Chapter Text
Surely enough, they should be angry. Angry that this man calls himself their companion. Kim Dokja is unfathomable. He's a shameless bastard, a coward, and an insensitive fool that thinks so little of himself. He always thinks that his companions would be ok without him— when it was the complete opposite.
Even Yoo Joonghyuk himself is lost without him.
At every attempt of affection, Kim Dokja always runs away. At every attempt of worry, he brushes it off. Thinking that it wasn’t really a big deal, and that his companions should worry about themselves more. As if worrying or caring for him didn’t matter to him.
So when they were given a scenario, their star would of course try to run away.
…until Yoo Joonghyuk noticed Kim Dokja’s eyes darting for an escape only to end up apprehended by Jung Heewon.
———
Category: Hidden
Difficulty: ???
Clear conditions: Incarnations will be divided into two. Each pair will be moved to a subspace to speak nothing but words they couldn’t tell each other.
Duration: 12 hours
Reward: 50,000 coins, strengthened bond between incarnations, ???
Penalty for failure: Incarnations that fail to meet the conditions will transform into their mental age and show their true self for 48 hours
———
[Constellation ‘Secretive Plotter’ watches with interest]
[Constellation ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’ calls the Incarnations cowards until a scenario pops up for it]
[Constellation ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ glares at Constellation ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’]
[Constellation ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’ looks away]
Kim Dokja reads the scenario for a total of 3 times, furrowing his eyebrows in distaste.
Sighing in defeat, he watches his companions read over the hidden scenario’s conditions. “I want to get paired with Hyung!” Lee Gilyoung exclaimed until Shin Yoosung retaliated. “No, he’s going to get paired with me. I’m his Incarnation!”
Not long after their bickering, Lee Jihye soon joins them. “no, he’s going to get paired with master!”
“Real cute brats, but are you sure this idiot’s gonna get counted anyway? He’s a constellation now.” Han Sooyoung pointed out, making everyone turn their heads to Kim Dokja on the floor.
He looks at them with bewildered eyes, “I don’t know about that.”
[Incarnation ‘Yoo Joonghyuk’ has used the skill ‘Lie Detection Lv. 10]
[Incarnation ‘Yoo Joonghyuk’ has confirmed Kim Dokja’s words to be true]
‘stupid sunfish bastard…’ Kim Dokja cursed in his mind until a notification soon popped up.
[Hidden scenario has begun]
[You will now be transported to the subspace with your assigned partner]
There was a slight distortion as Kim Dokja soon found himself in a white space. Looking around, he found his partner to be…
Yoo Joonghyuk.
[Constellation ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ screams in delight]
Frowning, he looks away. Not noticing the raise of the regressor’s eyebrow at Kim Dokja’s reaction.
“Let’s just get this over with. What are you hiding from me?” Kim Dokja asks, turning back to the protagonist in reluctant curiosity.
At those words, it was Yoo Joonghyuk’s turn to frown at his life and death companion. “You look like you know me like the back of your hand, so why would you ask me that?” He countered with a question instead.
Scowling at the reader, he slowly walked towards him in a calm manner. Too calm for Kim Dokja’s liking, opting to warily take a few steps back. “You've hidden too many things Kim Dokja.”
“It’s not like I have a choice, I-”
“You do.” Yoo Joonghyuk stops him, caging Kim Dokja between his arms, the reader’s back flushed against an invisible wall. And for the umpteenth time today, Kim Dokja curses at something yet again. Wondering why in the world would there be an ‘invisible wall’ in the middle of an endless white space.
[K im Dok ja is a fo ol]
And to make matters worse, The 4th wall comes in to mock him.
Yoo Joonghyuk was beginning to lose his patience, expecting an answer was useless when it comes to Kim Dokja. The star is annoyingly stubborn.
But that didn’t mean Yoo Joonghyuk wasn’t stubborn either.
Seeing that Kim Dokja isn’t going to respond to him anytime soon, he sighs in frustration. Taking the invitation of starting this supposed ‘conversation’.
“you’re a fool.” He states, glaring down at the smaller figure before him. A blurred image of Kim Dokja’s face, he finds it strange to even like a man who’s most plans were to run or cheat his way with death.
Kim Dokja no longer feels offended of that statement. He always heard it from not only Yoo Joonghyuk, but also from the 4th wall.
“An annoying rat who won’t shut up.”
“a coward.”
“a self-sacrificial bastard.”
No matter how many insults Yoo Joonghyuk throws at Kim Dokja, no matter how serious his voice sounded when saying those words, the regressor’s eyes gleamed with an unknown emotion.
Kim Dokja was at a lost, not knowing what kind of look Yoo Joonghyuk gave him. Was it anger? Fear? Frustration or Longing? Maybe it was all of those emotions combined?
Eventually, he flinched when Yoo Joonghyuk held onto his shoulders. It wasn’t the harsh grip he usually received, it’s surprisingly gentle. Afraid as if Kim Dokja was about to break in front of him.
The protagonist ends up resting his face on the crook of Kim Dokja’s neck, inhaling his scent, feeling a faint pulse, signifying that his companion is alive.
That he was right here, with him. Nowhere near death, nowhere near danger, even if it were a short while.
“…but what I hate most is that you don’t speak up about yourself. I hate how hard it is to read you… to understand you.” Yoo Joonghyuk murmurs, moving his hands off of Kim Dokja’s shoulders, deciding to wrap his arms around his waist instead.
