[Joongdok] Omniscient Reader's Path to Nowhere

Part 1 - Chapter 2: The Garden

The food was brought up faster than Kim Dokja expected, almost immediately after he finished his call.

The first thing that caught his eye was how muscular the arm that held the dishes was. It wasn't too buff like the gym guy he met at the Ogygia Villa party, but definitely better than Demon. Scars could be seen on his hands, extending up past the wrist to the arm covered by the white long sleeves. The white uniform he was wearing was different from the black-and-white one the young waitress girl wore before, indicating he was not a waiter, but the chef.

Come to think of it, has she even graduated high school yet? This place isn't exploiting minor's labor, right?

Kim Dokja was about to dig in, but the chef didn't seem to have any intention to leave. He looked up, barely making anything out of the basic frame of the man. He focused hard on studying the chef's facial structure, in case it was someone he knew. But aside from the sharp jawline and high nose - indicating that this chef is definitely handsome, he couldn't fit him to any person he knew of.

Yet the feeling from his gaze made Kim Dokja feel like they had known each other for a very long time. This uncertain feeling made him somewhat uncomfortable. Its burning sensation was on pair with Cabernet every time she asked to taste his soul, yet couldn't be more different. It was like... longing?

The thought sent shivers down his spine. The waitress, and now the chef? This restaurant sure was strange.

Plastered a service smile on his face, he asked:

"Is there something wrong?"

The chef stood still, didn't answer. If Kim Dokja was in a better state, he might realize his hands were shaking very slightly. Unfortunately, everything in front of him now was no different than a jar of smoothie, so he could only say:

"...If there is nothing else, then, thank you for the food."

Right from the first bite, all the uneasiness he got from this restaurant was all thrown to the back of his head.

Their staff might be rather unprofessional, but their food was no doubt top-notch, perhaps the fact that Kim Dokja was famished also played a part. Before realizing it, he had already finished everything from the main dish to the cool mixed drink. Even though his mind was still craving for more, he knew full well this was his limit, so he fought his instinct and put the fork down. The strange chef had returned to the kitchen long ago, the time on his phone had also changed to p.m. With a double tap, he opened the map and started to search for a nice hotel while waiting for the energy to kick in.

However, that burning gaze still persisted.

As someone whose job involved mostly dealing with mentally unstable Sinners and usually (unconsciously) had to act as their moral compass, Kim Dokja couldn't be more familiar with the intensity behind those gazes. Were they someone he knew before his memory was erased?

He unconsciously pinched his glabella, while walking towards the cashier counter. As he waited for the cashier to print out the bill, his thoughts aimlessly wandered. There was a pretty good hotel just one block away. Its rating was high, had a nice view of the park nearby and was close to a supermarket, an ideal accommodation.

Based on Yoo Sang-Ah and the other's reactions, they hadn't found out about how he left, which means there was no trace. NeoHive was not far from DisCity and the MBCC headquarters, but Paradeiso's influence here wasn't strong. It might take a few days for them to retrieve him, but that duration was enough. He could return to this restaurant later when he had recovered and take this chance to investigate his past, out of Paradeiso's eye...

As he was deep in thought, his vision tilted abnormally. Before completely blacking out, Kim Dokja thought he heard someone screaming his name.

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