Chapter Text
Kim Dokja opens his eyes.
It was dark; he couldn't see anything. There's no light, no train, just nothing. He couldn't feel the Fourth Wall's presence. His mind was flooded with panic. There's no Fourth Wall to protect him, he's vulnerable and trapped in this void. There's no way out. He can't escape. How did it get to this? Why did this happen? Why whywhywhyẅ̵̨̢̮̭̗͖͇̥̘̠̬͖̜́̍̋ḩ̵̡̛̠̝̭̺͙̣̻̠̟̱̲͗̀̀̓̓̑͗̐̽̆̈́̈̚͜͠ͅy̵̛̗̓͋̉w̵͖͙̍̋̒̓͆͋̅̉͘ḩ̶̼̀̓̉͌̋͋y̶̟̾͂̀͜͝w̸͉̙̟͖̤̺̗̦̮͖̎̇̊͊̋͂̈͋͊͗͜͝ḧ̵̫̭̳̻́̆̎͊̂͗̎͂̕y̷̢̢͎͈̤̖͉͙̰͍̦̥̿͜w̷̛̟͙̦͉̬̜̿̽̀̌̒h̷̻͍͍̏͐̉͑̍̂͐͋̈́̆̾̚y̶̛̖̑͆̽͐͗̇̑̐̑̇́͘̕ẁ̶͓̳̱̙̩͔̝̂͌h̸̤̘͑̅̏͂͐͊͝ȳ̴̧̻̱̪͍̬̟̰̰͍ẘ̸̟̹͗̈̔̇̀̆̍͒ḫ̶̭͙̭͌͗̂̈́̽ý̸̝͉̖̗̱̪̦̟͗͝w̸̻̝̦͓̠̻̞̮̟̍̐h̷̡̯̥͍̹͉͈̺̟̹͊̍ͅͅ
⸢If this story can really save you…⸥
...A whisper? Kim Dokja tries to move-no, he can't feel his legs? Or arms? Does he have a body? He can't fucking see. He feels like he's floating, to somewhere but nowhere at all. Just what the hell is happening? Kim Dokja tries to remember. He has to remember.
⸢There are three ways to survive in a ruined world.⸥
There it was again. It was louder this time, like an echo into a cave. He wants to know what it means. Who was it that called to him? Is it someone important to Kim Dokja? Someone he's known for such a long time, that he couldn't remember? He wants to hear it again.
⸢I’ve forgotten a few by now. However, one thing’s for certain.⸥
In his field of vision, a small light emerged from the darkness of the void. It was a tiny spark, shining brightly as if it had just born. Was it a star? Does it also want to find the source of those echoing words? Kim Dokja needs to say something back. He opens his mouth, but nothing came out. He shouts, nothing came out. He lets out his most loudest scream, and yet nothing came out.
⸢And that is, the you reading these words will get to survive.⸥
The number of stars started to lit up; from small digits to hundreds, thousands, millions. Each star shines brighter than ever, and the blinding light starts to hurt his eyes. Kim Dokja became more desperate, he tries to move whatever parts of him that he should have, even if he couldn't see his own body. There is someone out there, and he needs to find them. He wants to know about them. He wants to find the answer to his aching heart. It feels so familiar, but so foreign. Who are you, really?
"Wake up, Kim Dokja."
ㅡ
The process of waking up from a coma-induced sleep was awful. Kim Dokja felt his lungs restricting and burning, almost convincing himself that he drowned in the midst of a stormy sea. Holding on to his chest, Kim Dokja tries to stabillize his breath. After taking a couple of seconds until his breathing was normal again, he can properly look around. There was an IV drip attached to his right arm, and a ventilator machine supplying oxygen through a mask strapped around his face. He could hear the soft beeping of the heart rate monitor, which was practically screeching at him moments ago.
'I'm...in the hospital?' Kim Dokja thought, he had been in that train for so long that it was quite nice to see a change of surroundings. The atmosphere was also serene; and instead of the railway wheels constantly turning, he could hear the quiet bustling of a cityscape. The exact statement also led him to a realization.
Next to the hospital bed he occupied was a window. Just once glance over, and he could see a panoramic view of Seoul. He's in Seoul. It almost felt unreal to him. What can you expect from someone who saw nothing else but the starry space for almost an eternity?
Kim Dokja then abruptly held his head, a painful headache washed over him as he grits his teeth. Some of his memories were still fuzzy, as if someone jammed random puzzle pieces into the wrong slots. He feels like he's forgetting something very important. Ah, wasn't he supposed to find a certain someone? The one that told him to wake up? Or was it a group of people?
As if the devil heard his thoughts, repeating echos of footsteps resounded from outside the room he was occupying. It was a distant at first, until it gradually became more louder; the footsteps going quicker. It was at this moment that Kim Dokja wondered: were these footsteps belonged to the ones he's supposed to meet?
