Trash of the Count's Family

TCF 720

# The method to enduring memories (3)

“I never even imagined this.”

Cale looked around. He could see a high school located on top of a steep uphill road.

This was his high school, Raon High School. The uphill road to this school was quite famous.

“Haaa, can’t they just like cut up this uphill road?”

“That's crazy. Do you even hear what you're saying?”

“My calves are on fire!”

Cale could see many students walking past him.

They were climbing this uphill road that made them swear on their way up every summer and winter. Many students grumbled about how Raon was not a fitting name for this school as forget joy, they felt as if they would die every time they had to climb this hill.

“Mm.”

The current time was 7:45am according to his watch.

He was certain that his memory was not wrong to remember that he needed to be in the classroom within 15 minutes to not be late.

“Haaaa.”

Cale was in disbelief the more he thought about it.

‘I did think that it may come up at some point.’

He had thought that his past prior to the cataclysm would pop up at least once between these five emotion illusion tests.

However, he presumed it would be based not during his high school days but much farther back, during a time when everything in his life seemed to be full of darkness.

He had been full of indignity, wrath, and failure at that time for sure.

In fact, his life as Kim Rok Soo as a freshman in high school was one of his few peaceful moments after having lived in the orphanage for a few years by then.

Unlike his mother who was the only child of her generation, his father had a distant relative who became Kim Rok Soo’s guardian after his parents died from an accident.

He had a decent job and was a pretty good person.

At that time that is...

He enjoyed small amounts of drinking and gambling at that time but he ended up getting extremely addicted to them not long after taking Kim Rok Soo in.

Kim Rok Soo had to deal with that bastard as he became crazier and suffered all sorts of indignity as he figured out how to survive on his own.

However, he was able to survive through it all and made it to an orphanage.

Of course, he had not done it on his own.

What could a child do on his own? The only thing he knew how to do was to submit to his uncle and do whatever he could do to survive. A lot of people helped him and the systems set in society helped him get out and be relieved that he did not have to get beaten anymore.

The fact that he didn't need to curl in fear underneath his blanket or hold his pee because he was not allowed to leave the room simply made him think that he could now live in peace.

He had stayed in the orphanage until his last year of high school.

His life in the orphanage was not that bad. In fact, he was having an average but good time. It was great in all aspects of food, clothes, and shelter.

“Hey, hurry up! Do you want to be late?!”

“Ow! This rotten uphill road!”

Cale observed the backs of the students running past him.

Cale had to start walking up this hill if he didn’t want to be late either. He started to walk.

Shaaaaaaaaaaa-

He felt a gust of wind.

Raon High School's uphill road was famous for another reason in addition to its infamy for its steep slope. There were cherry blossoms on either side of the road during spring.

“Mm.”

Cale felt his breath getting heavier and held back a chuckle. His health had been terrible at this time.

‘What issues did I have during this time?’

There should be a clear reason as to why this was the illusion.

He followed the memories of his past and walked through the main gate of Raon High School and headed for his classroom.

‘What class was I in during my freshman year?

Ah, I remember.

Class 4.’

His feet naturally headed toward Class 4.

It was the end of March. The classroom during this time when the cherry blossoms were slowly starting to bloom was just so-so.

Blissful memories?

Emotional moments?

‘There’s no way I would have those.’

His school years were nothing to Cale. They were simply a few peaceful days.

his seat. Kim Rok Soo's seat

the lessons and the Kim Rok

‘I was lazy?’

Rok Soo paid attention to his studies and his grades were

had plans to go

the orphanage. He would start a part-time job on the weekends during the second semester of his

tiring and

care of him and had to take

“You’re here?”

“Yeah.”

nonchalantly looked at the punks talking to

a

“Who cares?”

this

sharply in his uniform and his relationships with his peers

middle. That was the

that was how

‘That’s odd.’

remember the

at their name

‘Mm.

Now I remember.’

He did remember them.

Screech.

He recalled the

was the teacher’s

as the teacher did

need to remember it because it wasn’t

homeroom teacher left and

‘Wow.’

but be

‘This isn’t bad.’

lessons that he had not heard for twenty something years

arrived and Cale did not have to recall much as he followed his body and some

“Hey, see you later.”

then naturally left

or three and went to exercise or to the

why was I

Ah.’

Cale realized something.

“Ah, that’s right.

couldn’t

He realized it now.

issue during

problem or pitiful situation was something that he could finally

anybody

superficial level, saying hi in the classroom, eating together, and walking to the bus

his parents who were his everything when

warm at first but

Cale remembered only these big incidents, his

transferring to other schools. Even the people who became close to him and

could not be close to anyone despite trying to

sure it was the White

his body, forcing him to live a similar life to the White Star

of this time had not known

not been hurt

that none of

have differing opinions and argue from time to time but the things that had happened to Kim Rok Soo, his parents’ car

the reason he gave short responses and was

Why?

“...It was annoying.

Ah.”

Cale gasped.

found one thing he found to

qualify under

job after his college exams in his senior

I lost them

thirties and becoming Cale Henituse, he had made a lot of

needed to protect

to take care of this sealed god’s temple, end the White Star’s reincarnation, and kill him

need to

of it was worth

resolve again and

somewhere and looked up at

< Raon Library >

Raon.

joyful library before he flinched. A yellow light

‘Hmm?

Ah, right.

Raon.

The children averaging nine-years-old.

of the children who will

that individual and nodded his head a

Screech.

carefully opened the door and walked in

It was from

soon stopped

bit peculiar. This school library

was not the case in middle school, but Raon High School had a lot of fantasy novels. The 17 years old Kim Rok Soo frequently visited both the school and public libraries as he didn't want to get closer to people than necessary. That had opened his eyes

some of the money he earned through his part-time jobs to read more

‘They were quite fun.’

despite their difficult childhoods and fought against the world. However, Cale had no intentions of fighting against the world starting from the moment he chose to live as the invisible

be more specific, he didn't have the strength

hard enough to take responsibility for and take care of his