For someone with disordered memories, the most painful thing is when, in others’ eyes, you are their old friend, but to you, they are a group of slightly overly enthusiastic strangers.

It truly is painful...

In truth, they’re not that unfamiliar. Church remembers their names and the experiences they shared, yet, after the memory disarray, a sense of alienation inevitably fills the space between them.

"You’ll feel a sense of distance with others, but don’t worry, they’re all good people."

On a certain page of the diary, his past self wrote such a sentence, leaving it for his future self.

Church tried to follow the advice, but imagination and reality always seemed to have quite a gap... perhaps it’s not just about the gap; maybe it’s his friends that seem to have some issues.

For instance, right now.

"Valentine told me who should leave~ those emotional memories he cherished the most~"

A song played on the radio, in the diary and his memories, his best friend, Palmer Clarks, was simultaneously driving and singing along endlessly with the melody from the radio.

When the car stopped at a red light, he would excitedly turn his head to look at him.

"Valentine! Valentine!"

The fragmented memories described what kind of person Palmer was, and the diary made Palmer clear again until Church saw Palmer with his own eyes, and all the information pieced together into a complete picture.

Church felt he was adapting, transitioning, like a version upgrade; he was trying hard to become the version of himself familiar to his friends.

"Church, you’re lucky, too!"

Palmer stepped on the gas, shooting out just a second before the light turned green.

"The doctors said you probably wouldn’t wake up, and even if you did, you might end up like a fool, but look at you now, you’re pretty healthy, aren’t you?"

"Is that so?" Church replied, slightly troubled; when he was discharged, the doctors didn’t say much to him, "But I do feel like I’ve lost many memories."

"Like what?" Palmer asked again, "I know you have a diary; have you cross-referenced with the diary records? This might help you find what you’ve forgotten."

The diary was extremely important to Church.

"I tried," Church said, "Many unimportant memories were consumed, not much effect."

As he conversed with Palmer, a strange sensation surged from within, the unfamiliarity gradually fading away, leaving Church somewhat bewildered and also pleasantly surprised, bringing him a sense of contentment.

"Is there anything important?"

Bologue in the passenger seat spoke, meeting Church’s eyes through the rear-view mirror.

Bologue Lazarus, unlike the capricious Palmer, remained as cold yet reliable as described in both his memories and diary.

"There is a part..."

Church paused, then continued, "You know, people don’t remember what they forgot, nor what they missed... it’s something inexplicable."

"I understand."

Palmer spoke, reminiscing about his past, "In my childhood at Wind Source Highlands, besides Vasilina, I actually had quite a lot of good friends, but for various reasons, as I grew up, we lost contact.

Last time I went back to Wind Source Highlands, I met a few of them; honestly, that feeling was quite subtle."

Palmer’s tone was unexpectedly cheerful, "I remember the times I spent with them, joy filled every moment, even the air felt like mead, and under normal development, we should have been lifelong friends, inseparable.

But perhaps human emotional connections are that fragile; time and space crossing cut off everything. When I saw them, I still remembered those wonderful times and even longed for them, but upon seeing them, I didn’t feel even a hint of excitement, almost as if they were strangers."

"What you miss is just the time, not the people." Bologue said.

"No... it’s not like that, Bologue, I just feel that human emotional connections are pretty fragile; it’s simply the time and space that wore down my emotions, so when I saw them, my heart wasn’t moved at all."

Palmer continued, "I thought Church would be the same, but it seems he’s not as bad as me."

"Well, you really are a heartless guy," Bologue said, "I couldn’t catch a trace of sadness in your words."

"Of course, there’s no sadness. I already said the emotions were worn down, just like facing strangers, so how could I feel any sadness... maybe a bit, for the pessimism towards the erosion of emotions, but it’s like this, so whatever."

"I guess, maybe it’s because I was just a kid at that time, and a child’s mind is just like that," Palmer added, "Besides, what’s there to be sad about, I have a fiancée you know, pretty much a half-life winner."

Palmer said, winking cheekily at the two of them, an air of arrogance about him.

Bologue didn’t bother with him, while Church didn’t pay much attention, only pondering over what’s within himself.

Church is somewhat of a dull person; in his spare time, he has read many books, most of which relate to human psychology, with some philosophy as well.

As a Narrow Space Walker, a pitiful person living a shattered life, someone like Church inevitably needs some philosophical thought to protect himself.