Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Kim Dokja must have been exhausted.

There's no reason for such a handsome man to be moving into the shitty apartment building so far away from any offices. Of course there's no way the new neighbor would be anything other than a low wage contractor, no one who can afford to live in a better place would be moving in.

He assures himself that he absolutely needs to sleep off his overtime work, maybe even deny additional work tomorrow. Anything to stop those hallucinations before they become worse.

Like thinking that he can hear a child right on the other side of the wall, in that maybe-no-longer empty apartment. 

He would have just passed out as soon as he had made his way to his bed, but his mind drifts back to the newest update again. He's read it in the subway already, but it's coming back to his attention, demanding that he reads it again without disruptions all around him so he may absorb the new situation on the pages properly. And, as exhausted as he must be, he succumbs to the siren call.

Whatever exhaustion fueled insanity has taken over him, his imagination seems to overlap the image he's seen as his new neighbor with the imagined features of the protagonist.

As Kim Dokja wakes up next morning he discovers, to his dismay, that his phone battery is almost dead because he fell asleep with his face right on top of the screen as he faded out of consciousness in the middle of reading.

Resigned to yet another dull day of working he drags himself out of the bed. He's supposed to be thankful for having a job at all and not being left to starve. Maybe his only reason to keep going is to endure to see the next chapter published, but it's enough to make himself go through the motions (it has to be enough).

He only remembers the breakfast while he's already on the subway train, too late to try and cobble something together. 

Kim Dokja barely makes himself stay awake through the day, slugging through mind-numbingly boring debugging tasks. He can only hope that he didn't miss any hidden typo, but he can't be sure with how his focus is swimming. The only advantage to this fugue state is that he can't muster enough energy to worry about whatever the current office gossip is, even if he can see people gathering for some chat on coffee break, looking more enthusiastic than anyone should be while subject to those conditions.

By the end of his hours he can see his boss coming, and in the act of desperation to not get something very urgent dropped right on him just as he was supposed to go home he flops on the desk limply, with a loud groan that definitely will lower his evaluation by the end of this employment period.

It doesn't actually matter, probably. He's not like those lovable, friendly people performing graciously and socializing with bosses after work. There's no way he could have a chance for proper employment contract in the first place.

“Quit whining.You should be grateful to have a job in the first place.” The department head scolds him. “If you'd open your messages faster I wouldn’t have to walk all the way here. We absolutely need this done today.” Kim Dokja knows better than to try to look to his coworkers for help. Everyone is busy collecting their things to leave or quickly finishing their own tasks. No help is coming.

He very briefly considers how upset the department head would be if a body just so happened to fall out of the sixth floor window and land on his car. They probably would call a cleanup crew. but he's probably not going to aim well enough to get that car specifically.

But if he jumped then he won't be able to read today's chapter, therefore no amount of spite would make this worth it.

And just like that, after just a bit more than an hour more he finally can pick up his bag and drag himself to the subway, to make his way back home. As he reads the update, on the minuscule battery charge he managed to keep, he's faced with a detailed description of a feast Yoo Joonghyuk had cooked for his companions from the foraged vegetation and hunted monsters. Kim Dokja is suddenly reminded that he will need to eat something.

He doesn't exactly have energy to plan much, so simply the nearest convenience store will suffice, even if it would be much smarter to check coupons first. He just needs anything to fill his empty stomach so he can survive another day.

He is on his way toward the kimbamp shelf, trying to focus on boxes in front of him in search of something hopefully on sale. He ends up stumbling on his way, bumping his shoulder against the unexpectedly firm arm of a stranger. He turns towards the person to apologize and maybe he has fallen asleep in the subway somewhere, because he just can't believe a man like this can be alive in such proximity. The perfect curl of the hair over the firm line of inky eyebrows framing the deepest black eyes Kim Dokja has ever seen. Really, if not for the mask covering the man's lower face Kim Dokja probably couldn't withstand such presence.

He blinks rapidly as their eyes meet, suddenly realizing he's been staring and he turns away, quickly grabbing the nearest packet. He knows well how awful it feels when strangers are staring, and this mask might mean that the man is some kind of celebrity trying to hide his face.

He leaves the shop as fast as he can, feeling guilt rise in his chest. He really just stared at a man out of nowhere, and the stranger definitely is getting more than enough of that in his life. It brings back bad memories.

At first he doesn't even notice someone following him, but as he turns into the side road to his apartment building he catches sounds of heavy footsteps, rather close behind him. It's not normal to encounter people coming the same way outside of regular rush hours. He reflexively raises his shoulders in an attempt to hide his head as he pauses just long enough to catch a glimpse at who it is. His breath catches as he can see the handsome stranger with his shopping bags, following him.

And a man with those arms probably could crush all his bones without even breaking a sweat, if he so wished.

Kim Dokja stiffens as the man takes another step, getting closer keeping his eyes on Kim Dokja’s face. And then his eyes slide back to the pavement ahead of him, taking another step to pass Kim Dokja by, seemingly ignoring his panic as he gives him just wide enough breath to not bump into him with the groceries.

“Ah, what?” He mutters to himself as he sees the man take the part right to the same apartment building he lives in.

Seeing the man punch in the code and open the door, walking in without glancing back makes him hesitate about following, but after a few deep breaths he makes himself move. He is just going back home, there's nothing bad or weird about it.

Kim Dokja still feels just a little bit guilty when, as soon as he makes it up the stairs, he has a good view on which apartment the man, who must be his new neighbor, is entering.

Chapter Text

Few days later Kim Dokja almost convinced himself that he just decided that some random man is handsome for no real reason.

And then he just sees HIM casually passing by down the corridor, the gaming jacket with eye-catching lime green elements fitted to compliment his broad shoulders and his statuesque features on full display. The perfect cut of his nose only enhances the impression left by his eyebrows. The midnight void of his eyes framed like precious gems looks ahead, paying no mind to some extra in ill fitted suit who just happens to share space in the corridor. Heaven shaking beauty walks among mundanity on his way out of the building.

Kim Dokja looks back to the door of his apartment and checks if he locked it properly, then takes a deep breath to pull himself together. It really would do him no good to get lost in his head just because the most perfect specimen of human just happens to be located nearby.

He still ends up describing the perfect protagonist he just saw to that hack author while he's riding the subway to work.

[You don't understand! All you talk about is your stupid protagonist, but you can't describe him anywhere near to the peak human handsomeness that I had just witnessed! Your work is flat and devoid of such cleansing experience!]

[Lol. Keep telling yourself that, gay boy.]

[Of course you couldn't understand the aesthetic appreciation for something. You couldn't recognize beauty even if you walked right into it.]

There's a short moment between the responses as the idiot on the other side is trying to answer.

[You walked into him, didn't you?]

And he delivers a devastating blow, but he doesn't have to know he's right.

[Why would I? But you're trying to dodge the topic. Your descriptions suck.]

[Because being an amazing author is to leave the imagining details to my devoted readers. This way everyone gets to see their ideal in the role. But I guess you can't even do that.]

Why is he even talking with that arrogant bastard? And yet he just has to respond. Can't leave this argument making that plagiarist thinking he won.

[That man looks exactly how I imagined Yoo Joonghyuk from TWSA.] Kim Dokja adds, to remind that plagiarist of what should be his greatest shame.

[Right]

[because that trashy novel doesn't actually describe its protagonist]

[or am I wrong?]

Kim Dokja looks at the responses, frowning as he barely stops himself from opening the novel page just to try looking for a description to see if he really had left too much of the appearance to his imagination. But even so, he still had the mental image of Yoo Joonghyuk in his mind's eye long before meeting his new neighbor. 

[The guy still looks like the protagonist, no matter how you argue.] He ends up sending. 

He doesn't check the response, because his stop is next and he doesn't have time to keep arguing. And he just knows that whatever this hack is saying would make him respond.

Trying to pretend that he's working on something that might make its way to Yoo Joonghyuk to play has long lost its charm, but now Kim Dokja gives himself a new breath at the concept, trying to imagine his new neighbor, in his gaming jacket of some professional team, trying out new releases. He probably would, since the span of popularity of one game as a competitive sport isn't that long, the trends shifting with each season.

It makes no logical sense to imagine that the man is really a gamer rather than just wearing merch, but then, Kim Dokja is not keeping up with the news of e-sports closely enough to dismiss the possibility. After all, if he doesn't check it means there might be the Yoo Joonghyuk on some team, their competition star who can't get along with his teammates outside of the games…

Of course Kim Dokja is just an extra in someone else's story, but isn't it a nice thought that what he's doing might actually help one of the main characters? It makes the work more bearable.

The subway is uncommonly crowded and as he can't find a seat among people, he suddenly realizes that it means a rare success of him managing to leave work at normal hour for once. 

He manages to find a stable position and produces his phone with one hand, excited to see another chapter updating, making him grin. He had notices three new messages from mister plagiarist, but it's an easy choice to read TWSA rather than bothering with that. Responding to that man can wait until Kim Dokja gets home.