There's only one way to find out.
So he waits, he waits until the noise dies down behind his room door. A surge of emotions flowed through him; was it anticipation? Melancholy? Yearning? He doesn't know.
But he hopes.
The sound of a doorknob turning made him turn his head. And as he makes eye contact with several painfully-familiar people, Kim Dokja can't help but stare; as another memory flowed in his mind. These are the people he dearly missed; the people he fought with through the apocalypse, the people that helped him reach the ending , the people that he watched over from that damned train.
Silence filled the room. Like time had stopped, and before long; Kim Dokja spoke weakly, "Hi."
⸢This story is for just that one reader.⸥
It starts off with a hard pinch on his cheek and a light jab on his left shoulder; followed by a swarm of hugs and murmured cries of his company. So many years have passed, so many things left unsaid. Now here he is, alive and awake. And God, what would it take for him to stay?
The children spoke first; or should he call them teenagers now? He felt a slight regret that he wasn't there to watch them become first years in highschool. "Ahjussi... you're finally back," Shin Yoosung sniffled while wiping her face but the tears kept coming nonetheless.
"I thought we would never get to see you awake again, Hyung!" Sobbed Lee Gilyoung. Ah, he feels bad.
Kim Dokja patted both the teens' heads. They are still his kids, even if he can't carry them in his arms anymore. "You both have grown so much, I'm proud of you two." Shin Yoosung and Lee Gilyoung looked at him with wide, glossy eyes. He thinks they're about to cry again.
Han Sooyoung was up next. "Took you damn long enough, bastard," her words held no poison, Kim Dokja can tell. Her eyes were still red and puffy, anyways. He teased, "Who else is gonna read that novel of yours?" Han Sooyoung then had the audacity to plaster a shit-eating grin on her face. "I'm gonna make you read all of the chapters after you get discharged. I doubt you'll be able to handle it."
"You're doubting me? Your sole reader that has to put up with all your terrible plagiarism?"
"After all that, you're still gonna keep calling me a plagiarist!?"
Unlike the devil herself, Yoo Sangah was the opposite. "Sooyoung-ssi, please don't yell at Dokja-ssi. He just recently woke up from his coma, after all." She said with a gentle smile, as expected of his ex-colleague.
"You should wait until he fully recovers." Okay, on second thought; maybe she isn't as much as an angel he thought she was. Han Sooyoung let out a laugh, and Kim Dokja could only glare at her.
"Welcome back, Dokja-ssi," Yoo Sangah added.
"Thank you, Sangah-ssi."
"DOKJA! YOU'RE BACK!"
Who would completely act like a golden retriever around him if not Lee Hyunsung? Kim Dokja was squished; large and strong arms wrapped around his figure. He quickly pats the man's back, wheezing out, "Hyunsung-ssi yes, I'm fine now can you let go of me please?"
Thankfully Lee Hyunsung noticed and immediately let go of him. "I'm sorry, Dokja-ssi! You were asleep for too long and I..thought you really might never wake up," If it was possible, Kim Dokja could see dog ears drooping on his head and a tail wagging behind. Jung Heewon lightly slapped Lee Hyunsung's arm. "Hey, Dokja is here now! He already made it back to us!" She grinned widely, not forgetting to ruffle his hair.
"If he escapes again, we'll just have to tie him down!" Now how would Kim Dokja escape when he can't even move his legs? He does not prefer to be tied up as well, thank you very much.
"Ahjussi, you're gonna stay with us after you get discharged!" Lee Jihye made her statement. Biyoo who was floating above her head, agreed, "Ba-aht!"
Everyone was happy, and he was content with that. Well, everyone except for a certain sunfish. Where was he? Kim Dokja spots him leaning against a wall behind the other members. Yoo Joonghyuk stayed quiet the whole time, who knew what the man was thinking at that moment?
As if the rest were mind-readers, they slowly left the room. Han Sooyoung managed to whisper,"He's the most affected while you were in coma. You two need to work it out, you know?" before leaving to give the two some time.
So it has come to this. The reader and the protagonist. Kim Dokja doesn't quite know what to do. He hasn't checked whether he can use his skills yet, so how should he confront Yoo Joonghyuk?
[Fable, ‘Life and Death Companions’, has begun its storytelling once more.]
It was then Yoo Joonghyuk walked towards him. Kim Dokja felt himself freeze when rough, calloused hands held his own. He doesn't move when Yoo Joonghyuk buries his face at the crook of his neck.
"Kim Dokja," he hears the man call his name.
How could he forget? He's the one who knew Yoo Joonghyuk the most. He was with him through all of his 1863rd regressions. They've fought together until the end of the scenarios. This man who was the reason Kim Dokja could still survive until the apocalypse. His life and death companion. His protagonist.
As Kim Dokja held the now-tremoring hands of Yoo Joonghyuk, he gently caressed them.
"I'm back, Joonghyuk."