Back to the Future 1999: Raining at the Same Time

In the distance, the hazy fog obscured the outline of the tombstone. As the two approached, the true appearance of the cemetery they were destined for was revealed.

"Wow, so this is a cemetery at night. I have to say, this is... this is a real cemetery!" (This weather is really good, baby, you are so cute!!!)

The lantern attendant covered his mouth and laughed secretly, and asked the letter circle:

"Are you afraid?"

"How can it be!"

"You said before that this is a zombie cemetery. Are there really zombies here? Where are they?"

"Of course they're under your feet. Keep quiet. It's not the season for them to wake up yet, and they're still sleeping."

The lantern attendant made a gesture to keep quiet, and Paper Letter Circle also carefully covered his mouth.

"Oh, sorry. Shhh..."

The two children walked through rows of tombstones and headed deeper into the cemetery.

"Strange, I didn't see any fireflies, but they should be around here."

The paper letter circle felt the position of its own name, and the vague intuition ended here.

"The administrator said that those goblins like to hide their names in things that others cherish... 'In'?"

Just like Zhixinquan, they were lost in thought. It seemed that both children were not very smart.

"Well, to be honest, I kind of don't understand. But anyway, I thought maybe we could ask someone."

"Just right! Look, there seems to be a figure over there."

"Ugh……."

The lantern bearer, holding the paper letter ring, could hear the man sighing before he even reached him. It was a large, terrifying-looking figure standing next to a tombstone.

"That gentleman... well."

The paper letter circle was thinking about the right wording.

"It doesn't look very friendly. Humph - but it's still far worse than Mr. Chenxi's previous appearance."

Having mentally categorized that adult as a good person, Zhixinquaner turned around and asked the lantern attendant:

"Is he a Mr. Zombie who didn't go to bed?"

"No, he's a gravekeeper. But... strange."

Looking at the figure in front of him, the lamplighter's face became more and more confused.

"The gravekeeper should be out on patrol at this hour. Why is he still here?"

"But maybe he knows something about my name... I think I could ask him."

Like a newborn calf that is not afraid of a tiger, Zhixinquaner took a deep breath and mustered up the courage to walk towards the big man.

"Hello, may I bother you—"

"Yeah, yeah, sorry, boss! I'll be back right away... ugh!"

The clear sound of a child's voice came from deep in the cemetery, startling the big man on the tombstone.

The paper letter circle looked at the gravekeeper in astonishment as he fell off the tombstone. The gravekeeper seemed to be more frightened than the paper letter circle.

"Wait, who are you?"

The gravekeeper reacted quickly and immediately raised the serrated broadsword that always carried with him, making his intimidation even more pronounced.

"Sorry to scare you... We were looking for something and wanted to ask if you knew anything about it."

A child's kindness is the best medicine in the world. Or perhaps it's better to say that this child has no sense of crisis at all?

"It might look like a firefly, but it's actually... uh, my name."

After the words came out, Paper Letter Circle also realized how strange it sounded.

Sure enough, the big guy stared at the circle of paper letters suspiciously and moved his ferocious face closer.

"Listen, little one! I don't know what you've done wrong, but if someone lets you use that excuse to tease me—"

He raised the canine-like butcher knife and shook it twice.

"I just—"

"You, you just...?"

The sound of the paper letter ringing was tinged with trembling due to the knife light, but she still stared at the big man in front of her.

"I just...I just..."

The overwhelming momentum dissipated in an instant, and he collapsed to the ground again, like a deflated balloon.

"Well, it won't matter. After all, I'm nothing."

"Uh……"

Under the astonished gaze of the paper letter circle, the gravekeeper leaned dejectedly against the tombstone again.

"Why do you say that?"

If you ask questions sincerely, a child's clear eyes will always make you speak out what you think without any defense.

"Look... we heard Banagher had reappeared, so we formed a patrol. The other gravekeepers were already patrolling the perimeter.

But... I can't help but wonder, what if I really run into Banagher?"

"I was so scared, I couldn't even imagine it! So I... I sneaked back from the area I was in charge of."

"But I know I can't do this anymore. I have to go back... Yes, I have to go back!"

The gravekeeper stood up tremblingly and was about to go outside, but his legs were still shaking.

"Hmm...? Wait a minute."

He quickly called out to the gravekeeper who had already resigned himself to his fate and fled. The paper letter circle activated its skill again. The child asked casually:

"I don't understand. Why do you want to go back? Aren't you scared?"

"I'm really scared! But...but I can't really just run away like this. I know! I can't be a coward!"

He used the most cowardly tone to say the harshest words, but his words aroused further questions from the paper letter circle:

"Hmm...? I still don't understand. Why not?"

"……what are you saying?"

The gravekeeper turned around in surprise.

