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Kim dokja is a demon. An immortal being, known for eating humans, beings of absolute evil. Having powers that humans do not have, they'd naturally power over the mortal beings, taking advantage of the big gap, satisfying their ever growing hunger by eating humans or blood.
Then there were gifted human beings, an enemy to demons, ones that could slay them with their own breathing style / type. People who could protect other humans when no one could help them.
They learnt the ways to defeat the demons, killing them by decapitation by their Nichirin Blades, or lure / stall time until sunlight showed. Of course, the Demon King can also kill his creations. Plus, with the Demon King dead, the whole of the Demon race would cease to exist.
There are also ranks in both sides, highest being the transcendents in the Demon slayers side, then the children or rather demons of the night, constellations for the demons.
Everyone aims for the highest ranks, but only those who are excellent and well disciplined will earn the titles. Not just anyone can become one of the transcendents or constellations.
Though demons are weak to sunlight, disappearing into dust, their whole being burning whenever sun touches their skin, there is one demon who is immune to sunlight.
To no surprise, it is the Demon King himself.
That being said, you may wonder why the demon race hasn't been wiped out yet since the demon king is out in daylight, transcendents must be able to detect him, right?
Wrong.
The demon king is a powerful being, disguising himself to blend in with the humans that need protection from transcendents, having the ability to move with the shadows makes him almost impossible to catch, not to mention the whole immune to sunlight thing again. Even if every last one of the Demon slayers are trained to pick up the scent of the Demon King, even the most powerful are not able to detect it. Some think that the whole Demon king is a whole joke since no one has really ever had an encounter with him.
Except the Supreme King.
Yoo joonghyuk.
A secret friend of the Demon King, Kim dokja.
They met when they were young, when the world was filled of colour in their now dull, black and grey world.
But when they were together, that very same dull, black and grey world had colour.
Year 1900, Korea.
Season : Summer
Young Yoo joonghyuk uses his small hands to move the trees away, the rustling sound of the leaves alerting the other boy underneath a big tree.
"Who's there?"
Yoo joonghyuk stops to a halt.
"I know you're there. Stop pretending and show yourself…"
Yoo joonghyuk purses his lips, too stubborn and suspicious of the other to move, choosing to stay silent and try to observe the owner of the voice. His eyes search for the other, only to be met with a face that's suddenly too close to his.
He stumbles back, landing on his backside.
"Ah- I didn't mean to scare you, sorry."
Yoo joonghyuk scoffs.
"Don't scoff at me you-" The other one sighs, "Nevermind. Why are you here?"
Yoo joonghyuk stayed silent.
"My name is Dokja, Kim dokja. I'm nine years old and I like reading." Dokja bends down, offering a hand to him.
Yoo joonghyuk reluctantly took the hand into his.
"Y-yoo joonghyuk." It was barely audible but with Dokja's enhanced hearing, he didn't find anything wrong.
Kim dokja smiles faintly, "Hi, Joonghyuk-ah. Can I call you that?"
"Mn." Joonghyuk holds the hand tighter.
Year 1901, Korea.
Season : winter.
"How are you taller than me already?! I'm ten and you're nine, it doesn't make sense!" Dokja groans, pouting as he shakes Yoo joonghyuk's shoulders violently.
"You are malnourished, small, weak, pale, and above all you look like you're dying every day, so I'm not surprised when I am already taller than you even though I'm three years younger." Yoo joonghyuk shakes Dokja off, getting back to skinning his apple.
"You- okay how do you know so many words at seven, also I'm offended." Dokja leans back on the tree, watching Yoo joonghyuk work.
"I'm smarter."
"As if."
Yoo joonghyuk cuts himself with the blade.
"What the- Shit, are you okay?!" Dokja scurries to check on Joonghyuk's hands, now having a big scar on it.
Yoo joonghyuk stayed silent and watched the other worry about him, silently amused at how a little cut could make Kim dokja panic so much.
He feels warm.
"I'm fine." He ruffles Dokja's hair, smiling faintly. "This is nothing." Joonghyuk starts to walk off, going back to the big tree when they first met a year ago.
