Chapter Text
The cold pain that coursed through Kim Dokja’s body was not the warm welcome many hoped for when waking up. It felt like pins and needles prickling his body, only becoming more pronounced when he moved to get up. As much as he would love to dive head first back into bed, his priorities weren’t disorganized to the point that he would skip work.
“As per royal decree, any workers willing to partake in a temporary job to prepare the city’s annual banquet will be allowed into the royal palace for strict interviews. Open the entire week marking the beginning of Spring. Bring this invitation as formal proof of your interest.”
The letters shone brightly on the man’s pillow, but the stamp atop the flyer was especially intriguing. The matted black wax taking on the shape of an open dragon wing, the queen’s insignia, could tear anybody’s eyes away from the beautiful writing. The back of the paper only had an artwork of the same stamp, gorgeous, like an ink drawing made with only one, precise stroke. As pretty as the letter was, it had no further information on the job being offered. The only note hinting at whatever work being requested was ‘annual banquet’ and he had never been familiar with the town’s holidays or gatherings. There were a couple that gave him some days off at work and that was all he cared about before – but this? It could be absolutely anything, because he had no idea. The ambiguity made him wish he wouldn’t have had to move from town to town so much.
The man quickly set off to take a shower after throwing another glance at the stamp. His thoughts were a disorganized mess as he readied himself for the day, but he found his thoughts gravitating towards that flyer the entire time.
Why would this be a flyer that was openly passed among citizens? He was used to temporary job offers enough to know this was an abnormal scramble for employees. It called itself an invitation— but if that were the case, had Yoo Sangah been formally invited by the queen herself to work at a gathering for nobility? She surely was capable of gaining that kind of attention, but in that case He didn’t see why she would give it to him. She had said they were passing out these flyers near her workplace as well.
...Ah, maybe she made it sound more casual because she wasn’t interested and wanted an excuse to give it to him? Well, he certainly couldn't blame her. For a job ‘invitation' it seemed pretty informal to not describe whatever job was being requested. In that case, was giving him the flyer a form of her being considerate and genuinely offering him another work opportunity? Or was it more like her ditching it on any poor sap she could since she wasn’t interested?
Well, it wasn't like he had to follow up on the offer. It would be an interesting way to get more info on this village’s (spring?) holidays… No, it wasn't like he would ever be properly invited to a gathering like this – he had decided long ago that it was always best to keep a low profile when constantly on the move. Making a name for himself among nobles would do the opposite, but if he did want to stay here, the possibility of gaining more information would be useful. If he just kept his identity hidden, head low, there wouldn’t be any issues.
But was such a thing worth the risk when he still had no idea of what the job even entailed?
An interview wouldn’t hurt at least. Worst comes to worst, he would have to leave the village and set off for a new one. As much as a shame it would be to leave now after only staying for… half a year? No, a little less than that. A couple of months maybe? That was still one of the longest records he had held for settling down, so he lost little to nothing by still leaving. Perhaps at most, he would say goodbye to Yoo Sangah and some of the others he had grown close to. Even Han Myungoh was somebody with an interesting personality he would’ve probably never had the chance to meet otherwise, and he could be nice at times… when he wanted something.
Ok, yeah, no, only Yoo Sangah would be worth saying goodbye to, nobody else came up in Kim Dokja’s immediate thoughts as a kind and helpful friend like she did. Everybody he had met at the company would pale in comparison to her when it came to our friendships.
With that in mind, it felt like her offering him this invitation had certainly been a genuine effort to look out for him and find a job he could do. What had he even been doubting her for? It was his choice to follow up on the invitation, she simply had given him the chance to do so.
Alright, he decides he’ll take that offer, he would be tempted to go today, even if just to get it over with, but he realized he shouldn’t just throw away his chance either- he likely didn’t have the time to go today after work. The day after tomorrow should be fine— work today, errands tomorrow, interview day after.
Sounds like a fine plan to him.
