The World after the Fall

Three days later, Jaehwan was at Sakamoto's laboratory.

"I'm sorry, Professor. You recommended me to the company and…"

"No, it's alright. I heard about what happened from Seoyul. I should be the one to apologize."

Sakamoto waved his hands and smiled bitterly.

"I didn't know Inchan would have changed that much. He wasn't like that before. I don't know what to say."

Jaehwan glanced around the lab and found a pile of books about parallel universes on the table. It felt weird to know that Sakamoto had not changed after all this time. Sakamoto smiled as he noticed that Jaehwan was looking at the pile of books.

"It might not be in this universe, but Inchan might be a good friend in some other universe out there. Try to understand him in that regard."

"…Is it the parallel universe again?"

"Haha, yeah. You know my research is related to that."

Sakamoto laughed but Jaehwan wanted to say that Inchan was probably not a good man in another universe.

-Use it in small particles… I'm sure we can have many people use this item if that's the case.

'He will probably be an asshole in that universe…'

-But it might not work, so I'll try it out first and let you guys know after!

And a bastard that would give nightmares to everyone into a nightmare for his own greed.

However, Sakamoto did not know anything. He just smiled and sipped his coffee. As Jaehwan heard the sound of a sip and looked at all theory books on the bookshelves, he felt weird.

"Professor. Do you really believe in a 'parallel universe'?"

Sakamoto seemed to be surprised by the question as he spat out some of the coffee. He quickly reached for a tissue to clean it off and answered, "Why are you asking? It's just a theory."

"So, you don't believe in it?"

"Hmm… How should I say it?"

"You told me once that there is no imagination or delusion in this world. Imagination will exist as another world in another universe. That's what you said."

Sakamoto became silent for a while because of Jaehwan's words. The clock on the wall ticked and regulated time. After the ticking rotated for one full cycle, Sakamoto finally broke the silence.

"Jaehwan. I can't answer your question. It is a question that I have no answer to. But I can tell you another story."

The professor's eyes shined brightly.

"Have you heard of something called 'classical mechanics'?"

"Yes. Isn't it about the Newton era and the laws of physics at the time?"

"Oh, so you did listen to my lectures after all?"

"I know that the gravity is beyond just pulling down the apple from the tree."

Sakamoto laughed, "Right. To the people of Newton's age, the world was just that. If gravity affects the tree, the apple will drop. It was an easy world. People believed that the world could be understood through numbers and calculations."

"Of course. But why are you…"

Sakamoto kept on smiling and continued, "Those people believed that they were looking at the 'same thing' and lived in the 'same time'. Think about it. Think about how simple the world was to them, and think about how shocking it was for them to face theories like the theory of relativity or quantum mechanics."

"…Hmm."

Jaehwan thought about it for a second. Maybe it was very similar to how Adapters became Awakeners.

"The people who lived in the world of classical mechanics did not know that time and movement changed depending on the viewer. They also did not know that the apple that dropped because of gravity had a 'possibility' of disappearing somewhere unknown, or penetrate into the ground after millions, or even billions of tests."

"…I guess so."

"To them, the theory of relativity or quantum mechanics are considered to be a complicated magical formula. Haha. Didn't Arthur C. Clarke say this too? That 'Any type of sufficient advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic'?"

Jaehwan listened carefully to Sakmoto but it was hard to understand the point he was trying to make. However, he didn't need to ask as Sakamoto wasn't the type to ask a question and not give an answer. As expected, Sakamoto quickly gave the answer.

"Jaehwan. We are living in an age of classical mechanics."

"….What?"

But even after the answer, Jaehwan was still confused. 'We are still living in an age of classical mechanics?' What was that supposed to mean? Sakamoto took a sip on the coffee again and continued, "Classical mechanics in Newton's era. Theory of relativity in Einstein's era. And quantum mechanics and grand unified theory now… Theories to understand and analyze the world kept evolving. But look at the people now. Most of the people do not care about what those theories are and don't even know it exists. To most people, this world is a simple one where apples still drop from trees and you can pick them up to eat."

Jaehwan then realized what Sakamoto was trying to say. He imagined the Tree of Imagery and the people of <Chaos> who tried hard to get the fruits. He then thought about the people in reality.

"Even with such grand theories, the people's world only exists within their sights — in their narrow sights where we are not even allowed to examine even an atom."

"…"

"We will never know how the 'real world' looks like. This world is going damn well even with the classical mechanics after all! Quantum mechanics and all that… you don't need to know that to eat, earn money, or have sex!"

Sakamoto then stopped as he got heated up and took a few more sips of coffee.

"I was too fired up there. I'm sorry."

"No. It was great."

"No-no. I'm sure this wasn't what you wanted to hear. …You're concerned, aren't you?"

Jaehwan answered, "How did you know?"

"People who are interested in parallel universes usually have problems with real life."

Sakamoto smiled as he answered, "Was it because you asked me a strange question? It reminds me of my dream."

"A dream?"

Sakamoto laughed embarrassingly.

"I never told anyone, but I often have strange dreams."

"…What kind of dreams do you have?"

"Can you promise that you will not laugh?"

"I promise."

Sakamoto then scratched his face in embarrassment and started, "Dual swords."

"Huh?"

"I am a warrior that uses dual swords in that dream."

It felt like the air had become rigid.

"That world is a world where everything had been destroyed. There was a weird tower over in the sky, and people needed to climb up that tower. I was one of those climbers. Haha, isn't it weird?"

Jaehwan didn't think it was weird. It wasn't weird at all. Because he knew the story already.

"And there, I level up and increase my stats, trying hard to clear the tower. It's funny, but people call me Sakamoto even in that tower. And there are people I know who comes out in that dream. Say for example, Inchan. Isn't it foolish? And…"

Sakamoto's story continued and Jaehwan listened quietly. Just like a man who had been waiting for a long time, or a kid who wished for the story to never end, he kept on listening.

"So, like that… and… huh? Hey! What's going on! Jaehwan!"

Sakamoto pulled out multiple tissues from the box and quickly came up to Jaehwan and waved at him. Jaehwan realized the reason after a short while. He quickly lowered his head and rubbed his eyes.

"Jaehwan… you promised not to laugh so you are crying instead? Are you trying to make fun of me?"

"N-no. It's not that. It's…"

Jaehwan was facing a strange face as if he didn't know whether to cry or laugh. How should this be explained? How should he explain the feeling of facing something he had waited for so long? Without explaining his feelings, Jaehwan asked a different question instead.

"Professor Sakamoto. Do you believe in that dream?"

"Huh?"

"Do you really believe that the dream is happening in another universe? That it really exists?"

Was it an unexpected question? Sakamoto looked down on the ground for a moment at Jaehwan's question. After a while, he spoke.

"Honestly… I think it might be."

Jaehwan wanted to answer. That it might not be a dream. That it existed. In that world, he climbed the tower together with him and tried to protect the world.

In that world. In that world, you…

Sakamoto then rose up from his seat with embarrassment and Jaehwan couldn't say it. Sakamoto coughed toward the window and turned to Jaehwan.

"Anyway, what I want to say is this. It's not important what the world looks like to people after all. A revolution is something that happens inside a small, narrow, and twisty tunnel box, not outside."

Sakamoto tapped on his head as he spoke and Jaehwan couldn't forget that sight for a long time after that.

"Huh? Where are you going now?"

"I'm sorry! I have to go somewhere!"

Jaehwan then ran out of the lab and Sakamoto scratched his face as he turned to the door that Jaehwan had left through.

"…Hmph. You look like you've found evidence to prove the parallel universe theory."