Murder in Wonderland
a-3
Yeoju and Wonwoo looked at each other for a moment without saying anything.
김여주
Yes,
김여주
I'm a little scared right now.
원우
I'm quite excited.
원우
I can't believe there are still such amazing things in the world.
김여주
Yeah.. So the reason you're surprised and the reason I'm surprised are the same?
원우
Why are you beating around the bush like that?
김여주
If I say something carelessly, even though it's my mistake, people will definitely think I'm crazy.
원우
Do you think the passwords just coincidentally matched?
김여주
Ugh. It's a password after all.
원우
That's what I said.
김여주
If that's the case, then... no. I can't say it.
원우
Why? I don't know why.
김여주
Because it's so weird. It makes no sense.
원우
Theory can be thought of later. If you don't analyze the phenomenon first, the theory won't emerge.
원우
Did you know that the theory of relativity arose from the curious phenomenon that the speed of light remains constant under all circumstances?
김여주
But I don't want to say it. I don't have the confidence to say it out loud.
원우
Well then, I'll tell you what. There's no point in going around like this, like a hamster on a wheel, and we won't make any progress.
Wonwoo looked straight into Yeoju's eyes.
원우
We were in Wonderland. I was Bill, and you were Alice.
The heroine screamed softly.
Everyone around looked at the two people.
원우
Isn't yelling like that too much? If anyone saw me, they'd think I did something terrible to you.
김여주
Sorry, I was so surprised.
원우
Can you guess what I'm going to say?
김여주
Yeah. But I wonder if it's just my imagination... Maybe the fact that you said that is just my imagination?
원우
If you have that much doubt, you won't even be able to trust your own sanity.
김여주
I can't believe my mental state right now.
원우
You're pretty normal in that world, you know.
김여주
So what's going on now? Is this some kind of hypnosis?
원우
What does that mean?
김여주
What trick did you use to make me have such a strange dream?
원우
There's no need to do that.
김여주
Then what? How do you know what I'm dreaming about?
원우
Because I had the same experience.
김여주
Does that mean our dreams are connected? How is that possible?
원우
I still don't know why. And I don't think it's simply because our dreams are connected.
김여주
So, is my mind going crazy?
원우
In a broad sense, that might be true.
김여주
also..
원우
But you don't have to worry so much.
원우
First, let's assume that objective phenomena exist, and when a contradiction arises, we can question whether we are sane.
김여주
What is an objective phenomenon?
원우
Let's assume that Wonderland actually exists.
김여주
I'm more worried about your head than mine.
원우
Do you know Occam's Razor?
김여주
What, is it a famous brand?
원우
The principle is that unnecessary assumptions should not be made.
원우
That means we should adopt the simplest theory that can explain something.
원우
At this stage, isn't it a waste of thinking power to examine complex hypotheses that are unnecessary?
김여주
So, are you saying that we should now accept that Wonderland actually exists?
원우
Yes, that explains it clearly.
김여주
Okay, so let's say Wonderland really exists. So where the hell is it?
원우
Where do you think it is?
김여주
Underground. Probably fell into a hole and ended up there.
원우
Could there really be such a vast space underground? And sunlight shines through that world.
김여주
So, is it another planet?
원우
That's most likely the case.
원우
But even so, it's difficult to explain how we can get there.
김여주
Did he move? Like sleepwalking?
원우
It wasn't just sleepwalking. We were in a state of transformation.
김여주
You didn't believe that you transformed while sleeping?
원우
What you're saying is that we left the house while we were asleep, met somewhere, and talked while we were both asleep.
김여주
Anything else makes no sense.
원우
If I had done that, someone would have noticed, and we would be in a hospital now, not a university.
원우
What if they weren't out and about and both were asleep at home?
김여주
Then it's a dream.
원우
It's not just a dream. Certain characters from two worlds are connected.
김여주
connection?
원우
In this world, there is me and Wonwoo, and in that world, there is Bill the Lizard.
원우
And the two are connected, one's dream corresponds to the other's reality.
김여주
Isn't it a dream after all?
원우
If your mental health is your top priority, then accepting it as such is the easiest way to go.
김여주
Then I'll do that.
원우
That doesn't matter, but if you leave this situation alone, misfortune will befall you in the other world.
김여주
What's the story?
원우
Alice was accused of murdering Humpty Dumpty.
김여주
Yes, but that's just what the Mad Hatter and the March Hare believe.
원우
But there is evidence.
김여주
If it's evidence, it's the white rabbit's nonsense?
원우
In this world, whatever the White Rabbit says won't be considered evidence, but in the other world, it's clear testimony.
김여주
Alice might get arrested.
원우
That's highly unlikely.
김여주
It's a dream after all.
원우
So should we just move on?
원우
If Alice gets a life sentence and goes to prison, half of your life is gone.
김여주
Half? A dream ends when you wake up?
원우
I thought so too until half a year ago.
원우
But after I realized that I was having dreams about the same situation, I decided to keep a dream journal.
