Cooking
[ After roaming around the city, they, fortunately, bought cheap spices and oils at a family grocery store; got their hands on some 'leftover' potatoes at a closed store; and successfully bargained with a butcher shop at the end of the city when most of the other shops had already run out of meat.
It was a fantastic feat.
Now that all the ingredients had been inquired, they headed back to his apartment just in time and ready to make dinner. ]
"We're finally home!"
[ Vaccine immediately rushed in, the moment the door was opened. But he was pulled back by ■ before he could even put a step in. ]
Stop right there, young man. Get your shoes off first then think of another.
"Haha… You really are an Asian to the core."
[ The pull has startled him but thankfully nothing got falling off to the ground. Instead, Vaccine was amazed by ■'s active attitude rather than these trivial things. That's great news! It seemed like we had successfully convinced him. ]
What makes you think like that?
[ . . . ]
". . ."
…Anyway, I'll get the broom. If you don't have anything better than standing there like an idiot, do the meat. We don't have time to wait.
[ …■ then went ahead without waiting for Vaccine to respond, until he entered the parlour with a broom and a dustpan in his hand ( a trash bag as well ) did Vaccine regained his mouth to speak. ]
"Why is he angry… Did I offend him in some way?"
[ Vaccine was confused about the drastic change in ■'s tone. Ever since he asked ■ about himself, he has weirdly become more impatient with almost everything. From when they were blocked by a crowd of people before reaching the butcher shop to the bargaining that he did, not once did he stand still. He could somewhat guess the reason but it doesn't make sense to him. But to…
"From now on, let's not think of anything else and prepare the meal," He supposed, as he put all the stuff they got on the dusty table.
So far, he has a general grasp of their whereabouts. Its atmosphere was completely different from the 21st century, with an ancient look that could only be seen in movies and theatres, they cannot be mistaken with any years. However, those could not compare to the products in the late 19th century.
It was frankly a pain in the ass, from the prices to the quality of some daily products. There were so many problems with those things that he wanted to write a full essay of genuine opinions on the supporting feedback.
Thus, as one of the consequences of going back in time, the current technologies haven't advanced yet. One man can't do anything, he just has to deal with it from time to time.
"At least this was doable…" Vaccine relieved.
First, he took 4 potatoes out, washed them over before peeling, and cut them to his desired thickness for the fries. While soaking them in ice water for 2 hours, he moved onto the ribeyes.
"The salt we bought from that grocery store is not a high-quality product, but it could replace it."
He sprinkled a bit of salt onto the ribeyes, and salt brined them in the fridge for 1 hour. In the meantime, Vaccine decided to check out ■'s progress. ]
"Wow! Did you do this on your own?"
[ What greeted him was a cleaned parlour, with no speck of dust remaining on the floor, except for the ceiling. The white clothes on the furniture were also removed and folded nicely on the armchair. Along with the dust gathering in the trash bag and being put in the corner. ]
Yes. Who else could be me?
[ ■ said. His uninterested voice showed how familiar he was with these kinds of chores before.
"Um… What is going on with this novel … for you to twist your face like that?"
[ Vaccine nervously asked ■, who is reading this. . . Oh. ]
This thing underestimates me hm? To the point of forgetting about this?
[ … ]
"Is everything ok…?"
How funny… Do you think I haven't seen what you've just deleted?
[ . . . ]
"Who are you talking about....?"
[ Uh—Suddenly, a piece of dust fell from the ceiling and got into ■'s nose! ]
You fuc– ACCHOO.
[ The sneezing was so loud that even the rats in the wall could hear him. But it's just a theoretical scenario, of course, no one has heard anything from Vaccine's apartment nor does it break anything. If anything, it was this monologue, Vaccine, as well as ■ that almost got blown away to the next page. With only a sneeze, how incredible he could even affect this novel effortlessly. ]
"Are you… allergic to dust?"
[ Vaccine worryingly asked him. ]
…
[ ■ nodded while covering his nose. After sneezing several times in a row ( the real-time impacts had been cut short for convenience ), he has completely lost it.
Seeing him like this, made Vaccine relieved but worried at the same time. It's not a joke how he saw what occurred before him, yet he couldn't fully grasp the concepts behind it.
His consciousness has not grown up much since 'his' death, and he's aware that what he does now is minimal, but it's the best thing he could do for ■. ]
"Let me do the rest, you can go check the steaks in the kitchen."
