[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' complains that this needs to get a move on.]
Wow, he really couldn't be bothered to enjoy a cute moment, huh? Unsurprising, but disappointing nonetheless.
Sangah smiles lightly and Yoosung looks absolutely stunned as Gilyoung rushes over and clings to Dokja, who gently pats him on the back. Dokja asks Donghoon how they've been, and his phone buzzes in response. Seeing that the boy said that it's good to see him again over text, Dokja asks why he can't just talk. Being a typical introvert with extreme social anxiety, Donghoon doesn't want to talk out loud.
Suddenly, the scene focuses on Yoosung's expression of disbelief as Gilyoung happily launches into talking about what he and Donghoon have been up to. In response, she flings herself onto Dokja's other side, grabbing onto his shirt tightly. The two children immediately start viciously glaring at each other, with Gilyoung raising an eyebrow in challenge and internally demanding to know what she wants.
The tension is palpable as Yoosung complains that Gilyoung is glaring at her while the Gilyoung demands to know who she is. Dokja, on the other hand, just looks tired.
'.....Perhaps the two sensed that they're similar to each other. A beast tamer and an insect tamer. I wonder if they'll get along well.'
Lee Gilyoung hugged Kim Dokja tighter, almost as though he was afraid that if he let go, Kim Dokja would vanish. It was odd to be on the other side of something like that, but he was just a kid, so it was fine. At the very least, the future Lee Gilyoung on the screen seemed pretty unscathed, so maybe nothing bad had happened with Antinus.
[the constellation 'shadow behind the curtain' is pleased to see that their incarnation is alright.]
Yeah, that was a relief too. It was good to see that Han Donghoon was equally fine—and that finally being able to sleep was doing him some good. His complexion looked better, and he looked healthier overall than the last time they had met.
"Oh no," Yoo Sangah giggled to herself when the screen focused on Shin Yoosung's expression. "Dokja-ssi, I think the children are getting off on the wrong foot."
Kim Dokja pitied his future self, honestly—they were skipping the shy and friendly phase and jumping right into the bickering. Kim Dokja hung his head with a sigh, hoping that he would have sanity left by the end of it.
Jung Heewon joined in on the laughing, looking over at Kim Dokja in amusement. "Good luck there, they already hate each other."
On the plus side, the two kids were still a bit too exhausted to care about bickering for the moment. It looked like after everything, their heightened emotions had finally run out, which was a good thing for Kim Dokja. Instead of the little terrors they were being on the screen, they were more like docile baby animals cradled in his arms.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is laughing at the idea that the incarnations 'shin yoosung' and 'lee gilyoung' will get along.]
Yeah… maybe it was too much to ask for. His poor future self would learn that one soon enough, but at least he still had hope for now?
Rather than answering either of them, Dokja asks if Gilyoung has run into Heewon. Gilyoung responds that he hasn't, but that he sent out his insects to search for her, all while sporting the most innocently gleeful smile. He explains that she's to the North, making Dokja wonder if Heewon has run into the 'King of Wanderers'.
Dokja then instructs the group to stay here, raise their skill levels, and gather coins until the time for this sub scenario runs out. He then addresses Sangah, asking if she's been able to contact her family. With the help of Donghoon's [Wide-Area Internet], Sangah is able to get messages and Dokja tells her to inform her family about the situation since soon, areas outside of Seoul won't be safe either, warning her to prepare for the worst. Sangah worriedly asks if he needs to contact anyone, and Dokja just says that he's fine because his family is in Seoul.
Sangah seems worried, but Dokja cuts her off with a dark expression and a firm voice. "That person is safe."
"Oh, that's a very good question to ask, Dokja-ssi!" Lee Hyunsung exclaimed, looking far more alert than before. It took all of his willpower to not laugh at the way the lieutenant was shooting glances at Jung Heewon, too. That guy… he really was attentive when it came to her, wasn't he?
At least she looked pleased to know that she was exactly where she expected to be, but the idea of Jung Heewon running into her wasn't a very pleasant thought.
Lee Gilyoung beamed, grateful to be helpful. "I did a good job, right?"
"Yes, very good," Kim Dokja laughed as he patted the kid's head.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' approves of the plan of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
It was certainly the best they could do for now, and Kim Dokja couldn't help but smile at the look of relief on Yoo Sangah's face when she was finally given the opportunity to contact her relatives.
