Omniscient Reader (Alternate Story)

Birthday

Kim Dokja comes back at home after a long tiring day, as usual. Today Joonghyuk wouldn't stream, so he came back a little late. It's been 3 months since he's been kicked out from his home. Now he lives in a shabby and small apartment, barely paying the rent. It was expected, because he couldn't earn enough money with those part time jobs. However, the landlord took pity over him and didn't want to pressure him with the rent.

He bought some expired food from the convenience store and was on his way to the home.

"Huh? Is that you, Kim Dokja?"

Kim Dokja looked behind. It was a short black-haired girl in a tracksuit, was going to the same way as Kim Dokja. She was 2 years younger than Kim Dokja.

"Oh, hey Han Soongyun." Kim Dokja replied with a tired look.

"Why are you still outside? It's past 11pm. You should've been in home by now."

"I can ask you the same question."

"Just to buy some medicines. My mom is a little sick. But you're usually at home during this time. Watching streams and reading novels."

Kim Dokja glanced at her hand. She had a small bag of medicine which she bought from a store.

"He won't stream today. He has training with his team."

"Heh. That's good for me. How about you read my new novel?"

"You wrote a new novel?" Kim Dokja raised his eyebrows.

"Yup. It's still uncompleted though. But you can take a look into it."

"Sure. I'll read it."

He seemed to be happy to hear that she wrote a new novel. They exchanged words as they walked to home. Han Soongyun lived in the next apartment with her mother. Apparently, she didn't have any friends and loved to write webnovels. Although her novels would hardly get any views. Her maximum novels have average amount of views at first few chapters, but the readers drops the story after few chapters. Only Kim Dokja was the person who would read first to last of her novels. It didn't matter to him whether it was hundred or thousand chapters. So if there is only one reader in the whole world who wants read her story, Han Soongyun is willing to give her everything to write for that reader.

*

After coming back at home, Kim Dokja washed his face and changed his clothes. His house was messy, so he just cleaned a few things and then switched on his phone to read the novel. However, without thinking anything his eyes spotted today's date.

It was 15th February.

He let out a long sigh. He fell into a bit of a thought regarding this date, then he placed the phone down. He unsteadily rose up and walked over to the window, just to look at the sky absent-mindedly. It was snowing.

Snow fell like starlight. And beyond the tall skies where snowflakes continued to fall, it felt like the Star Constellations were watching Kim Dokja. Maybe that was true or not true, but he could still feel that they were looking at him. Today was the 15th of February. That's what the smartphone said. It was a coincidental date, with no meaning behind it.

Even then, what if there was some kind of a miracle and this date was indeed true?

'Then, today would be my birthday.'

Suddenly, he heard the sound of the bell ringing. He walked to the door and opened it. For a moment, he couldn't understand what was happening. It was Han Soongyun.

"Happy Birthday!"

She was a holding a cheap small bakery cake, it was not even enough to celebrate a birthday. But somehow, maybe she just wanted to wish Kim Dokja good luck on his birthday.

"Sorry, I didn't have enough money. So I couldn't afford more than this. But I promise I'll give you a good birthday gift once I get my payment!"

Kim Dokja stared at her like a fool.

"Huh? Dokja? Say something dude..."

His vision grew wetter and blurrier.

".... Eh? H-hey, you are... crying?"

His face was reflected in her irises, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Hey, why are you crying like that? I get it, okay? I get it, so stop. There, there."

She was a little surprised, but maybe she understood why I suddenly cried.

"Why are you crying on a nice day like today? I mean, it's your birthday and it's even snowing, too... I promise to get you a good gift later, okay?"

Actually, he wanted to ask her, an author. As she was a writer, maybe she'd be able to tell him straight. He wanted ask if he was worthy of being treated nicely. He wanted to ask if he could be a part of Yoo Joonghyuk's story.

However, he couldn't bring himself to ask that question. All he could was nod his head to give her a response.