Chapter 1937 – [Overtime]

The Christmas Express broke through the atmosphere at high speed. It didn’t take long to get up to a height that made Korea seem small, not just Seoul.

People cheer as they look at the scenery outside the window. You can find pictures of the Earth looking down from outer space on the Internet, but seeing them in person feels completely different. They become noisy, talking about what the world looks like and where they used to live.

“Wow!!!! That’s Korea!!! It’s so small!!!!”

“America, where is America?”

“You can even see the North Pole and Antarctica!!!!”

The Christmas Express doesn’t just pass by, it circles the globe as a service. The train circled the Earth for tens of minutes and showed each child the country they had come from.

Not only that, but perhaps to show that it has entered space in earnest, it briefly slows down and moves slowly in one part of the satellite’s orbit. When I said something, a huge space station was floating on the left side of the train… No, it was actually spinning at a high speed, but there was a facility right next to it that looked like something you would see in space.

“This is information for all passengers. The International Space Station is on the left now. If you have a child who dreams of becoming an astronaut, you can go there someday.”

“Me!!! My dream is to be an astronaut!!! Later, I will visit the space station and Mars!!!”

“What about the moon?”

“The moon is going now.”

“Oh, that’s right.”

Some children are seeing each other for the first time today, and some children cannot communicate because they speak different languages. But still, the children get along and chat with each other, whether it’s because they have a common sense of going to the moon together or not.

It feels like something like that from long ago. When I go to a park or playground near my neighborhood, I just hang out with kids I’ve never seen before. If we just hang out regardless of whether we know each other or are close friends, it feels like we are playing together as friends, which makes me happy.

I wanted to quietly go to the moon like that, but… It wasn’t without problems.

“This is a notice to all passengers. In a moment, we will pass through a space debris collection area. A collision is expected, so we ask passengers not to open the windows and to close any open windows.”

“Space junk?”

And when I looked outside, something started pouring down like rain.

Small pieces of metal, pieces of metal of various sizes that look like they came from broken machinery, collide with the train. Thud!! Several crashing sounds can be heard, and some knock on the train windows.

“Aaaaah!!!”

“Mom!!!!”

Feeling something unusual, the children looked for their parents and the adults also looked worried and scared.

Space trash is depicted as a disaster even in space movies. Falling like rain at a speed of several kilometers per second, it is possible to turn even a space station into a rag. People who have seen such movies a few times may be scared, but… This is a train filled with Santa’s power.

No matter how much he takes the form of a steam locomotive, do you think space debris can harm the power of Santa Claus, who is more than a god? If you want to cause harm with simple physical force, you will have to bring at least a supernova explosion, even if it is not a big bang like Rod.

“Don’t worry, everyone. This train is protected by the Christmas spirit, so it won’t take any damage from space junk.”

As evidence, space debris with enough power to shatter a thick metal wall was stuck squarely in the train window and did not crack even. This means that you are protected conceptually rather than simply physically protected.

The passengers felt relieved and began to look outside. Everyone gets lost in their thoughts as they watch the falling space debris, like watching wild animals through a glass window at a zoo.

“There is so much trash…”

“What if we can’t go to space when we grow up because of space debris?”

“Fool, if you use space technology, you can go to the moon without worrying about space junk.”

“But that’s not possible until you launch a rocket and move the space transport device first.”

“Uh…”

Kids these days are smarter than you think. You can worry about those issues.

As times change, information can be easily accessed through the Internet, so it is no wonder that children are becoming much smarter than they used to be. Just as children become experts in fields they are interested in, such as dinosaurs, children who even ask for a trip to the moon as a Christmas present seem to have a lot of knowledge about space.

“Santa Girl!!! Eden Sister!!! Can’t you tell the evil president and get rid of the space junk?”

“Well, I… No, my father is busy with work too. I have a lot of work to do right now, but I feel sorry if I increase my workload because of space junk, which is not an immediate problem. And I don’t have much left in my term, right?”

“The uncle will become president again.”

“That’s right. My dad also said he’ll get another evil spell next time. My dad’s company makes a lot of money thanks to the magic school.”

“My dad runs a dinosaur doll factory!!!”

“Really? Then have you been to Jurassic Park?”

“I got to shake hands with a Tyrannosaurus!!!”

