Chapter Text
Yoo Joonghyuk awakes to a strange room. He immediately notices his sword has been removed from his person, although his Infinite Dimension coat seems to be untouched. The small lanterns give a soft glow to the otherwise dark space, but the corners remain shrouded in shadows. There are pieces of paper with characters on them covering every inch of the visible walls barring a small crater in the wall to his left; talismans, clearly, but the language patch does not translate their exact purpose. A quick glance at the ropes bounding his arms behind the chair he’s sitting in shows they’re covered in similar talismans.
All in all, the entire place is creepy.
There was a reason why Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t react when two fingers tapped his forehead and let the rush of energy knock him unconscious. He needs the protagonist to trust him to fulfill the scenario. Sitting in a place that vaguely reminds him of the Underworld, though, has him reconsidering that decision.
“So, who exactly are you?”
Yoo Joonghyuk looks up from the ropes to the man in front of him. Gojo Satoru sits there, clearly unperturbed by the disturbing room with the way he casually straddles the chair.
“I am Yoo Joonghyuk.”
“Right, and I’m Gojo Satoru. Doesn’t really answer my question.”
Yoo Joonghyuk feels his eyebrow twitch.
“You asked who I am. I answered.”
“You know what I meant.”
Yoo Joonghyuk feels his eyebrow twitch again. After years upon years of fighting gods and monsters, it will always be humans that trouble him the most.
“I don’t know what you meant. Tell me what you mean.”
“Listen, man, I’m trying to decide whether I should kill you or not.” Gojo Satoru’s hand waves in the air, as if dismissing the weight of his own words. “I don’t wanna kill an innocent person or whatever, so just tell me who you are and what you want.”
“I want to help you.”
The waving hand freezes in the air, and if the blindfold was out of the way, Yoo Joonghyuk has a feeling they would be making eye contact. As it is, he just stares at the white-haired man’s frustratingly blank face.
“For real?”
“Yes.”
“And I’m just supposed to believe you?”
Yoo Joonghyuk fights the temptation to frown. He said what he meant and meant what he said. Why is that never enough? He’s not good at this part; he’s not good at weaving his words like Kim Dokja or presenting an intriguing story like Han Sooyoung. All he has is the brutal truth and the weight that comes with it. He tries to think what they would do if they were in this situation.
[‘Yoo Joonghyuk’ has activated ‘Lie Detection’]
“I want to help the strongest.”
[‘Lie Detection’ has detected the truth!]
Gojo Satoru abruptly stands, long legs easily maneuvering around the chair. One hand flies up in a motion with the index and middle fingers put together while the other goes to the edge of his blindfold.
“Did you just try using a cursed technique on me?”
There are no status windows in this world , Yoo Joonghyuk realizes. An amateur mistake Kim Dokja would tease him for; statuses and systems are popular in Korean media and he was clearly in Japan. The pose the other man is making must be to activate some sort of power.
“No, it was supposed to show you I’m telling the truth.”
“What you’re supposed to do is either cooperate or die.”
“How do you want me to prove the truth, then? An oath? A vow?”
“Don’t get me wrong, you’re pretty and all, but I’m not making a binding vow with a stranger who doesn’t even recognize my name.”
The tips of Yoo Joonghyuk’s ears burn lightly at that. He’s heard the word pretty directed at him before, with a soft smile from Lee Seolhwa and a snarky sneer from Han Sooyoung, but Gojo Satoru has neither. He can’t tell if it was meant as a compliment or to humiliate. Men are confusing in that way.
Yoo Joonghyuk breaks the not-eye contact, gaze dropping to the floor. Posturing is not an option. Yoo Joonghyuk has scared off men before by standing taller and looking straight on, but fear does nothing to establish trust. There must be a way to prove his sincerity, he just hasn’t thought of it yet. He tries to put himself in Kim Dokja’s shoes again. The protagonist has to prove himself, has to prove his information is true without using his own skills. Kim Dokja would… have some sort of obscure item, or do something a constellation did once in a forgotten regression turn. There was the time he spoke to Ariadne… would that method work here? Yoo Joonghyuk doesn’t have a choice but to try. With this determination, he glances up at Gojo Satoru under his eyelashes. The other man, maybe sensing his determination, inhales sharply and drops his hands before breaking out into another toothy grin.
“Do whatever you need to do to trust me. I know a method to prove my sincerity.”
“Oh yeah ?” There’s a tone he hasn’t heard before as Gojo Satoru steps around the chair and walks closer. Two fingers tilt his chin up further. It takes effort to not recoil from a touch so close to his neck. He knows it would be easy to snap the ropes around his wrists and knock the fingers away, but proving that the ropes do nothing to hold him back would not be reassuring.