"Nothing?! Seriously?!" Dokja catches up to him not too long after, panting hard. "Let me heal them at least."
"And how are you going to do that?" Joonghyuk smirks, loving Dokja's expression on his face.
"With herbs…and bandages?" Dokja ends off lamely, even confused himself.
Yoo joonghyuk lets out a snort, putting both hands up in defeat. "Whatever. Do what you want." He slumps down the tree bark.
Kim dokja sighs in exasperation, sitting in front of Yoo joonghyuk, focused on healing the wound.
He wraps a bandage around Yoo joonghyuk's hand, some red spots seeping through the fabric already.
"Shit."
Joonghyuk hums.
"Um…" Dokja slowly tilts his head up to look at Joonghyuk, "Can you close your eyes? Don't open them unless I tell you to."
The other raises an eyebrow at this. "Why?"
"Just do it. Please."
Joonghyuk sighs, closing his eyes shut tight.
"Thank you."
Now with his vision taken away, his other abilities were better, feeling a strange feeling on the hand he had the cut on, so ticklish it almost made him laugh.
Just when he felt it was over, he opens his eyes.
Then, he sees a pair of horns on Kim dokja's head.
"You…ha..can open your-" Dokja got cut off by Joonghyuk's surprised face. "What? Why are you staring at me like that?" He unconsciously moves his hands to his head, then feeling what made Joonghyuk look so shocked.
"You- Fuck!" Dokja ran off, leaving Joonghyuk at the tree.
"Wait, Kim dokja!" Just when he was about to run after him, Kim dokja had already disappeared from his sight.
He looks down at his wounded hand, the bandage falling off to reveal no wound or blood.
Clenching his fist, he could only wait for the next day.
Next day, afternoon.
Yoo joonghyuk arrived at the tree yet again like the past year, sitting under the tree, waiting for Kim dokja like always.
Sitting down, he sees down the basket filled with cooked food for both of them, still fresh. Hands hiding the poorly red color wrapped box deeper in the basket.
Choosing to pass time, he slept.
A hooded figure approaches the sleeping Yoo joonghyuk, frowning.
"Stupid sunfish…"
The hooded figure bends down, cupping Yoo joonghyuk's face.
Warm light emits from their hands, warming up Joonghyuk's body.
And with that, the hooded figure left, bracing their legs and leaping off with a pair of black wings behind their backs.
Yoo joonghyuk wakes up a few hours later, the winter season has snow on his hair.
Looking up at the sky, he finds that the stars has come out, shining brightly in the dark sky.
Then, he looks down at the basket.
The food was still there, cold.
No signs of footsteps either.
Pursing his lips, he gets up slowly, taking off with the basket and gift in his hand.
At a very far distance, the same very hooded figure sat on top of a tree branch, watching Yoo joonghyuk leave.
"I'm sorry."
Taishō era, Year 1921. Korea.
Ever since that day, Yoo Joonghyuk has never seen or heard of Kim dokja again, but he never gives up.
Every day without fail, he would go to the big tree and wait, waiting for Kim dokja to come back to him.
And soon with each passing day became months, then months became years.
Now, Yoo joonghyuk is twenty years old. If Kim dokja was still here, he'd be twenty-one.
By the way, he still hasn't given up on Kim dokja. He still went to the big tree that still somehow survived after all these years, ever so patient to wait for his first love, Kim dokja.
Back then, he didn't know why he was so eager to run to the tree to meet Kim dokja. How his heart does little flips and somersaults when Kim dokja would smile or praise him.
He didn't understand why he felt so…empty and despair when Kim dokja didn't come back.
But now that he's older, now a demon slayer of the very high ranking, smarter and has a wider range of the world, he now knows that Kim dokja had stolen his heart.
Kim dokja, his first love that disappeared along with his colorful world.
The colorful world that only appeared when he was with Kim dokja.
Yoo joonghyuk frowns.
Without Kim dokja after all those years, he'd gone quiet, more grumpy looking if Kim dokja was there to say, always looking like he's angry.
He used to be so loud and cheerful.
Yoo joonghyuk huffs, the winter air leaving hid mouth.
