Work Text:
“Sorry, I gotta go!” Kim Dokja grabbed his coat before sliding on a shoe, using his index finger to pull on the backing of the worn-out shoe.
“Where are you going?” Yoo Joonghyuk looked up from his magazine, cocking an eyebrow.
“Sooyoung needs something!”
“Then tell her to figure it out herself.” Yoo Joonghyuk’s voice was low and raspy. His throat itched and felt dry. Each swallow was painful and left a lingering burning feeling.
“Can’t! Wish I could! But while I’m out, do you want me to pick up something for your throat?” Kim Dokja threw on his coat and swung his bag over his shoulder. He turned the doorknob and looked back, waiting for Yoo Joonghyuk’s response.
“Mm, that’d be nice.” Yoo Joonghyuk adjusted his grip on the magazine before looking down on it again. He cleared his throat. Yoo Joonghyuk’s coal eyes started to trail the lines of letters on the magazine again, but he abruptly paused at a sudden realization. Kim Dokja gave a hum to acknowledge Yoo Joonghyuk’s response and opened the door to leave.
“Wait, why do you need your bag—“
“Love you! See you later!” And just like that the door was closed and Kim Dokja was gone. Yoo Joonghyuk was dumbfounded. The tall raven-haired man was sure the paler man heard him, even if he was about to leave. He shook his head. He probably didn’t hear him. It’s not like Kim Dokja was intentionally avoiding the question, right?
— — —
“Fuck!” Kim Dokja dropped his bag onto the coffee table. Han Sooyoung, who was waiting at a table in the back of the cafe blinked at him. He huffed, wiping a bit of sweat from his forehead before he sat down.
“If you’re sweating from a little run then you’re really out of shape.” She sipped on her frappé casually.
“It was a 10-minute run! You said it was urgent! So of course I’m going to sprint all the way here. It gets tiring!.” He glared at her. “Did you at least get me something?”
“Of course not.” She slid a colorful drink across the table, cracking a grin. Kim Dokja swiped it from her and started chugging it. “Hey! You’ll get a brain freeze if you do that!”
“Well, how else am I supposed to cool off?” Han Sooyoung rolled her eyes. “Anyways, what was so important that I had to run here for?”
“Drum roll please!” Han Sooyoung waited for some half-assed sound effects, or even his fingers drumming on the table. Neither happened to say the least. “Tch, buzz kill.” She sighed away her disappointment.
“Well, I got you a production deal! Your publishers want to turn ‘Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World’ into a show! Amazing, isn’t it?” Han Sooyoung flashed a tooth-filled smile. “So shocked you can’t say anything?”
“Really? Star Stream Publishing actually wanted something of mine to get pushed out into a broader audience?”
“I know, unbelievable, right? I swear they’re usually praying for your downfall. But as long as I’m around it’s either they listen the first time or take it up the as—“
“Ok, I think I get the picture now. But that’s amazing, Sooyoung!” He lifted his cup and Han Sooyoung tapped it with hers with a dull clink.
“It’s great but you’ll have to be on set pretty often. It’s gonna be a shit load of work on top of your deadlines.” She slurped the rest of her drink before setting the empty cup down.
“Shit..do you think Yoo Joonghyuk will ask what’s happening if I keep ditching him all of a sudden? He’s been asking questions every now and then but I can only satisfy him with half-hearted lies.”
“Of course, he’s gonna ask questions! You’re probably gonna be gone for a good portion of the week. Besides that, why don’t you just tell him?”
“Because that’s embarrassing Sooyoung!” He rested his face in the palm of his hand as he leaned forward into the table.
“What part of it?” The editor started tapping on the table with rhythm. Her nails clacked on the table, the sound just temporarily relieving her boredom.
“Just the whole thing! Besides I don’t know when the right time to tell him is, if that moment even comes up that is. Ugh, I just feel like I’ve gone too deep to tell him now.” Kim Dokja whined as he melted into his seat.
“I think you’re overthinking it. But I won’t tell him.” Han Sooyoung was now scrolling on her phone, making the occasional eye contact with the man as she spoke.
“Mm, thanks, I guess.”
“Is that how you thank your beautiful and wonderful editor/literary agent?!” A loud and frankly chaotic argument followed and consumed the once casual and peaceful space of the cafe.
