Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 1: An unexpected encounter 

Vampires are creatures that stand on top of the food chain. It is said that behind every change in civilization, the vampires are the ones that caused it. From the discovery of fire, to the wheel, architecture, and even modern technology, every single instance was created by a vampire. The opinions and decisions of The 'Council'; a gathering of the highest order of vampires; greatly affect the world. 

It's no surprise that the vampires hold most of the world's riches. They never age, they are incredibly intelligent, strong, fast, beautiful, and intimidating.In short, They're in a league of their own. Even the ones that blend seamlessly into society are still treated with reverence, and to them it's only right to be regarded as such, they are superior beings.

One of the rules when meeting a vampire is: do not ever draw their attention. Don't befriend them, avoid them at all costs. Getting involved with the ones ruling the world never ends well for the human involved. They get treated as pets, becoming a living blood bag for these beings. Some romanticize it by making stories out of it, who wouldn't want to be pampered for the measly exchange of blood? 

Definitely not me. Just imagining it makes me sick.

Luckily for a person like me, that will never happen. 

After all, I, Kim Dokja, a 28 year old salaryman who is considered below average in terms of looks, and an avid reader of webnovels, am too busy helping my best friend prepare the venue for her book signing, FOR FREE. 

That's right, FREE. After I lost to Han Sooyoung; my worst best friend and famous author of several novels; over a stupid game of UNO, I was forced into free labor because she felt like taking up my day off. Why? Because she can do it, and so she did. 

"Dokja-ssi, are you alright?"

I forgot that Yoo Sangah-ssi was right beside me. I got so distracted by my irritation about friendship exploitation that I didn't even notice her getting so close to me. 

Yoo Sangah is a coworker of mine that I was wary of at first until we started hanging out outside of work, finding common ground, and creating a strong friendship.

"No I'm not, if only your girlfriend would compensate me since I'm working so hard for her sake."

She's also dating my worst best friend.

Yoo Sangah giggles at my complaints, giving me pats on the back as if to comfort me "I'm sure she will. If she won't, I'll make sure that she does" 

"Sangah-ssi…" I felt my eyes water at her threat towards Sooyoung. How did an angel like her end up with a gremlin like Han Sooyoung?! 

"It's very impressive for an attendee of a book signing event to reserve a whole hour of a building to themselves. The whole mall and the surrounding streets are shut down for the VIP's safety" 

It isn't rare for someone to reserve an author's time for interviews or meet and greets, but this is a whole different level of protection right now. No matter how important a person is, isn't it overkill to do all these unnecessary things? Unless the VIP is a vampire, which I highly doubt. I can't imagine those powerful beings reading webnovels, even if it's well written ones. 

They probably quote Shakespeare or some shit,  preferring to enjoy classic literature since they're so old. Vampire tastes must be refined and untainted since they exist within the upper echelon of society. 

"It must be a really important guy or a rich, spoiled brat that paid a hefty amount for Sooyoung to stay in one spot. That girl has a habit of disappearing midway through her interview sessions, only for her to appear out of nowhere with bags of lemon candy!" When that happened, her manager cried on me saying that Han Sooyoung threatened her if they didn't adhere to her demands. It was a mess. 

Yoo Sangah giggles a bit, playing with some strands of hair before placing it behind her ear "Yes she's quite free spirited but she knows when to act professional"

"That's true, but she might pick a fight with them if they say one wrong thing."

"That's true. Should we check up on her?"

"Let's finish this up quickly and head over there"

Yoo Sangah agreed and we quickly finished our tasks. The last crowd ruined some of the cut outs of Jaehwan, the protagonist of a novel that their company collaborated with.

What's making this task so time consuming is that the mob ruined Yoo Jonghyuk's cut out! 

Not the gaming god supreme king, Yoo Jongyuk who's my childhood friend and unrequited love, but my favorite character from three ways of survival. 

Well, it's technically another character, but this is as close as it gets to an illustration of him! 

This was actually Yoo Jonghyun, the protagonist of SSSSS Regressor. He's the product of Han Sooyoung's first work, the novel she'd upload to practice writing, which I was the sole reader of. We bonded over our love for webnovels, so on the last day of TWSA, she decided to revise that story. Now it's the most popular novel in the market. 

I'm really happy for the protagonist since he worked so hard. I know Han Sooyoung is the one who did all the work, but I followed Yoo Jonghyuk since I was 15, and it's only normal for a proud reader such as myself to feel a sense of pride. 

"That should do it"

We barely managed to fix him, but at least he's standing. The magic power of tape saved the day! 

On the way to the guest lounge, Sangah's phone rings, and the caller is Minosoft. She apologizes before walking away to take the call. It must be hard with her new promotion, she's always busy yet she still makes time to hang around us.

 I wish Yoo Jonghyuk would spend time with me normally instead of barging into my apartment at 6am, yanking the sheets off my bed, and forcing me to eat breakfast. I appreciate it since I love his cooking, but still…

It's been a few minutes, and there's no sign of Sangah finishing up that call. Might as well go find a vending machine and buy something to drink, working for free is tough on the body.

"it's really you…"

My heart almost dropped and I nearly screamed, but because I'm an adult I  managed to hold it in. A teenage boy with pale skin and eyes that sparkles like the night sky stares at me like he found the answers to the universe. Tears gather on the side of his eyes, his body shaking slowly like a leaf. 

I pat his head to comfort him since he looks like he's 5 seconds away from crying. This works with the kids all the time, surely it'll work this time, right? 

The boy flinches at the touch as if he was electrified, I pull my hand away but he stops me and places it back on his head. I awkwardly move my fingers to comfort him and he just smiles brightly. His scalp feels like touching snow, is the air conditioning on too low?

"Oppa.."

A wave of nostalgia hits me, what is this sense of familiarity that I feel from him? I would've remembered someone beautiful like him. He may not be drop dead gorgeous like Yoo Jonghyuk, but for a kid he's the epitome of a bishonen. 

Before I knew it, the boy hugged me tightly.  I can feel a wet spot starting to form on my shirt so I rub my hands on his back before reciprocating the hug. 

I don't know why he's crying, but I understand wanting to be held when you're sad. I wonder who he is and why he feels so familiar? I'm usually bad with strangers yet I'm oddly calm with him. I wonder where I've seen him before? 

"I didn't know you had a younger brother" 

Speak of the devil. Han Sooyoung watches us with her arms crossed around her and a look of disbelief. I shook my head and continued patting the strange kid's back.  

"I don't think I have a younger brother?"

"What do you mean you don't think? That kid looks exactly like you!"

The kid and I stare at each other for a bit before I laugh nervously"I guess he does?" 'Does this mean I look like a mysterious bishonen? If I'm this beautiful then how come Mia calls me ugly?'

"Whatever you're thinking, stop it. You're making a weird face" 

"I'm not"

"So who is this brat then? A clone of yours? How did he even get here?"

"I got in here because I wanted to meet you, author-nim. I'm a big fan of your works, it helps me pass time in between council meetings and dealing with the world leaders"

We both freeze at the words of the boy. Not only is he the VIP but he's also a vampire. Not only is he a vampire, he's a high rank vampire . 

I try to pry myself off but his grip only tightens on my waist. He turns his attention back to me with a soft smile "I didn't think that meeting her would lead me to finding you" He puts his ear on my chest "It's really you, I've been a good boy, like I promised, so oppa won't leave me again, right?"

I wanted to cry but I couldn't, why? Well, I don't want to offend the vampire, it's a criminal offense that can lead me to death. The vampire started talking about going on trips with me, and how he has a whole library that he hasn't touched yet but now has a reason to read in since 'Oppa is here now'.

"U-Um excuse me…"

The boy stops talking and stares at me with uncanny interest, like a puppy waiting for its master's orders. 

"What is it, Oppa?"

"Who...are you…?"

The boy's eyes widen before giggling "That's right, you haven't regained your memories yet. I'm sorry that was rude of me" He slowly lets go of me before putting his hands on his waist. 

"I am the Oldest Dream, the first progenitor and ruler of the vampires"

I, Kim Dokja, an underpaid office worker who's barely making it in life, crossed paths with the most powerful being in the world. 

Chapter Text

Chapter 2: I didn't sign up for this

"Oppa? Oppa are you okay? You're pale as sheet"

No shit Sherlock, you just said that you're the Oldest Dream , the ruler of vampires! 

The Oldest Dream is the highest ranked vampire, the top of the top, the one who rules over everyone. He's the leader of the 'council', a group of influential vampires that has more power than the United Nations. People believed him to be a god, a being so powerful that even muttering his name the wrong way can land anyone in the gallows. The world wouldn't be able to function without him, that's how much influence he has. Whatever the Oldest Dream wants, he gets. If he wanted to kickstart the end of the world, he could easily do so with one command.

That Oldest Dream is being affectionate with me, a normal human. His pale cheeks are dusted with a pink hue, long thick eyelashes fluttering with every blink he did, and a soft smile like an angel is plastered on the vampire's face. He looks like a doll that came to life.

I can already feel the snipers pointing their guns at me, I'm gonna be targeted for the rest of my life because the Oldest Dream decided to make me his 'Oppa'? If you're gonna do it, do it with Yoo Jonghyuk! He has the face of a prince and the body of a Greek god, he's the definition of an Oppa! 

In fact, why is he calling me Oppa?! Isn't he a boy? Does gender even matter to someone as ancient as him? I'm not going to ask though, he might kill me if I do. 

"Are you still nervous? OD won't hurt you so don't be scared…" he fidgets his fingers before clapping once with a smile, "Ah! I should break the ice like what the living flame told me. My name must be intimidating, so Oppa can call me OD. Only those who I trust and love can call me that. It'll be like back then when you affectionately called me your precious little OD~" 

I turn to Han Sooyoung who looks just as terrified as me. It's a predicament we never dreamed of encountering, the stuff of nightmares. One wrong move and it could be the end for the both of us. Even with the rapid eye movement + eyebrow communication we have, neither of us can come up with a plan to escape the Oldest Dream.  

Han Sooyoung coughs before bowing, drawing OD's attention to her "It's an honor for the great Oldest Dream to be a fan of my works. This humble author would like to personally thank you for this opportunity, allow me to escort you back to the lounge"

"Yes that's right, I wouldn't want to waste the author-nim's time" Relief floods throughout my chest when OD says those words, only for the glacier of fear to return when he intertwines our fingers together "Oppa is coming too, right?" 

'It's not like I have a choice' I nod without uttering a word. OD skips on our way to, humming a familiar melody. It doesn't sound like any modern song I've heard, but why does it sound familiar? I unconsciously hum the song with him, OD's eyes lighting up like the stars as he swings our hands to the tune of the song. I should be shaking in my boots, but being around OD is oddly calming. 

On the other hand, Han Sooyoung is doing a really good job holding herself together despite being absolutely, balls to the walls, terrified. In the eyes of a stranger, she looks calm and composed, but as her best friend, I can tell she was clenching her fists a little too tight throughout the entire ordeal. Even Sangah wasn't able to stay calm around OD, she was holding her breath when she found out, staying beside Sooyoung to protect her and give her support.

If we didn't know this was the Oldest Dream we would've genuinely believed he was a regular kid. His questions were simple, like 'what brings her inspiration when she wrote certain lines' or 'where she got the idea of regressions and why 1864'. He was quite curious, and also quite an avid fan. He was genuine with his compliments about the books, which made Han Sooyoung feel at ease. If he wasn't a vampire I probably would've befriended him. Our opinions regarding Yoo Jonghyun are similar, that he's a very amazing protagonist.

OD was found by his guards, the vampires freaked out at first before taking in a sigh of relief when they saw their ruler was in one piece. It must be nice being so well loved. 

"They're not relieved to see me safe, they're relieved because ahjussi won't punish them for negligence"

The vampires flinch at the mention of 'ahjussi', maintaining a safe distance away from OD but close enough to protect him.

"It was nice meeting you Lord Oldest Dre—"

"OD! Oppa has to call me OD!"

"W-Well that's disrespectful—"

"The rules don't matter if I gave you permission, OD wants to be called OD!"

"Alright Lord OD"

"Just OD, please?" 

He pulls out the cutest puppy dog face I've seen, and I just can't resist but give in to his ridiculous demands. He gave me permission anyway so it should be fine, right?

"OD-yah"

A smile that is as bright as the sun is currently plastered on OD’s face. Vampires are too attractive for this world, and Han Sooyoung lied about them looking like each other. I don't remember ever blinding anyone with just a smile. If I was as cute as OD, I would've bagged Yoo Jonghyuk's heart a long time ago with just a smile. 

"Bring the car around, I want to take Oppa back to the penthouse so he can rest"

'Say whaaaat????'

"Y-You really don't have to do that OD-yah. I have no reason to come with you"  I might be accused of trespassing, plus I have plans with the kids.

"No reason? You're so silly Oppa~ starting today, you're going to live with me."

New home?! I didn't know I was moving in with the OD. Am I gonna be treated as a pet? A slave? What if I'm gonna be drained of my blood and they turn me into a taxidermy statue? How do I tell him to fuck off without making it offensive? 

"Excuse me Lord Oldest Dream, but Kim Dokja is a vital part of our team, you can't just take him with you under such short notice" 

'As expected of Sangah-ssi, she managed to build up the courage to say something!'

OD seems to ponder for a moment before smiling at Sangah-ssi "One person missing isn't going to bring down the event, but I understand" 'Does this mean I'm free? Way to go Sangah-ssi!'

He turns to the guards "You three will be staying here to cover for Oppa, I'm even lending you extra hands since I'm a really good boy. In exchange for this, Oppa will be coming with me"

"But milord our job–"

"It's to help them with the book signing event. If you don't comply with me, I'll tell ahjussi about your insubordination"

The guards quickly shut their mouths and stood alongside the shocked Sangah-ssi and Sooyoung. All I could do was give a small smile when they sent me pity glances. A limousine stops in front of us, and the driver quickly opens the door waiting for OD to step in.

"Problem solved, there should be no excuses for Oppa not to come with me, right? " 'How did that sound so threatening?' "We'll be on our way, author-nim, I'm excited to read more of your stories"

OD drags me into the car and the door locks shut. The inside is extremely lavish, with leather seats and a full bar filled with drinks that I could never afford in my lifetime. Han Sooyoung, Yoo Sangah, and Yoo Jonghyuk are pretty well off but I doubt they can pay for something like this.

"Is it to your liking, Oppa? Is it comfortable enough? It isn't the best one I have since I was in such a hurry that I didn't have a chance to choose" 

THIS ISN'T THE BEST ONE?! THIS SCREAMS MONEY!!! This may be a little too much for someone like me who is used to the packed trains.

"It's really nice, OD-yah, please don't worry about me"

He shakes his head with a frown, fiddling his fingers with mine before bringing my hand to his cheek "Oppa only deserves the best of the best, if it's not the best then Oppa can get something better. Are you thirsty? I have a bunch of drinks prepared"

A bunch? It's a whole fully functioning bar, the only thing missing is a bartender to serve us drinks "I'll take what you recommend"

"I have to choose the best drink here then, I wonder which one Oppa will like the most?" 

OD scoots closer to the fridge, reading the back the labels of each drink so he can choose 'the drink worthy of Oppa's lips'. If it wasn't for the ridiculousness of the whole situation, I would enjoy this while thinking that OD wants to be friends, but friends wouldn't kidnap others on a whim.

Except if you're Yoo Jonghyuk, but that's a whole separate matter. 

Once OD handed me the expensive looking bottle (turns out it was imported water from Australia that's hard to get ), he started talking to me about himself. 

Despite being a powerful being, he prefers to spend his time reading and hanging out with his family. He found out about webnovels by accident while looking for more books to read, becoming a fan almost immediately.

"It's refreshing to read the stories told by people from all walks of life, instead of the usual literature that I grew accustomed to. The cliches of the genre add a really nice flare to it, makes me want to root for the heroes and their companions"

Turns out he also read TWSA, he just didn't leave a comment since he didn't want to break the interaction between the reader and tls123. I was touched that he admired my undying support for the story, if he wasn't the Oldest Dream I would've burst into tears and gave him a big hug. 

"Never in my wildest dreams have I imagined Oppa to be the Kim Dokja. You must've been young to use your real name online"

"I didn't know that you weren't supposed to do that until my last year of high school"

"Kim Dokja the reader, a name worthy of my Oppa, who used to spend days within the confines of the library"

"Aren't you mistaking me for someone else?"

OD leans on my shoulder "No, I'm positive you're my Oppa. I only have one Oppa in the universe, and it's you" 

We spent the rest of the trip talking about different webnovels, OD would alternate between holding my hand, wrapping his arms around mine, or even sitting on my lap. I should really be worried about how calm I am in this situation, but he makes it so easy to forget about our standings in life. I don't understand why he's said to be the most terrifying vampire out there when he's so cute. 

The car arrives in front of the most expensive residential area within 

Gangnam-gu. I heard that because celebrities, politicians, and chaebols reside here, it's impossible for the common man to even step foot within a 10 mile radius. Yet here I am, an ordinary salaryman, being dragged inside by the ruler of the world. 

Words can't begin to describe how out of place I am here. The moment you step foot in the building, a glitzy chandelier made of diamonds greets you, several vampires and humans bow their heads in respect for OD, welcoming him to their building. OD completely ignores them, instead giving me all his attention by bragging about how he owns the building alongside ahjussi, choosing only the best to reside here, and how he's excited for me to see the new living quarters. 

I finally realized the gravity of the situation, he's really going to make me his pet for the rest of my life. I have no chance of going against the Oldest Dream, if I do try to escape I might cause harm to my friends and family. 

All because I did free labor for Han Sooyoung. She better hold a really nice funeral for me once this is all over. 

"Don't be nervous oppa, everything that's mine is yours now too" ' that doesn't make this any better' "If anyone or anything makes you uncomfortable, let me know and I'll personally take care of it for you" 

I hope he's not implying that he'll kill anyone who just looks at me funny, Vampires are known to be possessive after all. Judging by OD's clinginess, I can say that's an actual fact and not just gossip. 

"Ahjussi is going to be so surprised to see you, I can't wait to show off that I met you before he did. It's only right I'm the one who welcomes you back home, after all I'm oppa's number one"

He's not my number one, but he's definitely number one in the whole world. The only thing I could do is bask in this unrealistic place as OD drags me to the elevator. He pushes the highest button, which isn't a surprise since he mentioned it to be a penthouse suite. 

The door opened and the sight that greeted me was mesmerizing. The whole place looked like something from a Hollywood movie, expensive furniture that would have paid for my college alone, a view of Seoul that a photographer would've died just to get a glimpse of, a lush red carpet like the ones that celebrities gather on during a movie premiere, and a chandelier made of gold (which is almost as crazy as the one in the lobby). 

"Welcome home Oppa! From now on, we'll always be together~"

Yeah I'm fucked.

I wanted to say something against that but I'm still on thin ice with OD. He acts harmless around me but almost everything he says sounds concerning. I didn't even consent to this!  

"You're late OD, who's this?"

I turn to the source of the voice and lo and behold, a look alike of Yoo Jonghyuk (maybe even hotter) stands on top of the stairs. His porcelain pale skin, similar to that of OD, glistens under the light, his mismatched eyes adds an allure to his overwhelming presence, like a predator about to catch his prey. His handsome face that was once pursed into a scowl is now alight with surprise; he quickly runs down the stairs only to stop in front of me. Now that he's so close, I can see his perfect muscles under the unbuttoned polo shirt.

'Don't drool Kim Dokja, just because he's extremely attractive doesn't mean that you should act a fool! Get it together!'

The stranger brushes some of my hair out of my face and gasps, holding my cheeks to his hand gently. He made the same expression that OD had when he first met me, like he found something (or someone) that they've been seeking all their life. 

"Salvation, my love, you're back" 

He engulfs me with his muscular arms, but before he could fully hug me OD goes in between us with his cheeks puffed. 

"Don't you dare steal Oppa's attention with your sappy love, we may be family but I won't let you take Oppa's heart again!"

What did OD mean by that? 

Chapter Text

Chapter 3: Kisses are dangerous 

Never in my life did I imagine the existence of mini Yoo Jonghyuk look-alikes with their tiny hands and tiny swords, would be serving me the best tasting dinner I've ever had in my life. From what the mini-Hyuk's have told me, they're called kkomas and they serve Secretive Plotter, better known as the 'Great Plotter' to everyone else. He's basically the second in command, serving under the Oldest Dream as his aid in everything he does. 

From business ventures, to world policies, the Great Plotter is the first one to make the decision before it gets to OD, he's basically the leader of the council, with OD as the king. His status is just as powerful as OD, but because OD doesn't make too many public appearances and prefers to watch everything unfold from behind the scenes, the Great Plotter is the face that most vampires recognize whenever shit goes down. 

"Was the food to your liking, Dokja-yah?" The Great Plotter asks with a gentle tone. I swallow the last piece of heavenly food down my throat before exhaling in contentment. 

