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The long hallway seemed endless in front of them. Kim Dokja and his company stood still. Torches were placed sparingly upon the walls around them. Each torch was secured to the stone wall. The hallway was monotone, the walls and floor almost blended together. Cold air blew past them, rustling their clothes. The torches flickered and a chill ran down Kim Dokja's back.
"Ahjussi, are you sure we're in the right place?" Lee Jihye asked as she wrapped her arms around herself.
Dokja stayed silent for a bit. He turned around to look at his friends. Lee Hyungsung, Shin Yoosung, Jung Heewon, Lee Gilyoung, Yoo Sangah, Han Sooyoung, Lee Jihye and even Yoo Jonghyuk were all here. A smile found its way onto his face. It had been a while since they had all been together. Jonghyuk often went ahead by himself, leaving everyone behind.
"Yep, I'm sure," he finally responded. He started walking forwards and was relieved to find that they were all following him too.
They walked on for a while. Nothing seemed to change around them, not even the space in between the torches.
Before coming to this place, Dokja had looked through the book again. As he read through the chapters, he had realized that they missed a hidden scenario. However, the book had provided little to no detail on what happened inside. It was almost like it was redacted by the author.
He had faith in his company, and he hoped that they had faith in him too.
Not too long ago, they had all found out about 3 Ways To Survive In a Ruined World. Obviously, they had all been mad and even went as far as to feel betrayed by Dokja. Jonghyuk was especially mad. He thought that Dokja had been using him as a form of entertainment, and even after becoming companions, he figured Dokja still thought of him as nothing but a character.
A certain guilt constantly weighed on Dokja. He hated lying to everyone but it was almost necessary due to the censoring. If the Fourth Wall hadn't been here, Dokja knew he would've broken down a long time ago. Even with this excuse he was aware it was nothing but a copout to make himself feel better.
"Look! There's a door in the distance!" Shin Yoosung said as she pointed forward.
Everyone's face lit up (except for Junghyuk) at the sight of an exit. They hurried forward with Dokja and Jonghyuk in the front. Their footsteps echoed in the hallway, drowning out every thought Dokja had before.
Jonghyuk was the first to arrive at the door. It was old and rotting. The wood was dark brown, lined with metal strips. It wasn't much taller than him or wider. Jonghyuk reached for the handle and pushed it open. A loud creaking sounded around them.
A dark room with no lights at all confronted them.
"What is this?" Han Sooyoung said as she pushed her way to the front. "This wasn't in the book was it, Dokja?"
He shook his head in response, eyes locked forward. For some reason, he had a bad feeling about what was going to happen.
Dokja stepped forward and as soon as he did, torches suddenly lit around him. A large circular room appeared before them. It too was monotone and plain. There seemed to be nothing in there except for an altar in the middle.
"Move out of the way," Sooyoung said as she pushed past Dokja. She cast him a rude glance but stopped as she saw him still looking forward.
"This place creeps me out," Jihye said as she stood closer to her master, Jonghyuk.
Everyone looked around, observing their surroundings. They all eventually locked their eyes on the altar in front of them.
As Dokja snapped out of his trance, he walked towards the altar with everyone following close behind.
On the lone stone altar was what seemed to be a relic. Dokja gingerly picked it up.
[Reminiscence Blade]
After he had picked it up, a slot suddenly appeared in the altar in front of them. A slot that perfectly fit the blade.
"Are you going to put it in?" Jonghyuk asked as he watched Dokja hold the knife.
[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' laughs at incarnation 'Yoo Jonghyuk's choice of words.]
[The constellation 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' says to be mature.]
Dokja's hands shook lightly as he inserted the blade. Ever since they had walked to the door, regret pooled in his stomach. Something was going to go wrong. However, no one else seemed to feel it.
He figured he was just being paranoid.
When he inserted the blade, a bright white light shot up from the altar. Everyone backed up and Dokja stood protectively in front of Sooyoung and Gilyoung.
Then suddenly, a new scene appeared in front of them.
-
Rain pelted down on the concrete. The sound of cars rushing past and hitting puddles was nearly deafening. A gloomy feeling was all over Seoul. Clouds covered the sky, not letting the sun peek out. Had it not been for the busy streets, one could assume it was night.
"Where are we?" asked Han Sooyoung.
"Seoul," Jonghyuk curtly replied.
At the moment, everyone but Kim Dokja was in what looked like a school. They were standing in a lonely classroom. Desks were evenly spaced around the room. There were no decorations on the walls of the class. It was dull and lifeless. Large windows lined the wall in front of Yoo Sangah. She looked out at the tall buildings around the school. Everything was painted in monotone colours.
