Side Story: Episode 19-1 - Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint

**Episode 19. Ancient People (1)** rlaehrwk37: These days, I find old stories appealing. * With a soft whooshing sound, Shin Yoosung suddenly opened her eyes. The last sight she remembered was the landscape of the dungeon dissolving into light. Her heart sunk with a jolt. Could something have gone wrong? What happened to the uncle? She blinked several times, but all she could see was the encompassing darkness. [Connection Lost.] Shin Yoosung sighed lightly and reached out to remove her connection goggles. Then she saw the pristine white circular connection device with characters spinning furiously around it. [Correcting ‘41st Loop’ Connection Error.] [Searching for a New Connection Point.] "Hey! It disconnected because of you!" When she turned to look, Lee Gilyoung was grumbling as she took off her connection goggles. Shin Yoosung squinted her eyes and replied. "What nonsense are you talking about? It's probably your fault." "It got disconnected because you overused your abilities! Sooyoung noona told us not to recklessly use skills in the 41st loop! Besides, why did you even connect together?" Shin Yoosung shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "Who's the one recklessly spamming indirect messages? Isn't that what caused the coherence error?" "That was—" "And how did you come up with such a pretentious modifier? 'Intriguing Schemer'?" Lee Gilyoung, her face turning red, angrily shouted back. "Shut up, and go call Seolhwa noona quickly. We need to fix this!" "You do it. I could've talked more with the uncle if you didn’t cause the disconnection." "Didn't I say that wasn't Dokja hyung?" "It's him, the reincarnated Dokja-ssi." "He doesn’t have any of his memories, so what are you talking about?" How long had they been bickering like this? A voice of Lee Seolhwa flowed from the speaker installed on top of the connection device. ―Did you break it again? I'll fix it, so stop fighting. Go out and take a breather. At the disembodied voice, the two kids obediently replied, "Yes." ―And didn't I clearly tell you two not to connect at the same time? The device is incomplete, and simultaneous connections are... The two quickly slipped out of the room. Strolling down the long corridor, Lee Gilyoung asked. "Where’s Sangah noona?" "Room 3. She's still connected." Through the window of a door marked with the number '3', Yoo Sangah's figure came into view. Yoo Sangah was seated in front of the same device they had used, wearing goggles. Her eyes were covered, obscuring her expression, but she seemed to be speaking fervently with her lips. In a worried voice, Shin Yoosung muttered. "She should eat something while doing this." Yoo Sangah had been connected for thirty-six hours straight. A screen floating in front of her displayed what she was seeing. The ruined view of Gwanghwamun. The toppled National Palace Museum. Flames engulfing its lobby. In the midst of fleeing Incarnations, a beautiful Incarnation was seen shouting something. Beside her, a familiar face was discreetly scouting the surroundings. Recognizing that face, Lee Gilyoung spoke. "Will Sooyoung noona be okay?" "......" "Noona dived directly, right? She mentioned she’s already used a lot of narrative coherence." Unlike them, who could only intervene indirectly through the 'Seolhwa Connection Device' crafted by Lee Seolhwa, Han Sooyoung had physically infiltrated that specific loop. Technically, she had used an [Avatar] to transmit some of her memories, but it allowed her more freedom within the scenarios than the other members of <Kim Dokja’s Company>. ―Under no circumstances should you connect directly. Got it? The 41st loop is unlike any other worldline. I’m the only one who can enter that world. You're aware of what happens to the Constellations during the early scenarios there, right? Don’t try to possess anyone. Conserve the coherence as much as possible. I'll figure a way to rescue Kim Dokja; just watch from here. A method only possible for Han Sooyoung, the writer. She sent her [Avatar] into the scenario of the 41st loop. In order to retrieve Kim Dokja, she plunged back into the infernal scenario. ―Don’t come in. If you want to see, just observe like the Constellations do, understood? They understood Han Sooyoung's sentiment. However, the other members couldn't just remain idle. Yoo Sangah and Lee Gilyoung had formed 'sponsor contracts' with the Incarnations of the 41st loop, and Shin Yoosung had intervened through 'possession', all for that reason. Lee Gilyoung casually remarked. "You've possessed before." Among those present here, the only person who could possess a character in the 41st loop using the 'broken film theory' was Shin Yoosung. "How was it?" Lee Gilyoung didn't ask for specifics, but Shin Yoosung understood precisely. "You’ve seen it too." "Seeing and experiencing are different things." "It's the same old story." There were plenty of things to say. <Star Stream> was still <Star Stream>. More horrifying scenarios than they had known unfolded everywhere. Those detestable Constellations and Dokkaebi mocked the Incarnations' desires and scorned human deaths. Many people perished. Shin Yoosung understood more than anyone why Han Sooyoung had barred the group from entering. 