Chapter 261 Epilogue - New World Arc (58)
Then, an immeasurably long period of time passed...
He lay alone in the pearl-lit white coffin, unsure whether he was truly dead or alive.
Because he can still feel light and has a dreamlike, intermittent, floating consciousness.
He thought—
If true death is like sleeping soundly like this, then reincarnation doesn't seem so abhorrent.
Even if you repeatedly experience the same joys and sorrows, at least there's a cup of Meng Po soup to soothe your worries...
So at least until you remember everything, you can still live on as a matter of course.
Tell yourself that good and evil have an end, and that cause and effect are cyclical.
It seems that the suffering in this life is for the evil deeds sown in the past, and at the same time, it sows the seeds of redemption in the next life.
Little did they know that what followed would be just like before...
He was thinking randomly about things like life and death, things that had no basis in reality.
More often than not, I'm just in a daze, as if I'm in a dream.
He began to forget why he was there in the first place.
I forget who gently stroked his cold cheek and whispered the vow of waiting in his ear.
As he gradually forgot these things, other memories vaguely surfaced in his mind.
That is...
The young man's slightly aloof voice drifted softly through the quiet room.
Do you know the story of the genie in the bottle?
[...A devil in a bottle?]
Upon hearing this, that "self" seemed to be stunned for a moment, then touched the tip of its nose and lowered its head shyly.
It wasn't just because of my own ignorance, but also because of the beauty and brilliance of the person in front of me.
【No. 】
Having lost his parents at a very young age and grown up in an orphanage, he thought more about how to eat his fill and how to avoid being bullied by the older, mean children than about fables.
Later, as I grew older, I learned that studying could change my destiny.
They threw themselves entirely into textbooks. Their only extracurricular reading was limited to the books recommended for exams.
As a result, he was repeatedly criticized for being a bookworm and a rote learner, and even suffered exclusion and bullying because of it...
Fortunately, perseverance pays off.
It was because of his forbearance and hard work back then that he had the opportunity to get into his desired school and meet such outstanding people as the young man.
Only then, amidst envy, could one muster the courage to step forward and call him "Senior Brother".
His senior brother is a very good person.
Although his appearance may make him seem unapproachable at first glance, once you get to know him, you'll discover his meticulousness and patience.
At first, their conversation revolved entirely around the research topic.
From when did it begin?
He discovered that his senior brother could also tell jokes, although they were corny jokes that he couldn't quite understand.
Actually, as long as you grasp certain patterns, you can still decipher the humor in them.
He even created a separate notebook for these mistakes to help him organize his thoughts and fill in any gaps in his knowledge.
Over time, I actually started to get the hang of it, and I could naturally feel the fun without having to analyze every word carefully.
Unfortunately, even so, he was still the last to react after each joke.
While everyone else was laughing, he found himself bewildered and at a loss.
By the time he fully realized what was happening, everyone else had already laughed. And his slow realization occasionally caused another burst of laughter.
It wasn't exactly malicious, but it was certainly not something to be happy about.
Therefore, whether he smiles or not seems inappropriate.
Later, he gradually stopped smiling as much.
Anyway, so many people are supporting him, one more or one less won't make a difference... That's what he thinks.
For a long time, things did indeed go peacefully, just as he had imagined.
Until one day, I was the last to leave the lab while organizing data, and I ran into my senior who had just come back to pick up something.
By the time the other party finished taking their things and locked the lab door, it was already past midnight.
He followed his senior brother silently the whole way, not noticing anything amiss. But as soon as he stepped out of the building, a gust of north wind blew in his face, making him shiver involuntarily.
The wind picked up, and the temperature dropped considerably.
It felt like two different seasons compared to the evening. He had thought he would be the last one to stay, but he never expected to stay this late.
She was still wearing the light jacket she wore during the day.
The coat had no lining, so when the wind blew like that, it was almost completely drafty.
For a moment, he even considered turning back the way he came.
It takes at least 15 minutes to walk from here to my dormitory area.
Catching a cold in this weather is a minor issue, but if I fall ill and miss subsequent research projects, all the efforts I've made during this period will be in vain...
The possibility made him tremble even more than the coldness in his body.
On the contrary, if you just make do in the lab for one night—although you certainly won't sleep comfortably, at least you won't be freezing.
All you need to do is set an alarm to wake up before everyone else arrives, and then pretend you're the first one there.
Anyway, it's not the first time.
No one cares when exactly he arrived...
Just as no one cared when he left...