“We can have a fun time if you want, but you have to want it. Do you understand?”
Yoo Joonghyuk does not understand. That sentence made no sense whatsoever, and he worries there’s been a misunderstanding somewhere. I should be more direct , he thinks.
“I want you to use your fingers.”
That… doesn't sound correct either. Gojo Satoru’s mouth drops open a little before the grin is back in full force. His fingers are still underneath Yoo Joonghyuk’s chin, but the pressure eases as the other man leans down closer.
“Sweetheart, I can do much better than just my fingers.”
Definitely a misunderstanding somewhere , Yoo Joonghyuk thinks. The replies are making less and less sense.
“When you thought I was using a technique, you put your fingers together. Use whatever power you were about to activate.”
Gojo Satoru’s grin falters. The fingers fall away as he straightens up and steps back entirely.
“My domain expansion ? You want me to use my domain on you?” He pauses, putting a hand on his hip. “I can’t tell if you’re really freaky or if I read that completely wrong.”
Yoo Joonghyuk, once again, has no clue what he’s talking about. He nods. Gojo Satoru sighs for some reason, before reaching up and tugging his blindfold down. The white hair that was somehow defying gravity lands softly around his face. While he can’t see his eyes clearly at this distance, he can tell they’re blue . Namgung Minyoung would love to have him as a disciple , Yoo Joonghyuk thinks before Gojo Satoru raises his other hand in the same gesture as earlier.
“ Domain Expansion: Unlimited Void.”
Yoo Joonghyuk watches as an inky darkness that reminds him of space wrap around the two of them, the chair he was sitting on and ropes that bound his arms falling away into nothingness. While it doesn’t feel like he moved planes and he’s definitely still in the story, they’re clearly in a completely different space than the small, dingy room. While it looks endless, with splashes of blankness cutting in between, Yoo Joonghuk can tell there’s an edge. He is well acquainted with eternity, and it doesn’t have an end the way this domain does. There’s something else, too, an energy that he’s felt before on the other man now surrounds the two of them.
“So? Now what?”
Now that he’s standing, Gojo Satoru’s eyes are clearer. They’re not just blue; his eyes look like they hold the sky within. Breaking the Sky Sword Saint would definitely love to have him as a disciple .
“Where I am from, two… beings can choose to ask each other three questions.” Yoo Joonghyuk falters a little over the word “beings.” The constellations use the three-question exchange to get information from one another, and Kim Dokja used it with Ariadne. While Gojo Satoru is not a constellation, Yoo Joonghyuk is more powerful than one. In theory, the exchange can be used by anyone who can tolerate the probability loss. “You may refuse to answer one each, but all other questions must be answered truthfully and properly.”
“What if you lie?”
“I can’t.”
“What if I lie?”
“You can’t.”
“What if I still don’t trust you?”
Yoo Joonghyuk pauses.
“Then you can kill me.”
Gojo Satoru blinks once, twice, then laughs.
“Alright, fine by me! Let’s do your question-thingy-whatever.”
[The Divine Three-Question Exchange has begun.]
[Both sides will exchange three questions and three answers.]
[All questions must be answered truthfully.]
[Both sides can refuse to answer one question.]
[The exchange does not end until the questions and answers are fully exchanged.]
A sharp, white glow breaks out from beneath Yoo Joonghyuk’s feet and grows until a circle forms around the two men, leaving the rest of the domain undisturbed. Three tickets appearing as ornate lightbulbs float above and behind each other’s heads. Gojo Satoru stumbles back a half-step, going into a defensive position.
“How the fuck –”
“You may ask the first question.”
Gojo Satoru does not move at all. In the short span Yoo Joonghyuk has known him, it is the most still he has ever seen him. Yoo Joonghyuk wonders if this will turn into a fight after all, but Gojo Satoru sighs and stands more comfortably again.
“You know what? Sure, this can’t get any weirder. Hmmm, what to ask, what to ask,” Gojo Satoru hums, tapping a finger on his chin. Yoo Joonghyuk doesn’t believe for a moment that he’s actually thinking about the question; there must be something he’s itching to know.
“Oh, I know! Are you stronger than me?”
[The character ‘Gojo Satoru’ has used the first question ticket.]
The probability that flickers lightly around Yoo Joonghyuk catches him off guard. The Star Stream does not exist naturally in this story; using the Divine Three-Question Exchange has forced the recognition of the character and Yoo Joonghyuk must bear the brunt. If the recognition of characters creates light storms, he wonders who took on the probability of issuing the scenario in the first place. At least this question has a quick answer.