"Wait, ahjussi, what do you mean by that!? It's not gonna be safe outside of Seoul soon?" Lee Jihye asked frantically, paling a bit. In her anxiousness, she clenched and unclenched her fists as her gaze darted around the room.
Yoo Joonghyuk surprisingly decided to step in and answer the question for her. "After the 10th scenario, we will leave the Seoul dome. At that point, the scenarios will start for the rest of the world."
Yoo Mia frowned and looked anxious as well, but she just held onto her brother's sleeve to keep herself grounded. Unlike several other members of their group, the only family she had was right here with her. Though the situation wasn't ideal—they were in the middle of the apocalypse, after all—it was better than being separated and unable to contact each other.
[many constellations are curious about the family of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Kim Dokja stiffened up so abruptly that the kids made matching noises of confusion. Forcing himself to stare straight ahead was the worst part as Kim Dokja desperately prayed that she wouldn't say anything.
"Oh that's right," Han Sooyoung muttered, not realizing that her every word was condemning Kim Dokja further, "back in the ichthyosaur's stomach—"
Don't think don't turn don't look any movement will give you away—
"—didn't you say something about your mother?"
When he spoke, Kim Dokja felt like his voice came out like more of a croak. "I did."
"Yeah, you were a bit worried, right?" Yoo Mia asked, looking over at him innocently.
Fuck. His hands were shaking, and he could already feel that his breathing was starting to speed up more than he'd like. The kids seemed confused, but there wasn't anything Kim Dokja could do to fix it right now. If he acknowledged it, then…
Yoo Sangah looked at him with a complicated expression, likely trying to reconcile her own concept of family with his reactions that were very clearly not in line with what she was expecting.
"Dokja-yah, you don't need to hide your concern for me; everyone heard it earlier, after all. Is it really so hard to admit that you care?"
Shit.
Kim Dokja's breath caught in his throat, and he gasped for air, beginning to tremble. Even as the kids began calling his name and trying to get his attention, he couldn't respond to them. Not when all he could hear was that voice, calling his name in a fond tone that she had no right to use anymore.
"I'm not mad at you, Dokja-yah. I'm just disappointed."
Her voice floated into his ears with a smooth and steady cadence that felt like the antithesis of everything that Kim Dokja was feeling right now. He was crumbling to pieces, barely holding himself together with the willpower he had left.
"Dokja-ssi?" Yoo Sangah asked, looking helplessly between him and her, an expression of confusion on her face. "What's going on?"
He couldn't answer. He couldn't breathe. Everything threatened to close in around him and trap him in his memories of that place.
"I apologize for that son of mine," she said, emphasizing their relation with a sharper tone of voice, before Kim Dokja could even hope to get his thoughts in order. "That boy never has been the best with people."
[many constellations are bewildered by the declaration of the 'king of wanderers'.]
Nonononono stop it, stop it please—
Yoo Joongyuk whirled around, his hand on his sword in a wordless threat, but all Kim Dokja could do was stare at the wall and beg himself to not turn around as the world began to blur. The feeling of the kids holding onto him was the only thing keeping him remotely grounded as his mind threatened to dump him back in that isolating room with only two chairs and the glass that might as well have been a brick wall between them.
Han Sooyoung scowled. "Oi, I don't give a shit if you're his mom or what—he clearly wants nothing to do with you."
"My Dokja-yah is still just a child, in the end," she hummed, sounding almost pensive before her tone turned as sharp as the knife that she— stop it, lock it away, stop thinking— "A mother always knows best for her children, so you have no right to interfere."
[some constellations are nodding in agreement.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is bristling with fury.]
[the eyes of the constellation 'secretive plotter' are filled with rage.]
"Kim Dokja is far from being a child," Yoo Joonghyuk hissed, sounding almost as angry as he had when he had assumed that his sister had been kidnapped.
But why?
Jung Heewon clenched her jaw, nodding in agreement as she also grabbed onto her sword. "And what kind of mother fucking traumatizes her kid?"
"You don't understand anything," she said calmly. "I only did what was necessary."
"Necessary, my ass!"
Others were chiming in too, arguing and yelling, but Kim Dokja couldn't focus on anything at all through the fog in his mind and the way everything seemed to sway around him. Everyone's voices were blending into a garbled noise, and he could barely see the multitude of indirect messages popping up in front of him.
