Work Text:
[A new sub-scenario has arrived!]
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[Sub Scenario - Fear Factor]
Category: Sub
Difficulty: A
Clear Conditions: Two participants from each nebula will compete as a team to complete three challenges designed to test physical and mental strength.
Time Limit: 4 hours.
Compensation: 80,000 coins, two S-grade items
Failure: ???
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Kim Dokja sighed. This was a scenario he was unfamiliar with—the constellations might have commissioned it due to the lull in action right now. They really did not have time for this. The final scenario was finally in sight, and Kim Dokja needed to use every spare moment to prepare.
“Well, if it’s a game then Joonghyuk-ssi should go.” Yoo Sangah looked unperturbed, sitting with her legs crossed on the couch next to Han Sooyoung.
“No.”
“Come on, you could use a new item. And maybe a hobby.” Han Sooyoung snickered, dodging out of range of Yoo Joonghyuk’s death stare.
“I think Dokja-ssi should go.” Jung Heewon sauntered into the room, Lee Hyunsung hovering in the doorway behind her.
“What?”
“Yeah, Kim Dokja, get your ass up and do something. If you stare at that phone any longer your eyes will fall out.”
“You’re no better, Sooyoung-ah.”
“Eh? I get my ten minutes of exercise a day.”
“It’s supposed to be thirty minutes, Han Sooyoung.”
“…”
“Hyung!”
“Ahjussi!”
The kids ran into the room, nearly tripping over each other as they tried to get to Kim Dokja first.
“Can you please do it?”
“I’ve always wanted to watch a game show!! I think ahjussi would be really good at it.”
Damn it. The beaming faces of the kids… he could never resist. Sometimes, Kim Dokja suspected they used it against him.
“Fine.” He closed his eyes in defeat.
“Yay!”
“Then it’s decided.” Han Sooyoung’s voice permeated the peace he was trying to foster behind his eyelids. “Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghuk will compete.”
“Wha—” His eyes flung open, uncomprehending.
[All members of the nebula, <Kim Dokja’s Company>, agree with the participants.]
[Transfer to sub-scenario space initiated!]
Damn it.
[Scenario transfer complete!]
[Fear Factor Round 1: Rat Race.]
When he opened his eyes, Kim Dokja was greeted with an… unpleasant sight.
“Ladies and gentlemen, constellations and incarnations, welcome to: the Rat Race!” An announcer’s voice boomed, echoing across the huge stadium he found himself in. The ground was made of rubber and there were towering structures throughout the football field-sized area. It looked like a giant children’s playground.
“Now, let’s meet your contestants!” Cheers burst out and it nearly defened him. The seats of the stadium were packed full, and Kim Dokja recognized constellations from even the most unknown nebulas. This was… not a small scenario.
A quiet grunt was heard from his left, and Kim Dokja finally registered Yoo Joonghyuk’s presence. However, he also noticed…
“Are we tied together?”
“From the nebula <Great White North>, we have Chad and Brad! And from the…”
The announcer’s voice faded as Kim Dokja focused on the restraint that tied his left leg to Yoo Joonghyuk’s right. Yoo Joonghyuk flexed and struggled, trying to get his leg out but probability sparks flashed and kept them hip-to-hip. If Kim Dokja had to guess…
“It’s a three-legged race.”
A scowl broke out on Yoo Joonghyuk’s face and he glared.
“It’s not my fault!!”
“…”
Kim Dokja gazed around the stadium once more. Spread out were probably 20 teams, all similarly tied together. Even with their movement skills, if Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk weren’t on the same page this would not go well. What were the failure conditions again?
“And from the nebula <Asgard>, we have Selena Kim and Anna Croft!”
Beside him Yoo Joonghyuk stiffened and went to move, dragging Kim Dokja with him.
“Oi, bastard, stay still!”
Kim Dokja was dangerously close to doing the splits, and he reluctantly hopped on his right leg to keep up.
“Yoo Joonghyuk, stop!”
[The exclusive skill, Pressure Point is activated.]
Since they were—literally—tied at the hip, Kim Dokja was able to hit a couple of spots on Yoo Joonghyuk’s upper thigh that would freeze the muscles in his leg. A strong hand gripped his wrist, threatening to break it as the Sage’s Eye bore into him.
“What are you doing.”
Kim Dokja balked. “What are you doing?! Now’s not the time for personal grudges, we just have to do the scenario. If we fail out of this round then we can go back to the complex, alright?”
