"I don't think I'm going to get used to Bihyung looking like that," Lee Hyunsung admitted awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. Honestly, that was a valid thing, especially since it was a pretty drastic change for the formerly pathetic dokkaebi.
Regardless, the fact that he was moving up the ranks was a good thing for Kim Dokja, so he had to be fine with it. After all, he had promised to make Bihyung the Dokkaebi King, and a larger channel would mean more influence for both of them.
[several constellations are praising the dokkaebi 'bihyung' for his growth.]
Bihyung once again asks why Dokja was wandering alone, asking if he wanted to die since this isn't a scenario zone. As he continues to lecture the man, trying to explain what this place is, Dokja cuts him off and finishes the description: "A place where there are beings who can kill humans as if they're insects with their gaze alone."
Bihyung pauses before letting out a huff and saying that he'll take Dokja to the waiting room while instructing him to watch the video feed that will be playing in there and to not take his eyes off it. Upon arriving at the room, Dokja seems hesitant to enter, opening the door cautiously and peering in as Bihyung's reminder that he's not the only incarnation who has been invited replays in his mind.
Finally sneaking his way in, he catches the attention of a figure clothed fully in black standing near the door. "...Kim Dokja?"
Dokja's eyes widen in surprise and he looks over at the equally baffled man. This moment of their eyes meeting is then hilariously shown with three different angles—emphasizing their expressions—before Dokja waves awkwardly. "Yoo Joonghyuk."
"It's not like I would be doing that if I had a choice," Kim Dokja grumbled under his breath as his future self got scolded by the dokkaebi for his carelessness. It wasn't his fault that some nebulae had decided to try and ambush him en route!
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is nodding along with that description.]
Han Sooyoung sighed. "Shit, I hate to admit it, but that's not even an exaggeration."
It really wasn't, and constellations could very easily kill whoever they wanted in a place like this. Of course, most wouldn't do that—simply to avoid any conflicts with other constellations and not out of any particular fondness for the incarnations—but that didn't mean that it was impossible. Clearly, the nebulae who had tried to attack him had decided that it was worthwhile.
At the very least, Bihyung had stopped his lecturing and was directing him to the incarnation waiting room.
"Ahjussi, does that mean other incarnations were invited too?" Shin Yoosung asked with wide eyes, and judging by the eager expression on her face, she was clearly wondering if she'd be there to reunite with him.
Smiling wryly, he patted her on the head. "That's right, but not many. The only one of us who might be there is Joonghyuk-ie."
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is squealing in delight.]
[the constellation 'bald leader of the peasant's army' is eager for this banquet.]
Lee Gilyoung huffed as Shin Yoosung pouted. "Hyung, why would he be invited and not me?"
Gilyoung-ah, it's because he's the protagonist.
"Because the constellations think they'll get something out of it," Yoo Joonghyuk replied gruffly, looking disgruntled. Ah, right. He had gone through this song and dance in the last regression too, so he was already well aware of what the Constellation Banquet was actually about.
Yoo Sangah hummed pensively, but smiled a moment later. "Honestly, I'm more interested in this video feed that Bihyung mentioned."
Yeah, what was up with that?
Well, Kim Dokja supposed that he'd find out soon enough anyway, so it wasn't worth worrying about.
The kids squeezed his hands as his future self pushed open the door into the waiting room, and everyone was clearly anxious to see just who else had been invited.
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' is covering her ears.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is ecstatic.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is scoffing at the reaction of the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
So Yoo Joonghyuk was there after all. It was a bit humiliating to see the two of them awkwardly staring at each other like that, but neither of them had expected to meet each other again like this! Kim Dokja had thought that the man would probably be darkening a corner somewhere with his lurking, and well… Yoo Joonghyuk had thought that he was dead, even if he believed that Kim Dokja would come back to life sooner or later.
Unfortunately for Kim Dokja, the Yoo Joonghyuk sitting near him was staring at him intently once again, and all he could do was fall back on his habit of trying to cover up the awkwardness with humour. "Come on, Joonghyuk-ah, you could look a bit more thrilled to see me."
The protagonist's eyebrow twitched and his frown deepened slightly as he sighed. "You fool."
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is hoping to see someone start throwing punches.]
As much as Kim Dokja didn't want that to happen, he honestly couldn't predict whether the future Yoo Joonghyuk would get pissed off with him enough to resort to that. The chance of that happening was never zero.