This time he finally caves in on his visit to grab a prepackaged meal and buys a microwave dinner instead, because one of his neighbors has been tormenting him with the daily smell of cooked broccoli. It will hurt his finances, but sometimes he just has to eat something more substantial, even if he doesn’t have time to cook.

He gets himself an apple too, feeling a little guilty about the expense, but the day is so unexpectedly fine that it’s very tempting to celebrate it, just a little.

Just like fate has detected that Kim Dokja was having the best day in long while, he almost collides with his new neighbor while he was walking into the building.

He blinks at the man, briefly wondering if the heavenly visage is a blessing, before he quickly shifts to the side and his eyes land on a little girl holding a wide hand. She looks very much alike his neighbor, the features softened into something innocent by baby fat clinging to her cheeks that he doesn't need to ask to know that those two are a family.

Of course.

It's only strange that his wife isn't showing herself. Or maybe something bad happened to her?

And with this simple idea the whole good mood is promptly ruined, as he is worrying about his freshly widowed neighbor having to raise a child on his own.

The two pass him by, with the girl giving him a curious look, but his neighbor is fully focused on her, leading the child outside with a soft, almost imperceptible smile on his face. 

His traitorous brain whispers that Yoo Joonghyuk with his sister would look similar to this.

As soon as he's back home he checks the messages and cusses out the plagiarist bastard for trying to get him to take pictures of a stranger for no reason.

Chapter Text

Kim Dokja walks into the apartment building without lifting his head from his phone, focused on typing the angry response to what he just saw in another chapter of her story. He was just starting to notice how that plagiarist started having his own ideas to put into writing just to suddenly name an item a "dokkaebi bag". Kim dokja left a comment complaining about the turn, then moved to DMs to complain about how that hack author must be doing it to personally spite him. Instead of admitting he's spouting bullshit about "dokkaebi being a public domain so there's no way to trademark the name".

He can hear a neighbor walking out into the corridor, but he doesn't bother to lift his head, focused on fishing out keys from his pocket with one hand, still busy writing his angry message to that petty bastard of a self proclaimed author.

A tug on the lapel of his suit guides him away from the door and he lets himself be guided, almost thinking that maybe he got the wrong door for a second, before he lifts his eyes and sees the girl tugging on him.

“Oh, um… can I help you?” he asks awkwardly.

 “Yeah,” says the girl, her eyes sparkling with determination. “Oppa needs to work. You have time, right?” She is already reaching for the doorknob of her apartment without waiting for an answer and Kim Dokja doesn't want to yank himself away from her with force, so he ends up getting pulled along.

“OPPA!” she calls, still holding onto his lapel. Her voice makes the handsome neighbor turn, pulling his phone away from his ear as he takes in the situation. Then he seems to disconnect the call with no warning to whoever is on the other side.

“He can stay with me. You can go do your important job stuff,” the girl declares smugly, tugging Kim Dokja closer.

“I don't really…” he starts awkwardly, then stops, worried that he might cause the little girl to be yelled at. No, it's better to not make her look too shameless. “I could help, but I'd rather know how long you'd be gone? And give me a moment to change.” 

His neighbor frowns, his face somehow even more handsome when taking on a stormy expression. 

“Who are you?” he asks, suddenly making Kim Dokja realize that despite living next to each other for more than a month, they have never actually exchanged a word. No wonder he’s being suspicious of him.

“Hi. I’m Kim Dokja. A neighbor. My apartment is next door…” He shifts on his feet. “I can just go if it was nothing–”

The phone still in his neighbor's hand calls, making the man frown as he picks it up silently, listening to the person on the other side for a moment, before he huffs and moves the phone away from his face.

“Mia, are you sure he’ll be fine? Call me if something goes wrong.” Then his eyes turn to Kim Dokja. “I should be back by 8pm, I made dinner for two people,” and he lifts the phone without a pause to wait for a response, “Fine. You’re paying for a taxi.” 

And then he promptly disconnects the call again.

Kim Dokja shakes off the surprise on how his neighbor deals with things. He might have been dragged into this babysitting with no warning, but if there’s anything he has a say on, it’s how he’s not about to spend another 4 hours in his ill fitted suit.

Kim Dokja can feel two pairs of eyes following him as he rushes home to change and drop his suitcase. He doesn' recall what's time it normally takes for a taxi to come, so he just hurries up with grabbing decent casual pants and clean shirt, hoping that he will be back before he looks incompetent. Not that he has a hope of making a decent impression on his neighbor, that ship has already sailed.

“You're here. Good. Take care of her. I know where you live.” Kim Dokja is suddenly very aware that the other man is noticeably taller than him. And this definitely sounds like a threat made in the case he'd fail.

“Yeah, we'll be fine,” he assures weakly, looking off to the side. There's kind of little space for the two of them in the entryway.

Kim Dokja ducks his head low while trying to tuck himself out of the way as the man turns, seemingly accepting that answer as good enough. Or he is just in too much of a hurry to press at the moment.

He smiles slightly at the girl as he hears the door click shut. “Hi, Mia,” he starts awkwardly. he might have overheard the name but it doesn't feel quite right without knowing the family name.

“I haven't had a chance to hear your brother's name…” he trails off. It should be a reasonable thing to ask.

Mia gives him a look. Disapproving, maybe even incredulous. He feels judged by the 8 year old, from her face alone. He's not sure if she's 8, but she looks 8 so here's that.

“Why did you agree if you don't know my brother?”

“Uh… it looked like you didn't have other options?” He might just be too worn out by everyday life to consider what he's doing properly. But it sounded like those two were up against a wall with the situation, so he's not going to double guess it now.

He slips off shoes and walks into the apartment properly, glancing around The neat and cozy apartment, which is in stark contrast to the mess of his own place. They have more space than his own, but also it looks like somehow his neighbor can find time to keep the space orderly in between his work. And the kitchen would be spotless if not for the two plates and pots on the turned off stove. 

“Alright. I can try asking him when he's back.” Kim Dokja decides after a moment of silence. It's not like he needs to know the name of the next door neighbor. “Are you hungry now? It looks like your brother got called right before dinner.”

“But he made chicken again… he's making it every day,” Mia complains loudly, 

“The food is already done,” he shrugs without much sympathy. Foid is food and he doesn't mind eating an actual cooked meal for once.

The girl crosses her arms, seemingly thinking about something intensely. “Brother's name is Joonghyuk.”

He pauses. Not because she offers the name like it's in exchange for something (maybe it is, a little) but because he's standing before little Mia, with her older brother Joonghyuk off to do his job, the gaming jacket left on the hanger by the door. It feels like too much to be a coincidence.

“Yoo Joonghyuk?” He asks, feeling suddenly weak.

Nod from a little girl shatters his understanding, before the world catches up. They probably just know tls123. Even if those two got inserted into the novel, all this means is that he might have a chance to find the author through them.

“So you have heard of my brother! He's the best, right?” Mia smiles smugly.

“He is,” Kim Dokja nods along. He has no idea how good this man is as a gamer, but the Yoo Joonghyuk's he's read about is the best, without a doubt. It's a cosmic stroke of luck in his unfortunate life to be able to see the man who inspired the character.

“Alright, we could order a pizza. What are your favorite toppings?” He remembers how Mia loves pizza. He can suffer through the tomato sauce and financial burden if it means that he'll get a chance to find out more. “Just, don't tell your brother I let you eat fast food. I'll take this chicken and pizza box back to my apartment after, so he doesn't have to find out. Deal? If he knows we won't be able to do this again.”

Mia looks at him seriously, before she nods. “You can take the boring chicken.” 

They order pizza and Mia prepares something written out almost like a contract, in a little uneven letters spaced across the page, swearing them to secrecy over the food exchange.

After they've eaten and he cleaned up the traces of their crime, he sits with Mia by the table again. He asks her if she needs help with her homework, because even if he doesn't have much experience with babysitting, he remembers how he wished for someone willing to help him understand some of the lessons.

But Mia only frowns at him. “I don’t need your help.” She sounds almost offended that he offered. Maybe she has a point, her brother almost always is with her in afternoons and it’s easy to imagine that he wouldn’t just brush Mia off. Especially if the novel got it right, about the little girl that Yoo Joonghyuk always kept hidden, doing his damn best to shield her from horrors of apocalypse despite her insistence that she can handle things, because he knew that the moment he slips the tragedy will happen. Unless Yoo Joognhyuk was in a turn he was running a trial run which he assumed from the start he would just restart after figuring out a new approach. 

He observes a little girl, stubbornly sitting with her books and a notebook, working with focus and frown on her face, determined to do it on her own. Would the Yoo Mia from TWSA be just like this in the times when Yoo Joognhyuk wasn’t around to coddle her? Maybe sometimes she could be just fine in those late turns when her brother doesn’t have enough humanity remaining to remember that he cares?

Seeing the real-world equivalent of Yoo Mia he suddenly feels sad that he doesn’t have a chance to find out. 