“It’s great!!! I haven’t been there yet because I’m behind on reservations!!!!”

The kids are the ones who change the topic in an instant.

Anyway, now that we were beyond what could be called the Earth Sphere, all that was left was to get to the moon. Now, only outer space is visible outside, rather than the Earth.

Meanwhile, drinks and snacks are provided separately to the passengers. Drinks included coffee for adults, warm and sweet cocoa for children, and cookies baked directly from the train’s dining car.

I can cook, but the route doesn’t take that long. When I return, I’ll probably come back sooner, around dawn in Earth time.

“The snacks are delicious!!!!”

“Give me another cup of cocoa!!! With marshmallows!!!!”

“It’s good to eat delicious food, but you have to brush your teeth before going to bed when you get home, okay? If your child’s teeth are rotten because they don’t listen to their parents and don’t brush their teeth, Santa Claus may reconsider giving you a gift next year.”

“Yes!!! I will definitely do it!!!!”

What gifts will those children ask for next year?

Only those kids know that. So, I guess I’ll have to wait a year.

After a few moments of peaceful driving, the moon gradually began to approach in the distance. The distance from the Earth to the Moon is farther than you think, so even at the speed of light, which travels around the Earth 7 and a half times in 1 second, it takes about 1 to 2 seconds to get to the Moon. If you covered that distance in just one or two hours, the speed of this train cannot be ignored.

Well, I think it might be possible to travel at the speed of light if you really decide. There is a certain romance to traveling between planets on a train like this.

“Why isn’t there one in the dimensional civilization? Dimension Liner.”

“Because that guy, Gray, is a fan of special effects… The train that runs through the dimension is still in operation. It has its own uses and there is this kind of romance.”

“Romance is inevitable.”

It may have been in the past, but in today’s era, the Dimension Liner is a means of transportation for a dimensional civilization that is a generation away. In short, Doraemon has doors that go everywhere, making it less practical and efficient.

But nonetheless, it is still used today. Even before, it was the Dimension Liner that Zion rode while looking for Hanon for postpartum care after Eden gave birth, and on his way to rescue Janna, who was imprisoned in the Abeloa civilization. In short, everything has a use.

“I’ll be arriving soon. Take care of the kids… Oh, can we go outside?”

“Yes, it is outer space, but it can sustain life, so you can go out and play. However, gravity is weaker than on Earth, so you have to be careful about accidents while running around and playing.”

“That’s good. But is it Santa’s side? Or Dream Giant’s side?”

“Strictly speaking, it’s Santa.”

It’s a train that travels through outer space, so it doesn’t make sense that the passengers don’t have any ability to prevent them from dying in outer space. Then, if you open the window, you’re telling me to go out and die.

Anyway, Santa’s power is amazing. Compared to my power to kill people and manipulate trials, the high point is low, but it is omnipotent in many directions. At least, it is a power that is much more beneficial and helpful to people than mine, which I can only use in limited places.

So, it must be Santa… If I had a Santa like this when I was a child, I might still have retained my childhood.

“How are you feeling as a child now, Dad?”

“When I found out that Santa was a member of the Dream Giants, my childhood innocence disappeared…”

“Santa is Santa!!!! Dad doesn’t know, but that fact doesn’t break my childhood!!!”

“You’ll be 30 the day after tomorrow, what kind of innocence are you?”

“Kyaaaaat at while at while at at at while at least a while?

It’s a reaction like a cat yelping.

Anyway, we slowly arrived at the moon. The moon, which was gradually getting bigger outside the window, soon got closer enough to see the rocks on the surface, and eventually it landed. Just like when the first man set foot on the moon, people who longed for space came to do so, although the method was a little different.

“Dear passengers, our train has arrived at the moon. Thanks to the power of Christmas, you can breathe and move outside the train without a spacesuit, so don’t worry and enjoy the moon.”

“”””Waaaaa!!!!!””””

“Stand in line one by one. Let’s go out one by one in turn. If you don’t line up, you won’t be a good kid, right? You can’t go all the way to the moon and go back without even setting foot, so let’s all be good kids.”

“Yes!!!!”

“I have to get down and pick up the moon rock!!!!!”

“Is there a rabbit on the moon? Oh, I want to see the American flag planted in America!!!”