The only remaining question is when the young man beside me will leave.
Only after the other party has gone far away can he carry out his next plan.
But for some reason, the young man just stood there, not seeming to be in a hurry to leave.
One minute, two minutes...
He was getting impatient and finally couldn't help but ask, "It's so late, why isn't Senior Brother back yet?"
The young man did not answer [his] question directly, but instead threw the question back at him verbatim.
And what about you?
【I……】
He was momentarily at a loss for words and couldn't very well say directly, "I'm planning to just spend the night in the lab, so I'm waiting for you to leave quickly."
It wasn't that these words were inherently difficult to say, but facing the young man before him, he seemed to have gained a lot of concerns.
He became hesitant and found it difficult to speak.
He knew the young man was a germaphobe, and he knew the other person despised this kind of behavior of using public resources for personal convenience...
Most importantly, he didn't want to be looked down upon by his senior brothers because of this.
The two ends of the scale rise and fall.
On one side lies the precarious state of academic credits, and on the other, the disdainful gaze of a young man that has suddenly turned sour.
It seems that the weight is roughly equal.
However, the former still has room for maneuver, while the latter seems to be an imminent reality.
In the end, he acted impulsively, tightened his grip on his pocket, and decided to run back to his dormitory against the strong wind.
He thought, "It'll only be cold for a little while. I'll warm up after running around. I'll just treat it as exercise."
"Well... I'll head back now. Goodbye, senior brother."
As he was saying this, he was about to walk around the young man and down the steps when he was gently called back.
He was stunned for a moment, because this was the first time he had ever heard the other person call out his name so clearly, with both his first and last name.
[Senior brother, is there anything else?]
"I'm going to get a late-night snack," the young man replied.
A gentle breeze ruffled the stray hairs by the person's ear, and the whole world seemed to sway and tremble, making those eyes appear even more profound and unfathomable.
Before he could react to the connection between the question and the answer, a red object suddenly flashed before his eyes. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was a scarf.
Wearing it, I don't want to share a late-night snack with someone who keeps sneezing.
Having said that, without waiting for his reply, she strode off into the desolate, cold wind of the early morning.
He hesitated for a moment, then finally jogged after him, the red scarf that had been hastily hung around his neck.
It was still two figures, one in front and one behind.
It seems to be different again.
Another gust of north wind blew away the thick clouds overhead, and the moonlight shone down, illuminating the figure in front of them clearly.
When he arrived at the destination, he realized that the so-called midnight snack was actually his senior brother cooking it for him.
At that time, his feelings could no longer be described as flattered, but rather as one of trepidation.
Why are you being so good to me, senior brother?
It was truly unbelievable, and coupled with the fatigue of the past few days, I blurted it out without thinking.
Silence filled the spotless rental apartment.
He suddenly realized his abruptness and presumption, and tried to take it back, but it was too late.
So, do you hate me?
The calm, unperturbed tone of his voice instantly stirred up a storm of emotions within him.
How could that be?
He stammered, eager to explain, but didn't know where to begin.
In comparison, the young man on the other side was much more composed.
That's not surprising at all.
The young man said calmly, "I just don't want the progress of the entire project to be affected because of a few individuals."
[...]
Replacing someone with someone at the last minute is troublesome, and problems can easily arise during the handover process.
【--Too. 】
He was the first to laugh, then lowered his head and started picking at his already empty rice bowl as if to cover it up.
Then, when the other party suggests adding more, politely decline.
Strange, he should have thought of this sooner... But if he thought of it long ago, what is he feeling disappointed about now?
After that... after that, [he] seemed to have let go of a lot.
They began to accept help from young people with a clear conscience.
Just as the other person said, we can't let our own problems drag down everyone else...
His efficiency has thus increased, and he has become more and more adept at dealing with unexpected problems.
As your abilities improve, you receive more and more affirmation from those around you.
At the project's successful completion summary meeting, while listening to his senior's speech, he suddenly remembered that the notebook he had once used to record and analyze the lame jokes the other person had told had been lying in a corner, gathering dust for who knows how long.
If you find it funny, then laugh.
It's okay if it's not funny.
Everyone has a different sense of humor, so there's no need to force yourself to be on the same wavelength as people who aren't compatible. That will only make you tired, and I'll feel very unhappy too. So, just be yourself.
It seems someone told him this—
The boy, whose features were blurred, was shrouded in a hazy mist against the light.
It was so clear that you could almost see its true form.
But as soon as they took a step forward, they all vanished into the smoke.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