"It was delicious, thank you very much Lord Great Plotter"

The Great plotter rubs his thumb on the side of my lips, licking whatever was on his thumb before smirking "Please just call me SP, I would be happy if you make yourself at home in this humble abode"

Humble my ass, this place is a castle within a building. I think I'm going to get lost trying to navigate this penthouse, it's even bigger than the bookstore I frequently visit. What's with that move though? Why is he acting like a male lead from a K-drama?! If I had a stain on my face, Yoo Jonghyuk would throw a towel on my face and tell me to wipe it off. 

"Hey, Stop touching my Oppa or else, stupid Ahjussi!" OD points his kitchen knife at SP who's merely smirking at OD's aggressive display 

"Or else what? I'm only taking what's rightfully mine"

"He's mine not yours, I should stab you in the head so that delusion of yours disappears" 

"If you can stab me. You may be the Oldest Dream but you're still a brat in my eyes"

"Ahjussi, I'm warning you not to test my patience"

They both look seconds away from killing each other, but oddly enough it wasn't the threats they were exchanging that made me feel uneasy, It's the fact that they're fighting over me.  

"Kim Dokja, I brought you some dessert, I hope you like it"

A kkoma with the number 999 plastered on its chest and an eyepatch over one eye that makes this little one stand out, serves me a plate with a delicious looking slice of cake. I pat the head of the Kkoma before thanking him for the wonderful meal. SP and OD stop bickering at the affection I gave the kkoma. 

"You know, 999 is my favorite regression turn from the novel I love, and you look and act like him. It's like a dream come true to meet someone wonderful like you"

999 turns beet red, looking away but not shying away the pats on the head nor the little cheek pinch I gave. Feeling a bit brave, I got the courage to ask him "Is it okay if I give you a kiss as thanks?" 

"NO! OPPA CAN'T GIVE HIM A KISS BEFORE ME!"

"NO! 999 is a part of me so it's only right I get the kiss" 

OD and SP grabbed my arms and held it close to themselves. 999 and I were shocked at how adamant they were on not letting the kkoma get a kiss. It's just a peck on the cheek, how bad can it be? 

"Oppa can't…Oppa can't fall in love with 999 or anyone else! I won't lose to them, I won't! Oppa is mine, I found him first, I'll serve your food from now on and do whatever Oppa needs me to do, so you can't give kisses away!" OD starts to cry on my shoulder. I want to comfort him but SP is clinging just as tightly as the former. 

"Dokja-yah, please don't fall for the affection of another. I've waited so long for you, my dear, I can't bear to see you give your love to a lesser version of me" 

'Why are they acting like I cheated on them? I just met these two extremely powerful vampires and now they're crying on me. I'm really going to die tonight, at least my last meal was delicious. I still prefer Yoo Jonghyuk's home cooking though, I wonder if he's worried about me'

"Alright I won't, will you please get off of me?"

"No" both of them simultaneously answered. 

After a few minutes (more like half an hour) of calming the two sulking vampires down, we sat down on the lavish cashmere sofa in the living room. SP asks the kkomas to play something on the grand piano for them (how he expected the little guys to play I don't know, but surprisingly they did). To my surprise, it was the same melody that OD hummed back at the book signing event. 

"It’s a song that a bard made ages ago about the demon king of salvation. You used to love listening to it, and OD wouldn't sleep unless you sang it to him" SP explained while giving me a glass of expensive red wine. At first I thought it was blood, but I can distinguish wine from blood pretty easily from experience. 

"Demon King of Salvation who grants the dreams of others,

 a heart of gold but with tainted blood,

 he slays his enemies and gives hope to those he saves, 

truly a demon king that brings salvation!"  

OD sings a bit of the song before snuggling on my arms again. This would've been cute if I didn't feel like my life was on the line right now, one wrong move and I'm dead. OD and SP seem to be blissfully unaware of my inner turmoil as they start talking about 'Salvation'. From the sound of it, Salvation is a person who was important to them. Just like how I gathered the courage to talk to 999, it might be ok for me to speak openly about this topic. 

After all, something about this whole situation doesn't feel right.

"Excuse me but am I allowed to say something?"

They both turn to me with undivided attention, I do my best to calm myself down a bit by taking a deep breath before continuing "I think you're mistaking me for this 'Salvation' person. I'm only a measly human, an ordinary office worker. I've never met any of you before, so maybe you should find this 'Salvation' to clear this misunderstanding up? I'd very much like to go back home so…"

The kkomas slammed the piano keys, and a suffocating silence followed suit.

Did I say the wrong thing? Am I gonna become a blood bank? Is my head going to get chopped and put on display as they drain me of all my blood? Maybe they're going to torture me? I'd rather die a painless death than that! 

OD stands up in front of me with an unnerving smile on his face, I can't pinpoint the emotion of it but it's surely sending chills down my spine. It's like he's staring into my soul. His eyes start to glow blue, and I'm starting to shake in fear at this display. His fingers touch my lips, slowly making their way down to my neck, and his smile widens. 

"Oppa and Salvation are the same" 

I clench my jaw when he starts to speak. His voice wasn't cold or harsh, it was similar to the tone my mom made whenever she was mad "Oppa, you died protecting us on our birthday, foolishly sacrificing yourself without telling us your plans. You left us to mourn for you, to grieve, and to suffer after your death. All I could do was read the stories about you, whether it was falsified or based on the truth"

He slowly sits on my lap and pulls my jaw up, forcing me to stare at his eyes that shine like aquamarines "I'm not letting Oppa leave again, I won't allow it. I spent hundreds of years waiting for the day that the moon and stars will create you again. I'm not going to waste this chance and see you live a life without me. Even if it means chaining you down and locking you up from the world, I'm willing to do it. Ahjussi and I can keep you safe here, away from all the pain and suffering of the human world, so please don't leave me behind"

It sounds like a threat, and I should treat it as a threat, but the tears falling down from OD's eyes are proof that he's only saying that because of fear. The fear of losing someone dear to them.

It's the same face that Yoo Jonghyuk made when I tried to take my own life after all. 

The first thing that OD knew from the moment he was born is that his older brother loved him. Him and his older brother are beings born from the red moon and the star dust that enters the earth, forming beings that are no better than humans. 

His brother lovingly held him in his arms and told him that his birth was a dream come true for him, that a small child like him was the hope of the world. 

His older brother called himself Salvation, and he was given the name Dream. 

They grew like humans do, eat like they do, drink like they do, and everything else. They were no different than an ordinary person. 

For Dream, he was happy just having his older brother and it was reciprocated. Salvation dotingly loved Dream, giving him extra food whenever they found some or giving him most of their water because Dream would be very thirsty. 

They didn't know where they would end up traveling to, and they didn't care as long as they were together. Yes, they struggled and barely survived, but they were together and that's all that mattered.

When humanity created the concept of war, those that didn't have anything lost everything. No bread would be spared to the poor, water was taken by the rich for themselves, and those in power thrived while their servants suffered. 

Salvation and Dream were no different, they had nothing but each other. 

One day, soldiers attacked the village they stayed in, and left them with no choice but to hide in the desert. Out of sheer desperation, Salvation and Dream feasted on the meat of a dying maiden that was left behind. They drank her blood to quench their thirst, and in that moment everything changed. 

They never felt hunger again, and their bodies stopped aging. Whenever they would get hurt, the wound would just close in a few seconds, and they only experienced an occasional thirst for blood. They became faster, stronger, and their senses were sharper than ever before. With this power, they managed to stop wars by eliminating the evil people at the top, putting on disguises so they could slip out once their job was done. 

Yes, it was petty revenge but it felt liberating for the two. 

As the days went by, civilization started to change, and peace was slowly being realized. The two also yearned for reprieve, but they were deemed as 'creatures of the night', or vampires, since human blood was their main food source. They can still eat regular food, but it didn't really do much other than making them feel nostalgia. 

It wasn't until they met a dying soldier that their views changed. They gave him the name Plotter since he was an old general that led his country to victory, only for them to plot his death. He seeked vengeance and with their help, was fulfilled. Plotter took care of them, taught them more about human life than they ever could imagine. He helped Dream make friends with the children of the village, while Salvation was taught how to cook privately. In turn, they gave him another reason to live, to seek out peace. 

Time went by and their family grew larger. His older brother helped the sick and weak, and gave them the task to find meaning in their life. He was revered as a messiah, one that saved the damned. He denied such claims and only wished to see the world be at peace. 

When his older brother started giving more attention to other children, Dream became a bit more selfish. He observed that his brother liked the concept of 'cuteness'. He would act childish around his older brother, and it would always land him a positive response. He started to become clingier, more child-like, especially when the damn Plotter started dating his older brother. Dream wanted to fight the Plotter to the death, but never went through with it after he saw how in-love his brother was. He warned the damn Plotter that he's dead if he makes his older brother cry.

Dream was proud of his older brother, he loved to brag about him and joined him on his quest to save others. The rest followed their footsteps and soon, a new age was coming, one of peace and harmony.

 If only his older brother knew that his kindness would lead to his downfall. 

The humans rebelled against the vampires, calling them demons and other hurtful words. His older brother did his best to shield Dream from the chaos, but Dream wasn't a child anymore, he only acted like one. He knew that they were out to kill them, and it terrified him. 

That day, they were supposed to board a train that would lead them to a neighboring country, one where the war against them hadn't started yet. They were supposed to start a new life together, like they always do. Maybe start a farm far away from the humans, or make picture books about their adventures. 

Before any of that could come to fruition, his beloved older brother betrayed him. 

Salvation knew that the humans planted several bombs on the train they boarded, so he acted like a villain and fought everyone, allies, civilians, and enemies alike, so they would run to the cabins that were safe. Dream refused to leave his brother, but Salvation pushed him away before the explosion, and gave one last smile to Dream before disappearing. They jumped off the train to find Salvation, not a single trace was left of him. 

His brother left him behind, all by himself, to pick up the pieces of his story. 

He hated his brother for dying, leaving Dream all alone to bear the curse of eternity. Yes, their family is here, but none of them could truly understand Dream, only his brother can. 

Dream survived off of reading many stories about the demon king of Salvation. It was the only way not to go insane with guilt. Salvation lived alongside Dream through different stories, even if it's just in his imagination. 

He vowed to make a world where his brother can live a good life, free of war and struggles. Even if it means he becomes a monster, he'll do it for his brother's wish. 

When they meet again, he'll tell him about how good he did, how he worked hard to make their dreams come true, and his brother will praise him like before. He'll lock his brother up away from the world to protect him. After all, Salvation only needs his beloved Dream.

OD stops his little act before bursting into tears, clinging to me like a cat who refuses to let his human leave. SP and the kkomas try to pry OD away, but to no avail. OD just hugs me harder than ever, babbling gibberish in between his sobs.

"It's okay SP-nim don't worry about it, it seems like I hit a sensitive spot for OD-yah for him to break down like this"

SP hesitantly nods and pats me on the head, a small smile gracing his lips "Whenever it has something to do with you he gets a bit too emotional" A bit is an understatement "He's not going to listen to me, so good luck"

I sigh a bit before hugging OD, stroking his hair while humming the song from before. OD’s crying starts to subside, occasionally sniffing before calming down.

"I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings OD-yah, so stop crying okay? Tears don't suit your beautiful eyes—" 

'My precious little OD, tears don't suit your beautiful eyes, I'd rather see your smile that shine bright like the sun"

"I'd rather see your smile that shine bright like the sun"

OD rubs his eyes on his sleeves before looking up at me "Oppa…promise you won't leave me"

That's a bit hard of a demand to accept. I continued to stroke his hair, hoping to distract OD but he wasn't having it. His tears start to fall again, and I start to panic. I'm trying not to die today, okay?! If the council finds out a mere human like me made their ruler cry, not even death is enough of a punishment. Shit, SP is a part of the council, is he already plotting my death?! His name is Plotter after all! 

"Promise me you won't leave? I have to hear you promise me, or else I won't stop. I'll never smile again if you leave and I won't forgive you, so please promise me"

Just before I could answer, an alarm started blaring up. 

"Which idiot decided to intrude on our property?" SP groans before grabbing his phone to call security. OD holds me protectively, like he’s trying to calm me down. 

'Am I really going to get involved in a terrorist attack too?! This has got to be the worst day in my life'

The elevator door slowly opens, and the person who I was least expecting to see comes out. 

The intruder is drenched in blood (not sure if it is his or someone else's), holding a baseball bat with a glare that could kill me. How did he even manage to pull off something ridiculous like this?!

"Kim Dokja"

It is none other than Yoo Jonghyuk. 

Chapter Text

Chapter 4: Stupid Protagonist halo 

Yoo Jonghyuk was considered to be a perfect child by both his parents and peers alike. 

He never complained when a task was given to him, and executed it flawlessly without putting too much effort in it. From academics, to music, sports, and the arts, he excelled in them as a prodigy would.

God (if this being even exists) blessed him with looks that manage to make random people fawn over him, multiple talent agencies tried to recruit him to no avail.  

His parents were extremely well off, everyone he met tried to get on his good side for the sake of joining his parents’ social circle. Even though he's a child he wasn't stupid, these people don't bother hiding their greedy thoughts, it was disgusting and Yoo Jonghyuk refused to be swayed by such stupidity.

Maids and butlers took care of them and kept their house clean, they fed him with the best organic food that money could buy. He was the epitome of a chaebol, rich and blessed with everything a human desires. The road to success was handed to him with a golden spoon, Yoo Jonghyuk didn't need to worry about anything in his life

A child can only be perfect for so long, there are times that they rebel in order to get a taste of freedom that the normal folks have. For Yoo Jonghyuk, it was in the form of the PC bang across the street from his prep school. 

At first,It was only out of curiosity that he went inside.He saw his fellow students enter it after school instead of going to the tutorial sessions and wanted to know what's so good about a place with computers, surely they can buy their own set since most of them have good parents. Maybe he'll sneak in and scold these idiots for wasting their time on such stupid activities.

That day, he realized that it wasn't the PCs that made the students skip class, it was the overall experience , the adrenaline of winning a game and the cheers that could be heard from behind. He was in the center of it all, not because of his parents or his looks but his skills. The feeling of being respected as Yoo Jonghyuk, the gamer, instead of the heir of the conglomerate, as he beat one gamer after another, was an addiction he didn't know he needed until now. 

He didn't skip out on his classes, he understood his duties, but he did sneak out during his useless extra curricular activities (such as horse riding and etiquette) to buy game consoles. From Tetris, to JRPGS, to fighting games, puzzle games, dating sims, league of legends, MMORPGS. There was no game he couldn't conquer. 

This marked the birth of Korea's legendary undefeated gamer: the Supreme king.

His parents hadn't questioned him about his new 'hobby', they never found out after all since they were always away for long periods of time. The staff couldn't care less about him, as long as they got the job done and got paid, that's all that mattered. 

On a certain summer day, Yoo Jonghyuk was supposed to celebrate his birthday with his family, but what he got was a cake and an envelope full of money from his parents. 'They went on an important business trip' they said, but he knew that it was all a lie. It was okay, he can just use the money to go and find an arcade or PC bang to spend the day.  

It was a run down PC bang, barely anyone played in it, it was a perfect place to practice some games without anyone being too loud with their cheers. That day he sat right next to a mysterious boy covered in bandages, he looked no older than 12 but his eyes were empty, void of emotion. There should be no reason for him to be intrigued over a pathetic looking boy, but something about him just seemed odd.  

The boy would be there every week, the same spot at the same time, not a single word came out of his mouth. He would sit right next to him, just as quiet as the latter, nothing but the clicks of the mouse and clacks of the keyboard as the sound coming from their little corner. 

It became a strange routine for the two, total strangers that basked in nothing but silence. The place became more than an escape, it became a sanctuary all because of a mysterious, ghostly boy whose name he didn’t even know.

The mysterious boy left earlier than usual, his hastiness made him drop his student ID. 

Kim Dokja, that was the name written on it. 

It was a chance to talk to him, Yoo Jonghyuk wasn't going to let this go to waste. He waited every week for the boy, but he never came. Yoo Jonghyuk never felt worry in his life, but there was always a first for everything. The school address was on the ID, so he decided to go and give it back personally, maybe talk to him a bit before going their separate ways. 

The rain was particularly hard that day. He stood near the gates of the school where Kim Dokja attends. He asked the students if they knew where Kim Dokja is, but they all avoided the question the moment his name came up. Tired of all the games, Yoo Jonghyuk trespassed the school, only to be greeted by a sight he never expected to see. 

Kim Dokja fell from the sky, he literally fell from the sky . Kim Dokja landed with a loud crack , and Yoo Jonghyuk was frozen in his place. The broken boy held a beaten fat bird, gave this fat bird a smile despite the massive amounts of blood that flowed out of his tiny body, and whispered something he didn't expect from someone so close to death. 

"I'm glad I saved my only friend"

Yoo Jonghyuk couldn't ignore the whispers around him, couldn't ignore how not a single one of them ran to help Kim Dokja, couldn't ignore how the teachers complained instead of rushing to help. 

'Move, Yoo Jonghyuk! If you don't move now, you'll lose him forever!'

Kim Dokja was nothing more than a stranger to him, a person he always sat next to inside a run down PC bang. 

The sun shone down on the boy, the small smile on his pale face was beautiful and terrifying. At this moment, he realized that Kim Dokja was so alone. He was different from Yoo Jonghyuk, a person surrounded by people, who was blessed with everything in life.

At this moment, Yoo Jonghyuk decided that he was going to become his companion.

This whole day is a mess, and it seems like the trainwreck isn't stopping anytime soon. Yoo Jonghyuk drops his gas mask (Where did he get that?), before gripping his baseball bat with his signature glare. 

"Kim Dokja, come here"

I would if I could, but can't you see I'm stuck between a wall and a hard place?! How did he even manage to pull this off? He's going to get us both killed. Han Sooyoung has to do two funerals now, but she better make sure mine is better than this crazy bastard. 

OD holds me closer to him, his eyes glowing once more. He flexes his fingers a bit before his nails turn into claws. I turn to SP whose eyes glow yellow and claws sharper than OD's. I fully realize now just from looking at the difference between the bastard and the two, they really are as dangerous as they say. 

"Who are you to order my Oppa around?!" OD snarls, gripping my shoulder hard, making me wince. He notices how uncomfortable I look, loosening his hands but not completely letting me go. 

SP walks towards Yoo Jonghyuk, like a predator mocking its prey, but Yoo Jonghyuk wasn't backing down, instead pointing the bat at him. 

"I am Yoo Jonghyuk" 

There it is, the famous line of my favorite protagonist!!! The delivery is absolutely perfect, from the pose to the expression! If it wasn't for the fact that he trespassed and was picking a fight with the most powerful beings on earth , I would have loved to record this moment to use as both blackmail AND motivation. 

"It doesn't matter who you are, you'll be dead in a matter of seconds not only for  the crime of trespassing, but for threatening both my lover and my liege" SP calmly explains, but his expression radiates pure anger. 

"I don't care about your little lover, I'm here to rescue Kim Dokja" Ugh, why is he so cool? It should be illegal to be this cool?! 

SP scoffs, hundreds of Kkomas surround Yoo Jonghyuk with their swords pointed at him. "Rescue Dokja-yah? I'd say we're doing him a favor by taking him away from vile creatures like you "   

I wish I could take a picture of this scene so I can treasure it for the rest of my life. Thousands of mini Yoo Jonghyuk's, the original, and the vampire DILF. As an avid Yoo Jonghyuk fan, this is a great sight to see before my inevitable demise.

"Then that must make you trash for kidnapping this stupid squid"

"Oi, are you here to rescue me or insult me, stupid protagonist!" 

They all turn to me after my little outburst. OD starts shaking, his claws retract before puffing his cheeks (I'm finally going crazy from today to think that OD looks adorable ?! We're going to die here) 

"Oppa you can't fall for that man just because he shares the same name as your favorite character! I can be a better Yoo Jonghyuk than him, I can be your protagonist!" OD turns to Yoo Jonghyuk "I demand you change your name this instant, and I might just forgive you for your transgressions" 'I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU SHOULD GET FROM THIS, OD?! ARE VAMPIRES NORMALLY THIS UNREASONABLE WITH THEIR DEMANDS? 

"No" As expected of Yoo Jonghyuk, it's a life or death situation but he won't submit to anyone, even if it's the rulers of the world. 

“Foolish human, you trample upon my kindness with your pride, I should teach you a lesson for not only disrespecting my Oppa but also pretending to be his favorite character–” ‘Oi, how many times is OD going to bring this up?!’ “--After I kill you, I’ll be taking the mantle of Yoo Jonghyuk and become Oppa’s favorite everything!” 

I cover my face from OD's words, remembering that OD actually knows about Three ways of survival. He knows that I have the biggest crush on Yoo Jonghyuk, the actual protagonist that I admire. I don't need to be killed, I'll just die from embarrassment right here right now. Now Yoo Jonghyuk will know that I have a huge crush on him, and then he'll reject me since he's already betrothed to Lee Seolhwa, and then I'll be consoled by Han Sooyoung who will make fun of me for the rest of my life. Just kill me now, please OD-yah and SP-nim, end this torture! 

