Chapter Text
[This story is for just that one reader]
I stared at the words which hid the story behind them, a feeling of loss crawling its way up my throat. The lines on my phone screen were painfully familiar.
How do you come with words to describe how you feel when a story ends?
Dread?
Sadness?
Bittersweet?
The best way I could describe this feeling was a dull ache in my heart, constantly throbbing as if it was getting physically beaten.
I had finished this story a few weeks ago and it finally hit me.
The journey was over and I..
I couldn’t accept this ending, it wasn’t justifiable for the characters. The message the author was sending was as clear as day-The reader must let go of the characters, but what of those said people were chasing after the readers themselves?
Neither of these people-characters were happy. For a story meant as a love letter to the readers..it didn’t feel right to be that the characters would continue to suffer.
At least that’s how I viewed it.
They were chasing a hopeless fantasy that was so close yet so far.
It was unfinished, like a tangled web of thread that was knotted. Each told a different yet similar story but never connected.
It was a thought that came to me so suddenly and, yet the more I pondered over it, the more I was convinced that I truly believed it.
They wanted a happy ending.
And I as well …
They were …Pathetic
I was getting emotional over some words on a page. So instead, I turned my attention to the roaring blur of a crowd. Any distraction from my thoughts was comforting. Adults, who were wrapped in their own problems. Some were crossing the street chatting mindlessly. Probably complaining about some insignificant issue in this mundane life of theirs.
All of them were liars. Hypocrites. It was a wonder how the world managed to operate with how selfish humanity was. The words they spoke to unsuspecting naive children without any show of guilt were laughable at best. Those kids would learn to be just like them. Do what you need to survive, right? If you can call this fucking life worth living.
Again, I did it again. No reason to get worked up.
Was it that hard to control my ever-spiraling thoughts? No, today was special. That was the reason why. Surely that was it.
Han Chinjeol..
My guardian. I was going to visit him today. He wasn’t a parent, rather like a roommate instead, but even that wasn’t necessarily true. We hardly saw each other. It was one of the things I was adamant about. There was no point in keeping the pretenses with me. Being constantly monitored would only serve as a nuisance for both of us. He didn’t try to convince me otherwise. Instead, he suggested we meet each other each month. I knew the reason why. No matter how competent I was, he would always worry that something might happen.
He was like that. Worrywart.
To ease his worries, I accepted. My phone buzzed. Unsurprisingly, it was Han Chinjeol.
<Where are you?>
It had only been five minutes since I left the apartment and he was already asking me this. He really needs to stop overthinking so much.
<I am currently next to Chungmuro station. However, I will probably not be able to make it on time to meet you.>
I put my phone back, ignoring the multiple new messages. I wasn’t lying, it wasn’t likely I would see him. It wasn’t likely I would see him ever again. I was just withholding information.
How would he react to the news? He was going to find out any second now. I couldn’t break it to him myself. There wasn’t enough time. Even if I did, I doubted he would ever believe the supposed nonsense that did know.
Still, it left an unpleasant feeling in my stomach. It was a perfectly logical response yet the lingering ‘what ifs' refused to leave my brain.
In the end, I give into looking at the messages. I didn’t know if it was a good idea but it would be the last thing he said to me. It deserved to be remembered. I looked back at my phone, only to find an unexpected surprise.
This is..
A copy of WOS. The person who sent it to me was..TLS123.
I heard an explosion coming from the train station. People craned their heads to see. It didn’t take me long to figure out what was going on.
I wasn’t given much more time to brood since a blue systematic screen popped up.
[The free service of planetary system 8612 has been terminated]
[The main scenario has started]
Ah, I was wondering when the paid service would begin.