In TWSA, the Constellation Banquet was frequently mentioned. It's normally a place Yoo Joonghyuk visited to trick the constellations by using [Regression], so it's only natural that he was included on the guest list.
As the two men sit on one of the comfy couches in the waiting room, Dokja side eyes the stern protagonist while trying to work out who could have invited him. In his opinion, there are probably constellations lining up to associate themselves with Joonghyuk, so it's hard to guess.
The Constellation Banquet this time was a joint event including several countries.
Looking around the room, Dokja identifies people from the Washington Dome, the Moscow Dome and the New Delhi Dome. As he names the domes, the screen cuts to show the incarnations in the waiting room. Analyzing the situation, Dokja guesses that the incarnations are gathered from Domes with great achievements, making it similar to the twenty-fourth round.
When Joonghyuk finally speaks up, he asks why Dokja is there, and Dokja dryly responds that it's likely the same reason why Joonghyuk is there. Without missing a beat, Joonghyuk asks him when he'll revive and, when Dokja guesses that he'll probably revive tomorrow, Joonghyuk's face darkens and he states that the others are worried. Feeling the anger radiating off the other man, Dokja smartly apologizes while mentally wishing for him to lighten up. Dokja also notices that Joonghyuk's hands are clenched tightly like he's angry, and he begins to suspect that the man has anger control issues these days.
"Hey, wait a second," Jung Heewon muttered, "if this banquet thing was so common in the book, why the hell didn't you know what a banquet was back in Peace Land?"
Kim Dokja looked away awkwardly. This and that were different things… and for all he knew, Peace Land could have had a different type of banquet! Also, the Constellation Banquet was less partying, feasting, and drinking, and more politics. They were completely different.
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is amused by the current events.]
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is declaring that it would be more lively if he was there.]
Yeah, Kim Dokja really didn't want any of Dionysus' brand of liveliness right now anyway. He'd pass.
Yoo Mia looked rather pleased as Kim Dokja mentioned that her brother was extremely popular, especially since it was to the point where he couldn't guess any particular constellation who could have invited him since there were simply too many possibilities.
"Congratulations, Joonghyuk-ssi," Lee Seolhwa said with a soft smile on her face. "You've clearly made a strong impression."
He hummed in response, not saying anything more than that, but apparently that was enough. It's not like the protagonist wanted to make any kind of positive impression on the vast majority of constellations anyway, so dealing with all this pointless (to him) schmoozing was not something he even remotely enjoyed.
[many constellations are hoping to make a deal with the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
As soon as other countries were mentioned, though, Lee Jihye perked up. "Are we gonna meet up with the Japanese incarnations again?"
That would be nice, honestly, but Kim Dokja couldn't recall if they were mentioned as being present during the 3rd regression's banquet. Even then, that information wouldn't be completely reliable anymore either—in the original 3rd round, Izumi hadn't died, so he was the most likely person to have been invited anyway.
Unfortunately, as Kim Dokja looked around, they weren't there. Lee Jihye let out a disappointed sigh, but she still seemed curious enough about the other incarnations. Yoo Joonghyuk, on the other hand, was less than pleased when the Washington Dome was mentioned.
Fuck. Right. If Anna Croft happened to be in attendance, then things would get very messy very quickly. However, the fact that the protagonist looked this calm was likely a hint that she wasn't there. He probably would have already attacked her if he had noticed her, after all.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is curious about the incarnations of the other domes.]
"Seriously, how the fuck do you remember all those details?" Han Sooyoung said with a grimace as Kim Dokja instantly compared it to a similar round from TWSA.
"When you read things enough times, they stick with you," he replied bluntly. Of course, it wasn't just re-reading. Kim Dokja had taken notes, drawn out a comprehensive timeline, and once while he was sick, he even spent five hours making a chart of which major events happened in each regression that had been available at the time instead of resting.
Shin Yoosung just huffed in pride. "Ahjumma, it's because ahjussi is just that cool."
He'd also accept that.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is very happy to see the companions talking.]
They weren't talking about anything particularly important, so Kim Dokja wasn't sure why Uriel was so invested. They were both invited to the banquet in the hopes of them accepting a story from a constellation, after all. Naturally, neither of them planned on doing so, but it's not like the constellations knew that.
Yoo Sangah's gaze softened as she watched the screen, and she allowed a small smile to cross her lips. "At least Joonghyuk-ssi can reassure everyone else that you'll come back soon if he gets back before you do."
That was very true, and it might also help spare him some trouble later because he could be honest about the fact that he didn't know about the three-day cooldown.