「It was a world I never wanted to return to.」 Indeed, it was. Yet. "I missed it." That was how Shin Yoosung replied. After a moment’s contemplation, Lee Gilyoung suggested. "If I stealthily descend into the 41st loop, how about that?" "Are you asking for death? The coherence is already risky." Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung had cleared the 'final scenario' as Incarnations. Their true ranks surpassed even the gleaming stars above the sky. Descending into an early scenario of a different worldline would only spell obvious disaster. "Dokja hyung gets by with a few glitches even after backlash." "That’s him, though." Even Kim Dokja, robust in coherence, would find such a feat arduous. Lee Gilyoung grumbled. "Ugh, I just want to enjoy it a bit." "Enjoy? You think this is for fun?" Agitated by Lee Gilyoung's words, Shin Yoosung furrowed her eyebrows. In return, Lee Gilyoung questioned. "You seemed to be enjoying it too?" "I—" --- **Translation Notes:** 1. **끝어진 필름 이론 (Broken Film Theory)**: Translated directly as "broken film theory," a term used to describe a concept in the story, possibly about narrative flow or connection between scenarios. A literal translation would retain "film," indicating a rupture or discontinuity in the narrative sequence. An alternate translation could be "Fragmented Narrative Theory." 2. **흥미로운 책략가 (Intriguing Schemer)**: Directly translated as "Intriguing Schemer," maintaining the wordplay around scheming and strategic but opaque actions. A more literal translation would be "Subtle Strategist," focusing on the element of intrigue and cunning. 3. **설화 접속기 (Seolhwa Connection Device)**: Translated as "Seolhwa Connection Device," using "Seolhwa," which translates to "Legend" or pertains to tales; this is a preserved name that highlights Lee Seolhwa's creation. 4. **해외자유로운 (미형의 화신)**: Translated here as "beautiful Incarnation," combining a descriptor with the term "Incarnation" to imply a specific character or entity within the narrative. An alternate translation could be "Charming Avatar." --- **Additional Context:** - Shin Yoosung's concern for Yoo Sangah highlights an intellectual perspective that prioritizes both practical needs and emotional concerns for teammates. - The narrative signifies the parallel between worldlines, emphasizing how different outcomes and coherence variances affect characters differently. - The characters' recollections and responses reveal the narrative complexity within <Star Stream>, where old relationships and familiar but hostile environments consist of both fond memories and traumatic recalls. **Changes to List Above:** No changes are required in the list above based on this text, but further revelations could refine character affiliations and hierarchical dynamics. Could such a thing really be described as fun? Shin Yoosung bit her lips, gripped by an unexplainable sense of guilt and sin. Yet, despite these feelings, could she truly deny Lee Gilyoung's words? She found herself unable to do so. "Let's be honest; it was exciting to return to the scenario. Just admit what you have to admit." Being thrust back into that dreadful world, undertaking life-threatening scenarios while bearing the gaze of the Constellations. In a time she hoped never to experience again, Shin Yoosung inexplicably felt her heart race and blood course through her body when thrown back into it. Perhaps they had become that kind of human now. The two gazed outside the window of [Gongdan]. A cool breeze blew, making their hair flutter. Lee Gilyoung spoke up first. "Sometimes it doesn't feel real." "Yeah." Beyond the window lay a landscape in white. A world like an unfinished painting by someone. Staring into that incomplete scene, Shin Yoosung recalled the moment they had breached this world. 「I thought we could finally get Kim Dokja back.」 <Kim Dokja's Company>, having at last reached the story’s ending, had opened the hospital room door. Beyond that door were two conclusions. One was a world where Kim Dokja existed. The other was a world where he did not. Faced with this bifurcated choice, the group chose the latter. Such choices are a trap. Instinctively, the group thought so. Just as on that subway some time ago, Kim Dokja was likely wandering distant scenarios, having left them with nothing but a sweet illusion. 