Sure.
[ Just like that, they've switched their places temporarily. Vaccine did the cleanings, ■ did the cooking.
At first, Vaccine thought ■ wouldn't do anything besides sitting and waiting for him to be done. When he came back, he saw him frying the potatoes for 5 minutes like it was nothing. Even he was wary of the burning oil at 135⁰C, yet ■ pulled that off so easily.
This also continued with the steak that he had prepared previously. Although he had to intervene in the midway since ■ didn't know anything about steak frites, he did it better than he expected.
At last, ■ went back to clean the rooms with a mask on this time; as for Vaccine, he continued the cooking. The steak was halfway done, so he pressed the steaks to create a hardened layer on the top and let the liquid absorb the outside.
Afterwards, he brought the finished steak to sit at the kitchen temperature while he was extracting the yolks from the eggs. Just then, ■ has finished cleaning the bedroom and walked out. ]
Mhm~ That smells good, [ He went to the table, ] The shallot is truthfully one of my favourites.
"It's just a seasoning, you know;;"
[ Vaccine instinctively grabbed the sheet pan, it's like what he had feared, ■ was secretly trying to get a piece of fries!
Unable to archive his scheme, ■'s shoulders slightly dropped, he got on the chair nearby and continued. ]
What do you know about it?
"Uhhhhhh…"
[ "Is it a twisted question?"
Vaccine nervously gripped the whisk. A great prudent, developed by 'his' series of tricky questions, is warning him. But whatever it is, he's ready for it. ]
"Shallot is a small kind of resembles onion. Originating in the Middle East, it is widely used in Southeast Asia and some professional chefs' dishes; that is all I know."
That's it. [ ■ enthusiastically expressed. ]
"Hah??"
[ He was worried for nothing… ]
That's why it is famously known as a sign of a good dish. Its smell could directly boost the cravings for your cook by being a seasoning.
[ ■ took the sheet pan from Vaccine's hand while he's being stunned. Once again, he had to remind himself that they weren't the same.
When ■ fried those fries until golden brown, Vaccine sneakily stood beside him and filled a small saucepan with ⅓ water. Then, it was brought to a simmer and lowered to medium heat. At the time, only the sounds of oils dancing in the pot and the crackling fire underneath the saucepan stayed.
There is no music box in this place. The two stood there in silence, appreciating the peaceful atmosphere at the end of May. Maybe they don't find each other's presence uncomfortable, and they won't even bother to take a glimpse into their thought. ]
"This recipe is quite complicated for a steak and fries ." [ Vaccine noted. ]
For real
[ By the time it's finished, the sky is already dark outside. ■ got their knives and forks ready on the table while Vaccine was slicing the steaks; bringing bearnaise, chives, black pepper and fries with them.
Finally, the dinner was done. ]
***
Mời ăn cơm…
(Enjoy your meal…)
"Eh–Um… Enjoy your meal."
[ The two both sat down at the wooden table in the kitchen, on it, two dishes of steak frites were placed neatly facing on the side, with a carbon filament lamp hanging on the ceiling emitting its light, and an opened door to the parlour for the outside view.
Til this moment, Vaccine couldn't believe he had made it here. Through all their troubles from start to end, he finally sees the new beginning at the end of this tunnel. That warm sense of light right in front of him could be a hallucination or that old light bulb we've just mentioned.
No longer need to wait, Vaccine took a bite of the steak he and ■ prepared. The layer was effortlessly broken with just a bite, and the soft, tasty meat melted swiftly inside his mouth. It was so good that he missed the sauce drop on the white plate.
Noticing that, he leaned his head forward to avoid dripping on his clothes. This action accidentally made him see the opposite plate was missing a piece of steak. That was when he first saw–]
Focus on your food, Vaccine.
[ He immediately looked down according to ■, nervously bringing the food into his mouth. It wasn't a force that applied to him, it was his instinct.
It was as if what he was about to see was genuinely prohibited to him, a thing that was surrounded by the fog of missing information. ■'s face was never fully described nor appeared in Vaccine's memories, it has become a mystery to him.
( and to us.)
"But why…" He thought.
There must be a reason for him to hide his face to this extent. Is it confidential? Or perhaps it was something more sinister behind that blank face of his… ]
For the first time, this is good.
