Chapter Text
This is a world where your soulmates' name is etched on your wrist. If you have already met them, their full name will be shown. If you only have their initials on it, then you need to meet them. A meaningful encounter should be made in order to have their names fully written on your wrist.
Kim Dokja's life isn't eventful. Every encounter he had is far from meaningful. Most likely, he had already met his soulmate but because he's too boring at social gatherings, their name's still not written. Perhaps people to him are like fleeting dreams that he could never reach. As someone who dreams to escape this horrible reality, Kim Dokja does not care. He does not care how it's only his soulmate's initials written on it. He does not care if he never finds them. Even if he did eventually find them, he'll be dead by that time.
Cause he's gonna kill himself.
Just kidding.
Of course he'll value his life cause Kim Dokja made a vow for himself. He's not gonna let fate decide on who he's going to love. On who he's going to end up with. He's had enough of fate trying to weigh him down with all of these miseries in the world. Just watch, watch how he's going to live his life to the fullest. Even if he's all alone. It's not even required to have a partner in order to be happy. He's going to prove that he can be whole even without his soulmate's—
"Oof—!"
He bumped into something hard. He thought he bumped into a wooden pole or something, but this library doesn't have that. Kim Dokja was about to apologize as he looked up to see a man. Not just any man but a drop dead gorgeous man. Holy shit. He suddenly froze. Is this real? How can someone this handsome exist? In this world and age? Where everyone is either average or shit (—excuse him, he has very high standards). This man's face looks like it's been carved carefully by a God for thousands of years.
"What are you stupidly staring at?"
He's a bit of a jerk though.
Even his voice was hot. Too bad he's got an attitude. Kim Dokja immediately flashes his manufactured smile that he had fabricated over the years as a result of dealing with people. The man glowers when he doesn't immediately answer.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bump into you. I'll be careful next time" Kim Dokja said. His gaze wander onto what this man's holding. Then back at his expression that seems to be looking for something but doesn't know where to find it.
"Oh, and if you're looking for bedtime stories, then this section is really not it. It's over there"
Kim Dokja pointed to the opposite side. The man even glowered harder at him. "I know that, fool"
I know that, my ass. Your stupidly handsome face says otherwise
Kim Dokja fought the urge to curse at this rude stranger as he walked past him. His fake smile turned into a frown as soon as he did. He suddenly felt a tingling sensation on his wrist. He scratched it but didn't look at it. Kim Dokja just thought that he got bit by a mosquito.
The initial "Y" turned into "Yoo"
Today at work, he got to have a conversation with his coworker that he hasn't converse with for a while. It was lunch and he was always alone, reading web novels to pass time. Kim Dokja felt someone approaching his way and he suddenly grew a bit nervous. He looked up and somehow felt relieved to see a familiar face.
"Kim Dokja-ssi, hello. Aren't you going to eat?" Yoo Sangah— someone who he did his interview with and got the highest score. It's been a while since they talked. Since they're from different departments, they rarely encounter each other.
"I've actually eaten. I'm just reading something to pass time" Lies. He didn't actually eat. He was so absorbed into the story that he decided he'd skip lunch so he could focus on it.
"Ah, is that so? What are you reading if I may ask?" Yoo Sangah smiled as he leaned closer towards him.
"It's.. A web novel. Something that's really interesting to me" He's careful of what he's saying. Yoo Sangah might find it lame that he reads novels from the internet. Someone like Yoo Sangah, who reads high class literature, would probably find it boring.
"Oh? I read a lot too" She perked up at the mention of webnovel. Kim Dokja raised an eyebrow at the revelation. It surprised him a little bit.
"There's this person that dragged me into reading them. It was interesting and a refreshing experience" She talked excitedly about this person and Kim Dokja began to wonder who might it be. Is it her soulmate? It won't be a surprise if she had already found hers. Yoo Sangah can blend easily with people. A lot different from him, who just blend into the background.
They talked for a while about books and webnovels. Gave each other recommendations, and when Yoo Sangah decided to go back, Kim Dokja felt lighter. It was nice talking to her. He even got a new material to read. He just knows everything she recommends would be worth reading. She's Yoo Sangah after all.
He looked at his wrist watch for the time. Instead of the watch, his eyes suddenly focused on the letters written on his other wrist that he's been avoiding to look at for a while. He squinted his eyes when he found out that there are three letters instead of just one.
"Yoo..?" He dazed at it. His jaw slightly dropped.
No way. This gotta be a prank. There's just no way that what he's thinking is real. The encounter with Yoo Sangah a while ago couldn't possibly trigger this. It should sting a little when it does. But what if it actually sting but Kim Dokja is just too numb (and dumb) to realize? He's got a high tolerance to pain, after all.
If it's really what he's thinking, then it's a shame. Yoo Sangah is just too good for him. As much as possible, he wanted her to be with someone who is as worthy as her. Someone like Kim Dokja would be a bad match for her. Or it's because he's got a really low-self esteem that he downgrades his worthiness every chance he gets.
But then suddenly, the following symbols started to form. Kim Dokja narrowed his eyes. A combination of letters and symbols started to emerge on his skin. Then his eyes widened.