“You can’t be anything to Kim Dokja when you know nothing of him” 

"I don't know if I should praise you for your bravery or mock you for your stupidity" OD pats my head like he's trying to console me, but it's only making me nervous "I'm simply saving Oppa from the pain of the human world"

"Then why didn't you save him when he tried to take his life?"

A chilling silence follows Yoo Jonghyuk's words, like a knife cutting through air. He knew the words I wanted to say but couldn't, after all I'm too terrified of the situation. I wanted to tell Yoo Jonghyuk to stop, but I didn't have the courage to do it. 

"Why weren't you there when he was starved, beaten, abused, and forgotten? Why weren't you there when he lost all hope in life when you claim to have the desire to save him?"

"Is that true? Is what this human saying true, Dokja-yah?" SP asks quietly. 

"Oppa, please tell me what he said isn't true, please tell me it's all a lie, you wouldn't try to take your own life and leave me, right?" 

OD stares at me with his starry eyes, glistening with unshed tears, still hopeful yet there was growing doubt forming in it. The Kkomas around us start whispering their concerns towards me, and SP's attention is fully on me now.

I want to lie, maybe if I do we can get out of this situation. If I tell him what they want to hear, then I can save myself, but what would happen to Yoo Jonghyuk?  

"I did, multiple times actually" OD's breath hitches as I continue "I prefer not to talk about it, but Yoo Jonghyuk is right. If you wanted to save me, why weren't you there for me when I needed you?" 

My voice was growing softer with every word, but I knew that there was no going back. If I was going to be honest, I might as well tell them what I feel about them. "You suddenly kidnapped me without my consent, took me here and started calling me your 'Oppa'. Sure it's nice, but I'm really terrified right now. I know you'll probably execute me for saying this, but I'd rather die alongside Yoo Jonghyuk than become your blood bank or house pet"

"P-Pet ..? You thought I bought you here to be my pet?" OD whispers while backing away from me "I-I didn't mean to..I o-only wanted to b-be with you again…I-I'm sorry…p-please don't hate me…anyone but you…I don't want to be hated by you…" 

OD covers his ears and starts to cry, SP kneels in front of him and holds his hands "OD it's okay, after we kill Yoo Jonghyuk we can explain everything to Dokja-yah, he'll forgive you once he knows everything" 

"I doubt Kim Dokja will forgive you if you kill me" Yoo Jonghyuk says smugly. SP looks like he's seconds away from killing Yoo Jonghyuk with his glare alone. 

"...Fine, you can take Oppa with you and leave" My eyes went wide at OD's sudden change. He was so adamant on keeping me just a second ago, now he's letting me go scott free? OD turns away from us, slowly walking to the opposite side of the penthouse with the Kkomas following him. SP stands there, confused by the sudden shift as well. 

"OD–"

"Ahjussi, let them leave. I'll let them go, I won't file any criminal charges too, as long as you leave this instant"  

Without sparing a single second, Yoo Jonghyuk grabs my hand and drags me to the elevator, slamming his hand on the button. When the door opens, he pulls me inside, not giving me a chance to check up on OD. I don't know why something in the back of my head is telling me to look behind, but my chance is gone when the elevator closes and starts descending. 

"...Thank you for rescuing me"

"...."

"By the way, is that real blood or..?"

Yoo Jonghyuk sighs "It's paint. The smokescreen I used had paint mixed with it"

"Where did you even get that?"

"Don't ask any more unnecessary questions, Kim Dokja. You're staying at my house tonight"

"Why did you let them go? I thought we vowed not to let Salvation out of our sight once we find him, yet you broke it when that human started spouting nonsense!" SP rarely raises his voice at OD, but this time was an exception. SP should stop Kim Dokja from leaving the premises, but he can't leave OD behind when he's this unstable. 

The Chandelier lights start to break one by one, and OD starts to laugh. It was a chilling laugh, one filled with madness, anyone around would've fainted in fear at the display of sheer dominance. SP is strong enough to withstand the status OD is displaying simply because he's used to it. The Kkomas sigh, hurrying themselves to clean the shards and replacing the wilting plants all over the penthouse. 

When Kim Dokja was around OD within the few hours he was here, he never realized that OD would occasionally release his status without saying anything, and Kim Dokja was perfectly fine. A normal person, be it vampire or human, would've fainted or even died from the pressure alone.That was proof enough for the two, that Kim Dokja is indeed Salvation. 

So why did OD set him free? 

"You're wrong, I never set Kim Dokja free. I simply said they can leave"

"That's the same thing, OD"

OD shakes his head, pulling out the necklace he was wearing under his shirt. It was a star shaped red diamond, with a dark liquid encased inside. He starts moving it around, watching the red liquid flow inside with fascination "I'd rather call this a….. strategic retreat? Yes, we haven't lost yet, we're just withdrawing for the time being, give Kim Dokja some space so he can enjoy what remains of his daily life" 

SP stays quiet, OD continues "It infuriates me to admit that the human is right, we know nothing of Kim Dokja. We didn't know that Kim Dokja tried to end his own life, if he succeeded, how long do you think we'll be waiting for his revival? What if it never happens again? What if this is our first and only chance?" 

"OD…"

"Ahjussi, Salvation and I aren't born through regular means. If he dies again, what if he'll never be reborn? I don't think I can handle the guilt of knowing that I'm the cause of his death in this life. 

OD walks towards the giant window overlooking Seoul, his eyes zeroing on the distant figures of Kim Dokja and the disgusting human "He thought I wasn't being sincere, he thought I bought him here to become livestock, to become a pet, he said he'd rather die than stay here with me " 

"He only said that because he doesn't know the truth"

"He implied that he hated me" 

"That isn't true and you know it"

OD hums a bit, looking at the jewel before nodding "I know, even if he says such hurtful words, Salvation would never truly hate me. I do admit that I was too hasty on my actions regarding him, I always lose my rationality whenever it comes to Salvation"

He turns to SP with a wide smirk on his face "Therefore I decided to conduct a full investigation on Kim Dokja! I want to know everything there is to know about him, from his past to his current life. His family, his friends, his coworkers, his former schoolmates, his teachers, where he lives, where he works, where and what he eats, everything"

SP smiles at OD, kneeling in front of his liege. He's glad  to see OD's newfound determination in capturing Kim Dokja. It would be hard to deal with a depressed OD, he might isolate himself again. "I'll start the investigation immediately, they will also be informed of Salvation's revival and your commands"

OD dangles the jewel up towards the sky, a big smile forming alongside his glowing, shaking eyes "I'll crush everyone that hurt my dear Dokja, and then destroy everything that is chaining Dokja down, I'll use Yoo Jonghyuk to make Dokja realize that I'm the only one he needs"

OD kisses the jewel "After all, Kim Dokja only needs his precious Dream~"

Chapter Text

Chapter 5: A day in the life

Tick Tock Tick Tock 

It was rare for me to wake up before my alarm clock. Usually, I'll wake up to turn it off before heading back to sleep, and my phone alarm will ring afterwards. I'll hit the snooze button 5 times before I get up, groaning and complaining on the way to the bathroom to start my morning routine. I'd make instant coffee, look to see if any of the webnovels or webtoons I read updated, change into my work attire, and leave. 

Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock 

Pitter patter pitter patter

Today should be like any other day, a mundane day filled with nothing but normalcy, or as normal as it gets. Occasionally, Yoo Jonghyuk would enter my apartment without warning, carrying a bag of homemade food, forcing me to wake up and eat breakfast before I go to work. It didn't feel like it was going to be one of those days, the rain outside was too heavy for Yoo Jonghyuk to walk here. 

Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick—-

RIIIIIIIIIIING

The alarm blares throughout the tiny apartment. I press the off button, stretching my arms a bit before looking up at the empty ceiling. 

A week passed by after the whole 'incident' with the Oldest Dream and Secretive Plotter. It felt like a fever dream, a surreal experience that was once in a lifetime. In one day I went from doing free labor, to spending time with the rulers of the world, ending with my longtime crush holding me tightly as we shared the same bed. Yoo Jonghyuk didn't bring up the kidnapping incident after that, instead focusing on making sure that I was ok going back to my everyday life. I assured him that I was okay, that they didn't do anything to me, and I'd rather resume work like usual. He was hesitant but agreed to let me go home, Mia agreeing in the background since she has to remind her brother that he has a tournament to prepare for. 

"If anything happens, make sure to call me" 

I can't help my heart racing from remembering his gestures and words. Despite being such a constipated mess of a man, Yoo Jonghyuk always took care of me. Of course, this crush of mine was always going to stay unrequited, Yoo Jonghyuk is already engaged after all. The perfect candidate; Lee Seolhwa, the heir of Seoul's biggest hospital and a doctor herself. On top of being a famous pro gamer, he was also a chaebol, so it was normal for him to be engaged with the best. 

Han Sooyoung almost got engaged with Yoo Jonghyuk, but she fought back and eloped with Yoo Sangah instead. They denied their arranged spouses and chose each other, truly the love story of the century. They always tease me, saying that I should do the same to Yoo Jonghyuk, but I don't wish to ruin the perfect life he has, I'm still being followed by my past so I wouldn't want to drag him down. 

—-It feels like everybody's happy but me

It hurts more when I smile than when I cry

Though I try to hold it back everyday, though I try to hang in there

But it's not working so well, I need your hand now—

I snap out of my thoughts when my phone alarm starts to play. I should really change this cheesy song to something else, Biyoo made fun of me once for being such an 'emo oppa'. 

Oppa…

I wonder if the Oldest Dream is okay? I shouldn't be worried about such a strong individual, but when I told him how I didn't want to be a pet, he looked like I ripped his heart out and threw it in the trash. He was really nice to me (maybe a little too friendly with all the touches) and even shared the same hobby as me, reading. Maybe he was just lonely like I was before, wanting someone to understand him…. 

…Yeah, no. Someone as powerful as him wouldn't know what loneliness feels like. He's surrounded by people who worship the very ground he walks, and can do whatever he wants, whenever he wants. Plus he has the Secretive Plotter and Kkomas taking care of him, he mentioned they were family, so they're probably fine. That whole day must've been a game for Oldest Dream, something to pass the time. 

I should stop thinking about the vampires, I have a life to live. I need to get ready for work, and Jung Heewon has been demanding that I come to the bar after work to talk about signing up for self defense classes. 

It's going to be a long day. 

Work is the same as usual, testing bad games and fixing bugs I come across along the way. Yoo Sangah has been making sure I don't overwork myself by checking up on me once in a while, her and Han Sooyoung are worried that I'll be kidnapped once again. Han Sooyoung even sneaked into the building just to drag me to have lunch with them! I didn't want to intrude on their date but they insisted that it'll give them peace of mind if I spend more time with them. 

After work I went to the park close by that I usually meet the kids at. Persephone and Hades, the foreign couple that adopted me when I was a teenager, always make time every week so I can see my adopted siblings. It warms my heart to know that they're willing to drive an hour away just so I can be part of their lives. They wanted me to stay with them until it was safe, but I assured them that it was a one time thing and it'll never happen again…I hope. 

Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung wanted to fight the vampires using the new plastic toys they got alongside their pet dog and bugs. I had to stop them from threatening random passing vampires, why are they even so aggressive? I think the time they spend around the Yoo siblings is infecting them. Biyoo, sweet little baby Biyoo, just cried her little heart out when she first found out about the incident. 

Now they're just little menaces, even Biyoo is acting a bit strange. 

"Oppa, don't forget that Biyoo is cuter than that old vampire, okay? Biyoo loves Oppa more than anything in the world, Oppa is Biyoo's favorite person, so Biyoo needs to be Oppa's favorite cutie pie. Next time it happens, Biyoo will wage war against that blood sucking Ahjussi!" When did Biyoo learn how to make threats?! 

I turn to Hades and Persephone, they just laugh and coo at the kids on how cute their bravery is. I really worry about them, but they should be fine. The kids were reluctant to go back home, but I assured them that we'll meet again next week. Biyoo left a cross with me, telling me to use it if another 'blood sucker' comes near me, and that she 'put magic on it'. Kids and their weird imagination. 

Once they left, I went straight to the bar hoping to get some free food and maybe have a good conversation with my friends before going home. Jung Heewon makes the best mocktails, though she does joke about my preferences being on the sweeter side, and that the reason I got kidnapped is because my blood is extremely sweet. I had to remind her that I wasn't even bitten by them. 

Oh how wrong I was when I thought I was going to have a relaxing night. 

Jung Heewon is serious about teaching me self defense. The moment I arrived at the bar, I was brought to a random Dojo nearby run by Kyrgios Rodgraim and Namgung Minyoung, the ones who trained Yoo Jonghyuk since he was a teenager. I know them, of course, but I never trained with them. Kyrgios tried to teach me multiple times, but I always ended up hiding from him whenever Yoo Jonghyuk had class. I memorized all the hiding spots of the place, I could write a map of it. 

Jung Heewon and Yoo Jonghyuk signed me up without telling me, for my own good they said. 

"I thought Dokja-ssi was excited for this? He looks like he's about to cry... " Lee Hyunsung, you absolute kind soul, please tell your aggressive lover to be nicer to me! I hid behind Lee Hyunsung, the biggest teddy bear out there, but Jung Heewon wasn't having it. She pushes me into the dojo with a huge grin. 

"He needs to develop some guts, Hyunsung, if we were nice to him he'll never be able to fight back when he needs to!"

"I mean, I guess you're right but…"

"What Kim Dokja needs is to gain some muscles. He's smaller than Lee Jihye, and she's a teenager!" 'Wow no need to be so rude, I'm not that small' "You can wrap your arms around him and still have some extra space for his kids"

"That's true…"

"Lee Hyunsung, please don't agree with her! She'll just drag me to the gym after this and make me drink expensive protein powder that I can barely afford!" I beg the kind Hysunsung. He looks at me in pity, turning his gaze away. 

"Dokja-ssi I'm sorry, I'll buy the protein powder to make it better, but they're right, this is for your sake"

Jung Heewon cackles at this betrayal. The one bastion of hope I had threw me into the pits, I don't know how to feel about this. 

Kyrgios wasn't planning on going easy on me at all, his beginning stretches were torture and the exercises were ridiculously hard. Sure, I'm pretty flexible due to my frame, but that doesn't mean I should be doing stuff that gymnasts do! I'm a reader, not a wrestler! Luckily, Hyunsung and Heewon gained a heart from watching me struggle, so they decided to drive me back to my apartment. 

Today was a different day, but it was a good day. I realized how much these people care for me, taking time out of their day just to spend it with me. I run my fingers on the cross that Biyoo gave me, knowing that even though I'm a broken man, and it's hard for me to fully depend on others, I have people who will be there for me. 

Slowly, I realize that maybe living isn't so bad.

Slowly, little by little, one day at a time. 

"I'm here to be of service to you, my liege"

OD smiles at SP before turning his gaze to King of the Silver heart, or Silver for short. His closest aides were notified of the circumstances, and Silver was one of the first ones to arrive. The others should follow once they finish with their individual missions. 

"If Salvation is back, then we must not waste any time to bring him to our side" Silver says, kneeling down in front of OD who's sitting on his throne with SP right beside him "I will do as you say, for your orders are absolute" 

"What information have you gathered about Kim Dokja?" OD asks with a commanding tone. 

SP pulls out a folder from his coat, handing it to OD who starts to read the documents. "Kim Dokja, Born on the 15th of February, 1991. After the arrest of his mother, he was passed down from one relative to the other, at the age of 18 he moved away to live alone in an impoverished area while he attended a community college. He still lives at the same apartment, and it's in a dangerous community"

OD raises an eyebrow "Arrest? Why was his mother arrested?"

Silver stands up and hands OD the book titled 'Underground Killer' "He was involved in the murder of his father, and the story of the murder has been published by his mother, Lee Sookyoung. It reached the bestsellers list here in Korea, gaining popularity even in foreign lands" 

OD flips through the pages with a frown "I've read this book before, it details great abuse and alcoholism by the father, as well as how the mother brutally murdered him but there were a lot of information that didn't add up, the last pages hinted at something else"

SP nods "The investigation that the police concluded that the stab wound couldn't have been made by Lee Sookyoung but most likely by a child" 

OD closes the book and traces the cover "Kim Dokja was probably swarmed by those flies who use journalism as an excuse to ruin his life, and people around him painted a picture of a monster instead of a child. His life must've been a living hell for the longest time" He grips the book hard, ripping it apart with his strength "Oops, oh well, I'll just stop this book from being published. Kim Dokja doesn't need to know the truth, at least not now. Buy the last remaining copies and keep it archived, make sure to hide it away from the eyes of the council" 

Silver bows his head "Understood" 

SP crosses his arms "You plan on using that knowledge to break Dokja down, don't you?"

OD pulls out the necklace once more "I need to use every piece I have in order to ensure that Kim Dokja will fall on my hands perfectly, even if it's a trauma that can potentially break him. The more I gather, the heavier the chains will be" 

SP smirks at the cunningness of his precious OD, grabbing one of his hands and kissing it "You truly are a devious one"

OD smirks back "That vile human who shares the same name as Kim Dokja's beloved hero is a famous gamer, so it's only right to treat this whole thing as a game, with the prize being our dearest Salvation" he gets up, stretches a bit, before walking out of the room with the two men in tow.

"Arrange a meeting with Lee Sookyung, I'd like to have a word with her"

Chapter Text

Chapter 6: A mothers love

Lee Sookyung doesn't expect anyone to visit her during her last year in prison. She asked Persephone and Hades to concentrate on their children instead of helping her and Dokja get on good terms, it was already too late to fix what's been broken. Back when Kim Dokja was in highschool, he would visit her everyday and talk about his favorite story. She enjoyed listening to his narration, his voice was shaky and he would skip information only to come back once he remembered it, but he always put effort in talking about his favorite protagonist, Yoo Jonghyuk. 

When the incident at school happened, she didn't know about it until it was too late. Out of desperation, she contacted her long-time friend who was abroad taking care of her business, to check up on her son. Kim Dokja tried to take his life by jumping from the 5th floor of his school, and his relatives demanded that she give them more money to 'cover for their wasted time'. Lee Sookyong never felt so disgusted by her own relatives, but there was nothing she could do from the confines of her cell. 

Persephone suggested that she adopt Dokja; both her and Hades are in her debt for helping them during their high school days. They always regretted not being there during the time of her arrest but would like to be there for her son who was the biggest victim of all. Lee Sookyung immediately agreed, and soon Dokja stopped visiting her to concentrate on rehab, and to start a new life. 

It was a necessary sacrifice, but she was willing to do it because she loved her son. 

Today, a guard informed her that important people were coming to visit her. Lee Sookyoung doesn't know anyone important enough to warrant a private meeting in one of the prison's luxurious rooms. 

A handsome man with a scar on one of his mismatched eyes watches her as she walks to the sofa and sits. Beside him was a large man with an intimidating expression, probably a soldier acting as a bodyguard, and a small figure (probably a child) who's completely covered in a starry veil, not even their face can be seen. She never met such intimidating people in her life, if she did she would surely remember them. 

"I'm the one who set up this meeting under short notice, Lee Sookyung, I am called the Great Plotter by most but feel free to call me SP, please do make yourself comfortable, I have prepared some snacks while we talk" The man looks at the veiled figure, and they bring out a basket filled with cookies that she hasn't seen in a long time. 

The Great Plotter, no inmate doesn't know of that name. It's the name of a great vampire that can cause great calamity to the world if provoked. He's one of the world rulers and the head of the council, a feared man even amongst the vampires. Why would someone as great as him want a meeting with a lowly prisoner like her? 

"May I ask the purpose of your visit, Lord Great Plotter?" 

"I'm here to gather information about Kim Dokja" the moment her son's name was mentioned, she slams the coffee table, making the basket fall on the side. The cookies crumble on the ground, but she didn't care about that. Why is someone so dangerous gathering information about her son?! She isn't afraid to hurt someone, even if it's a vampire, she is a criminal after all. 

SP crosses his legs and releases some of his aura, making Lee Sookyung tremble in fear. The air suddenly shifts, she feels chills go down her spine, but she keeps her guard on and glares at the man. 

"Stand down, Lee Sookyung, I'm not here to fight you"

"What do you want from my son?"

The man sighs "I simply want to know more about him, I already conducted a throughout investigation but it isn't enough, I need to know more"

Lee Sookyung narrows her eyes "Investigation? What makes you think I'll say anything to you If you already did your research without his consent?!" 

"It's to give Kim Dokja the life he deserves"

"He's already living the life he deserves, I don't need to help you turn my son into your disgusting livestock"

SP's eye twitches "What makes you think I'll make my beloved Dokja-yah into livestock?"

