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Something's been bugging Kim Dokja lately.
His reward hasn’t been distributed from that scenario yet, and this annoying notification keeps popping up in front of his eyes.
[Error]
[Anomaly has been detected. Distribution of rewards will be delayed]
He wouldn't find it unusual if it wasn't for the fact that it's been 3 days since that scenario ended. So why hasn’t he received the rewards yet?
Just then when they were lounging in the meeting room, Han Sooyoung abruptly kicks the door open and speaks with a look of urgency.
“We have a problem.”
Jung Heewon asks, frowning at the woman. “What is it this time?”
The company grew silent as Han Sooyoung made way for the unexpected guest to enter. Mouths had been left agape and Kim Dokja stares incredulously at the man grinning at them from ear-to-ear with his hands in his pockets.
“Hey there.”
[Constellation ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’ asks to be pinched if this is real]
[Constellation ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’ offers to punch Constellation ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’ instead]
“So, you’re telling me you were supposed to be here for a scenario, but encountered an error?” Kim Dokja recollects, watching himself sip leisurely from a cup of coffee. “Yep.” He answers casually.
Yoo Sangah stares at the other Dokja who introduced himself as a writer, he reminded her of their Han Sooyoung.
Same behavior, same occupation… don’t they seem like siblings this way?
“Then, how do we address you? You and our Dokja-ssi have the same face and get-up.” Lee Hyunsung asks, a bit confused of how to deal with this situation.
[Hidden Scenario is ongoing!]
[Clear conditions are being updated… Please stand by.]
Thoughtfully, the other Dokja took off his white coat and is now remaining with his black button-up to help the company distinguish him from their Kim Dokja.
“How many versions have you met?” He asks, that clever grin never leaving his face.
“About five.” Kim Dokja answers, leaning back on his seat.
“Since the scenario is still being updated, I might as well be the 6th version…” he says, shaking his head. “It’s up for you to decide on what to call me.”
“Ahjussi have you been turned into a squid in your world?” Lee Jihye pipes up, looking at the sixth variant expectantly. The sixth variant looks at Jihye for a moment in amusement with how her eyes sparkle enthusiastically.
The way that Dokja stared at Jihye as if she was his daughter didn’t go unnoticed by some of the members.
“Not really, no.” He answers, causing Kim Dokja to furrow his eyebrows, making eye contact with his other self.
“You’ve never gone to a different turn?”
[Constellation ‘Secretive Plotter’ is interested in the topic]
The sixth variant sighs, crossing his arms. “No. In fact, we’ve never gone through something that extreme. This scenario is just a one-time thing.”
“You… don’t try to die there and excuse it as ‘the only way’?” Han Sooyoung asks bewildered, stunning the other company members with the revelation.
The other Dokja frowns at Sooyoung’s reactions, thinking what she said was absurd. “I never did that?”
“Ok but- you don’t sacrifice yourself? For the safety of your companions?” Yoo Sangah questions unsurely.
“There are other ways than self-sacrifice. I can always make up a strategy to keep everyone in one piece along with myself.”
“No way.” Jung Heewon looks at the other Dokja wide-eyed as if what he said was about to split the planet in half.
[Constellation ‘God of Wine and Ecstasy’ thinks Constellation ‘Demon King of Salvation’ should take notes]
[A number of constellations agree]
“Honestly, what are with these questions?”
“Hyung doesn’t think like you do.” Gilyoung explains briefly, and Dokja meets his counterpart’s eyes.
The sixth variant smiles playfully. “That’s because there’s a difference between a writer and a reader’s line of thoughts.” He starts, holding up his index finger, glancing at Han Sooyoung before turning his attention back to Kim Dokja. “Think of it like this,”
“A writer would seemingly have to be there for the ending because they are the ones that write it.” He then raises another finger, his smile changing into that of sincerity. “A reader on the other hand thinks that they only need to read one’s story to take the characters to the end without having to be there physically.”
“The first walks until the end of the story, while the other becomes the path for the story itself. Just like how I lead my companions while yours paves the way for you.”
He rests the hand he raised up back to his lap and finishes, “A book needs a writer to be created but that same book also needs a reader to be ended, after all.”
Han Sooyoung nods in understanding, “The reader is the reason a book will ever be finished by a writer.”
The sixth variant hums in affirmation. “That’s right.”