[The Exclusive skill ‘4th wall’ is shaking]
Kim Dokja doesn’t know why Yoo Joonghyuk is being so honest right now. Being so verbal, speaking his mind even without the use of Kim Dokja’s skill to read his mind.
It doesn’t even look like Yoo Joonghyuk himself knows why he’s telling him all this.
“Fool, when will you stop watching in the sidelines?” he asked Kim Dokja in a hushed tone, sending a shiver down the reader’s spine.
Attempting to laugh it off, Kim Dokja looked at the indescribable distance beyond his and Yoo Joonghyuk’s bodies. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Joonghyuk-ah.”
Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t need the Lie Detection skill to confirm whether he was lying or not.
Seeing that Kim Dokja still keeps his mouth shut, Yoo Joonghyuk sighs, squeezing the other’s waist.
Not enough to bruise, but as a sign of small comfort which would eventually be another action that Kim Dokja will misunderstand.
———
“so… let me get this straight, only you ended up talking while this guy just kept his mouth shut?” Han Sooyoung asked incredulously.
Seeing that Yoo Joonghyuk doesn’t bother repeating what he said, only gave the woman a slight nod before frowning at the unconscious boy in his arms.
"But how could Dokja-ssi keep his mouth shut for that long? The scenario takes up the whole day..." Lee Seolhwa questions, eyeing Kim Dokja.
Lee Hyunsung nods in agreement, both amazed but disappointed at the thought of Kim Dokja keeping his mouth shut no matter tha scenario.
[Constellation ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ says she likes this companionship]
[Constellation ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’ eyes the Constellation ‘Demon King of Salvation’ with curiosity]
[Constellation ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’ wants to hold the Constellation ‘Demon King of Salvation]
[Constellation ‘Queen of the Darkest Spring’ requests for the presence of Constellation ‘Demon King of Salvation’ in the Underworld]
Paying no mind to the indirect messages from the constellations, Jung Heewon then joins them. Letting out a sigh, “Luckily the penalty wasn’t death.”
“Isn’t this a good thing for us?” Yoo Sangah pointed out, causing them to look at her with raised eyebrows.
“The penalty doesn’t sound bad at all. This way we would be able to know more about Dokja-ssi.” She explained, causing the members to feel enlightened at the newfound fact.
They look down at the young boy in Yoo Joonghyuk’s arms with rekindled curiosity. “Transforming to their mental age… Ahjussi looks like he’s 11.” Lee Jihye mutters, enough for the company to hear.
———
“YOU’RE TELLING ME HE’S 15? WITH THAT BODY OF HIS?” Han Sooyoung asked as if she wouldn’t find her mouth hung open in pure shock or disbelief more than enough times that she could count within a day.
Now that Kim Dokja fully awake, the boy flinches at Han Sooyoung’s outburst and held onto Yoo Joonghyuk’s sleeve, only then does he choose to hide behind the said regressor.
“Hyung… who is she?” he asks Yoo Joonghyuk cautiously. The man freezes in place at the honorific, once again shocking Han Sooyoung out of her wits.
Yoo Joonghyuk slowly went down to Kim Dokja’s level to not startle the boy who suddenly seems so attached to him the moment Yoo Joonghyuk introduced himself. “She’s the witch you saved.” He answers vaguely, not bothering to mention her name when small, thin arms wrapped around Yoo Joonghyuk’s neck, a warm hug.
If the older Kim Dokja were here, he would’ve ran away before anyone could show him affection. But this younger version of him has done nothing but cling to him the moment he wakes up.
With that thought in mind, he reciprocates Kim Dokja’s embrace, once again carrying him in his arms as he stands back up.
“Who the hell are you calling a witch?!” Han Sooyoung had once again raised her voice, causing Kim Dokja to shiver in Yoo Joonghyuk’s hold.
This of course didn’t go unnoticed by the regressor as he gave a soothing pat on the boy’s back, all the while glaring at the writer that couldn’t keep her voice down.
“shut up.” He warned her, causing Kim Dokja to cling onto him tighter. Han Sooyoung soon notices Kim Dokja’s demeanor and frowns. Was it from the trauma?
[Constellation ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ says she wants to get hugged by Kim Dokja too!]
[5,000 coins have been sponsored]
[Constellation 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' demands to hold Constellation 'Demon King of Salvation']
[5,000 coins have been sponsored]
“Go get the others.” Yoo Joonghyuk simply ordered. It was already a given that they needed to notify the others about it anyway, so Han Sooyoung reluctantly listens.
He hears the boy whisper, “warm…” it causes Yoo Joonghyuk to falter in his ministrations of calmly patting the boy’s back.
Kim Dokja pulls away slightly and looks at Yoo Joonghyuk with a small frown. “Hyung, am I too heavy?” he asks, making the protagonist furrow his eyebrows in confusion.
“No.” he simply answers, but the other doesn’t seem convinced. Yoo Joonghyuk clicks his tongue in annoyance. Not at the boy himself, but the fact that he’s reminded of how light Kim Dokja is.
“You’re too light. You need to eat more.” He adds, already contemplating of what to feed the boy who’s basically bones at this point.
Kim Dokja couldn’t even answer him back when he heard a knock on the door, signaling the two that there are people from the other side.
“It looks like they're here.” Kim Dokja hears from Yoo Joonghyuk's low whisper.
And as if on cue, many people began to swarm inside the room in a hurried pace.