Since the real Yoo mia seems busy he ends up fishing out his own phone. It feels obvious. He opens the most recent chapter and types out a comment, requesting to know more about how Yoo Mia fares when her brother is optimizing his slaughter of monsters like a killing machine.

He can see it in this girl; she certainly wouldn’t just curl up and wait for death. 

Kim Dokja is still thinking about this when Mia declares that she’s done. Honestly, she probably doesn’t even need anyone to stay with her.

He still doesn’t feel like he got out of the system the striking knowledge that his neighbor is is called Yoo Joonghyuk, on top of that strikingly handsome, protagonist worthy face, so he opens the chat facing the whole massive 10 messages full of angry rant telling him to keep his shit out of public comments. He just skims the text over.

[I just discovered the Neighbor is called Yoo Joonghyuk. Just like the protagonist from the Three Ways to Survive Apocalypse.]

[Are you seriously going to ignore how you were an ass and use your delusions as distraction?] The response comes so fast that the writer must have been sitting with phone in his hand, and is soon followed by the next bubble.

[And do you mean “like that famous pro-gamer”? Link ]

Kim Dokja is halfway expecting to be either rickrolled or hit by a virus as he opens the link, only to be shocked by the sight of his handsome neighbor and his gaming jacket accentuating his figure. Along with an article about his career, and his skills; underlining the "inhuman efficiency and precision" his neighbor is supposedly displaying.

[This is so much worse. You realize that? TWSA was written about the protagonist Yoo Joonghyuk, pro gamer. Ten Years Ago. He's been on scene for SIX] 

Maybe the author of TWSAknew Yoo Joonghyuk personally and just knew that he would eventually make it, but there's no way this is a coincidence. This is only sane theory.

Kim Dokja has an urge to dig deeper before a brief flash of realization comes. He can't be doing it. He's not going to pry too much into his private life. He's not going to become like his own nightmare of a paparazzi stalker hounding a person down. 

So he closes the article and decides that he's not going to do anything about it. 

… maybe check what types of games Yoo Joonghyuk the neighbor mostly competes in. If it comes up naturally, he might want to know what the man plays to relax. Not ąto do anything with the knowledge.

And he's going to ration out the boiled chicken and healthy greens, to eat over the next three days. Actually, four, with the addition of leftover pizza.

Chapter Text

Kim Dokja mentally runs through a long list of excuses he recently used to avoid the company meetings, but this time he is standing face-to-face with a supervisor and somehow his tired brain comes short of suitable justification.

It would be wonderful if Joonghyuk would send him a text, to tell him about another emergency. Pathetic, really, to wish his neighbor trouble just to use Mia as justification to get out of the daunting prospect of corporate socializing and drinking. 

But no such salvation comes and he ends up agreeing to join the mandatory socialization.

When they enter the pub, Kim Dokja notices that bosses have ordered a good amount of side dishes, with a good selection of  kimchi varieties and pork belly waiting to be grilled, so at least there's one benefit to being there.

He is delegated to pour everyone drinks, in a constant reminder of his persistently low position among the company ranks. But control over the bottle provides him with one aspect making the presence of alcohol somewhat bearable. He doesn't pour for himself, and he can avoid giving much alcohol to people who obviously don't want to drink.

That is, until the project supervisor pulls the bottle out of his hands and pointedly pours a drink for Yoo Sangah from the finance department. The bottle goes back to its position after that, but what's more important, The man moves glass closer to Yoo Sangah with insistence that it would be impossible for her to refuse without going against all rules of politeness… So Kim Dokja steals that glass and drinks the contents, in the back of his mind praying that his reaction to drinking is not going to follow the example of his father.

It was stupid decision, he's almost certain. He's been avoiding drinking, even if it cost him the miniscule amount of morality he had to begin with. As soon as he feels the strange warmth spreading across his chest, he starts regretting taking that glass.

There’s no way drinking is going to end up in anything but an awful experience, but maybe if he focuses enough on it, he can at least not blurt out anything too humiliating.

He absolutely hates that this stupid socialization drags out, digging into his limited free time. It's probably worth it to be paid for this time with food, but no one can properly measure the mental cost of putting up with sleazy superiors and coworkers barely covering up the dislike for him under the thin veneer of social niceties.

And then it happens again. He isn’t sure what stupidity possesses him to drink glass shoved towards Yoo Sangah again, but he downs it, wincing at the taste, despite all the regrets that come attached.

By the third glass he's drunk he's starting to feel woozy and he ends up sending Yoo Sangah an apologetic smile as he doesn't take the fourth. No matter how much he wants to help, he can barely aim the bottle properly as the supervisor demands the next round of drinks to be poured. His mind keeps wandering back to his neighbor, Joonghyuk. Not the same as the protagonist, Joonghyuk. Probably.

He’s not fully certain as to how he made his way back to his apartment after that, but he can vaguely remember his struggle to get into his apartment, struggling to line up his house key with the keyhole, and it kept slipping, and refused to turn even when he finally managed to aim properly. He might have started crying at the point the door suddenly opens.

Kim Dokja blinks at the stunningly handsome man on the other side of the door. He slowly takes in the tanned skin and firm muscles underlined by his black shirt, swaying slightly on his legs as he might have forgotten how to breathe at the realization. It must be Yoo Joognyuk. He looks angry, before making a surprised face.

“The regressor himself has descended from pages of the novel straight into my apartment,” Kim Dokja mutters in drunken awe, cautiously waiting for the frowning protagonist to decide what to do.

“Ah, sorry.” Kim Dokja lifts his hands, hoping that he looks harmless enough. He stumbles a step back, but before he can fall over, a hand firm like steel grabs him, steadying him on his feet as the sordid man pulls him somewhere, the floor of corridor flashes in his field of view before a large hand guides his own, and with a click the door to his apartment opens again.

Didn’t he just get to his apartment? Kim Dokja isn’t sure, somewhere halfway through those events deciding that all of this must be a dream. Kim Dokja still wants to take a shower because he must be stinking of sweat and soju and cigarette smoke.

And in his dream the protagonist Yoo Joognyhyuk puts him to bed. He was acting angry about it, wrapping him in the blanket as the muscular arms pin him down in his bed, but it was still a nice dream.

Surely if the protagonist actually met him, there would be a sword aimed right at the man who dared to read his life for entertainment involved. Any reader would be just like a constellation at that point…

He wakes very late on the next day, His eyes burning from the sun and body all sweaty as he somehow managed to turn himself in a blanket burrito. Well, that explains dreaming about being held down.

The headache pounds in his head, another testament to just how terrible of an idea drinking alcohol is.

Chapter Text

“No! I don't want her to stay with me!”

Yoo Mia calls loudly enough that Kim Dokja can hear her clearly through the wall. It's early morning on Saturday, and he really would rather stay asleep for another hour, but such is life when a neighbor has a kid.

“Dokja ahjussi doesn't have work today.”

Oh no. Looks like a kid is volunteering him for something. He's not sure what it's about, since only her voice makes it through the wall, but he's already trying to calculate if he's willing to give up on a day of napping and internet chatting. 

The babysitting Mia comes with the benefit of more pricey vegetables and meat in the diet, even if Dokja always ends up adding solid helping of spices to make the food more palatable. Not like sprinkle of pepper would make the greens any less nutritious. Maybe he should ask Yoo Joonghyuk about allergies rather than relying on the novel, but that would mean discussion about him straying from whatever funky diet the broody gamer is trying out and Kim Dokja definitely doesn't want that.

Either way, he gets up, moving away from the wall. He puts on his casual clothes in case to make sure that if Yoo Joonghyuk decides to actually knock on his doors, he's not going to catch Kim Dokja in his worn out pajama pants.

And then he goes on to fry himself an egg for breakfast, just in case he's going to be pulled into Yoo household and faced with whatever horrors of optimized healthy meals Yoo Mia is subjected to.

It's not actually done by the time there's a knock on the door and Kim Dokja goes to open the door, with a little  smile greeting the handsome face he can't be upset with. And as soon as he does he runs back to the kitchen, suddenly reminded that he didn't turn off the stove. Yoo Joonghyuk unexpectedly follows him deeper in, looking around like he's already judging.

“It was a busy week. I was planning on cleaning later today.” He lies while plating his egg. He's not looking at the uninvited guest while he adds a few cucumber slices and mayo covered bread. Not the most stellar meal and he only added a vegetable because he knows Yoo Joonghyuk would have something to say about his dietary habits. But, unexpectedly, his neighbor has no comments to make about it.

“Can you stay with Mia today?”

“Good morning to you too.” Kim Dokja takes a bite of the improvised egg sandwich, “You might know I have a day off. Not sure about you, but I enjoy having some free time.”

He feels mildly guilty as his neighbor just turns on his heel and marches out. Somehow he expected more of an argument, maybe even getting strong-armed into helping.

