Chapter 57: I'll Let It Slide Again
You did not return the cake. Instead, you placed it beside the lake.
Today was her birthday, and that place was her starting point. You did not really know the meaning of doing this.
You simply thought it might bring you a little peace of mind.
But the cake she had asked you to return at that time, years later, became the birthday gift she could never find again…
You returned to the city immediately.
Life still had to go on; whether sadness or hope, they were only extras in life.
You temporarily settled in that small workshop, repairing simple machines while beginning to study theoretical knowledge.
Physics seemed tailor-made for you; you learned it thoroughly and rapidly.
Not long afterward, you received news that Himeko had become a university student at the age of sixteen.
She had majored in Interstellar Navigation Dynamics at Muelta Academy.
You quietly registered for the entrance examination that same year. You were already far behind her.
It seemed she had truly forgotten you and never contacted you again in any way.
You also focused on your studies and no longer tried to use words to win her forgiveness.
In just one year, you mastered seventy to eighty percent of basic physics—something that usually takes ordinary people years to learn.
With the blessings and reluctant approval of the mechanical workshop's owner, you entered the examination hall.
As expected, you achieved the highest score that year—the kind of score that allows you to choose any school in the country.
You also chose Muelta Academy, Interstellar Navigation Dynamics.
You even applied to enter directly into the second year.
Geniuses always receive special treatment. Before enrollment, the school sent you all the first-year textbooks, promising that if you passed the exams, you would be allowed to enter directly into the second year.
Allowing you to become Himeko's classmate, just as you wished.
Within one month, you also conquered the first-year curriculum.
Magnetic levitation, warp engines, spatial fibers, artificial gravity fields…
You studied day and night, quit your job at the repair shop, and devoted yourself completely to related theories.
A month passed quickly, and you developed myopia.
Fortunately, you had already mastered all that knowledge, becoming a theoretical interstellar navigation engineer.
During the entrance examination, you saw Himeko again.
She did not seem to recognize you; your appearance and temperament had subtly changed after a year of study.
You were also wearing glasses.
The drastic changes made it impossible for the girl—who was focused solely on her studies—to notice you.
You did not rush to disturb her either. After all, the sincere words you once prided yourself on had been overused by the original owner of this body.
You did not pray for her forgiveness through words.
But soon the entrance exam results were released.
Himeko fell into thought as she looked at the name on the transcript tied with hers for first place.
"Su Xiaobai…"
Two words.
Starting in the second year, students in Interstellar Navigation Dynamics would begin practical training.
Therefore, the school term began earlier than for first-year students.
Naturally, Himeko's seventeenth birthday was gradually approaching.
You still chose her birthday to meet her.
With a nervous heart, you waited at the school gate.
Soon, that red-haired figure approached gracefully. Her steps were calm and exceptionally composed.
Elegance and generosity radiated from her.
"Miss Himeko!"
Your voice seemed to surprise her.
She looked at you with slight astonishment.
"Su Xiaobai?"
You nodded and adjusted your glasses. Your slender but radiant appearance made it difficult for her to associate you with that blond youth from before.
"Am I dreaming…?"
Himeko was a little surprised, completely unprepared for the person tied with her for first place on the transcript to actually be you.
You looked at the girl who was now as tall as you. She had grown quite a bit over the past year. Her appearance was gradually maturing and already showed some of the bearing of a Navigator.
"It really is me!"
The joyful reunion scene you imagined—the happy birthday celebration, the buried hatchet—did not appear.
"Congratulations, Su Xiaobai…"
Her eyes were calm and rational. After a brief moment of shock, she walked past you again, heading toward the friends waiting for her nearby.
They had arranged to celebrate Miss Himeko's birthday.
Once certain feelings are broken, repairing them is as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
She could show enthusiasm toward you when you were nothing, and she could be equally indifferent when you achieved success.
She wanted nothing from you.
You did not take it to heart. For Himeko, repairing a broken friendship was extremely difficult.
She was gentle and kind, but also very principled.
She would never assume that the reason you went through so much hardship to attend this school was because of her.
You never thought about giving up, because…
You understood that she was worth it.
Because this Navigator, and perhaps even the Immeasurable Tower, shared a similar fate.
To protect. To inherit.
She could do anything.
Therefore, the "guilt" in your heart might also come from this.
She ignited everything that belonged to her, trying to illuminate the entire world.
So who could illuminate her?
Perhaps you were that person.
Who knows?
You might not have ideals as noble as hers, but even while feeling guilty, you also felt deep sorrow for her destiny.
Fortunately, your opportunity finally arrived.
Not long after classes began, the research topic proposed by Miss Himeko received the school's support.
And you—also possessing a solid and profound foundation—applied to become her assistant.
The project was titled "Practical Applications of Artificial Gravity Systems."
It concerned a system used to control gravity inside spacecraft—a complex and profound subject, and you showed great interest in it.