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“So I think for the wedding, Jung Heewon instead of doing a first dance with Lee Hyunsung should do a two sword dance. It fits them so well! They’re both warriors in their own right and it would be so much better than some boring, old, basic dance.” Han SooYoung spreads her hands out in the air, as if she could imagine the scene already.
Kim Dokja laughs and puts down his drink.
“Han SooYoung, while that’s a pretty fun idea, Lee Hyunsung is a lieutenant. I doubt he knows how to hold a sword, much less do a whole sword dance with it.”
He and Han SooYoung had plans to grab lunch together today to discuss her most recent work in progress, but the news of their friend’s recent engagement had distracted them and the two best friends had now started to talk about ideas for their friend's upcoming wedding instead.
~ring~
~ring~
“Hold on, it’s Yoo Joonghyuk.”
Kim Dokja tells Han SooYoung and picks up the phone.
“Where are you?” Yoo Joonghyuk immediately asks.
“Well hello to you too, Joonghyuk-ah. I’m with Han SooYoung, remember? We’re currently trying to come up with ideas for Jung Heewon and Lee Hyunsung’s wedding, for when they eventually ask us to be their bridesmaid and groomsman.” Kim Dokja replies.
“I would say that doesn’t sound like a presumptuous statement at all, but Lee Hyunsung did text me asking if we’d be available to help in the wedding earlier today." Yoo Joonghyuk states,
"Also, tell Han SooYoung I said she should stop reusing characters in her novels.”
“HEY!”
“Haha, very funny Joonghyuk. You know those OP characters are modeled after you, that’s why you want her to stop using them. Now stop bothering us, we need to keep coming up with ideas. Now, how do you think a sword dancing ceremony sounds?”
“I think if these are the ideas you’re coming up with, I’ll have to tell Lee Hyunsung to reconsider making you a groomsman.” Yoo Joonghyuk replies dryly.
“Hey that’s mean!" Kim Dokja pouts, "I’ll have you know - that Han SooYoung and I are, by far, Jung Heewon and Lee Hyunsung’s most creative friends.”
“Hn. I’m going out shopping soon for dinner.”
“Oooo can you make some dumpling tofu soup?” Kim Dokja asks.
“No. You deserve a tomato bisque with the ideas you’re coming up with.”
“You’re a sunfish bastard, you know that?”
“Hn.”
“Alright I’m going to hang up now, Han SooYoung and I are going to try and guess if Jung Heewon is going to beat Lee Hyunsung in asking me to be a male bridesmaid or not. Love you.”
“I can actually see that happening. See you at dinner.” Yoo Joonghyuk admits before hanging up the phone.
“Doesn’t that ever bother you?” Han SooYoung asks, the moment the call ends.
“What?” Kim Dokja asks, confused.
“You guys have been together since highschool and I have never heard him say I love you back, doesn’t that make you sad? In fact, I totally thought you guys would be the first out of our group to get married, not Jung Heewon and Lee Hyunsung.”
Kim Dokja sighs.
“You know Joonghyuk and I aren't allowed to get married in Korea or else we already would be. He and I agreed a long time ago it isn’t necessary since we wouldn’t be allowed the same tax benefits, medical allowances, or fiscal documents that being married allows you to have. Besides, you know Joonghyuk and I have had a joint bank account and lived together for years now.”
“Ughhhh,'' Han SooYoung groans, “I guess that’s true. I don’t know, my love language is definitely words of affirmation. So I feel like if Yoo Sangah never said it to me, I would definitely think she secretly didn’t want to be with me or something, and she doesn’t even act as cold as that sunfish bastard does.”
Kim Dokja takes a second to think, “I mean I guess Joonghyuk and I could start wearing rings, but they would get in the way with his gaming, so I don’t even know if he would have them on often.”
He shrugs, “I don’t know, I can just tell that he cares for me either way.”
“How though?” Han SooYoung asks.
Kim Dokja pauses and thinks for a second. To be honest, he couldn’t pinpoint many moments where Yoo Joonghyuk did something big and overly romantic to express his everlasting love to Kim Dokja.
But something his soul just knew.
Maybe it was the way that Yoo Joonghyuk made sure to check that Kim Dokja ate all three meals a day, knowing that Kim Dokja had an issue with food insecurity growing up and that he would often honestly just forget to eat from time to time. Or it was all the food itself, that Yoo Joonghyuk cooked for Kim Dokja when he slaved away as a menial QA worker, and how he specifically avoided Kim Dokja’s least favorite ingredient (with the exception of the times he was angry with Kim Dokja).