[ Just when his mind drifted away, ■ threw a compliment on their meal tonight. His voice brought him back to the old, rusty kitchen, where they were having a meal. He noticed the scenery had become more pleasing after the cleaning, yet the darkness hardly changed. ]
"Yeah, I didn't know I could do this."
[ Vaccine scratched his head and seemed to be unaware of his cooking talent, but that was just to make ■ thinks he had delicately made it for him, despite the disadvantage of being a newbie.
"I knew it was a good thing to secretly purchase that cooking book," he nodded to himself, "With this dinner, I had scored another good point in his eyes!"
Little did he know, we all understood how simple his plan was as ■ continued eating. Each time a fork stabbed the steak, the sound of it tapping on the plate echoed within the room. They silently crunched the food in this suffocated place and didn't know what to say during the meal. When the plate was half done, ■ voiced out his thoughts. ]
If there were rice, it would be better…
[ It was a simple yearning. Yearning for something familiar yet so far away. Yet Vaccine didn't understand this, he giggled at his unfortunate. ]
"Don't say your eating utensil is chopsticks too?
It is.
[ ■ calmly said, starting to finish the fries on the plate. Each time a fork poked the fries, several fries came with another. Some might fall back to where it was, but the way he does it is just like his attitude; ■ wasn't joking.
His straightforwardness always amazed him, their conversations had never gone off the topic or were long. However, the downside was it ended too quickly, making them unable to proceed to the next one. Even so, Vaccine wished that 'guy' could learn a thing or two from him. ]
"But where could we find those in a place like this?"
[ Who drinks will drink again. Vaccine merely asked ■, encouraging him to a new adventure for the both of them. Knowing this, ■ put his knife and fork on the empty dish lightly. ]
That's why it sucks to be here.
"…"
[ His patience has run out, with just one sentence, the atmosphere has turned to the worst. The light from the bulb was not enough to push the darkness away from ■. If he blinked once, he would lose him forever. ]
Even if this is one of my dreams of travelling to a foreign country, I must go home, Vaccine.
[ Vaccine could only look at him in fear, not frightened, just fear. They shouldn't be in an argument, it came so fast that he could not respond.
"No no no– Not now!!!"
His inner self is screaming right now. It's to be expected, that everything had gone smoothly in his favour before. He thought that it would not come to an end yet. He believed that he could find more about 'him' at the end of this novel. ]
"But…"
[ He tried to say something but he couldn't find a word. At the beginning of this situation, he never has the right to stop ■. If he had done more than this, he would look nothing more than a bad guy to us. ]
My arrival was not welcomed here, Vaccine.
[ The decision was already made, ■ isn't going to back down from this. No matter how many times we altered the whole world, it could not keep him here any longer.
I'm sorry, Vaccine. I cannot help you anymore.
Defeated, Vaccine quietly took their dishes to the sink while ■ was going to the parlour, at the end of their point, a missing bridge was nowhere to be seen.
But it didn't matter anymore.
Midnight without any clouds fell to this quiet city like a sluggish death, not a single wind blew by the sealed windows of those buildings.
The inside was no different, the two fell silent, and the water poured down on the dishes, filling their lack of communication.
Vaccine unconsciously wiped the nonexistent dust off his eyes, and the bubbles from the washing-up liquid, it's just like his efforts, were washed away, down to the drain. After putting those on the shelf, he shifted to ■, who was lying on the sofa, and asked, ]
"So… Are you going to leave after the meal?"
I don't think so, [ ■ looked outside the window, ] I have to stay overnight for the early departure.
[ An opportunity. His eyes immediately lit up when a chance appeared out of nowhere. However, the excitement couldn't be like the previous. He was forcing himself to invite ■ over. ]
"Use my bed then!"
No. I'll sleep on the sofa.
[ ■ refused to purge and sat fixing on the sofa, claiming it for himself. Since Vaccine had done more than enough, he wanted to let him have a sleep for once ( also as compensation for carrying the joke too far in Chapter 2 ).
It seemed he couldn't convince him by talking, so Vaccine picked him up from the spot and threw him into the bedroom. ]
"A guest should use the bed, I'm fine with the sofa."
Oi! With how small it is, do you think you can fit in that?
[ Got carrying without his consent, ■ was quite flustered at his disrespectful manner, but his anger quickly died down… ]
"Yes! Leave it to me!"
