Chapter 1
Chapter 1
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Longed-for Hometown
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3,649,635 days have passed since I fell into the Backrooms.
I am the sole survivor who has endured the Backrooms without losing my mind.
Today is my 10,023rd birthday.
Or was it my 10,022nd? Who knows.
"Happy birthday to me~ Happy birthday to me~ Happy birthday to my beloved self!"
Clap clap clap.
I clap and sing to celebrate my birthday.
Over the years in the Backrooms, I've been through all sorts of things.
"Eh, looking back now, they were all trivial matters."
My body changed from that of an adult man to that of a little girl.
I gained a Healing Factor that lets me recover instantly even if my body is severed.
I became able to eat anomalies.
I started talking to myself more.
There were plenty of other events besides these, but they were all just minor things.
"Let's eat."
I slice off a piece of cake and pop it into my mouth.
The fluffy, squishy texture is pretty satisfying.
The cake wriggles around inside my mouth.
"Ugh, come on. Can't you stay still?"
I punch the remaining cake on the floor.
Splat-.
The piece in my mouth settles down.
I savor it slowly, chewing thoroughly.
I cut off pieces one by one from the cake I'd been saving especially for my birthday, munching away.
A deep sense of satisfaction fills my mouth and spreads through my body.
"Phew! All done."
I pat my belly, basking in the fullness.
It was worth saving—delicious cake.
"Time to head somewhere else, I suppose."
I can't stay lost in birthday bliss forever.
I brush off my butt and start wandering aimlessly.
My goal has always been the same.
Returning to Earth.
I've dreamed tens of thousands of times of escaping this godforsaken Backrooms and going back to Earth.
Today, too, I set off in search of a way back to Earth.
"Hm? What's that?"
Something out of place catches my eye amid the endless beige expanse.
Like a moth to a flame, my body is drawn toward it naturally.
There's a strange hole on the beige wall, as if the space itself has been punctured.
I peer inside the hole.
A blue sky, towering gray buildings, and bright sunlight shining down.
"N-No way."
My heart pounds like it did when I first fell into the Backrooms.
I clench my fists and carefully look inside again.
The view through the hole shifts constantly.
A home interior, a tall mountain, a blue ocean—it keeps showing different places.
It might not be Earth but some other weird dimension, so I check carefully.
First, life forms.
Two eyes, one nose, one mouth, round ears. Humans.
Next, buildings.
Tall rectangular structures packed densely together.
Modern Earth architecture.
I meticulously check food, culture, technology, and more.
"It's Earth!"
It's exactly like the place where I lived for over twenty years before falling into the Backrooms.
My heart races wildly.
"But the hole's kinda small."
The hole showing Earth is too tiny for even my head to fit through.
Clearly impossible for my whole body to pass.
"Hup!"
I grab the edges of the hole with both hands and pull it apart.
Screeech—.
A grotesque sound echoes as the space tears and the hole widens.
"Good, now it's big enough."
The hole is now plenty large enough for my body to go through with room to spare.
Grinning from ear to ear, I jump headfirst into the hole.
When I come to, I'm in a filthy back alley.
Above me stretches the blue sky, unseen for about 10,000 years.
I'm so overcome with emotion that I hold back tears.
Crying can wait.
I step out of the alley and grab a passerby.
"Is this Earth?"
First things first, confirm if this is really Earth.
I grab a passerby and ask, and he stares at me with a dumbfounded look.
Was that such a hard question?
Maybe he didn't hear, so I ask again.
"Is this Earth?"
The man's pupils shake violently.
His lips twitch as if he's about to speak but can't.
"Y-Yes, it's Earth. This is... Earth."
The man forces out the words in a voice like he'd just eaten bad cake.
Eating bad cake ruins your whole day.
This guy must've eaten some bad cake for sure.
"Phew, what a relief! Um, ah, right. Is this Korea?"
I'd forgotten how to speak Korean.
Hanging out with anomalies so much made me used to their way of talking, so now I can communicate regardless of language.
It's convenient, but it has minor issues like not knowing what country the other person is from.
"H-Ha... Y-Yes, Korea."
"Thanks. As thanks, here's something for you. It spoils quick, so eat it soon."
I take one of the ten hard-earned candies from my handbag and hand it to the man.
A bit of a waste, but better to give proper thanks.
The man takes the candy, his face twisting into a bizarre smile from sheer joy, speechless.
"Th-Thank you. I'll eat it well. I-It's just my stomach hurts right now... Can I eat it later?"
Must've gotten indigestion from that bad cake.
The man stammers badly while frantically rubbing his stomach.
"Do whatever. I'll be off then."
I bow politely and head on my way.
As I turn, I glimpse him pulling out his phone and calling someone, so I perk up my ears a bit.
Unfamiliar words like Management Bureau and Research Institute—he must be some kind of scientist.
Eating my candy should fix his stomach pain, so I've contributed to humanity's scientific progress.
"Hehe. Feels good already helping people."
I walk the streets with a proud heart.
City folk are all so busy, not sparing me a glance as they hurry past.
"Tsk. Such pitiful lives for modern city dwellers."
Come to think of it, don't I need to make money too?
Money is essential to survive on Earth.
I've got strength to spare, so manual labor should let me earn cash easily.
As I ponder my future plans while walking, I suddenly feel eyes on me.
Two unfamiliar men watching me from afar.
At least 200 meters away, but they've got good eyesight, I guess.
A sharply dressed, handsome young man and a middle-aged guy with heavy dark circles.
"This is Crow One. Target sighted. Young girl, Gothic Dress, Golden Reverse Eyes. Matches the tip." I overhear the middle-aged man talking into a radio.
Soon after, the man and the young man start walking straight toward me.
They must have something to say, so I head toward them too.
As I approach, they seem a bit flustered for some reason.
"Hello. Mind if we talk for a bit?"
The handsome young man hides his fluster and speaks naturally.
His friendly face would charm anyone, anywhere in the world.
The middle-aged man hangs back, watching us from a distance.
"Sure. What is it?"
"This might take a while. Want to move somewhere else? There's a nice cafe nearby. My treat."
The young man flashes a sly smile and winks.
What's with this obvious pickup line?
For starters, my current body is that of a little girl.
This guy looks decent but turns out to be a creep.
A little annoying, but I have nothing else to do, so I decide to go along.
"Okay."
I answer, and the young man takes the lead.
I follow him, with the middle-aged man trailing far behind.
After a few minutes, we arrive at the cafe he mentioned.
Inside, it's empty except for one employee—no customers.
Worried for the cafe's future.
The young man goes straight to the counter and orders via kiosk.
"Anything you want?"
"Anything's fine."
He orders an Americano and a yogurt smoothie, then sits at the farthest table in the back.
It's the spot farthest from the entrance, with tables arranged like a maze to reach the door.
You'd have to zigzag multiple times to exit from here.
Meanwhile, the middle-aged man waits outside, watching the cafe without entering.
Doesn't matter much, so I sit with the young man.
"I'll get straight to the point. What's your purpose?"
The young man said with a gentle smile.