「Perhaps not even Kim Dokja knew that his companions would make such a choice.」 The latter world. This world without Kim Dokja was not a 'proper world'. A world untouched by Kim Dokja’s gaze. A dream that even the 'Oldest Dream' couldn’t dream. "It's already been half a year." In that half-year, much had occurred here. Members of <Kim Dokja’s Company> each embarked on their own plans to retrieve Kim Dokja. ―In this place, connections with all worldlines are possible. Yoo Sangah, the third to arrive, was the first to discover this fact. Possessing the authority of the 'Protector of Mandala,' Yoo Sangah immediately extended the [Threads of Fate] in search of Kim Dokja’s scattered soul across the worldlines. But the worldlines were vast, and Kim Dokja’s fragments were too numerous. The group decided to initially collect fragments of Kim Dokja that hadn’t yet reincarnated. Some fragments were in familiar worldlines, while others were in unfamiliar ones. All these fragments were traces of Kim Dokja's presence. Yoo Sangah had said. ―Just because we gather all the fragments doesn’t mean the Dokja-ssi we know will return. Collecting someone's footprints doesn’t bring back the person who made them, and the group knew this. Lee Jihye responded. ―But if we don't do even that, what do we have left? Even if this was merely a way to mourn Kim Dokja, even if the Kim Dokja they knew could never return. Like the time they waited for Yoo Joonghyuk, who once departed to space, they wanted to hold onto eternal hope. Thus, the group continued gathering the narrative fragments of Kim Dokja. The fragments gradually amassed, and once reaching a certain size, they began to move as if drawn by gravity to a destination. The group followed where the narrative directed and eventually found a worldline. The '41st loop.' This world wasn’t documented in 'Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World'. Like Yoo Joonghyuk's 0th loop, an unrecorded world. The group instinctively realized. Perhaps, Kim Dokja might be here. "Has the dark figure contacted you?" "Not yet. Also, stop calling Joonghyuk ahjussi that, it's rude." Shin Yoosung gazed vacantly at the scenery outside the window. She watched intently, hopeful something, like a white coat, might flutter in the snowy scene. Lee Gilyoung inquired. "Will we really find him?" "We will. We’ve already found one of him." "That wasn't hyung." "Then what is ahjussi?" "Hyung is..." What is Kim Dokja? Shin Yoosung and Lee Gilyoung knew the answer. They knew Kim Dokja well. The things Kim Dokja liked, disliked, the foods he couldn't eat, his height and age, his weight, the expressions and smiles he wore when seeing them. But if these were all collected, would it become Kim Dokja? If all Kim Dokja's memories were gathered without omission, could it be an entity named 'Kim Dokja'? Once, Lee Seolhwa had asked this: ―Do you remember what you had for lunch a week ago? Shin Yoosung had shaken her head. Then, Lee Seolhwa asked again: ―I don't remember either. So, am I not Lee Seolhwa anymore? This question left a profound impact on Shin Yoosung. A subversive question she’d harbored till then stirred her mind. Perhaps the 'Kim Dokja' she knew might no longer exist in this world. Just like 'Shin Yoosung' from one, two, or three years ago no longer exists in this world. They certainly existed at one point, but are now left only within stories. She didn’t want to complicate her thoughts. Yet, whenever she thought of Kim Dokja, she couldn’t help but dive into such thoughts. What is Kim Dokja? 「There's a story I haven’t read yet. I'll be back soon.」 Kim Dokja left such a note. Hence, Shin Yoosung already knew Lee Gilyoung’s response. "Hyung is someone who loves stories." Seemingly satisfied with his answer, Lee Gilyoung nodded several times and added. "Hyung likes my stories." "He probably prefers mine." "No, he likes mine more." The two began bickering again. Shin Yoosung thought. In this world, conflict becomes a story, and stories are what Kim Dokja loves most. If Kim Dokja truly loves stories, he must be watching over their current state. No matter what form he takes, if he is observing the story— Shin Yoosung would surely reclaim her star. How long had they been chatting like that? Over the broadcasting system within Gongdan, Lee Seolhwa's voice came through. ―He's back. He's back. At those words, Shin Yoosung and Lee Gilyoung simultaneously held their breath. Could it be? But it couldn't be Kim Dokja who returned. If it were― With a beep, the sound of someone gripping the microphone was heard. ―Gather around. There's something I need to say. Yoo Joonghyuk had returned.