[ …After all, his selfish request was genuine so ■ took it as the last favour for his endeavour. Finally, they quickly settled down in their sleeping places, as the night had passed 12. am. ]
***
Hello.
It's been a long time since we talked face-to-face like this…
Oh? Were you confused?
Right… What you see right now is my perspective, just like in Chapter 1. So don't worry, he won't hear us.
That's said.
This part of Chapter 6 is exclusively available for you, who's currently reading this. You could think of it as a uhhhhhh… conclusion! A conclusion of this novel.
Overall, I could tell it's been quite a wild ride with Vaccine, you and □. The rescue was funny; the hanging out was good; the apartment seemed lovely but too dirty; the shopping took a long time but it's all right; the food is amazing… I lied; it would be great if I could taste it in the first place.
Since we made it this far, here is a question for you.
Have you enjoyed this story so far?
Right.
At first, I made this out of a simple joke, a one-shot if you would like to call that. It's about "if I were to ever fall into my work". As the story suggested, I would plan suicide to escape from here, yet Vaccine has interfered. Afterwards was the story and we had done a lot of stuff, didn't we?
But all for nothing at all.
It was great but everything had an end otherwise, whether you liked it or not.
I stood at the doorstep and looked at the empty room. Outside, the crystal clear sky hid the stars from reality, and the lampposts replaced them with themselves, shining the night in their stead.
The bed that reminded you of a ward looked more isolated than ever, with an urge to put me to sleep already, it was late, too late to think of anything right now. Before I knew it, I was lying on the bed with a sheet nearly covering my face.
There's no heating or fireplace, and the ceiling was craved with detail for architectural purposes. It's cold and melancholy, stopping me from sleeping.
Sleep deprivation is frankly something.
So I often thought a story to myself like…
Oh no! I got transmitted to my own novel. Since I know all the events and resources whereabouts, I could survive through these shenanigans! ugh…
Ah… That's one confident yet familiar speech we've often seen in most of this genre's stories before the whole thing falls apart.
Or… I was a high schooler but got hit by a truck on the way home and reincarnated into my web novel, which I haven't touched for ages, and now I'm building a harem within it, accidentally.
So on and so on…
A person who awakened from their slumber is monologuing about themselves right now as they put their hands on their neck.
Is this necessary? You may ask.
Who knows, a story needs a lead after all.
Even if it's not reaching anyone in this world…
That's being said. Rather, or seemingly, the most and only option they choose in these kinds of situations is desperately leaning on the original one. Or… I should have said it was "the story they've once known."
With that confidence in mind, later on, the "author" will meet several problems on their journey while heading towards the end of the story that they had written before. Some may be brave enough to overcome such events, but some are too scared to even get going quickly. Although they will somehow survive through these scenarios in the end, don't you agree?
However, the core of those problems came later on from none other than... themselves.
It's not like I'm neglecting their reasons for living or something.
They are just... not supposed to be here.
They knew full well the consequences by choosing not to interfere with the plot, working their way alongside the story.
But it's futile.
No matter how hard you try, the story will always catch up with you, and your efforts will break down into a speck of dust compared to the storyline. So, instead of struggling like a fish out of water, the best option I can think of is to end it right away.
As the person finished his address, they'd already found themselves breathing with their mouth. Their aim was clear, then they quietly did the final paragraphs.
You know where this is going, right?
They somehow fell into this creation's world…
And its name is Perspective.
This series is made of stories and scenes from many characters in this series—or so I said... Yes... There are also backstories and interactions between them, but that is all to it.
By combining many perspectives from different characters like a piece of puzzle, we'd get the complete full story surrounding these individuals who were coincidentally involved in a single matter. Eventually, the question that inspired me to create this identical series bears the same name as it came to mind.
What is perspective?
A character's point of view in video games?
An important thing to the content of the story?
An art of solid objects on a two-dimensional surface, giving the right impression of their height, width, depth, and position when viewed from a particular point?
I guess it can't be answered for now.
Thank you for reading this piece of work. I'm glad that it is up to your standard for you to be here and now. It took me around 2 years and a half to finish this novel twice. But I have finally finished it, yippee:D
Once again, I'd like to thank and apologise to the three beta readers for helping me all this time. My choice of words might have been even more confusing than the present if not for them.
This is farewell then.
The end… ?