Beloved Dokja-yah? These people are probably stalkers of his son. How did he end up attracting this kind of crowd?! "Don't act innocent, everyone knows that vampires look down on us humans. What else will you do to him other than treating him horribly before throwing him away?" 

"How dare you insinuate that I'll mistreat my beloved in such a way? If it wasn't for the fact that you raised him, I would have killed you and burned your remains in front of all these criminals, to make an example not to cross me" his tone becomes fiercer with every word, and the air around them becomes thicker, almost suffocating Lee Sookyung but she refuses to show weakness to these monsters. 

"If you kill me, I'll simply curse you to the ends of the Earth, dragging you to hell so you could suffer alongside a pathetic human like me"

"You–"

"Ahjussi, that's enough. You really have no tact, it's painful to watch you pick a fight with a mother who lost her children"

The voice coming from the veiled figure made her breath hitch, she knows that familiar voice, there's no way she can mistake it. The mysterious person removes their cover, and in front of her is her son , the only difference is that his beauty is intensified, almost making him look otherworldly. Lee Sookyung admits that if Kim Dokja lived a better life, he'd be a beautiful child that would be adored by everyone, but seeing this carbon copy of him with the healthiness she always wished to see from him was terrif ying.

"Pardon the rudeness of my companion, I was hoping you were willing to cooperate without me having to show my face. I am called the Oldest Dream, the true family of Kim Dokja"

That Oldest Dream?! Why is he saying such things? "True family? Hah! What nonsense are you spouting?"

The Oldest Dream slowly walks towards Lee Sookyung, each step bringing dread to the poor woman "You don't have to act so surprised, Lee Sookyung, I already know the truth about everything. I read your book, you know? I noticed a lot of inconsistencies whenever you mentioned your son"

The child-like monster picks up a cookie from the ground and places it in front of her "So why don't you be honest with me, I'm not here to harm Kim Dokja but to bring him back to the world he belongs to"

"What are you—"

"The real Kim Dokja is dead, isn't he?"

No. No no no! What is he saying? Why is he saying such a horrible thing with his voice? Why is he smiling so kindly, yet his eyes glow an unnatural blue, like he's staring into her soul "On February 15th, on Kim Dokja's 3rd birthday, you wrote how your husband slammed your son on the cake you bought for him out of his drunken rage, Kim Dokja was hurt and scared so you bought him to his favorite park to find reprieve, yet a miracle happened and your son forgot about this scary birthday incident, wanting to go to the library to read for the rest of the day. Why did you mention that?"

"You're over analyzing things."

"Your son suddenly immersed himself in reading instead of playing with toys, his intelligence bordering that of a grade schooler instead of a toddler, in a single night, why is that?"

"......"

The Oldest Dream moves his finger on her arms, down to her hands and stopping at her knuckles that were white from her clenching "On the night of the blood moon, your son was tragically killed by your husband, and as you buried your son's remains at his favorite park, you found a lone child who looked similar to your son"

His hands wrap around hers, and he whispers in her ear with that sickly sweet tone "You replaced Kim Dokja with that child, and soon you forgot about his death, instead calling it a miracle" 

"How did you…?"

"Poor Lee Sookyung, you had to shoulder the burden of the truth all by yourself. Your pathetic relatives wouldn't lend a hand to help you in your time of need simply because they're jealous of your intelligence and former success. You used to be a business woman, correct? To think they would abandon you, all because you worked so hard all your life. They should be treated lower than garbage, how about we give them a slow and painful death? Torture them like how they tortured your poor son" 

"I'm not a monster like you..!"

"I admit, I'm a monster by default because I'm different , I won't deny that, but those who hurt Kim Dokja are the true monsters" The Oldest Dreams claps his hand, turning to SP who seems to be grabbing something from a suitcase "That's right, I bought a gift for you! I hope this helps you open your eyes"

The plotter puts down a skull right in front of her, and she knew exactly whose remains they were. She wants to gag, to scream, to cry, but the suffocating air and their presence alone is making it difficult to express anything other than fear. 

"Lee Sookyung, please understand that I'm here to help you, not hurt you. I'm here to give you a chance to redeem yourself from all your sins, I'm pretty benevolent, you know?"  Ice cold arms wrap around her shoulder, like the god of death was embracing her "Tell me the name of those who hurt the precious miracle given to you, the relatives that abused and neglected him, the classmates and teachers that mistreated him, even the reporters that made his life uncomfortable"

"I…"

"I know you want to punish them for causing so much pain to your son, I also want to do the same. I'm sure my appearance alone is proof enough that I mean no harm to Dokja, I'm the same as him after all" She hates to admit it but it's true, someone who shares the same face,  who's willing to dirty their hands to protect her son isn't going to hurt him. Maybe he'll be free from all her wrongdoings, she's such a failure as a mother. 

"Lee Sookyung, you've done enough, it's okay to let all your anger and hatred loose, you've sacrificed so much because of your motherly obligations and love, and now it's time for you to let him go. All you have to do is tell me all you know , and I promise to take care of the rest. I'll release you from this prison, and you can start a new life free of the sins that shackle you down"

It's not the promise of freedom that tempts Lee Sookyung, it's the promise of justice against those who wronged her son. If it's for Kim Dokja, she's willing to do it, even if it means signing her life with the devil. Lee Sookyung slowly nods, and the Oldest Dream pats her back, like he's mockingly consoling her.

"I'm glad you made the right choice. Let's get started, shall we?"

I feel a shiver down my spine, causing me to sneeze. It's the middle of summer, why am I getting the chills? I hope nobody is talking bad about me. 

"Kim Dokja-ssi, are you alright?" Lee Seolhwa asks with concern. 

"Ah, yes, sorry I spaced out" 

"Very well, as I was saying…." 

Yoo Jonghyuk insisted that I get a physical after I mentioned offhandedly that I've been feeling off lately. He believes the vampires might have fed me spiked food, or they planted a microchip inside of me. I tried to calm him down by saying how ridiculous his claims were. If they had done all that, shouldn't I be dead by now? Something about them poisoning me seems unlikely. He got angrier, telling me to stop defending the vampires every time they're brought up in a conversation. 

Have I been doing that? I didn't even notice I was, maybe something inside me changed when I met the Oldest Dream, it doesn't really help that I've been having a hard time sleeping lately. I told Lee Seolhwa about it, and she believes it to be stress related, but just to make sure she ran a bunch of tests on me to double check.

"... and that sums it up, you're perfectly fine, still a bit underweight, but that's an easy fix if you eat a bit more. Any questions?"

I shake my head "I'm sorry for the trouble Seolhwa-ssi, Yoo Jonghyuk shouldn't have forced you to do this" 'He shouldn't take advantage of your time just because you're engaged!'

Lee Seolhwa smiles, finishing up her report before turning to him fully "I don't mind helping a friend out, it's the least I could do after what happened. Don't be afraid to reach out to me whenever you feel sick, I'll gladly let you test my new line of vitamins" she finishes with a wink, making me laugh nervously. 

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind"

I leave the hospital with a strange feeling bubbling in my chest, like something big was about to happen. Before I could open my umbrella, the rain suddenly stopped, and the sun slowly peeks out of the clouds. The once dull, gray sky shifts into a blue sky, the birds chirping in the background as an indication that the storm ended. People around me are happy at the sight, saying how glad they are that the rain finally stopped, and some animatedly making plans now that they have some sunshine. 

I should be just as glad as them, but that lingering feeling of unease still follows me. I don't know if it's bad or good, I just hope that whatever it is won't be a pain to deal with. 

Chapter Text

Chapter 7:Kim Dokja's company

Today was like any other day, save for the fact that the train had a delay so now I'm running late for work. This is all because of my undying support for both my beloved protagonist and companion, Yoo Jonghyuk. Let me explain:

Yesterday I spent time reading several of Han Sooyoung's manuscripts. Luckily she actually paid me a hefty amount thanks to Yoo Sangah scolding her about 'taking advantage of my kindness' (bless Sangah's heart). Once I finished dealing with Han Sooyoung's rants on why certain things have to happen in her novel, I squeezed in some time to watch Yoo Jonghyuk's stream pre-tournament. Even when he's frustrated with his team, his handsomeness still prevails! Kim Namwoon and Lee Jihye are currently being scolded by their captain, Yoo Jonghyuk, something about dps? I never really understood gaming terms, but I try my best to seem interested so Yoo Jonghyuk will keep talking to me. 

Anyhow, I couldn't sleep since I was so excited for Yoo Jonghyuk's tournament that I started rewatching his other streams, ended up sleeping late, missing my alarm, and here I am running to Minosoft hoping I won't be too late. I don't want to deal with Han Myungoh screaming at me in front of everyone again. 

Finally arriving at my dreaded job, I immediately noticed that something strange was happening. First of all, the sign of our company was being taken down, and then there were a bunch of fancy looking cars at the parking lot, which I doubt anyone in the company owns seeing as Minosoft isn't a triple A job. People wearing fancy black suits and sunglasses were surrounding the building, and judging from their pointy ears and pale skin I'd say they were vampires. 

I hope this isn't what I think this is, just when I finally got back to the groove of things. Maybe I'm overreacting, Minosoft was slowly losing revenue so this might just be a business deal, right? Surely there's no way that any high ranking vampire would take time out of their day to buy a game company that makes crappy mobile games, right? 

Walking into the building doubled down on this uneasy feeling I had, the interior was newer, with new lights and repainted walls. From an old, boring office building, it looks like those fancy workplaces that he could never get hired on. There were plants (LIVING PLANTS) lined up on the sides to add more vibrancy to the place, and there were even paintings (expensive ones might I add) that were displayed in the hallway. To think this happened in one day , whatever happened on his day off must've been big for this place to warrant such a sudden change. 

Someone suddenly pulls me inside a janitor's closet, locking the door immediately. I turned to see Yoo Sangah who was panicking a bit, she's usually calm and composed even when things go south, so seeing her frantically looking around the closet is a bit worrisome. 

"Why are you here Dokja-ssi? Did you not see my message?"

"Message? I was in such a hurry I didn't get a chance to check my phone." 

"This is bad, we need to escape without anyone seeing us"

"Sangah-ssi please explain what's going on"

Yoo Sangah looks at the door for a second before turning to me "Yesterday Minosoft was bought by an 'anonymous group'. We know that they were trying to find ways to save the company from bankruptcy, so it was a no brainer that this was going to happen"

It was common knowledge for anyone working at this hellhole, that this place was going downhill. From mismanagement, to stolen funds, it was inevitable that this would happen. Yoo Sangah continues "The thing is, this buyer paid the amount fully, demanded that the rights to the company be handed immediately, kicked the CEO out, and then renovated the place in less than one day " 

I gulp at her words, that sounds too unrealistic but it's happening now, and Yoo Sangah isn't the type to make up a crazy story "Are you saying that Minosoft was bought by a high ranking vampire?"

"Not just any vampire, probably the same people who kidnapped you a few weeks ago…" the light starts flickering, and the window starts to crack, a sudden chill crawls down my spine but when I look around, no one was there but them.

"What, but why?"

Yoo Sangah grabs my left hand and looks at me with worried eyes "I don't know why they would go through such lengths, but all I can gather from this is that Dokja-ssi is in danger, and we need to get you out of here" the light bursts, and I cover Yoo Sangah so she won't be hit by the shards. We look at each other fearfully, thinking that we should just run out of the building, consequences be damned.

"Kim Dokja isn't leaving anytime soon" I would know that voice anywhere, but it sounds so small compared to Yoo Jonghyuk's.

We turned to the sound of the voice, and what greeted us was a good amount of Kkomas surrounding us from the higher places. Some on top of the broom closet, some hanging on the now lamp with no light, the vents were dented (when did that happen?) with some coming out from there. 

"Dokja-ssi, what are these ?" Yoo Sangah grabs my arm. I hide her behind my back, glaring at the Kkomas. The Kkomas' eyebrows twitch, glaring at us like we did something that offended them. 

"Stay behind me Sangah-ssi, these guys are dangerous" 

999 jumps down from his hiding spot, eyes softening the moment we made eye contact "It's been a while Kim Dokja"

"999, what do you want from us?!"

"We mean no harm, all we want is to keep you safe. Please don't make this difficult, for everyone's sake"

"Keep me safe? Are you going to take me away again?!"

The Kkoma shakes his head "No, we're not taking you by force this time. All we want is to have a conversation with you"

"I find that hard to believe…"

The door behind us slowly opens, revealing a man that looks eerily like Lee Hyunsung, except his skin is paler, his hair lighter, and his aura is more dominating. He glances at Yoo Sangah before bowing his head at me "It's nice to finally meet you, Kim Dokja-ssi, my name is King of the Silver heart, but I simply go by Silver"

Another high ranking vampire?! Yoo Sangah's complexion turns pale at the introduction, I wish I could console her but I was just as terrified as her "What do you want from me…?"

"I'm only following the orders of my liege, but I also wished to see you with my own eyes. To think you were really back, I am beyond elated!" 'Why are these vampires so bent on making my life harder than it is?! "Please, my liege and captain are waiting for us. Let's not make them wait any longer"

I don't want to go with this intimidating Hyunsung look alike, especially since he's part of the council, so I know who's waiting to see me. If I don't follow their demands it'll just end badly for both Yoo Sangah and me "You won't do anything to my friend if I go, right?"

Silver takes a moment to answer, looking genuinely confused at the question "Why would we bring harm to a civilian? We would never hurt someone important to you"

I slowly walk towards Silver, smiling at Sangah a bit before looking up at him "Fine, I'll go meet them. Please lead the way"

"Right this way"

Of course my hunch had to be correct, maybe I should do the lottery since I've been right on the target so many times today. That weird feeling of being oddly calm in times of peril is happening again, maybe they did drug me, but I know deep inside that it's not the real reason.

OD sits on the chair of the previous CEO with a shy smile with SP standing right beside him. Silver was behind me guarding the door, so there was no escaping these vampires. 

"Oppa I–" I flinch at his voice, he stops and looks down, fidgeting with the sleeve of his expensive looking attire "Please don't be scared, I'm not here to hurt you, I'd never hurt you" 

"......" When he says it like that it just sounds more threatening. Am I even supposed to talk when there's two council members here?! If I say the wrong thing I might really be killed, and of all places here at this shitshow of a job! 

"Are you thirsty? I bought the water you liked so much, I also bought some treats. What would you like?" OD pulls out a basket filled with expensive drinks and fancy looking sweets, such as cookies and cakes "You have a sweet tooth, so I thought that this would make you happy"

"Thank you for your generosity but I'm okay" I respond immediately, making OD frown. He puts the basket down on the table, and silence envelops the room. I acted friendly with them that day, but this was my workplace and now that they're my new employers, I can't be disrespectful. 

"OD-yah, Dokja-yah seems to be uncomfortable with so many of us here, I'll be stepping out for the time being. I want you to sort it out yourselves, so take your time alright?" SP says in a soft tone, patting OD's head before sending me that same soft smile "Dokja-yah please give us a chance and listen to what OD-yah has to say, he's been waiting to get a chance to talk to you ever since you left" 'Waiting? More like forcing me to talk to them!'

SP nods at Silver, and they walk out of the room, leaving the two of us in this big office. OD continues to fiddle with his sleeve, like he's thinking of what to say. My mind must be playing tricks on me, but OD genuinely seems to be nervous? Yes, I'm just going insane from all this, there's no way the ruler of the world is nervous. OD gets up from his chair, and starts walking towards me. I really want to back away but something is keeping me firmly rooted in my spot, is it fear or something else? 

He stops a few feet away from me, puts his hands together, and bows. I feel all my blood drain from my body because the Oldest Dream is bowing his head at a measly salaryman like me "I'm sorry for the other day! I didn't mean to make Oppa uncomfortable, I just wanted to spend time with Oppa"

'I guess he's still confusing me with Salvation ' "I was so excited to see you that I didn't even bother taking your feelings into consideration. Oppa isn't a pet, Oppa is important to me, I love Oppa too much to even think of doing that! I really am sorry, I don't want Oppa to be scared of me or hate me! Please don't hate me, OD will be a good boy from now on so please don't leave me, please don't leave me behind, OD doesn't want Oppa to leave, Oppa can't leave me!"

OD looks up with tears streaming down his eyes like waterfalls, he tries to wipe them but it doesn't stop falling, snot drips down his nose, and he's heaving as he continues to apologize while crying. My heart clenches at this sight, the person in front of me isn't threatening, it's just a boy who doesn't want to be left behind. I don't know why he's going through so much effort to keep me beside him, but he's apologizing so sincerely that I can't help but sympathize with him. 

Without thinking, I bend down to hug the crying boy, and a tiny gasp comes out of OD. Like what I did back in the penthouse, I start to hum the melody of the song from the past, stroking his head, and rubbing my cheek against his. OD reciprocates the hug, grasping the back of my shirt tightly, sniffling a bit before humming alongside me. When I finally come back to my senses, I try to let go, and just like before OD won't let go. 

"OD-yah…" OD buries his head on my shoulder, clinging to me like I'm about to disappear if he lets go. I wonder what's making him so desperate for touch, maybe SP doesn't show him much affection? They were bickering whenever I was around them. "OD-yah I don't hate you, everything was just so overwhelming that I ended up saying those things"

OD makes a small noise, and I hug him a bit tighter. It feels like something is possessing me to move and talk with little to no worry, I want to question it but consoling this fragile child in front of me feels like the right thing to do "I'm sorry if I made you scared, I'm right here now so don't cry anymore"

"Oppa won't leave me…?" OD whispers. 

"Well, I don't know about living with you, but we can start anew, get to know each other by hanging out from time to time"

"But OD wants to be around Oppa as much as possible!" OD seems to have calmed down, seeing as he's sulking with his cheeks puffed up. I laugh at him, pinching his adorable cheeks. 

"I know, but it's a bit too much being surrounded by powerful people. Also, can you call me Hyung instead of Oppa? I don't want your reputation to go down over something like that…"

"Oppa is so much cuter to say, but OD understands, if I change how I call you will you stay by my side?"

"I will, I won't leave OD-yah alone anymore, we'll be together from now on, just like before" ' Wait, what did I mean by that? I've never met OD before, so why am I so confident that we were together before? What's compelling me to comfort and say such nice words to someone who can end my life with just a single flick of his finger?'

'Am I really Salvation? There's just no way that can be true.'

OD beams at my words "Just like before? Does that mean you'll read stories with me again, and tuck me to bed, and eat with me, and go on trips with me? " 

That actually doesn't sound so bad, I was expecting worse "Yes, I'll do that, one day at a time. I'll try to schedule meetings with you, I still have to work after all"

OD tilts his head to the side, like a kitten who's confused at their master's words "Work? Why would you work?"

I raise an eyebrow, does OD think I can just skip out of work? Wait, he IS the new boss of minosoft, does that mean he'll cut my hours? "I need to pay my bills and make sure I have a roof over my head, I can't just skip work"

OD giggles, holding my hands before swaying our arms "Hyung doesn't have to work a single day in his life anymore, OD bought this company after all, and from now on you're the CEO!" 

Wait, what?

"Starting today, Minosoft will be changed to Kim Dokja's Company, KimCo for short, and we'll make sure that this company will strive for excellence, Kim Dokja company fighting!" OD cheers happily, pumping his fists in excitement.

I feel a headache forming from what he just said, my suspicions were absolutely correct, but I didn't expect him to name this company after me! "OD-yah isn't this a bit much?"

"Nothing is enough for Hyung's sake, plus now that we made up, OD wants to be around Hyung as much as possible!"

"OD-yah you can't just buy my job so you can spend time with me"

"Why not? It's the easiest and fastest way to make sure that Hyung will have a steady flow of income so you won't have any financial repercussions whenever you're around OD"

Not dealing with Han Myungoh sounds like a dream come true, but it's really hard to digest that I'm suddenly a CEO " Listen OD, It's just not what I was expecting, can't you just make me an assistant or even just hand me a raise? I know that you have good intentions with all this , but it's too much to handle in a single day"

"No, OD only wants what's best for Hyung, and this is the most efficient way of saving time and money so Hyung can rest at home more!" ' Of course the ruler of the world won't listen to reason, he can do whatever he wants with a snap of a finger ' "Speaking of your home, I want to play with Hyung, so let's go to Hyung's place!" 

Oh no, I can't bring OD to my place, it's a shoebox compared to his glamorous life "It's too cramped, and too old, and–"

OD grabs my arm and gives me the biggest puppy dog eyes, why is he so adorable?! "I don't care, I want to go! I want to play at Hyung's place! We want to see how Hyung lives!" 

"Wait, what do you mean by we?" 

The doors open, SP and Silver looking a bit sheepish at me. Ah, I should have known that they planned this whole thing "We all want to play at your place, so let's get going! Ah, let's go get brunch first, Hyung overslept and probably skipped breakfast, so you must be hungry"

How did he know about that? He probably saw me running down the street like a madman, Ah, all I can do is act like a fool around them, my stupid acts might just make it to the front of a tabloid or something.  