He doesn't even get himself to lock the door before it opens again. And this time it's Yoo Mia who walks in, looking around his apartment in uncanny mimicry of her brother.

“Oppa said he'll be back in few minutes,” she explains calmly as she joins him by the kitchenette and makes a grab for his sugar.

Manners must be in their genes.

Yoo Joonghyuk comes back maybe half an hour later, carrying a very suspiciously full envelope that he just drops next to Dokja's plate alongside the keys. Probably his apartment keys.

And then he hugs Mia, barely saying goodbyes before he leaves.

Kim Dokja waits a moment longer, then he walks to the apartment door, checks if Yoo Joonghyuk really just went like that, then he returns to look at the envelope and Mia peeking into his cup of instant coffee.

“Did you say something to him?”

Mia blinks at him innocently, “I said he gave money to that nice lady that comes on weekend,” she explains then dips a piece of his cucumber into his mayo and eats it. “I didn't like new one.” she adds, while Kim Dokja is slowly, very slowly, reaching for the envelope.

Maybe it's just full of small value banknotes, or just made bulky by blank paper… if it wasn't Yoo Joonghyuk Kim Dokja would suspect it's just this kind of a joke.

But there’s real money inside. He puts it down to stop the urge to try counting it. Mia shouldn’t be exposed to adults acting like this.

So… all he had to do was to say ‘no’ and his neighbor is suddenly throwing money at him? Or maybe, since Yoo Joonghyuk doesn’t know him well, this is a bribe to not talk to reporters?

With a sigh, Kim Dokja hides the money. It doesn't exactly matter. It's going to be useful.

“Should we go back to your apartment?”

“Nu-uh. You got snacks, brother only left carrots.” She makes a face of disgust that almost makes Dokja laugh.

“I see. I'll go get my carrots and we can see about edible snacks. He says, reflexively reaching for his phone, vaguely remembering a chapter which has talked about a creamy dressing for dipping vegetables. His version probably won't be up to the protagonist Yoo Joonghyuk standards, but might just be enough to appease one little girl.

While he's looking at the phone his chatting app pops up a message from the Plagiarist Bastard: [Heyyy, are you still asleep?]

He taps it open while he unlocks the door and finds earlier messages demanding his tribute of comments on his new novel. And asking if cooking skills are really all it got to convince Dokja that his neighbor can't be the protagonist.

[I'm busy, you know?] He complains before putting phone on the kitchen counter, opening the fridge to check for a chance of sour cream inside.

He happily snatches fresh garlic from the counter as he goes, along with aforementioned carrot sticks.

When he looks at the phone again there's a new message, [Loser like you? On a weekend?]

[Babysitting]

He slips the phone into his pocket so he gas free hands to carry the bounty snatched from the neighbor back to his apartment.

When he puts the bowl with carrots on his own counter Mia looks at him suspiciously, but she seems unexpectedly interested to see how he's mixing spices and chopping the garlic to prepare the dressing for vegetables. And she even follows his example to dip a piece of carrot in the sauce to eat.

Mia seems to decide that carrots aren't bad. With a dressing. “Maybe broccoli would be good too?” she suggests promptly as soon as she has a comparison of what some dressing can do.

“Maybe,” he nods along. Really, there's no reason to teach a kid to not enjoy her food.

When his attention drifts back to his phone there's a new message waiting for a few minutes already.

[You really let yourself be used like that?]

[I can't say no to a handsome man dropping a thick stack of cash.]

He regrets the message almost as soon as he sends it.

But it's already too late.

[I'm screenshotting this.] The bastard plagiarist sends it almost instantly and Kim Dokja has no doubts that this guy has it already saved.

[Anyway, no need to worry about me. I don't have time to go looking for what novel you liberally borrowed this time.]

And then he takes a deep breath, putting the phone down. He can't be getting too distracted with the risk of Mia deciding to go through his stuff if he's not keeping an eye on her.

He doesn't react even when he knows there's a whole series of new messages coming to him in response.

Chapter Text

The message from the plagiarist author hits his phone in the early afternoon of a sad and rainy Saturday.

[Hey, read it over and tell me what you think.] Kim Dokja suspiciously looks at the text file attached to the message, wondering what the plagiarist author is doing this time. The title of the file says simply "curseddraft" which doesn't fill him with an optimism. But on the other hand, it's just a text file. What harm can it do?

He opens the file and starts reading, quickly discovering that it's a fanfic, of second regression of TWSA. It's surprisingly sweet to see the romance blooming between Yoo Joonghyuk and Lee Seolhwa. It might be focused on relationship, but it's devastating to read about Yoo Joonghyuk before he was wrecked by loss, softer at the edges but still so undeniably him. Kim Dokja can't make himself stop reading, even as the fic starts getting kind if steamy, because even descriptions of moments they start kissing and shyly exploring, have just such incredibly good characterization of that bullheaded but caring man… and maybe this way Kim Dokja can see the missing link breaching the gap between Yoo Joonghyuk from the novel and Yoo Joonghyuk the gamer neighbor. Damn that author.

He definitely has to read TWSA closely in order to capture the protagonist so well. And Lee Seolhwa is so sweet, so good for him.

And then the explicit sex scenes come. Kim Dokja skims over the first one, but then there's another and they're talking more in the middle and he can't skip because there's too much plot in the middle… and she's already pregnant? Kim Dokja pauses reading and goes back to the previous one to figure out what happened to the condom in there. Because it feels important, damn it.

After that read he buries his face in his hands, deeply disappointed with himself for reading all of it. He groans cursing at that hack writer for filling his head with images of Yoo Joonghyuk having sex, with probably too much descriptive material to feed his imagination of how his private parts would look like.

He should not have read it. But it was also the first piece of TWSA fanfiction he ever found. And it was written well. 

He spends almost 3 hours on that read and as he checks the word count it looks 

sizable enough to match the actual TWSA chapter. Impressive, even if he could do without smut.

He's still battling with the mortification when there's a knock on the door.

It could be the landlord, to complain that he ended up late with the rent again (this time he just forgot)… but, because gods hate Kim Dokja, instead it's the man whom Kim Dokja is the least ready to face.

Yoo Joonghyuk looks angry, which makes Dokja smile nervously as he backs away from the door.

“I talked with Mia. You're messing with her food.” Yoo Joonghyuk starts flatly, the demand for explanation unspoken, but hanging overhead.

Kim Dokja looks in his direction, and suddenly it's hard to not look lower to try to figure out if the description of protagonist bits could be accurate. 

“I'm not really. I'm just using some spices so it's tastier. You know kids deserve to enjoy life a little, there's no reason for her to be miserable about food when it’s so easy to make it better,” he explains nervously, attention torn between avoiding two reasons he might get killed. “You know, life needs to be about something more than just survival. Person is more than just a body.”

Yoo Joonghyuk makes a small “hrmph” sound before he turns away, walking away as unexpectedly as he came.

Kim Dokja only realizes that this Yoo Joonghyuk probably wouldn't be as murderous as the protagonist once he's gone.

He just hopes that Mia won't be back to suffering the miserably plain food now that her brother knows they haven't been quite keeping to her diet.

The next day around dinner time suddenly is a new kind of torture as the regular daily mild smell of food is replaced by aromatic spices, composed together in the way that makes Dokja feel much closer to starving than he actually is.

He has half a mind to go looking for who is the new neighbor adding to the regular scents of the area, but parts of him knows. Yoo Joonghyuk was just waiting  for a reason to try cooking well. And as soon as he did this disaster came.

Yoo Mia won't be bribed by the prospect of spices and snacks into liking him.

He can't actually tell for sure without trying the food, but the scent is so promising he can't imagine the result being anything other than amazing.

And with those recent developments, Kim Dokja tells himself he has to change apartments because he'll never know peace. But maybe he doesn't want peace now. He likes to sometimes have this random risk to encounter a stunningly handsome doppelganger of his favorite protagonist while going around his business.

So he just writes to that nightmare writer resentfully, telling him that his resentment for that cursed piece of writing is greater than can be put in words.

As the olny response to his message is [💖Thank you 💗💗💗] Kim Dokja frowns as his phone, feeling that he's being mocked again.

[I swear, I'll find out who you are and tell Yoo Joonghyuk that you wrote steamy RPF about him.]

[Good luck explaining why you've read it~.]

With this argument that looks like a lost cause, he gives in to the tornent of delicious scents and takes out the dinner he meant to eat the next day. If it keeps going like this he won't have saved up any cash for when he inevitably ends up looking for a new job again.

But he can't blame Yoo Joonghyuk for taking his advice. Surely, it's better for Mia when her brother is actually taking care of her food in a way she'll enjoy.

Chapter Text

Two weeks later Kim Dokja decides that at this point he has to resign himself to being tormented by the smell of delicious food and daydreaming about the delicious protagonist food he can't have.

He's been trying to talk to that plagiarist-writer guy less since the file, but it's hard when there's just one person he can talk about what's going on. 

The plagiarist curses at him as soon as he admits that imagining the food Yoo Joonghyuk must be making is his most haunting daydream.