Today he’ll be doing paperwork. Today will be boring compared to yesterday, he’s sure. Last night was abnormal, too abnormal for any average person. That man– he stopped Kim Dokja for that invitation yet didn’t even take it. Kim Dokja chuckled at that thought. Maybe like Yoo Sangah, he was interested in the job offer yet deemed it too unprofessional after reading it over. A wizard accepting such an invite? He wondered how laughable that situation would be.
Kim Dokja is not like him. He didn’t have access to magic or similar amazing skills. That would just draw attention. Still, he found himself feeling envious of the man. That taller man smirked at Kim Dokja after reading the invitation… probably laughing to himself. Amused by a pathetic, normal, human whose existence relied on temporary jobs like those. Somebody who would forego eating food and shelter to read stories while constantly on the run.
Alright, now Kim Dokja was just being ridiculous, and he knew that. The man may’ve been a wizard, but he couldn’t know that information surrounding the shorter man just from the small interaction they had… right? Kim Dokja actually had no idea what the hell a wizard could do aside from, obviously, using magic. Maybe the man did see Kim Dokja’s entire life before his eyes, faster than Kim Dokja had even experienced it, and maybe he saw nothing. It was impossible for him to know.
He finished his shower soon after he had finished that thought, not really caring for how much time had passed as he quickly got dressed and headed out the door; hair still slightly wet, sticking to his forehead. The sky, despite the ache in his body clearing suggesting it was late into the day already, was very dark. The dark blue painted the top of his view and a hint of bright gold and orange just peered out from the horizon of buildings. This town was truly beautiful to him, he felt incredibly out of place as he walked down the concrete sidewalk. Even the brick walls surrounding some of the buildings looked beautiful to him, vines and moss adorning the cracks and orifices… What was probably a nuisance to anybody living there seemed to stand out to him as beautiful. The buildings and towers made shadows dance in a symphony of darkness as the sun rose.
That overwhelming awareness of the beauty surrounding him was somehow suffocating for him. Like a musty, abandoned book. Any random person would dismiss it as garbage to be thrown away or leave it unnoticed or ignored.
But Kim Dokja was more than willing to read whatever he could get his hands on, unwilling to turn away.
It felt far better to read the stories of others and see beauty in as much as he could than see ugliness in any and every person or thing he came across. No matter how sickeningly sweet a story may be, he didn’t mind the tropes or cliches. He always just wanted more.
It’s not like he’d have such a thing himself anyways. So what’s the harm in reading over and over again? It was the best thing he could ever do to waste time as he survived.
He didn’t realize he was dozing off until he reached his workplace’s doors, but to his surprise they were locked. The lights were off as well. The high ceilings still taunted him, looming over him through the closed door. Surely he hadn’t arrived that early? He blankly looked around at the street of the complex… well, it wouldn’t hurt to pass some time then.
But despite trying every door on the street, not a single place was open, nobody answered to his knocks, and the sun was still not up. Just what was going on? He glanced towards the street corner he met had that wizard, yet even that dark corner held nothing to resolve his confusion. The shadows only made that corner feel more foreboding as he walked down it, wind suddenly picking up as he stuffed his hands into his jacket and huddled into himself as the cold bit at his skin.
It wasn’t the cold that made him freeze where he stood though. It was the sensation of a familiar paper in his pocket as he clenched his fists.
If he ever saw that wizard again… he was going to kill him.
He quickly turned back, though his steps were slow and restrained from his tense stature, he found himself back at the company building in little to no time. The sun was now up and shining, buildings were finally opening and casting a bright glow from the windows' reflections. The paper in his pocket filled Kim Dokja with both comfort and dread. Maybe he won’t go to the interview after all. That wizard, whoever he was, was clearly taking enough joy from messing with him, and the fact he now felt more inclined to take the interview… That idea just didn’t sit right with him. The man clearly didn’t want the interview if he didn’t take the paper, but the fact he was clearly coaxing Kim Dokja into it, though he still wanted to go, told Kim Dokja that going would be a very dangerous choice.