Lee Hyunsung reached out to take Kim Dokja's hand, trying to give him another thing with which to ground himself under Lee Seolhwa's careful instructions, but it wasn't working. Kim Dokja was spiralling, lost in the cacophony of silence and unvoiced expectations, and the droning emptiness of constant yelling and the smashing of glass. The musty smell of old books and the burn of alcohol. The mildew of the long hallway that led to the room and the metallic tang of blood.
He could feel wetness on his hands, and he itched to scrub them until they were raw. Oxygen came in short gasps and the pressure of weight on his chest made him feel like he couldn't breathe at all.
"Kim Dokja!"
Kim Dokja blinked back into reality—it was quieter than he expected; just when had the yelling stopped?—and stared directly into Lee Hyunsung's worried eyes. For some reason, he seemed to be crying. A tear dripped off his cheek and landed on Kim Dokja's hands, and movement on his lap reminded Kim Dokja that the weight belonged to the kids.
That's right—it was nothing to worry about.
It was self-defense.
As soon as he finishes speaking, a window pops up informing them of the defeat of the 'Disaster of Water' in the North.
Ultimately, four out of the five DIsasters have been averted. The 'Disaster of Hellfire' in the South, the 'Disaster of Questions' in the East, the 'Disaster of Ice' in the West, and the 'Disaster of Water' in the North.
With each named disaster, an image related to them appears. For the southern disaster it's the final attack the dragon made before its defeat. For the eastern one, it's [Way of the Wind] suffocating him. To represent the western disaster, an image appears of Joonghyuk sheathing his sword, his breath visible in the cold air as ice clings to his body, while Seolhwa stands behind him. In the final one, for the northern disaster, the 'King of Wanderers' stands in the rain as Youngran instructs people dealing with the injured.
Only the final one remains, the 'Disaster of Floods'.
A meteorite resembling a closed rose bud appears on screen. It pulses before the scene suddenly reveals the inside of the meteorite, where a woman enveloped in what looks like a feathery cocoon slowly opens her light brown eyes.
"Hyung? Are you okay now?" Lee Gilyoung asked carefully, looking up at him with concern. Kim Dokja nodded weakly, even though he wasn't truly okay. Shin Yoosung didn't say anything, but snuggled in closer to him to offer what comfort she could.
[several constellations are relieved that the other disasters are gone.]
That was good. That was progress.
Still, Kim Dokja closed his eyes when she appeared on the screen. Not now. He couldn't deal with that right now. It was hard enough hearing her huff from behind him, but at least that told him that she wasn't planning on saying anything further, for now.
He still didn't know what had happened while he was… struggling… but Yoo Joonghyuk had looked absolutely furious last he remembered. Glancing over and daring to open his eyes, he could see that the protagonist still had his hand on his sword. Unexpectedly, though, Yoo Joonghyuk was looking at him instead of at the screen, or at her.
"Kim Dokja?" he asked quietly, far softer than anyone could have expected. "What do you want me to do?"
Why?
Why was Yoo Joonghyuk asking that question? It didn't make any sense, but even still, he recognized it for what it was. This was the protagonist asking if Kim Dokja wanted her dead.
He struggled to find the words, to force his mouth to open. "I…"
Fuck, his throat was so dry. Kim Dokja looked down at the floor with a tense expression and swallowed before trying again. "Nothing. Just do nothing, Joonghyuk-ah."
Visible confusion crossed Yoo Joonghyuk's features, like he couldn't fathom why Kim Dokja was unwilling to just have the problem dealt with—and oh, wasn't that so very him?
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' looks on with a complicated expression.]
Shin Yoosung shuddered in his hold, and Kim Dokja took that as his opportunity to focus all his attention on her instead. He didn't want to be the center of attention, or to have anyone trying to pry into the tangled knots of his relationship with the woman that was his mother, once upon a time. It was better to distract himself by helping a child who needed it far more than he did. She didn't deserve to go through this, even if maybe he did.
The scene quickly changes to swords clashing, and it's revealed that this is a scene from a training session between Heewon and Youngran. Sheathing her sword, Heewon commends the other woman's swordsmanship. Youngran responds that Heewon will get a sponsor soon and easily surpass her. Youngran asks if Heewon is sure that she won't join them, but Heewon says that she has her own group waiting for her.
"If only he knew about the lengths you've been going to to find them," Youngran sighs, but Heewon just smiles.