"Hyung you should stop overthinking, I won't harm you, so don't try to run away, okay? OD just wants to take care of you, I won't do anything to harm the new CEO of KimCo. I won't hurt your friends too, so let's have fun today!" OD grabs my left hand, gripping it a bit tighter than what's comfortable, and starts to drag me out the office with the two intimidating men following behind.

Yeah, Vampires are extremely unreasonable, societal norms just do not apply to them. They can say such intimidating things that's borderline threatening, but OD is just too adorable that I can't help but go along with his whims. Maybe I really am sick. 

Chapter Text

Chapter 8: OD won't stand for this!

OD is known to be a ruthless ruler, one who treats others with coldness, and has little to no sympathy over the circumstances of others. His pride is higher than the sky, bowing to no one, not even to the nations that govern the world. OD brings fear to his enemies and reverence to those who follow him. A powerful being that can bring destruction upon the world with a single command, such a person would be deemed a God. 

That simply wasn't the case when his beloved Salvation, Kim Dokja, is involved. He throws that pride away, replacing it with a burning desire to be coddled and touched, to be praised and loved. OD knows that he's cute (he's heard people calling him a living doll after all) so he uses the 'Aegyo' technique he saw online on Kim Dokja, opting to call him Oppa to intensify his cuteness. He wants Kim Dokja to fall for his cuteness, to show Kim Dokja that OD will never bring harm to him. He's kind only to his family and Kim Dokja, and he makes it a point to show it.

When Kim Dokja asked him to replace Oppa with Hyung, he was a bit disappointed that his plans on conquering Kim Dokja with cuteness wasn't working as well as he thought, but he did get something out of it; he can act cheeky, bratty, and then cry when things don't go his way, and it makes Kim Dokja concede to OD's selfishness. Kim Dokja is weak to his tears, just like Salvation was, and he's using it to his full advantage. OD will use any means necessary to capture Kim Dokja's heart, body, and soul. He will even take control of Kim Dokja's financial situation, pulling the strings from behind so Kim Dokja will be fully dependent on them (SP refuses to let OD do all the work, he constantly has to remind OD that Dokja was his lover first, causing OD to throw a tantrum all night long)

Kim Dokja should never know how he arrested all his relatives, his bullies, and his useless teachers, keeping them in the worst cells possible, torturing them day after day that they'd wish for the sweet escape of death instead of incurring OD's wrath. Kim Dokja can't know that he fired the coworkers who mistreated him, including that disgusting Han Myungoh, making sure they'll have a hard time finding employment. OD did his best to contain his anger when he watched his beloved Kim Dokja being touched by his female 'friend' through the cameras (touching him so freely and putting the idea of running away into his head) if he wasn't trying to apologize to Dokja, he would have killed her himself (SP sent the Kkomas after them before OD could cause major damages to the building).

No, he can't let his cover get blown this early into the game. He has to make sure that all the dirty deeds won't resurface, and must be kept far, far away, until Kim Dokja is fully his . Now that he knows everything, he can use all he learned to keep Kim Dokja by his side, and if Kim Dokja still believes that he's free to leave, well, OD can just use what he knows to make him stay. Maybe he'll bring up his insecurities, his fears, his trauma, and when Kim Dokja starts to break, OD will be there to console him and show him love.

He's going to win this game against the fake protagonist that his beloved Kim Dokja loves oh so much, he's going to be Dokja's number one and he'll do anyt hing to ensure his victory. 

Now I'm not the poorest person out there, but I'm certainly not well off either. I consider myself to be in the lower middle class, maybe even higher poverty since there are times when I can't even afford to buy a decent meal. Having to pay off the debt left behind by my relatives, school loans, and rent, there was barely any left for my daily necessities. Hell, I can't even afford internet in my apartment since it was cutting down my budget! 

The apartment itself isn't bad, sure it's located in a pretty dangerous area, but the rent is cheap and it was pretty close to the station. I've lived in this place since college, so it's basically home to me. I don't have a lot of furniture (A table to eat at, and a futon I got for cheap folded on the side), and the unit I rent is very affordable (cause it's extremely run down), but it's better than nothing. The unit I rent is what one would call a 'Banjiha', it's a basement unit that's cheaper than most places in Seoul. The one I'm currently living in has all the necessities I need, a kitchen right next to the doorway, a small bathroom with an old, tiny toilet and shower that can barely fit me, and the living space that doubles as a bedroom. Yes, I don't have any rooms but I live on my own so I don't really need that; my fridge is filled with expired kimbap, water, and some energy drinks, and my kitchen cabinet filled with cheap instant ramen (which has variety) from the convenience store, but at least I'm not starving! I'm just happy that my current upstairs neighbors don't make too much noise at night. 

The problems start happening the moment I walk them down to the basement, SP and Silver are already shocked at how unmaintained the stairs are since it creaked  with every step they make. I stop in front of my door, trying to unlock it only for the door knob to come off the door. I laughed nervously, trying to tell them that it'll get fixed soon. As we step inside the place, OD notices that water is leaking from the tiny window overlooking the street. I assure him that it's not a big deal, and I can easily put a towel there. OD walks inside, voicing out how unhappy he is that this was tinier than the description. When Silver steps in, the floor cracks, causing his foot to be stuck in a hole. He managed to get it out but the whole just got bigger. 

SP starts opening the cabinets of my kitchen and glares at my collection. SP complains how I only have 'nothing but junk' and 'I should be eating better than this', looking at the expired kimbaps in my fridge with disgust. I'm sorry not all of us are filthy rich!  

"Unacceptable…" I turn to OD who's shaking in front of me. I'm not an OD expert, but I can already tell he's about to throw another tantrum, so I slowly back away from him (at least as much as I can with the little space). 

"Simply unacceptable! To think that Hyung is living in this place, and that fake protagonist just lets you live here?!" OD turns to the other two guests "I want you to talk to the landlord and buy this building, effective immediately!"

"OD-yah stop! You can't just buy another building, What about the other tenants!? People live here!" 

"I'm not that heartless, I won't kick them out. I just want to make sure that Hyung lives better than whatever this is!" OD crosses his arms and puffs his cheeks "I don't care what Hyung says, I can't allow this!" 

Before I can even stop SP and Silver, they're already gone, screw their superhuman abilities!

"This was built to be storage, not an apartment! The bath is so small it might as well be your closet, Hyung doesn't even have a closet! You're also sleeping on the floor?! No AC unit nor heaters, just a fan and a few blankets?! You don't even have enough clothes to warrant a decent sized luggage! I won't stand for this!" I've never felt so insulted over facts before, not even Yoo Jonghyuk can make me feel this ashamed. 

"Don't get me started with your kitchen, why is it filled with expired food?! I know instant ramen can be comforting, Monarch and Maritime sneakily eat them, but why so many? And why do you have more energy drinks than water? Hyung is basically poisoning himself! I won't allow it!" 

"OD-yah, please calm down—"

"NO! I don't get it, why would you choose this sorry excuse of a living space—" 'Okay now he's just insulting me ' "---over the penthouse. If the penthouse isn't enough, we could use the mansion, even several of them! So why do you want to live here all by yourself? Are you trying to break your promise and leave me behind?!" 

Great, OD is crying again. I need to calm him down, or else everyone in the apartment will complain about how loud he's being, making OD angry at how disrespectful they are, and potentially killing everyone here! 

"OD-yah I'm not trying to die, I actually like how….er…cozy this place is? I lived here for a good chunk of my life"

"Cozy?! I can tell you're lying cause your nose is getting big, Hyung sucks at lying! You're not allowed to lie to OD!" 

I thought I worked on that? Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung always make fun of me for that, Biyoo consoles me after saying it can't be helped "Okay, yeah it's not the best place to live in but it's what I can afford, it's not that bad"

"There's water from the streets leaking through your window and ceiling, that can kill you right there!"

"Calm down, you're exaggerating. It can easily be covered"

"Your toilet is a hole in the ground!"

"It's old but it flushes just fine!"

"The hallway is haunted!"

"Okay that's actually very concerning"

"Everything about this place screams danger, Hyung can't stay here anymore!" OD grabs my arms and starts shaking me "Hyung, open your eyes, OD can give you a better life than this! You don't have to live here anymore, just stay with me!" 

"I already told you I'm okay"

"Then at least move out!"

"I don't have the money for that"

"I'll let you live for free with me, just move in with us! Free food, free transportation, free water, and you get to spend your free time with me, for free!" OD starts to flash his cute starry eyes at me, his lips trembling, and his cheeks stained red from the tears, he looks like a sad kitty cat "OD just wants to help Hyung, please stay with me from now on, I don't think I'll be able to sleep at night knowing my dear Hyung is living in such horrible conditions"

"OD-yah…"

"I finally made up with Hyung, I can't bear to be apart from Hyung again. Please let me in your life, let me take care of you, I want to make it up from all the missing years I wasn't there!" 

"I'm really fine so please calm down"

"I love Hyung a lot, and because I love Hyung I don't want to leave you here. Yes, I have all the right to take you by force, no problem—" 'He's threatening me now?!' " --- but I won't because I want you to willingly come with me. Please choose me, Hyung! I'm better than Yoo Jonghyuk!" 'He's going to bring that up again?!

OD continues going on a speech about all the things he's willing to do for me, how he wants me to go with him and why I should go with him, telling me to 'choose him and not muscular men who are too idiotic and emotionally constipated to love him properly', to being greater, more superior than the pathetic fake Yoo Jonghyuk,and so on. OD refuses to stop until his point gets across, which I tried telling him it did, but because I don't want to move in with him he goes back into his rant. OD was clearly not stopping soon, and my neighbors will be back in a few minutes. 

Where are SP and Silver when you need them?!

On the other side of the building, SP steps on the head of Gong Pildu, smirking at the pathetic display in front of him. Silver was tasked to deal with potential enemies around the building, and judging from the subtle noises of broken bones he's doing a wonderful job. Gong Pildu starts coughing, begging for mercy from him. SP ignores him, lighting up a cigarette, huffing a bit before blowing it all out. 

"Such a cheap brand for such a cheap man. Why should I show mercy to someone who's taking advantage of my beloved's kindness?"

He kicks the man on the stomach, using his foot to force Gong Pildu to look up at him "I-I didn't know one of my tenants is your lover, I'll lower their rent, hell I'll let them live for free!"

SP bends down and slowly crushes the cigarette on Pildu's neck "Such offers are pathetic, not even your filthy blood will be enough for your sins"

"Please! I'll do whatever you want, I can't die, I have a family!" Gong Pildu cries. 

"I want to buy this immediately today, and I want the rights to it now. Not tomorrow, not this afternoon, I want it this very moment"

Gong Pildu nods frantically, and SP removes his foot from him. ' Great, my new leather loafers are stained with the blood of a pig '. Two Kkomas appear from the shadows and start to wipe off his shoes. He can't let his precious Dokja see him in such a pathetic state.

It's been hundreds of years since the last time SP felt emotions. On the day Salvation died, a part of him died alongside him, causing him to become a hollow version of himself. 

They barely had time to mourn his death, having to find safety and seek shelter. OD became unstable throughout the upcoming years, going from a broken boy that immersed himself in the stories based on his brother, to a cold hearted monster that crushed his enemies with no remorse. SP did his best to be by his side, to take care of the only living family of his beloved. They share the same eyes, the same love for reading, but they were two different people with two different hearts. SP knows how to create boundaries, he doesn't want to hurt OD after all.

Much to SP's surprise, OD was the one who approached him. It was the day after Salvation's death anniversary, and OD isolated himself once again. The others chose to spend that day doing their missions, as a distraction, and as an excuse to grieve on their own time. SP stayed behind the mansion, not wanting to leave OD alone lest they hear the news of a doll like vampire slaughtering a whole city. Once OD goes out of control, it's quite difficult to stop him, it doesn't help that he dislikes humans since he blames them for Salvation's death. 

The Kkomas scurry around doing their duties, it gives SP some time for himself. He poured a bottle of fine wine mixed with fresh blood, played some classical music from his record player, and sat down in his chair to read a good book. Salvation always loved to immerse himself in all sorts of literature, SP used to loathe it but recently he's been enjoying it. Letting the mind drift into the world of stories became a good distraction for SP, especially on this specific day. 

His door slowly opened and OD stood there with a blank smile. He walked towards SP, wrapped his arms around him, and pulled him into a kiss. 

SP was frozen from OD's ministrations, but couldn't bring himself to stop his liege. OD pulled away and placed their foreheads together.

"Plotter please, I want to experience what Salvation felt with you, I want to feel the warmth that he felt with you, then maybe I'll be able to feel his warmth too"

From then on, they had their occasional nightly rendezvous. It wasn't out of obligation, nor pity, it was simply to fill the 'love' they lost when Salvation disappeared from the world. Two broken souls finding solace and comfort with each other, becoming wholly dependent on one another or else the other breaks. It was something only they understood, and that was good enough for them. 

They conquered the world, became the rulers of it to make Salvation's dreams come true, yet the empty, gaping hole in their hearts remained.

Until Kim Dokja came into the picture. 

His beloved Salvation was back! He was breathing, talking, smiling, and living. All the lost emotions came rushing back to him, and all he could do was act like a lovestruck fool around him. To think he even picked a fight with his liege, that was how much influence Kim Dokja had with them.

When OD let Kim Dokja go, SP was initially disappointed on how easy OD gave up, only for his interest to be piqued with his sudden demeanor change. 

OD is a lovable person, and SP knows that OD will do anything to keep Kim Dokja by their side. He went along with OD's plan, and is quite pleased with the results. OD has always been great at strategies, so SP is impressed at how far OD was willing to go for Kim Dokja. 

SP is the same, if not worse than OD. 

If Kim Dokja asked him to serve his heart on a silver platter, he'll change the platter to gold to make it more elegant. If Kim Dokja asked for all his nails removed and be made into jewelry, he'll personally remove them to ensure he only gets the best bits of himself. He'll kill nations for Kim Dokja, he'll become the villain if it's for his beloved's sake. 

From his job, to his home, SP just has to destroy it, as swiftly as possible, because Kim Dokja only deserves the finest things, and it's their job taking out the trash. 

Once OD manages to bring Kim Dokja fully on their side, he'll personally kill Yoo Jonghyuk, not only for sharing similar facial features, but for using Kim Dokja's weaknesses against them. He won't allow a bargain bin version of himself to steal his beloved star's heart, he simply cannot let that happen, or else he'll go insane with hatred and jealousy.

Scanning the papers Gong Pildu gave him, SP glances at him, making the beaten man screech "Surely you jest, I'm missing the deed for the land as well. Hand it over to me now , before you suffer the consequences"

"DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME!" Gong Pildu points a gun at SP, shooting him on the face. SP's hand was faster than the bullet, and thanks to the reflexes he honed for years, caught the bullet. He shows off the bullet to Gong Pildu, making the man drop to the ground, begging on his arms and knees once more. 

"Don't pull off another stunt like that and bring it to me now . I can't leave my liege and beloved alone, or I might have my chances to spend time with my beloved significantly reduced" 

The windows of the room shatter,making Pildu scream for his life when the air from outside hits his skin. Pildu runs to his desk, grabbing all the documents there, and hands it to SP. 

"Take it, Take it all! Just don't kill me please!"

SP hates having to deal with such pathetic trash, but this was necessary for their plans. All he had to do was follow OD's orders to get his beloved back in his arms.

Chapter Text

Chapter 9:One step forward, two steps back

"OD-yah, please let me go, we've been in this position for a while now"

"No."

"OD-yah, I really need to use the bathroom, please let me go"

"I'll let you go if you come home with me"

"OD-yah I already told you that I can't "

"Then I'm not letting go."

It's been 30 minutes since I've last seen SP or Silver, and 20 since OD started clinging to my waist. We're currently sitting on the floor, with OD refusing to budge, going as far as to lay on my lap with his arms around my waist. At first I thought it was better than him scolding me over my living conditions, but then I realized that he wouldn't let go , so now I'm stuck having to deal with his temper tantrum.

Is it weird that I don't find myself mad, but find it absolutely endearing? Despite being such a great power, he's taking the time and effort to spend time with me, going as far as to give me a good life. The only person that pampers me to such a degree is Yoo Jonghyuk, but even he won't go through the same lengths as OD. I kinda feel touched at his concern. 

I do wish he would dial it down a bit, it's hard to deal with Yoo Jonghyuk already, and now I have to deal with OD and SP. 

I start to stroke my hand on OD's hair, playing with his blushing ears from time to time, before sighing in defeat at the situation. He's really not moving unless I agree to leave this place. It's not even that bad, but he kept telling me everything wrong about it, and how many health code violations this place has. 

"OD-yah, SP-nim might get mad if you don't let go. What would he say if he saw you acting like this?"

OD groans, burying his head on my lap more "I don't care what Ahjussi says, all I care about is Hyung coming home with me"

"This is where I live though?"

"No! Unless you say yes to coming home with me, I won't let you go!" 

"But OD-yah I keep telling you, I can't just move out for no reason. You see, I have this thing called a lease and—"

"I know how leases work! You're just making excuses so you won't move in with me!"

He's really adamant on taking me home. I still don't understand why he's so upset, he's the one who wanted to come here in the first place despite my warnings. My phone starts to ring, my ringtone being the default one that came with it.

The second I pull up my phone to check the caller, a picture of Yoo Jonghyuk smiling greets me, this causes OD to screech, grabs my phone, and hangs it up before I could answer it. 

"Why is that your wallpaper?!"

"First of all, he's not a thing, he has a name. Second he's not just my wallpaper, he's also my screensaver" I think I made a huge blunder cause OD's mood dips completely, the light starts to flicker, and the whole place starts to shake. 

"Hyung, do you l-l-l-lo–" OD looks like he's trying not to visibly gag. I get it, it's not normal for a 28 year old salaryman to idolize his childhood friend but can anyone blame me?! He's the definition of a perfect man if you don't count his personality! "Do you have feelings for that fake Yoo Jonghyuk?!"

I feel my entire face turn red, and if I was a cartoon steam probably starts coming out of my ears. Apparently, that reaction was all OD needed for him to absolutely lose it . OD's eyes glow azure once more, and his once playful demeanor changes to a serious one.

"I'll be Yoo Jonghyuk from now on."

Why is he so adamant on being Yoo Jonghyuk?! Sure, I did that when I was a teenager too cause I idolized the protagonist, but OD seems to be obsessed with 'taking the mantle'. I want to ask him so bad but I know I have to put a stop to this, or else it won't just be my neighbors being killed but OD might order a whole SWAT team to go after Yoo Jonghyuk while he's in mid tournament!

I put my hands down on OD's shoulders, pushing him back down on my lap, and started scratching the back of his ears gently. This always works with the kids so I'm hoping this works on OD too. This makes OD calm down a bit, the overall uneasy feeling around disappearing. 

"OD-yah, can you keep a secret?"

OD nods, so I continue to play with his hair. "It's true that I had a crush on Yoo Jonghyuk but my feelings for Yoo Jonghyuk won't be reciprocated. He's already engaged, I have no chance competing with his fiance, let alone stand next to someone great like him. I'm just a fan of him and his team" even though I have little to no idea what they do on the screen.

OD completely calms down now, looking up to me with a goofy grin "I see I see I understand~ Hyung should have said that from the beginning~ Don't scare me like that" OD tackle hugs me down on the ground, with him on the top this time. OD starts rubbing our cheeks together, it seems that me being rejected by Yoo Jonghyuk without actually confessing makes him happy. "OD shouldn't worry about that faker stealing Hyung away from OD! I knew that Hyung liked me the most!" 

Am I cursed to be single and miserable for my whole life, to the point that the ruler of the world laughs at my suffering? OD is cute and all, but seeing him so giddy about my unrequited love kinda stings. He reminds me of Lee Gilyoung cheering every time Yoo Jonghyuk had to cancel appointments with me because of familial obligation. 

"OD doesn't have to do anything unnecessary, like stealing his name after all! He doesn't even have a chance with Hyung! I was worried about nothing, now my biggest competition is Ahjussi, all I have to do is make sure you guys are never alone" OD starts to mumble under his breath, some of his words becoming harder to distinguish the more I listen. I guess he doesn't want me to get close with SP? Is SP more dangerous than OD? I feel like I shouldn't tell him that I want to be surrounded by the kkomas, they seem soft and cuddly. 

OD wraps his arms around my waist, his smile slowly morphs into a concerned expression. "Hyung, I've been meaning to ask this, but the battle against the fake protagonist distracted me—" 'BATTLE?!' "---You're really small. I can wrap my arms around your waist and still have extra room, do you not eat? Wait, judging from your horrible food choices I can tell you don't."

I don't know whether I should be concerned, insulted,or happy that OD is comfortable enough to roast my life choices. The smaller vampire starts touching me all over my body, his eyebrows start furrowing even tighter "Yoo Jonghyuk comes occasionally to cook for me, sometimes he drags me to eat with him. I eat with my friends after work, but on my off days I just eat whatever I find on the fridge"

"How many times do you eat in a day?"

