Chapter 126: Toma’s Memories (1)
The black SUV cruised steadily through the morning streets. Bright sunlight reflected across the windshield as buildings gradually gave way to older neighborhoods.
Inside the vehicle...Aiden sat in the driver’s seat, his eyes focused on the road. Nobody occupied the middle seat in the back. Toma sat on his right, quietly looking out the window.
For several minutes...No one spoke. Only the soft hum of the engine filled the silence.
Nobody looked left. Aiden remained completely focused. He looked right. Toma rested her chin against the window, absentmindedly watching the passing scenery.
Nobody slowly leaned back. "...Awkward." He sighed internally. "So unbelievably awkward."
The System appeared.
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[Silence Duration]
Three Minutes.
Forty-One Seconds.
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"...See? Even you started counting." Nobody rubbed his chin. "...Oh I remember ...I’ve got a new skill." A mischievous smile slowly appeared. "Mind Reader....Might as well test it."
The System responded.
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[Reminder]
Please Respect Personal Privacy.
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"I’m only listening. I’m not interrupting."
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[That Does Not Improve The Situation]
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"...Too late." Nobody quietly activated the skill.
CLICK.
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Mind Reader
Status:
ON.
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At first...Nothing.
Then...Voices slowly began echoing inside his head.
The first one belonged to Aiden ,"I have to show Toma that playground... Maybe that’ll make her remem.... #######..."
The thought suddenly cut off. Like someone had muted half the sentence.
Nobody blinked. "...Huh? What did he just say? I couldn’t hear the rest."
The System immediately answered.
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[Analysis]
Certain Thoughts Have Been Blocked.
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"...Blocked?"
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[Possible Cause]
Fourth-Dimensional Higher Being Interference.
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Nobody’s eye twitched. "...That bitche** ! He doesn’t even let me hear the important thoughts."
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[Story Protection Mechanism Detected]
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"...Story protection, my foot." Before he could complain further...
Another thought from Aiden reached him. "...I wonder... If Toma had never met Nobody... would things have turned out differently?..."
A brief pause. "...Something doesn’t feel right..."
Nobody quietly looked toward Aiden. "...This guy...He seriously doesn’t know he’s the main lead, huh?"
The System stayed silent. As if refusing to comment.
A few seconds later... Another thought appeared. "...Now his just being the third wheel..."
Nobody’s eyebrow shot upward. "...What?...WHAT?" He forced an awkward smile while keeping perfectly still. Inside his mind, however... "You called me the third wheel? You little Bitches* CEO MC..."
The System immediately interrupted.
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[Warning]
Remain Rational.
Do Not Overreact.
"( – ⤙ – )
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"I’m not overreacting. I am reacting to the appropriate amount."
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[Disagreement]
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"...Traitor." Nobody let out a quiet cough to hide his expression. "Ahem."
Aiden glanced at the rear-view mirror. "You okay?"
Nobody instantly smiled. "Perfectly. Just... thinking."
Aiden nodded before returning his attention to the road.
Nobody quietly exhaled. "...Close one."
Just then...
Another voice entered his mind.
It belonged to Toma. "...Bringing Nobody with us... was the right decision..."
Nobody’s eyes widened slightly.
Toma again in mind said," ...Nobody helped me so much..."
His expression softened.
Toma gain continued."...But...I’m scared...What if I don’t like what I remember?...What if everything changes after today?..."
Nobody looked toward Toma. She still quietly watched the scenery outside. No one could tell what she was thinking. Except him. A warm smile slowly appeared beneath his face. Inside his mind... "...Awww. She thinks bringing me was a good decision."
The System interrupted.
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[Ahem]
( •̯́ ₃ •̯̀)
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"...Don’t ruin the moment."
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[Observation]
User Appears Happy.
(๑ᵔ⤙ᵔ๑)
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"I am...A little."
The silence inside the SUV became much more comfortable.
Until...Another unfamiliar voice echoed. "...Boss looks pretty serious today..."
