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Yoo Joonghyuk is not “Human”.
Oh, biologically and physically, he can be defined as human. A rather handsome one, as a certain Reader would say.
But emotionally? Psychologically?
He is not.
Yoo Joonghyuk is a Character. A Fictional Creature. He was not born in a hospital from a mother. His body may be made of flesh, bone, and blood. Yet he is accurately aware that his creation is through ink dancing on paper. Or maybe words typed into computer documents. Bunch of zeros and ones.
It happened during his 49th Round.
Somehow, Yoo Joonghyuk found himself with messages from No-Name Constellations. One whose name is glitching. It hovers between two titles, both are censored.
A one-sided message. He can read the messages, but he cannot interact back.
No other Constellations knew. They cannot even see it.
Through the odd messages, Yoo Joonghyuk finally found out the Truth of This World.
It was a World inside a Novel. He, and everyone else, including the Constellations, are just characters. A show within a Show.
The censored Constellation is the One True God. The one who lies beyond this world. The one who lives in the Real World and enjoys Yoo Joonghyuk’s torment as a pastime. The one whose power literally creates an entire universe just to have its fill of fun.
The Revelation broke something inside Yoo Joonghyuk. That he cannot escape from this hell, because it was Written So. Forever a Puppet for Someone’s Amusement.
He wants to rage at the world. Why was he created just to Suffer?! Why are The True God so cruel he had to derive his amusement from someone’s suffering?!
At the 53rd, he found that the True God didn’t enjoy his story.
Or rather, he doesn’t just enjoy it.
Yoo Joonghyuk manages to find older messages. The review and comments about his past regression. Through this, he found out what kind of person the True God is.
The True God, to put it simply, was his companion.
The True God laughed at things Yoo Joonghyuk found funny but could not express it, crying at moments when Yoo Joonghyuk felt despair eating him alive, when his companions were dead because of him, when he could not save his sister. Raging his behalf at the injustice he faced from the Constellations and Scenarios. Making Jab at his behavior.
The True God is not enjoying Yoo Joonghyuk’s misery. They are suffering alongside him. As if sharing his pain.
Yoo Joonghyuk’s Pain is Their Pain, and his Happiness is their Happiness.
Such feelings overwhelm Yoo Joonghyuk. Flustered him and make him feels guilty.
Without him realizing, he began to look forward for the floods of messages.
He becomes the Demon King of the 73rd Realm in the 111th Round.
He can hear the True God’s voice. Speaking only to his ears.
Mourning his tragedy. The heartbroken in his young voice cannot be faked or mistaken for anything else.
The laugh in his voice is genuine.
The derisive and mocking tone he uses are light-hearted jab, like one would do to an old friend. No hard feelings involved.
The voice broke. Become deeper. And Yoo Joonghyuk realizes that The True God grows older alongside his story. As if he is Yoo Joonghyuk’s child he never gets to know.
Yoo Joonghyuk begins to seek his approval. To hear more.
His 999th Round was Disaster. But it was a Disaster he’s proud of. None of his Core Companions are dying on him. The True God is proud of him, which is a good thing.
And by the end of it, and at the start of the 1000th round, he can see him through the Anomaly Window.
A young man, on the pretty side but unhealthily thin, with straight black hair and dark eyes darting around as if he’s some kind of rat. Tense as if he’s anticipating a strike.
His expression only softens when he looks at his phone and begins to read Yoo Joonghyuk’s story. Uttering his name and the nickname with the most loving tone Yoo Joonghyuk ever heard.
As if Yoo Joonghyuk is the only happiness in his life.
The realization that, yes, yes Yoo Joonghyuk is the only thing that brings him happiness, make pride, and a sense of accomplishment blooms at his chest.
Yoo Joonghyuk began to put effort to his action. A flair.
He watched through the screens how his story kept The True God living on.Some regression later Yoo Joonghyuk would find out that his Story is infamous in regards that it was so unpopular. Most readers drop it early. So few can read the Gigantic amount of Chapters it apparently has. Not to mention nihilism theme it carries.
Not the True God. The True God is Loyal Reader. He read every word carefully, following Yoo Joonghyuk’s journey as if he was right here next to him. Abandoning his social life for a story, and not a very good one. And in turn, Yoo Joonghyuk, somehow, also keep on going. Keep giving a show.
It was as if Yoo Joonghyuk exist solely for him.
