Chapter 6

"Rose, have you heard of virtual reality?" I asked and held my breath. It was probably the most important moment in my entire life. The day I got my final examination results felt like another day in kindergarten.

She wrinkled her eyebrows, "Hmm, virtual reality. I don’t think that it's something I can help you with. Shouldn’t you ask someone who studies computer science?"

"I'm not talking about the technical aspect. It's more about the world within a machine concept."

"I heard that on the Korean peninsula they were developing something that let you see movies in 3d."

"I see," hearing her answer, I deflated like a balloon.

"Why do you even ask this? Maybe I can help you with something else?" The gentle smile she always wore, as well as her concerned gaze, gave me some hope.

I can't possibly say this to her, that the Erlig she knew and I are different people, and this world is just a game. I need to choose my words carefully.

"It's about a book…"

"Yes?"

"In the book, the MC, he gets trapped in a different world, a game world, but it changed a lot from what he remembered. He plays this game with his mind with the help of a special tool. And he can't understand whether his consciousness is trapped or his "reality" was never a thing in the beginning." As I finished talking, I waited for Rose to answer.

"A difficult question. He doesn’t get back from the game?"

I shook my head. "I didn’t read this far. I wanted to discuss the method of his transmigration. So far, I've come to three theories." I showed her three fingers.

Rose nodded to show me that she was waiting for me to elaborate.

"First is that it is a bug in the game system, and he will indeed wake up as soon as it is fixed." I folded one of my fingers.

"But as you said, the world is different. If it isn't a game that is far more advanced than what we have right now... I don’t think it is a possible outcome. It feels to be the most plausible but also the most basic option. If the author is good, I don’t think he will use such a cheap tactic."

I nodded as I listened to her reasoning.

"The second theory, it is God's doing," I said as I folded my second finger.

"Hahaha, yes, of course." She chuckled. "A classic of less intricate novels. But If this book is written for someone who is of the older age, I don’t think it is worth mentioning."

"You don’t believe in gods?"

"Whether I believe it or not doesn’t matter, Erlig. What matters is that it is, in my opinion, a cheap trick," She chuckled once more, "So what about your last theory?"

"The last one…" As I heard her brushing off my theories, the remaining one, I didn’t want it to be the closest to the truth.

"The mc suffers from an accident in the real world, so this game world is just his delirium. As one of the last vivid memories, he uses this game as the basis for this 'new world'.``When I finished, I folded my last finger and clenched my fist as hard as I could.

"It’s a pretty good theory, I like it, I think the author can go with it."

I felt like I was doomed. Was I really dying in the real world?

"A pretty good theory to subvert readers' expectations."

"Huh?"

"We have the leads to think that it is true. It sounds like the most possible outcome until we learn the truth."

"Then what about the truth?"

I was eager to know a different opinion on what could've happened to me, and seeing me so eager, Rose looked smug.

"You should know about theories of the parallel worlds?"

I nodded my head.

"Then you should also understand that sometimes the things that we make up can be real in a parallel world. For example, someone who thinks that our planet is ruled by a secret government may be right. But, it's only right if it's a different world."

Indeed there was some logic in these words.

"So what if the hero of this book... What if by some chance, he happens to come to the world described in the after-mentioned game?"

"But how did he enter a different world in the first place?" What she said sparked a flame of new hope inside me, "How does he go back?"

"That… I don't know." Rose blushed slightly. "After all, it's my speculation. You should read the book and tell me what the author did. I'm now also interested, can you send me the name of the book? As for the ending, you will know once you read the ending. After all, it never mentioned that he will end up returning, right? Maybe the MC will stay in a new world."

"Stay in a new world," As I muttered these words the school bell rang.

"The school will soon close, so you should go home, Erlig."

"Thanks for your consultation, Rose."

"It's nothing, and be careful on your way back," She waved to me a few times to say goodbye after I left her office. I looked at the time. It will be evening soon.

A parallel world, huh? What an absurdity. In the end, the only thing I knew, I was trapped in this world for an unknown time. I talked with Rose for so long, yet I haven't come to anything.

Lots of students were leaving the campus together with me. Guess they were staying behind for extracurricular activities. As I went closer to the school gates, I saw two blonde girls arguing.

I think one of them was Joanne? Was she waiting for me? And who was the other one? As soon as Joanne saw me, she ran towards me.

"You are finally free! Erlig, let's go home together, I have something to talk about," she said as she smiled at me and went closer than I would've liked.

The way she almost clung to me smelled like trouble.

"Alright, but who was the girl you argued with?"

She wrinkled her nose. I guess she didn’t like this girl. "She…"

"What's the matter, Erlig, have you already forgotten me?"

But before Joanne said anything, a raspy girl's voice interrupted her.

A tall girl with her hands in her pockets was standing in front of us. Her body, well, she wore a windbreaker with a high collar and a skirt down to her knees, so I couldn’t see her figure. But, I could see her natural blonde hair that was brownish closer to the roots. They were as long as Joanne's, but the bangs of this girl were combed back and held by a hair clip. There were a few piercings on her ears and one on her lip.