He closes his eyes, head against the tree bark, clutching the present he'd bought for Kim dokja as a form of an apology all those years ago close to his heart.
Just as he was about to go to the dream land, he heard a twig snap in the very far distance of the deeper parts of the forest.
Yoo joonghyuk pretends to sleep, choosing to steady his quickening breath to slow down.
He hears soft footsteps from behind him, flinching a little as they get closer and louder.
He hears the thing sigh.
"Joonghyuk-Ah…"
!!!
That voice!
'Kim dokja?' It takes everything in Yoo Joonghyuk’s not to open his eyes and look at the owner of the voice.
Though a very different tone and sound, Yoo joonghyuk could still recognise that annoying, infuriating voice anywhere. Even if you separated the both of them apart, Yoo joonghyuk will forever remember that voice of Kim dokja.
His first love.
The one who stole his little heart.
"Why do you never give up, you stubborn bastard…" Kim dokja laughs.
Yoo joonghyuk feels a cold, slender hand touch the side of his face.
Warm light emits from Kim dokja’s hand once again, and suddenly, Yoo joonghyuk feels really warm.
The comfortable kind of warm, one fit for the winter, just enough to make you not freeze or sweat.
"Joonghyuk-Ah…I'm so sorry." Kim dokja slowly and softly stands up to leave once again.
'Oh don't you dare leave me again.' Yoo joonghyuk grits his teeth, and in a flash, Kim dokja's world was spun around, his back hitting the snow while a warm hand protected his head from hitting the floor.
"Y-yoo joonghyuk!?" Kim dokja exclaims in shock and surprise.
"Kim dokja, you damned fool."
Dokja feels water hitting his face.
Ah, Yoo joonghyuk is crying.
…
YOO JOONGHYUK IS CRYING!?
"Why did you leave?" Yoo joonghyuk interrogates, glaring at the other who finds the snow much more interesting than his face.
"W-well…Joonghyuk-ah…um please stop holding arm so tightly, please?"
"No."
Kim dokja pouts.
"Look, can I please just leave?"
"As if I'd let you go after you left me with no warning or whatsoever thirteen years ago."
Kim dokja was silent again
"I didn't mean too…" He starts off, "I just think that you would want to see me-"
"I'd die to see you again."
"You- shut up!" Kim dokja blushes, hands itching to punch the bastard's face.
Come to think of it, Yoo joonghyuk grew up to be very handsome. Just Kim dokja's type if you must.
"You grew up well." Yoo joonghyuk says suddenly.
"Wha-" before Kim dokja could ask, Yoo joonghyuk had already lifted his hand to his lips, kissing his knuckle.
"What the- Yoo joonghyuk!"
"You're very pretty. Your skin is soft and pale, combined with your rosy cheeks, people would mistake you for a woman." Joonghyuk grins, relishing in Kim dokja's flustered face.
He missed this.
He really missed Kim dokja.
"I missed you." Yoo joonghyuk pulls Dokja close, warming his cold body with his own.
Kim dokja wants to retort something back, but it dies down in his throat when he notices Yoo joonghyuk trembling.
"I-....I missed you too, Yoo joonghyuk."
Taishō era, year 1922. Korea.
It's summer now, Kim dokja and Yoo joonghyuk grew closer than ever during the past few months.
"Let me get this straight, you are a transcendor and part of the Demon slayer corps?!" Kim dokja almost chokes on his food.
"Correct. You are a demon, right?" Yoo joonghyuk states as if there's nothing wrong with it, quite loud too.
"What the- Of course I'm not! Demons cannot go under the sunlight, and look at where I'm sitting now! Directly under the hot sun!" As if to prove his point, Kim dokja stands up and goes under the sun, arms spread out and spins his body around. "See! Human!"
Yoo joonghyuk laughs at his antics, giving up. "Alright, alright. So sorry if I've ever doubted you."
Kim dokja ran back to shelter, huffing. "You should-"
"Master?! Is that you?"
Both of their heads turn to the direction of the voice.
"Lee jihye?" Yoo joonghyuk was the first to snap out of the daze.