“I refuse to answer.”
[You have used your right to refuse.]
[You cannot exercise the right to refuse to answer a question from now on.]
One of the lightbulbs above Gojo Satoru’s head dims.
“That’s not fair! Why didn’t you answer?”
“Is that your second question?”
“Ugh, you’re so strict. No, it’s not.”
It’s not ideal to use his refusal right off the bat, but he had no other choice. Telling the strongest he’s not actually the strongest between the two of them could jeopardize the entire scenario. Yoo Joonghyuk abruptly realizes he has been relying on Gojo Satoru telling the truth in the beginning. His heart starts pounding a little. Has he ruined the scenario from the start? Is Gojo Satoru even the protagonist of this story, or on the side of righteousness?
“Are you the strongest?”
[You have used your first question ticket.]
The other man laughs again.
“Right, right, I forgot you don’t know who I am. You have the great Gojo Satoru in front of you, compelled to tell the truth, and that’s what you ask?”
The pounding in his heart does not slow at the non-answer.
“Yes, that’s what I ask, so answer.”
“Don’t worry. You’re in the presence of the strongest sorcerer alive!”
[The first question has been answered.]
One of the lightbulbs above Yoo Joonghyuk dims, and he lets out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.
“Why are you so worried about whether I’m the strongest? You scared ?” Gojo asks, the last word drawn out in a taunt.
[The character ‘Gojo Satoru’ has used the second question ticket.]
The probability skitters around Yoo Joonghyuk once again, but this is another simple answer.
“I’m not scared of you. I need to know who the strongest is because I want to help the strongest.”
[The character ‘Gojo Satoru’ has received the second answer.]
Another lightbulb dims behind the other man, and he whips around in shock.
“Hey, wait! I didn’t mean it as an actual question!”
“You asked a question and I answered truthfully. The exchange was fulfilled according to the rules.”
“Truthfully, huh? I guess you weren’t lying about helping me. Funny that you’re not scared, though.”
“I have no reason to be scared of you.”
“Everyone has a reason to be scared of me. I’m the strongest, I could kill you with a snap of my fingers.”
Yoo Joonghyuk does not answer. Gojo Satoru’s grin flickers a little.
“Alright, sue me, I like to exaggerate! It’d be a tough fight, but I’d win.”
Yoo Joonghyuk does not answer. Gojo Satoru’s grin drops completely.
“I have my third question ready.” There’s no amusement in his voice now.
“You don’t have to wait for me, you can ask yours first.”
“Nah,” there’s a grin on his face again, but it’s much, much sharper than before. Yoo Joonghyuk notices that his canines are pointed, somewhat like fangs. “I wanna hear what you have to ask.”
Yoo Joonghyuk does have a question he wants the answer to, but cannot find the words to phrase it right. He’s the protagonist after all, not the author.
“Are you on the side of good?”
[You have used your second question ticket.]
There were many words Yoo Joonghyuk could have used; the side of humanity, the side of righteousness. He doesn’t know this story well enough to settle on the correct term. There are stories upon stories of those who consider themselves righteous and correct only to commit horrible acts in the name of humanity. The answer must be truthful and given in full, so ‘good’ was the safest bet.
“Well, I don’t know how to answer that one, so I don’t wanna answer it.”
[The character ‘Gojo Satoru’ has used the right to refuse.]
[The character ‘Gojo Satoru’ cannot exercise the right to refuse to answer a question from now on.]
A second lightbulb goes out behind Yoo Joonghyuk. He doesn’t even register the probability over the shock he feels at the refusal. It was a simple question. It should have a simple answer. He assumed the strongest would be a good person, that the strongest would be the protagonist. Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t consider the opposite; the strongest could very well be the antagonist. He looks straight into Gojo Satoru’s eyes, the skies in them looking more and more unnatural on a human with every passing second.
“Why did you refuse to answer?”
“Is that your third question?”
Unlike Gojo Satoru, Yoo Joonghyuk has zero hesitation. “Yes.”
[You have used your third question ticket.]
Gojo Satoru sighs and scratches his head, unnervingly carefree. “Well, I have no clue what your idea of good is. Your good and my good might be completely different.”
Yoo Joonghyuk doesn’t need to glance back to know the answer is not satisfactory enough to fulfill the question.
“You could have given that answer. You chose not to answer instead. Why?”
“I just told you why!”
“Your answer is either untruthful or unsatisfactory. Answer properly.”
“You’re so bossy! I’m kinda into it though, even if you might be evil,” Gojo Satoru says, wiggling his eyebrows obnoxiously. Yoo Joonghyuk grits his teeth, keeping the swell of anger down.