[bitch, why are you insisting you are living in some self-insert fanfic??]

Kim Dokja doesn't dignify it with a response. 

[Please tell me you didn't try to get your neighbor cook the fantasy novel meals.] Next message comes few minutes later 

Of course Kim Dokja has a huge file prepared of all the meals in TWSA using more mundane components, other than murim dumplings (he doesn't want to accidentally destroy the timeline. Just in case). He isn't sure if he'd actually give it to Yoo Joonghyuk, but it's there. Waiting. Just in case the man asks.

Kim Dokja might have marked which ones Mia in various regressions claimed to like the best.

But the existence of a file doesn't mean he'd actually dare to try to make Yoo Joonghyuk do anything.

[I'm not that crazy]

Kim Dokja reaches for his keys, like he's done too many times to count, just to find the pocket empty.

He calmly checks the other one, then with slowly growing nervousness, checks his pants pockets, opens his suitcase and starts looking for the keys there.

Then he slumps by the door, starting to look for maybe something to improvise a lockpick, although the chances are slim.

About half an hour later Yoo Mia peeks her head into the corridor, looks at him for a few seconds then ducks back into the apartment. “I told you he should be back!” He hears through partially open doors to the apartment of the Yoo siblings.

Yoo Joonghyuk looks out of the apartment next and frowns seeing him on the floor. “You aren't drunk, are you?”

Kim Dokja makes a face at that, mildly offended that he might look drunk when he's simply exhausted. “No. Just lost my keys. Landlord doesn't pick up this late.” It's not like he's getting drunk anywhere near the average corporate employee, the accusation is entirely unfair. His luck just happens to be the worst.

Yoo Joonghyuk gives him a long look, like he's trying to evaluate how truthful he is, before he reaches out to help him up.

He blinks wordlessly as he takes the hand, feeling surreal as Yoo Joonghyuk pulls him with ease suggesting that he probably could lift Kim Dokja without much struggle.

He takes a step back nervously, suddenly very aware that he's standing too close.

“Come in.” Yoo Joonghyuk turns and walks back to his apartment without making sure Kim Dokja is following.

He feels anxious as he walks into the apartment, despite being there about a dozen times before. “Excuse me,” he mutters, taking off his shoes. 

He's probably just not used to Yoo Joonghyuk being around. Just briefly passing by isn't nearly enough to get used to such otherworldly handsomeness.

Mia peeks around her brother with a smile, coming closer. “Hi, ahjussi.” Then she proceeds to grab her brother by hand and pulls him to the kitchen.

She doesn't actually say anything before Yoo Joonghyuk gets what she means and starts preparing food.

“You didn't eat yet?” Kim Dokja asks, reaching for his phone to check the time. It's definitely too late for those two to not be after dinner yet.

“We did,” Mia responds, putting hands on her hips. “You didn't.” 

“Why are you cooking? I could go get myself something—” he flinches as Yoo Joonghyuk turns to give him a look, like he felt offended by the suggestion. 

“Aren't there some leftovers?” Kim Dokja attempts weakly despite the dreary feeling, because he doesn't want to be a burden.

The host doesn't deign that with response, turning to the kitchen counter again, chopping vegetables with probably little too much aggression.

Kim Dokja chuckles nervously and takes a seat by the table, knowing better than to intrude into Yoo Joonghyuk's kitchen, no matter how tempted he is to try looking at what exactly he is doing.

It's a strange thing. No one has really cooked for him since he was 8. Home cooked meal is luxury enough, but to think there's something someone is actually making for him?

He can even smell pork and savory spices in the dish as it sizzles from frying. In response his stomach loudly reminds him that he didn't eat lunch earlier. 

Kim Dokja lowers his head with embarrassed blush, “sorry” muttered under his breath as he fixes eyes on his hands folded together. He doesn't look up, but at least he doesn't think Yoo Joonghyuk is staring at him much when he can hear the stir-fry.

He sits like that until a bowl of deopbap is placed in his vision. And it's probably the most beautiful meal he ever saw in person. The rice is almost completely hidden under the toppings, the pork fried with mushrooms and carrots and something green, maybe scallions or green cabbage? He would need to taste to figure out details of what more is mixed with the dark sauce… he feels like he's doing something illegal as he picks up the chopsticks with a shaking hand.

“It looks amazing. Thank you.” He mutters nervously, feeling even more nervous as he realizes that he's left alone with Yoo Joonghyuk. Mia probably went to her room while he was lost in his stress. It would be better if he could retreat to some corner, hidden from sight, but it doesn't look like he has the option.

He does not make embarrassing sounds while trying the food, but it's a near thing.

“Spices?” Yoo Joonghyuk asks, making Kim Dokja sit straighter as he looks up at the other man, only then noticing that his eyesight has gotten blurry. He blinks away the tears from his eyes.

“It's good. Perfect,” he insists, shaking his head and pulls the bowl closer to himself before he actually thinks about what he's doing. 

“Oppa, are you done cooking?” Mia questions.

“You can have him,” Kim Dokja responds, trying to mimic the way those two seem to push each-other and everyone around. Anything so the man isn't hovering and watching him eat.

“You promised to show me the game,” Mia adds, peeking into the kitchen with a little sad frown to pressure her brother more.

For a short moment it almost looks like Yoo Joonghyuk wants to protest, glancing at Kim Dokja, but he ends up just giving in silently. It's cute to see how this built man follows the girl obediently, with a little soft smile.

Kim Dokja relaxes more when left alone with food. He wasn't thinking about it before, but Yoo Mia certainly must have a connection to gaming as well since her personal skill was inventory… he gets distracted, trying to figure out how to change as little as possible in a regression while letting Mia explore the potential which surely is there.

Then he looks at the food still remaining in the bowl, seriously considering if he'd risk making himself sick just to eat it all. But it would be a pity to leave anything. With another moment of hesitation he decides to put it away, hoping that he'll be allowed to take leftovers for lunch the next day.

He's just a stranger invading their life, but their warmth pulls him in like a moth to the flame, fascinated to observe how those two look together, with a matching pair of frowns as they focus on their respective screens. He knows that those two had no one to care for them growing up, just like himself. And yet they turned out so much brighter, less broken. Like having just one other person was all a person needs.

He lets the rest of his afternoon pass, huddling himself in the corner of an improbably comfortable sofa with his phone attached to a borrowed charger. When the evening comes and he hears the shower he carefully keeps his head even lower, not sure what habits those two have, but he's not risking Yoo Joonghyuk murdering him for accidentally seeing too much.

But he survives. Mia, dressed in blue pajamas with some sort of fluffy cartoon creature printed across, nudges him.

“Your turn, ahjussi,” she tells him.

When he lifts his head he can see Yoo Joonghyuk dressed in a tank top, so deliciously framing his strong arms, watching over them like a hawk. While Dokja kind of can't stop thinking about how loosely his sleeping pants hang on those hips, and that’s a very dangerous territory to be on.

Despite his better judgment whispering about cold water and penance he deserves, he ends up taking a hot shower, warmer and longer than he'd take in his own apartment, but he tells himself that he can't afford getting sick and he feels feverish over the unwanted memory of little too detailed descriptions of YooJoonghyuk's sex life in the second regression.

Kim Dokja leaves the bathroom in a little too large, soft pants and way too large T-shirt, smelling of some expensive shampoo. He holds onto the clothes to make sure nothing elips too much as he makes his way back to the sofa, now arranged in a more welcoming way. His phone still faithfully waits right next to it, so he sits back down to again check for updates on novels he's reading. And maybe also his messages.

Yoo Joonghyuk puts a spare blanket by his side and frowns down at him. “Put it down. Sleep.” The sharp eyes stay on Dokja until he puts the phone down and spreads the blanket to huddle himself to sleep. 

Kim Dokja is almost sure he hears Yoo Joonghyuk mutter to himself something about “two kids”. This part he's not going to tell that plagiarist about. He waits for Yoo Joonghyuk to leave for his own bedroom. He's not finished bragging about his neighbor cooking for him yet. 

[You're talking about it like it's the first time your crush shared food with you.] 

The response hurts a little. [This time it was actually good. I'm proud of how he's improving! Also: not a crush.]

[Guy you oh so platonically admire?] And the bastard sends him the screenshot from an earlier conversation, about a handsome man with cash. 

Kim Dokja rolls his eyes and starts typing the answer, but then he hears a movement again and quickly puts the phone down.

He's not too eager to see what Yoo Joonghyuk would do if he caught him still on the phone while he's supposed to be sleeping, after the first warning. And gods have mercy if he sees that conversation.

So he goes to sleep, much earlier than he normally would.

Chapter Text

He's already feeling a bit sick. The breakfast is too, but as he's  trying to leave food behind both of the Yoo siblings glare at him scaringly intensely in a disapproving silence.

“No, I'm really full. Thank you for the food, I should be going.” He tries again. He gets up from his seat, this time really not budging under the pressure. 

