The TV screen fell.
“Hah…”
I exhaled and slumped onto the floor.
The cold tiles of the cramped train bathroom grounded me back to reality the moment my hands touched them.
Or at least, I thought so—
“Well understood, Soleum.”
In the next instant, I was standing in a cozy studio.
No, this was originally a studio.
This small, warm space had no audience yet. Only two plush armchairs sat facing each other.
And across from me stood the poised, TV-headed host, holding out a hand.
“You seem quite tense… Why don’t you sit down? Fix your clothes, clean up that blood. Let’s have a calmer conversation.”
“The advertisements must have been too much for my dear friend—your mind and body seem shaken.”
…
Soft piano music drifted through the air.
“You don’t have prior media experience, Soleum, and I may have pushed too far. Let’s take a moment…”
At the host’s gesture, a steaming cup appeared on the table between the chairs.
…Hot chocolate.
“Ah, does this bring back memories? The drink I always suggested to you when you were weary. Chocolate! Nothing feels better than a warm, soothing drink for a tired body…”
The TV screen displayed a smiling emoticon, and its antenna perked up slightly. It looked almost cheerful.
Then, with a little flourish, the host stirred marshmallows into the cup.
“This is the first time I’m serving it personally. With a stuffed body, such things were always a burden to others.”
“……”
“There were so many things I couldn’t do for you in that form. Come now, let’s take a little rest…”
Guided by the host’s politeness, I naturally sank into the armchair.
…There wasn’t much of a choice anyway.
Surprisingly, the host didn’t interrupt or force anything as I quietly treated my arm and stopped the bleeding.
It didn’t push me to drink the hot chocolate either.
Like a considerate interviewer, it simply waited patiently.
…And as I worked, my mind cooled down just a little, and I began to calm.
“Feeling better, Soleum? Take a deep breath—there you go. Let’s talk.”
The host folded its hands together and sat across from me.
It spoke politely.
“You don’t really want to quit what you’re doing, do you, Soleum? Is that correct?”
“……”
I swallowed hard, cold sweat trickling down my back, and slowly nodded.
The TV antenna tilted slightly, as if puzzled.
“That’s strange, very strange… You always said you hated this job!”
“…!”
“We’ve had so many conversations, haven’t we? I heard you complain about how much you despise this work, how you’d never do it again once your goal was achieved.”
But that was because, until I achieved my goal, I had no choice but to endure it.
To get the wish and return home…
“Wait a moment.”
“Yes, Soleum. That’s exactly what I wanted to focus on!”
“My dear friend, you keep saying you desperately want to go home. And…”
The host leaned closer and whispered.
“I know why you say that, Soleum.”
Since when did wanting to go home need a reason?
What ridiculous nonsense was it going to spew this time? My shoulders tensed.
I had to ignore it.
“Oh, this might be shocking, so please brace yourself!”
But the host’s voice grew quieter. Softer. It dropped to a whisper that demanded attention.
I couldn’t help but focus on its words.
“The truth is…”
I listened.
“You don’t actually want to go home.”
…
What?
“You know this already, don’t you?”
“You’ve misunderstood the situation because of two overwhelming emotions—fear and desire.”
What is it saying?
“Oh, Soleum… It’s not that you miss home or that home is good. You simply hate and fear what you’re doing right now.”
“……!”
“Soleum, tell me. Do you really hate that your favorite stories became reality? Wasn’t there even a tiny bit of excitement or thrill in seeing it play out before your eyes? Was it really only dreadful?”
I… I didn’t like it. It was too dangerous.
“Danger! Ah, the classic excuse. But let’s think about this, Soleum.”
The old television crackled with static.
“Is your so-called ‘home’ really safe?”
The TV screen flashed through images—black and white scenes of brutal news reports.
“War, poverty, climate crises, terrorism, pandemics… All those small and terrifying tragedies. Hell can come for anyone, Soleum, and you are no exception.”
“In any reality, we don’t get to choose which tragedy will find us. Unless, of course, it’s a show!”
That’s—
“Oh, yes. Deep down, you already know. This place and the ‘home’ you long for aren’t so different…”
“Does it matter if monsters from stories appear in reality, or if real monsters already live there? The important thing is your suffering, Soleum.”
The host opened its fingers, counting each disaster as if folding them away.
“Death that strikes without warning? Please, where does death ever announce itself? It’s just as frightening everywhere.”
“The peace you cling to could be shattered in an instant—by the push of a mad dictator’s button. Fragile and meaningless, isn’t it?”
“In the end, isn’t it all just your perception, Soleum?”
I stared blankly at the TV screen.
“And perception isn’t reality. It’s just a distorted experience that only you feel.”
“Let’s be fair, my friend.”
That’s… that’s not true.
But…
…
Is it?
Something felt off. Something didn’t fit, but I couldn’t find the words to argue back.
It sounded plausible.
But surely this wasn’t just… a feeling, right?
“It’s all right. Acceptance always takes time. And I, Brown, will always be here to talk with you… just like always!”
“So now, let’s take this conversation a step further. Let’s be more honest.”
Brown’s voice softened.
“What do you really want, Soleum?”
“Let’s put going home aside for now—think about it.”
…
What I want… Wait.
How could it understand my situation so deeply?
That thing— It had completely read my thoughts.
How much did it know? How far had it seen into me?
If it already knew everything, did arguing back even matter? Was there a way to escape?
Wait—was it reading my thoughts right now? Could it even see what I was thinking about The Records of Darkness Exploration…
“Soleum.”
I was going to lose my mind.
The fear made me feel like I was going to lose it completely. I wanted out of this—
“That’s it!”
Huh?
“You’ve finally realized it, Soleum. What you truly, deeply want!”
The host snapped its fingers with a sharp click.
“To escape your fear.”
“…!!”
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The TV screen advanced toward me.
“And right here, I have a fast and reliable way for you to do so….”