Or when Kim Dokja noticed that the moment they were released from their required university housing contract their first year, that Yoo Joonghyuk already had a one bedroom apartment ready for them to move into together.
Or how back in high school, before they had even gotten together, how Yoo Joonghyuk would give Kim Dokja his notes, even though Kim Dokja had his own because he wrote extra information in the columns and different solutions to problems than what their teacher would normally teach.
“I don’t know, I just know from his actions I guess.”
“I don’t know you guys have been together for so long, I know you love him a lot, but I just want to make sure he does too. He doesn’t even show you on stream.” Han Sooyoung points out.
“Come on, you know that’s more for my safety than anything.” Kim Dokja reasons.
He takes a long sip of his drink.
“...wait, isn't your next chapter supposed to be when the male lead meets the female lead for the first time?" Kim Dokja realizes.
"Are you trying to use me as source material?” He asks, appalled, with his face in disgust at his friend's manipulative antics.
Han Sooyoung pauses with her mouth wide open right about to take a bite of her sandwich.
“No! What kind of friend do you think I am?” Han Sooyoung offendedly exclaims, dropping her sandwich.
Kim Dokja raises an eyebrow towards Han Sooyoung.
“So this isn’t like the time you got me drunk and started asking me about how Yoo Joonghyuk was in the bedroo-”
“Okay, okay! Sooo...it wouldn’t have hurt if I got a little inspiration for my next act.” Han Sooyoung waves her hand a bit trying to dispel the sudden tension in the air and continues,
“But I was genuinely worried too! You’ve always had such a big crush on Yoo Joonghyuk. So much so that your favorite food is the same as his, because you saw him eat it so much, proceeded to stalk him to the one restaurant that made them, and started eating them until you loved them too. So I worry sometimes.”
Kim Dokja laughs.
“Awwww, you do care,” he teases.
Han Sooyoung picks up her sandwich again, taking a large bite of it.
“Besides I was going to ask you about how you thought my character should act anyways but we got sidetracked.” She says with her mouth full.
Kim Dokja takes a breath in and looks at his old friend,
“You know how I feel about you asking questions about my relationship with Yoo Joonhyuk for your novel without me knowing though. If you have a question, ask me directly.”
“I know, but then you usually blank out or get too embarrassed, so naturally bringing it up is easier for me to get the answers for my questions. You didn’t even say anything though so it doesn’t matter.” She grumbles.
Kim Dokja continues looking at his friend disappointedly.
“...and I’ll pay for this meal.”
Kim Dokja smiles.
“Perfect.” He says as he starts diving into his meal as well.
“You know you were there when Yoo Joonghyuk and I got together, I don’t understand why you ask me these questions sometimes, I feel like you know the answer to most of them.” He says, in-between bites.
Han Sooyoung swallows before answering, “I can get through this chapter, but I was wondering for the future. Despite knowing Yoo Joonghyuk all these years I still can’t get a grasp his personality. Honestly, I’m still kind of surprised how easily you read him sometimes.”
Kim Dokja hums his response as the two start focusing on eating the meals in front of them. They start discussing what Han SooYoung should do with her novel next and while he talks with Han SooYoung, Kim Dokja thinks of Yoo Joonghyuk.
2 years ago
“Kim Dokjaaa,” Yoo Joonghyuk clings to his boyfriend in the kitchen, wrapping his arms on top of Kim Dokja’s shoulders.
“That last stream really took a number on you huh?” Kim Dokja laughs softly and pets his boyfriend on the head, while nudging a cup of water to him.
Yoo Joonghyuk says nothing as he closes his eyes and drapes on top of Kim Dokja, soaking in the comfort and scent of his partner.
“This is why I say you shouldn’t do these ‘playing this game from start to finish’ streams often.” Kim Dokja chides.
Yoo Joonghyuk grunts, finally releasing one of his arms to grab the cup of warm water, and starts sipping it.
He puts it back down and Kim Dokja slowly guides Yoo Joonghyuk to the couch to rest.
He sits Yoo Joonghyuk down and gets up to make something quick when suddenly,
“Ah-”
Yoo Joonghyuk grabs Kim Dokja’s hand and pulls Kim Dokja down on top of him into a lying position on the couch.
“Yoo Joonghyuk-?”
“Kim Dokja.” Yoo Joonghyuk cuts Kim Dokja off,
“Quit your job.”
Kim Dokja stiffens in Yoo Joonghyuk’s arms.