— — —
“Oh, you have something planned today?” Kim Dokja poured some hot coffee into his plain white mug. His back faced the kitchen island as he leaned onto the white marble counter, his left hand gripped onto the edge as he faced Yoo Joonghyuk, who was sitting at the dining table eating breakfast. Kim Dokja sipped on his coffee.
“Mhm, we have something scheduled for work today. I made you some lunch and left it in the fridge. Make sure you eat. Don’t skip meals, I mean it.” Yoo Joonghyuk’s tone lowered a tad at the last sentence.
“I won’t, I won’t.” Kim Dokja looked away for a moment to try to avoid the guilty feelings that were starting. It’s not like he would skip meals, on purpose that is. Sometimes things just happen and you can’t even grab a bite to eat, you know?
“Anyways, is that throat medicine working for you? Your voice sounds better.”
“Mhm. My throat feels a lot better than before.” Yoo Joonghyuk gave Kim Dokja a little smirk. “Thank you for taking care of me.”
“Of course. But if you don’t mind me asking, what did you do to strain your voice that much? You weren’t sick.”
Yoo Joonghyuk reminisced on the moment he was shouting callouts to his teammates. Though, nothing was heard on his stream since his mic was always muted. Only his teammates heard him via call, and boy could they hear him yelling at them.
Yoo Joonghyuk did his best to stay calm while he was playing with his teammates. But there were just those times where being calm didn’t help. Those times were when Kim Namwoon and Lee Jihye would go to sleep late and start falling asleep during their matches. Yelling was the only thing Yoo Joonghyuk could do from the other end of the call that had a 100% success rate.
“I had to talk for a long time with my colleagues.” Yoo Joonghyuk felt a little guilty lying through his teeth, especially since he was lying to his companion.
“Well, hopefully, you don’t need to have a long conversation today. Call me when you have free time, I love you.”
“Love you too, I’ll see you later.” Yoo Joonghyuk left for the studio he rented to stream. Of course, it would be more convenient to stream at home, but it would be too risky since he and Kim Dokja lived together. For starters, he has never told the older man that he worked as a streamer for a living, a popular one at that. And second, he didn’t know what would happen if word got out that he had a significant other. Though he tried to keep his identity a secret and his life hush-hush, there were always leaks one way or another.
Yoo Joonghyuk sighed as he unlocked the door to the studio. He was greeted by refreshingly cold air and a dark room. He flicked on the lights and set down his bag. He booted up his PC and went around the studio tidying up things here and there. The studio wasn’t all that big. It had a tiny kitchen tucked away to the right of the door, and an L-shaped counter visually separated it from the large living room. There was also a fairly sized bathroom to the left side of the entrance.
Most of the apartment was just a living room. He had his expensive gaming set up just off-center to the right of the middle of the room. He had a C-shaped desk that was dark in color, three monitors, a keyboard, a mouse, and all that jazz. Besides that, there was a pull-out bed/sofa to the left of the living room which was right in front of the huge window of the apartment. The apartment was far from furnished, but Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t care. It was his workspace, not his home.
Yoo Joonghyuk turned on his computer and sat back, waiting for it to load so he could start preparing for today’s stream. His thoughts trailed back to his beloved. He wondered what he was doing.
— — —
“Supreme King’s stream is finally live!” Kim Dokja was looking at the notification on his phone’s lock screen. His face lit up like a light bulb.
“Finish your goddamn work first! The deadline is gonna but soon!” Han Sooyoung slapped him lightly on his shoulder and earned an annoyed look from Kim Dokja.
“It’s two weeks away and I’m almost done! I just have to finish the last chapter, I swear!”
“Tch. Fine, take a 20-minute break or whatever…” Han Sooyoung turned away from him and started tapping away on her computer again.
Kim Dokja, who was left to his own devices now, opened up the Twitch app, clicked on the stream, turned his phone onto its side, and melted in the sofa as he displayed the screen in front of him.
He didn’t know what he liked about this particular streamer. The streamer was faceless and didn’t even speak on stream. Perhaps it was how memorizing the gameplay was. Or maybe the occasional messages the Supreme King would leave in the chat, mainly for important things, like going to get something or pausing the stream.
Kim Dokja found it so odd, but he went with it anyway. It was enjoyable on days like this when he was doing lots of work. It was so enjoyable that after relaxing on the couch and watching the stream for 10 minutes, Kim Dokja was snoozing.
— — —
Both of their schedules had gotten busier. Though Yoo Joonghyuk’s streaming schedule was flexible, it seemed like he always missed his lover. One second everything seems to be going smoothly, then suddenly Kim Dokja informs him he’s booked for the rest of the week.
