episode_0024

*

It was a bit early in the season to hear frog sounds.

Moreover, there had been no news of rain for several days. The deserted playground of an elementary school somewhat distant from the riverside was not where you’d expect to find anything other than frogs. Even if it were some unknown amphibian instead of a frog, it would still be quite strange.

If it weren’t for the upcoming World Cup, it might have stirred up quite a buzz.

However, all the townspeople were focused on that grand event. Even the kids kicking the ball around on the field right now didn’t pay much attention to the unusual background music playing.

“Wow, goal~!”

“Oh my… huff, huff….”

The girl with brown hair who just scored a goal seemed elated as she energetically jumped up and down in place.

The boy following behind her, already low on stamina, simply collapsed on the ground after being robbed of a point, but he didn’t seem too upset about it. In fact, the girl’s pure joy seemed even better than winning the score.

“I scored six goals with this one, right?”

“It’s five goals. Don’t just add one on your own.”

“Aww, but I did it so stylishly, can’t I get a bonus point for artistry?”

“No way. It was a complete fluke, not artistry. Hey, silly cousin, get up and dust yourself off.”

“But, Hee-na… I’m too out of breath right now…”

“Who asked you to call me by name? Seriously.”

“Ugh. It’s… heavy…”

As the boy tried to get up from the ground, he groaned because the girl sat on his back.

The girl who had rushed over tried to pull the girl away, but she stubbornly insisted on staying put, lecturing him on manners until the boy in between them groaned in discomfort.

“Hee-na, you’re calling names too. You’re younger.”

“Quiet. Even cold water has its limits. If you keep misbehaving like this, you’ll learn from your sister, right?”

“Okay, okay… Sorry, Auntie.”

“Sorry, Auntie…”

“Geez, Hee-na is such a handful, it’s exhausting.”

“Hmph, and the idiot who can’t even count my points properly should shut it. So, when will this nonsense end?”

“Huh? I don’t know. Probably until we get tired?”

“It’s gonna be a long day, really.”

The girl sighed openly, showing her displeasure.

But perhaps not wanting to be the first to suggest going home, she settled for returning to her spot on the sideline. The girl, as if expecting it, went back to the goalpost, and the boy finally got up with a wry smile.

“It’s still a bit disappointing, Auntie. Not being able to play together like this for a while.”

“‘Now that we can’t play together for a while.’ Hah, feels refreshing.”

“Why not try to stop mimicking others? There are many impressive people gathered there. Auntie, you’re already so… Oh, ow…!?”

“Don’t be so arrogant, nephew. My consideration for those idiots who can’t understand what I say is why you think I’m rude.”

“But because of that, I always get scolded by the teacher. And I keep fighting with the other kids.”

“Tsk, if you brought the ball, just finish playing football. Before you forget the score again for no reason.”

“…But did I really score five goals? Wasn’t it six?”

There seems to be lingering regret. The girl, her eyes sparkling, approached the girl and nudged her once more.

The girl, feeling uncomfortable with her intrusive attitude, tried to move away but found it difficult due to the significant size difference. Not only did the girl have long hair, but she was also smaller in stature compared to boys her age.

Due to her appearance and demeanor, the girl and the boy were often treated like siblings by those around them. Although they were actually cousins and had a sibling-like relationship, the perceptions of others did not differ significantly.

Well, the girl who played with him was quite far from being feminine herself.

She had short hair that barely reached her shoulders, wore a bright red t-shirt and shorts… and even sported half-worn sneakers without a hairpin. If it weren’t for her clear and delicate voice, she could easily be mistaken for a slightly scruffy boy who liked soccer.

“Hey… Ryu Jin.”

“What?”

“Do you really like playing soccer that much?”

“Of course. What about you, Hee Na? Don’t you like it?”

“Obviously not. I can’t stand physical activity.”

“Yet you come out with me every time.”

“I’m just following along in case my unruly cousin does something stupid, that’s all.”

“Sometimes you seem like a puppy. Completely disobedient Chihuahua.”

As per the girl’s assessment, when she thought he lacked manners, the girl chewing on the boy’s head seemed like an unruly small dog in itself.

Despite having obtained the qualifications of an assistant professor at this age and being formally invited to the upcoming International Psychoanalytic Conference in Switzerland, there was nothing about him that screamed genius. Constantly undermining his own reputation, in a way, it was a self-inflicted situation.

“You always hang out with fools like them, making me look like a fool too. Especially because of that idiotic cousin who doesn’t understand a word I say, I feel like I’m going crazy for real.”

“That’s what I wanted to say. Are you really okay? Even if you’re amazing, if something happens while you’re alone in Europe…”

“Oh, stop it. Who said anything about backpacking? They’re picking me up over there, of course everything is planned out, including the route. I’ll just ride the gravy train, present my paper, and come back.”

“Is that such a big deal? What’s so special about it?”

“The materialization of the soul, including the mental data of human beings within the universe. Using that as a basis to apply the laws of the macrocosm, the collective of the universe itself.”

“Can you summarize that a bit more?”

“In simple terms, it’s the material embodiment of the soul, but that sounds too much like fantasy. That was the most concise summary I could give.”