“What makes you think I want to do that?”
“You… what?” Kim Dokja was at a loss. Neither of them wanted to be here, so why…?
“I will not let her win.”
Oh.
“So…” Kim Dokja started, “you’re going to drag me through a literal obstacle course because you’re… competitive?”
A grunt.
Fantastic.
“Fine.” Kim Dokja huffed and activated Pressure Point once more. “But we need to work as a team if we’re going to get through this.”
“Use your skill.”
“My what?”
Yoo Joonghyuk glared, failing to elaborate further. Was he talking about electrification? That skill wouldn’t benefit both of them with movement though. Maybe he was talking about… oh. Kim Dokja understood.
“Right…” He was hesitant to use it. Since the mid-scenarios, Kim Dokja had vowed to no longer peek into people’s heads without permission. After all, he was also a character of sorts and decided to break his bad habit of reading other people.
But, Yoo Joonghyuk was explicitly asking for it. In that case, it should be okay, right?
[Exclusive skill, Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint stage 2 has been activated!]
As soon as the skill was activated, Yoo Joonghyuk’s thoughts entered his mind.
「 I will drag Kim Dokja through this if I have to. 」
「 Anna Croft cannot win. 」
Right…
“Contestants, you have ten minutes. Ready!” Wait, when did they even announce their names? “Set.” Yoo Joonghyuk’s thigh flexed against his and Kim Dokja listened to the direction he wanted to run in. “Go!”
With that, they took off with a burst of speed, linked legs creating an indent in the Earth. It was easier than Kim Dokja expected. This was his first time doing a three-legged race since, when he was a child, there were no birthday parties or activities to go to with his peers. At that time he was probably too small to participate anyway. His partner would just end up—
「 Left. 」
Shit!
Kim Dokja banked hard, but Yoo Joonghyuk was a step ahead. It knocked Kim Dokja off balance and he wasn’t able to get his footing.
“Oof!” They hit the ground in a pile of limbs.
「 Pay attention. 」
“Sorry…”
They both scrambled to stand up, still not used to the awkward condition of their one leg. Once they righted themselves, Kim Dokja took in the stadium. There were giant floating screens that showed the progress of various teams, and it seemed that Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk were near last place due to their collision. The timer in the sky showed 08:55.
The sound of grinding teeth confirmed this thought.
「 We’re going up. 」
[Exclusive skill, Air Steps has been activated!]
Through Yoo Joonghyuk’s thoughts, Kim Dokja could get a sense of where to place his right foot. Yoo Joonghyuk quickly guided them above the playground structure, and Kim Dokja was impressed. This was a pretty easy loophole. If they could make it across the sky to the end they might even get first place.
Tsu-chuchuchut!
“Yoo Joonghyuk!”
Probability converged and formed a monster that dove at them from above. It resembled a pterodactyl with a shark head, and its massive jaw tried to snap around Yoo Joonghyuk’s waist.
The Black Heavenly Demon Sword left its scabbard at lightning speed and parried the blow, but they had no time to breathe.
「 Keep moving. Left! 」
More monsters converged on them, some from above and some dog-like creatures with kangaroo legs sprung at them from below. Chaos had broken out across the stadium, and the sounds of cheering, screaming, and fighting mixed into a horrendous cacophony of noise that assaulted Kim Dokja’s senses.
[Exclusive skill, Electrification has been activated!]
Lighting coiled around his fist as he punched another pterodactyl beast out of the air. He wasn’t skilled enough with a sword to fight while attached to another person, but Yoo Joonghyuk had no qualms as he continued cutting down monsters while practically dragging him forward.
「 Watch it. 」
Kim Dokja quickly patted out the fire that had caught on Yoo Joonghyuk’s coat. At least the black leather would regenerate.
They continued slicing and running through the air, dodging the creatures that sprung at them. Sweat dripped into Kim Dokja’s eyes and blurred his vision as he ducked under one of the kangaroo dogs. A violent swing from Yoo Joonghyuk ripped Kim Dokja off course and he stumbled slightly, sparks bouncing through the air as his electrified punch sluiced past the creature. With a last minute maneuver, he managed to swing his right leg around to dodge without losing balance.
Suddenly, Yoo Joonghyuk’s thoughts grew too loud—Kim Dokja groaned and clutched his head as he felt the anger going through his companion. The kangaroo dog that tried to attack again fell with a high-pitched yip, but the anger continued to grow stronger. There were no words attached to the emotion but Kim Dokja could assume what happened.