“You ate less than Mia,” Yoo Joonghyuk states, looking at his sister and her empty bowl.

Mia shrugs in response, reaching to take his leftovers too. “Now we know why Dokja-ahjussi is so small.” She comments swinging her legs under the table. Rude.

He doesn't waste time arguing, just throws on his suit jacket and slips on shoes, getting ready to leave.

He expects those two to just focus on their own preparations, gathering things at the pace they're normally going. 

It certainly must be bad for his health, Kim Dokja thinks as both Yoo siblings catch up to him before he makes it out of the building. He tries to not pay much attention even if obviously the two of them walk alongside him towards the subway station.

He makes his call to the landlord on his way, because even if there's a hope he might find his keys in the MinoSoft building, he's not about to risk burdening Yoo Joonghyuk again if he doesn't.

The siblings flank him, stopping him for a moment just before his train arrives.

“Have a good day, ahjussi.” Mia says with a smile. The lunchbox her brother wordlessly showed into his hands certainly isn't helping his mental state while those two leave him to wait for their own train.

Either way Kim Dokja is thankful that at least they're not taking the same train, because getting squeezed together with Yoo Joonghyuk in the packed space of morning rush might actually kill him.

He hasn't taken a photo of meals he got before, but he might just hide somewhere with his lunch and show it to that stupid writer, just so that guy can be envious.

Only after he settles into his cubicle Kim Dokja thinks again about the TWSA.

He didn't really have time with how much space Yoo Joonghyuk and Mia took, so he barely read half of the chapter in the subway and left the rest. And now it's tempting him to finish reading.

He places the phone on the desk, next to his keyboard while he's opening the first bug report for the day. At first he keeps his eyes on the computer screen, reading through the description to file the ticket properly. Then his eyes drift to the phone. It takes just a moment in between to navigate to the right page, then he goes back to his work, stupid thing that probably could be automated away. He only lets himself to read few paragraphs between each task filed, breaking up the stupid job he's going to lose soon anyway.

Honestly, it's sad and heavy read, and going back to look for Mia and recipes gives a contrast to just how much worse the mental state of the protagonist have gotten in those regressions nearing the end.

Even chopping up the experience like that he ends up finishing the read before the lunch break. And his breath catches at the end, as his eyes land on the announcement that the next chapter is going to be last.

It's—

scary. 

To think that the thing he is used to clinging to as the sole reason to survive is about to end, leaving him hanging in the void of having nothing to look forward to.

He briefly considers curling himself into some cabinet to spend lunch break in peace, but then he looks at the lunchbox. He has food for once, and it deserves better than being eaten in a dark corner.

The rooftop sounds just right, with air and open space.

He briefly looks down, smirking at the reminder of just how many people gave been tempted by the call of space, for the building to have suicide net stretched along the wall.

Then Kim Dokja opens the box, watching the layers of food packed neatly. And then he really takes a photo of the food and sends, because, alright, there's still one thing in his life to… maybe not look forward to, but at least to feel good about.

And maybe the reminder of the siblings next door is helping. He wouldn't want to imagine how Yoo Mia would react to hearing that he's gone.

In the subway back home Kim Dokja takes a seat with relief to find a space to sit. He might be anxious about the novel ending, but he wants to see the conclusion. The protagonist deserves to reach life where he's finally free of that torturous loop, but the previous chapter didn't actually look like he put everything the right way together.

Of course he is worried about what kind of ending the protagonist Yoo Joonghyuk will get… even if this ending will turn out to be just final death.

He will cuss the author out if the conclusion will be such a pitiful last note when Yoo Joonghyuk deserves a happy ending.

He is still thinking about it with anticipation while he opens the page.

It's shorter than he'd expected. Emptier.

Open ended, without a hint if the ending will be happy or grim, other than knowledge that deaths of everyone around will drag the protagonist down. All in all, the deeply unsatisfying ending.

He's just about to complain to the author that Yoo Joonghyuk should have at least his sister survive alongside him in this last regression, when Yoo Sangah interrupts him with her attempts at talking with him.

“At this rate, you might get sucked into your phone,”

She is like the existence of another genre, someone Kim Dokja has no idea how to handle. Even if he tries to respond politely, he can't wait for the little exchange to be done so he can get back to his comment. So rather than try to explain, he jeeps to flat politeness, awkwardly trying to dodge her questions. 

It would be better for her to just keep going with her own life without wasting her time trying to be friendly with someone like him.

He manages to send a comment, mixing gratitude for writing at all with a complaint about the last regression.

And then the subway cart stops unexpectedly and the lights flicker.

Chapter Text

Kim Dokja looks at the malicious ball of white fluff, feeling detached as he's trying to figure out what this is supposed to mean. 

“It kind of sounds Spanish,” Yoo Sangah starts, looking at the dokkaebi struggling with its interface.

Kim Dokja tenses and pulls her back before she can try speaking to the most dangerous creature around. Honestly, the "kind of" in her statement was enough proof that she doesn't even know language well enough. Even if it wasn't just too dangerous to have dokkaebi attention this early.

[Can you understand now? Korean patch working?] The dokkaebi asks, loud and clear and some idiots take this as an invitation to start trying to talk to it.

“Wait, you don't know if it isn't dangerous.” He warns Yoo Sangah quietly. He really doesn't want his one decent coworker to fall victim to dokkaebi whims this early. He stays watching the situation as dokkaebi spouts nonsense about how "free" life under late capitalism is supposed to be.

And then the first head explodes with a loud pop, spraying around the blood and gray matter on display to help dokkaebi make his point. The price tag on human life is pitifully low at the moment.

Star Stream is here, and nothing will ever be the same.

When they're out on the broken bridge, the Deus ex machina miracle springs unexpectedly forth. Another huge change which has never happened in the novel, even if the world obviously plays by the rules as described.

They have people to cross in pairs.

“Wait, I need to see if he's coming.” He says, tensely waiting for the protagonist. Yoo Joonghyuk was supposed to be in the next carriage, everything, line and hour matching up with the location. 

“Who?” 

Kim Dokja pretends he didn't hear the question, busy fending off the undead. Thankfully there are enough of them that Lee Hyunsung is also busy deflecting attacks.

The protagonist moves through like a thunder, sweeping the demonic humanoids out of the way with ease, sending the bodies flying out of his way. Kim Dokja can only see the silhouette of a man in black at first, but there's no doubt that it must be the protagonist. No one else could be that strong this early on.

And then the dust cloud clears out of the way and the protagonist freezes, looking at the situation in front of him. Kim Dokja also freezes, his breath catching as he recognizes the face. Perfect jawline, elegantly windswept hair curl, thick and well defined eyebrows of his neighbor. And the eyes like dark gems, full of misfortune. Of Yoo Joonghyuk, the protagonist. 

Kim Dokja feels a tremble in his hands as he realizes what the reality of his life was. He witnessed the actual prologue to the story, like a model reader observing the daily life without interfering with… well, he had interfered just a little, but it surely wasn't anywhere near enough to influence the plot, (he assures himself as he watches) Yoo Joonghyuk coming closer, tensed up in a way Kim Dokja can't quite pinpoint at first.

Then he connects the way the fist is clenched to stabilize himself, the way Yoo Joonghyuk works his jaw to bite down emotions that could have been used by constellations otherwise. Just like his meeting with Lee Seolhwa after he had to kill her in the 10th regression.

Kim Dokja briefly wonders if he's done something to hurt Yoo Joonghyuk in his previous regression. He can't imagine there could have been something he'd done, not when he's an NPC insignificant enough to not warrant a mention in the novel.

But his former neighbor reaches for him and grabs his wrist with bruising strength, in silence dragging him towards the shimmering magic bridge, not giving him time to question the situation properly.

Kim Dokja almost lets himself be pulled along, used to his neighbor dragging him places. Even if now it seems like the guy is the protagonist too. He only starts fighting against the hold as he realizes that with current split Lee Hyunsung would end up left behind if they go. “You idiot! Stop that, you need to go with Lee Hyusung to the other side!”

“We'll figure it out when you're safe.” The grip is just as unyielding but Yoo Joonghyuk gives in a little as Kim Dokja yanks his hand, just enough that he doesn't dislocate his wrist trying to wiggle out of his hold.

It looks like this insane regressor would actually be willing to abandon Lee Hyunsung to take Kim Dokja with him instead. That's unacceptable.

“Stop it! Joonghyuk, you need to go help Jihye!” He calls in vain, before turning to the man who might actually listen, “Lee Hyunsung, help me!”

The soldier moves without questioning, grabbing Yoo Joonghyuk in an attempt to make him let go. His strength isn't anywhere near what's necessary to overpower the protagonist, but he doesn't really need to.

The intervention makes Joonghyuk's grip slip for a second, but it's all Kim Dokja needs to get away. “I can take care of myself AND I'll prove it!” He calls on his way to the edge of the bridge.