Teasingly, Kim Dokja smirked at the protagonist. "The others are worried? Joonghyuk-ah, you wound me! My own companion isn't even upset that I'm dead."
Yoo Joonghyuk's expression immediately turned furious, and Kim Dokja leaned back while holding his hands up in an attempt to placate him. Ah shit, maybe that was the wrong thing to say.
"Kim Dokja…"
"It was a joke, Joonghyuk-ah! Just a joke!" Kim Dokja hurried to say, ignoring the utterly exhausted looks the women were shooting his way.
The corner of the protagonist's lip curled into a snarl. "A terrible one."
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is scoffing.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is urging the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk' to be more honest.]
"Ahjussi, you know that Master was worried!" Lee Jihye cried out, looking utterly distraught as she gestured at the screen. "Just look at him, he's still upset about it!"
All Kim Dokja saw was the protagonist's shortening temper, as well as the growing possibility that the Abyssal Black Flame Dragon would get his wish, but sure.
When Bihyung comes on the screen, clearly gleeful while trying to seem professional as his promotion from low-grade to intermediate dokkaebi is announced, Dokja looks unimpressed as he realizes that this is why Bihyung wanted him to watch the broadcast. Then Bihyung stops complimenting the constellations and dokkaebis, his eyes lighting up as he states that half of his glory comes from a single incarnation in his channel. Mentioning that most constellations likely already know this incarnation's identity, Bihyung asks the constellations to dedicate half the honour to him. Scratching his cheek, Dokja smiles slightly in embarrassment.
Suddenly, Bihyung reaches down to grab something, causing Joonghyuk's eyes to widen as Bihyung lifts up the egg and asks for the other half to be given to the child who will soon be born. Activating [Eye of the Sage] with lightning speed, Joonghyuk furiously whips around to look at Dokja as he realizes what Dokja did. When Dokja declares that it was the only way, Joongyuk tries to make him realize what he's done.
"If she's born as a dokkaebi, then she won't die from now on at the very least. The Bureau is the safest place until the Star Stream falls," Dokja states with deathly seriousness, despite Joonghyuk's anger being enough that Dokja is a bit worried that he'll pull out a sword and attack him.
At the very least, Kim Dokja could allow Bihyung to distract him.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is yawning.]
To be fair, if Kim Dokja wasn't somewhat afraid of Yoo Joonghyuk, he also wouldn't be paying so much attention to Bihyung's promotion speech—or whatever it was. Well, good for him.
"Oh, is he praising Dokja-ssi too?" Lee Hyunsung asked suddenly, sounding far more eager and interested than before. Ah, that was rather nice of him, wasn't it?
Lee Gilyoung grinned widely. "Yeah! You did basically all the work there, hyung!"
It was true that Bihyung wouldn't have gotten that far without him, so he supposed it was only right that he get some of the praise for it.
"Congratulations, Dokja-ssi," Lee Seolhwa said with a smile. "You've worked hard."
"Thank you," he replied honestly.
[many constellations are agreeing with the distribution of credit.]
However, Kim Dokja was absolutely not expecting Bihyung to reach down and pull out the egg, declaring that she'd be born soon. What was that dokkaebi doing!? Wasn't he going to keep her a secret for a while!?
"No!" Lee Jihye wailed. "Not in front of Master!"
Shit.
Kim Dokja's face went pale as Yoo Joonghyuk—both of them, actually—began to look pissed off. The one in the future was absolutely upset about what he had done to 41st Yoosung's soul, especially after confirming her identity with his skill, but this Yoo Joonghyuk had seemed to have been fine with that? Why was he looking irritated as he looked at Bihyung and the egg on the screen?
"Jihye-yah, I really don't think—" Kim Dokja began, trying to placate her, but he was cut off by Jung Heewon.
"No, Bihyung is being pretty damn insensitive right now," she said, leaving Kim Dokja completely baffled. That was not what he had expected her to say at all; where had that even come from? What was she talking about?
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is giggling as he pours himself another glass.]
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is hoping for a fight.]
Yoo Mia blinked up at Kim Dokja curiously for a moment. "Ahjussi, is the Bureau really the safest place for now?"
Kim Dokja nodded. "It's a place where the constellations can't interfere for the moment, and where she won't have to be involved in the scenarios until she's old enough to endure them."
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' reluctantly admits that the incarnation 'kim dokja' is correct in his assessment.]
