Collapse Simulator, why are we drifting apart?

"I'm sorry, Kafka, brother, I was a little busy today and came back late!"

As soon as he returned to the flower shop, Fan Mu put away all his negative emotions, squatted in front of Kafka with a gentle smile on his face and apologized.

"It's okay, big brother." Kafka didn't blame him, and she didn't know if she didn't know how to complain or what.

"I want to go to the mountains today!"

"Okay, as you say!" Fan Mu took her hand and didn't refuse. He said hello to the store, "Grandma, I'll take the person away!"

"Wait a minute!" A not-so-loud response came from the store, stopping the two people who were about to leave. Fang Yi walked towards Fan Mu holding the box.

"This is what you asked me to collect!" He handed the box to Fan Mu.

"Thank you, grandma!" He took the box with a smile, then scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, "I have to wait two days to give the money to grandma. I don't have much money this month."

"No hurry, no hurry!" Fang Yi readily agreed, waving her hand to signal them to leave. Looking at the box in his hand, she exclaimed, "I really hope you can do it."

"must!"

Kafka on the side did not ask anything about this, because she had asked before and was only told "secret", and then she did not ask again.

When they arrived at the back mountain, because it was a long walk, Fan Mu simply picked up Kafka and started walking.

Just like two years ago, the vacant land on the back hill had not changed much, there were no development projects, and it was still covered with weeds and flowers, with fireflies flying in the air, but this time there was no bright purple flower blooming.

The surroundings are quiet and silent, which is very suitable for those who like quietness to come and enjoy the moon.

Ever since they last saw the Bauhinia flowers, this place has become a place they often visit, but since then, the two have never seen any Bauhinia flowers blooming again.

Perhaps because he was worried, Fan Mu walked a long way this time. He was wondering in his mind whether the illusion at that time had any other meaning.

"Big brother."

After a long time, a shout brought him back to his senses.

"What's wrong?" Fan Mu asked immediately, and at the same time looked around and found that he had unknowingly come to a more desolate place.

"Nothing." Seeing that he was fine, Kafka replied.

"It's time to go back."

It seems that I didn’t see the Bauhinia flowers this time.

"Huh? What is that?"

In the darkness, Fan Mu vaguely saw a platform in the distance through the weeds. It was not very big and seemed to be used for trains to stop.

After returning home and coaxing Kafka to sleep, he sat alone in front of the window, leaning limply against the wall, his brows full of sorrow. He only felt a little dry in his throat and a little bitter in his heart.

Finally, he left his seat and began to clean the room quietly.

"What's wrong? What happened in the illusion?" the system asked with some concern.

"Nothing, just..." Fan Mu told it what happened in the illusion and his own guesses. After that, he took a deep breath to calm his somewhat sour heart. Countless bad memories flooded into his mind at this moment.

He silently took off the sunglasses on his forehead and gently rubbed them with his fingers. Countless images flashed before his eyes. Although he had clearly come to another world, he seemed to see those people again.

"..." The system was silent for a while before saying: "According to the host's law of conservation, this development is normal."

The dim yellow light shone through the window onto his face. One could clearly see his eyebrows trembling slightly and his pupils quivering slightly, as if he was afraid of something, or as if he felt sad for himself.

"What the hell is this host conservation law?" Fan Mu gave a bitter smile.

"I didn't expect the result to be like this." He laughed at himself, "I just don't know what the reason is this time? If it's... if it's..."

He didn't say anything else, but the system understood what he meant, and it rarely uttered a word of comfort.

"Don't worry about what ifs. Think about the bright side. The world here is different from the last one. Maybe a different world will be much better."

"Maybe." Fan Mu shook his head and tried not to think about those embarrassing memories.

“I thought I had let it go!”

"You say that every time."

"You said... after this is over, should I call it a day?"

"…………, I listen to you. No matter what, we are one and will be together forever!"

"Don't be like this, I feel a little embarrassed." Fan Mu suddenly laughed, and the negative emotions around him dissipated, and he became the sunny big boy again.

But the system knows that this time it might have really come to an end, and it might... really can't hold on any longer.

If it happened again, considering everything that happened in the past, if it were someone else, the pain would have driven them crazy, right?

Fan Mu is such a person, or it can be said that he has become such a person. Most of the time, he can suppress his negative emotions well and live optimistically and cheerfully.

…………

Time flies, another year has passed, and this year Kafka is 13 years old.

In late spring, the two of them lay head to head under a tree in an open space on the back hill, looking up at the trees and the sky, with soft pink peach blossoms behind them and bursts of fragrance coming from their noses, Kafka asked.

"Big brother, why do these flowers grow on trees? And why do they wither?"

Because she had only been to school for one day, she didn't even recognize Taohua. Or maybe even if she had gone to school, she might not have recognized her.

"Because they are peach blossoms." Fan Mu replied softly.

"Peach Blossom?"

"Yeah, peach blossom."

"Then why would they thank you?"

"Because the peaches we usually eat will grow only after the peach blossoms fade."

"Oh." Kafka looked at the peach blossoms falling from the sky, perhaps feeling regretful, and was absent-minded for a moment.

"Don't be sad!" Fan Mu stroked her head gently, "The peach blossoms will bloom again next year, and we can come and see them again then!"

"Ah."

In autumn, it’s still under that tree.

"Big brother, why did the bird fly away?"

"Because they are swallows, it's too cold here for them. They can't survive here, so they have to go south for the winter."

"Overwinter?" The lark-like voice paused for a moment, then continued, "Will they come back?"

"Yes, I will be back in the spring of the following year!" Fan Mu replied patiently.

A frozen lake in winter.

"Brother, this tree is dead. Was it frozen to death?" Kafka, wrapped in a scarf and breathing cold air, pointed at an old tree that had already dried up and asked Fan Mu.

"No." Fan Mu shook his head and was about to explain when he was interrupted by Kafka's next words.

"Will they grow back?" A curious yet confident voice said, "Just like peach blossoms and swallows."

"Yeah." Fan Mu was stunned at first, then he smiled and nodded, and finally ran over to quickly pick her up, rubbing her cheek lovingly, "My Kafka is so smart!"

Kafka, however, turned a blind eye to his behavior and looked at Yang Liu with a thoughtful expression, with thoughts in her eyes that quickly disappeared, as if she had figured out something.

The peach blossoms will bloom again after they fade, the swallows will come back after they fly away, the willows will turn green again after they wither. Nothing will disappear. Just wait for a while. Just like the bauhinia flowers, you will see them sooner or later.