Omniscient Reader

Crossing her slender arms under her ċhėst, Song Daehwa looked toward the uncomfortable young man who was trying to avoid her sharp gaze. "Dokja tell me the truth. Is your cousin engaged?"

"Yes."

The policewoman gave a smile that was not quite a smile. She didn't believe that lie even a bit, because it was Lee Sookyung special case that made her willingly transfer to this remote area in the first place. The case piqued her interest so she dug deeper into the matter, the investigation form the local authorities may have already reached a final verdict, but her private investigation surely didn't! The victim, also more known to the public as the main antagonist of Lee Sookyung's book, had a rather influential family background, but it's a pity that he had been disowned by them. Investigating socialites is something very tricky and dangerous, but as for some simple research like a family tree, it was a piece of cake! She can easily get her hands on this information by using her power and connections!

What? Are you say that's abusing use of power and it can be labeled as official misconduct? Nonsense! If it's done for the greater good... Yes, it is indeed abusing use of power.

But what can you do about it anyway? Call the police on her? She is the police.

Unable to sustain the sharp scorching gaze directed at him, Kim Dokja broke down in cold sweat as his brain frantically searched for a solution. Song Daehwa had also studied psychology in the past. So, in layman's terms, the longer he remained silent and the stronger will be suspicion of the woman!

"Tell me the truth Dokja. Don't you want to act as a matchmaker for this splendid noona of yours?"

Kim Dokja wanted to answer both 'yes' and 'no' to that question, but as soon as he was about to get defeated by her pushy attitude, another policeman called Song Daehwa to discuss something. He looked like a rather friendly fella and had also a good-looking face. Furthermore, pairing everything up with his nice disposition, no matter how you look at him, the policeman fitted perfectly the role for the good cop.

"Daehwa-ssi, may I take some of your time? I need some ȧssistance for a problem I recently encountered in a case."

The teen could finally relax his tensed mind, but unfortunately, the silence didn't last long as a person called him out from behind. The voice sounded somewhat familiar but Kim Dokja couldn't pinpoint the exact owner of that voice at the moment.

"Excuse me? Are you Kim Dokja?"

Turning around to face the unknown person that had beckoned him, Kim Dokja was faced with a young policeman with no distinctive features but the white surgical mask that he was wearing. Making him, overall, a very suspicious individual.

Maybe because the masked man felt the strong doubtful gaze directed at him, the policeman waved his hands while chuckling as if he was actually enjoying the situation.

"Ah, don't worry. I just caught a cold, I am not some sort of criminal or fugitive trying to blend with the surroundings while waiting for a chance to escape."

The teen could feel beads of cold sweat sliding down his face as he started to feel even more wary about the unknown man. "Ajusshi, that is something kinda oddly specific to say..."

"Is it?" The man laughed before taking his mask off startling the teen.

The policeman's eyes filled with glee, clearly enjoying the bewildered expression on the latter's face. But he couldn't dwell on this momentary bliss for too long because business is business after all. He had things to do and information to share. Inside this highly surveilled place where walls have eyes and ears, he may be the only ally of this mother and son duo. Of course, the Deputy Police Chief is not an enemy, but secrets shouldn't be shared with just anyone, right?

***

"The danger is lurking everywhere, even here is not safe. That's why if you could, I would like to ask you to convince Dokja to come here less often. Through the years I managed to lessen the number of visits, but once a week is still too dangerous."

Lee Sookyung may have expected for the man to act at least a little bit taken aback, but the low EQ that Yoo Jonghyuk had displayed really made her realize that the conceited bastard didn't have a shred of empathy and couldn't read the mood at all. It was truly a wonder how beautiful people can only be classified as total airheads or cunning foxes, with nothing in between those two categories.

"Why?"

She clenched her fist and restrained the urge to slap some manners into the kid casually sitting before her. "Young man can you not talk to elders with such a condescending tone? Have anyone told you that it's very rude?"

"Yes, they did."

「 And they didn't survive to tell me that a second time. 」

Lee Sookyung really disliked the regressor's boorish behavior but for sake of his son, she must endure.

"We have been talking for a while now, but I still don't know your name. That doesn't mean I gave any kind of approval."

"Yoo Jonghyuk."

Wait! Yoo... Jonghyuk? Yoo Jonghyuk? Yoo. Jong. Hyuk?

This kind of marvelous coincidence... No way, right?

Yes. It must be an auditory hallucination.

"So what's your name agai-"

As Lee Sookyung was trying to brainwash herself into blissful oblivion, Song Daehwa rushed inside in a panicked manner as she dragged the man away.

"Jonghyuk-ssi! Dokja got injured please come with me and help!"

"..." Please don't tell me that my son got so obsessed with that novel, that he even got a boyfriend whose name is the same as that arrogant protagonist.

Jolting up his seat, the regressor immediately followed suit. But before he exited the door, he turned back to face Kim Dokja's mother again. The woman looked concerned but had look on her face that was telling him that this was expected to happen sooner or later. The words of Lee Sookyung resurfaced in his mind again.