"Master! Whose this?" The girl, seemingly about fifteen or sixteen years old, points to Kim dokja.
"He is…my lover."
"WHAT?!" Jihye and Dokja shouts, earning the gaze of others.
"Wait, why are you surprised?!" Lee jihye snaps at Dokja.
"I'm not his lover?!" Even dokja himself is becoming confused.
"He's right. He's my wife." Yoo joonghyuk gets up and kisses Kim dokja on the cheek, leaving Lee jihye jaw dropped.
And just nice, Kim namwoon, Han sooyoung, Yoo sangah, Jung heewon, Lee hyunsung arrives just when Yoo joonghyuk kiss Kim dokja on the cheek.
"What the hell?!" Han Sooyoung shouts.
Kim dokja slowly turns his head to the other group then Yoo joonghyuk.
"Yoo joonghyuk…" He starts off cold, Yoo joonghyuk bracing his legs to run. "You are so fucking dead."
The other's watch as their grumpy, cold, quiet Yoo joonghyuk gets chased around by his supposed wife all while smiling.
"Did he get possessed or- Mphm!" Kim Namwoon gets shut up by Lee jihye.
"So you're the reason why masters have been going away to that big tree more lately!" Lee jihye examines the face of Kim dokja, then nodding in approval when he was done.
"Uh..I guess so?" Dokja backs up, his own back hitting Yoo joonghyuk's chest.
A pair of strong arms wrap around his waist, fluffy hair tickling Kim dokja's skin of his neck.
"Eh- Joonghyuk-ah…" Dokja sighs as the arms around his waist tightened.
"Who would've thought the grumpy, cold Yoo joonghyuk could be so expressive with his lover…" A short haired woman wearing purple clothing scoffs, faking a gag with her fingers.
Sensing the uneasiness from Kim dokja, Yoo joonghyuk threw a dagger at Han Sooyoung’s direction.
"Han Sooyoung, shut up." Yoo joonghyuk glares at her, Sooyoung palling from the knife that almost cut her beautiful face.
"I'm very happy for you two!" Yoo Sangah chirps happily, Lee hyunsung nodding in agreement.
Kim dokja feels drained.
"Joonghyuk-ah…can we leave? Tired." He lets out a small yawn, eyelids getting heavier by each second that passes.
"Mn." Yoo joonghyuk left without a word, carrying the other with little to no effort.
"So…Did anybody catch his name?" Kim Namwoon pops up from behind a wall.
"Nope."
Taishō era, year 1922, Korea.
Days passes and Kim dokja gradually slowly got closer to the rest of the members of the Demon slayer corps, even getting himself a master going by the name Kyrgios Rodgraim, one of the transcendents in the corps, Yoo joonghyuk's rival for Kim dokja's attention in joonghyuk's eyes.
Now it's one of the days he's training with the kids, Shin Yoosung and Lee Gilyoung.
"Ahjussi, are you sure you don't need a break?" Yoosung runs to him, giving him a cup of water.
"I'm okay, Yoosung-ah. Go help Gilyoung-ah for me, okay?"
Shin yoosung reluctantly nods, leaving Kim dokja with his weapon.
Now with the kids far away, Kim dokja goes behind the house, then teleporting using his blood demon art.
He finds himself at the very big tree again, hands against the tree bark.
" Heal ."
With one word, the dying tree gets revived once more, like it had been all these past years.
After he's done, Kim dokja teleports back before anyone could notice he was there or gone from the building.
As soon as he was back, Yoo Sangah accidentally bumps into him.
"Ah! Sorry Dokja-ssi. I didn't see you." Yoo Sangah bows, "We're having dinner together with the corps today, by the way. Please come if you don't mind. Yoo joonghyuk-said would definitely be delighted to know you're going to be there."
"I-is that so…" Dokja nervously laughs, his dead heart coming down from the adrenaline of almost being caught.
"Really! Yoo joonghyuk seems to like you very much." Yoo Sangah giggles.
Somehow, Kim dokja feels warmth.
He covers the back of his warm neck instinctively, Yoo Sangah grinning at Dokja's red ears.
"I'll come."
