Black Badger

Unlike Kyle, Ray enjoyed games.

He wasn't particularly skilled at them, but he always had fun playing. This game was an open-world RPG that wasn't too difficult.

It was also the first game that Ray, who had never really gotten into gaming before, became hooked on.

'I see why you're so attached to this.'

Ray's memory of smiling while gripping the Joy-Con and immersing himself in the game came to mind.

'This is fun.'

I decided not to think about it anymore.

After all, I couldn't start crying in the home of a senior I wasn't that close to. I barely managed to tear my gaze away from the game.

I glanced around the room again.

It was a cluttered, flashy space filled with stuff.

But what caught my attention were the game titles stacked up, proudly displaying their vibrant covers. I could get a rough idea of what kinds of games she liked.

Standing in the entryway, I scanned the list.

The games were piled up like a tower. It seemed true that she liked retro games; there were so many familiar ones that it was a bit mentally taxing.

"You like games, right?"

Shu's words snapped me back to reality a bit.

I nodded, making eye contact with my senior, who had both hands shoved into the pockets of her skirt jacket.

"Yes."

"What kind do you like?"

"I don't have any particular preferences."

"Hmm."

Shu eyed me with her sky-blue eyes.

What was that about? I looked down at her inscrutable expression.

Was she disappointed that I didn't have a favorite genre?

It didn't seem like it. My senior, who had been looking up at me, gestured for me to close the front door.

As I obediently shut the door, the city's noise faded away.

The room suddenly felt cozy. My senior shoved her hands back into her top's pockets.

"You still don't remember anything?"

The unexpected question left me unable to hide my flustered expression.

"Are you talking about me?"

"Yeah. And speak casually, for real."

"Yes... no...."

Now that I thought about it, this person had witnessed me falling from the portal.

She was one of the few who knew I'd become a badger in a completely irrational way. I'd forgotten amid all the chaos lately.

I wondered how much I should tell Shu.

Once again, I found myself in a situation where I had to figure things out without asking questions, but if something went wrong, it would be on me. How many times had this happened now?

After some deliberation, I answered like this.

"Bits and pieces are coming back, but I haven't remembered everything yet."

"I see?"

Shu said it matter-of-factly.

She eyed me again, as if appraising.

"Then, did you maybe make games?"

The unexpected questions kept coming.

I blankly looked down at my senior and shook my head.

"I don't think so."

"You sound pretty sure it's not?"

"Yes. I have zero knowledge in that area. I just like playing games; I couldn't make them."

I didn't think I'd ever wanted to create one, and even now, I had no desire to.

Why was she asking this? I had no clue. Maybe my expression gave something away, because Shu tilted her head slightly to the side.

She stood there with a thoughtful look before pulling her hands out of her skirt jacket.

"Want to take off your shoes and come in? It's a bit cramped, but."

Was this okay...?

I followed her lead anyway. Shu walked over to the game console and turned on the small gaming monitor with a press.

The area with the tower of game titles was definitely a gaming zone. Seeing how she'd carved out a dedicated space for games in this tiny room, it seemed she was pretty into them too.

"Have a seat. There's something I want to show you."

I sat obediently in front of the gaming monitor.

Shu handed me a Joy-Con. Then she inserted a chip into the console. I happily watched the black screen light up with the game title.

I didn't know what it was, but being in front of the console put me in a good mood.

I was hopeless.

The screen came to life.

Soon, a dot-graphic game title began floating around the center of the screen.

[From E]

I couldn't be sure without pressing start, but it looked like an RPG made with dot graphics.

The BGM was like a bouncy little orb, perfectly matching the vibe. I wanted to play it. I barely suppressed the urge to hit the start button on my own and just stared at the screen.

Shu stood beside the monitor, observing my reaction.

"Do you know this game?"

"No, not at all. Is it fun?"

"Moderately?"

What an ambiguous answer that was.

"It's an RPG with a short playtime. Seems like something made by an individual."

"Ah. Can I try it?"

"Yeah. Actually, I've wanted to show you this ever since we met."

Huh?

I stupidly stared at Shu.

But she just met my eyes without any further explanation.

It didn't seem like she planned to explain right away. Probably, playing the game would make it clear?

Without asking more, I pressed the start button.

With a cheerful sound, the title vanished from sight.

The sparkling title shrank and disappeared, replaced by a blue meadow and a high castle filling the black screen. It was a carefully crafted background. Even in dots, it was beautifully rendered. Full of anticipation, I watched the screen shift as the protagonist emerged from the high castle.

True to classic RPGs, the protagonist appeared with a long sword at their side.

Descending the stairs of Jorureu Castle to the center of the screen, the protagonist looked around, then closed their eyes and smiled brightly.

Like a 2D game character, they bobbed up and down even when still.

A long dialogue box appeared at the bottom of the screen.