"Usually just dinner? I occasionally eat a Jumeok-bap from the convenience store for lunch if I have the chance to get it, only if it's half priced though, it cuts into my monthly budget"

OD stops his ministrations and stares at me in shock "Hyung, you're starving yourself!"

"I don't have a big appetite? Oh! Yoo Jonghyuk would bring breakfast sometimes too, despite being grumpy he's actually caring"

"Yoo Jonghyuk this, Yoo Jonghyuk that, it's always ending with Yoo Jonghyuk. I thought he had no chance but it's obvious that Hyung is too obsessed with him!"

"Hey! I'm NOT obsessed!"

OD stands up "Hyung, as the new landowner of the building, I hereby declare that you're evicted from this property!"

Where did this suddenly come from!? "SP and Silver aren't back yet, what makes you think that they managed to buy a whole building from the homeowners coalition?" 

Gong Pildu is known to be ruthless when it comes to his property. I heard from the neighbors that he's connected to the mafia, and he has his own group that's dedicated to protecting his land. I know SP and Silver are strong, but they have guns! 

"I know they managed to do it, they've never failed me before" OD huffs his chest pridefully. Well, they are council members, on top of that they're just a whole different kind of power. OD's confidence in the whole thing makes me feel relieved. 

"Well, I guess I can stay at Yoo Jonghyuk's—"

"No! Hyung is coming home with me! I didn't want to use force, but you leave me no choice! I'm tired of hearing Yoo Jonghyuk over and over again! Stop relying on that third rate pro gamer, I want Hyung to rely on me, I'm better than all of them combined! I love Hyung the most!"

OD starts his speech once again, and this time I can already tell that he's not stopping until I agree to his demands

As I expected, he didn't stop until I agreed to his demands. We're currently in another limousine, bigger and better than ever, with SP and Silver looking pleased that I'm with them. OD refused to let go of me, so now he's sitting on my lap while talking about how he's going to hand feed me from now on to 'ensure only the best food gets to touch Hyung's insides'.

Why does OD make everything sound so strange?

SP rebuked that if OD wants to feed me with the best, I should only eat his cooking. I admit that SP's meal from last time was delicious, but OD seems against it, saying that SP will only 'drive me into temptation', whatever the hell that means. OD is so strange, he acts so cute and loving with me, but he quickly changes into this aggressive, angry gremlin whenever SP starts talking about wanting to spend time with me. 

Before OD could argue with SP again over who gets to spoon feed me, I start squishing OD's cheeks, moving my hands up to start patting his head. OD relaxes, leaning on me fully, like a cat lazing on his master. He's just too cute! My heart flutters everytime I see OD's smile, I just want to give him all the love and attention!

I really must be possessed to think such a powerful being is so adorable. The ruler of the vampires can't be this cute!?

SP seems to be sulking, so I reach out and pat him on the head too. He relaxes on my hand, and now I'm stuck patting two extremely powerful vampires. 

Silver chuckles on the sight, and I can't help but sigh. These two are a lot more work than I would like to admit, maybe even more than the kids I adore so much. I hope the kids won't fight OD when they meet him, they're just as protective of me as the vampires after all.

The three vampires proceed to bring me to the fanciest clothing shop I've ever stepped foot in, forcing me to try so many clothes, buying the whole store because 'Hyung looks good in everything', before repeating it three times. When I started complaining about how hungry the whole shopping spree was making me, they dragged me to an extremely fancy restaurant, SP complaining that he and 81 can cook better while OD started spoon feeding me like he said in the car. It was too fancy for my palate, but I appreciate the effort they put into the dish to make it a work of art. 

OD refuses to let my arm go, saying that I might get blown by the wind with how thin I am (Which is quite rude?! Han Sooyoung makes that joke enough, now OD too?!), so with our arms intertwined, we continue to walk around the little fancy plaza that they apparently own (I really should stop being surprised with these vampires). 

"I'm really happy that I got to spend the day with Hyung like this. I wish I could spend everyday so happily with Hyung by my side" 

I watch the clouds move by, not wanting to say anything so OD won't misunderstand what I say. It's true that this has been quite an adventure, yet it still can't be helped that a line must be drawn with this strange relationship. I still don't know what I am to these powerful beings, so I have to make sure not to lower my guard down. Despite the voice in the back of my head screaming and yearning to trust them, to take their kindness, to stop doubting them, I can't help but feel apprehensive. 

"Dokja-yah? You're spacing out again" 

Snapping out of my thoughts, I turn to SP who looks at me worried, brushing some of the hair on my face before smiling softly "Such a sad expression doesn't suit your face, is something not to your liking? I can tell OD-yah to minimize touch if needed"

"Oi Ahjussi, you're really picking a fight now" 

"Now why would I pick a fight with my beloved liege? I just want Dokja-yah to be comfortable"

"You piece of–!!"

I sigh at the start of their bickering "Okay okay settle down you too. Look at Silver-nim, he's just hanging around, why can't you two do the same?" Silver laughs at the two who became dejected after the callout. 

"Sorry Hyung…"

"My apologies…"

It was really funny to see two powerful vampires looking like sad kittens whenever I scold them. These two should open a comedy show on top of whatever they have going on. Not like I’d tell them that I find them funny, I might get killed by their followers or something. I can already tell from the gaze around us that the vampires are not happy seeing their rulers with a lowly human like me. 

"Thank you SP-nim, OD-yah, but I'm okay. I just don't know what direction my life is heading to now. I got promoted and evicted all in the same day, on top of that I have so many clothes that I don't know what to do with them. Won’t this affect your reputation? Doing all this for someone like me…."

As if feeling my apprehensions, OD squeezes my arms a bit tighter,leaning closer to me with a small smile "Hyung doesn't have to worry about anything, all we want is to bring you joy and happiness"

"OD-yah is right. You should stop overthinking things and just enjoy everyday with us".

We walk to my new residence hand in hand, with SP and OD holding both my hands oh so gently, yet that gentleness stings my heart. It's so nostalgic, so warm despite their cold touch, like I've been held like this before. It's like a missing puzzle piece that clicked, but I simply don't have the heart to admit it.

I finally realize what I'm afraid of from all this, it isn't becoming a pet, nor is it having to stay with them, it's that I feel too safe around them, and that simply isn't me. I grew up shunned, neglected, and abandoned, I only started to open up to my friends and family, and yet it's so easy with these strangers. I only know them from common knowledge, but being around them makes me feel like I belong with them. 

That emotional security terrifies me, I don't want to open up, I don't want to expose my broken self to these perfect beings. 

I'm scared of being abandoned once the truth comes out, that I'm not the amazing Salvation, I'm simply Kim Dokja, the pathetic son of a murderer. 

Chapter Text

Chapter 10: Flames of love

OD watches his beloved Kim Dokja's chest rise and fall, smiling to himself on how peaceful he looks while sleeping. After a fun day spent with Kim Dokja, they forcefully dragged him back to one of their mansions. OD and SP agreed that they can't use the penthouse since the fake Yoo Jonghyuk knows about that location. Kim Dokja was reluctant, but OD refused to let him stay at another house or else he was going to fight everyone, so Kim Dokja agreed so OD won't cause mayhem. 

He asked Kim Dokja if he can sleep with him tonight, and to his surprise Kim Dokja agreed. They spent the night reading stories, talking about Three ways of survival, and other webnovels they read. The only light source they had was a dim lamp, but it didn't stop them from brightening up the room with their laughter and engaging in conversations. Kim Dokja eventually fell asleep, holding OD close to him like he was precious. Vampires don't need sleep, but they do it to stave boredom, Kim Dokja doesn't need to know that though. 

OD traces Kim Dokja's features, running his fingers on his face down to his collarbone. He seems malnourished for his age, so they need to feed him lots to have a healthier glow. He'll buy more clothes for Kim Dokja, so he can be comfortable at all times. He'll take Dokja to the best places, so he can have fun all the time. It was truly a dream come true for OD to have Kim Dokja in his arms, like a found puzzle piece perfectly slotting onto a masterpiece. Sure, it wasn't easy, and they had to learn the hardships Kim Dokja went through without them, but now that he's here where he belongs, OD will make sure it stays permanent.

Kim Dokja will never suffer again, he'll only be happy from now on. OD will be his everything, Kim Dokja will slowly drop his guard with them, and when that happens he'll turn Kim Dokja back to his former glory, and they'll live happily ever after. OD pulls out the star-shaped jewel under his shirt, letting Kim Dokja's lips touch the tip of the star, before smiling to himself. Yes, Kim Dokja and Salvation are the same, so it’s only right that OD takes what is rightfully his, and they'll be together forever . 

OD starts to sing his favorite lullaby, brushing off more hair out of Kim Dokja’s face with the softest smile he can give. 

"Demon King of Salvation who grants the dreams of others,

 a heart of gold but with tainted blood,

 he slays his enemies and gives hope to those he saves, 

truly a demon king that brings salvation!"  

Living in a Mansion was never part of my life goals, all I wanted was to live a decent life, but here I am decked out in brand name clothes, walking to the grand dining hall (there’s two dining halls here, which is crazy enough already) for breakfast. OD left to take care of business (He was crying and clinging to me, begging Silver and SP to take his place, but apparently it was vital for OD to be present. I told him I’d love to see him work to be a proper ruler, which made OD sulk but reluctantly went, bringing Silver with him), now I’m left alone with SP and another high ranking vampire whom I have yet to meet. 

"Kim Dokja, you're going the wrong way" 

I look down to see a kkoma with 666 on his chest, holding a huge phone with a grumpy look. My heart flutters, why are the kkomas so cute? I really want to cuddle with them, but OD already lectured me multiple times on not giving the kkomas too much attention, lest it spoils them. I don't believe it, but OD threatened to fight all 1863 kkomas, including SP, if they steal all my attention. 

I don't think I'll ever understand OD's obsession with fighting everyone for my attention, I'm worried that he'll go ape shit once he meets my cute little Biyoo and the kids. I hope he won't pick a fight with an actual child. 

"Will you guide me to the dining hall please?"

I kneel down in front of 666 and extend my hand, he climbs up on it while holding the sides of the phone tightly, making sure he doesn't drop it. 

Oh god this sight…it's too cute. I'm sorry OD but I'm probably going to end up breaking the 'no spoiling the Kkomas' rule. 666 starts typing with his tiny hands, I peek out of curiosity to see him playing a mobile game…about cats. My urges have dominated me now, I cannot control myself anymore, I slowly bring the distracted kkoma close to me, giving 666 a peck on the side of his head, causing him to squeak (HE SQUEAKED) in surprise, almost dropping the phone. He turns to me with a bright red face, he looks like a cute Yoo Jonghyuk tomato, so flustered that he can’t even form the right words to say. I use this moment to give him more kisses, making him squeal. I think I’m addicted to giving Kkomas attention, I need to give every single kkoma out there kisses just to let them know how cute they are! 

“T-This is ––!!!” 

A voice I’ve only ever heard on TV muffled her screams. I turned to the direction of the voice, and almost fell on the ground at the person close to me. It was the famous idol, Uriel! Jung Heewon and the kids are fans of her unit, 3Constellations, which consists of Sun Wukong, Abysmal Black Flame Dragon or ‘ABFD’ for short, and the great Uriel. Their unit is extremely popular, not just in Korea but in the whole world , and Uriel in particular has the best singing career out of the three. Sun Wukong is more in line with acting, and ABFD is more into social media and variety shows. If the great Uriel is here, that means she’s not just a normal idol, but a high ranking vampire?! 

Wait, if she’s here, that means she’s my guard for the day?! Why are all the vampires so successful and attractive?! Stupid question, vampires are a whole different species, the perfect ones. Sure, I’ve gotten comfortable with SP, Silver, and especially OD (which is concerning since OD is the one I should be most wary of, but he’s so cute and lovable, who can blame me?), but Uriel is a celebrity! 

Uriel is covering half of face and seems to be….crying? No, I’m probably hallucinating, I don’t think I did anything to warrant such a reaction from her. Am I going to get killed by her fans AND the council for making the angelic singer cry?! 

“Such companionship…please continue! Don’t mind me! I’m not even here right now” She says in a shaky voice. No no no, it’s hard to ignore such a presence. Even 666 is confused by her sudden appearance and her attitude. 

I should be respectful and greet her, but before I could do that, warm, muscular arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me close to the well developed muscles. 

‘Ah~ Six Pack abs~’

“Dokja-yah~ You kept me waiting too long~” SP’s sultry voice invades my ears, going straight down to my heart. How dare he have the same face and voice as Yoo Jonghyuk!? This isn’t good for my whole being, I’m being spoiled by having the kkomas and the DILF version of my favorite protagonist! I’m going to melt into a puddle from all this fanservice.

“S-Sorry I got lost, I was asking for directions from 666 and got distracted–Ah!” 

SP bites my earlobe, moving his hands up to my chest, close to my heart. “I hope you weren’t giving too much love to a lesser version of me, you haven’t given me enough” His arms envelop my entire body, and he licks my ear before kissing me on the cheek. Is he tasting me to determine the quality of my blood!? “OD is right, you’re extremely underweight, I’ll have to feed you lots of food, and love of course”

“L-Love..?” Is he going to fatten me up and drain me dry?! OD said that this is the safest place for me, so why is SP saying such suspicious things?! 

“Why yes, love, I’ll feed you kisses and hugs—” Oh no, this is bad, he’s really trying to kill me with his affections, but from what I know OD and SP are lovers, so there’s no way SP is into me, no way he is flirting with me “--maybe we can even delve into the teachings of the night~”

“TEACHINGS OF THE NIGHT!?” Uriel and I scream at the same time. I watched Uriel fall to the ground gracefully, crying as her nose started…bleeding? Her hands were put together, like she was praying, ignoring her bleeding nose and tears, as she starts going on about how she’s ‘blessed to witness such a passionate love’ and ‘how she’s forever a devout follower of Salvation’s love life’. SP isn’t even acknowledging her, whispering how much he loves me and what he’ll do to make me healthy. 

‘Vampires aren’t terrifying anymore, they’re just point blank weird.’

“Kim Dokja is where?”  Yoo Jonghyuk wanted to punch the table, barely holding himself together at the news. Han Sooyoung and Yoo Sangah, who had grim expressions on their faces, continued to explain the situation regarding their friend, while holding each other's hands under the table. 

The trio decided to meet up at Kim Dokja’s favorite coffee shop near his former apartment, hoping that Kim Dokja will order his regular cappuccino with 3 espresso shots, scolding him for destroying his heart and liver, but it never happened. During one of the breaks Yoo Jonghyuk had in between his tournament, he called Kim Dokja to check on the squid’s health, but his calls kept going to voicemail. He tried texting, but all his messages were never received. He called Han Sooyoung after that, only for Yoo Sangah to tell him everything while in tears. 

“Kim Dokja was taken by the vampires again, but this time he went willingly. The vampires threatened everyone who works at Minosoft that their lives would be in danger the moment they get in their way, which I’m assuming is about Dokja. I tried to help him escape but they found us, and now it seems that they forced Dokja to move out. We don’t know where he is, I’m so sorry!’ 

“We have no leads, even with the informants and private investigators we hired” Yoo Sangah slowly sips her coffee, looking down on the files they have gathered. 

“Those fucking vampires really have too much power over things” Han Sooyoung complains, tapping her foot impatiently at all the losses they have been getting “I don’t get why they’re so obsessed with that stupid squid, he’s just an ordinary nerd!” 

“Kim Dokja had a rough childhood, I don’t think he met with the vampires before, if they did he wouldn’t have suffered that much” Yoo Sangah replies with a sad tone. 

Han Sooyoung slams her fists on the table, almost knocking her coffee cup “They have no right to take Kim Dokja away! He has his rights too!”   

“Not if he willingly went with them” 

“Are you saying that Kim Dokja gave him consent on this whole thing?”  Han Sooyoung asks in disbelief, even Yoo Jonghyuk gave Yoo Sangah a questioning look. 

Yoo Sangah shakes her head “I have a feeling it was more than just a consensual agreement , vampires are known to be manipulative and possessive, they get what they want no matter what they have to do. I’ve read into their abilities, and apparently they have a thing called ‘status’” 

“Like a status quo?” 

“No, it’s similar to the aura you have in your novel. Thing is, it can also be used to tamper with one's thoughts and emotions. They can either give them immense fear and anxiety, which can occasionally lead the victim to have a cardiac arrest, or it can give them a false sense of security and safety” 

“Based on everything you’ve just said, those high ranking vampires brainwashed Kim Dokja?” Han Sooyoung scratches her hair, groaning in frustration at how complicated this situation is becoming. 

“Brainwashing isn’t really the term I would use, but it’s close”  

Yoo Jonghyuk stares down at his coffee, the foam of his drink forming the shape of a squid. As the two girls continue talking about the vampires, all Yoo Jonghyuk can think of is his Kim Dokja. He wants to break into whatever house/penthouse/mansion they brought Kim Dokja in and rescue him, locking him up in his own place to keep him safe. He doesn’t want Kim Dokja to be hurt anymore, he only wants to take care of Kim Dokja, and let him stay by his side. 

Once he finds out Kim Dokja is, he’ll run straight there, vampires be damned. 

“I’m sorry I forgot to introduce myself, I am known as the living flame, most of the people close to me call me Flame, but the general public know me as Uriel, the great angelic idol!” Uriel twirls around before giving me a wink. Her golden locks and viridescent eyes make her look like an actual angel. 

I can’t believe that it’s the actual Uriel, I thought I was losing my mind, but I guess I haven’t. Uriel runs up to me and gives me a big hug “I’m so glad that you’re back, I missed you so much! We have so much stuff to catch up on!” 

“Um, I’ll be in your care Uriel-ssi” I don’t know if I should reciprocate the hug, since she’s an idol, but surprisingly she doesn’t make me uncomfortable. I may be a bit star struck, but she feels familiar , like how OD,SP, and Silver make me feel. I can’t put this feeling into words, but I know it’s something I’ve wanted, something special . Uriel beams at me, squeezing me one more time, before SP comes in with a plate of  food. 

SP places a plate of delicious breakfast, which is gourmet waffles, eggs, and bacon. Just the smell alone is enough to make me hungry. “Thank you very much SP-nim, I said this before, but the food you cook is delicious” 

SP chuckles, running his hand through my hair, leaning down to put his lips on my forehead. Is he..tasting me?! Maybe it shouldn’t be OD that I should be careful of, but SP?! SP wants to eat me?! Is he fattening me up so he can drain me dry?! 

“Dokja-yah? I hope you’re not thinking of anything crazy again” He touches my cheek, his eyes so soft and so full of an emotion that I can’t pinpoint. It was weird, it was making my heart go into different places, I don’t know how to handle such a rapid flow of emotions! The only other person who can do this to me is Yoo Jonghyuk… 

‘…Yoo Jonghyuk? Shit Shit SHIT. I forgot to call him back! I was so caught up in OD’s pace that I didn’t think about texting him or letting him know where I was! He’s going to kill me!!!’

My thoughts were interrupted when Uriel’s muffled screams filled the room once again, making me and SP turn to her, only to see her crying on the table, praying like her life depended on it. She was mumbling something about ‘being blessed by seeing Salvation’s love life’ again. Uriel, the idol known to be smiling no matter how tough things get, is crying over something, but what? 

“Flame, please, you’re scaring Dokja-yah” Scaring me is an understatement, I’m getting real freaked out. 

“My apologies Captain, I just can’t help but be thankful of the blessings that Salvation has given us” Uriel says in between her sobs. She’s mentioning Salvation too, just like the rest of these high ranking vampires. I don’t know how this Salvation person has anything to do with what’s happening now, but it’s making me nauseous. 

SP notices my discomfort, turning to Uriel with a commanding tone “Flame, go outside and clear your head” 

Uriel wipes her tears and bows “Yes Captain” She swiftly leaves without another word, leaving just SP and I alone. 

I wanted to say something to SP, but the words wouldn’t come out of my mouth. SP's lingering touch, his warmth permeating down to my skin, the feeling of his breath slowly closing in on me, his hypnotizing eyes staring at me with so much raw emotions, everything was too much, yet it wasn't enough. Something inside me yearned for the vampire to come closer, closer than I usually want someone to be, and yet it felt so right , like him being near is normal . 

Is he using something on me, something that makes my heart race over such close distance? It reminds me of the times I wished Yoo Jonghyuk would hold my hand a little tighter, a little longer, just the two of us. I don't think I can handle another unrequited love, let alone something so impossible it can be considered as delusion, high ranking vampires like SP and OD wouldn't fall in love with a pathetic man like me, they have each other after all. OD repeatedly proclaims his undying love for me, but I know that he doesn't really mean it. 

