Ch.1515. Residential Area.

Several days had passed since the appearance of the video featuring a woman who introduced herself as “Mori.”

Mori’s videos could be seen anytime, anywhere, just by opening a video site on your phone.

People typically adapt quickly to things that become part of their daily lives. But this time was different.

The world was still abuzz with discussions about Mori’s videos.

Numerous experts had set out to locate her after her unbelievable story about the complete end of modern civilization.

The world fell into even greater confusion when it was revealed that no agency could find her whereabouts.

The video contained too many scenes that couldn’t be explained away as simply conceptual footage.

In this confused world, Mori simply lived each day exactly like the one before, calmly sharing stories of what she had experienced and seen.

But each of Mori’s calm statements and every scene shown through her drone caused great confusion to billions of people living in the 21st century.

Some were convinced that Mori’s videos were being transmitted from the future.

Others still believed this was all marketing designed to attract attention.

Some who believed Mori’s world was their future began walking the streets calling out God’s name loudly.

Others recorded Mori’s videos and watched them repeatedly, seriously contemplating why things had turned out that way.

And how they might escape that future.

If the scenery in the videos truly represented humanity’s future, had mankind really met its end?

Or had only Mori’s city ended up that way due to war or climate anomalies?

And.

If Mori’s timeline was truly connected to this world.

If we, who are on the “front” end of a straight timeline,

Could somehow transmit “history” to her, who walks “ahead” of us.

Couldn’t we change our future that’s heading toward the end that appears in her broadcasts?

The image of a destroyed world certainly brought despair to people earnestly living in this moment.

It forced humans who fear death and downfall to confront reality, and the effects were immediate.

But isn’t every life just a long story from birth to death anyway?

The process and ending only change depending on what choices we make and what actions we take while alive.

From that perspective, Mori’s videos were both “despair” and “hope.”

If we could learn through Mori’s videos about scientific technology so sophisticated and detailed it’s currently unimaginable, and about the inevitability that led the world to that state.

Perhaps we could escape the predetermined future.

Everyone prayed that through the steps and questions of this most human woman walking alone where no humans remained,

The blueprint of human civilization would gradually be revealed.

And that it might save them.

Everyone began focusing their attention on her every word and action.

15. Residential Area.

[You recovered quickly considering how much you moved around.]

[Looks like that massage with the ball was effective.]

“Of course. What do you think I endured all that pain and muscle stretching for?”

My legs, which had been stiff as rocks, returned to normal after exactly three days.

I thought I’d suffer for a week, but my legs healed so quickly. I guess those old sayings are true after all.

“…But hey. I told you not to talk about the massage. I even begged on my knees, and you’re still doing this? What’s so entertaining about watching a grown adult rolling a ball on their thighs while sobbing?”

Naturally, there was no magical solution where all my muscle tension disappeared after just one massage.

As time passed, or when I woke up, my muscles would still tighten up as if refusing to move, so I had to press my legs with the ball several times a day to soothe them.

All that process and my writhing in pain was transmitted to people through the drone.

“Ugh… if I’d known this would happen, I should have just turned off the drone until I was better. I bet I’ll get messages like this tomorrow too.”

I was so embarrassed that I considered turning off the drone for a day until people forgot about my shameful display.

But I had already become addicted to the reassurance that came from the messages sent by living people, so I had to keep the drone running even knowing I’d suffer.

Still, these were kind people who worried about my physical condition that even I wasn’t aware of, and they’ve probably had similar experiences in their lives.

I secretly hoped they would change the subject…

[I’ve never seen someone in so much pain from muscle soreness before.]

[This is the first time I’ve seen such trivial pain transmitted so vividly… LMAO]

Contrary to my expectations, all the messages I received from the moment I turned on the drone until I fell asleep were about my embarrassing behavior.

And not just for one day, but continuously from the day after I started staying in the building until now when I’ve left!

“Sigh…”

I wonder how many people saw my embarrassing display.

Since there’s a one-day delay, this will continue at least until tomorrow… and if it’s bad, it might come up occasionally even after that.

…I hope they won’t bring this up first when we eventually meet in person. Just thinking about it makes my face burn.

“…I’m a little mad at you guys.”

There were some smart and kind people who suggested helpful positions or ways to press that would hurt less.

Still, the proportion of people teasing me was too high.

“Ah. Looks like I’ve reached the residential area. I can feel that I’m gradually approaching the edge of the city.”

With my recovered legs, I left the building where I’d stayed for a few days and walked diligently away from the commercial area with its many buildings and supermarkets, entering the residential area.

“For those of you wondering how I can be so sure this is a residential area… usually buildings have different shapes and colors depending on the city. But residential areas look similar no matter which city you go to. The appearance of buildings and how they’re arranged are similar.”

There are no signs saying ‘This is a residential area’ or ‘This is a commercial area.’

Nevertheless, I can divide the city broadly into commercial and residential areas because the structure of cities I’ve passed through has been quite similar, and each area shares distinct characteristics.

“The buildings in residential areas are all bulky, tall, and thin like the ones here. In other words… they’re extremely practical.”

It’s different from the commercial area with its rows of magnificent buildings that inspire awe just by their appearance.

As if refusing to allow even the slightest waste, these massive buildings here don’t permit any decoration.

They’re just whitish-gray rectangular blocks arranged with a suffocating regularity.

“You might think, ‘Mori, weren’t there homes in what you call the commercial area too?’ Yes, it’s true there were many homes there too. But in any world, there’s always a division between ‘well-off homes’ and ‘poor homes.'”

Everyone is equally human and precious life, but sadly…

“To be honest, this place has no value to me. Do you know what’s inside those tall buildings? Tiny studio apartments the size of hamster cages and corpses hanging by the neck like the ones that shocked you. Contraceptives rolling on the floor and empty cans. If you’re unlucky, you might even see the corpse of a newborn baby.”

The sight of whitish-gray buildings stretching up to touch the clouds could be considered spectacular in its own way.

But knowing the reality of these buildings, I just wanted to get away from here as quickly as possible.

It was probably an instinctive aversion to spaces that barely satisfied basic human physiological needs—spaces that were merciful yet crueler than anywhere else.

“Being practical is important. But I’m not sure if it should be pursued to the point of eliminating humanity, taking away the basic things people need to live like people.”

Through a closed window, I can see the silhouette of a person dangling.

Compared to the numerous deaths I’ve seen so far, this person met a relatively peaceful end.

Strangely, seeing this makes me feel more bitter than seeing corpses scattered on the street.

“Well… everything happens for a reason, so there must have been reasons why they could only build like this, and why people could only live here… but I’m not sure if those reasons were more important than the people who were alive and breathing.”

Did this city, which feels so vast to me, feel cramped to the people of the past?

Is that why they had to build these cage-like homes and make people live in them?

“I wonder how many people lived in this city.”

…And where did all those people go?

How many people chose death themselves because reality was so painful that it overcame their instinct to live?

“I don’t have the luxury to think about those reasons when I’m busy just trying to survive… but it’s both amusing and bitter that the most practical place is the most useless to me.”

I muttered this while carefully avoiding stepping on someone’s choice who had fallen with a baby stroller, not wanting to disrespect it.