“I still don’t get it.” Jung Heewon frowns, scratching her head, a bit lost with their supposed explanation.
The sixth variant sighs, “It’s just that your Dokja is a reader. It’s in his nature to sacrifice himself for you until you reach the end. Think of your journey as a book. Your Dokja reads that book, and the amount of time he wasted reading that very book is equivalent to him sacrificing parts of him for you to reach the end of the scenarios.”
He looks at each one of the company members with a serious look. “And the moment you finally reach the end is where he also finishes that book.”
“You’ve found your ending while he’s still busy imagining what happened next after your supposed ending.”
Kim Dokja took his counterpart’s words carefully. He gulps, hesitantly asking, “…and the writer?”
“Would simply go on with their own life just like the characters because the story was over.”
[Clear Conditions have been updated!]
[Clear Conditions: Spend time with the Sixth Variant for the next 24 hours]
“Oh, Master!” Lee Jihye greets Yoo Joonghyuk who just came back only to find everyone all carefree and… two Kim Dokjas?
They’ve already went past the gloomy atmosphere and went back to being as rowdy as ever.
“Ah, Joonghyuk-ah!” Kim Dokja notices Yoo Joonghyuk’s arrival and smiles at him. In return, the protagonist scowls at him, “Kim Dokja…”
In fact, Yoo Joonghyuk wanted to greet him normally, but he ended up scowling at the reader out of habit.
Both Dokjas turned to look at him and the one without the white coat looked at Dokja amused. “You look like a high-school boy in love. Is that your boyfriend?” He teases, making the reader turn to look at his other self with a flushed face.
“What- no, he’s the protagonist.” Kim Dokja whispers to his counterpart’s ear, clearly embarrassed.
The sixth variant raises an eyebrow, eyes returning to Yoo Joonghyuk, looking at him up and down judgingly.
“I don't see the appeal. He looks like a third-rate protagonist of a cliché web novel.”
Kim Dokja looks at the sixth variant, clearly offended in Yoo Joonghyuk’s stead while the man in question just watches their interaction silently. “How are you ‘me’ when you clearly have no taste?”
The sixth variant stares at him unimpressed. “He looks like he has a bad personality and unsolved anger issues. And you’re here, telling me that I have no taste?”
“Exactly my point!” Han Sooyoung joins in, slinging her arm around the sixth variant’s shoulders. “I don’t get what he sees in that edge lord.” Han Sooyoung grumbles, popping lemon candy into her mouth, taking a quick glance at Yoo Joonghyuk who has been glaring red beams at them for a decent amount of time by now.
“He’s literally the prota-”
“That’s because he was created that way.” The other Dokja deadpans.
“Complementary protagonist plot armor via no parents since he was young, having supposed good looks, which I may add— he’s given the most common look a male protagonist would have in the fictional world. Supposedly good at everything he does, and additionally was supposed to have a found family but decided to abandon that to find out the truth about something or someone.” He assesses with confident accuracy, making Han Sooyoung burst in laughter.
“I’ve never heard someone diss a person this indifferently. If you weren’t a different version of him, he’d probably throw hands at you by now.”
“Oh, it doesn’t matter if he’s a different version of me…” Kim Dokja smiles chillingly, slowly unsheathing his sword.
“Oh shi-”
“Say, are you sure you didn’t plagiarize someone’s work?” Han Sooyoung grins at the sixth variant who in turn stares at her tiredly.
“For the last time, no, I didn’t plagiarize. What is with that accusation?”
Han Sooyoung shrugs nonchalantly, placing her hands into her pockets with a satisfied smile. “Consider it payback for the times your counterpart accused me.”
[Clear Conditions have been met]
[Distributing hidden scenario’s rewards]
Kim Dokja sighs in relief, finally receiving his long-awaited compensation.
[Returning the sixth variant to its own reality]
“Looks like the day’s over.” The sixth variant points out as he slowly gets enveloped with a gentle glow of gold.
“It was nice meeting you.” Yoo Sangah says, as everyone has begun bidding their goodbyes, the sixth variant smiles kindly at them. “Take care of your reader, tie him up if you have to.”
Kim Dokja grimaces at his counterpart’s joke. “Absolutely not.” He rejects with a growing frown, making everyone laugh at the grumpy look their one and only reader gave them.
[Hidden Scenario has officially ended]