"Great! You'll love it, Dokja-ssi."
Dinner with the company was hectic to say the least.
Kim namwoon threw the food around like it was nothing, then there's Lee jihye hitting him on the back of his head for wasting her master's well prepared and great food, Jung heewon boasting about her achievements as she drank more bottles of wine, Hyunsung trying to stop her, Han sooyoung shouting and complaining about something a drunk Kim dokja couldn't figure out about what, Yoo Sangah playing with the kids outside as they argued about whose better, Kyrgios having a drinking battle with Namgung Minyoung, and Yoo joonghyuk whose clinging onto him for life.
What a great dinner.
Feeling his head throb from the loud noises, Kim dokja hisses in pain.
Then, he feels an overwhelming sense of magic releasing.
But where?
Why, it's none other than his own body of course.
'Shit!' Dokja stands up abruptly, "Sorry, I have to go…I'm not feeling too…ah..Well."
"Ah! Dokja-ssi, are you alright?" Lee hyunsung passes trying to stop Jung heewon from drinking, worried for his friend.
"Yeah…" Dokja gulps, getting dizzy.
Yoo joonghyuk who was left on the ground from the sudden standing up from Kim dokja looks up at him and frowns.
"You fool."
Kim dokja gets swept off his feet, literally as Yoo joonghyuk bridal style carries him out.
"Wear protection!" Han Sooyoung and Jung heewon snickers.
Kim dokja, who is so tired and drunk to even mutter a word back, ignores them, Yoo joonghyuk giving them a hard glare for him.
"You fool. Don't drink if you can't- ■■■■■"
What Yoo joonghyuk says next is a ringing tune to Kim dokja's ears.
Then, his vision goes black, falling into a deep slumber.
"–are you even listen- Dokja?" Yoo joonghyuk whispers.
Oh.
He's asleep.
Choosing to admire the sleeping beauty, Yoo joonghyuk didn't notice the horns protruding from Kim dokja’s head until Joonghyuk felt something on the back of Kim dokja hit his hand.
Yoo joonghyuk has his eyes blown wide.
A pair of horns and black wings are now attached to Kim dokja's body.
Suddenly, he feels as if someone was watching them.
Frowning at the thought of someone watching their quality time together, Yoo joonghyuk ran off, using one of his skills, Red Phoenix Shunpo.
A angel like demon with blonde hair silently revels in the new information from the trees.
Ever since that night, Yoo joonghyuk keeps sensing high ranking demons whenever he's around with Kim dokja.
After that whole incident with Kim dokja accidentally showing his uh, extra features it only makes him more sure of his suspicions.
Feeling a sense of deja vu right at this moment, Yoo joonghyuk swiftly unseaths his sword and throws it at the demon's direction, only to find out that it was a fake.
'A demon who can create fakes?' Yoo joonghyuk glares at the direction he first sensed the demon was at.
"Why exactly are you glaring at the trees?" Dokja comes up from behind him.
"Nothing." The scent disappeared. Yoo joonghyuk makes a mental note in his mind.
Looking at Kim dokja, he now is sure of his suspicions.
"Kim dokja, just what happened to your horns?"
The scent of demons increased and got stronger.
Kim dokja, however, remained calm and unexpressive.
"Horns? What do you mean? I don't have horns…" Kim dokja laughs it off, playing it as a joke. "Since when did you learn to joke, Joonghyuk-ah?" The way Kim dokja smiled was so creepy it almost makes Yoo joonghyuk drop the subject immediately.
But no, he just had to be a persistent and stubborn son of a gun.
"Are you sure?" Yoo joonghyuk confidently walks closer to Kim dokja, the latter backing away to create distance between them.
"I'm very sure, Yoo joonghyuk." Dokja frowns.
'The demons scent are increasing with each step I take…' Yoo joonghyuk hums.
Finally deciding to drop the subject, Yoo joonghyuk backs off and as soon as he does, almost all of the demons disappeared.
But he could still sense three remaining.
"Can we go to the house now? I'm tired." Dokja whines, shaking his head.
"Mn." Yoo joonghyuk sighs and walks with Kim dokja beside him.