The clock read 12, which meant all of the students were likely out for lunch.
"Where's that bastard Kim Dokja?" Jonghyuk nearly growled out. "He probably knows what's happening."
"He could help us if he were here," Lee Hyungsung agreed.
The shrill sound of the bell made Gilyoung and Yoosung jump. Students started filing in to the room.
"Hey, could you tell us where we are?" Heewon tried asking around, but no one answered.
"Hey, can you hear me?" Sangah asked as she waved her hand in front of a student.
"It seems that we are invisible," Sooyoung finally said.
The most notable student that had walked in was someone that looked like the younger version of Kim Dokja.
"Ahjussi!" Yoosung tried to call out, but of course he couldn't hear.
Everyone gathered around his desk. The younger version of Kim Dokja pulled out his books, and that's when they finally confirmed it. Kim Dokja was written on every paper he had.
"How is this possible?" Hyungsung asked as he furrowed his eyebrows.
Dokja looked exhausted. Bags covered the bottom of his eyes. He was skinny, way too skinny for a teenager in highschool. His hands were shaking slightly as he organized his things in preparation for class. The way he carried himself was the complete opposite of the Dokja the company knew and loved. He always had a plan and stood unwaveringly in front of anything that dare try to stop them. At least that's what they believed.
Jonghyuk frowned as he looked at younger Dokja. He saw the dips in his cheeks. A feeling arose in his chest, but he wasn't sure what it was.
"Was Dokja always that skinny?" Lee Jihye asked as she surveyed his face.
"Definitely not," Lee Gilyoung replied with a sad expression.
Before they knew it, class started. Nothing eventful happened. They just stood next to Dokja, looking at him from time to time. He looked worried, almost scared about something. His eyes kept glancing at the clock above the door.
The Kim Dokja that they all knew always had answers and never seemed scared, even if it meant that he could die. He had willingly died many times before just to save them.
In particular, Jonghyuk constantly kept looking at Dokja, never taking his eyes off him.
As the clock struck 3 o'clock, the bell rang and the students began filing out of the school. The skinny boy the group was standing around got up so suddenly that it surprised them all.
As Dokja got outside, he rummaged around his backpack for his unbrella. His hands were shaking harder and his movements were sudden and rash. As soon as he got his umbrella out, he swiftly began walking home. His shoes were splattered with water, essentially soaking them. A shiver ran down his spine as a particularly harsh wind blew past. Cars quickly drove past, not caring whether or not he got splashed. It was a testament to how much of a ghost he was.
His shoulders were hunched in and he brought the umbrella down closer to his head. The loud sound of the rain splattering on his umbrella was about the only thing keeping him sane. If he could disappear completely he would do it without a second of hesitation.
"Oi, Dokja!" a voice behind him called out. Dokja sped up, not even bothering to look behind.
"Hey! Listen to me when I'm talking to you!" a strong hand gripped his shoulder, stopping him. Dokja slowly turned around.
"Did you really think we were gonna let you leave that easily?" Song Minwoon called out.
Dokja had been constantly harassed by him for as long as he could remember. So far he had been lucky today. No new words scribbled on his desk, no new bruises at lunch. Of course his luck had to run out. If it wasn't one thing it would be the other.
A soft sigh fell from Dokja's mouth. "Can I just go home?"
"Why is that idiot acting like this?" Han Sooyoung said with a scowl as she watched the scene unfold. She couldn't understand Dokja's passive behaviour.
Jonghyuk stayed quiet the entire time. A fire grew in his eyes as he watched Minwoon put a hand on Dokja. He suppressed his feelings of anger as he continued to stand in silence.
Song Minwoon and his gang of three others started to laugh. "You're so stupid."
"Come, let's have some fun. I bet your mom is having fun in prison too, isn't she? I heard that she killed your father because he used to beat you, is that true?" Minwoon teased as he got closer to Dokja.
Dokja kept his head down. He clenched his hands into a fist and gritted his teeth. But he refrained from replying to them. It wasn't like this was new information to them. They always said the same things to Dokja and yet it never got any easier.
Minwoon grabbed Dokja's hair and roughly jerked his head up. Dokja winced slightly in reply.
"Let's go," Minwoon said to his gang as he dragged Dokja by his hair down an alley.
"Stop!" Yoosung tried to call out, but of course they didn't hear her.
"Is this was Dokja's life was like before?" Heewon asked. Even she looked concerned.