김여주
I started today too.
원우
That's good. People forget what they dreamed.
원우
And while writing my dream journal, I discovered something amazing.
김여주
What is it?
원우
For the six months I've been keeping a dream diary, I've only dreamed of Wonderland every day.
김여주
no way..
김여주
But after hearing that, I think I feel the same way.
원우
Do you remember when you started having that dream?
김여주
Well, it seems like it's been happening for quite some time, or maybe it's been happening for a few years.
원우
So, let me change the question,
원우
Do you have any dreams you remember other than the one in Wonderland?
김여주
of course.
원우
What dream?
김여주
What kind of dream is that? Huh?
원우
what's the matter?
Wonwoo asked with a sly smile.
김여주
Maybe because you asked so suddenly, I don't remember..
원우
But I remember Nari's strange dream right away.
김여주
That's because it was a dream I had recently.
원우
So if you give me time, I can remember other dreams?
김여주
of course.
원우
Okay. I'll wait as long as you want, so take your time and think about it.
Wonwoo leaned against the back of the chair and waited.
The heroine closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
If you take your time and think about it leisurely, you will remember it right away.
3 minutes have passed.
A wrinkle formed between the heroine's eyebrows.
Wonwoo waited without saying anything.
Another minute passed.
The heroine slowly opened her eyes.
Wonwoo was looking at Yeoju with a sly smile.
원우
Do you remember?
김여주
I just forgot for a moment. I don't usually remember my dreams.
원우
You've forgotten every dream you've ever had?
김여주
It's not that I don't remember everything.
원우
So what dreams do you remember?
김여주
…wonderland.
The heroine muttered softly.
원우
what?
Wonwoo asked, holding back a laugh.
The heroine sighed.
김여주
Yeah. I feel like I've only ever dreamed of Wonderland.
원우
If you start writing a dream diary every day from now on, you will start to believe it more and more.
김여주
A dream diary where you're locked in prison every night?
원우
okay.
김여주
It's not a dream worth looking forward to every night when you go to sleep.
원우
So we have to find a way to avoid such a tragedy.
김여주
If it's different, I can just escape from prison.
원우
Is it as easy as it sounds?
김여주
Of course. I don't think you knew, but I...
김여주
..What are you doing?
원우
Hmm..
Wonwoo was quietly looking at Yeoju's face.
원우
I'm debating whether I should say it or not.
김여주
Is there something stuck in my teeth?
원우
No, I'm just measuring how strong your heart is.
김여주
Can you judge someone just by looking at their appearance?
원우
I tried it to see if I could figure it out, but it didn't work.
원우
Then let me ask you directly. Are you strong-minded?
김여주
Well, I've never compared it to anyone else's.
원우
Well, yeah. This isn't the time to hesitate.
원우
From my observations of Wonderland and this world so far, I have discovered something very important.
김여주
Important fact..?
원우
Yeah. As I observed the two worlds, I gradually began to see the relationship between the two worlds.
김여주
Don't you usually think it's your own delusion?
원우
Do you think it's your delusion too?
김여주
No. There's someone who had the same experience.
김여주
Of course, assuming that you are not delusional.
원우
I feel the same way. Having someone else share the same experience gives me confidence that it's not a delusion.
김여주
Besides me?
원우
Yeah, you just found out.
원우
There was someone else besides you.
김여주
and..
The heroine covered her mouth and took a small step back.
원우
First, I needed to be sure that you were Alice.
김여주
But who is the other one?
원우
The eight.
김여주
what?
원우
The Eight was also a resident of Wonderland.
김여주
He said earlier that he and Mr. D8 were just acquaintances.
원우
Because we only talk about Wonderland. We didn't know each other before that.
김여주
But how did you know that Mr. Dietz was a resident of Wonderland?
원우
I happened to overhear The8 talking to someone else. He said he's been having strange dreams lately.
김여주
It's a dream of wonderland.
Wonwoo nodded slightly.
원우
At first, I just let it slide, but it started to bother me. The content of the dream was similar to mine.
김여주
Isn't it too early to be sure with just that?
원우
Yes. But I was so bothered by The8's words that I started keeping a dream diary.
원우
As a result, I became confident.
원우
The dreams I have exist in the real world.
김여주
So you talked to Mr. D8 first?
원우
At first, he was offended. I think he thought it was a joke.
김여주
Of course. If it's someone you've never met before.
원우
So I suggested that I speak to you in your next dream, and then you can confirm the content in the real world.
원우
..Well, as expected, the result was a success. I'll never forget the surprise I felt that day.
원우
And as the facts became clear, I became interested as a researcher. I wondered what the underlying mechanism was.
김여주
Did you figure it out?
원우
No. We're just barely at the stage of establishing a hypothesis.
김여주
What is the hypothesis?
원우
It's not at a level where I can tell others yet.
김여주
It doesn't matter. The more information, the better.
원우
okay.
Wonwoo licked his lips.
원우
We call this the Avatar phenomenon.