Yoo Mia hummed for a moment, as though taking the constellation's input into consideration too, but she nodded and patted her brother on the arm as if to attempt to calm him down. Of course, it worked, but only a bit. He still looked irritated, for whatever reason, but the set of his shoulders wasn't as tense as before.
The two have a stare off for a bit before a voice interrupts them to ask if he's Kim Dokja. Looking up, he sees a confident woman with clear brown eyes who states that she's heard stories about him—it's Selena Kim.
To think she'd be the one to initiate the conversation.
Standing up, Dokja gives Selena a handshake while greeting her. With pleasant surprise colouring her voice, Selena asks if Dokja knows of her. Dokja replies that he knows she's the representative of the United States. He then activates [Character Profile].
[Name: Selena Kim
Sponsor: Ender of Wars
Personal Attributes: Animal Lover (Rare), King's Guardian (Heroic)]
'Selena Kim' of the Washington Dome. A member of the 'Zarathustra' that Anna Croft created and a woman who would become one of the one hundred strongest people in TWSA. The attribute 'King of No Killing' that I previously held was originally supposed to belong to her.
[many constellations are curious about the speaker.]
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' is hoping that the incarnation 'selena kim' is kind.]
Yoo Joonghyuk still looked disgruntled—because of course he did—but Kim Dokja relaxed slightly upon seeing her. Of course, this still wasn't an ideal situation considering the woman's ties to Anna Croft, but she was generally a more agreeable person than most.
"She seems nice," Yoo Sangah remarked, looking eager to learn more about the American woman. That made sense, and honestly, Kim Dokja supposed that those two would probably get along.
As soon as her profile appeared, Shin Yoosung's eyes seemed to sparkle as she took note of the [Animal Lover] attribute that she had. Clearly, just from that, Selena Kim had managed to get onto the girl's good side.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is narrowing his eyes distrustfully at the incarnation 'selena kim'.]
Huh, had she done something to draw the Secretive Plotter's ire somehow? It didn't make much sense that he was already suspicious of her, but maybe he just didn't trust her motives in approaching them—especially since Kim Dokja's narration had just revealed her connection to the real prophet.
"Ah, maybe she's not as nice as I thought…" Yoo Sangah muttered upon hearing that, looking a bit awkward. "Dokja-ssi, you said before that Anna Croft-ssi isn't exactly on our side, right?"
Well, she was being rather diplomatic, wasn't she? Kim Dokja should do the same, right? Something subtle.
Kim Dokja grimaced. "I'd rather die than work with her."
Yep, that worked.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is amused.]
[a few constellations are curious about how the incarnation 'selena kim' used the attribute 'king of no killing' in the novel.]
Dokja then looks around, noting that Anna isn't present. Selena seems surprised that they've met, which Dokja explains happened in a dream. Smiling once more, she states that Anna wanted to be here and definitely would've come if she knew of Dokja's presence.
Looking away, Dokja mentally thanks the fact that she's not here as it would have made things more complicated. From the side, Joonghyuk speaks up with his own two cents. "Tell that woman to take good care of her neck."
Because of this guy.
He glares at Selena, causing her to pause before stating that he's exactly how Anna described him to be.
In the previous regression, Yoo Joonghyuk was betrayed by Anna Croft, and Anna would've seen what she did to Yoo Joonghyuk by looking into the past.
Dokja guesses that's why the prophet decided to opt out of attending.
As soon as he confirmed that Anna Croft wasn't there, Kim Dokja relaxed. Yoo Joonghyuk did too, but it was hard to notice if you didn't know him well. Of course, Yoo Joonghyuk tensed right back up when Selena Kim informed Kim Dokja of Anna Croft's interest in him.
Jung Heewon narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Why would she suddenly decide to come if she knew Dokja-ssi would be there?"
Kim Dokja didn't know, and he didn't know if he wanted to find out either. Their one interaction through her skill way back in Chungmuro had already been unpleasant enough, and he'd rather stay on the other side of the world from her for as long as possible.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' hates the idea of that companionship.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is vehemently agreeing with the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire'.]
Thank goodness she wasn't there because that would have been a dumpster fire worse than the carriage ride. In all honesty, there would probably have been a murder.
"Joonghyuk-ssi!?" Lee Hyunsung yelped, his eyes going wide as the protagonist subtly threatened Anna Croft. "Huh? What…?"