Taishō era, year 1926, Korea.
Even after four long years of hard work, demons just still kept coming, even Yoo joonghyuk's tired of it.
He knows he could easily end it by killing Kim dokja, Demon King of Salvation, but this was the very same person who stole his heart, made his colourless world a bright and filled with variety of colours, the one who made him feel happy and warm.
And if he had to give up all that plus all the years of waiting for his first love to come back, he'd rather die.
So for now and the upcoming torturous years, he'd endure it if he could spend more time with Kim dokja, even if he's the one who'd die first.
Then, the sudden movement of clothes rustling catches his attention.
"The moon is beautiful, isn't it?" Kim dokja giggles beside him.
"Hm." Yoo joonghyuk merely hums as an answer, admiring the man beside him.
Kim dokja…
I love yo-
"Yah! Yoo joonghyuk!" Kim dokja's voice brings him out of his thoughts, "Why are we still sitting out here? Come in quick, we need you to cook the food~" Kim dokja add a little laugh at the end and Yoo joonghyuk adores it.
"What will you ever do without me." Yoo joonghyuk chuckles and pulls Dokja closer to his body by the waist as they walk in.
"There's the lovebirds!" Han sooyoung teases, cheering for them and soon the others in the room follow.
"For the last time, we are not lovers!" Kim dokja groans, embarrassed.
Yoo joonghyuk looks at everyone as their teasing increases.
He lets out a small smile.
Yeah.
He'd definitely rather die than to let all of this go. If there is a time where Kim dokja and him could be happy, he'd never dare to destroy it.
"Why are you so in your thoughts today? Come on, we need your food." Kim dokja takes his hand in his and leads him to the kitchen.
As they walked to the kitchen, Yoo joonghyuk looks down at their connected hands.
Taishō era, year 1944. Korea.
The memory then fades into the winter snow, dull and grey. The hand in his view was his own, instead this time it was cold and lonely, with no hand to hold his.
He lays on the snow, blood seeping through his clothes and staining the white snow.
"Dokja-ya…" He calls out softly, and just before his arm lost energy, a pair of warm hands takes his cold, scarred ones.
"Yoo joonghyuk!"
He recognises that voice.
"Dokja-ya.."
There he was in all his glory.
Kim dokja, the Demon King of Salvation.
His first and last love.
"Please…joonghyuk-ah!"
Is dokja crying?
"Don't cry…" Yoo joonghyuk smiles, voice cracking. "It'll make me die with regrets, to see you crying and I couldn't comfort you."
Kim dokja sobs harder.
"Why didn't you shout for me?!" Kim dokja voice breaks, tears falling down like a waterfall.
"You were too occupier with the others, right? I didn't want you to be killed. I know you'd come save me once I called." Yoo joonghyuk spits out red blood, staining his Kim dokja's beautiful hands. "Hah…By the way..You look even more ethereal with your wings and horns out." Yoo joonghyuk kisses Kim dokja's red stained hands, Kim dokja's black wings circling the both of them.
"Bastard! How can you be so…" He tries to find the words, but his mind is too much in a haze to even speak well, "So selfish!? You know I'd live!" Kim dokja cries out, wings bringing their bodies closer.
"The sunset is beautiful, isn't it?" Yoo joonghyuk says out of the blue, Kim dokja's sight following his own.
The sun.
"You piece of shit, joonghyuk-ah." Kim dokja grits his teeth, clutching Yoo Joonghyuk's body closer to his.
"Mn…ill forever be yours, Kim dokja." Yoo joonghyuk chuckles, blood seeping through his lips. "Do find me in the future, if there even is one."
"I will. I fucking will…" Kim dokja's breath becomes unsteady, ugly crying his dead heart out.
"Good. Then I'll find you too, so please wait for me."
"You know I will." Dokja laughs through the pain, claws clawing at Yoo joonghyuk's clothing.
Silence follows.
"Yoo joonghyuk? Joonghyuk-ah?" Kim dokja feels Yoo joonghyuk's body temperature starts to fall, and with each second, the more panicked Kim dokja becomes.
