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It is a normal day like any other for Sung Jin-Woo. He woke up in his comfy bed in the shadow realm, ate breakfast, did his daily exercises, and spared with his soldiers.
He doesn't really need to exercise or eat, but he enjoys it. It reminds him that he was once human and relieves some of his boredom.
After checking up on the rest of his shadows, he returns to his bed for a day of reading.
Living forever gets boring sometimes, especially when you have nobody to spend it with. His family didn’t want to live forever so he respected their wishes. That’s why he took up reading again. It was something he liked doing before awakening and he still likes it to this day.
Jin-Woo picks up his phone and starts reading a new Web Novel. He is so happy that the shadow realm finally has access to the internet. He had already read all of the paper copies on earth a few centuries ago. There really was a lot of books on earth. It took him 45,000 years to read them all. Whenever he wanted to read an online novel, he had to go to earth. It wasn’t a challenge, it was just a pain to do.
He’s about 3 chapters in when he feels it. Something strong is approaching his dimension. And it’s coming fast!
Jin-Woo grins. It’s been a few years since the last time he needed to protect his dimension. He is itching for a fight.
As he approaches the end of his dimension, he hears a sound he recognizes.
It sounds like a subway train. The clucking wheels on a track and the noisy vibrations remind him of when he used to take the subway all those years ago.
The sound also reminds him of his favorite web novel ‘Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint’. He remembers the first time he read it. He finished it right before he awakened.
‘There’s no way.’ thinks Jin-Woo. ‘It was real like the novel said?’
Jin-Woo can see past the barrier of his dimension. And sure enough, there is a subway train speeding by the barrier. Jin-Woo is even more certain that it’s the Most Ancient Dream's subway train because of the number 3434 engraved on it.
Jin-Woo decided that he wants to meet the protagonist Kim Dok-Ja.
He uses his authority as the Shadow Monarch to tear a hole in the barrier. He jumps through the hole and seals it back up behind him so nothing can get through. Just in case, he leaves most of his soldiers behind to protect his dimension for him. They will alert him if there is an enemy that they cannot handle. He will also be able to shadow exchange to them in case of an emergency.
With preparations made, he uses 'Ruler’s Authority' to grab onto the passing subway train. He knows from reading the novel that he can’t just break in or ‘Fourth Wall’ will transfer Dok-Ja to another carriage.
So, when Jin-Woo reaches the door to the carriage he knows Dok-Ja is in, he knocks.
“Knock, Knock, Knock!”
Then, he waits.
A few minutes later, he gets a reply.
⸢Wh oa re y ou?⸥ asks ‘Fourth Wall’.
“Sung Jin-Woo.” replies Jin-Woo automatically.
⸢Wha t do y ou wa nt S ung J in-W oo?⸥ asks ‘Fourth Wall’.
‘Darn it!’ thinks Jin-Woo. ‘I forgot to make a plan before I knocked.’ Jin-Woo needs to convince ‘Fourth Wall’ that he doesn't want to harm Dok-Ja.
“I just want to meet the Most Ancient Dream. I’ve heard a lot about him.” says Jin-Woo. No! That’s not what he wanted to say!
⸢Ho w di d yo u he ar a bou t hi m? Y ou ar e fr om ano ther di men sion.⸥ says ‘Fourth Wall’.
“I’ve heard stories from dimension wanderers. I’m a fan.” replies Jin-Woo. He totally lied about the dimension wanderers part.
He hopes he doesn’t sound like a creep but he really is a fan. ‘Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint’ is his favorite Web Novel after all. He always rereads it every 25 years. And that says a lot since he has lived at least 50,000 years.
He can relate to Dok-Ja. His parents were out of his life early on. He needed to cast away his humanity to protect his world and family. Etcetera etcetera.
⸢I s ee.⸥ replies ‘Forth Wall’. ⸢He is sle ep ing at t he mo ment so y ou wi ll h ave to come b ack la ter if yo u wan t to m eet h im.⸥
‘Score!’ thinks Jin-Woo. He is excited. He can meet the protagonist of his favorite Web Novel. He decides to push his luck a little more. “Can’t I wait in the carriage until he wakes up? It's cold out here and I can’t hold on forever.”
‘Fourth Wall’ is quiet for a few minutes.
