Because that sadness isn’t just yours.

My pity became love, and your sympathy remained just pity.

“… … .”

Soliet stopped. It seemed as if she had stopped breathing. The face looking up at me was as hard as wax.

“……however.”

I smiled slightly and shook my head.

“Not anymore.”

Unrequited love.

If you do that for too long, you get tired.

Of course I might still like her.

Deep down, you may be desperately wanting to be with her.

However, the target is not the Soliet in this place right now.

The Soliet I loved was the Soliet before the regression.

“… …Is that so?”

Soliet asked softly.

I nodded with a bitter smile.

“Yeah. If you like someone too much for too long, at some point it becomes easy to give up.”

“ah…….”

At that moment, Solliet lowered her head for the first time. She bit her lips without meeting my gaze. I looked at the scenery instead of her. We stayed still for a while on the boat in the colorful sea.

……square-

A sound that suddenly rings in my arms.

I took out the card again. There was something written on it.

[Help me!!!]

It was Raye’s handwriting again.

“What the heck is this?”

Didn’t you betray me about 10 minutes ago?

[You know I was joking when I said I just found the market, right? There’s no way we’d betray you!!]

[So please save me!!!]

I wonder what happened in the meantime.

It’s annoying, but we’re so awkward we could die, so a change of subject is absolutely necessary.

I replied to the card.

[I’ll send you the coordinates, so come here]

“I got a call from Raye.”

I showed my card to Soliet.

“Do you want to go together?”

Soliet nodded briefly.

“……yes.”

The corners of his eyes drooped as he answered like that.

* * *

───30 minutes ago.

[market]

[50]

Gerken and Raye found the second market. A rectangular lot with a magic barrier surrounding the edge like a fence, and the number [50] engraved at the entrance.

“Found it. Let’s go in!”

As Raye approached with Gerken in tow, the seniors inside the market entrance noticed them first.

─Huh? It’s Rayelang and Gerken?

“Yeah! You guys know me~? What’s your name?”

Raye greeted her warmly. The senior smiled at her.

─It’s Elling.

“Elling! How many people are there?”

─Only two people can enter here. It’s full to 48 people.

“… … 48 people?”

─Uh. It’s over once you guys come.

It’s full to 48 people… … Raye muttered quietly and glanced at Gerken. He still had a blank expression.

“… … 48 people.”

Raye repeated softly.

The promise made to the Zion team and themselves was that once they found a market, they would secure ‘four digits’.

There are 48 people here, so we have to go find another market… … .

but.

Raye looked at my ticket. Before I knew it, there were many red dots chasing after me.

It’s not just one. It’s increasing over time, so now there are almost 30.

“Ger.”

Raye called Gerken. Gerken did not respond.

“Ger! Ger!”

“… … .”

“Gerger!”

What’s wrong with you? Why did you suddenly freeze? Are you struggling like I am?

“Gergergerger!”

I keep calling but there is no answer.

Raye frowned and grabbed the hem of Gerken’s clothes.

“What the heck?!”

Only then did Gerken look back at her.

“… … Are you calling me?”

“Then who would it be?”

“I thought you were doing a frog impression.”

“What are you talking about! Stop joking!”

“Keep croaking next to me-”

“Ger. We need to get serious now.”

Raye’s voice calmed down. Gerken looked at her expressionlessly.

“I think the moment of decision has come for us. It’s time for us to calmly think about each other.”

It’s a long story, but it means that we should just go in even if there is no place for Soliet and Zion.

“Soliet and Zion will find other markets on their own. Of course. They are such good kids. So… … Let’s part ways with them here.”

The words that Raye managed to bring out with difficulty.

Gerken seems to be pondering and does not answer.

“Okay. I know how you feel. But! I’ll give you that card.”

Raye extended her hand to Gerken. Gerken readily handed over his card.

Raye scribbled a sentence there.

[We found another market, but there are already 48 people there. Sorry, if we go in, it’ll be full with 50 people.]

“Okay. This is not a cowardly back of the head, but a proper front of the head. There’s nothing we can do about it now.”

An expression of dignity and determination, like that of a president who has made a decision to save the country.

“The die is cast… … .”

Raye entered the market, mumbling with such a stern face.

Gerken followed her.

[50]

Bam-!

As soon as the 50 people were filled, the doors were locked and the market’s magic barrier was fully activated.

Gerken and Raye looked around.

“Wow! There’s food here too?!”

There were many stalls selling not only food like chicken skewers and red bean bread, but also books, equipment, and more.

However, the owners were all spirits. Semi-substantial beings with pale silhouettes and no light in their pupils.

“It seems like souls are for sale.”

As he spoke, Gerken stood in front of the cotton candy stand.

“That’s right… … It’s kind of creepy.”

“Want to buy?”

Gerken asked the spirit in charge of cotton candy. The spirit pointed to the leader machine in front of the cotton candy stand.

Gerken tagged his student ID.

Boom!

[-30 AP]

It was a reasonable price. He was handed a cotton candy as big as a cloud.

“Hey Gerken. Are you going to buy that?”

Then someone called them.

Raye looked back first.

“Hey Bran! Bran High!”

It was Endex classmate Brown. Raye waved at him, smiling brightly.

“Oh, hello.”

Brown said to Gerken.

“It’s selling your soul, isn’t it a bit awkward?”

“It doesn’t matter. As long as you can endure it.”

Gerken was biting into the cotton candy without a care. Raye looked at the cross-section carefully.

“How does it taste, Ger?”

“It tastes like cotton candy.”

“It looks delicious, ger.”

“… … .”