"That woman knows better than to show herself in front of me," Yoo Joonghyuk hissed, looking positively murderous as he glared at the screen. Yep, there would absolutely have been a murder, and only part of Kim Dokja was disappointed that he hadn't gotten to see it. He didn't like Anna Croft either, and watching the protagonist take his deserved revenge would have been so goddamn cathartic, even if her sponsors would have been furious.
[several constellations are gasping in surprise at this turn of events.]
Yoo Joonghyuk's hands clenched into tight fists, and the veins were once again extremely prominent. Honestly, Kim Dokja suspected that he'd be trembling with rage if he had even a little bit less self-control.
"Oppa…" Yoo Mia muttered weakly before wrapping her arms around his waist and hugging him tightly, not saying anything else. The true extent of what Anna Croft had done was still hidden, and Kim Dokja wasn't planning on revealing it right now. Yoo Joonghyuk didn't deserve to relive that, considering how much it affected him.
[the constellation 'scribe of heaven' is curious about the abilities of the incarnation 'anna croft'.]
Suddenly, a young voice speaks up rudely. "There's a really ugly guy on the Korean side."
Side-eying the cocky girl with distaste, he listens as she asks if he's South Korea's representative. Selena then steps up, berating Iris for evaluating someone based on their appearance, unintentionally dissing Dokja. Looking unremorseful, Iris confidently states that she simply calls out ugliness as ugliness because honesty is a virtue in Moscow.
Looking down on the girl, Dokja flatly asks who she's supposed to be, causing the girl to scowl as she looks at him quizzically for not knowing.
The representative of Russia. I think I know who she is, but I don't particularly want to pretend like I know her. This girl was one of the characters I hated in TWSA.
Placing a hand to her chest, Iris demands to know if he truly doesn't know who she, Iris Vladimirovna Rebezova, is. Crossing his arms, Dokja stubbornly asks if he's supposed to. Trying to mediate between the grown man and the child who are on the verge of fighting, she introduces Iris as the 'War God of Red Square'. As a scene of her looking positively feral while wielding a weapon made of blood is shown behind her, the girl haughtily laughs before clearing her throat and looking down her nose at him while basking in the title. Mentally, Dokja just calls her pretentious.
Kim Dokja really hoped that the awkwardness would go away once the conversation moved away from Anna Croft, because then they wouldn't have to worry about a pissed off regressor. Unfortunately for Kim Dokja, he wasn't that lucky.
His jaw dropped when he got insulted out of nowhere, and he was horrified to see that he was getting dissed by a literal child.
[a few constellations are snickering.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is reassuring the incarnation 'kim dokja' that he is not ugly.]
"Who's she?" Shin Yoosung hissed, her eyes narrowing dangerously as she glared at the screen. "How dare she insult ahjussi like that?"
Ah. Kim Dokja hadn't expected this.
"She won't be able to say stuff like that with biting ants in her boots," Lee Gilyoung added harshly.
Kim Dokja let out a sigh, closing his eyes and forcing a smile onto his face. This was fine.
Even Yoo Mia scoffed. "Ahjussi looks ugly when he's all blurry, but he's not half bad."
Wow, that was a genuine almost-compliment.
When the girl was offended by Kim Dokja not recognizing her, Han Sooyoung squinted at the screen. "Am I supposed to know who the fuck she is? Because I don't have shit."
She hadn't appeared in the first few regressions in the novel, so no.
Kim Dokja sighed, grimacing at the screen. "She's annoying as hell. Like… half as bad as Kim Namwoon."
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is offended by the words of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
[a few constellations are feeling bad for the incarnation 'kim namwoon.]
Jung Heewon clicked her tongue. "Damn, that's still a pretty cool title though."
Unfortunately.
"Regardless of your opinions on her, her skill looks quite interesting," Lee Seolhwa admitted curiously, clearly wondering where the blood making up Iris' weapon was coming from.
In all honesty, she didn't show up too often in TWSA, and he hadn't cared enough to remember most stuff about her. It was a weird circumstance of apathy, really. Unlike Yoo Joonghyuk—whose actions he remembered because the man was his favourite character, regardless of whether his choices in any particular round were good or not—or Anna Croft—whose actions he remembered out of spite specifically because he wanted to nitpick her plans to shreds—he really didn't give two shits about Iris.
[a few constellations are curious about the incarnation 'iris rebezova'.]
As Selena goes on to introduce him, she pauses and asks what his nickname is. When Joonghyuk tries to say it, Dokja speaks louder to declare that he doesn't have one. When he remembers the man at his funeral calling out 'that' nickname, he decides that he doesn't want it to be spoken, ever.
