The Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint (On Indefinite Hiatus)

The Reason I Read About You

shorter chapter today

(Dokja's POV)

I stared at his hand, the one holding onto my wrist. He dragged us to my room, pushing me inside before closing the door behind us. After he shut the door, he walked forward, his back facing me. I didn't know whether to stare forward at his coat, so I reverted to glancing around at random things in my room. I'm pretty sure we just stood there silently for a few minutes, staring off into some corner of my room.

I heard Junghyeok's feet shift. Looking down, I realized that he had turned to face me. Taking a deep breath, I slowly raised my eyes to meet his. I didn't like this feeling. It was cowardice. Once I met his eyes, I realized just how tired the regressor looked. His eyes were blank and empty, just a grey void of null emotion. It was intimidating. My eyes dropped to the floor without a second longer of eye contact.

"Look at me." His words were stern; it was definitely an order. But his voice was gentle as if the softest thing in the room. Junghyeok paused, waiting for my acknowledgment. I didn't. "I moved the conversation along, so uphold your end of the deal." I sigh, moving to sit on my bed as Junghyeok leaned on the wall across from me. "Technically, I didn't know what you were planning and didn't agree to anything, so in reality, there is no deal."

There was another pause. "Why are you trying so hard to avoid it?" "Why are you being so nosey?!" My response came out a bit harsher than I intended. Hesitantly, I lifted my face... and met his. "Why do you want to know?" Junghyeok looked away, letting out a small sigh. "You know everything about me. My victories... my sufferings. You know everything, but I know nothing about you."

"Why does it have to be this?" The regressor pushed off the wall and walked a few steps toward the door. "Why can't it? You've read my life. It only seems fair that you tell me yours." I place my head on my arms, giving a small nod. "Fine... I'll tell you." Junghyeok walked back to his spot against the wall. "Why were you so hesitant?" I scoff. "I suppose it might have been a bit weird for me. After all, the reason as to why I was bullied so badly in school is the same reason I read about you."

He raised an eyebrow, waiting patiently for an explanation. "Guess it's time to tell you my whole life story." I inhale, taking a deep breath as I prepare myself to expose my most guarded secret. "Growing up, my childhood was a dysfunctional one, to say the least. My father was a drunkard. So, every day I came home from school, I would run to my room to hide in my closet; as I sat curled in upon myself, I would plug my ears as I tried my hardest to mute the sounds of my mother's cries." I took a quick glance at the regressor. So far, his face showed no emotion, so I continued.

"As I got older, my father began to drink even more, and the beating got worse. There was rarely a day I went to school without a bruise on my face. Then, one day, I walked in on him, hitting my mom. She was bloodied and nearly unconscious, but he wouldn't stop beating her. I tried to stop him, and while I did get him to stop hurting my mom, he turned his attention to me. He wouldn't have killed me if it weren't for... if it weren't..." I couldn't bring myself to say the words, so Junghyeok had to finish. "Your mother killed him."

My head shot up as I locked eyes with him. "How do you know?" He sighed and sat down beside me. His next words were something I knew I would never forget. "Your mother told me." Memories of when he and my mother were brought to a different room flashed through my mind. "How much did she tell him? How much does he know?" Destructive thoughts began to flood my mind, sending me into an all-familiar spiral. A spiral I knew how to stop but couldn't find it in me to try. "He must see me as a coward! God, I'm a fucking traitor!"