⸢F ine. Bu t if y ou mak e a mo ve to wa ke him u p or h arm h im I wi ll kick y ou out.⸥ says ‘Fourth Wall’.
“I understand.” says Jin-Woo. He is ecstatic now!
The door to the subway train slides open. Jin-Woo steps inside and spots Dok-Ja right away.
He is leaning against the side of the subway train. His signature white coat is covering his body as a make-shift blanket. His eyes are closed and he is breathing softly. His pale skin contrasts with his dark hair. He looks so pretty. Unlike how the novel portrayed him, Kim Dok-Ja is not plain looking at all. He looks like an angel to Jin-Woo. Jin-Woo feels his cheeks heat up. Jin-Woo just wants to hold him and protect him from the harshness he knows he's already faced. He can’t look away from the beautiful man in front of him. He wants to spend the rest of his life with him.
Jin-Woo has never felt this way about anybody before. Sure, he thought other people looked good. Sure, he blushed sometimes. Sure, he’s had a crush on someone.
But this was much more than a simple ‘I think you're cute’ crush. This was an ‘OMG I’ve fallen for you hard’ crush.
Then, Jin-Woo realizes, it’s not a crush at all. It's love.
Love a first sight.
He’s fallen in love with Kim Dok-Ja.
He is snapped out of his thoughts as the door to the subway train closes behind him.
He takes in the figure of his love closer. Jin-Woo sees that he is smaller than his clothes. He looks to be about the age of someone in their teens, about halfway between the physical age he was at the beginning of his stay on the subway train and the child he will look like when he is rescued at the end of the novel.
‘He is about halfway through his 20,000 years on the subway train.’ thinks Jin-Woo.
Jin-Woo steps closer to Dok-Ja. Now, he really wants to hold him in his arms. He wants to protect the one he has fallen so hard for. ‘Fourth Wall’ hasn’t said anything yet, so he takes it as permission to keep going.
Jin-Woo sits down beside Dok-Ja. Dok-Ja doesn't stir at all. He must be in a deep sleep.
‘He must be uncomfortable sitting up with his head against the subway train.’ thinks Jin-Woo. He starts reaching over to touch Dok-Ja.
⸢Wh at a re y ou doi ng?⸥ asks ‘Fourth Wall’.
“I’m not going to wake him up.” says Jin-Woo. “I’m just going to move him into a more comfortable position.”
⸢Alr ight.⸥ says ‘Fourth Wall’.
Jin-Woo slowly pulls down Dok-Ja’s body. He sets his head down on his lap. Next, he uses ‘Ruler's Authority’ to lift his legs onto the bench. Finally, he tucks in Dok-Ja’s coat around him so he won’t be cold in his sleep.
With Dok-Ja now resting on his lap, Jin-Woo recalls the ending of the novel. Dok-Ja is saved by his companions but ends up not waking up. Yu Jung-Hyeok is sent into space to spread Dok-Ja’s story to other dimensions.
That must be how he was able to read ‘Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint’. Yu Jung-Hyeok must have visited his dimension over 50,000 years ago before the gates appeared. Dok-Ja’s subway train just happened to pass by his dimension after, maybe for the first time, or maybe Jin-Woo just didn’t notice the last time it passed.
‘Luckily, I did this time.’ thinks Jin-Woo. His hands start to thread through the dark hair of the sleeping man on his lap.
The novel ends with much to be desired. The readers never find out if Dok-Ja ever actually woke up or not. Jin-Woo always hated that ending.
Jin-Woo stares down at the man who caught his heart. He decided then and there that he will change that ending.
He will keep Dok-Ja company on this subway train. He will protect him from any intruders. He will keep him safe and sound until the day he is rescued by his companions.
When that day comes, he will hide in Dok-Ja’s shadow and wait until the end of the novel. He doesn't want to change anything that Dok-Ja's companions do. That could result in Han Su-Yeong never writing the novel and him never reading it. Too risky.
Luckily, right now, he doesn't have to hide. He smiles down at the sleeping man on his lap as he rehearses in his head what he is going to say when he wakes up. He hopes he can get the other to fall for him just as hard in the 10,000 years they will spend together on this subway train.
For as long as he needs to, Jin-Woo will stay by Dok-Ja’s side. He will protect the man he fell for.