Laughing at him while gloating, Iris sounds surprised that an idiot without a nickname was able to come. Not even a second later, Joonghyuk steps forward to stand between Dokja and Iris. Pausing, perhaps in fear of his impressive strength, she takes a half step back before telling Joonghyuk not to interfere because this is an issue between her and 'that ugly guy.'
Despite her warning, Joonghyuk says nothing and keeps staring at her. Dokja internally praises him for a job well done, and mentally remarks that if she's going to attack anyone, she should attack Joonghyuk instead of him. After another moment of staring, Iris bites her lip and retreats.
As Selena Kim asked for his nickname, Kim Dokja winced. Technically, he had a few, but some of them weren't particularly flattering, to say the least. Still, that didn't explain why Yoo Joonghyuk, of all people, was starting to answer on his behalf, and it also didn't give any hints as to which one he was thinking of.
If the protagonist was about to call him ugly, Kim Dokja would end himself right then and there. Especially considering the way Han Sooyoung was already snickering about the stupid nickname.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is extremely gleeful to see the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk' defending his companion.]
Kim Dokja blinked in surprise, not having expected Yoo Joonghyuk to have moved in front of him like that. It wasn't even a situation where he was in mortal danger, like that time with Nirvana. This was something so mundane—a situation where he very easily could have ignored it all and continued brooding on the couch—and yet, Yoo Joonghyuk had decided to move in front of Kim Dokja and physically block Iris' view of him.
He didn't know what to feel, but Kim Dokja knew that his face was probably getting red from embarrassment. Yoo Joonghyuk couldn't think he was so pathetic that he was unable to stand up for himself, right?
"Oh my god," Lee Jihye whispered excitedly. "Master, you're doing great! Keep it up!"
Kim Dokja would rather he didn't, actually. His sanity was probably at risk if the protagonist kept doing confusing stuff like this.
He chanced a glance over at the man in question, and—once again—Yoo Joonghyuk looked rather self-satisfied about the whole thing. This was just getting weirder and weirder.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is snickering in amusement.]
[several constellations are gossiping amongst themselves.]
For some reason, when Kim Dokja thought that Yoo Joonghyuk did a good job, the protagonist seemed to look even more smug. What the actual hell was wrong with him?
Han Sooyoung grumbled, "That fucker is still looking like he doesn't understand shit. I'm going to fucking lose it."
And what was her problem?
Yoo Sangah patted Han Sooyoung's shoulder in consolation, looking rather sympathetic. Yeah, Kim Dokja just wasn't going to think too hard about it. At the very least, Iris was sufficiently afraid of the protagonist, and she probably wouldn't bother annoying them for the rest of the banquet.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is cheering excitedly.]
Walking away, she tells Dokja to be on his best behaviour, guessing that an insignificant historical-grade constellation invited him and that he must be here to beg for a story from one of them, as he looks particularly done with the situation.
Suddenly, someone knocks on the door and a dokkaebi slowly enters the waiting room before fully opening the doors and announcing that 'Story Succession' will begin shortly. Iris jokingly remarks that she'll see how Dokja does during this event as she and Selena leave the room, and Dokja just watches them leave with a serious expression on his face. Behind him, Joonghyuk has a small frown on his face while he seemingly looks pensively at Dokja.
"And she's still turning around to say something like that?" Jung Heewon gasped. "Wow."
Huh, apparently she was a bit less intimidated than expected. Either that or she had no idea just how afraid of Yoo Joonghyuk she should be.
[a few constellations are laughing at the idea of the incarnation 'kim dokja' begging.]
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is curious to see which stories get offered to the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Thankfully, that awkward interaction was ended by the dokkaebi arriving and announcing the start of the main event. This was probably going to be tedious and tense at the same time, especially if he had to balance interacting with multiple different constellations who might not have good relationships with each other.
Kim Dokja ignored Iris' further provoking comments (as he also ignored the way the two kids stuck their tongues out at her), and he took a deep breath to ready himself for what was to come.
When the focus shifted to show Yoo Joonghyuk in the background, looking at Kim Dokja, Han Sooyoung rolled her eyes in exasperation. "I hate men, actually."
Then she had terrible taste. How could she look at Yoo Joonghyuk and think that for even a second!? If she didn't think he was attractive, then something was clearly wrong with her.
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is wishing the incarnations luck.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is wondering what sort of choice the incarnation 'kim dokja' will make.]