So why is SP getting so close to me? Almost as if….no no, wait, what if he's just going to suck me dry now that OD isn't here?! Is this the reason why OD warned me not to get close to him?! Well, I wouldn't mind dying in the hands of someone so handsome…no, I shouldn't be content with dying like this! Shit shit SHIT, How do I stop him from getting closer?!

The door slams open, causing me to snap out of my thoughts, and a familiar voice shouts out threats to SP. Silver trails behind OD with an exasperated expression, while Uriel stands next to the door frame, gushing at how cute her liege is.

“Stay away from Hyung, you dusty pathetic Ahjussi!!”

Chapter Text

Chapter 11: Oppa vs. Hyung

I don't think I've ever felt so grateful to hear OD's threats, or the feeling of him clinging to my waist, while glaring at SP like he did something offensive. A small laugh comes out of me, the warm feeling of comfort permeating across my body. Ah, I think I'm getting too used to OD's adorable presence, just being around him calms me down now. I can't help but hug him back, patting his hair, to which OD melts at my touch, hugging me tighter.

SP groans, sitting right next to me, earning another glare from OD "Aren't you supposed to be at the council meeting?" 

OD huffs, sitting on my lap, laying his head on my shoulder with a pout "They can handle their problems themselves. All they did was complain about their rankings, and how their financial status needs to be increased, just cause they want to. It's too boring, I'd rather be home, where Hyung is, because Hyung is more important to me, he's my home! "

My heart skips a beat at OD's words, why is he so lovable and cute? I don't think anyone has said such kind words to me before, not even my friends. Home is such a broad yet specific word, and being told that OD would rather spend time with me, since I'm part of his home now, makes me feel fuzzy and warm. I can't help but grin, rubbing our cheeks together, making OD giggle. 

The frowning (it looks more like a pout, but I'm probably going crazy) SP clicks his tongue "Dokja-yah, you shouldn't coddle OD-yah too much, lest he stops doing his job,becomes too spoiled, and ends up skipping work" 

OD sticks his tongue out at SP "Hyung, just ignore that stupid Ahjussi, I'm a good boy! I won't skip my duties, because Hyung expects me to be a good ruler, so praise me as much as you want"

I hug him tighter, making OD absolutely beam in happiness, while SP seems to suck. I can't help but laugh at these two  "You heard him, SP-nim, OD is a good kid, and I like to reward good kids with lots and lots of affection" I start giving OD kisses on his forehead, down to his cheeks, making him laugh heartily. 

When I finally stop, OD turns to me with a bright smile "How about we go out, just the two of us? I'll rent out a whole beach so we can play in the sand, or maybe you prefer a hotel, playing in the pool and relaxing at a spa?" 

"Actually, I already had plans today," I replied while patting OD's head. OD tilts his head to the side, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. 

"What is it? I can go with you, like a guard!" 

"Ah, well, I don't think it'll be a good idea for you to come…" 'It might end up in a blood bath if you do'

"I'll behave! I won't get in Hyung's way! Please bring me with you!" OD moves his face closer to mine, his eyes becoming glassy with unshed tears. 

"No, it's really not a good idea"

"Where is Hyung going? Is it somewhere dangerous?! Wait a minute…" OD squints his eyes, grabbing my shoulders. I averted my eyes nervously, knowing that OD had guessed where I planned to go "YOU'RE MEETING YOO JONGHYUK, AREN'T YOU?!"

"W-Well—"

"NO! YOU CAN'T RENDEZVOUS WITH HIM! YOU CAN'T DATE HIM! YOU CAN'T, I WON'T ALLOW IT!" OD puffs his cheeks, his hands now on my cheeks and squishing it "YOO JONGHYUK ISN'T THE PROTAGONIST, He's just a lame pro gamer with an even lamer attitude! You can't meet with him alone, or else he'll take you away from me!" 

SP pats OD on the head with a smile, but it felt…cold "Dokja-yah, I hope you aren't planning on running away, hm?"

I feel cold sweat run down on the back of my neck, not wanting to look at either of them, but OD forces me to look at his pouting face, who blabbers nonsensical things about Yoo Jonghyuk being a fake. 

"I mean, it's his name so he can't be a fake–"

"Stop defending him! He's not worthy of Hyung!"

Great, OD is going into one of his crazy lectures again. On top of that, SP is also joining him, so now I'm getting tag teamed over my plans. I tried to ask for help from Silver and Uriel, but these two only added to the fuel, nodding and agreeing to every point OD and SP made. This is going to take a while.

After two hours of lectures, we managed to reach a compromise. I’ll visit my family instead of Yoo Jonghyuk, so we can catch up on what’s been going on. SP and OD forced themselves into the picture, not wanting to leave me alone just in case I get kidnapped or killed (Why is their imagination so vivid? Also, they need to stop being so protective of me!)

Silver and Flame are somewhere around, making sure that the surrounding area is safe. It’s a shame that Flame won’t come with us. I'd love for Yoosung and Gilyoung to meet the great idol Uriel, but it can’t be helped. 

We’re currently sitting in one of their fancier cars, SP and OD sitting on both sides, making me the center of a vampire sandwich. They were quiet on the way, except they wouldn’t let go of my arms, and it’s starting to make my arms numb. I want to say something, but their smiling faces make me weak. It doesn’t help that 999 and 41 are on my lap, making sure I don’t move out of my spot. This was heaven and hell for me, being surrounded by beauty and cuteness, but suffering because of it. 

Once we arrived at the park, I shook the clingy vampires off of me, walking straight to the usual meeting spot. My heart melts at the sight of the kids running towards me, their huge grins making me forget about all the stress I've had to deal with recently. 

"Oppa!"

"Ahjussi!"

"Hyung!"

All three of them yelled at the same time, tackling me down on the ground while laughing. I reciprocate their hugs just as tightly, taking in all the affection they're giving me. 

"I missed you guys so much! Is it just me or did all of you grow taller?"

They start talking on top of each other, about their growth spurt, how their school has been, and how they missed me so much. It was hard to understand them overlapping each other's sentences, but I didn't have the heart to stop them, they all looked so happy and cute! 

While I was spending time with the kids, I unknowingly ignored the one person who's just as needy as these hyper children.

OD always hated when Salvation would spend time with other people, especially children. He's not petty enough (he is) to stop Salvation from playing with them, or reading books with them, it's the fact that he coddles them to no end. He's the one that Salvation should shower with love, not these little soul sucking, selfish brats! He's the one who missed Kim Dokja the most, not them! 

His jealousy started spiking when they hugged him, how dare they hug his Kim Dokja?! How dare they give him kisses and hugs?! How dare they claim they're the ones Kim Dokja likes the most! He's Kim Dokja's favorite, him! Only him!

SP tries to calm OD down, but to no avail. He knows that whenever Kim Dokja is involved, OD loses all sense of self, and gets driven by his carnal desires. 

Not the type that results in a rampaging bloodlust monster, but something worse . 

"I'M THE ONE WHO LOVES HYUNG THE MOST! HYUNG IS MINE!!!"

OD runs to hug Kim Dokja from behind, tears falling from his eyes as he puffs his cheeks at the children. The other children gasp, before pouting and grabbing anything they can of Kim Dokja. From SP's point of view, it looks like Kim Dokja became the subject of a painful tug of war; 1 vs. 3. 

Yes, when it's anything involving Kim Dokja, OD unleashes his bratty side, turning into his childish self. He's even willing to fight a kindergartner, just to establish dominance. 

SP facepalms at the sight, there was no stopping OD once he gets like this, the only thing they can do is hope that Kim Dokja can talk some sense back to his liege. 

The boy with the cap clings to Kim Dokja's left arm, while throwing insects at OD, "Let go of Hyung, I'm his favorite!"

The girl with light brown hair clings to Kim Dokja's right arm, as she kicks OD on the shin "No! Ahjussi likes me the most! I'm better than you bug boys and bloodsuckers!" 

OD puffs his cheeks even more, hugging Kim Dokja's waist tighter, ignoring the attacks of the two "Shut up! I'm his favorite! I'm his number one! Hyung is mine!"

It was impressive how these two were fearlessly going at OD and each other, completely forgetting about the struggling Kim Dokja, the main cause of their fight. They have guts, SP gives them that. 

The little girl that has some resemblance to Kim Dokja, the only one clinging to Kim Dokja's leg, starts crying "Oppaaaa! Biyoo is getting scaaared! I wanna be Oppa's favorite!!"

"Ah, Biyoo-yah I'm sorry" Kim Dokja manages to let the three rowdy gremlins off of him, carrying Biyoo while patting her back "There there, it's alright, you're my favorite baby out here, so stop crying"

The three were stunned at his words, feeling absolutely betrayed. Biyoo peeks at them from Dokja's shoulder, sticking her tongue out with a smirk. 

It seems that this little girl is a lot more cunning than the others. This definitely won't end well with OD.

"NO! YOU CAN'T TAKE MY HYUNG!"

Poor Kim Dokja is going to have to deal with three kids and OD. 

Chapter Text

Chapter 12: Questions and Confessions

“Let go of Biyoo’s oppa! Oppa is mine, MINE!” 

“No he isn’t! Hyung is mine, and mine alone! Our bond is stronger than the universe itself!” 

“We’re stronger than glue! I'm oppa's favorite!”

OD scoffs “Glue is nothing more than a temporary binding agent, which means your bond is just a fleeting story in the grand scheme of things. My love for hyung spans from infinity a—”

“Shut up, ugly ahjussi! You speak too much!” 

“What did you call me?!” 

“Ugly ahjussi! Ugly ugly ugly, stinky gross ahjussi!” 

Biyoo sticks her tongue out, kicking OD on the head before snuggling on my shoulder. OD tears up, taking Biyoo’s right shoe off, and throwing it to the ground. Biyoo cries again, and OD follows after. 

Meanwhile, Shin Yoosung and Lee Gilyoung started their own fight as well, screaming at each other while pulling each other's hair. At least they aren’t attached to him while fighting like the other two, but the screams and insults being thrown is getting too overwhelming. 

Clap 

“Okay children, that’s enough rough housing for one day” Persephone’s smile doesn’t reach her eyes, an indication that she’s not pleased. Hades shoots me an apologetic look, I respond with a troubled smile. Whenever a mother has this look, it means that the kids are going to get scolded on the way back. It’s for their own good, she cooks a warm meal for them after, read them bedtime stories, and tell them she loves them.

‘I wonder who scolds OD when he misbehaves, it’s probably SP’ 

Biyoo gives OD one last kick before jumping down my arms, running behind Yoosung and Gilyoung. Hades pats their heads, picking Biyoo up, glancing at OD who’s hugging me tighter. 

“I apologize for the trouble my children have caused, Lord Oldest Dream, please have it in your heart to forgive them” 

OD glares at Biyoo one more time, before huffing and hiding his head on my back. “There is no need for forgiveness, they are nothing but mere children who don’t know where they stand. Innocent lambs that need to be educated, I trust you’ll do your part in educating them, Queen of the darkest spring” 

I gasp at the revelation, only vampires are allowed titles in this world. I already had a hunch since they’re so wealthy and influential, but I never thought that it was actually true. 

Eternal life, a strong position in society, and wealth that only vampires are allowed to have. I should've trusted my gut when I first met them, that they aren't an ordinary couple, but their kindness and affection is genuine, it was easy to let my guard down. I guess the kids knew about it, seeing as they're not surprised by the title, or maybe they don't know what titles mean. 

Though it did confuse me, how did they become friends with my mother? From what she told me, they met in high school, and they're indebted to her. Maybe it was just my mom who was a high school student? It's a wonder how two vampires befriended a human woman, but who am I to judge?

Maybe they have that age manipulation ability that only high ranking vampires have. I learned about it at school during vampire etiquette classes; certain vampires are blessed with the power to alter their physical appearance. It's closer to shape shifting, but one of their characteristics remains untouched. For example; they can change their hair color, but their skin and eyes will always stay the same. It's a gift that can grant eternal youth, but only the powerful can yield it.

But why? For what purpose would they adopt me and the kids? Why are they so adamant on living alongside humans despite their rank?

Hades started speaking with SP, while Persephone is giving the kids a stern talk. The kids look embarrassed, except for Biyoo who's pouting. If I didn't know about their identities, I would think they're just a normal couple spending time with their kids. Damn, it seems my opinion about them changed in an instant.

“Hyung…” 

The grip on my shirt tightens, I can tell that OD is trembling, but why? He’s the strongest person here, and the most powerful being in the world, yet why did he cry like a child? Why did he act that way to a Biyoo? It’s as if he’s scared of something. 

“Hyung, you won’t leave with them, right? You'll…You'll come home with me, right…?”

‘Ah, that’s what it was’ OD never acted like he was better than me, he trusts me enough for that. How sad must it be to be cold and distant for centuries, keeping people away at an arm's length. Even a dense person like me can tell that despite being OD’s closest aides; SP, Silver, and Uriel see him as someone to serve rather than to connect with.

OD must have been extremely lonely, a loneliness that I can relate to. The feeling of isolation, despite being surrounded by people, the suffocating sensation of being judged with every move I made. He wants someone to stay with him, to understand him, to be his family… 

….Salvation must’ve been his rock, and seeing someone who looks like him gave OD hope. 

“I'll come with you, don’t worry” 

OD’s eyes light up, squeezing him one more time before running to SP. They start talking with Hades and Persephone, but they are too far for me to hear. Biyoo turns to me, waving happily with that carefree smile. I wave back at her, trying to hide the discomfort I'm feeling. 

Yes, I won’t leave, but it doesn’t mean I’ll stay forever. I’ll be thrown away in due time, so before that happens I’ll give him all the care that I can. Even if it’s just a fleeting moment, I’d like to believe in this illusion of love. 

A bitter taste fills my mouth, the sound of my heartbeat fills my ears. I can’t show them my yearning, I can’t show them how painful this is, if I want to live I have to play the part of Salvation’s temporary replacement. I have to bury this fear deep inside my heart, so that when OD decides he’s had enough of me, it’ll be less painful. 

I thought that the incident with the kids would be a one time thing, but I should have known with OD’s personality that he won’t let it go. 

Ever since that day, OD has been neglecting his duties, throwing it all to Silver and SP so he could ‘solidify his place as hyung’s favorite’, only allowing Uriel to guard us. He kept making excuses every time I tried to go to work or meet the kids. 

“Hyung might get robbed, kidnapped, killed, or worse!” 

“What’s worse than any of the things you just said?”  

“You might get seduced by someone pretending to be Yoo Jonghyuk! You’re gullible, so if they just use a cute kid against you, you’ll just follow them without second thought” 

“How is that worse than any of the things you said previously?” 

OD’s image gets diminished with every passing day I spend with him. One moment he’s a cute little brother that I can dote on, and the next he’s an old man scolding me like I’m his grandchild. I can’t decipher what his endgame with me is, it’s getting more confusing the more he cuddles with me. We’re currently sitting on a luxurious velvet sofa, the TV playing a drama that we weren’t paying attention to. 

“Hyung’s heartbeat is so calming… you smell so heavenly too…” 

This is one of those moments where I can’t tell if I should be afraid of his words or touched by it. I card my fingers across OD’s soft hair, who’s laying on my lap like it’s a pillow, without a care in the world. The soft smile on his face distracts me from my thoughts again, making my heart skip a beat at how utterly adorable he looks. Is this one of the vampire's abilities? To give me a false sense of security? If it is then doesn’t that mean I’m in danger? But OD wouldn’t do that….right? What benefit would he get from that?

He glances at me with a pout “Are you thinking of crazy things again, Hyung?”

“Huh? Oh, no… I wasn’t—”

“Liar, it’s written all over your face” OD sits up, turning the TV off before staring at me with a sad face “Hyung, be honest with me, am I…is being around me making you uncomfortable?” 

“OD-yah…that’s…” 

OD fidgets under my gaze “I don’t want Hyung to lie to me, it hurts more when you do. Everyone lies when they see me, they’re afraid of me because they think I’ll hurt them, but I…I’m not that bad. I won’t ever hurt hyung, you’re the last person I’d hurt in the world! So please tell me, do you….do you hate being around me?” 

I really should stop seeing OD in such a different light than others, because he looks completely vulnerable right now. The things that he said confirmed some of my suspicions, about how OD feels completely isolated from the world thanks to his position. It doesn’t mean that I fully trust him yet, but it does make me feel more at ease with him. 

I place my forehead against his, OD gasping at the sudden closeness “I don’t hate you, and I’m not uncomfortable being around you. My thoughts are just jumbled right now, with everything happening so fast, and how confusing everything is” 

“Ah, is it because of father of the rich night and queen of the darkest spring?”   

“I’m used to calling them Hades and Persephone. If you’re calling them by their titles, then that must mean…” 

OD moves his hand close to mine, our fingers intertwining, he was cold to touch, yet so warm “Yes, I’m sorry to say this but they are indeed high ranking vampires, but I can tell they care for you a lot” 

“Did you know the whole time? Did you send them to adopt me after all I’ve been through?” 

OD shakes his head “No! I would never do that! If I knew they adopted you years ago, I would have just demanded to take you from their grasp!” ‘That’s basically you admitting that you tried to kidnap me in the beginning’ 

“Besides,they don’t work for me but another nebula. Olympus is a very boisterous nebula, thanks to their prideful progenitor Zeus, I don't like dealing with them. If I had known that you were taken in by them early on, I would have rescued you before the situation with your…peers and relatives got worse” 

“I’m okay, that’s all in the past. I’m not mad about something that couldn’t be avoided" A person like me accepted that my very existence is nothing but a curse "By the way, what are Nebulas?” 

“A nebula is an organization run by several high ranking vampires. The council is a front for nebulas to gather and have meetings, similar to the United Nations that humans run. It’s nothing more than a headache to deal with, if I’m being honest. A suffocating place that is infested with sinful acts that are justified because of their power” OD frowns, his hands clenching into a fist

“That sounds tough on your end. I don't think I’ve will ever heard any of this before”  

“The general public only knows the bare minimum of vampire society. I may be the first progenitor, and the ruler of the world, but it doesn’t mean I have complete dominance over my kind. It’s nothing more than a fancy title, with lots of shackles to keep me from attaining freedom” 

“I thought you could do what you want with a snap of a finger?” 

“I can get away with a lot of things, and get a lot of things done thanks to my standing, but I’m also prone to having a lot of enemies that try to take my life every chance they get” 

“OD-yah…” 

OD giggles “I’m okay, because I have my most trusted companions and…” he squeezes my hand, his starry filled eyes staring straight at me, and his smile glowing softly under the natural light illuminating from the windows “...I have Hyung with me now,so I'm truly fine” 

I blush at his statement, stammering a bit before smiling incredulously “Yes, you have me now, and I have you. I really like OD-yah, so if you allow me to stay with you then I—”

OD jumps at me, laughing happily “I love Hyung too!” 

“L-Love!?”

“Yes, I really love Hyung! You don’t need permission, you belong with me in the first place! Hyung can’t go back on his words, you simply can’t! This is a dream come true, a dream becoming a reality!” OD tightens his hug, all I can do is reciprocate it “Hyung will always be by my side, Hyung chose to stay with me, Hyung chose me! Dokja-Hyung chose to love me! Absolutely no take backs, okay?”

“As long as you don’t pick fights with the kids again, I won’t take it back” 

“Well, since my place in Hyung’s heart has been solidified, I guess I can be the mature one and control myself. After all, I’m Hyung’s beloved person!” 

Since he's so happy, it might be the best time to ask him "What about meeting with Yoo Jonghyuk and my friends?"

"Rejected" OD answers bluntly "I can stand the children, but the fake protagonist is off limits" before hugging me once again. 

I can hear Uriel squealing from the background, but OD’s iron grip hug prevented me from going anywhere. OD started going on a tangent about ‘making today a national holiday’ and ‘preparing the banquet to celebrate our love’ and ‘defeating SP’s pathetic love with his more powerful one’. 

Really, when I see OD being so happy, I can’t help but feel my worries disappear. Let’s just hope that I won’t regret this.

Chapter Text

Chapter 13: Don't disturb the peace

OD feels like he's in cloud 9. To think that Kim Dokja himself would voluntarily welcome OD in his arms, with a smile that can rival the angels of heaven! 

He thought that he'd have to work hard to let Kim Dokja fall into his arms, but to his disbelief, all he needed to do was shower him with love and affection. He was always planning on giving him all the love and affection with all his heart and soul, so it worked well in his favor. Though it still left a bad taste in his mouth, more vile tasting than the blood of a disgusting human. 

To think that 'Hades and Persephone' had Kim Dokja all this time, he should be grateful they saved him, but he can't help but be bitter. Why is it that they had the chance to raise Kim Dokja and not him?! How dare they see Kim Dokja at his cutest, and why haven’t they sent him any pictures of his time as a cute kid!? OD needs to remind them that Kim Dokja is his, so everything needs to be documented and shown to him, even pictures from his childhood. 

It makes him extremely envious. 

He has to swallow this, swallow the envy that's bubbling inside him from the affection that he's giving to the soul sucking children. His position is already solidified, he can’t show this disgusting side to Kim Dokja, or he might become fearful and run away. 

