"I was just curious," Hanekawa said frankly.
"Curious?"
"Excuse me," she said, standing up and reaching out to rotate the stack of books beside Sū ěr 180 degrees so the titles faced her. "Encyclopedia, History of Human Social Development, Brief History of Japan, Our Earth, The Universe, Japanese Mythology and Legends, Hyakki Yagyo [Night Parade of One Hundred Demons], Compendium of Human Supernatural Events..."
As she read the titles aloud, her expression grew increasingly strange.
"Um... I have a strong curiosity," Sū ěr made up a random excuse.
"True. Curiosity isn't a bad thing." She nodded in agreement, accepting the reason, and sat back down to read her own book.
Soon, that corner of the library was silent, save for the sound of pages turning.
Flip, flip, flip. The frequency was so high that people at nearby tables looked over in surprise, many frowning. Is he actually reading?
Those who visit libraries usually love knowledge. Sū ěr "performative" page-turning drew their disdain, but Sū ěr didn't have time to care about their feelings.
[The planet we reside on is a blue planet, the third planet from the sun... Currently the only known celestial body to support life... Approximately 29.2% of its surface is land... The remaining 70.8% is covered by water, so you can also call it 'Aqua.']
Think gradually read out the text Sū ěr finger traced.
[The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite, its surface covered in impact craters likely formed by small celestial bodies... Ahem, there are absolutely no impact craters here~]
'More than just impact craters.'
"Have humans ever set foot on the moon?" Sū ěr abruptly closed the encyclopedia and asked Hanekawa a question that should be basic knowledge for a student.
"Of course. On July 20, 1969, American astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface, becoming the first human to walk on the moon," Hanekawa replied, her eyes narrowing slightly. "But before Armstrong, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin flew into space on April 12, 1961, completing the world's first manned spaceflight. He was the first human to enter space."
"...You remember the specific dates?" Sū ěr was speechless.
"I've memorized all the books in the school library. Their deeds are mentioned in many places," Hanekawa replied calmly, as if she didn't realize how shocking her statement was.
"?"
"That really is impressive. Have modern students evolved to this level?" Sū ěr eye twitched as he cracked a joke that wasn't funny.
"While I'd like to say yes, I must admit that generally speaking, people like me are rare." Hanekawa looked at Sū ěr. "You look lost. Have you discovered something?"
She used the word "discovered."
"I... my stomach is a bit upset. I'll use the restroom first." Sū ěr had no desire to keep wasting time talking to this "ordinary" girl. He tossed out the excuse and strode toward the side door.
The restroom was a lie. Before the stall door was even locked, Sū ěr vanished.
He was charging into space. The wind he generated kicked up a pressure wave, piercing through the clouds to draw a white line. Eventually, he broke through the atmosphere. In certain bases, alarms blared, yet no matter what means they used, they couldn't find a trace of him.
Sū ěr had reached space.
Decades ago in this world, during the Cold War where war could break out at any moment, Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin took the first step in human space exploration. Even if his existence was being gradually erased by some—along with the country that sent him and its contributions—at this moment, the beauty Gagarin saw was reflected in Sū ěr eyes.
A green belly, gauzy clouds, high mountains... wonders that looked like toys from space. This was a planet. A spherical planet, where oceans and land coexisted.
He only had to turn his head to see the massive star. The light, unshielded by the atmosphere, made Sū ěr eyes sting slightly.
Behind him was the moon. A grey-white surface, covered in large circular craters from aeons of meteor strikes and undulating ridges—the exact appearance of the moon in his memories.
There was no "potted plant" square earth in a glass box. No water vanishing in the east to reappear in the west. No jade-like moon, flat as a lid and glowing from within.
The feeling of living in someone else's "render," a stage set by another, vanished. An inexplicable sense of relief washed over him, but Sū ěr didn't indulge in it.
Where did that Silver River send him?
Are these two different worlds, or the same one?
Whether in that square world or this spherical one, the "gift" left from Sū ěr time as the One True God remained unchanged. How he connected with the world and what he could do remained the same.
At most, it was as he felt when stepping out of the well: the previous world moved with a light push, while this one was like a sleeping giant—it might grumble if pushed, but it wouldn't even turn over.
So... did that square world evolve into this after a long time?
What happened in the intervening years?
What kind of cataclysm could turn a square world into a sphere—even expanding the "backdrop" universe into a real physical entity?
By the way, those yokai I knew... are they still alive?
Sū ěr grew uncertain again. Most yokai, while long-lived compared to humans, had finite lifespans. Even with Yakumo Yukari special nature, could she be an exception?
[Based on the details observed so far, human society in this world doesn't seem to possess much in the way of overt supernatural power.]
[Yakumo Yukari is likely dead.]
Think offered her deduction.