Editing Calamity Trigger Material Collection (section)

==Litchi Short Story "Borderline"==
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I thought my nervous words wouldn't make a difference. Up till then and from then on...

However, that was a mistake, at that time I first became aware of that.



AD 2193.

Even after being guided to the entrance, I still ended up lost, and finally manage to arrive at that place. A silver plate was set into the thick metal door. The name 'Dr. KOKONOE' was unmistakably inscribed on it. At first I knocked on the door timidly, but there was no response from within. I tried knocking harder, but there was still no answer. Finally making up my mind I pushed the wide doors open.

“... Excuse me”

The door slid open with a light rattle. Peeking inside, despite it being daytime, the lab was gloomy and dim.

“... I'm sorry, is anyone here?”

I raised my voice a little. However, there was no reply. Or rather, I couldn't feel any presence from within the room.

“Oh dear, this is a problem...”

Today, my purpose for visiting was for my formal introduction. Should I wait outside for a little while?— while other thoughts floated around in my head, I stood still in front of the door.

“Hm? Who are you?”

Suddenly, a voice called out. I turned to face the voice's owner. A tall and slender man stood there looking at me.

“Excuse me, I came to meet with Dr Kokonoe but it seems she isn't in.”

“Huh, the professor's not in?”

“...Yes. I was supposed to come in today for my introduction but...”

While explaining, I looked at the man's eyes. Set upon a handsome face, it was full of intelligence and his pupils seemed to be drawing you in.

“Um, is there something on my face?”

“Ah, eh, no!”

Looking at my flustered denial, he let out a small laugh. Such a carefree smile. Why was I becoming nervous? I could feel my cheeks were blushing red.

“Are you a contractor?”

“Eh!? Ah, no... I'm supposed to start working here from today onwards. My name is Litchi Faye Ling.”

“Ah, so you're the one!”

“... Do you know about me?”

“I've heard a lot from the professor. I'm Dr Kokonoe's apprentice. I work in the lab next door.”

While saying so, he pointed over at the adjacent room.

“Ah, is that so. Well then, from now on please instruct me well. I'm in your care.”

“Ah no, I'm in your care too.”

That's was rather awkward of me, I thought. And also, that was our very first meeting.




And so I came to work as Dr Kokonoe's lab assistant. He was a researcher specialising in alchemy, and he was also a first-class alchemist. I who lacked knowledge in that field, learnt various things from him about “the study of creating something from nothing”. And in exchange, he learnt from my strong points, the fields of oriental medicine and traditional chinese herbology. We exchanged knowledge on our specialised fields, and worked to better each other. Since we were both around the same age, it didn't take long for our friendship to quickly deepen.




Just as I was thinking those days would pass like so, that day came. I was startled by a sudden loud voice.

“Do you still not get it, you stupid apprentice!”

“No! The one who's wrong is you!”

By this time, I had a slight sense that Dr Kokonoe and him didn't have a really stable working relationship. It was always about the subject of their research— or rather, the attitude a scientist should adopt, and their differences on opinions. However, up till now their discussion had always been calm. Now the both of them had raised voices and were throwing insults at each other.

As I watched their hostility to each other I became flustered, and grew nervous. Their cursing grew even more fierce, and it looked like their argument was going to end up in a violent scuffle. Normally, at this point Tager would step in, but unfortunately he was currently out on a mission. I made up my mind, and with fireworks coming out of eyes I cut in between the two of them.

“Both of you, calm down this instant!”

“...Tch.”

With a snort Dr Kokonoe grudgingly turned the other way.

“You too, calm down. This isn't like you!”

I turned to admonish him. Whereupon—

“Not like me? Not like me you said?!”

“...Eh?”

My words seemed to have struck a nerve, and he raised his voice again to continue ranting.

“Then, let me ask you. What is the me that you know?”

“Th-that's...”

For a moment I was perplexed, and was at a loss for words. His character that I thought I knew— the calm and gentle him— that wasn't his real face?

I asked myself this question, but I couldn't find the answer.

“You only know one side of me. The ordinary, mature, quiet and intelligent person. Was that the image you were holding on to?”

“...”

I hung my head, unable to reply.

“That's right, we only know the one side of things. All creation has a front side and a back side, the light and the shadow. The parts we're able to perceive, is only a fraction of the entire phenomenon. However, listen to me Litchi. I will, I will... I swear, all the phenomenons in this world, I will find the road that leads to the truth behind them!”

The sight of his figure continually rambling on excitedly overwhelmed me. This wasn't the him I'd known up till now. Again, the subject he was talking about seemed extraordinary... I couldn't hide my unease, and couldn't bring myself to look at his face.

“Look at me Litchi... I will absolutely open the fountain of all knowledge without fail for you to see.”




After his argument with the professor, he and I drifted apart. A few months passed, and soon we were only nodding at each other politely in the corridors. However, even then I could see that he was becoming worn out. At that point, I went into his lab to check up on him— was what I was always thinking of doing.

Just like that, many months went by. He began to become absent from work more and more. Perhaps his health had deteriorated, for several weeks I hadn't seen his figure at his lab. For someone who took his work seriously this was very unusual. After asking around, it seemed he had ceased to exist altogether. On that day, I decided to pay a visit to his house.

His house was on a street where most of the middle class people lived. It was the top story of an apartment building. I pressed the buzzer several times but there was no response. With an uneasy feeling I knocked on the door. It wasn't locked. Weighing up the situation at hand, I quietly entered the apartment.

The smell of mould assaulted my nose. It looked like no one had cleaned this place for quite a while, and as far as the eye could see dust had piled up in all places. The room was in disorder, and all around the room there were countless piles of books stacked up, in total chaos. I called his name but there was no response. It seemed that he wasn't here. I apologised in my heart, and started searching the room.

—and then, I found “that”.




Where did he go? What is doing now?

Why did I notice it sooner?

Why didn't I try to help him?

Within me all the doubts repeated themselves in a refrain

Regret and guilt tormented me

“If I don't find him soon then...”

In the middle of the darkness, I alone—muttered to myself.

AD 2197.