Meanwhile, the girl sitting on the boy’s thigh began to write various formulas on the ground with a little less chalk dust from Linegi, as if thinking that alone wasn’t enough, despite not expecting the boy and girl to understand, the childish arrogance was inevitable, separate from their intelligence.

“The ‘Reality,’ the supreme being, operates under a consistent ‘rule.’ Within this supreme being lies sub-universes—ranging from beasts and humans to atoms and quanta—all existing based on this rule. Additionally, each sub-universe is governed by another set of ‘rules’ that allow them to maintain their unique identities while coexisting within this framework. These rules of the sub-universe interact with and influence other sub-universes through intervention, interference, modification, and acceptance, ultimately preserving the rule of the supreme being itself.”

“……?”

“Ah…?”

“However, in the end, these rules and regulations, as well as regulations among themselves, can interfere but cannot fundamentally alter their essence. They merely adjust to a certain extent, without changing the ‘origin’ of the sub-universe. A sub-universe whose origin has been distorted is no longer its original self. The majority cannot sustain their structure at this point. For instance, imagine a human accidentally turning into a piece of charcoal. While the entity may exist beyond the expected lifespan of a human, it cannot breathe or think—it’s just a charred piece of flesh. Medicine and engineering are similar. Regardless of the direction taken, as long as the structure is maintained, this adjustment merely delays the inherent moment of reversal. Even if a sub-universe within the supreme being were to resemble what people call ‘ideal,’ it would still be impossible to defy the absolute rules of the supreme being, such as human mortality, the extinction of existence, or the increase of entropy… That has been the prevailing belief until now. The core of the paper being presented this time aims to partially overcome this. Do you understand?”

“I see… So, what does that mean?”

“Let’s cut to the chase. In simple terms, it involves mimicking human emotions, overlaying them onto the world, and reshaping it.”

“Isn’t that just magic? How is this related to science… or whatever?”

“That’s why I said I’d simplify it. Ignorant bunch, really. Ah, forget it. Just go play soccer or something!”

After her painstaking explanation seemed to fall flat or perhaps because she was frustrated, the girl erased all the equations on the floor at once and flopped down in place.

But no matter how long she waited, there was no sound of frustration. Instead, the girl drew hearts around the messy remnants of the equations and scribbled ‘Happy End’ in Korean.

“Jina, what are you doing?”

“Huh? Oh, I was thinking that if I created a world based on my emotions, it might turn out like this.”

“Happy End? Um… a happy story?”

“Yes, where everyone lived happily ever after~. Like how soccer games end. No matter how close to losing, if you manage to win in the end, all the worries disappear as if washed away.”

“And if the real person also celebrates together, it couldn’t get any better. Somehow, we’re just like that right now.”

“That’s true~.”

“Did they sprinkle flowers in their heads or something… It’s a technology with slim chances of realization from the start. It’s accepted based on theoretical grounds only.”

“So what? Dreaming is freedom. Even if it’s a delusion, how happy would we be if such a world existed?”

Standing up and tossing the ball high, the girl kicked it again with her knee as it fell to the ground.

Even though it seemed precarious, as if it could slip away at any moment.

The girl somehow managed to catch the ball again and kick it high once more.

“As Hee-na mentioned, everything won’t be perfect. Bugs will still eat fruits, and birds will naturally consider eating those bugs. Even in a world created from my heart, it may not be able to prevent all that sadness… but surely, we can embrace an unchanging love and care for each other like my precious friends, welcoming such a happy end, right?”

“…Yes, yes. You two take care of each other.”

“Huh? No~ I said friends. Of course, Hee-na, you’re included too. We are all friends, aren’t we?”

“What? Hey, who’s calling who a friend?”

“We hang out together like this every day. Even if Hee-na has a bad temper and habits, we are still friends!”

“I just came along because I was worried this idiot nephew might get hurt in the middle of the night. If I didn’t follow, I’d get scolded by my sister. Don’t misunderstand as you please!”

“Hehe, calling me a dishonest liar. Right~.”

“Yeah, it’s tough trying to act like an older brother. I wonder when this one will grow up. When he was young, he used to follow me around saying ‘Oppa, Oppa~’ cutely.”

“Hmph, think as you wish… Huh? What, what? Hey! What did you just say!! Oppa? Are you trying to drive me crazy with that nonsense!? Hey Ryu-jin, pass the ball!”

“Oh, Hee-na wants to play soccer too? Wow~.”

“Yeah, but the goalpost is that brainless nephew over there!!”

“Uh, um… Aunt? Is it worth getting so angry!?”

“That’s not fair! That’s a foul!”

Ignoring the girl’s protest, a shot was fired… aimed directly at the boy who was fleeing, clearly showing intent. Thanks to that, the victim tumbled across the field, but the girl, still not calmed down, chased after the boy who was trying to escape, shouting loudly, running after him. Ironically, her demeanor wasn’t much different from the description the boy had just given of the girl in her childhood.

The early chirping of frogs could still be heard on the field.

The girl with a sunny smile, the mischievous girl with a wicked grin, and the boy running and laughing awkwardly. Even though no one might recall them now─ this was undoubtedly something that happened on a spring day they spent together.