Side Story: Episode 19-10 - Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint

Episode 19. Old Souls (10) * 「“I’m going to marry Yoo Joonghyuk.”」 After losing his daughter to some fictional character, No Kyunghwan's life changed forebodingly. He had neither the strength to be angry nor the energy to mourn. He merely accepted, without cause, that his entire life had been shattered by a meteor that appeared out of nowhere. However, life continued even after it had been destroyed. No Kyunghwan lived. He somehow got through each day, ate meals, worked, and earned his salary. He was a breadwinner and had responsibilities. But at that time, No Kyunghwan didn’t know. Just as his wife and daughter were struck by the metaphorical meteor, this world had left a meteor allocated solely for him. 「“It’s cancer.”」 It was just a routine health checkup. No Kyunghwan thought he heard wrong. He asked again and again. 「“It’s cancer.”」 It was a much more plausible event than a meteor. But plausible events aren’t always easy to accept. 「“Sometimes this happens. Some people hardly notice the signs. Haven’t you been feeling unusually tired lately?”」 Who hasn’t been tired these days? But after hearing the doctor, it seemed he had been more fatigued than usual lately. 「“It would be wise to prepare yourself.”」 How does one prepare themselves mentally for something like this? I am going to die soon. Is accepting that fact what preparing oneself mentally means? “I won’t die. I won’t die.” If he readied himself like that, what would become of his daughter? “No Jiyun. No Jiyun.” He didn’t know. Where did everything go wrong? “Looking for someone.” Why were these things happening to him? What sin had he committed? It was a question with no meaning. He already knew. This was a normal human life. And in a normal human life, there's no inherent rationality. Life isn’t a story. ―Hey, mister! Dan-soo, mister! No one was watching his life, and thus, there was no one to point out any rationality in it. [The constellation, ‘Secretive Plotter’, is watching over his Incarnation.] No Kyunghwan didn’t tell his daughter about his illness. His daughter spoke less and less, spending more time talking to herself in her room. More accurately, it seemed she was having conversations with friends online. While he was relieved that his solitary daughter found an outlet for communication, he also worried about the potential presence of bad influences. Yet, he could not interfere with what occurred within her room. The only things No Kyunghwan could do were ensuring she ate and carefully asking questions he wouldn’t have otherwise considered. 「“When are you going back to school?”」 The look of her sulking, pouting lips. 「“You said it didn’t matter whether I went or not?”」 Was his approach right? Had he raised his daughter properly? Had he, in attempting to prepare for an apocalypse that may never come, in fact doomed his daughter’s life? As he looked at the half-eaten sandwich his daughter left behind, No Kyunghwan suddenly wondered. 「Was it not the meteor but himself who had ruined his daughter?」 He started secretly reading the novel his daughter liked from then on. Before he died, he wanted to understand his daughter, even just a little. He was curious about this Yoo Joonghyuk that she seemed to admire. 「There are Three Ways To Survive in a Ruined World.」 Even from the first sentence, the novel was strange. 「Now, some of them are forgotten. But one thing is certain. It is that you, reading this text, will survive.」 Perhaps his daughter began reading this story because she wanted to live. Could reading this novel truly ensure survival? Even though it was a fanciful idea, he began to read the novel. Yet, to him who had somewhat become an "old soul," the content of the novel was quite perplexing. 「Kim Dokja(金獨子). My father gave me this name so I would become a strong man even on my own.」 Kim Dokja. An odd name indeed. Even for someone not well-versed in literature, it carried a somewhat contrived symbolic meaning. 「“I assume most of you understand the situation even if you don’t voice it. A characteristic window and exclusive skill. A game-like interface. Does anyone still not grasp what this is?”」 