21st Century Necromancer-Chapter 944 - 937: A Pipe Dream

Chapter 944 -937: A Pipe Dream

Chen Yu’s words struck Inomata Naoki as strange. What did he mean by the result being something one couldn’t bear?

But after thinking it over calmly, Inomata Naoki understood why Chen Yu had said that.

If he didn’t have a girlfriend, everything would be simple. At most, he could just be with Minami, and the issue would be resolved.

But Inomata Naoki did have a girlfriend. His girlfriend, Tokairin Yuko, had an established relationship with him, and he was even staying at her house during his visit to Tokyo Metropolis.

This undoubtedly had a significant impact on the situation.

Break up with Tokairin Yuko for Minami? Inomata Naoki felt he couldn’t stoop to such a scummy act.

Then, staying in a relationship with Tokairin Yuko while maintaining an ambiguous connection with Minami? Though it might sound enticing, leaving aside whether Tokairin Yuko or Minami would accept such an arrangement, Inomata Naoki himself couldn’t handle Chen Yu’s disdainful gaze that seemed to regard him as a piece of trash.

As for simply staying with Tokairin Yuko and cutting off ties with Minami, that was perhaps the best solution. But for Inomata Naoki, he felt reluctant to let go.

Logically, Inomata Naoki shouldn’t have had such feelings in his heart, but for some reason, the mere thought of parting ways with Minami made him feel uneasy, as if he would lose something exceedingly precious, making him intensely resistant.

This made Inomata Naoki hesitate to make a decision, but it also strengthened his resolve to find out what had truly happened.

“No matter the result, I still want to know what really happened. Why did my feelings towards Minami change so drastically after visiting Kyoto that one time?” Inomata Naoki looked seriously at Chen Yu, hoping his longtime friend and good brother could clear up his confusion. “It must have something to do with that dream. Brother Yu, you weren’t asleep at the time—you must know what happened.”

Seeing Inomata Naoki’s earnest and persistent demeanor, Chen Yu raised an eyebrow and replied, “What if I told you I didn’t know?”

“Then I’ll go to Kyoto again and visit Inari Taisha to seek out that Shrine Maiden from before. If you don’t know, Brother Yu, then surely she does!” Inomata Naoki was determined to uncover the truth.

At Inomata Naoki’s remark, Chen Yu couldn’t help but chuckle. That Shrine Maiden could certainly be found, but as for what occurred that day, she genuinely didn’t know.

Because the one presiding over the ritual that day was the Inari God itself, and the Shrine Maiden was merely a vessel for Divine Descent.

The only ones who truly knew what happened on that day were Chen Yu, Jounouchi Hiromi, and the Inari God.

If Inomata Naoki wanted to find out what occurred, yet Chen Yu didn’t tell him, then the only way to learn might be to seek the Inari God. But if Chen Yu wouldn’t disclose the truth, why would the Inari God reveal it to him?

Moreover, Inomata Naoki was nothing but an ordinary human. While the affair between him and Minami was involved in the plans of Chen Yu and the Inari God, why would mere mortals demand explanations from the deities?

Even Chen Yu only received favorable treatment because of his mutually beneficial relationship with the Inari God. If not for that connection, even a demigod barely a step away from becoming a True God wouldn’t warrant any special privilege from it.

Nevertheless, Inomata Naoki was ultimately Chen Yu’s brother, and, as part of Chen Yu’s plan, he needed to comprehend what had happened so the feelings between him and Minami could ignite, enabling the plan to proceed smoothly. After weighing matters carefully, Chen Yu decided to let Inomata Naoki understand what had transpired.

“Naoki, have you ever heard of ‘a pipe dream?'” Chen Yu folded his hands on the table and leaned forward, fixing his gaze on Inomata Naoki.

Seeing Chen Yu’s posture, Inomata Naoki recognized it as his way of discussing serious matters. He nodded affirmatively, then shook his head and said, “I’ve heard you mention it before, Brother Yu, as a saying in China. But I don’t know the details.”

“Then let me tell you about it. Sit down first.” Chen Yu gestured for Inomata Naoki to take the chair in front of him and began the tale: “The so-called ‘a pipe dream’ refers to an ancient story about a scholar who encountered an immortal at an inn. The immortal gave him a pillow, inviting him to sleep on it. In the dream, the scholar became a government official, got married, had children and grandchildren, and lived until eighty years old before passing away.

But when he woke up, he was still in the inn, and everything he’d experienced had been nothing but a dream. The rice cooking in the inn hadn’t even finished yet.

The notion of ‘a pipe dream’ is that, within the dream, you can experience what others might only encounter over a lifetime. A similar story is ‘a dream of Nanke,’ which also involves going through countless events within a dream, only to awaken and find it all empty and illusory.” fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

“I remember now. When we woke up that day, Brother Yu, you mentioned this idea of ‘a pipe dream’ and said it was a spell designed to prevent us from being influenced by the dream, which was why we couldn’t recall anything!” Upon hearing Chen Yu’s explanation, Inomata Naoki immediately remembered the Shrine Maiden’s words and hurriedly pressed further. “If that’s the case, Brother Yu, you must have a way to help me remember what happened in the dream!”

However, faced with Inomata Naoki’s hopeful anticipation, Chen Yu furrowed his brow slightly and shook his head. “The reason you and everyone else were made to forget what happened in the dream was precisely to avoid this situation, where you’d become too engrossed in the dream and unable to distinguish it from reality. For this reason, I actually suggest you forget even more thoroughly. That way, you wouldn’t have any special feelings for Minami.”

This was Chen Yu’s final test and opportunity for his brother. If Inomata Naoki chose to forget, then everything would cease, but if he insisted on pursuing the truth, Chen Yu would indeed reveal it, driving the plan forward.

Chen Yu’s words caused Inomata Naoki’s expression to change dramatically. He quickly protested, “No, Brother Yu, don’t! Even if you want me to forget completely, at least tell me what happened! I want to know what I experienced in the dream! Please, Brother Yu! This is my lifelong request!”

Seeing Inomata Naoki’s sincerity, Chen Yu helplessly shook his head but eventually relented. “Alright, since you insist, I’ll tell you. At the time, we placed all of you into a dream world. Within that dream, each of you was given different identities and lived through three lifetimes in the context of the Taisho era.

But over the course of those three lifetimes, each time, you chose to be with Minami and spend a life together. Not once did you choose Doctor Tokairin.”