[Story, ‘Life and Death Companions’ is irritated!]
Looking up, he caught sight of Anna Croft and Selena Kim on the screen. They were gaining distance from a group of monsters and closing in on the exit portal.
The slight shift from anger to anticipation was all the preparation Kim Dokja got before Yoo Joonghyuk activated Red Phoenix Shunpo. With a gut-wrenching turn of speed, Yoo Joonghyuk shot forward like a bullet.
Screw this bastard and his coat, too. Kim Dokja would be damned if he broke his leg here.
[Exclusive skill, Electrification has been activated!]
Lightning coiled around all his limbs this time as Kim Dokja kept pace, sparks bouncing off and landing on the black leather beside him. Grim satisfaction made a smile crawl up his face, but when he looked up panic made it drop.
00:13.
Shit.
“We need to go faster!”
The thoughts that entered Yoo Joonghyuk’s mind made Kim Dokja blanch, but he had no time to react before he was grabbed by the scruff of his neck.
[Exclusive skill, Giant Body Transformation has been activated!]
[Exclusive skill, Red Phoenix Shunpo has been activated to the limit!]
Yoo Joonghyuk’s left leg swelled to the size of a giant and pushed off an Air Step hard enough to hear a ‘crack’. Before Kim Dokja could even register their speed, he was assaulted by the dizzying sensation of being sucked into a portal.
[Scenario transfer complete!]
[Fear Factor Round 2: Mealtime.]
As soon as his feet touched down Kim Dokja bent over and…
“Blegh!”
Bile burned his esophagus as Kim Dokja puked, and, unfortunately, Yoo Joonghyuk was quick enough to pull his boots out of the splash zone. Bastard. Oh, they were no longer attached. Thank God.
“Lucky incarnations!” The announcer’s voice came again, echoing in the empty room. When Kim Dokja looked up, he saw six other pairs standing around. At least this time he couldn’t see their audience. “Congratulations on making it through the first challenge. Only one pair was eaten, hahaha!”
Huh?
“Each pair will now be assigned a room. Please enter your room now.” Ten doors around the walls lit up, and Kim Dokja saw their nebula name above one. With a quick gesture Yoo Joonghyuk followed him in and the door shut behind them.
“Uh…”
A sharp inhale left Yoo Joonghyuk, attesting to his shock.
“As you can see, each room contains a bathtub. In your bathtub are thousands of blood-sucking leeches.” Kim Dokja willed this to be a dream, but he could see the squirming bodies in the dark water. Wait, was it the water that was dark, or the leeches underneath?
The thought did not settle well and his stomach started to churn again.
“For the first part of this challenge…” first part? “…one partner must sit in the bathtub for at least one minute. After, they will exit the tub and their partner must suck at least 50 leeches off their body. You have four minutes.”
04:00.
That was not a lot of time…
03:59.
Shit.
“Yoo Joonghyuk,” the man looked at him with his mouth slightly agape, clearly shocked. They had taken on hundreds of different scenario monsters, constellations, and entire nebulas by this point. This, however, was something so normal yet so…
“I’m getting in. Prepare yourself.”
Before he could regret it, Kim Dokja started stripping.
“Wait, Kim Dokja.” Yoo Joonghyuk grabbed his arm but didn’t say anything else.
「 Are you sure? 」
Oops.
Kim Dokja turned off the skill and shook him off. “You want to beat Anna, right?”
Yoo Joonghyuk stayed silent but his brows were drawn down into a determined look.
This was yet another small way that Kim Dokja could atone. If it meant something to Yoo Joonghyuk, then so be it. It was the least he could do.
When he was down to his boxers Kim Dokja dipped a toe into the water. Luckily, it wasn’t too cold, so he hopped in.
“Oh, fuck!”
Immediately, the leeches swarmed his body and started sliding across his exposed skin. Damn it, how much time was there…?
03:36.
A minute. Kim Dokja had to survive for a whole minute in this tub.
[Exclusive skill, The Fourth Wall has offset some of your shock.]
Thank you, o’ mysterious benefactor of mine.
「 K im Do kj a i s a fo o l. 」
Yeah, yeah, I get it.
Kim Dokja flinched when a leech latched onto the back of his thigh. Despite having the Fourth Wall, it couldn’t completely desensitize him to the feeling. Yoo Joonghyuk’s hand drifted to his shoulder and his thumb rubbed circles into his skin. Protagonist bastard. Kim Dokja hated that it was comforting.