Not like he could, there’s no way OD would allow Kim Dokja to leave his side, he already promised he was going to stay by his side until the end of time. If he tries to leave, he can simply break a leg by accident, and use a random vampire or human as a scapegoat.

Speaking of children, one of them seems to be…different. The youngest one, Biyoo, was it? Something is telling OD to stay away from her, she's dangerous, all his senses are telling him to do so. He couldn't tell Hyung about his gut feeling, or else he might hate him, he seems to be oddly attached to that suspicious being. 

OD watches Hyung get scolded by SP, who found out about his confession from Flame. It seems that Flame couldn't keep her mouth shut, but all is well. OD can't help but goad at SP for getting one step ahead. 

Now that Kim Dokja confessed to him, he has to make sure that the pests trying to give Kim Dokja false ideas will be taken care of, he'll personally tend to the problem. He won't kill them, but he'll make sure Kim Dokja will never see them again.

To protect his Salvation, and to attain eternal happiness. 

“I never thought you’d be so gutsy as to leave such vital information about Kim Dokja’s life from me, Lee Sookyung” 

OD watches Lee Sookyung take a sip of the tea Flame prepared for them, his patience slowly wearing thin the longer she stays quiet. Flame places a wine glass in front of him, slowly pouring fresh blood from a bottle until it reaches the middle, glaring at Lee Sookyung before standing behind OD. 

She places the cup down on the saucer, staring coldly at the two vampires. Lee Sookyung knows that she’s in a dangerous position, yet she’s still brave enough to face OD head on, as expected of the sacrificial mother. 

“You never bothered asking, lord Oldest Dream” 

“When I asked for your cooperation, I meant every little information about Kim Dokja, so why did you fail to mention that two high ranking vampires from Olympus raised him?!” He feels his status slowly leak, causing the windows to crack a bit. 

“Oh, but I didn’t hide it? I clearly mentioned their names, I even showed you the adoption papers. I guess it’s because vampires go around with their titles rather than names, it was an honest mistake on my part” 

“You insolent human!” Fire starts to combust out of Flame’s hair, OD turns to her with his own status, and the fire dissipates. Lee Sookyung flinches, but her face remains passive. He sighs, a headache slowly forming in his head, he knows that she’ll remain defensive, so there’s no point in pushing this subject. 

“Fine, I’ll choose to overlook this incident” 

Flame looks at him, flabbergasted at how he’s reacting “Sire, this wench dares to disrespect you! Why are you allowing such disgusting behavior?” 

OD swirls the blood in the cup, taking a small sip before smiling “I'm only forgiving her because she’s Kim Dokja’s mother, but my kindness does have its limits” his eyes turn sharp, and her eyes quiver at the sudden shift in temperature “I do hope that we won’t have anymore…. incidents in the future, hm? We’re both allies with one goal, to make Kim Dokja happy” 

Lee Sookyung quivers, the air in the room feels like it’s slowly disappearing, she tries to speak but only heavy breaths come out. He smirks at the display, finishing his drink before deciding to spare the poor woman, stopping his status completely. 

“Lee Sookyung, I told you before that I only want what’s best for Kim Dokja. Olympus is a dangerous nebula, one that caused several wars and has a horrible track record with mistreating their human alliances” 

“......”

“Allying yourself with them will only bring harm to you and your son. Yes, they did help you during a time in your life where you had no one to run, but if you continue to rely on them they’ll only backstab you in the worst way possible” 

“That’s not true, Persephone and Hades are the kindest people I know” whispers Lee Sookyung. 

OD hums “Somewhat yes, they run many humanitarian groups and charities, and tend to act independently from the rest of their peers. Despite all this, it doesn’t change the fact that they run the underworld , a notorious vampire organization that handles, well, it’s best if you don’t know”

Underworld is similar to a mafia for humans, they run tons of illegal activities, from gambling to hidden blood exchanges. Those two are far from the good samaritans that this mother and son know, making OD question the motives behind Kim Dokja’s adoption. They aren’t the type of vampires to hand out such goodwill without any benefits, they’re too shrewd for that. 

“Which begs me to ask, why did they insist on adopting a human child such as Kim Dokja? I know it isn’t for the sake of helping a friend, it must be something more” 

“They owe me, so they offered to take him in” 

“No, I don’t think they owe you specifically” OD’s eyes glow blue “It’s Kim Dokja that they owe, he saved them didn’t he?” 

Lee Sookyung’s complexion went pale, making OD smirk. It seems that the time for Salvation’s revival isn’t too far off, but he needs to keep Kim Dokja safe first, so he needs to know who else came in contact with him. How many vampires know of his existence? How many humans have hurt his fragile heart? OD is going to wring out every information from his mother, all he has to do is use her weakness against her. 

“It’ll be dangerous to hide it from me, because there are tons of vampires who want to hurt Kim Dokja, so won’t you tell me everything this time? There’s no need to hide, I just want to keep Kim Dokja safe and happy” 

A mother who’s willing to sacrifice everything, even her life for the miracle the world gave her, it’s easy to break down whatever wall she created. All she wanted was to see her son live a happy life, so OD will use that wish against her, since it’s a wish he was going to fulfill regardless of if she’s alive or not. 

It’s a good thing SP isn’t here, because he would have simply tortured the poor woman for information, but maybe that would have been faster? It’s not like Dokja will know what they did. OD shakes his head, he can’t hurt Dokja’s mom, his hyung will get mad at him! 

Lee Sookyung hesitates, before begrudgingly accepting the facts laid in front of her. If there's one person in the world that can protect her son, it's the ruler of the world. Given her son's special constitution, she has no other choice, and surely Persephone and Hades will understand. 

"You're correct,my son did save them"

OD perks up, he knew that his hyung was special, but now he'll have more cards in his hands to bind him. 

"One day, my son and I were going on a hike to distract ourselves while my husband went on a work trip. Dokja said he smelt something strange, and heard a cry for help, but I didn't hear nor smelt anything. He insisted on following his instincts,and found a warehouse in the woods"

'Olympus is known to have multiple torture venues hiding around the world, we busted most of them during the 90's, but a lot stayed hidden'

"Dokja he… he went inside without hesitation, and saw the two dying vampires. They were in such bad shape that they could barely move. I didn't want my son to get near them, but he…"

"What did he do?"

Lee Sookyung grips her sleeves, her expression looking grim "He grabbed a glass shard and…and cut his wrist. The blood that came out from him was glowing a golden hue , nothing I've ever seen before, and it restored the dying couple in less than a minute "

OD's eyes widened, a giant grin forming on his face. He knew, without a doubt, that ability to heal others with a drop of his blood….! Only his hyung, his dearest salvation, is able to do such a feat! His heart starts racing, he couldn't contain the excitement. 

Blood that glows a golden hue, the ability to heal a vampire in mere seconds, remaining unaffected within the range of a large status reveal, his sensitive senses, his instincts. Kim Dokja was already on the verge of turning.

The groundwork was perfectly laid for OD, whether it was made by fate or salvation himself, all he needs is a little push, and he’ll be back to his glorious self. 

Just a little more, one small step, he has to do his best so outsiders won’t interfere. 

The ceiling of the mansions were littered with decorative ornaments that I’ve never seen before. Why did I tell him all that stuff before? I decided not to get close to him, but here I am saying embarrassing stuff. 

‘I really like OD-yah’

Do I really like OD? I feel like something inside me is instinctively pulling my heart towards him, breaking all the barriers that I’ve been painstakingly building. LIke someone is whispering in my ears, forcing me to like him. 

Force? No, that’s not it, I’m not being forced… no, it’s making me remember . 

Remember? What am I trying to remember? I grew up with no pleasant memories from my childhood, yet this feeling that I’m forgetting something important, what is it? 

‘Are you finally starting to question the story you’re part of?’

A voice? No, that’s my voice, I’m not thinking of anything, am I going insane?! Story, what story?! What is going on?! 

‘ ■■’ 

My ears start to ring, my head feels like it’s splitting, my body burns with a flame that I cannot see, The blood inside of me is boiling, like something is trying to come out of every cell in my body, but it wasn’t enough.

‘ ■■, it’s not time yet, not all the pieces of  ■■■■■■■■■ has been gathered. We still cannot meet’ 

Who… am I meeting? Why is my own voice telling me such things? Ah, I’m really going insane because of these vampires, aren’t I? 

I hear a voice call out to me, ah, it’s SP… why does he seem worried? The room is turning black, ah, I’m falling, I’m okay, but I’m not okay. His arms are warm, he looks worried for me, but I can’t say anything, I can’t move. I should just sleep, and tell them I’m okay, because I don’t want to be a burden, I don’t want to disturb the peace because of my hallucinations. 

Chapter Text

Chapter 14: Being ‘Human’

SP isn't someone who panics easily. He's known as the protector of the Oldest Dream, the one who leads from the shadows. From wars, to the bloody battlefield, the mundane decisions that must be made for his liege, he always keeps his cool so his judgment won't get clouded.

Yet, when it comes to Kim Dokja, his dearest Salvation, all rationality gets thrown out of the window. 

His desires are consuming him, slowly losing patience with OD’s plan. He doesn't want Kim Dokja to know what he'll end up doing if he leaves.

To a place they can't reach, a place that vampires aren't allowed to ever enter. 

If his beloved Salvation dies again, the world will die with it.

The Oldest Dream already gave that ultimatum behind Kim Dokja's back. They know if he finds out, he'll try to go back to that second rate human.

Yes, Kim Dokja is also human. A fragile, defenseless human that will wither and pass away at a moment's notice. A fleeting existence, compared to their longevity. A human who will eventually leave the living realm, a human who isn't allowed to leave them. 

SP watches the rise and fall of Kim Dokja's chest. A beautiful sight to see, like a painting he wants to hide from the masses, only for his eyes to see. 

If his liege finds out his desires, he'll lash out on him, before keeping Kim Dokja to himself. He can't help but chuckle at the thought of OD throwing a tantrum over their shared desire to imprison Kim Dokja. It became a competition to see who will get Kim Dokja's trust first. 

Ever since I was a kid, I always had weird dreams. 'Hallucinations' might be a better word to use, since they would affect my daily living. 

Sometimes I would see my reflection have glowing red eyes, yet nobody can see it. 

My skin would look deathly pale, yet everyone tells me that I look healthy. 

I would look a bit prettier, making me a bit more confident than usual, but Yoo Joonghyuk would grunt and say I look the same as always. 

It felt like I was changing, but I always shrugged it off as puberty, or my depression, even my trauma playing a role in these.

I would forget the nightmare I just dreamt, which was a blessing, but the gnawing feeling lingers inside the crevices of my mind.

'The bad dreams will go away, just imagine the stories you love, and they'll protect you'

My mother always comforted me with my stories, it was similar to her advice of rereading them. I know it was to protect me from going crazy, and I'm thankful she taught me how to love reading.

I just hate how my life turned into a nightmare worse than those I dream of. 

Maybe that's why I ended up taking the outstretched hand of someone who sits on a pedestal higher than anyone around me. It was ridiculous how comforting OD's presence became within such a short span of time. It felt like I belonged, but it doesn't change the fact I'm an outsider.

In one of my dreams, I saw the adult version of OD. He must've changed his appearance to look like his current, cute self. It was hard to believe he claims we share the same face with how utterly captivating his adult form was, it might even be comparable to Yoo Joonghyuk!

He followed me like a shadow, always behind me with a happy smile. He would even compete with SP just to get my attention; lecturing SP to  understand he's my number 1. SP plays along, always letting OD win just so he won't throw a tantrum. 

These dreams become vivid, with people I don't remember. There's a person that looks like Uriel, and one that looks like Silver. Two teenagers bicker in the background, as the rest of them did their own thing, yet they were always within my view.

I know these are only dreams, because my life as a human is short. I couldn't have lived through all these scenarios I dream up, it would be preposterous. 

[Ar eyou su rei t'sn ot rea lity? Wh y d oyou den ythe tru th? ■■■■■■■■■]

Ah, it's this voice once more. Every-time it appears, I wake up. Took it a while. 

"Big Brother, I love you!"

"I love you too, my precious Dreamer"

OD smiles at 'me' with such loving eyes, holding me tightly in his arms. Such a cruel, sweet dream. It reminds me of the limited time I have with OD; once he realizes how much baggage I have, how unwanted I truly am, he'll discard me. 

"No matter what happens, I'm always on your side, Big Brother!" 

For this gaze isn't meant for me, but for his beloved 'Salvation' that shares the same face as me. 

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̷̼́̈'̴͈̩́͜.̴̲͍̒͜.̵̰̮̜̔.̴̩̅̂͘ ̴͎̦͛W̷̝͗̄ẖ̷̨̞͗̌ÿ̶̱͔́͠ ̸̬̖̈͒ḑ̵̌̐͂ǒ̸̳͘͠ ̵̩̤̥̂ỹ̴̟̗ö̵̪͉̠́́̈́ů̸̗̝͓̇͗ ̵͇̈č̴̮͍͓͒̽ö̶͉́͋̾n̷͔͕̑̊t̷̩̺͍̋̽̉ḯ̶͔̊ň̴̫̤̟͂ū̷̪͓̘̐͝e̴͖̝̍̄͠ ̵͉̘̔̚t̷̬͂̑̄o̴͖̥̅̅ ̴̯͌̄̀d̴̙͇̱͐ẽ̶̻n̴͓̜̂̔͗y̴̧̤͑ ̵̧͂̈́͌m̵̨̺̜͆è̶̢̗́?̶̬̩̓ ̴̮̹̃̐K̶̺̙̽̆͆ĭ̷͈̯̳̚͝m̴̩̯̾ ̵̻̠̞̀́D̷̠̰̅o̷̲͉͉̎͑k̵̥̋j̴̭͌̒̆å̶̘͔̂'̵͓̅͠

̷̪̔͜ͅ

̷͕̯̉'̷͔͐I̸̖͉̍̓̓f̵̻̘̩͗̋̔ ̸̩̣̯͌̍y̵̢̩̹̍͐͆o̴͇̥̎̕u̴̠̐͑͝ ̴͍̈́̓́d̶̙̂͑͌o̴̖̗͐̉n̶̡̝͚̏͗͠'̴͕̄t̵͇̥̠͆ ̸͕̭͖͊̏a̶̪̟̝͌͆c̴͖̀͑̔ç̷̳̗̈́̃̋ĕ̴̳̯̓ͅp̷̣̣̚t̵̞̻̫̀̈́͒ ̶̻̟̎m̴͈̼̬̽͆ḛ̶̜̠̎̌͘,̶̗̙̖͋ ̷͉̺͆w̶̫͖͑ͅe̴̡͇̓̈̋͜ ̸̬̺̫͌̌w̸̰͚̏̀o̵̼̩̮͌́͌n̸̡̞͗̕̚'̶̱̙̼̉t̶̟̟̄̏ ̷̣͑͛b̷͎̜̍̔̾e̴̗̓͑ ̷̠̔͜a̷̧͕͊̔̏b̸̻͒̎̅l̴̡̰̇ę̶̝̇ ̷̙͋́̿t̵̡̖̮̾̋͒o̵̲̜̲̔ ̸̬̃p̵͚̟͉͘r̸̠̕ḙ̷̆v̶̳̹̰͗̌̐ẻ̴͎̲n̴͓̩̍t̷̥̭͐̎ ̸̻̾̋̂͜■̶̖̻͊͝■̵͔͖͉̊̑■̷̳̂̐̀ ̴̞̤͛■̴̲̟͐͆■̸͇͛̂̐■̵̲͛'̶̘̔

̵̩̈

̴̜̝͆'̴̡̰̖͐W̴͖͠ȇ̸͈̳̝ ̵͚̽̅̾h̵̗̮̜̽͌͘a̷̗̲̐̆v̸̛͖̐̈e̴͈̮͊̏ ̶̨͚͎͒̃t̷̜̹̬̄̊͝o̸̠̥͠ ̷̝̟̮̍ś̷͔͎̽̍a̷͍̱̰̍̄v̸̻̙̺̎̂e̷͙͆͂ ̶̨̠̥̑̓t̷̛̑̂ͅh̵̨̪̐̂͠ë̸̳́̔m̷̙͓̈̉̄,̸͉̺̣̈́͑ ̸͈̗͋͜ē̷̘͠ṽ̵̺͛̊ȩ̷̥̉r̸͔͙̠͗̂̈y̵̡͌̚͝o̷͙̘̮̒ñ̸̪̥̹ḙ̵̓͜ͅ'̷͈̑s̴̢̐̌̊ ̶͇͚́p̶̧͖̙͛ȑ̸̮̽͝ḛ̵̖͋͒̿c̷̦͊ỉ̵̙̝͛ö̶̧̪́͒̽u̵̝͘͜ŝ̸͔̻̬͝ ̵͕̤͆ͅ■̵̫̄͐■̵̖̺̿̌͠'̷̧̀̀̍

̶̰̓͆̅

̶͖̱͉͐'̸̯͍̀Ȍ̴̢ǔ̷͎̹̗̌̇r̸̳̈́ͅ ̵̭̟̉̎p̸͖̅r̶͕̾é̸̘̙c̴̬̰͆̄i̸͕͓̰͐͌̋ȍ̴̧̦̣̓́ú̴͇̣̰s̸̫̀ͅ ̸̦͛■̶̙̟̠̎͆■̶̨̇̈́'̷͉̱̊͒͜

̴̞̙́̍̕

̶̹͈͐͒

“What do you mean you don’t know when Hyung will wake up?”  

OD glares at the trembling physician, his status seeping out even when he’s holding himself back. That’s right, he can’t lose his composure now, because Hyung will try to leave if he sees him angry, he’ll go cry to that fake Yoo Jonghyuk instead of him!

The Physician cries pathetically “I’m sorry, but he’s healthy as can be! No matter how many tests we run, we simply can’t find a reason for his deep slumber” 

“It’s been 3 days. You call yourselves professionals, but you can’t treat one single patient properly?!”

SP holds OD back from approaching the physician, who seems to be close to fainting “OD-yah, calm down. You might accidentally kill the staff with your status” 

SP’s reassuring voice snaps him out of his thoughts, glancing at the man who calls himself a doctor and the nurses working beside him, their cold sweats and heavy breathing apparent. Since when did SP care about humans? 

Oh, that’s right, since they took Hyung in. They have to make their reputations better so Hyung won’t be scared of them anymore. 

OD sighs, he needs to get himself together. 

“My apologies for doubting you. I’m just…shaken at the prospect of Hyung being hurt. Please, allow me some time alone with my Hyung.” 

The doctor nods wordlessly, before leaving the room with his staff. 

OD lays next to Kim Dokja, moving some of his bangs off of his face. He observes the unconscious man, who’s sleeping soundly, not knowing how he can easily make the ruler of the world feel so worthless.

“This is unfair. Why must it be you who gets hurt?” 

He cries out in a pathetic whisper. Oh, how his non beating heart feels colder inside his chest. OD holds Kim Dokja’s hand, gently as he can, like he’s holding the world's most precious porcelain.  

Thump thump thump

The only thing keeping OD together at this moment is the heartbeat of his beloved. Yes, if there's one thing he's thankful for is that humans have hearts.

Unlike them. Unlike OD, who's the oldest being in the world. 

OD, who can't be defined by the norm, by titles, by statistics, by gender, by rules. OD, who lived to see everything change as time went on. 

OD, the saddest and most isolated being in existence, even if he's surrounded by those who worship him. 

OD, who simply wants to have his only hero, the one who knows his true self, back. 

“Hyung… Please come back. I don’t want to live in a world without you again…” 

“O…D…?”

OD’s head snaps up to see Kim Dokja opening his eyes. 

‘Ugh, why does my body feel so heavy?’

OD paces around “H-Hyung!! Doctor, I have to call the doctor!!” 

“OD-yah, stop panicking, you’ll make Dokja-yah uncomfortable” 

“Oh, yes, right, yes” 

SP sighs, turning his attention back to me with a gentle gaze “Welcome back, Dokja-yah. Here, let me help you sit up. You need to drink some water” 

He slowly lifts me up from behind, stacking pillows on my back, constantly asking if I’m comfortable, before giving me a glass filled with water. The water felt cold down my throat, but it didn't help satiate this burning thirst.

OD sits next to me, his nose dripping with snot from all the crying. I snort at the sight, wiping his face with my sleeve. 

“Hyung, you'll get dirty!”

I shake my head “It's okay, it doesn't bother me at all”

My eye starts to sting, making me pull back from OD. I can hear OD call me, but there's a ringing in my ears that's blocking me from hearing him.

“---ing!!”

OD grabs my cheeks, his thumbs rubbing my temples. The ringing and stinging starts to subside from the touch, my body going limp from the relief. 

“Hyung your eyes…”

“...?”

SP puts a mirror in front of me, and I can't help but tremble at the sight. 

My eyes were glowing red.