「Those Who Seek Solace」LCF x ORV

Chapter 11 - A Monarch's Adoration

"Jinwoo-hyung! Good morning!"

A seven-year-old kid sprinted towards him, his arms spread wide and ready to catch the zooming child in his arms.

"Dokja-yah, good morning too. What do you want for breakfast?"

Kim Dokja giggled, before circling his tiny arms around Sung Jinwoo's neck.

"Anything! As long as there are no tomatoes!"

"Your wish is my command, little reader."

Beru settled two plates with food on the table while wearing a pink apron, giddy as the shadow ruffled Kim Dokja's hair in greeting.

It was a simple pancake, but it was a food filled with warmth and love for the reader.

Kim Dokja scarfed all of the food served to him, and Sung Jinwoo chuckled as he grabbed a tissue and wiped the smeared syrup beside the child's chin.

"Now go change and brush your teeth Dokja-yah, I'll send you to your school now."

Kim Dokja answers, hyped, "Yes Hyung!"

Sung Jinwoo smiles as he stared at the child in adoration, his brotherly instinct in full attention.

Soon enough, Kim Dokja runs at a child's full speed as he tripped himself on the stairs, making Jinwoo run and catch the child in time.

"Woah! Hyung is fast!" Kim Dokja practically says, his eyes shining like he was not gonna fall and hit his head just earlier.

Jinwoo could only sigh, sweat dropping before he fixed his hold and carried Kim Dokja in his arms more comfortably.

"Have a good day, my King!" Beru shouts, and Jinwoo immediately shuts the door and walked away.

The two talked idly to pass time, and Kim Dokja only stops talking when they passed by a bookstore. And the child immediately slapped Jinwoo's shoulders and pointed at the store.

"Hyung! Can we go here for a while? Please?"

How could Sung Jinwoo say no to that face that is beaming with cuteness? The older could only nod as they entered the bookstore.

Kim Dokja was settled down on the floor and started walking away, which made Jinwoo confused since he went to the fiction books instead of the children's section.

Sung Jinwoo followed suit, finding the younger on a ladder grabbing a book from one of the shelves.

Kim Dokja looks at the book cover for a while, his eyes blinking before opening the first page.

Jinwoo could instantly see the title of the book, 'Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint'.

The older didn't miss the awe and immersion coming from the child, so he just sighed and picked up Kim Dokja together with the rest of the volumes of the book.

Sung Jinwoo had already paid for all the books and Kim Dokja was still in his reading session. It didn't surprise the older that the child in his arms can understand such complex words at a young age since he knows who this child is.

He knew, that the child in his arms is somehow connected to the two people he met somewhere years ago.

Jinwoo was deep in thought that he didn't notice the man staring at them before the said man walked towards them and grabbed Jinwoo by the hem of his clothes.

"Sung Jinwoo-nim."

The said man looked high alert and scanned the face of the man in front of them, before calming when a familiar look was seen by him.