For the first time, the game's background music changed from pure instrumental music to a lyrical theme song.
Everything's Alright.
It was as though it were singing Liva's innermost feelings.
To the sorrowful melody, Liva was gradually removed from Johnny's life.
On the steps outside the school building where Johnny believed he had first met Liva.
Platypus and Liva, who had been sitting on the steps, had vanished without a trace. Only a book about the Lighthouse remained, its pages rustling in the wind.
Here, Johnny's good friend Nicholas walked through the corridor.
At the library counter, Liva was no longer there. In her place was Joey, and the two brothers chatted about Transforming Warriors and spaceflight.
The copy of The Emperor's New Clothes that Liva had liked was covered in dust.
Outside the movie theater Johnny and Liva had once visited together, Johnny walked in laughing cheerfully with his brother Joey.
Yes, although Liva had been removed.
Eva had altered Johnny's memories, replacing her with his brother Joey.
At the same time, through constant suggestion and guidance, Johnny's dream and goal became becoming an astronaut.
Without Liva, Johnny had Joey by his side.
His future had changed completely.
The ranch where Johnny and Liva had once ridden galloping horses together was empty at this point in time.
Before the lighthouse called Anya, there were only countless weeds, and none of the man and woman from before.
Even the rabbit that had been run over during the wedding had disappeared without a trace.
In Johnny's memories, his future had been completely altered.
Through constant training and studying.
Johnny finally received an employment notice from the Space Agency and went there for a visit.
His goal was already within reach.
"To the Moon" seemed to be merely a matter of time.
Everything Eva had done seemed to have worked.
Yet all the players and viewers remained silent.
Yes, Johnny was about to go to the moon.
Eva and Neil were about to complete their mission as well.
But was this kind of ending really what Johnny wanted?
Going to the moon, but without Liva.
Did that truly mean anything?
In the memories of the future Johnny had imagined, they arrived at the Space Agency.
And at this moment, Dong Zhen, along with every player who had reached this point.
Could only mechanically control their game characters.
It hurt. There was only one feeling: it hurt!
But as Eva and Neil arrived at the Space Agency and followed Johnny on his tour.
'Not here either...'
'What are you talking about?'
'Anyway, let's go.'
As Neil and Eva spoke, Dong Zhen seemed to notice something unusual.
"Wait! That old lady!"
"That old lady seems to be looking for something!"
In the waiting room, thinking back on what had just happened and Eva's words, Dong Zhen came up with a bold guess—one he desperately hoped was true.
But before he could say it in the livestream.
The game's somewhat sorrowful background music suddenly fell silent, replaced by a heartbeat.
Cheerful background music began to play.
A girl with an orange-red ponytail appeared at the doorway.
"Ah! She's one of our new hires too. Liva, right? It's great that you could come." The unnamed Director of Space Agency said.
"Hello, I'm Johnny." Johnny stepped forward to greet her, just as he had before.
At the same time, the final memory fragment was finally collected.
Eva, standing by the window, let out a relieved breath.
"Whew! I almost thought she was gone."
"What are you talking about, Eva? But you... deleted her!" Neil said in disbelief.
"No. I told you, I only moved her away. How she chose to plan her life still depended on... her."
"This new world... was built upon public data and Johnny's personal beliefs. Since Liva belonged to his personal memories, her data naturally wasn't recorded in the public data."
With Eva's explanation, Neil understood as well. "So... this all came entirely from Johnny..."
Yes, Liva had still come!
Although their lives had changed, although Johnny and Liva had never crossed paths before.
In this fictional world, Johnny still remembered that promise.
"What if we get separated? Then we'll meet on the moon, silly!"
Yes, they would eventually meet again on the moon.
The tears Dong Zhen had forced back earlier threatened to spill forth again.
At the Space Agency, that song was no longer called "For Liva."
It had a brand-new name: "To the Moon."
In the hall, Liva watched Johnny playing and murmured, "I like that name."
In Johnny's fictional memories, the two underwent years of training and preparation.
Finally, the rocket was ready for launch.
Neil and Eva also invited Lily, the caregiver who had looked after Johnny, along with his doctor and others, to witness the moment.
Under the setting sun, countless people stood on the bridge spanning the river, watching the distant rocket launch site.
With a thunderous roar, the rocket lifted off.
At the same time, a heartbeat could be heard.
A heavy, muffled heartbeat.
It was the heartbeat of the severely ill Johnny in reality.
He was about to leave this world.
To the piano piece titled "To the Moon," the rocket rose into the sky.
Ahead lay the destination of their journey—the moon.
Inside the rocket, Johnny and Liva looked at each other at the same time.
Then their hands gently clasped together.
Then we'll always meet on the moon, silly!
As the moon appeared, the screen faded into darkness.
The next moment, all of Johnny's past memories surfaced like a revolving lantern.
Watching these memories and recalling Johnny and Liva's story in the game.
Dong Zhen, sitting before his computer, finally could not hold himself together any longer. He covered his face with both hands, then pulled a tissue from beside him.
This time, he was not wiping his nose, but his eyes.
"Damn, damn, damn! A tough guy crying for the second time!"
"Fucking hell, I'm sobbing!"
"I can't see the screen through my tears!"
"What if you really get lost? Then we'll meet on the moon, silly!"
"What if you really get lost? Then we'll meet on the moon, silly!"
As the game's final credits appeared.
The livestream chat in Dong Zhen's stream gradually turned into that same sentence.
At that moment, everyone was moved by the game's story.
Everyone had even forgotten.
That this was actually a game participating in the Sci-Fi Conquest Game event.
No one stopped to wonder whether it even counted as a science-fiction game.
Everyone was immersed in Johnny and Liva's story.
Thank you to "Guesswork 2016" for the 1,500 tip.