Everyone was in a state of shock. They had known that Dokja's mom went to jail for killing her husband, but they had no clue about the harassment that followed. If only they could do something instead of standing here watching.
An especially cold breeze blew down the alley, shaking the garbage cans and blowing around the pieces that fell out. There was nothing in this place save for a few doors that lead to the back of restaurants and businesses. It seemed like fate that Minwoon chose this deserted place.
The rain started to fall harder and Dokja's umbrella was left behind. His hair and clothes were soaked, sticking to his body. Drops of water splattered all over his face and neck. The alley he was in felt small. A pit sank in his stomach as he was pinned against the wall behind him.
Jonghyuk's eyes were set alight once more as he watched Minwoon pin Dokja against the wall. As much as he didn't want to admit it, ever since he had met Dokja and dropped him into the mouth of a monster, he has felt a sort of attraction to him. Even though he hated Kim Dokja, a part of him couldn't stand seeing him die again.
It wasn't like when he was in love with Lee Seolwha. It was something different altogether. Dokja's ceaseless teasing and personality was something he could not find anywhere else. Before Jonghyuk even knew it, his heart was in Dokja's hands. He was truly at his mercy.
Kim Dokja's company made a circle around Dokja and Minwoon. Minwoon gripped Dokja's collar tightly.
"You're so useless, you know that? All you do is sit on your phone and read some stupid fucking novel," Minwoon spat out. His dark hair was completely soaked with the rain. "Your mom probably just wanted to get away from you, didn't she?"
Dokja gripped his wrists and tried to wiggle his way out of Minwoon's grip. Minwoon let go of him and he fell on floor, getting his pants wet from the rain. It was cold, way too cold for his liking. His entire body was shaking. At this rate the frost bite would kill him before anyone else could.
Minwoon tilted Dokja's face upwards and slapped him. The sound of his hand coming into contact with Dokja's face rang throughout the alley. Dokja's face turned red and he put a hand on his cheek. It stung badly. The coldness of his fingers brought him some relief.
"What the hell?" Sooyoung asked as she watched with a disgusted look on her face.
"Why is this happening?" Sangah questioned in a low voice. Her eyes were glossed over with tears.
Minwoon made Dokja stand up and charged his arm back. He punched Dokja in the face, knocking him back down.
Dokja's face was red and his nose was bleeding. He wiped away the blood with his hand. He didn't even bother to look back up at Minwoon.
He was so tired.
Jonghyuk was the first to make a move out of the group. He walked towards Kim Dokja and kneeled in front of him. Even though he couldn't touch him, Jonghyuk put his hand on Dokja's head.
He hated him. He hated Dokja for dying. He hated Dokja for being so selfless and not caring about his life. He hated Dokja for not letting Jonghyuk care for him. He hated that he loved Dokja more than he could probably ever admit. All Jonghyuk wanted was to hold him and protect him. His chest tightened painfully as he looked into Dokja's dark eyes. There was no emotion inside of them. It scared him.
"When we get out of here, you better confess to him, Jonghyuk," Sooyoung said as she watched with a bitter smile.
He shot her a dirty look in reply.
Kim Dokja's eyes shook lightly. He felt so empty yet so sad at the same time. The feeling was nearly suffocating. His hands shook and tears threatened to fall out of his eyes.
Jonghyuk frowned as he watched Dokja. The kids began to cry as they watched the man that was a father figure to them begin to break down.
"Get up!" Minwoon barked at Dokja. He dragged him back up to a standing position. Dokja had his head down, refusing to look at Minwoon and his friends.
Minwoon's hands harshly gripped his shoulders. He knew that tomorrow, he was probably going to be covered in bruises again. A strong gust of wind blew down the alley and Dokja shivered. His wet clothes were almost freezing to his body, making him feel uncomfortable. He suddenly became aware of everything on him. The wet hair sticking to his forehead, the blood trickling from his nose, and most of all, his aching face.
He was so tired of everything. His own family even disregarded him, only using him for money. All he had in his life was a single novel he likes to read in his free time. Dokja often wished he was like Jonghyuk. Or he wished that he could meet him. Anything other than what he was going through right now.
To everyone's surprise, Dokja turned around and started to run as fast as he could. Water splashed up onto his pants as he ran through the wet streets.
"Get back here!" Dokja could hear behind him, but he didn't even stop to turn around. His body buzzed with energy and he pushed forwards.
Unbeknownst to him, Jonghyuk was right behind him. In fact, all of the people he would grow to love were right behind him. They followed him, just like they always did.