“ Answer ,” he does his best not to snarl, but it must come through anyway with the way the other man’s eyes narrow.
“Listen, I don’t really care about being good. I don’t really care about morals or whatever. But for all I know, your idea of good is curses taking over and humanity getting wiped.” Gojo Satoru’s voice is the lowest and calmest Yoo Joonghyuk has heard so far. “I don’t know who you are. I don’t know who you’re aligned with. I’m not giving a stranger who might be a threat any information about my loyalties.”
[The third question has been answered.]
The last lightbulb finally dims behind Yoo Joonghyuk, but he doesn’t mind. If Gojo Satoru’s enemies believe humanity should be wiped out, surely the man himself cannot be a bad person. Granted, Anna Croft also claimed to be on humanity’s side, but he doubts the prophet would ever let ‘curses’ take over instead, whatever those are.
He already has a feeling he knows what Gojo Satoru’s last question will be; he’ll probably ask something along the lines of, “would I win against you,” to which the answer would be an easy “no.”
“Can you kill me?”
[The character ‘Gojo Satoru’ has used the third question ticket.]
Yoo Joonghyuk freezes for a moment, barely processing the probability that hits him. The answer should still be an easy “no,” considering killing the strongest will result in failing the scenario.
“No.”
The lightbulb behind Gojo Satory does not dim, and the man does not check to see if it does either. Another wave of probability hits Yoo Joonghyuk. Forcing further participation of a character must be using more probability.
“I could, but I will not,” he tries again. More probability hits, even stronger than before. Yoo Joonghyuk is the one interfering with the story, the one endangering the scenario and pushing the Star Stream onto a character who doesn’t know he’s a character. He has to be the one to take the brunt of probability again and again until the story is satisfied, but Yoo Joonghyuk struggles to answer. He can kill Gojo Satoru with ease, but he cannot kill him without the story collapsing. The answer is both yes and no.
“I can kill you. I have the strength. I cannot kill you. It would contradict my goal to help you.”
The festering probability storm finally eases away from Yoo Joonghyuk as the final lightbulb dims.
[All questions and answers have been fully exchanged.]
[The Divine Three-Question Exchange has ended.]
The white glow that encircled them slowly shrinks back away towards Yoo Joonghyuk before fading completely, leaving the two of them alone wrapped with energy in the broken darkness of Gojo Satoru’s domain once again. Neither of them speak for a moment.
“You said you can’t kill me because it contradicts your goal.”
Yoo Joonghyuk nods silently.
“You know that makes it sound an awful lot like your goal to help me isn’t your choice, right?”
“It is my choice.” This, Yoo Joonghyuk can say firmly. While the scenario wouldn’t allow the death of the strongest, it was his choice to accept the scenario at all. It was his choice to enter the story, his choice to guide other characters, his choice to interfere for the sake of whoever wanted to see Gojo Satoru with a happier ending so bad that they took the probability hit to issue a scenario.
Gojo Satoru stares at him, assessing the words. Yoo Joonghyuk isn’t sure when he last saw him blink.
“I think, in another world, I could’ve really liked you.”
He moves forward and clasps a broad palm on Yoo Joonghyuk’s shoulder. The energy that separated them just slightly before is nowhere to be felt. No, that’s not true, Yoo Joonghyuk realizes, finally recognizing that the energy that once wrapped around Gojo Satoru against the world now wraps around the two of them against his domain.
“You don’t have to like me, but I swear to you, my purpose here in this universe is to help you.”
There’s a small smile on his face as those inhuman yet beautiful eyes flicker around Yoo Joonghyuk’s face, maybe trying to detect a lie.
“I believe you. I won’t kill you.”
Yoo Joonghyuk feels his shoulders relax a little, unsure of how long they were tense for. Biyoo would have been very upset if he ruined the scenario by fighting the man he’s supposed to help. While he could go find another trusted ally to educate him on the world, interfering from the sidelines is much more difficult.
“I just can’t take the risk. You’ll recover by the time I’m done with Sukuna.”
Yoo Joonghyuk immediately tenses again. It seems they will be fighting after all. He’ll have to stick to his base physical strength and durability from his increased stats and avoid using skills to protect the story. Biyoo can lecture him later.
“If you want to fight, we’ll fight. I swear to you, I will not kill you.”
Gojo Satoru’s small smile tightens.
“Sorry to disappoint a man like you, but this won’t be much of a fight at all.”
Gojo lifts his hand off of his shoulder, and the energy protecting Yoo Joonghyuk from the vastness of the domain disappears.