The Illusion of Meaning

During self-study, Shiratama Manatsu was eventually called away.

On his desk, only a thick, open notebook remained, alongside a cup of coffee that had been refilled countless times, still emanating a misty steam.

With Shiratama Manatsu’s body no longer obstructing my view, I could faintly discern the coffee machine beneath his desk. It was connected to a power bank, subtly whirring and emitting the gentle gurgle of filtering water, all hidden behind the forms of these “young middle schoolers.”

‘What… what exactly is going on?! That Shiratama Manatsu! How can he just use a computer and drink coffee in class?! And even have a plush executive chair?! I mean… I’m the Disciplinary Committee Head! …Hmph.’

A sound of extreme displeasure escaped my lips, the fleeting admiration I’d felt earlier having long since vanished like a river flowing away. Compared to Shiratama Manatsu’s luxurious and decadent school life, my own felt utterly dismal.

“Ah… well, Shiratama-kun always has work that needs handling. One could say he was even invited by the school board to attend… so this level of exception is permissible…”

Youli offered two awkward laughs, then flipped two pages back in her textbook, despite not having finished reading.

With a bang!

I slammed my hand on the desk and shot to her feet.

‘No, absolutely not! This is completely unfair! Why do I have to pretend to be a good kid here?! Besides, for a mere ten thousand yuan scholarship, why should I… why should this lord waste my time here?! If Youli weren’t here, who would even come to this miserable place to study?!’

‘Moreover, it’s self-study, and there’s no one around anyway. Why should I just sit here obediently, acting like some pointless moral paragon?!’

‘To hell with morality.’

I pushed open the door and stormed out, leaving Youli alone, quietly studying. In a place no one noticed, Youli bit her lip hard.

****

First, let us begin with an intriguing question.

What exactly are strange tales?

A normal person would answer: “Strange tales are baseless fantasies.”

How many layers of truth does this “conclusion” truly hold?

A cup of black tea, once its tea bag is removed, becomes merely clear water. Even in this mundane reality, devoid of miracles, strange tales can serve as a “diversion” for young people, a special antidote to their boredom.

Much like “urban legends,” they are peculiar narratives capable of inducing “non-physical distortions” in this utterly tedious reality.

Yet, what meaning do such narratives possess?

Precisely. They hold no meaning, but they are immensely entertaining. Is mere entertainment not enough? Indeed, entertaining!

Just as God once declared. Just as the deity who left behind a child born within another’s wife once declared. Just as the deity who injected their progeny into a body of the same s*x, then placed that progeny into another’s wife’s womb, once declared.

God said: “The value of human existence is to please the divine.”

As such, from our perspective, we possess not an iota of meaning. However, if we consider the inverse, then… is simply experiencing pleasure not meaning enough?

Let us argue the inverse once more. If our existence vanishes, would not pleasure vanish with it?

But if that were the case, wouldn’t it imply that all things possess “meaning in their existence”? So, do “meaningless” things truly exist?

If we were to understand this from the perspective of the so-called “divine” testament—a collection of views compiled by later generations, resembling a family tree, and named the “Scripture of Saints”—which originated from a being who, through unknown vile means, left behind several corrupt, yellowed parchment writings crafted by others, only for their corpse to be found alongside these very writings, the body discarded but the scriptures preserved…

Then, the definition of existence becomes “having a form.” The location of this existence, however, becomes irrelevant. No matter where. Even if it is an illusion, a fabrication, or merely a setting described in fragments.

As long as an image is established, then an existence is added. And phenomena that we cannot hypothesize, or even conceive of… for “us,” “do not exist.”

Our very minds cannot grasp the definition of this “non-existence,” and thus, we lack the qualification to comprehend “non-existence.”

…

It is also according to the language recorded in that scripture: “Humans are made from the image of God.” “God created humanity in their own image.”

So, is there any difference between “one’s own” image and the “divine”? From this, we can deduce:

“The image of humanity is God. Humanity is God.”

“If the image of humanity is God, then humanity is God.”

Even if only our images are similar, we are still divine. What difference, from an objective standpoint, exists between a model of a clock and a clock that has stopped ticking?

So… God can create humans from their own mind. Then… why can’t we do the same? What vast gap truly lies between billions of “humans” and… “God”?

Therefore, do strange tales… possess their “true” reality?