[Joongdok] Omniscient Reader's Path to Nowhere

Part 1 - Chapter 1: Unexpected departure

Chief's Office.

4:32 A.M., November 27, NF. 112

Kim Dokja turned off his supervision terminal, stretched out his shoulders and with an audible 'crack'. All the finished papers, along with his terminal were all swept aside, marking the end of this week's work. Now that he no longer had work to distract himself, the buzzing and chirping sound in his ears was louder than ever.

Ever since he returned, work had been piling up on his desk. Stacks of papers covered almost half of his sight. Thanks to his capable assistant - Yoo Sang-Ah, the MBCC still could operate normally while he was gone, however, her authority only allowed her to maneuver their forces and related matters. As a result, all the documents requiring the Chief's approval were left behind, waiting to fall on his head like an avalanche.

Kim Dokja knew he needed rest, but the buzzing auditory hallucinations were too noisy, while his mind was completely sober. Everything that happened prior was still vivid, while this week somehow felt like a dream. Everything was solved, yet memories of that time kept resurfacing in his dream in the most uncomfortable manner possible. As a result, every time he woke up, he felt even more debilitated.

Kim Dokja took a few steps toward the snack counter, each felt like trampling on clouds. He sighed, and reached out to the teapot, only to find out it was already cold. "Do not drink cold overnight tea!" - Yoo Sang-Ah always scolded him for that. He shyly retracted his finger and turned to the water dispenser instead, pressing its 'hot water' button.

While sipping warm water, he looked out of the bulletproof glass window, to the city far away, in a daze. It was already long past 4 A.M, yet DisCity was still as lively as ever, with countless lit windows and advertisement panels. A giant billboard with the figure of a beauty could be spotted far away, reminding him of the one he met inside Eleven's realm. That time, she suggested if he had any problem, feel free to let her know.

It had been months since that incident, but everything felt like yesterday.

In his murky mind, Kim Dokja saw himself walking out of his office and headed downstairs. The guards walked past him, didn't notice his presence at all. As if he had become a specter that walked in a different dimension, separated from their mundane world.

Instinctively, Kim Dokja knew his current state was abnormal, however, his legs didn't have any intention to stop and kept leading him to the side entrance. A few meters away, the early bus for MBCC staff could be spotted at the gate, waiting for people in similar uniforms to get off. He patiently waited for the last person to leave, before stepping on the step treads, not even making a sound. Someone behind him was complaining about a sudden cold breeze, but he was too dazed to pay attention.

Later, when he recalled it, the dangerous signs had already shown.

Kim Dokja thought he must have dozed off, as just after a blink of an eye, he suddenly found himself surrounded by a bustling city. A line of shops and stores stood next to each other, filled with customers in all kinds of fashion. Sunlight was dancing on his eyes, making him couldn't help but squint his eyes uncomfortably.

Usually, when going out on missions, he always wears a special hooded suit with a mask provided by the MBCC, so there were, in fact, not many people who knew his real face. Because of this, there was lots of speculation and even some quite strange rumors circulated around about his looks, that he was very ugly or had scars on his face, etc...

Kim Dokja admitted he was somewhat hurt upon learning about that, but gave up on cleaning up those rumors soon later.

The short nap cleared his mind slightly, returning some sharpness to his senses. He felt gazes on him, but none carried malicious intent, only curiosity. He followed the gaze to meet some school girls in uniform turned away, while awkwardly hiding their phone. A bone-chilling breeze filled the bus as it stopped and its doors opened, blowing away half of his drowsiness.