Moreover, the character talked about things he barely knew. System windows. Game systems. Regression, rebirth, possession... preposterous and absurd topics. Do kids these days truly enjoy this kind of material? Continuing to scroll, once in a while, familiar tales appeared. The Three Kingdoms era and the Later Three Kingdoms era. Gung Ye and Gyeon Hwon. Kim Yushin and Yi Sunsin. Though he felt it was historical distortion, seeing familiar narratives brought excitement, prompting him to turn the pages. When stories of Olympus myths or Journey to the West appeared, he momentarily thought it was quite an educational read. Other times, seeing the complex settings or worldviews, he wondered if Jiyun fully understood them. Whenever descriptions of apocalyptic brutality emerged, he hesitated, thinking of leaving a concerned comment. As he continued to read, one line became a page, one page became a chapter. He delved into two chapters, then three, then four. Every story possesses a mysterious power. A protagonist with whom he shared no ties or commonality. Yet, while reading, No Kyunghwan felt connected to the protagonist. He took part in scenarios as Kim Dokja, ventured through the world, and accumulated narratives. Gradually, he began to understand why his daughter adored the character Yoo Joonghyuk. 「Perhaps Jiyun wished for a return.」 Even if it meant regressing hundreds, thousands of times; even if it meant reliving tragedies countless times. Even at the cost of destroying this world for a single person. 「She must have wanted to regain her mother.」 Now, Jiyun would be alone. What kind of narrative could he leave for his daughter? 「“Dad.”」 To his one and only daughter, what story would the human ‘No Kyunghwan’ become? 「“Can you give me a ride?”」 Jiyun mentioned she wanted to go somewhere with an online friend. **Terms Translated**: - 노경환 (No Kyunghwan): This name remains Korean, adhering to the cultural context. - 노지윤 (No Jiyun): Similarly kept as Korean, preserving the familial association. **Notes on Translation**: 1. **Genders** - This section revealed No Kyunghwan's relationship with his daughter, No Jiyun, hence confirming her gender as female. 2. **Narrative Flow** - The translation maintains the introspective and somber tone of the original text, exploring themes of family and existential reflection. 3. **Cultural References** - Referencing historical and mythical figures like Kim Yushin, Yi Sunsin, Olympus myths, and Journey to the West are preserved to maintain the educational depth witnessed by No Kyunghwan in the novel his daughter reads. These recognizable names provide cultural context that adds layers to the story. No further changes to the list above are required based on this context. After dropping his daughter off at the theater in Chungmuro, No Kyunghwan headed to the hospital. It was the day of his checkup. He remembered reaching the hospital safely and checking in at the reception. However, his memory became patchy beyond that. There was the dizziness, the moment he collapsed, and the gentleman with the fedora who helped him up. And then... thinking, this is the end. If he only had a bit more time. If he could talk to his daughter one last time. To tell her he had read the story she loved. That would have been nice. 「There are Three Ways To Survive in a Ruined World.」 As his consciousness blurred, No Kyunghwan wanted to believe in the fictional story. 「This is a story for a single reader.」 If such a story truly existed, he wished for just one miracle. “I won’t die. I won’t die.” The voice coming from his throat sounded unfamiliar. “I won’t die…” ―Mister! As the fog in his mind cleared, No Kyunghwan gradually regained his senses. But his vision turned pitch black; he couldn't see anything. Instead, past memories resurfaced. 「He entered the ‘Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint.’」 Could it be that someone granted his final wish? He found himself within this world, still alive. Surviving, searching for his daughter. “Run!” “Crazy, crazy―” “Don’t be scared, everyone. You won’t die even if you get hit by that guy! He said he wouldn’t kill, didn’t he?” Chaotic recollections steadily revived in his jumbled mind. The tragedy at Kumho Station. He also remembered meeting Cheon Inho. 「Inho.」 