There was genuine confusion in Zhixinquan'er's tone, which caused the gravekeeper and the lamplighter nearby to look at her in surprise.

"If you're afraid, then don't go. Can't you ask someone else to go for you?"

"I don't know what your jobs are, but I imagine there must be a lot of things to do besides patrolling."

"For example, helping everyone prepare meals, mending everyone's clothes, or helping to wake everyone up in the morning."

After saying this last thing, Paper Letter Circle gave the gravekeeper a confident smile.

"You can do these things, and you are also helping everyone."

"No, that's what cowards do!"

He stubbornly insisted on his own opinion, but the inner struggle had made him close his eyes in pain.

"If everyone's out on patrol and I'm the only one doing some insignificant work, then... then..."

"so what?"

"That would make everyone look down on me, and that wouldn't fit in!"

"Oh……"

Some familiar words were once again handed to the paper letter circle in this way, but she soon gave her own answer.

"Do not."

Simple, firm, the paper letter circle denied his idea.

"I want to make it clear that they are not your friends. Because good friends would never see you that way."

"..."

The gravekeeper was speechless for a long time.

From the cracks in his mask, he revealed confusion and helplessness.

After a while, his tense shoulders relaxed.

"Maybe... you're right?"

The gravekeeper still felt a little resistance in his heart as he accepted the answer that he had always ignored with uncertainty.

"I shouldn't care so much about the opinions of those insignificant guys."

He stood there with his head down for a while, his hand holding the knife trembling slightly, as if he was fighting with "them" and also fighting with himself.

After a long time, the gravekeeper suddenly took a deep breath.

"Went to his!"

Shout out your deepest thoughts.

"I'm not going! I'm just a coward, so what?"

He felt extremely happy, and the knot that had been lingering in his heart for a long time was finally resolved today.

Gratitude held the little hand holding the paper letter ring, shaking it up and down.

"Thank you, little girl. Haha! I've never felt so happy.

I don't know what magical item you're looking for, but—"

He turned around, took out a handicraft and handed it to Paper Letter Circle.

"If you don't mind, you can take this."

"A gift? That's delightful—wait, did you make this yourself?"

The simple bow on the necklace with beautiful feathers and pebbles caught the attention of the paper letter circle.

"Yeah... Actually, I've always liked this kind of handicraft, but everyone thinks it's something for sissies..."

Obviously, it is a shy thing to reveal your true feelings to others after accepting yourself for the first time. But fortunately, he met a little angel.

"What are you talking about! That's so cool!"

Zhixinquaner took the necklace and gestured with it around her neck.

"How's it going? Does it look good?"

"It looks good! It looks good... Thank you, really."

The big guy, who had been recognized and praised and had let go of his worries, actually began to shed tears.

"Why do you need to say thank you? You gave me a gift, so I should be the one saying it."

"Thank you!"

Through the hideous mask, the gravekeeper smiled at the paper letter circle, waved his hand and left.

After his figure completely disappeared in the thick fog, the lantern bearer came to the side of the letter circle, smiled and took her hand:

"...I have to say, the way you think about things is really different."

"what do you mean?"

Although he didn't understand why the lantern attendant was rubbing her palms, the paper letter ring still obediently let her hold her palms.

"Normally, shouldn't we encourage him to be brave or something like that?"

"Huh? Why does it have to be like that?"

The paper letter circle also raised sincere questions.

"Because... no, forget it."

The lantern operator stared at the face of the person holding the letter and smiled.

"You know what? I like you more and more." (Deep Blue Female Ketone! Huhuhuhu, ahhhh' crawling in the dark, making incomprehensible howls')

"Really? Thanks."

"...But, strangely, I seem to have forgotten something."

"Yeah, you definitely forgot."

The lantern attendant looked at the paper letter circle with a smile on his face.

"Oh yes, my name! We are here to find my name!"

"But where exactly is it...huh?"

The necklace he had obtained from the gravekeeper began to heat up, and the fireflies appeared again around the paper letter circle.

"This is……"

"your name!"

Before Zhixinquaner could finish her words, the lantern operator had already shouted it out.

"Did it come out of that necklace?"

"By the way, the manager said that fairies will deliberately hide their names in things they treasure... It seems to be true."

"Even though I've seen it once before, I still find it a little unbelievable..."

The paper letter circle opened its eyes wide, watching the fireflies flying around it.

"But it seems we have good news anyway – I got my second letter!"

"So we're down to five... uh."

The excitement just now disappeared in an instant.

"Why does my name have so many letters? If only I were just 'I', then we'd be done with our search."

"Haha, I'd say that's a great idea."

The lantern keeper smiled and agreed with her, but then he came back to his words.

"But if we really put it into practice, I guess we'll be confused very quickly."

"Come on, hurry up. Don't forget, we have to find all your names before dawn."