No. It was not As If. Yoo Joonghyuk exist solely for him. That was The Fact.
That was the Truth of His Existence.
That’s right.
Yoo Joonghyuk exists, and keep going on, because his Only Reader. Because his True God. He becomes His only reason to keep living. His motivations when He was sent to the battlefront. Lifting his mood when His workplace and coworkers are weighing down on him. The one who soothes His tears and sadness, who chase away His loneliness.
A Single Story for Its Sole Reader.
Yoo Joonghyu no longer sought the Truth, for he had obtained it.
What he seeks is a way to reach beyond The Fourth Wall.
To reach his One and Only Reader. His one and Only God.
Because by the time he reach his 1863rd round, Yoo Joonghyuk starts to see his Reader’s past.
Of the hardships of his childhood. The way his father abuses him—and oh, doesn’t that bring Yoo Joonghyuk’s blood to boil? He had despaired during his Second Regression where Anna-fucking-bitch-Croft took him away from his son, and yet this beast masquerades as a man dare to hurt his kid. Yoo Joonghyuk’s beloved Star.
His Star who takes the necessary steps to end his suffering.
His Star whose story was suppressed by his Mother, and have to life with the Fallout of the Lies.
The bullying. The Injustice. The Shameless action of beasts around him.
Yoo Joonghyuk’s heart almost stopped when his Star became Falling Star and almost snuffled out his own light. Only avoid the dark fate by finding Yoo Joonghyuk’s story by pure chance.
Aha…
Yoo Joonghyuk cannot save his companions. Any of them. But he sure saved his Only Reader.
Yes. He is a Story that exists for Him and only for Him. No one else can comprehend Yoo Joonghyuk’s Tale and the depth it carries. Only his Reader, his God, his Star, who understands him. His Companion.
Yoo Joonghyuk become the Outer God to find a way to overcome the Fourth Wall. To reach the Real World.
To hold his Star for real. To wipe His tears with his own hand. To hold Him tight and never let go. To show Him that he is not alone.
That Yoo Joonghyuk watches over His story the way He watches over his.
“I’m sorry I ever doubted your intentions”
“Don’t cry, I’m here”
“No one will hurt you anymore. I won’t let them”
“You are My Companion”
“Thank You, for being my Companion, for living for my sake, for being there in all of my moments.”
Those are only examples of what Yoo Joonghyuk wishes to say to his Reader, his God, his Star, his reason to exist and keep living on in this Hell, the Love of his Life.
Yoo Joonghyuk searched for a way and keep searching and keep searching and keep searching.
Until he found it.
A rift that formed in the Real World. Fabrics of reality are being torn apart and forcibly sewn together. Connecting the Real World with the world of the Ways of Survival and yet beyond it.
The world beyond 1863rd Regression.
Yoo Joonghyuk want to enter. He was there! His God! His Star! His Reader! He was there! Just one regression away and Yoo Joonghyuk can tell Him everything. Can show Him how much he loves Him.
But wall of Probability blocks him. Unravel him in way each of his regressions gains their own body.
Not good.
But Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t live for who-knew-how-long without picking a trick here and there.
.
Yoo Joonghyuk wakes up in the subway. He woke up with a feeling that he was a mere fragment of a whole being.
His mind is filled with images of a man.
“God…” he whispered. “My Star…”
That’s right. his mind supplies. That’s your God, your Star. Your Beloved.
Find him. Protect him. Cherish him. Make him happy.
Failure is not allowed.
No matter what you have to do. No matter who you have to sacrifice.
Him. Only Him that matters.
He is your purpose in life. Your reason of existence.
He is the Only One who matters.
Your True Companion. Your Other Half. The only one who was here, who will be here, for you no matter what. The only one you need.
Him and Him alone.
Yoo Joonghyuk’s eyes glazed gold as the command sank to his whole being.
Beyond the worldline, Yoo Joonghyuk who had traveled through 1863rd regression smiled at his 1864th Round Avatar.
That Avatar will protect his God. Just until Yoo Joonghyuk can take him away from the Hell, the Cruelty of the Starstream. As his reward, the Avatar will be coming with them. Yoo Joonghyuk is not that cruel. If he performs particularly well, he can continue serves his Star.
His Only Reader deserve the best. And if the best come in form of a Harem solely made of Yoo Joonghyuks? Then so let it be.