“That’s not very funny Yoo Joonghyuk.” Kim Dokja makes a move to break out of Yoo Joonghyuk’s embrace when Yoo Joonghyuk tightens his hold on his lover.
“Quit your job and be an editor.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Kim Dokja responds, trying to wrestle out of Yoo Joonghyuk’s hardened embrace.
Yoo Joonghyuk finally opens his eyes and flips Kim Dokja over, looming on top of the shorter man.
“I’m serious.” Yoo Joonghyuk says, staring deep into Kim Dokja’s eyes.
“I can’t just quit my job-” Kim Dokja stammers, surprised by his boyfriend’s sudden serious tone.
“Please.” Yoo Joonghyuk’s face softens, as he relaxes and falls on top of Kim Dokja once again, nestling his head in Kim Dokja’s chest.
“I make enough for both of us, and I’ve been saving up so you could join any company you like.” He says, voice muffled by Kim Dokja's shirt.
Kim Dokja softens a bit as well and strokes the top of Yoo Joonghyuk’s head.
“Are you insinuating that we should bribe publishing companies to take me in as an editor?”
Yoo Joonghyuk’s head shoots straight up again.
“No- that’s not what I meant. I just mean that you can take your time finding the right company...” He starts saying.
Kim Dokja laughs a little at the rare sight of flustered Yoo Joonghyuk and hugs his boyfriend’s head back to his chest.
“I know what you mean.” He says, resuming his stroking, “But I also need to be on fair footing in this relationship.” Kim Dokja reasons.
“Dokjaaa,”
Kim Dokja smiles at the rare use of his first name from his boyfriend.
“Why won’t you just lean on me a little bit?” Yoo Joonghyuk says into Kim Doja’s shirt once again, now being the one trapped in the other's embrace.
Yoo Joonghyuk turns his head on his side to breathe, taking in Kim Dokja’s soft strokes.
“...I just want to provide for you. I know we can’t get married, so you might feel less secure sometimes, but you know I don’t care if you work or not right?”
Yoo Joonghyuk sighs, “I just want you to work in a place that makes you happy.” He says, tightening his arms around Kim Dokja once again.
Kim Dokja flushes and looks down at his boyfriend's face as Yoo Joonghyuk looks back up at his.
His heartbeat races. Had Yoo Joonghyuk always acted this adorable in their relationship?
Kim Dokja was almost ready to throw his briefcase away, burn all the work documents he had at home, and start online shopping for aprons to become the perfect little housewife for Yoo Joonghyuk.
But Kim Dokja stood his ground.
“You know the project I'm working on right now is really important.” Yoo Joonghyuk doesn’t say anything, but instead closes his eyes and settles on Kim Dokja’s chest once again, and listens.
“But after this project I’ll consider quitting.”
Yoo Joonghyuk stiffens in Kim Dokja’s lap and he slowly grabs Kim Dokja’s hand and looks up.
“Really?” He asks, eyes filled with astonishment as if he expected Kim Dokja to loathe the idea of quitting his less than ideal job.
“Yeah.” Kim Dokja throws his head back and leans his back on the couch,
“After all, I’m basically working as a part-time editor for Han SooYoung for free at the moment. It would be nice to actually be paid, rather than having to constantly guilt trip her into buying me meals when we hang out.”
He looks back at Yoo Joonghyuk and continues, “But if it doesn’t work out in the span of 2 years I’m going to start reapplying for QA/QC jobs.”
Yoo Joonghyuk just smiles and doesn’t say anything while he climbs further up until they are face-to-face, and kisses Kim Dokja.
“That sounds great.”
Kim Dokja laughs at the memory to himself a little.
“Hey don’t laugh! I know it's cheesy but remember I’m basing this scene off of when Yoo Joonghyuk confessed to you.” Han SooYoung complains.
“No, no I think it’s fine." He starts listening to Han SooYoung’s draft out her character’s love arc in the next act.
“I think the main character can be a little less stiff and straightforward though, how about instead…”
•••
“Wooo, okay I think I have half of the next act more or less ready.” Han SooYoung says as they walk out of the restaurant.
Kim Dokja just nods while responding to a text on his phone.
“Hey Han SooYoung.”
“Yeah?”
“I owe you next time for lunch. Jung Heewon just asked me to be her ‘butler of honor', I'm guessing that’s her way of saying male maid of honor.”
“YES!” Han Sooyoung punches a fist in the air, “Wait so you’re going to be the butler of honor and is Yoo Joonghyuk the best man?”
“I guess so.” Kim Dokja smiles a bit to himself,
“Hey Han Sooyoung, do you think we should get matching rings for the wedding?”