And she didn’t look friendly. Her delinquent-ish but beautiful-looking face right now looked like she found her prey. Her eyes were hawk-like.

"You ignored me long enough, isn't it about time you stop doing it?" She smiled, but it looked more like she bared her teeth as carnivores do. "Or do you intend to hide behind this girly's skirt forever?"

"Mara! You've got your answers many times already! Stop pestering Erlig. You should know when to give up." Joanne snapped at the girl.

I never heard her talking like that to anyone. I got interested in this, Mara girl.

"Oooh, but it always sounded more like your answer than his," she smirked, "You should understand that you can't hold him like this forever."

"Ho-hold him? He does what he wants, and he doesn’t want to talk to you. It's his choice!" Maybe this girl's words shook Joanne, but she hugged my hand instead and leaned closer to me.

"Yeah, so what do you say? You want to discuss it with just the two of us?" this girl smirked and looked into my eyes.

I didn't remember a character like her in the game. She was new to me. I may as well say that she was the first "normal human" I met. I weighed down my options. I could've just easily ignored her, but glancing at her once more, I don't think she would let me go peacefully. On the other hand, if I talked to her, I may understand the whole situation better.

"Sure." After a short yet fierce inner struggle, I decided that it would be a valuable conversation.

""What!?"" both girls were startled by my answer.

"But I want you to answer my question first." I gently freed my hand from Joanne's grasp.

"Hm?"

"Erlig?"

"Who are you?"

""Eh?""

Girls haven't recovered from what I said before, so my question further confused them.

"You, you are joking?" This girl opened and closed her mouth like a fish that was taken out of water.

"I'm not." I shook my head. Joanne that looked desperate moments ago, now shined like a new lamp.

"I'm Mara, Mara Sobol."

"And you are?" I still haven't heard who she was. But after I repeated my question, her face grew darker.

"Hahaha, Erlig, doesn't even remember you, hahaha." And the way Joanne taunted her only added oil to the fire. "Go away before you embarrass yourself even further.

"What?!" she was now fuming. "Stop playing this shitty game. If you got brainwashed by this bitch and don't want to talk, you can just say it," She turned her upper body slightly and walked even closer to Joanne. "And you bitch, you think it's funny, huh?"

They now stood so close to each other that their chests were touching. And how did I know it? It was because Joanne's chest was so magnificent that it protrudes further than her face.

"Yeah, it is." If the looks could've killed, I bet Joanne would've already torn a hole in this Mara girl.

To tell the truth, I wanted to run away from this scene. This Mara, who looked like she could burst from her anger, and Joanne, who looked either frosty or gentle, now behaved like a lioness defending her cub. I can almost see the sparks from their staredown.

"You think I don't know anything about you?" Mara smirked and pressured Joanne. "I know a little something you did. Want to check his reaction when he learns about it?"

But she didn’t even blink.

"Like I care. You know nothing about me, but I know that you just want a new plaything. Everyone in Birchland High knows your habits, so you can only dream about Erlig."

"Alright, if you want to play like this, I will play." Mara hissed through her clenched teeth, and as she turned around, I felt relieved of huge pressure.

However, when I thought it all ended, she turned around and tried to slap Joanne. I almost missed it. But with the help of a God's miracle, I managed to reflexively catch her hand. I didn't even know I could do something like this.

"Kyah!" Joanne immediately hid behind me.

"Look, if you want to talk, no need to resort to violence, let's talk, okay?" Despite how confident I looked, my back was covered with cold sweat. What the fuck, why I should defend this fucking NPC from a random mad girl. I was crying tears of blood inside. I want to go back to my world.

Mara yanked her hand back. "Hmph, she shouldn't annoy me if she can't afford the cost of it."

I turned around to look at Joanne, who was still hiding behind me. "You should go back home. We can talk anytime." I gave her my most kind smile.

I guess she wanted to say something, but in the end, she bit her lip and told me to take care, and went home.

"Now it's just the two of us." I took a closer look at Mara. A beauty that could've only been seen in the idol groups. But there wasn't such a character in the game.

Of course, I didn’t know where to eat here, so I could've only asked her, "Where should we go?"

Instead, she looked at me like she saw an exotic animal. "Sigh, follow me."

Five minutes of walking later, we reached a small coffee shop.

As we entered, she immediately went to a table, and I could only go with her.

"So what do you want?" She was looking at the menu.

Remembering how much allowance I had in my pocket, I shook my head.

"I know your family circumstances, so drinks are on me."

"Anything that isn't bitter is fine."

"How fast you change your mind," she snorted, "But it was me who wanted to talk with you, so I guess it's fair enough."

The waiter took our order, and we were left alone.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"Don’t you want to explain this little play of yours?"

"Play?"

"When you asked me that you didn’t know me."

"Oh, this isn't a play. I lost my memory."