"He knows," she states with certainty, and behind her, a ghostly figure moves closer before being surprised by her next words. With a large grin, Heewon points a thumb over the wrong shoulder as she continues in a laugh. "I even feel like he's watching us right now!"
Dokja immediately jokes that this is why he wonders if [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint] is his skill or hers, but he's clearly pleased by her progress.
Jung Heewon gritted her teeth, looking absolutely furious with herself for seeming so relaxed in the future. "Fuck that. I'm never joining you."
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' nods vigorously.]
"A shame," she said dismissively. "Your skill set would serve us well."
"Fuck no!" Jung Heewon hissed, glaring intently.
Kim Dokja did everything he could to avoid reacting too much even as the others all tensed up again. It was true that anyone would want to recruit Jung Heewon, considering her talents and normally positive demeanor. Still, it was a hard pill to swallow that it was actually beginning to happen.
At the very least, Jung Heewon seemed to have way more confidence in him than Kim Dokja had in himself. And, to Kim Dokja's relief, she didn't say anything further. He wasn't sure what he would do if she had.
It was awkward and tense, and it felt suffocating—like if he dared to inhale, then all the oxygen would get sucked out of the room. Kim Dokja hated begging, but deep down inside, he was pleading for someone to just say something and break the silence.
"Oh goodness," Lee Seolhwa muttered when Kim Dokja appeared, finally letting him feel like he could breathe again. "Heewon-ssi was right."
Lee Jihye looked up at Jung Heewon gleefully, but Kim Dokja could tell that half of her excitement was faked—likely to try and lift the mood somewhat. "Unnie, that was so awesome! You really caught ahjussi in the act"
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' laughs at the silly expression of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
That was fine. It was a distraction, and one they all sorely needed, so even Kim Dokja allowed his shoulders to relax at the insult.
Suddenly, the scene before him changes to himself lying asleep on a mat and using his coat as a blanket. Beside him, Gilyoung and Yoosung have set up their beds on either side of him and they seem to be getting ready to sleep.
Gilyoung turns to Yoosung and bluntly warns her to stay away from Dokja while he's still being nice, and she just tells him to make her, to Dokja's shock. This causes Gilyoung to call her a lousy mutt while she responds in turn by calling him a bug boy jerk. They glare at each other intensely before Gilyoung states that Dokja hates brats like her, and she responds by saying that she knows who Dokja likes. Dokja, floating overhead, looks both confused and exasperated at the same time. When Gilyoung demands to know who Dokja likes, she slowly says that Dokja likes an unnie.
Dokja just stared down at them in complete shock, wondering what the heck they're talking about. Still, Gilyoung just laughs while grinning, as though he feels that he's won because he knows something that she doesn't.
"An unnie? You've been misinformed; hyung likes a man."
"How do you know?" Yoosung asks with a frown, causing the boy to puff out his chest with pride.
When he speaks, it's with complete confidence. "I've been with hyung for a long time."
Huh? The kids?
"How cute," Yoo Sangah mused, reaching out to place a gentle hand on Kim Dokja's shoulder. "They're really attached to you."
[several constellations coo at the cute sight.]
And then, of course, they had to start bickering and insulting each other. What a surprise.
[several constellations are intrigued to know who the incarnation 'kim dokja' likes.]
Wait, what? What did Kim Dokja liking someone have to do with anything—let alone any reason why any constellations would be interested?
Then, as soon as the future Shin Yoosung declared that he liked an unnie, Han Sooyoung choked on her candy before bursting out laughing. All the women glanced over at Kim Dokja with something like pity in their eyes, and he really didn't know how he was supposed to feel about that.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is gasping in offense.]
[the eyes of a constellation who likes harems are gleaming.]
"An unnie!?" Lee Jihye exclaimed in shock before looking at Kim Dokja blankly. "Sorry, ahjussi, but all the unnies here are too awesome for you."
What was that even supposed to mean? He wasn't interested in any of them in that way in the first place!
And then, the future Lee Gilyoung opened his mouth and Kim Dokja wanted to bury his face in his hands in despair.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is shrieking excitedly.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is looking intently at the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Lee Gilyoung of the present, however, was grumbling and scowling at Yoo Joonghyuk with startling intensity. Kim Dokja really didn't want to look over and see the protagonist's face right now, though.