Gerken took a couple of steps back from Raye as if on guard.

Brown pointed to the back of the market.

“Come here first. There’s a stone statue here.”

“Oh, okay!”

The two followed him to the square in the center of the market. There, in front of the stone statue, other seniors were gathered.

“Bran. What were you guys doing here?”

“I’ve been waiting. Until it’s full at 50. Hey, statue! It’s full at 50!”

When Brown pointed to the statue.

──Hahahaha!

The stone statue smiled with an expression on its face.

──You got the question right!

“Me! I was the first to get the answer right!”

Raye waved her hands.

──Okay. But this is not the destination!

“……yes?”

Raye flinched. The market seniors stirred.

“I thought you just came to the right place!”

──Hahahaha! Yeah! But the problem itself was a trap-! These stupid and pathetic guys-!

“What, what did you say?!!”

Raye’s complexion turned ashen.

──This is Planarium! How could you, who don’t easily believe what people say, so easily believe what the soul says? It’s your fault for believing so naively!

“Hey, that crazy bastard!! Hey you stone statue that looks like a crazy person!!”

Raye shouted at the stone statue, striking it with his sword.

“I abandoned the team because of you!”

──It’s your fault!

Then Raye’s eyes became moist.

“… … I shouldn’t have betrayed you.”

Worry-decision-joy-confusion-anger-sadness.

Intense and rapid emotional changes that occurred in just five minutes.

“Sob sob.”

“… … .”

Gerken looked at the ticket calmly.

[00:00:10]

There were only ten seconds left.

“10 seconds.”

The moment I said that, time ran out.

The magic barrier protecting the market has collapsed, and all seniors are exposed to danger.

“what!”

“Hey, hey, look at the ticket!”

“Hey! Hey, time’s up?”

The seniors’ faces hardened as they looked at their tickets. Red dots were running from all directions.

Raye quickly scribbled [Help me!!!] on the card.

“Ger, I already asked Zion for help?!”

“Didn’t you hit me in the head five minutes ago?”

“… … I’ll add that I was just joking.”

I wrote more sentences.

[You know I was joking when I said I just found the market, right? There’s no way we’d betray you!!]

[So please save me!!!]

──Kuhahahahaha-! If you want to give up, just tear up the ticket anytime-!

With those words, the statue hardened again. Raye ground her teeth.

“That stone statue looks like a dog.”

“Come on, kids! I’ve found another hideout nearby!”

Brown shouted. Raye tried to follow him, but Gerken was standing still. He was holding a card in one hand and cotton candy in the other.

“Ger! What are you doing?!”

He glanced at Raye. Then he showed her his card.

[I’ll send you the coordinates, so come here]

It was Zion’s reply. However, the coordinates he wrote down were almost the opposite of Brown’s. Rather, they seemed to be digging between the red dots—the ‘stalkers’.

“I’m going this way.”

Gerken chose that place.

“Huh, huh?”

Raye looked back and forth between Gerken and Brown, but… … .

“Let’s go together, Ger!”

Soon, he followed Gerken’s tail.

* * *

Gerken and Raye reached the coordinates Zion had guided them to. It was a seaside.

“Hey, there’s nothing here?!”

They stood at the water’s edge and looked behind them. The murderous intent of the enemies who had pursued them up to their chins could be felt on their skin.

“Ger! It’s just the sea! Oh no! Did Zion find out that we betrayed him and deliberately lure us here to tell us to die, and then he killed us and is hiding and laughing?!”

Raye was talking about her delusions. Gerken looked across the sea with narrowed eyes.

Boooooooo… … .

Something is rushing towards them, causing a faint ripple.

conceive.

An engine boat that can easily accommodate five or six people.

“Hey!”

Soon, Rayedo also noticed the other side and opened her eyes wide.

“Zion!!!!”

He shouts with all his might, then sits down on the shore, gathers water with both hands, and throws it towards the boat.

“Hurry up! Hurry up, hurry up!”

It’s an inexplicable action on Gerken’s part. Will the boat arrive faster if he does that?

Anyway.

He ate the remaining cotton candy in one bite. He pulled out the sword on his waist. He turned around and activated his body.

Waaa …

The harpoons of enemies rushed in at that moment. Gerken split them in half with his sword.

“get on!”

Zion, who had just reached the shore, shouted. Raye jumped in first, and Gerken also boarded the boat late, fending off the attacks of the enemies that followed.

The moment the four people boarded the boat, the Death Knight’s massive sword strike struck.

Kwaaaaang───-!

A blade that looks like it was shot with a crescent moon in its entirety.

It reached the boat, but

Chaeng─!

It bounced away without any strength.

“There are still four hours left.”

Zion said so, looking back and forth between Gerken and Raye.

“Are you okay?”

“Zion…….”

Raye looked at Zion. Her eyes sparkled with emotion.

“You are a really good guy!”

He shouted loudly and rushed towards Zion, embracing him with both arms.

“Are you crazy? Let go.”

“thank you!!”

Zion was slightly embarrassed, and Solliet next to him stared at the scene for a moment before pulling the hem of Raye’s clothes a little harder.

Crunch! My clothes were almost torn.

“Ugh!”

Raye, who was dragged out, looked at Soliet with a bewildered face. Soliet spoke expressionlessly.

“Sit down. If you do something wrong, you might get thrown and drown.”

“Hey, drowning?”

“Yes. It’s the sea.”

“… … Ugh. Sorry.”

Raye sat down obediently.

The four people on board looked out onto the water from the ship. There were not only Death Knights, but also enemies whose shapes were unclear.

As if he was sorry for not being able to catch them… … .