Both men turn towards him, reaching out in an attempt to catch him as he jumps. “Just go!” He yells at those two, in a split -second worry that either of them might try jumping after him.

He has good justification to jump down this time.

Short moment in the air feels just as liberating as he remembers, even if this time he's not saying goodbyes to the unfair world. This time it's his greeting.

Chapter Text

Yoo Joonghyuk takes a shuddering breath waking into third regression, the pain of torture still fresh and vivid. As much as he promised himself to do better next time, part  of him wished he won't have to start over. But try as hem6ight, even knowledge from Shin Yoosung wasn't enough to find his way out of the demon king curse.

He stupidly wasted the chance with a few simple mistakes, but he's not going to trust Anna Croft ever again.

The goddamn cake in his hand feels like a mocking reminder of life he wasn't allowed to have. He remembers well, it was supposed to be a surprise for Mia.

So stupid.

He angrily smashes the cardboard box against the head of a wannabe terrorist as soon as the scenario screen flashes into sight. Before anyone had time to read the contents.

He steals the detonator while the confused man is distracted trying to get cream out of his eyes

Only after the explosion shakes the carriage he feels a pang of regret. Maybe he could have stored it in the coat. He wouldn't reach Mia before it goes bad, but he could at least share with the teens– no. He was not supposed to be getting too attached again.

Bihyung chitters something with excitement to the constellations, before like usual turning his gaze on Yoo Joonghyuk 【And you, lucky incarnation, might become an idol on my channel! Now, just one little correction, for our viewers,】 he snaps his fingers and suddenly the facemask is gone. Again. 【You shouldn't be hiding your face.】

Yoo Joonghyuk doesn't react to this. There's no point. The days of hiding from paparazzi are long over.

He hates how long it took him to break through the door to the next carriage. Waste of time, but he's yet to find a more efficient way to leave and pick up his team. Speaking of which, the explosion might have caused them to run early. Who knows, maybe this time for a change they all won't have to buy themselves out of failing the bridge scenario with coins.

The reanimated creatures outside are new too. Sadly killing one doesn't give any rewards, so Yoo Joonghyuk ends up mostly just tossing them out of the way, in hurry to have a proper look at the changed situation.

Two people fighting undead on the edge of a broken bridge make sense. Until he sees who is there and the constellation-made magic bridge continues across the gap. Then nothing makes sense.

Kim Dokja didn't survive. Yoo Joonghyuk didn't have time to find exactly how he'd died, but for certain, Kim Dokja couldn't have been anywhere in reach. And yet, here he is, alive.

Yoo Joonghyuk grabs him without thinking, taking the first step to pull him across the bridge before reading the description.

Bridge of Even Numbers: if an odd number of incarnations steps onto the bridge, it'll vanish.

With the three of them, someone will have to stay behind.

Yoo Joonghyuk doesn't wait. There's nothing to discuss. He hasn't seen Kim Dokja in earlier regression and he can't afford to lose him again that easily before getting some explanation out of him. At worst, to make the next round better.

“You idiot! Stop that, you need to go with Lee Hyusung to the other side!”

“We'll figure it out when you're safe.” Yoo Joonghyuk brushes it off, despite the realization making his head spin. Kim Dokja knows Lee Hyunsung. And that time he called him the protagonist… the questions can wait.

He didn't expect Kim Dokja to fight with that much strength, enough to make the fragile bones of his thin wrist shift dangerously, threatening that something might snap if it goes on. He doesn't understand it, the illogical determination to get away, nor what exactly it means.

“Stop it! Joonghyuk, you need to go help Jihye!” It's an absurd thing to say when two of them are going to go and see her together. But then Lee Hyunsung, in an insane moment, moves and opposes Yoo Joonghyuk with help of his stigma, forcing him to let go of Kim Dokja.

The wrist slipping out if his grip feels like a prelude to a tragedy, and seeing Kim Dokja scamper away only makes the dread grow heavier. 

“I can take care of myself AND I'll prove it!”

No.

He barely showed up in this regression. He can't be getting himself killed right away. This idiot.

He's too weak to even try fighting a monster that strong. Unless he knows something no one else does.

And the smile. The goddamn smile as he's falling. Maybe he has some trick up his sleeve.

Damn it all, here goes the determination to protect his heart this time around.

Yoo Joonghyuk takes a shaky breath, then another, little more steady.

Then he looks at Lee Hyunsung, furious at the intervention which let Kim Dokja do this. “We're moving.” He declares. He might hate this, but he's not going to let this moment go to waste.

Maybe Lee Hyunsung has seen something that let Kim Dokja survive the first scenario this time. He at least needs to know, to do better if he finds himself in the first scenario again.

“He was waiting for you…” Lee Hyunsung says, and if Yoo Joonghyuk didn't hate everything about this situation before, he would start at this moment. 

“Tell me everything after we get to the next station.”

Yoo Joonghyuk looks over the survivor group. Trio of strangers stands out.

“Where's Dokja-ssi? He was just… who are you?” hearing the woman worry about that fool, maybe Yoo Joonghyuk could see why Kim Dokja would help the woman, and the kid at the age similar to Mia makes perfect sense as someone his neighbor would try helping. But the man with the suit, shaking and complaining, is unimpressive in every way. He should have been one tossed off the bridge.

Yoo Joonghyuk leaves Lee Hyunsung to explain what happened on the bridge. It's easier to focus on the near future, and put together a simple plan on how to keep all of them alive. Because if Kim Dokja decided to save them — all he can do now is to respect this decision.

It's simple, really. Bring them to the station, sneak into tunnels and swipe as much treasure as he can take without attracting attention of the Dark Warden, because that is one of top mistakes he won't ever repeat; then just keep checking the river bank, with breaks to get food.

Dokja was insistent about Lee Jihye… maybe he could have Lee Hyusung or Yoo Sangah take a turn watching while he checks what's the shortest amount of time necessary to help the teen before he can get back to his vigil.

He ignores most questions, only telling Yoo Sangah that he was neighbors with Kim Dokja before the scenarios. They're smart enough to stop trying to talk as soon as the poisonous mist starts flowing in.

Yoo Joonghyuk still has some hope that Han Myungoh is about to get himself killed. Of course, the wishes are just a petty, vindictive reflex reacting to the one useless man taking a spot in the group which could be used so much better on the bridge.

But he won't be killing the man, nor until he sees Kim Dokja again and he knows his reasoning.

Chapter Text

Kim Dokja manages to make his way out of the corpse of Ichthyosaurus right into muddy water of the Han river, somehow even more messed up and polluted in the midst of the scenarios. It’s supposed to be getting cleaner, but the beginning with breaking bridges and a variety of debris sent into water must have messed that up.

He feels heavy with exhaustion, but he can last just long enough to reach a shore. He has to, because drowning right after killing Sea Commander would be the dumbest way of fucking up his plan.

Pair of strong arms grabbing him and lifting him out of water as he reaches the river bank are unexpected, but he recognizes the handsome face in an angry frown before he has time to start fighting against the grip.

Yoo Joonghyuk is holding him at arm's length as he's dripping filthy water in his half-digested clothes. Clearly he doesn't want to risk getting any of it on himself, and Kim Dokja doesn't blame him for it.

“You can put me down.” 

It doesn't work. Kim Dokja is getting carried like Yoo Joonghyuk just fished a puppy out of a mud puddle and is afraid the said puppy would jump back in if he's set down.

“I need to find proper clothes…” he tries again. He needs to give Bihyung a chance to approach him with the contract, and he really could use a nap fueled by Ellain Forrest Essence. But he can do neither if Yoo Joonghyuk is lugging him around like this.

He's brought to a rough campsite, suddenly facing Lee Jihye and Yoo Sangah, making him even more embarrassed about the shameful state of his clothes… and everything else.

He tries to smile at Yoo Sangah, but awkwardness might have crept into his face. “Hi, Sangah-ssi.”

“This ahjussi looks like a wet rat,” Lee Jihye sums him up, not inaccurate to how he feels.

Finally Yoo Joonghyuk lets him down. Or rather drops him with no warning, which makes Kim Dokja stumble.

“Bastard,” he grumbles, but Yoo Joonghyuk producing a clean-looking shirt and pants out of his coat pockets stops him from complaining more about that.

“Oh, we should go and tell the rest that Dokja-ssi is fine.” Yoo Sangah reaches to take the teenager with her, catching on to what is happening before Kim Dokja can even ask. Bless her for sparing him more humiliation of asking them to preserve what little modesty he has left.

Yoo Joonghyuk, unfortunately, doesn't have the courtesy to do the same.

“Can you at least turn away? I know we have an audience, but let me pretend that there's some privacy.” He complains, already starting to shuck off the remains of the destroyed dress shirt.

No reaction beyond Joonghyuk taking the tatters from him and giving him the new one. It fits him much better than expected.

Changing clothes under the watchful eye of the protagonist is embarrassing, but he can at least console himself that there's no better person to stand guard. 