What scares him is how excited he is. Long hours just for him to come home tired yet pleased with his day was odd. It evoked a feeling inside of Yoo Joonghyuk. Was it jealousy? He was having a better time elsewhere, away from Yoo Joonghyuk, maybe that was jealousy.
Or he was anxious. Was he cheating? That was the last thing Yoo Joonghyuk wanted to think about. The thought of potential betrayal left a bad taste in his mouth. He felt guilty for even coming up with that conclusion. He trusted Kim Dokja, he trusted that he wouldn’t do that. But then again, he doesn’t know all that much about him. He doesn’t know what he does for a living—
Fuck, does he know anything about Kim Dokja? Besides his likes and dislikes, he doesn’t know anything besides his name, age, and a few friends he made before meeting Yoo Joonghyuk. He knows Kim Dokja, not his story. The fable that built up his being. Yoo Joonghyuk felt a bit stupid letting him stay in his apartment without knowing all that much about him.
Of course, he didn’t mind letting him live with him. He’s enjoyed his company a lot and loves him to death. But isn’t he only loving the person Kim Dokja is showing him? Just the fraction of the person he is? I mean one shouldn’t take the 49% and go, leaving the 51%, which is just as important. He took a deep breath. He didn’t want to jump the gun.
Yoo Joonghyuk opened his phone and opted for some mindless scrolling. After a few minutes of scrolling, his racing heart seemed to regulate. His erratic thoughts seemed to linger though. That was until a particular post caught his eye.
[Hit Novel ‘Three Ways to Survive a Ruined World’ Receives Production Deal for Live Action Adaption]
One of Yoo Joonghyuk’s favorite novels received a live-action adaption? He scrolled down, reading the smaller font of the article.
The author of the popular novel ‘Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World’, Oldest Dream, shares his thoughts on the upcoming live-action drama.
“I am very excited to see Ways of Survival in a visual form! I have been working closely with the crew to ensure that the drama follows the original story fans have come to love while including some drama original scenes. I hope you guys are just as excited to watch it as I am!”
Yoo Joonghyuk chuckled at the enthusiasm. The streamer had originally read the novel because he once saw it on Kim Dokja’s computer. At first, he read it to see why his lover liked these types of stories so much, and he saw the appeal, but soon Yoo Joonghyuk began to resonate with the protagonist of the novel. He found some similarities between him and the protagonist. And even then, the author reminded him of his beloved Kim Dokja. It was strange, but Yoo Joonghyuk found it delightful in his own way.
Yoo Joonghyuk continued to scroll down until he reached the end of the article.
Oldest Dream’s very first book signing was on January 6th for his debut book ‘Three Ways to Survive a Ruined World’.
Yoo Joonghyuk’s eyes widened. It was strange that an author who hid their identity behind a pen name would so suddenly reveal themselves to the public.
Nonetheless, Yoo Joonghyuk still wanted to go. Of course, he would go! They’re the author of his lover’s favorite story! Maybe this would be a perfect first date after god knows how long.
— — —
“I’m so sorry! I really can’t go out on the 6th! I have something extremely important to do at work, and unfortunately, it’s only something I can do…” Kim Dokja averted his gaze. He felt so guilty. So guilty for not spending as much time with Yoo Joonghyuk as he should and for lying to him straight to his face, yet again.
“Ah, I guess it can’t be helped.” Yoo Joonghyuk's brows furrowed as disappointment laced his voice. He tried to mask it, he really did. But Kim Dokja would miss out on seeing his favorite author—
“But! But maybe we can go somewhere on the weekend! Anywhere we want, just the two of us!”
Yoo Joonghyuk let a sad smile creep onto his face. “If that’s more convenient for you, then we can. I don’t mind.”
“Sounds good! We can choose a place later.”
“Mhm.”
“I’m sorry.” Kim Dokja frowned.
“For what?”
“For always being busy. For not being home. For making you lonely. Everything!”
“Wait are you crying—“ Yoo Jonghyuk’s evens widened.
“I’m not crying!” Tears slide down Kim Dokja’s face. He wasn’t sure what he was crying about in particular. Maybe it was his new book, maybe his family situation, maybe the live-action, or maybe his relationship with Yoo Joonghyuk. Hell, maybe it was a combination of all four of those with a smidge of stress in the melting pot.