"Gilyoung-ah, Yoosung-ah…" he said quietly, hating the way his voice came out weak and hoarse as he was trying to gently reprimand the kids for speculating like that, "I don't know where any of this is coming from, but—"
She scoffed, but before Yoo Joonghyuk could respond with violence, Kim Dokja reached out and put a hand on his shoulder—a reminder of his earlier request. The protagonist's hackles were still raised, but at least he hadn't moved. Of course, since Kim Dokja couldn't bear to look at his face to see whatever kind of furious expression was surely there, he had decided to look down instead.
It was a bit awkward, but it was better than looking anywhere else. Maybe… maybe he could just distract himself somehow. Instinctively, Kim Dokja's mind went back to Yoo Joonghyuk—the man who had always protected him, even if he was unaware of it. If he could just think about the protagonist, then would it be enough…?
What was he even thinking? Of course it would. Thinking about Yoo Joonghyuk was as natural as breathing for him by now. And, it didn't hurt that he was easy on the eyes, either. Still, as he stared directly at the protagonist, Kim Dokja allowed his mind to wander.
Unfortunately, the fact that he was looking down and zoning out meant that he was staring directly at Yoo Joonghyuk's chest.
Yoo Joonghyuk was so muscular that his shirt was pulling tightly across his pecs and, for a moment, Kim Dokja thought that he somewhat understood Min Jiwon in the 11th regression. No wonder there were women in every round who tripped over their feet to get close to the protagonist. He trained endlessly whenever he had a moment of down time instead of simply enhancing his physique with coins, so every bit of his strength was genuine. Honestly, it wasn't fair that Yoo Joonghyuk was six feet of solid muscle on top of having a face that would make gods cry—no one else stood a goddamn chance.
"Oh my fucking god," Han Sooyoung muttered, like she was at her wit's end. "I cannot deal with you anymore."
Kim Dokja blinked back into reality before he tore his eyes away to shoot her a confused look. Seriously, what was her problem?
And why was Lee Jihye snickering so much?
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is thinking that she can die happy.]
In the morning, Dokja's eyes shoot open suddenly, looking absolutely exhausted and bewildered by what he heard the night before. In their sleep, though, both children have clung to him like he's their dad.
Time flew by, and the sub scenario that seemed so long yet so short came to an end.
As Dokja puts on his jacket, he can hear the two kids bickering and insulting each other behind his back, proving that what he heard most likely wasn't a dream.
As a window suddenly announces that the sub scenario is complete, the stuck-up intermediate dokkaebi from before crackles into existence. He asks if everyone enjoyed the interlude and welcomes them to the fifth scenario, glaring down at Dokja's group while explaining that the schedule had to be tweaked.
[several constellations are amused by the expression of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Thank goodness that none of that was brought up again. Kim Dokja was having a bad enough time already—he wasn't prepared to deal with more exhausting questioning or any further arguments. For some reason, though, the kids seemed to have joined forces in glaring at Yoo Joonghyuk, and Kim Dokja wasn't sure why.
"The sub scenario is complete already?" Lee Hyunsung asked, confused. "At least we got a time skip…"
On one hand, it was nice that it was over, but on the other… that meant that they'd likely have to confront the final disaster soon.
"Oh ew, it's the dumb dokkaebi," Yoo Mia groaned. "Why did he have to come back?"
Ah, if an intermediate dokkaebi was here, then that likely meant that the next main event would soon begin.
[9,421], a message from Bihyung comes in, confusing Dokja. Bihyung just keeps counting up, not telling Dokja the meaning as the intermediate dokkaebi continues speaking. He commends them on the fact that four of the five disasters have already been dealt with, but explains that the final disaster is much worse than the others with a maliciously joyful tone. As other dokkaebi—including Bihyung—appear, he explains that there are some who've taken pity on them.
Before the fifth scenario starts, one last event takes place.
[Well then, Let's begin the second
"What's with the numbers?" Jung Heewon wondered, looking confused. Kim Dokja bit his cheek, trying not to reveal it too early, even though he knew exactly what it was. They'd all remember soon enough.
[many constellations are excited for the second 'sponsor selection'.]
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is eagerly watching the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is smiling.]
This was going to be utterly chaotic, and Kim Dokja knew it. Still, he braced himself for the one message he already knew was coming.
[the constellation 'king heungmu the great' is looking at the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Fucking called it.