“Oh, oh, fuck not there,” Kim Dokja whined. Why didn’t he wear his tight boxers today? Everything from below his shoulders was submerged, and already there were leeches attached to every limb. Hands, feet, shins, thighs… other… places….
“30 more seconds,” Yoo Joonghyuk said, voice soft.
[Constellation, ‘Demon-Like Judge of Fire’ is bursting at this companionship!]
“Uriel,” Kim Dokja warned, face becoming hot with stress.
Despite the timer ticking closer to 2:36, Kim Dokja was starting to squirm with discomfort. The saliva in his mouth dried up and his breaths started to come out in short pants. The leeches were everywhere, and he couldn’t escape the feeling. In his chest, his heart started hammering like a jackrabbit. Maybe that’s why the scenario was called Fear Factor…
“Time’s up,” Yoo Joonghyuk grabbed him under the arms and hoisted Kim Dokja out of the bathtub before he got a chance to process what was said. There was a table to the side with a glass jar on it and a sticky note that read ‘Spit leeches here :D’.
It would not be surprising if this was all Bihyung’s idea.
Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t let go and instead slid his hand down Kim Dokja’s arm. A shiver ran through him at the sudden exposure to cold air, and, without hesitation, Yoo Joonghyuk grabbed a leech with his mouth. It came off with a slight ‘pop’ sound and Kim Dokja thought he might pass out.
Looking down, Kim Dokja saw all the little black creatures wriggling about. What a funny sight.
Yoo Joonghyuk continued moving across his arms, mouth gently grabbing all the leeches there. Kim Dokja’s head was a little fuzzy and he started to space out.
00:50
[Leech count: 30.]
Only 30?!
“Yoo Joonghyuk!”
“Sorry,” he mumbled between leeches. Without another word, he grabbed the glass jar and dropped to his knees before sucking off the leeches along his thighs. Kim Dokja let out a shocked little noise before he looked down at his arms and noticed the pale skin was unmarred by leeches. When did that happen?
00:19
“I’ll kill you if I did all this for nothing.”
Without looking down, he could tell that Yoo Joonghyuk sped up. The bare foot on the floor started tapping with nervousness and the fists at Kim Dokja’s side were clenching and unclenching.
Finally…
[Leech count: 50.]
Kim Dokja let out a breath.
[Constellation, ‘Most Ancient Liberator’ says seeing his maknae like this is an amusing sight.]
“Shut it.” Quickly, Kim Dokja picked off the remaining leeches and threw them back into the tub without much grace. With a couple of quick movements, he discreetly got rid of some of the… trickier ones as well. Due to his constellation body the little red marks healed quickly but Kim Dokja could still imagine them wriggling across his skin and a shiver ran up his spine.
“Kim Dokja.” Yoo Joonghyuk stood with the jar in hand but was looking at the floor. Was this bastard embarrassed?
A laugh escaped him. “Don’t worry, Joonghyuk-ah. We’ll beat Anna. I’m taking all the compensation rewards, though.”
At that, Yoo Joonghyuk huffed and placed the jar down. Kim Dokja pointedly avoided looking at it.
00:00
“Congratulations to the five teams who have passed!” The announcer’s voice boomed in the little room and Kim Dokja cringed from the change in volume. “Now, onto part two.”
“Uriel, did Anna make it?” If she didn’t then they could stop now and be rid of this stupid scenario.
[Constellation, ‘Demon-Like Judge of Fire’ says no cheating.]
[Constellation, ‘Demon King of Salvation’ looks at the ‘Demon-Like Judge of Fire’ in disappointment.]
[Constellation, ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’ says the ‘Demon King of Salvation’ should stew in his own misery.]
[Constellation, ‘Most Ancient Liberator’ lets out a monkey laugh.]
[Constellation—
“Okay, enough.” With a quick flick, Kim Dokja silenced his channel notifications.
“Incarnations, please look at your tables.” Quickly, Kim Dokja threw on his clothes and joined Yoo Joonghyuk at the table. The cloth was sticking to his damp skin but Kim Dokja tried to ignore it.
With a flash of probability sparks, a large, round plate replaced the jar of leeches. “You will now have 10 minutes to eat the leech pizza.”
10:00
“Are those…?”