Nobody blinked. "...Huh?" He slowly looked toward the front. It was the driver. "...Wait... I can hear him too?"
The System answered.
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[Mind Reader]
Nearby Individuals Included.
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"...Oh."
The driver’s thoughts continued. "...Heh... Looks like one of those love triangle dramas my wife watches... Poor guy in the middle..."
Nobody slowly closed his eyes. "...Excuse me?"
The driver’s imagination continued running wild. "...I bet the handsome boss likes the girl... The guy in the back probably likes her too. This is getting interesting..."
Nobody forced another smile. Inside his mind, "...This dumbas* ! His imagination deserves an award."
The System quickly displayed another warning.
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[Reminder]
No Harming Civilians.
Criminals Are A Separate Category.
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Nobody sighed. "I wasn’t going to do anything. ...Mostly."
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[Confidence Level]
Thirty-One Percent.
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"Ahem... Why is your trust in me so low?"
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[Historical Data]
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"...Fair."
Nobody quietly switched the skill off.
CLICK.
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Mind Reader
Status:
OFF.
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The voices instantly disappeared. Silence returned.
He let out a long breath. "...Mental peace. I missed you."
The System calmly spoke.
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[Recommendation]
Use Mind Reader Sparingly.
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"Agreed. People think...way too much."
A few moments later... The SUV left the busy city roads behind. The buildings became shorter. The streets grew narrower. Old apartment blocks lined both sides of the road.
Trees stretched overhead, their branches gently swaying in the morning breeze.
Aiden finally broke the silence. "We’re almost there."
Toma slowly straightened in her seat. Her fingers unconsciously tightened together.
Nobody noticed. Without saying anything... He simply smiled reassuringly.
Toma returned a small, grateful smile.
Outside... An aging neighborhood entrance came into view. The road ahead carried memories that had remained buried for years.
And today...Those memories were finally waiting to be uncovered.
The black SUV slowly rolled through a quiet neighborhood before turning into an old residential colony. Time had left its marks everywhere. The apartment buildings were faded, paint peeling from the walls. Rust covered the railings. Clothes fluttered from old balconies while vines climbed over cracked concrete. Only a few children played outside and even their laughter carried a strange feeling of nostalgia.
Nobody looked out the window. "So this is where they used to live..."
The vehicle finally stopped beside an old playground.
Its swings were covered in rust.The paint on the slide had almost disappeared,and the merry-go-round looked like it had not been touched for years.
Nobody stepped out first.
Toma slowly followed. The moment her feet touched the ground,she stared silently at the surroundings. "...This place..." She slowly looked around. "...It looks familiar."
Aiden quietly smiled. "It should."
Toma looked toward him.
Aiden pointed at the old apartment buildings standing opposite the playground. "Remember this place?"
"..." Toma thought for a while then said,"It was where we used to live."
A gentle breeze blew across the empty playground.
Toma frowned. Her hand slowly reached her forehead. "I..." Tiny fragments began flashing inside her mind. A narrow apartment corridor. Children laughing. Someone running down a staircase. A blue school bag. A little boy opening the door of a flat. Her breathing became slightly heavier. "...I..."
Another memory surfaced.
...
A much younger Aiden stepped out of one of the apartments. He looked no older than a high school student. He wore a simple white T-shirt and carried a small football under one arm. The apartment door closed behind him.
Just then...A cheerful little girl came running from another building. "Aidi!!" Young Toma waved both of her hands excitedly. "Hi Aidi!"
Young Aiden immediately smiled. "Hi,Toma."
"Let’s play!"
He laughed. "Sure.Let’s play."
The two children began running toward the playground. Before leaving,Toma suddenly turned around. "Mom!"
A woman appeared from the apartment doorway. She wore a light-colored dress and had a warm smile. "I’m going with Aidi!"
Her mother smiled softly. "Okay. But be careful."
"We will!" Young Toma happily saluted before grabbing Aiden’s hand. "Come on!"
They ran toward the playground together.
...
The memory shattered. Toma blinked.