'The danger is lurking everywhere'

"Jonghyuk-ssi! What are you doing still there, hurry up!"

The man grunted before walking away towards where the Deputy Police Chief was pointing.

As Lee Sookyung got left behind, the previous concerning thoughts resurfaced again causing her to fall into a depressing atmosphere. Not only my son life is in danger, but also his mental health?

"Dokja... Mother worries about your future."

***

Now Kim Dokja was silently lying on the floor under a staircase, silently staring at the white ceiling as he felt his body aching from the fall. When he tried to move he discovered that he had sprained his ankle. Sighing to himself, the young teen couldn't help think that man was really dangerous. In the first place, he decided to aid us just because we shared a common enemy. Kim Dokja didn't know what kind of grudge that man was holding against his father's brother, but it definitely wasn't something shallow.

They were just talking about Kim Sunri, she was the daughter coming from one of the Kim branch families, her father was indebted with a huge loan from one of the investors of his company. The recent balance was negative and he started getting pressure from all sides, but Kim Sungwoo, the major investor of that small company and also the mastermind behind all of these schemes, held out an olive branch to the desperate man. He offered another huge investment, but instead of shares, he wanted a favor. Kim Sunri's father clearly knew that he had nothing to offer to such an influential man, but despite all the odds and contradictions, he yielded to the generous offer even though he knew it was a trap.

But in the end, it turned out that the unknown condition was just lending them his useless third daughter to use. For what? He didn't know, but it was time for that brat to make herself useful since she couldn't be compared with her prodigious older brother and sister. It was really ironical considering that she was the only child form the main wife and the other two were bastards coming from some unknown mistresses.

Kim Sungwoo triked the girl and managed to convince the girl by making her think that by completing this mission she could finally receive that long-awaited fatherly love she yearned so much. What was the mission? The inheritance of course. But for all Kim Dokja cared, he would gladly throw this stupid inheritance at his old and wrinkly face. Of course, if there was such said inheritance in the first place.

It was at that moment that the man pushed Kim Dokja down the staircase. The confused teen saw the latter run away as soon as he saw him falling, but before the feeling of betrayal could seed in his heart, from the corner of his eye he saw another person peeking through the slit of the slightly opened door not too far away from them.

Reaching his hand towards the railings of the stairs, Kim Dokja managed to slow the fall that could have cost him much more than just a sprained ankle. Really... What a ruthless move. Just to avoid any suspicion from the other party he didn't hesitate the slightest to sacrifice the oblivious teen.

"Kim Dokja!"

Hearing the panicked voice of the familiar black-clothed man nearing him, the tension surrounding Kim Dokja subconsciously quieted down. "Hyun-"

But before he could even speak, Song Daehwa cut in by yelling and lecturing him. Only after she had been satisfied with the pleading look on the latter's face, the Deputy Police Chief finally asked about what happened. The answer form the teen was obviously an 'I don't know' because he couldn't blow that man's cover, no matter how vexed he felt inside.

With an angry look on her beautiful face, Song Daehwa finally realized that it was the season for some house cleaning. Unbeknownst to her, many rodents had already crawled inside her den, colluding together to hinder her work!

"You need to go to the infirmary. I'll call someone."

"There's no need."

Yoo Jonghyuk looked at the awkward teen indifferently before bending down to pick the latter up, lifting the injured patient in his arms with such skill and ease, seriously making others doubt that it was the first time he had to do this kind of thing. With a scowl on his handsome face, the regressor grunted in dissatisfaction at the teen who curled up inside the warm embrace. But contradicting his grim expression was the soft and mellow voice he used to scold the teen. While Kim Dokja felt guilty, he lightly whimpered with his disheveled silky raven mop hanging down. The scene looked very much like a worn-out owner of an overenergetic kitten trying to admonish the latter, but ultimately ending up falling for his adorable kitten charms again.

+

[Side quest #3 - Compliments are good for the health.]

Category: Side

Difficulty: ???

Clear conditions: 45/100

Side effect: Indirect inclination towards the character 'Kim Dokja'. *Warning: Random activation.

Time-limit: 4 days

Compensation: ???

Failure: ㅡ

*There are additional clear conditions.

*No constellation interference allowed.

+

While completely disregarding the poor system who was just doing its job, Yoo Jonghyuk only focused on reprimanding the remorseful teen. "You are behaving so meekly now. Can you even not get hurt for a day?"

"I'm sorry..."

For some reason, when Yoo Jonghyuk heard the soft but grievance-filled voice sounding so pitiful and helpless, he really couldn't bring himself to remain angry for too long. He was really at his wit's end, and yet part of him didn't mind.

It was really a strange feeling.

Even though he started feeling slightly stuffy with his heart all choked up. This same unknown sensation that he had reputed a nuisance since the day he began feeling this way, accompanied by all the vexing emotions and frustration that had come with it. Despite the initial strong refusal, now, part of him didn't mind... Human's adaptability is really scary, isn't it?

「 Seriously... 」

「 What kind of mess did I get myself into? 」

"What a hassle."