Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Chapter 1

Episode 1 – Commencement of the Paid Service (1)

“I am Dokja.” (Dokja can be interpreted as either 'only son' or 'reader').

Whenever I introduced myself in this fashion to others, a predictable misunderstanding would inevitably arise.

“Oh, are you an only child?”

“I am, though that is not the implication I intended.”

“Huh? Then?”

“My name is Dokja. Kim Dokja.”

Kim Dokja, meaning a highly respected only son; my father bestowed that name upon me with the aspiration that I would grow into a self-reliant man. Yet, due to the name my father chose, I simply grew up to be an ordinary, lonely, single man. In brief, I was Kim Dokja, a 28-year-old bachelor. My primary pastime involved reading web novels while commuting on the subway.

“I shall resume browsing my smartphone.”

Amidst the clamor of the subway carriage, I instinctively lifted my head. A pair of inquisitive eyes were locked onto me. They belonged to Yoo Sangah, an employee from the human resources department.

“Ah, hello.”

“Are you heading home from the office?”

“Yes. And you, Yoo Sangah-ssi?”

“I was fortunate today. The manager had to leave on a business trip.” Yoo Sangah took the seat beside me the moment it became vacant. A faint, pleasant fragrance drifted from her, which made me feel somewhat uneasy.

“Do you typically travel by subway?”

“That is...” Yoo Sangah’s expression darkened.

Now that I think about it, this was indeed the first occasion I had encountered Yoo Sangah on a train. There had been endless rumors circulating about how Yoo Sangah was chauffeured home by various men from the company every single evening, spanning from Personnel Manager Kang to Finance Manager Han.

Yet, the words that escaped her lips were entirely unexpected: “Someone stole my bicycle.”

A bicycle.

“You commute via bike?”

“Indeed! I have been burdened with quite a bit of overtime lately, and it seems I have been neglecting my physical activity. It is a slight inconvenience, but it is certainly worthwhile.”

“I see, understood.”

Yoo Sangah offered a smile. Observing her more closely, I could certainly comprehend the sentiments many men held toward her. However, it was truly of no concern to me. Every individual possesses a distinct genre defined by their life, and Yoo Sangah clearly resided within a genre entirely divergent from my own.

Following that strained exchange, we both returned our attention to our devices. I re-opened the novel app I had been reading, while Yoo Sangah... what exactly was she doing?

“Por favor dinero.”

“Pardon?”

“It is Spanish.”

“...I see. What is the translation?”

“Please give me some money,” Yoo Sangah answered with a look of pride.

Studying while commuting home... her life truly operated under a different genre than mine. But truthfully, what was the practical value in memorizing such phrases?

“You are quite diligent.”

“By the way, what is it that Dokja-ssi is reading?”

“Ah, I...”

Yoo Sangah’s gaze remained fixed on the LCD screen of my phone. “Is that a novel?”

“Yes, well... I am essentially studying Korean.”

“Oh, I enjoy literature as well. I simply haven’t had the opportunity to read lately due to my lack of time...”

I found this surprising. Yoo Sangah enjoyed reading novels?

“Murakami Haruki, Raymond Carver, Han Kang...”

Just as I suspected.

“Dokja-ssi, which authors do you prefer?”

“You would not recognize them even if I were to name them.”

“I have read plenty of novels. Who are these authors?”

At that moment, it was incredibly difficult to admit that my hobby was reading web novels. I glanced down at the title displayed in the app.

[The World after the Fall]

Author: Sing Shangshong

I certainly could not bring myself to state that I was reading ‘The World after the Fall by Sing Shangshong.’

“It is simply a fantasy novel. Sort of like... well, something comparable to Lord of the Rings...”

Yoo Sangah’s eyes widened significantly. “Aha. Lord of the Rings. I have seen the film adaptation.”

“The movie is quite good.”

A heavy silence lingered between us for a few moments. Yoo Sangah stared at me, almost as if she expected me to elaborate further. Our interaction was becoming increasingly awkward, so I decided to pivot the conversation. “It has been exactly one year since I joined the firm. This marks my final year. Time certainly moves rapidly.”

“Indeed. At that time, we were both complete novices, weren't we?”

“That is true. It feels as if it were only yesterday, yet the duration of my contract has already concluded.” I realized I had blundered as soon as I looked at Yoo Sangah’s expression.

“Ah, I...” I had completely forgotten.

Yoo Sangah had secured credit for a foreign client just last month and had already been promoted to a full-time staff member.

“Ah, quite right. My congratulations are a bit delayed. My apologies. Haha, perhaps I should have invested more effort into mastering a foreign language.”

“Oh, no, Dokja-ssi! There is still the upcoming performance evaluation and...”