Her breathing became uneven. "...Aidi..." She unconsciously whispered the nickname.
Aiden’s eyes widened slightly. "You remembered..."
Toma slowly looked at him. "I... I saw you wearing a highschooler shirt."
Aiden smiled. "You remembering!"
Nobody quietly watched the two. He folded his arms. "So they really were childhood friends."
System Notification appeared.
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"Memory Synchronization Progress Increased"
"Current Recovery: 37%."
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Nobody glanced at the floating blue screen. "Hm. So bringing her here is working."
Toma slowly walked toward the playground. Every step felt strangely familiar. She stopped beside the old swing. Her fingers brushed across its cold chains.
Another memory appeared.
...
Young Toma sat on the swing while kicking her legs happily. "Higher! Aidi! Push harder!"
Young Aiden stood behind her. "If I push any harder,you’ll fly away."
"I wanna fly!"
"You’ll cry if you fall."
"I won’t!"
"You definitely will."
"I won’t!"
Young Aiden sighed dramatically. "Fine." He gently pushed the swing.
The little girl laughed louder and louder. "Higher! Higher!"
"Okay okay! You win!"
...
The memory disappeared.
A tiny smile appeared on Toma’s face. "I...I remember the swing..."
Aiden nodded. "You used to spend hours here. You never wanted to leave."
Nobody scratched his cheek. "Honestly...You still look like someone who’d refuse to leave a playground."
Toma glared at him. "You dummy."
Nobody laughed. "There it is. The classic line."
Toma looked away while trying to hide a small smile. "I don’t say that much."
Nobody and Aiden looked at each other.
Neither of them replied. "..."
Toma said, "...You both think I do?"
Nobody nodded. "A little."
"Hmph." She crossed her arms. "You dummy."
Nobody burst into laughter. "There it is again!"
Even Aiden chuckled.
For a brief moment,the heavy atmosphere disappeared.
Then...
Toma slowly walked toward the center of the playground. There stood an old merry-go-round. Its paint was chipped,and half of its bars were rusted. She gently touched it.
Another memory flashed.
...
Young Toma and Young Aiden spun the merry-go-round as fast as they could. "We’re gonna fly!"
"No we’re not!"
"We are! We’re spinning too fast!"
The two laughed uncontrollably.
Suddenly...
Young Toma lost her balance. "Aaaaah!" She fell onto the soft sand.
Young Aiden immediately jumped down. "Toma! Are you okay?"
She looked at him for two seconds.
Then...
"Waaaaah!!" She started crying loudly.
Young Aiden panicked. "I told you we’d spin too fast! I didn’t mean it! Don’t cry! I’ll buy you candy! Wait..I don’t have money! ...Wait. I’ll ask my mom!"
Young Toma suddenly stopped crying. "Candy? ...Yeah."
She wiped away her tears. "Okay."
Young Aiden blinked. "...You stopped crying already?"
"I like candy." Toma said.
"..." Aiden was dumbfounded. "...Girls are confusing."
...
The memory faded.
Toma suddenly laughed. A soft,genuine laugh escaped her lips.
Nobody and Aiden both turned toward her. "You remembered something?"
Toma nodded. "You promised to buy me candy."
Aiden blinked. "...You still remember that?"
"You never bought it." Toma said.
Aiden rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I...I forgot."
Toma pointed at him. "You dummy."
Nobody laughed so hard he nearly lost his balance. "HAHAHAHA! Karma! The forgotten promise has returned after all these years!"
Aiden smiled helplessly. "I guess I deserved that."
The three stood quietly inside the old playground. The setting sun painted the colony in shades of orange. Children’s distant laughter echoed through the buildings.
Somehow...
Despite the years that had passed...
The place still carried the warmth of those forgotten days.
System Notification appeared.
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"Recovered Memory Fragments Successfully Linked"
"Current Recovery Progress: 39%"
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Nobody looked at the floating screen before glancing toward the smiling Toma.
"...Looks like this journey is finally bringing her memories home."
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