The children go out of the train one by one, talking loudly. Light gravity, only a fraction of that of Earth. Thanks to Santa’s power, you can breathe safely in outer space, but the silence of outer space and the craters on the moon due to the lack of air create a strange atmosphere.

It looks similar to the wastelands of Earth, but it is completely different. Because the Earth was visible from far away, small and visible at a glance.

“Awesome…”

“I have to take pictures, pictures.”

“Do you have a cell phone?”

“I guess I can take pictures.”

Eden’s lintel was relayed by Horizon or Cherub to transmit radio waves, but that wasn’t the case with the kids… Well, anyway, there’s nothing left to do but make phone calls or something like that.

The children began to enjoy their trip to the moon by running around and playing with each other on the moon. The gravity, which is only a fraction of that of the Earth, allows you to jump higher than your own height, so it will feel like jumping on a trampoline.

“Hmph, the moon is not cheese. It was called cheese in Wallace and Gromit.”

“Moon cheese? There is a moon made of cheese…”

“Huh? It’s really there?!”

“… It exists, but it’s not in this dimension, it’s in another dimension.”

“I guess Santa Girl has been there!!!! Then I’ll develop dimensional technology later and go eat moon cheese!!!!”

No, there are children who dream of dimensional leaping technology like this.

Of course, since it is a childhood dream, some children may lose their dream or give up when they encounter reality. However, even if just one child out of 100 tries to achieve his dream, the world will change in a more positive way.

Dreams are the driving force behind such efforts… I hope that as many children as possible can achieve their pure dreams.

“Hmm.”

I took a quick look at the children’s life curves. There are some that are ordinary and some that are quite successful, but there are some that are too difficult to think of as a child’s future, and sometimes, there are life curves that are half or shorter than others.

Everyone’s life is different, but it’s a bit like that for kids… In addition, for kids who are short or have curves that are biased downward, we lengthen or flatten them. Whether or not a dream comes true will depend on the individual’s efforts.

However, it is quite difficult to manipulate the life curves of so many children at once. No, I’m not lacking in strength, but my head is the problem… I get a slight throbbing headache, like someone who just saw something dizzy.

“Ugh…”

“Uh, sister, what’s wrong? Where does it hurt?”

“No, I’m fine. I just had a headache for a moment.”

“Something like headache medicine… Oh, Eden can heal people or something like that. Should I go and call her?”

“It’ll be fine if you leave it for a while, so there’s no need to call Eden.”

I complained of a slight headache, and before I knew it, Jongseong came up to me and was worried about me. No, how long is he going to be interested in this lady?… She says she doesn’t know, but she’s a fool.

Suddenly, it occurred to me that Jongseong was Eden’s classmate and that he was also turning 30 right around the corner. They say kids grow up quickly, but it’s hard to get used to seeing a child you’ve seen every year suddenly become an adult.

“By the way, Jongseong, do you have a girlfriend? She should be able to have a girlfriend at that age. It’s not like she doesn’t have the ability.”

“Ahaha, I don’t know.”

“Looking at you smiling awkwardly, do you think you’ve never been in a relationship?”

“That…”

“Oh my, the person is fine, but why is he there?”

If the finality is good enough, it is actually a quality product. I heard that he is multilingual, knows more than ten languages, is famous for a long time as Santa’s assistant, and is also known in the industry for his work as a translator… I don’t think there will be any women who would give it a try at this level, right? It’s not that I have a bad appearance.

Jongseong laughed awkwardly at that. Because I know the meaning of that smile, I feel guilty as if I did something bad to the child.

“Merry Christmas Jongseong.”

“… Yes, my sister too.”

So let’s just pass it on as usual. I previously refused, saying I was married, and I plan to wait for that child to give up.

After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Eden, who was leading the children, came towards us. I think she sensed my difficult situation, perhaps thanks to her intuition.

“Jongseong, you… You can’t have an affair!!!!!”

“Hey!!!! Choi Eden, what are you talking about!!!!!”

“My dad has a lot of women, but you can’t do that!!!!”

Wow!!! Wait a minute, Eden!!! Stop!!! Spldem what!!!!!

It feels like I’m cursing someone for being abusive to others, so the damage is done!!!!