When Kim Dokja faced Mr. Han Myungoh at the company, however, his resolve weakened much, much more. “What are you doing here? You don’t work here anymore,” he could clearly see the smirk on that man’s damn face after reaching his desk. The box of his own few belongings glared at him as he stared in shock at his boss’s statement.
“I was scheduled to be here for at least another week,” that damned trickster crossed his arms and frowned at Kim Dokja talking back, despite the tough demeanor, Kim Dokja could see how he quivered, but he couldn’t care to decipher whether it was of annoyance, fright, or anger. If he was being let go, Kim Dokja found no more reason to care about Han Myungoh’s opinion. “The contract’s run out already, leave or we’ll have you forcibly removed,” his glasses shone as his posture straightened, content with threatening the reader.
This damned bastard. This greasy haired, sleazy, shithead!
With that, Kim Dokja took the box back to his home, repeating his morning’s journey through the streets. Upon reaching his apartment, he quickly put it down on his bed before leaving again. It was mostly empty, the small amount of space used made up of books he’d read every now and again on his breaks and a (broken) mug he had always forgotten to take off his desk and throw away. Lo and behold, Kim Dokja shouldn’t have trusted Mino-fucking-soft, he refused to believe he’d forget about his own employment schedule.
He mindlessly wandered through the streets as he mulled over his box of belongings and that damned company.
He could try looking for other job openings but of course, he was no longer in a productive mood, nor did he really care. Hell, if emo wizard baby man was going to kill a now very unemployed and upset man for taking some stupid interview, he might as well just do so now.
Just as he thought, the paper in his white coat was the invitation. The stamp and its silky feel was an unnerving comfort to Kim Dokja, and he had an urge to rip it apart before he simply thrusted it back into his pocket. Despite his pissed off, confused, and simultaneously desperate emotional state, he ultimately decided he wouldn’t get rid of this apparent cause for his problems. He’d just drop by Yoo Sangah’s family hat shop instead. Perhaps he’ll tell her about that damn wizard and warn her of what would probably be his impending death after being fired. Maybe he’ll just talk to her about being ‘fired’ and tell her he was leaving. Cut his losses and leave the town for the next… If that man chased him down? So be it then.
No, he was being an idiot, if he was really being chased down by a wizard, leaving seemed like the worst idea. He should want to stay with more people right now, not out and alone on the street. That would be like asking to be killed on the spot. He probably shouldn’t just recklessly endanger Yoo Sangah either, but the boredom of the day and his deteriorating mood wasn’t helping, he craved some form of familiarity and comfort, so to the hat shop he headed. Although he had to take a few detours to reach the train station, they passed him by as nothing but indiscriminate glances in his focused walk. The beauty in the scenery now felt like a mockery.
He remembered the train station always being loud, but it all now seemed to be muted to his ears.
Yoo Sangah seemed to jump away from the counter upon seeing him, as though his very expression spurred her into action. Meanwhile his arms froze and tensed at her intense movement, only relaxing after she put her hands atop his shoulders before he even looked up at her face.
“Kim Dokja-ssi, you look like somebody just broke your heart…” she frowned at him as she shook him tenderly. He wasn’t sure if that statement was a joke, but he chuckled a bit regardless.
“Ah, Yoo Sangah-ssi, no no no, I just got laid off early I guess, so I figured I’d drop by and see if you wanted any help here,” the smile seemed permanently stuck on his face now. She straightened up at his words and gave a sigh, smiling herself.
“Boss-nim there was never very nice to be around, I’m sure it was for the best,” she patted his shoulder. He simply nodded as he grinned, chuckling at her affirmation.
She was always a great friend to him, Yoo Sangah reminded him of his mother… somebody who tried to ground him as if he’d fly away at any time.
That comparison wasn’t really that far from the truth, now that he thought about it.
“We can go to the castle together after I get off of work if you’d like, Kim Dokja-ssi.”
She looked down at the floor of the shop as she quietly said that, while Kim Dokja could only give her a blank, confused look in response. He muttered out an ‘okay’ before they both set off to work, exchanging few words after that conversation.