What happened to Inho? The only man he could trust since coming into this world. Though he met him for the first time, he felt like he’d known him for a long time. “Ready. Throw! Feed him another one!” “Now!” A sensation of something flying toward him, followed by the sound of shattering near his ear. [You have acquired 1 additional ‘Star Jewel’!] [Total acquired Star Jewels: 6.] [Entering ‘Madness Stage 6.’] He retched blood. The overwhelming memories rampaged chaotically through his mind. [The constellation, ‘Secretive Plotter’, yells for you to come to your senses!] Why did things have to come to this? He just wanted to find his daughter. He would do anything to get her back. 「“Truly, anything?”」 Thus, he succumbed to temptation. 「“There is a way to find your daughter.”」 The theater's scenery painted his mind. A fluttering white coat. Kim Dokja's Representative. 「“Bring me the ‘Sainchamsword’, and I will tell you where your daughter is.”」 ‘Sainchamsword.’ That’s right. He had come to this dungeon to obtain it. “No Jiyun. No Jiyun.” Amidst his hazy memories, No Kyunghwan asked Kim Dokja's Representative. 「“Why did you bring me into this novel?”」 He wanted to know. 「“Why did the meteor fall? Why did my wife have to die? Why was I diagnosed with cancer?”」 He didn’t expect an answer. Yet. 「“Do you want to know?”」 An answer came. 「“Why a meteor struck your family that day. Why it had to be you instead of someone else. Do you really want to know?”」 「“Does my misfortune really have a reason?”」 「“Bring me the ‘Sainchamsword’, and I’ll tell you all the reasons.”」 Kim Dokja's Representative provided him with several pieces of equipment and skills, even the coordinates for the ‘Sainchamsword.’ 「“Why are you helping me?”」 「“You remind me of someone.”」 For the first time, something resembling emotion appeared on Kim Dokja's Representative’s face. 「“He was also a father who cherished his daughter dearly.”」 No Kyunghwan didn’t fully grasp what that meant. All he knew was that there was a reason behind all his misfortunes. “What, what the hell. Where did these guys come from?” “It’s the apostles! The apostle bastards!” “Screeeech!” “It’s the White Azure Gang Qi! Is it Kim Dokja?” Someone had caused him this much agony. ―Mister! Snap out of it! A distant voice, echoing as if from the edge of the universe. “I won’t die. I won’t die―” No Kyunghwan resolved. He would not forgive. Whoever caused his life to become like this. “I will kill.” His hand grasped something. Crunch. Alongside the tearing sound of muscles, a voice reached him. “Mister.” Though it was a familiar voice, he couldn’t recall to whom it belonged. “I don’t want to do this either. But.” The owner of the voice spoke while enduring the pain. “I will deceive you just this once.” At that moment, their voice sounded like. “I am.” The opening line of a novel. “‘No Jiyun’.” Suddenly, his vision was illuminated. In the darkness where nothing was visible, a stark white page appeared. Someone was writing lines on the blank page. 「A young girl stood there. Short stature, round face. A bit lighter eyebrows than most. Her cheeks still had a fullness from lingering baby fat.」 The sentences soon shaped into a face. No Kyunghwan reached out toward the girl's face. Jiyun-ah. 「His beloved daughter spoke.」 “Hand over the Star Jewels to me.” --- **Terms Translated**: - **금호역 (Kumho Station)**: This place retains its name given its significance as a geographic location in the story. - **사인참사검 (Sainchamsword)**: Kept as “Sainchamsword” to maintain a sense of mystique and fantasy emblematic of weapon names in fictional worlds, leaving the term in romanization enhances its allure and importance within the narrative context. **Additional Notes**: 1. **Plot Development & Character Revelations** - The passage reflects on No Kyunghwan’s struggles, intertwining his real-world drama with the fantasy world narrative, where he seeks answers to his suffering. 2. **Pronouns & Gender Revelations** - No Jiyun being confirmed as his daughter solidifies her gender context within the story. 3. **Themes & Literary Style** - The tone is emotionally poignant, capturing No Kyunghwan’s despair and the intricate blending of reality with a novel-like fantasy framework. "Sainchamsword" conveys the dual nature of existential plight and otherworldly quests central to the tale. The translation keeps intimate and fantastical tones intact, preserving narrative depth while signifying profound personal and fantasy realm interconnectedness for character and reader immersion.