Yoo Joonghyuk grabbed Kim Dokja by the wrist and pulled him into a hug. “It’s not your fault. Let’s just have a good weekend, kay’?”
— — —
The line was long. And by long, it was long. The line had wrapped around the bookstore about two times. There were photographers and even one or two journalists hiding in the crowd.
And god, was it noisy.
Yoo Joonghyuk had opted to stay hidden, as per usual. He as always, wore nearly all black. Black hat, a black turtle neck that was tucked into his black dress pants, black shoes, and even a black mask. The only pop of color he wore was a tan coat his dear boyfriend bought for him.
He missed Kim Dokja. Yoo Joonghyuk wanted to be the one to take him to meet the author behind his favorite novel. The man had wondered how his boyfriend would react to the identity reveal, but nothing came to mind. Would he gasp? Maybe he would be disappointed by his look? Nah, Kim Dokja might have a taste for attractive people, but he wouldn’t look down on anyone for their lack of attractiveness.
“Presenting the one and only author of ‘Three Ways to Surviving a Ruined World’….Oldest Dream!”
Unfortunately, Yoo Joonghyuk couldn’t get a single glimpse due to the overwhelming crowd. He sighed, accepting he wouldn’t get a glance.
The line moved slowly. It seemed with every glance Yoo Joonghyuk made at his watch, the line would move slower and slower.
Eventually, he did reach the front. He saw a very familiar man sitting down. He was a lanky man wearing a man. What caught his eye was the fact that the lanky man was wearing the same exact outfit Kim Dokja was wearing when he left the house. Yoo Joonghyuk was bewildered.
It was Kim Dokja.
He didn’t know whether to feel surprised or angry. But, his turn finally arrived.
“Hello! What’s your name dear reader—“
Yoo Joonghyuk pulled down his mask and glared at him. “I think you know my name very well, especially since you scream it every night.” Yoo Joonghyuk’s voice was just low enough to be heard by Kim Dokja and Kim Dokja only.
God forbid the person behind him heard him.
“I—“ Kim Dokja locked eyes with Yoo Joonghyuk and immediately went pale.
“This book is for my hardworking boyfriend, Kim Dokja. Can you dedicate it to him?”
Kim Dokja didn’t say anything. He knew he was in deep shit. The lanky man’s hand trembled slightly as he signed the book. After he finished, he closed it and slid it to Yoo Joonghyuk.
Yoo Joonghyuk snatched it from the table and turned to leave. “We’ll talk at home”.
Oh and that they did. It was more of an unpleasant and guilty conversation than anything.
— — —
“Look, Joonghyuk—“
“I’m not mad.” Yoo Joonghyuk said bluntly.
“You’re not?” Kim Dokja looked at him with his head slightly tilted. Is he not mad?
“Why would I be mad that my boyfriend is a best-selling author? I’m disappointed. I just—I wish you would have told me at least.”
“I’m sorry…It’s just I’ve remained anonymous for so long I didn’t know how to tell you.”
“Dokja, I understand. Besides I haven’t exactly been completely honest with you either…” Yoo Joonghyuk started scratching the back of his next.
“You haven’t?”
“I actually work as a streamer—“
“You mean Supreme King??” Kim Dokja’s eyes lit up.
“Yes—wait how did you know?”
“I didn’t, but you’ve been anonymous for a while so in my mind that was the only reasonable option.”
“And I brought it up!” Han Sooyoung, who was leaning on the wall with her arms crossed yelled. They looked at her with a bit of annoyance. “Can you guys stop with this cringey shit and just drive me home! Either one of you, not both. I don’t think I’ll last with you two homos in one car.” Her lip twitched as she glared at them.
“Ugh, fine. But can’t you call Yoo Sangah for a ride?” Kim Dokja picked up his keys and walked over towards Han Sooyoung.
“She’s out of town right now. If I could call her I would.” She walked towards the door, waiting for Kim Dokja.
“Haha, you should just get a car already, you make enough to afford a nice car.”
“I’m a passenger princess, not a driver.”
“Uh huh…” Kim Dokja turned to Yoo Joonghyuk. “Sorry, I gotta go.” He grinned.
“Come back soon, Oldest Dream.” Yoo Joonghyuk chuckled.
“Will do, Supreme King.” Kim Dokja blew a kiss to him.
“Disgusting, really….” Han Sooyoung fake gagged. “Now hurry the fuck up! I have places to be!”
“What, like your hobbit house—“
“I’m going to kick your ass!”