[Hildebert Talev: It's nice weather today too!]

Huh?

It felt like something had smacked me on the head.

I stared at the screen with my mouth agape for a while.

In the center of the screen, standing on the dotted blue grass was the 2D protagonist with a sword.

Name. Hildebert Talev.

...What?

No....

What the hell?

Why?

My mind filled with question marks for a moment.

I couldn't even press the Joy-Con buttons; I just stared at the screen. The shock was unexpected, hitting harder than when I'd met Colton.

As I sat there, unable to collect myself, Shu pointed at the screen with her finger.

"The hair color, skin tone, and eye color are all just like yours."

Chillingly, she was right.

"White hair, tanned skin, yellow eyes."

"...What the...?"

"So I thought maybe you made this game?"

Shu didn't seem as shocked as I was.

Maybe she'd already gotten past the initial shock. I finally tore my gaze from the screen and looked at my two-toned-haired senior.

The person who hadn't said a word to me on the day I fell from the portal.

Given that she'd wanted to show me this from that day on, it seemed she'd known about the game for a while.

Why hadn't she mentioned it then? I doubted I'd have taken it seriously anyway.

I mulled over the day I fell and everything Shu had said since. Vivid memories popped up one after another. Come to think of it... even I probably wouldn't have brought up that there was no 'Hildebert Talev' anywhere in Center Core if my senior had mentioned the game protagonist sharing the name....

How had she kept this to herself all this time...?

But wait a second.

"Did you think I was so full of myself that I'd make a game like this?"

When I looked up and asked, Shu gazed at me with her usual inscrutable eyes.

She stood there expressionless for a while before shrugging.

"I thought it was possible. I don't know you that well."

"I'm not like that."

I firmly corrected the misunderstanding.

"I don't know how to make games, and even if I did, I wouldn't create a protagonist like this."

Shu nodded half-heartedly.

Her gesture suggested it didn't really matter. She was cool in a completely different way from Yoon.

She turned away from me, who was looking drained from the absurd misunderstanding, and fixed her gaze on the screen.

The moving 2D protagonist.

It had the uncommon name Hildebert Talev attached and an appearance eerily identical to mine.

Who was the developer?

In the one-room filled only with the hum of the game console.

My senior broke the silence that had settled in the cramped space.

"I'll lend you this. Take it home and play it."

"Ah! Thank you so much."

"That's why I called you out to go to the game shop."

Shu Diamond explained calmly as she removed the game chip.

Her next words hit me hard while I was still reeling.

"I heard this From Alphabet Series has more games. The most recent one spotted was at that shop in Harlem District."

*

We had lunch.

It felt like some kind of fusion food, but I couldn't remember exactly what it was. Or even the taste. I sat across from Shu, discussing the game, not even sure if I'd held a fork or chopsticks.

That game.

From what she elaborated, Shu had initially thought I was some game-obsessed addict when I first latched onto From E. So she'd wondered if I was mistaking the protagonist's name for my own or deliberately lying.

I stared at my senior, who had been under such a massive misunderstanding all alone.

"I do like games, but I'm not that baseless."

"Your reputation suggested as much."

Shu straightforwardly shared that she'd changed her mind.

"So I was speculating that either you made it, or someone who knows you did."

"It must be the latter. I don't know who, though."

"Does 'E' ring any bells at all?"

It didn't.

Even trying to think of someone whose name started with E yielded nothing. It wasn't Colton, or Jaeyeon, or Lee Seung-hyun, or Kyle, or Ray. Besides, none of them would make a game even if they came back to life.

Maybe playing the game or dissecting its structure would reveal something?

Of course, I could play it, but I lacked the skills to analyze the structure.

"How about asking Senior Yoon for help?"

Shu suggested.

I, who had been thinking the same, nodded.

"I'll ask him. After I finish playing through it.... Thank you so much for telling me, Senior."

"I told you to speak casually."

Calling her senior again might annoy her, so I decided to call her Shu.

After our late lunch, there wasn't much time left before meeting Walker. We'd rendezvous where Harlem District began. Still shaken from the earlier events and not in my right mind, it was only after eating that I belatedly wondered why Walker was joining.

We all had augmented bodies, so Harlem District shouldn't be dangerous for us.

Why was Walker coming?

"Why is Senior Walker coming? Are you two close?"

"He said he has something to ask you too."

Shu tossed out another bombshell casually.

"He's going to take you to an acquaintance of his in Harlem District."

My head spun.

Ray's memories were already overwhelming, and now the past was flooding in relentlessly.

I tried to process the reason for Walker's involvement that Shu had given but gave up. I'd only understand properly after meeting him anyway.

Letting out a sigh, I decided to just accept the approaching reality.

Hoping I could handle this unforeseen event as well as the last one.

A chilly autumn wind whipped through the city streets. I walked with Shu through the growing crowds of costumed people.