"JOONGHYUK! YOO JOONGHYUK!" Dokja shakes him lightly, only to embrace his cold body one last time.
Year 2023, Korea.
It's been a long time since the whole demon thing happened, and though demons still roam the earth, they've turned to the good side and stared working at any blood or corpse related jobs, choosing to turn to drinking blood instead.
And yes, the Demon King of Salvation is still alive, blending in well with the humans of the current world.
He still has his old powers, though he rarely uses them anymore since the world is peaceful now.
It was just what Yoo joonghyuk dreamed of when they were kids. A peaceful world where nothing bad could heavily impact the world.
Well, the corruption and etcetera was still here but you get the point.
Now Kim dokja is working at a company, choosing to lie low for the rest of his long life.
Along the years, he's met very familiar faces.
For example, Yoo sangah whose his Co worker in his current company.
Han sooyoung, an author whose he's beta reading for,
Jung heewon, a bartender at a club he visits frequently,
Lee jihye, Kim namwoon, Lee Gilyoung and Shin yoosung he met a few days back, living well under the care of their parents,
And Lee hyunsung under the military, living a better life now.
Not to mention Kyrgios and Namgung being strict teachers at a school. Kim dokja thinks of them as best friends.
Life is good, and Kim dokja wouldn't trade it for the world.
But what about Yoo joonghyuk, you may wonder?
Well, during his years after that time, Kim dokja has never met Yoo joonghyuk again.
He doubts he'd ever meet him again anyway.
Demons and the demon slayer corps were a thing of the past, and Kim dokja has decided to leave it all behind.
Besides, if he ever will meet his first love again, he doubts he'd have it in him to go through all that pain again.
Kim dokja hears the door click open, revealing a beautiful white haired lady.
"Sorry, did we keep you waiting?" She asks.
"No, don't worry." Kim dokja gets up and bows, the pretty lady smiling.
"Thank you for waiting then." She then gestures for someone to come in.
Kim dokja's eyes follows the hand then to the door.
His breath gets stuck in his throat.
"Seolhwa, remember what I told you."
He recognises that voice.
Just how long has it been since he heard it?
"Yoo joonghyuk, I know. Do not mistake me as a person who doesn't keep their promises." Lee seolhwa looks annoyed.
Kim dokja takes in a deep breath when he finally gets to see his Yoo joonghyuk again.
"Joonghyuk-ssi, this is Kim dokja and he's our- Ah! Why are you crying? Are you okay?!" Lee seolhwa rushes to him, taking a tissue out and wiping off the tears streaming down Kim dokja's face.
"I'm fine…Please do take a seat and ignore whatever that just happened." Kim dokja jokes, smiling.
Lee seolhwa looks at him worriedly, then sighed and sat down at the couch.
Kim dokja puts on his costumer service smile, then locking eye contact with Yoo Joonghyuk.
Hm.
Yoo joonghyuk looks surprised.
"Please, this way, Mr. Yoo"
Kim dokja hates the way how foreign the greeting sounds on his tongue.
"Well then, shall we get started?"
The couple nods.
-After the meeting-
"Seolhwa, go wait in the car. I have something to check."
Lee seolhwa nods.
Yoo joonghyuk then turns to Kim dokja.
"Have we met before?"
That question almost breaks Kim dokja completely.
"No, we haven't." Kim dokja beams at him.
Yoo joonghyuk frowns.
"Forgive me if I am being rude, but please call me Joonghyuk-ah. I would like to confirm something."
Shocked, Kim dokja could only lets his mouth agape.
"Joonghyuk-ah."
Yoo joonghyuk smiles.
"Thank you." Yoo joonghyuk gives Kim dokja one last smile before he went away.
Kim dokja's heart shattets into a million pieces.
With a forced smile, Kim dokja and Yoo joonghyuk part ways.
At least Yoo joonghyuk knows how he feels to not get involved with him anymore.
If Kim dokja can observe from afar, it is enough for both of them.
Just then, loud fireworks shoot up into the dark sky.
It catches both of their attention.
Slowly they turned back, facing each other once again.
"Happy new year, Dokja-ya."
"Happy new year, Joonghyuk-ah."