Dokja's legs ached as he continued to run towards his apartment. Thankfully, the streets were fairly empty so there was no one around to watch him run like a maniac. After a while, he slowed down and looked behind him. Minwoon and his gang hadn't been able to follow him. All he had was the rain pelting down on his shoulders. His bag had been left behind with Minwoon, but it didn't matter anymore.
He walked for a little while longer and finally reached his apartment. It was a tall concrete building with no appealing features about it. A few of the apartments had balconies, not including Dokja's. He had purchased the smallest and cheapest one he could find. Dokja rummaged around in his pocket and pulled out a lone key.
"This is where Kim Dokja lives?" Sooyoung asked as she watched Dokja walk up to the door. His life was totally different from what she had imagined.
Everyone stayed quiet as they followed Dokja inside. There was barely any lighting inside, spare for a couple of lightbulbs. The stairway was cold and monotone. Everything about this apartment building was boring. The walls and floors were concrete, almost blending together. It was more of a prison than a place someone is supposed to call home.
Dokja went up to the fourth floor with the company on his heels. Gilyoung and Yoosung stayed together at the back while Jonghyuk led the group.
He stayed as close as he could to Dokja for the entirety of the duration.
As Dokja opened up the door to his apartment, he sighed. Even though he was home, it certainly didn't feel like it. His house had never seemed homey like they did in the movies. It was always just him by himself. No one ever came to visit. Kim Dokja was a lonely being, although he wished for something more.
The apartment was small. The kitchen barely had space for an oven and a fridge. Windows covered the wall facing out towards the city. His living room was bare, only containing a couch and a small TV. A small table where he often ate his food was situated in a corner. A single chair was by it. It's not like he needed any more.
He closed the door behind himself and slowly walked towards his bedroom. On the left was his bathroom which was barely big enough to fit a shower.
His bedroom contained a mattress and a closet. Dokja flopped on his bed and closed his eyes. He turned around to lay on his back.
Dokja's mind was racing. He wanted to be mad at Minwoon. He wanted to be mad at his family for leaving him behind when he needed them the most. He wanted to be mad at his mother for leaving him. But he just couldn't feel angry. There were no traces of anger within him. All he felt was sorrow. A never ending loneliness that chipped away at him.
The company watched Dokja get lost in his thoughts. Despite not wanting to say it out loud, everyone there was worried about him. Especially Jonghyuk.
Suddenly, Dokja stood up from his bed. Jonghyuk watched his hands start to tremble. Dokja's face contorted into a sad smile. He looked down at his hand and clenched it into a fist. He had made a decision.
Dokja walked out of his room and left his apartment again.
"Where the hell is this guy going?" Jonghyuk muttered out as he hurriedly followed after Dokja.
Sooyoung's eyebrows furrowed as she realized what Dokja was planning to do.
"Maybe we should stop this here," Sooyoung suddenly said. "We shouldn't be here."
She stopped walking after Dokja. The others also stopped to look at her.
"So you want to let him go out on his own?" Jonghyuk asked with an accusatory glance. "I'm going after him."
Yoosung nodded her head as if she was agreeing with Jonghyuk. The rest of the company followed suit.
"I'm not leaving Dokja," Lee Hyungsung said. Jung Hewoon agreed with him.
They turned back around and ran after Dokja. Sooyoung shook her head.
"You're all a bunch of idiots," she muttered out but she began to run after them as well.
Kim Dokja had been walking for a while now. His legs were starting to ache even more. His shoulders sagged and his breath was heavy. But he had finally arrived at his destination. The Banpo Bridge. A bitter smile made its way onto his face. He was unbelievably cold. His clothes were soaked, but it didn't matter anymore.
He began to walk on the bridge.
"Hey, wait, what is he planning to do?" Jung Heewon asked as she watched Dokja look out onto the water below.
He stopped in the middle of the bridge. The water below him looked calm. The rain had finally started to die down. It was a mere trickle now. He gripped the handle of the fence.
"Ahjussi?" Shin Yoosung asked quietly as she walked near him.
Suddenly, Dokja started going over the fence. He stood on the other side and continued to watch the water below him. If he did jump, who would miss him? Was there anyone that would really care? There wasn't a trace of sadness on his face anymore. He accepted his fate.
"Stop!" Yoo Sangah cried out. She tried to grab Dokja by the shoulders but it was in vain.
"Kim Dokja, you idiot!" Jonghyuk yelled out as he also tried to reach out for Dokja. Jonghyuk's breathing was erratic. His hands shook as his eyes blew wider than he ever knew they could.