"What in the world is this supposed to mean?"
[Yoo _1∞π64¥u|<]
Now what the fuck is this
It seems like fate is fucking with him again. Who would even name their child like this? Or is this some kind of code or something? No matter how he looks at it, it doesn't seem to be Yoo Sangah's name. These symbols, he only guessed that '¥u|<' at the end must be "Yuk"
Fate really took the time to trouble him. It probably wanted to convey these words: "Here's a code for you to decipher. Good luck finding your significant other!"
Well too bad Kim Dokja doesn't have any thoughts about finding them. He'll gladly fuck them off and enjoy his little lonely life reading stories.
When he finally got to his apartment after a long— tiring office work, he sank onto his mattress. He can stay up all night since tomorrow would be Saturday. He can stay up all night reading his beloved web novel that he's about to finish. Just 50 chapters left and he's going to sleep. Quite unhealthy but it would be worth it. So, Kim Dokja immediately immersed himself into the story.
After hours of reading, he felt his eyes getting heavy and his heart feeling empty. He just finished the web novel and now he's feeling empty, and a little lonely inside. A story he grew to love five months ago. Well, it ended tonight— or should he say, today? Cause it's already 3 am. It's already Saturday.
Damn, he really stayed up so late again. But since he finished the story he picked up some time ago. He'll probably get good sleep until he finds another web novel again (which will not take long) and binge-read it as always.
But this particular story was just too good. It left a good impression on him. Kim Dokja feels like there's suddenly a void in his heart right after he finished the story. It's all over. He knows he can read it again but it kinda bugs him that he has to reread the scenes he already knew.
With a yawn, Kim Dokja put his phone aside. He took a glance at the window and saw how the full moon illuminates a portion of his room with a soft glow, took his feet towards the window and opened it. Kim Dokja's face was greeted by the cold, yet gentle breeze of the wind. His gaze fell below the ground. He was high above and the height kinda made him dizzy. A familiar sensation suddenly crept up at the back of his neck when he stared at the ground for too long. Thirteen years ago, he tried to end his life by jumping out of the window with this same height.
Kim Dokja staggered backwards. The memories of the past suddenly flooded that caused a sharp pain within his temples. He slightly hissed at the sudden pain. He's really lacking some sleep. He thought it's about time he goes to bed for rest. When he was about to close the curtains after closing the window, a fleeting light caught his attention.
Kim Dokja opened his window again, this time he's looking from above.
"Oh wow..." Kim Dokja whispered. There is a meteor shower caught by his naked eye. His irises reflected the countless falling stars in the night sky. It was truly a majestic sight. Soon, the meteor shower stopped. It lasted for a brief moment but Kim Dokja thought he had been gazing at it for eternity. Even so, he didn't get a chance to wish for something. Not like he needs to. It's only an empty statement that holds no truth whatsoever. A belief made up for hopeless romantic fools.
Kim Dokja took a glance at the symbols written on his wrist, then back at the sky. Countless stars can be seen. Kim Dokja looks at those stars. Then his lonely ass began to think:
Somewhere, someone might be looking at it too
...and maybe, I won't feel alone
Kim Dokja is an idiot. He tried so hard to deny his feelings. He's lonely, alright. The statement about how "being alone does not mean a person is lonely" which he always uses to comfort himself with does not work right now, unfortunately.
Cause Kim Dokja is alone and lonely. Right after finishing a story that he used as a way to escape from this reality. Perhaps every reader felt this way. But no worries. A literary wound would go away soon. This is not the first time he's ever felt this way.
Somewhere in Seoul, a man had also stayed up late. With a click of his mouse, the computer screen shuts down. Things got out of hand. His stream was originally going to end at exactly 12am. But due to troubling circumstances, it extended for four hours. He rubbed his eyes and felt a stinging sensation on his wrist. The surname "Kim" and a few symbols he doesn't quite understand were laid beautifully on his skin.
Kim. A lot of people in Korea have that surname. So, it could be anybody that he encounters as almost everyone he has encountered has the surname 'Kim'. But he paid it no mind as he got up from his gaming chair. He heard windows opening at the other side of the room. He noticed its door was slightly open. His face gave off a frown when he thought that his little sister had sneaked out of her room to get some unhealthy snacks downstairs.
"Mia?" He called as he opens the door to her room. He found his sister gazing at the night sky, with a phone on hand. It seems like she's on a call with someone. Her voice suddenly ended abruptly when she saw her brother.
"Oh, brother! I was just watching the meteor shower together with Yoosung. U-Um I totally did not stay up all night! Why don't you come here and take a look?" She gestured for her brother to come.
“You should go to sleep after this” He ignored the way Mia pouts. Looking up to the sky, a handful of meteors showed up. An emotion welled up inside him, an emotion that he’s sure, is not his. He doesn’t know where– ah. Perhaps it’s his soulmate. When he thinks about it, it’s kind of annoying to have a stranger’s emotions shared with him at random times. Nevertheless, it’s not that important right now.
He tried to ignore the growing sting on his wrist for the rest of the hour.