I loathed to admit it, but the manner in which Yoo Sangah spoke was truly radiant. It appeared as though the world’s spotlight was exclusively focused on her. If this life were a novel, she would undeniably be the protagonist. In truth, this was the inevitable outcome. I had never truly strived for success, whereas Yoo Sangah had put in the labor. I merely busied myself reading novels online while she studied diligently. It only followed that she would transition into a permanent position, while my tenure would meet its end.

“That... Dokja-ssi.”

“Yes?”

“If you would not mind... would you like me to share the app I use?” Yoo Sangah’s voice seemed to drift into the distance.

The world around me began to feel strangely remote. Collecting my thoughts, I stared straight ahead.

A young boy sat in the seat opposite me. He appeared to be around ten years old, clutching an insect net while laughing merrily beside his mother.

“...Dokja-ssi?”

What might my life have been like if it had taken a different trajectory? Specifically, what if the genre of my existence had been something else entirely?

“Kim Dok...”

If my life’s genre had been ‘fantasy’ instead of ‘realism’... could I have been the protagonist? I could not possibly know. That would likely remain a mystery forever. However, there was one certainty I held.

“It is alright, Yoo Sangah-ssi.”

“Oh?”

“It would not matter even if you shared the app with me.”

The genre of my life was demonstrably ‘realism.’

“Dokja leads a solitary life.”

“What? I don’t understand...”

“I am simply that kind of person.”

Within this genre, I wasn’t destined to be a lead character, but rather a solitary figure.

“A life of solitude...” Yoo Sangah wore a grave expression.

Regardless, I waved my hand to signal that I was genuinely fine. I couldn’t grasp why she was so concerned for me. Perhaps it was a reflex from working in the personnel department... I was perfectly aware of my own performance prospects, regardless.

“Dokja-ssi is actually quite excellent.”

“Pardon?”

“In that case, I shall lead an ivory life.” (Sangah means ivory).

Having seemingly made a decision, Yoo Sangah returned to her Spanish studies. I observed her for a moment before returning my attention to my novel. Everything had returned to normalcy, yet, oddly enough, I struggled to scroll through the text. Perhaps the heavy weight of reality had made it difficult to progress.

Suddenly, a notification chime sounded at the top of my smartphone. [You have one new mail.]

It was sent by the author of ‘Ways of Survival.’ I opened the message.

[1 attachment.]

The author mentioned he intended to bestow a gift upon me. What could it be? True to my name, I was a reader by nature, so I found myself genuinely excited by the arrival of the email. Perhaps living simply as a reader was not so bad after all.

I checked the time. It was 6:55 p.m. Exactly five minutes remained before the novel became monetized at 7:00 p.m. I accessed my list of favorite stories in the app. Since I was the sole remaining reader, I felt obligated to leave a supportive comment to encourage the author.

However...

I attempted to input the search term ‘ruined’ multiple times, but the result remained stagnant. The bulletin board for ‘Ways of Survival’ had vanished completely. This was peculiar. Had there ever been a situation where a novel was purged without notification just before monetization?

At that instant, the subway’s illumination extinguished, plunging the interior carriage into total darkness.

Kiiiiiiiik-! The train violently shuddered, emitting a jarring metallic screech. Yoo Sangah screamed, instinctively grabbing my arm. I then heard a cacophony of others being thrown into states of alarm. Yoo Sangah’s grip was so tight that I found myself focusing more on the pain in my arm than the sudden deceleration. It took a dozen seconds for the vehicle to shudder to a complete halt.

Then, voices filled with confusion erupted from every direction.

“Uh, what on earth?”

“W-What is happening?”

Amidst the gloom, one or two smartphone screens illuminated the carriage. Yoo Sangah continued to cling to my left arm as she asked, “W-What is going on?”

I attempted to appear calm. “Do not worry. It is likely nothing of consequence.”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes, it is probably just a disturbance caused by a suicide on the tracks. The driver will likely make an announcement momentarily.”

As I finished my sentence, an announcement from the driver began: –Attention to all passengers on board. Attention to all passengers on board.

The chaotic noise began to subside. I exhaled, saying, “See, it is nothing major. They will offer an apology shortly, and the power will return...”

–E-Everyone run away... Run away...!

‘What?’

A harsh static sound emitted, and the broadcast cut off abruptly. The interior of the train descended into absolute pandemonium.

“D-Dokja-ssi? What does this mean...?”

A brilliant flash of light erupted from the front of the train, followed by a thunderous drumming noise and a sharp pop. Something was approaching us through the darkness. It was purely coincidental that I happened to check the time at that precise second—7:00 p.m.

Tick. It felt as if time itself had frozen.

Then, a voice projected into the space:

[The free service of planetary system 8612 has been officially terminated.]

[The main scenario has commenced.]

This was the definitive moment when the genre of my entire life was irrevocably altered.