All of the members of Kim Dokja's Company tried to grab him by his shoulders but it wouldn't work. Tears streamed down the kid's faces and they continued trying to call out his name. The only person who wasn't doing anything was Sooyoung.
"I told you all we shouldn't have come here," she said quietly.
"Why aren't you doing anything?" Sangah cried out.
"Because it's pointless!" Han Sooyoung yelled back. Tears fell from her eyes. "Can't you see? We can't do anything!"
Jonghyuk suddenly grabbed Sooyoung by her collar. She struggled, trying to free herself.
"Let me go, you bastard!" she yelled out.
She began to beat down on his arms when she noticed Jonghyuk's shoulders lightly shaking. He looked at her and her eyes widened. Jonghyuk looked scared.
"Jonghyuk?" she called out in a softer tone.
Before Jonghyuk could respond, a loud cry came from the group.
Kim Dokja had jumped off the bridge.
-
Jonghyuk awoke with a start. His chest was heaving up and down. The first thought that came into his mind was find Kim Dokja. He looked around. Everyone else was already awake. They were still inside the stone chamber. He pushed himself off the ground and walked towards the group. They were all huddled around Dokja's sleeping form.
Once they saw that Jonghyuk had woken up, the group made space for him to fit in and hold Dokja. Jonghyuk looked down at Dokja's face and found that he was crying. Tears streamed out of his closed eyes. Jonghyuk wiped the tears away from Dokja's pale face.
He looked back up at the group. They all looked visibly shaken. In particular, Gilyound and Yoosung still had tears in their eyes.
Suddenly, Dokja began stirring. He slowly sat up and open his eyes. As he went to rub his eyes, he noticed he had been crying. He felt a hand touch his shoulder and he turned to face the person. It was Jonghyuk.
"Yoo Jonghyuk? What are you doing?" Kim Dokja asked as he was suddenly pulled into an embrace. His eyes widened, almost popping out of his sockets. He tried to wiggle out of the hug, but Jonghyuk just squeezed harder.
[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is wondering what happened.]
[The constellation 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon' is demanding answers.]
The group ignored the constellations and everyone ended up hugging Kim Dokja. The kids started crying and even Yoo Sangah.
"You're such an idiot!" Han Sooyoung said as she lightly hit Dokja in the back.
"What even happened?" Kim Dokja asked.
Silence followed his question.
"Did you not see it too?" Jonghyuk asked as he pulled back from the hug. He held Dokja's face on both sides. His thumbs were lightly caressing his cheeks. Dokja frowned at the weird amount of physical affection displayed by Jonghyuk.
"No, I didn't see anything. I just passed out," Dokja replied. "What happened?"
"We watched you try to kill yourself," Han Sooyoung bluntly replied.
Kim Dokja froze. His eyes widened and he looked down. He took Jonghyuk's hands off of his face.
"Why did you do that," Shin Yoosung quietly asked. Dokja motioned for her and Gilyoung to come over and he embraced them.
"I was tired," Dokja said honestly. "I was completely alone. My family abandoned me and used me for money while my mom was in jail. My classmates alienated and harassed me, so I figured I had nothing to lose."
Yoosung and Gilyoung pulled back from the hug. Jonghyuk then gripped both of Dokja's shoulders.
"You're the biggest idiot I've ever met, Kim Dokja. Constantly risking your life to save others. I hate you and yet I couldn't stand to see you do that," Jonghyuk confessed.
"Can you wait to do this later," Han Sooyoung asked with a taunting smile on her face. "If you guys do something, I'd rather you do it in private."
"You-" Jonghyuk began before Yoo Sangah interrupted.
"Can you tell us what happened after?"
Kim Dokja thought for a second before replying. "Someone had been watching the entire time. They ended up calling the ambulance and I was saved. My family came to visit me in the hospital after, but they never stayed long."
Dokja stood up and dusted himself off. A smile formed on his face. "At least it didn't work."
The sound of Sooyoung slapping the back of Dokja's head echoed throughout the room. A pained sound followed soon after.
"You should be nicer to me," Dokja pouted.
Sooyoung rolled her eyes and walked towards the exit in the room. Everyone except for Jonghyuk and Dokja followed suit.
They stood next to each other for a second longer. To Dokja's surprise, Jonghyuk grabbed his hand. He tugged Dokja forward, hiding the smile on his face.
[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' has a nosebleed.]
Dokja laughed and looked forward. He looked forward to see the people who have cared for him for longer than he has even known. No longer will he look to the past where his ghost lies. Why would he when he's finally got everything he's ever wished for?
He had faith in his company, and he knew that they had faith in him too.