Based on how he is, it's probably not the first time Yoo Joonghyuk is going through the scenarios. But he's also not as callous as he would be in later regressions, and he even waited for Kim Dokja.

He could try using a character profile, but his neighbor seems to recognize him and it's enough to make him act odd.

“Um… Joonghyuk-ssi? What regression is this?”

There's a brief frown and Kim Dokja can basically hear him wondering what he knows about the regressions, but there's no violence as Yoo Joonghyuk looks away from him.

“The third one.” 

3rd. But he's not acting like he should in the 3rd regression at all. Too soft and still sensitive. But asking about Anna Croft is risky, and asking about his marriage to Lee Seolhwa might be an even worse danger of sending his mind to a darker place. Kim Dokja bites back questions he might have.

Yoo Joonghyuk cuts a beautifully lonesome figure, with statuesque features turning his sadness into a work of art.

“I can help to make it the last,” he promises. Yoo Joonghyuk doesn't have that much power for the ‘transmission’ to bring back into his hands, but Kim Dokja already knows how he can make up for that. There will just need to be more than one person carrying the burden.

“Be careful. Don't die pointlessly.”

“You are telling me??” Kim Dokja wants to point out how Yoo Joonghyuk died over and over, throwing himself at enemies way over his power range… but this Yoo Joonghyuk didn't. The Yoo Joonghyuk of the novel might have, but his neighbor has barely started on the regressions, and death in first and second one were due to things way beyond his control.

“What happened to me in the last regression?” he asks, reconsidering his approach. Maybe he could take some constructive criticism.

“You didn't survive the first scenario.” 

That… didn't sound right? Kim Dokja surely would know what he needed to do. Even if something happened in the way stopping him from getting insects, wouldn't he be able to kill a human? Anything to keep going, even if it means he would have to run with plan C or D for the Seoul Dome phase.

“Well, I'm here now, with coins from the hidden scenario. Let's move. There are a few more things I need.” He decides to dismiss what he can't figure out. Maybe he can start guessing once he uncovers more.

Yoo Joonghyuk frowns at him as Kim Dokja leads him into the poison mist, rushing as he has to endure the effects because someone didn't hold up to their end of the bargain. Kim Dokja plans on screwing the dokkaebi over for ignoring him like that.

“I have spare clothes.”

Kim Dokja ignores that, instead grabbing a bag and starting to fill it with ready rations, cans and all sorts of other imperishable food. He's very much trying to not respond to the sharp displeasure of the regressor burning hole into his back. He's starting to feel weak from the poison, damn Bihyung, but he can't let the chance pass him by.

“It's trash food,” Yoo Joonghyuk complains a few seconds later as he clearly can't take the sight any longer. 

“I can sell it.”

The argument ends there, interrupted by the sound of a human in distress. Kim Dokja is the one to react. He doesn't really think about it as he reaches for the woman to help her.

Yoo Joonghyuk seems deeply disapproving when he lifts the woman from his hands, putting her on his back as he silently judges how fast the poison is creeping into Kim Dokja, with growing splotches of sickly purple.

By the time they make it to the station Kim Dokja is thankful for the uncanny durability of Yoo Joonghyuk, as the man endures with apparent ease the presence of poisonous air that makes Kim Dokja sway on his legs.

It's a relief to see that the people on the station are still present in a large group. Even if the major group looks distinctly cowed, any protests dying down at the mere sight of Yoo Joonghyuk and thugs stepping out of the way nervously.

Pity, there would be few easy coins otherwise… if Dokja can fight with this poison infecting his system.

After the greetings with everyone Kim Dokja pats Joonghyuk's arm.

“Thanks for your help but you need to go and put some fear into landlords. We'll catch up in a day,” Dokja instructs him, mildly frustrated that the major group didn't act out in a way to trigger Lee Hyusug’s attribute evolution yet, causing a delay.

“I’m not leaving you alone.” Yoo Joonghyuk insists with a frown, making Kim Dokja feel choked up with the response he needs to give to make Yoo Joonghyuk comply.

“I'm not going to make you fight the Dark Warden.” 

He doesn't need to guess why Yoo Joonghyuk goes pale and stiff at the mention of the monster. 

“I took the loot.” 

“Yes? And where's the box?” Kim Dokja asks, as he tilts his head. It's risky thing to say out loud as dokkaebi might know to rush and fix the disproportionately good reward, but no matter what, he needs Yoo Joonghyuk to understand that he missed something important. 

“Box?”

“See? I need to go there.” 

“It’s too dangerous,” Yoo Joonghyuk protests, so completely unlike the protagonist despite clearly sharing at least part of the traumatic experiences. 

“I can't help you if you coddle me! I know I can't kill the warden.” He is revealing too much, the constellations already getting too curious about their exchange, but he can't function properly if Yoo Joonghyuk doesn't trust in his knowledge and skills to even handle himself, without even considering Joonghyuk simply not listening to what he should be doing.

It doesn't look like Yoo Joonghyuk is convinced, but Bihyung's appearance reminds him about the audience surely listening to all they're talking about.

〔Stop that talk! What are you doing, you're not supposed to know about that!〕

〔Not like I have streamer contract giving me a reason to care what'll happen to you…〕

Kim Dokja smiles towards dokkaebi who clearly must be really unsettled to open up the dokkaebi communication.

“Mia will cry if you get hurt,” Yoo Joonghyuk says, but his frown seems to soften. He looks up at the seemingly silent dokkaebi. Maybe he even has realized something about what's going on.

〔Alright! I'll give you contract, just don't touch that damn box!〕

〔Only if you get me a star relic class weapon as contract signing bonus to replace what I'd get from that box. Consider it your late fee.〕

〔You know I can't do that! SS- rank is the best I can do.〕

Kim Dokja slowly walks to the edge of the station, with Yoo Joonghyuk following on his heels and the rest of the group quickly gathering.

“Wait! Lee Jihye, Lee Hyunsung, stay to keep an eye on Jung Heewon, please!”

〔I guess we don't have deal about the box. How about the rest of the contract? Oh, and I need ‘Dokkaebi Bag’ open.〕

There's a moment of hesitation as Bihyung considers his options.

〔Fine,〕even as he grumbles, Bihyung still flicks the dokkaebi bag open, no doubt playing some ads for the constellations. 

A moment later the contract offer shows and Kim Dokja stops, looking over it, trailing his finger over the lines of text to let everyone around know he's busy with something.

〔I’m not going to let you cheat me. Normal contract with constellation would leave 90% of coins to the constellation, with no share for dokkaebi.〕

He points out calmly, then adds,〔I don't need you to be the one I get the contract with.〕

He can see the distress as Bihyung considers his options. Surely the constellations are adding pressure to hurry up with the decision. After all, Bihyung is running ads just as the monsters should be about to attack.

As expected, he caves in quickly, just in time for Kim Dokja to toss the monkey lung to Lee Hyusung before he signs an amended contract. Letting Bihyung keep 10% isn't that big of a loss. After all, most dokkaebi wouldn't be so cooperative about opening the shop for incarnation; not that he'd ever tell Bihyung that.

Han Myungoh for some reason has crawled out to follow them, using the moment they stopped to catch up to them. Former head of the finance department looks at the former pro-gamer nervously, keeping his distance as he's trying to explain that Cheon Inho has requested them to take along a representative from the major group. That's well within expectations, and it's nice to have a bait volunteer. 

Yoo Joonghyuk on the other hand is not acting as expected; he's clinging to his side instead of letting Kim Dokja go. He might be pale and unsteady, but with a tense jaw he pushes down his fear to insist on staying, no matter what.

Kim Dokja hates that recognizable eyebrow twitch.

“Wouldn't it be better if you just took the kids to the next station? It's not some—”

“Huh?! Are you trying to treat me like some kind of kid? You should be grateful I didn't kill you in that subway!” Kim Namwoon takes offense instantly, cussing in between sentences.

Yoo Sangah had a good sense to cover up Gilyoung's ears as the older teen started arguing, but it still looks like the boy has some objections of his own.

“You can't handle it with this weapon.” Unfortunately Yoo Joonghyuk has a point there. If Bihyung came earlier The auction would have finished by now, but no, he just had to delay for some ungodly reason and now everything has those frustrating delays.

And now they have a spying rodent waiting to overhear what they're talking about. Rat who just so happens wasn't there to overhear that they can't kill Dark Warden… maybe it's an unexpected boon?

Kim Dokja takes a step deeper into the tunnel, pretending to be preoccupied with the corpse of a freshly killed rat. Yoo Joonghyuk follows him closely, silently interfering with his subtle attempt at scattering the group to lure the rats to catch someone… that bastard should know exactly what Kim Dokja is trying to do, but he stubbornly sticks to him.

“You have already shown everyone how to butcher those, right?” he asks, pretending to be preoccupied with the carcass.

But Yoo Joonghyuk doesn't give him an answer, because they're interrupted by a scream as a ground rat grabs Han Myungoh to drag him into their underground tunnels.