Part 60: Countdown

[BGM: A Family Matter]


(Looks around)

I close the kitchen door, crouch down, and quietly tear open a letter.
The letter is from a human named Wen Zhaoren.
All I do everyday is prepare tea and snacks for Master, so I don't have anything else to do most of the time.
Whenever I am free I read some of the letters I have stolen from Master's room.

The first few times I would sometimes imagine what I would do with the letters if I were Master.
Lately, I stop thinking about that too much.
I have been too curious about what has been happening to them.



A young girl in school.



A painter.



A mental patient.



A nerd.



A couple of police officers.



A pair of separated siblings.



And a stray cat...

Something bad must have happened to them when they wrote these letters.
Even though I have read the choices Master made for them, I am still amazed by what happened afterwards in their lives.
Although sometimes, as an observer, I feel like whatever choices they made wouldn't make any big differences.

I suppose that's why they say 'time is hard'...

However... if I were one of them... I might think that this god is way too irresponsible... After all, if it were my own life, I don't think I would just simply accept a fate that was “hard”...



Sigh... it's so confusing...

*pff pff pff pff pff*

Oh! Okay... the fire is off.

Let me make the tea first~

Master has a weird preference for his tea. He does not like the bitter taste of the tea leaves, so he likes to add sugar.
I always think he should just choose another drink if he dislikes the bitter taste, like milk. There must be a lot of other choices.
In the end, I opt to pour the sugar directly into the tea pot. That is much easier.

*psssh*

Hmm?



Wait, is this... salt?!

…

I hear that besides sugar, it's also okay to add milk to tea. So maybe it is also okay to add salt...

*psssh psssh psssh*

[BGM: Silence]


Master?

*knock knock*

Hmm. The door isn't closed?

I guess he's sleeping again...

*kchak!*



!!!

I don't see Master anywhere, but there is a boy standing in front of the window.

Huh? Am I still asleep?



What are you sneaking around for?

!!!

(What, how is he suddenly behind me?!)

You, you, you... He, he, he...

He? Who are you talking about?



I follow Master into the room, but there is no boy in front of the window.

That's weird... I clearly saw someone standing in front of the window earlier.

W-Was it a ghost?!

Ghost? There is no such thing... you must be daydreaming again after reading some strange books...

(Daydreaming...)

(Speaking of which, I think I have seen that boy before in one of my dreams. But I can't remember what the dream was about.)



Just leave the food and go back to your room. I'm a little tired. I might take a quick nap.

Oh, okay.

*kchak!*

[BGM: Broken Dream 1]
That was too careless of me just now. I have been too distracted lately; I can't seem to concentrate.

Hmm? It looks like there are fewer letters on the shelf.

Oh well.

Let me drink the tea and warm myself up a little.

(glug glug glug)



Pffffft!

She is being mischievous again...

Oh well. She's been like this ever since she was little. Ah... how I miss those days...

I guess I should still drink this horrible tea anyway...

After all, I might never get a chance to drink the tea she makes anymore.

(Yawns) Haaaa....

[BGM: Silence]


*bzzt!*

!!!



It doesn't look like there is much time left. I have devoted so much time, yet I still don't know the correct answer.



If there's still no breakthrough before the time comes...



We'll both... die.

We'll be just like Spottie, dying on a long and lonely journey. And yet, perhaps it is our inevitable destiny, as well as that of this world.



*bzzt!*



If I could leave this world in a beautiful dream, that wouldn't be so bad either...

[BGM: Whispered Feeling]


Oi... It's raining so hard that it's almost impossible to get a cab... I'm sorry.

It's all your fault, brother! You big liar! Green polar bears?! Why would there be polar bears in Brazil? You big fat liar!

And now we have to wait in the rain.

So what? It's still better than just sitting around at home. Your room is beginning to smell like mold.



It's not mold! It's just the smell of Fluffy. He must still be with me, somehow...

Hey! Stop saying creepy stuff like that! Remember to open the window when we get home.

By the way, do you know what French people think about those who never go outside, and never open the windows?

What?

(lowered voice) They will suspect that you are a member of some secret organization, cooking up some evil plans! That actually sounds pretty cool, don't you think?



What secret organization? You're making stuff up again! You just touched your head, didn't you? I will never believe you again! Hmph!

Besides, you know that I've never been to Europe before... Why did mom and dad always take you to their meetings, but not me?

That was because you were too small...

I wasn't, I was only a few hundred days younger than you!

Alright, alright, don't be mad. There will be lots of chances in the future.

Well, I won't be mad if you sing me a song.

What? What song?



Well.. I want you to sing Teresa Teng's I Only Care About You for me!

Ugh, that's too embarrassing...

I'd be okay with one of her other songs, too.

All of her songs are too embarrassing to sing out loud... How about this, you give me a kiss on the cheek and big brother will sing for you right here, right now. Deal?

… (mwa)

Not on my hand... on my face. Here, here...

...