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“Is this real?”
Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t even look up from the box, “Jang Hayoung gave it to me.”
“And? Is it real?”
Yoo Joonghyuk narrowed his eyes and, ever so slightly, tilted his head staring at the skull. In the end, he shrugged. Kim Dokja wanted to punch him.
“Just put it in the important box.”
"The important box? Why? Also, I’m not touching that.”
“After everything that happened, you don’t want to touch the skull?”
“Maybe that’s exactly why I survived the apocalypse, you know. I don’t go around touching possibly cursed objects.”
Yoo Joonghyuk actually looked offended by that. Or as offended as he could look. Like a subtle twitch on his frown. “It’s not cursed.”
Kim Dokja made a doubtful sound but dropped the subject in favor of exploring the apartment. Specifically, searching for the “important” box or maybe a femur. Who knows at this point.
He didn’t find any more human bones, but he had a pretty solid theory of which box was the important one. It was unlabeled, like all the others, but almost empty. Except for a few books that Kim Dokja didn’t recognize and… the clock. The one Aileen made. When…? When did Yoo Joonghyuk get it back? Kim Dokja had forgotten about it, but seeing it again….
“Why does the skull go in this box.”
“It’s important.”
Kim Dokja gasped and blushed velvet-red. His face felt so hot that it was bringing tears to his eyes.
He should have minded his own goddamn business. But-! He thought it would be a nice gesture!? Helping him!? Unpacking!? On second thought, it wasn’t a good idea. Knowing Yoo Joonghyuk, he would be mad at someone going through his stuff. Honestly, he did it mainly because Kim Dokja was too curious.
Kim Dokja put on a neutral face, trying not to laugh (or cry), and neatly folded the boxers with little squids. He closed the box and pushed it away from him.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Why would that be on the important box?
“Does the skull need to be in the kitchen?”
Yoo Joonghyuk exchanged an irritated look with the skull and judgmentally turned his eyes back to Kim Dokja. It felt like they were both judging him.
“Yes. On the other hand, you are not allowed in the kitchen.”
“But the skull gets to be here all the time?”
Yoo Joonghyuk huffed and turned around to get started with dinner. The skull did not turn around. Kim Dokja glared at it for a while.
“Get out.”
Kim Dokja almost did something embarrassing, like sticking his tongue out at the skull.
A lot of things have killed Kim Dokja. Curiosity wasn’t one of them, but it will be soon.
Up ‘till now, he knows that The Important Box has:
- The clock.
- The skull.
- A children’s book (What?).
- A children’s book about a Mola Mola. (What?).
- Those awful squid boxers.
- A squid keychain (Motherfu-)
- A blank marriage form (???????????????).
“What are you doing.”
The box landed on his feet. It didn’t hurt as much as being caught snooping.
If it is any consolation, Yoo Joonghyuk also looked flustered. In his own emotionally constipated way.
“It was a gift from the company.”
Kim Dokja looked up from his noddles. “Uh?”
Yoo Joonghyuk avoided his eyes. “Don’t go through my things again.”
Ears red, he locked himself in his studio.
Kim Dokja shared an uncertain look with the skull. It looked as confused as he felt.
Kim Dokja’s eyes found the picture by chance. It was beside Yoo Mia’s one and below Han Sooyoung’s and Kim Dokja’s one.
Kim Dokja carresed the frame.
“I hadn’t seen this one before.”
“It was in the important box. I thought you had found it.”
Kim Dokja hummed and kept staring at the picture.
It didn’t have Yoo Joonghyuk on it (he didn’t like having pictures of himself). It didn’t have Kim Dokja either - at least not the real Kim Dokja. It did have, though, the whole company. Everyone, even his mother and Gong Pildu, was standing in front of that stupid statue of Kim Dokja, smiling weirdly.
“Why aren’t you here?” Kim Dokja whispered.
Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t answer.
“It’s a nice picture, even if a little sad.”
“It is. Han Sooyoung sent it to me. I don’t know how she got my address from that time.”
Their smiles were weird; they were off. Is that how they smiled during that time? His mother wasn’t even smiling. “That’s so like her,” Kim Dokja thought. But still, her face was wrong - was off.
Yoo Joonghyuk broke his train of thought with a hand on his shoulder. He had a concerned look on his face. In his way. Like how his eyes searched for something on Kim Dokja’s.
“We should get a nicer one,” Kim Dokja said, ignoring his gaze. “One better. With all of us in it.”
Yoo Joonghyuk searched some more before looking at the picture. “We should.” After some contemplation and in an unsure voice, he added: “I’ve always wanted a house with many pictures.”
Kim Dokja smiled. “I think I do too.”
“Say, are you… dating someone?
Yoo Joonghyuk choked. “What,” he coughed out.
“I found a blank marriage form, and I thought-”
“Stop talking.”
Kim Dokja closed his mouth. For like two seconds. “Do you want water?”
“No.”
They remained in uncomfortable silence, with the occasional cough Yoo Joonghyuk tried to hide.
“Is it just me, or does the skull follow us wherever we go?”
The skull didn’t say anything but Kim Dokja could swear it was smiling.
“Ahjussi, look what we got you!”
Kim Dokja laughed loudly. Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t look amused.
“Thank you so much.” Holding up the sunfish keychain, he asked: “Did you get Joonghyuk’s too?”
Lee Jihye tilted her head and exchanged a look with the kids. “...Master’s?”
“You know, the squid one.” Yoo Joonghyuk inhaled sharply beside him.
“No?” Lee Jihye smiled. “Does he have one?”
“Kim Dokja, shut up.”
“Is that real?”
Kim Dokja didn’t even look up from the novel he was reading. “It’s Yoo Joonghyuk’s.”
“But is it real?”
Kim Dokja inspected it and shrugged. Han Sooyoung looked at him incredulously.
“So… what? You just have a skull laying around?”
“That sums it up.”
“Seolhwa-ssi, can I ask somewhat of a personal question?”
Lee Seolhwa looked surprised. Kim Dokja didn’t talk much during his check-ups.
“Yes, I guess. What is it?”
“Are you…” he blushed, “are you and Yoo Joonghyuk dating?”
Lee Seolhwa made a scaringly blank face. Kim Dokja felt chills. “No, we aren’t.”
“Alright,” he murmured.
“This is a great photo.”
“Kim Dokja, no.”
“Can’t believe you’ve been keeping this from me. I’m framing it and keeping it at my bedside.”
“I hate Han Sooyoung.”
Kim Dokja dramatically kissed the screenshot from the news “A TERRORIST HAS ATTACKED THE ‘SCENARIO MUSEUM’ LOCATED IN GWANGHWANMUN….”
Up ‘till now, Kim Dokja’s Important Box has:
- Han Sooyoung’s manuscript.
- The skull (Sue him, but he liked it).
- A children’s book about a bear.
- A sunfish keychain.
- Many photos of all the company’s members.
- Some novels Yoo Sangah and Han Sooyoung had gifted them.
- …Squid boxers. (The opposite color to Yoo Joonghyuk’s on top of that. Han Sooyoung must have laughed her ass off).