09:59
Kim Dokja was going to throw up. They were the same leeches attached to his body not two minutes ago. Furthermore, the rest of the small pizza was made with… ugh, maybe he shouldn’t look into it too much.
“Well, Joonghyuk-ah—eh?” Yoo Joonghyuk was pale and his hands were shaking at his sides. Those fierce eyes were blown wide, staring at the leech pizza. They would each have to eat two pieces.
“Kim Dokja…” he muttered, not moving his eyes from the monstrosity in front of them.
“Yeah, I know, leech pizza. But we have to if we want to beat Annaaaa~.”
Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t appear to have heard him. “…who cooked this?”
“Wh—Joonghyuk, seriously?” Kim Dokja was incredulous. “We’re being forced to eat a leech pizza and you’re worried about who made it?”
Yoo Joonghyuk stood still as stone. Ridiculous. Once again, before he could regret it, Kim Dokja reached for a slice and picked it up.
“Oh, no,” the leeches were still alive. They were. Still. Alive. A couple of them wiggled off the piece and hit the table with a sick ‘splat’.
Fourth Wall, protect me.
With a quick movement, Kim Dokja bit off half of the piece.
“Fwuck—”
[Exclusive skill, Fourth Wall is strongly activated!]
Yoo Joonghyuk finally tore his eyes off the pizza and stared widely at Kim Dokja as he swallowed.
“Hurry up, bastard. If we back out now I will truly kill you.” Kim Dokja didn’t think he was kidding, either.
With slow hands, Yoo Joonghyuk reached for the pizza as Kim Dokja ate the rest of his, carefully keeping his mind blank. It was a new sight when the protagonist lifted the pizza slice with shaky hands and took a small, teasing bite.
“Come on Yoo Joonghyuk, it’s only pizza. It won’t bite.” Kim Dokja chuckled. “Probably.”
Yoo Joonghyuk glared. Kim Dokja no longer gave a damn. He was riding a sort of high at that moment—surviving a lethal three-legged race and taking a bath with blood-sucking worms made his confidence soar. The Final Scenario would have nothing on this.
After the first few bites both of the men quickly ate the rest of the pizza. Once they were finished Yoo Joonghyuk looked genuinely scarred from the whole ordeal as he stood staring at the empty plate, hand hovering over his stomach.
Once the timer hit 00:00 Kim Dokja lightly covered his ears in preparation for: “Congratulations! Three teams remain. Now onto the final challenge!”
[Transfer to sub-scenario space initiated!]
A dazzling light enveloped the two men and they were both grateful to lose sight of the leech room. Slowly, a plain white room came into view, and the other two teams were present as well.
[Scenario transfer complete!]
With a cheery wave, Kim Dokja greeted Selena Kim and she bowed her head respectfully. Still riding that giddy feeling, he then stuck out his tongue to Anna Croft who balked at the action.
Even without looking, Kim Dokja could sense the death stare coming from Yoo Joonghyuk. If Anna Croft was a lesser woman she might have melted into the floor, but she made it this far into the scenarios for a reason. Kim Dokja had witnessed her strength firsthand during the <Great War of Saints and Demons>, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be petty.
“The final challenge will be decided through a random draw!”
In the air a large spinning wheel came into view. Two dokkabei in game-show attire appeared next to it and counted down in a dramatic fashion before they spun.
Some of the options on the board sounded horrible. The ticker clicked past many categories, including mouse trap, jam fields, hungry hungry hippos, dokkabei Dave, and spectre stones—the last one made Kim Dokja shiver in recollection. Luckily, though, the ticker stopped on one that didn’t sound so bad.
[Fear Factor Round 3: Mirror Maze.]
“Oho, ladies and gentlemen you saw it here first! The final round will be the mirror maze!”
Despite not seeing an audience, Kim Dokja hallucinated their cheers; that first round really haunted him.
“Now, listen up, here’s how the game will work. Each team will be sent to the mirror maze—separately. Find your partner and then find your way out; the first team to do so will win. Easy!”
Yoo Joonghyuk shifted beside him, fingers twitching toward his scabbard.
“Ready? Go!”
“Joonghyu—!” Kim Dokja barely got the word out before probability sparks rampaged about, separating him from the others.
This game was really tiring. Hopefully, for the foreseeable future, Kim Dokja wouldn’t be teleported against his will; he didn’t know how much more gut-churning fast travel he could take.
The place he ended up in now was in front of a looming arch. Turning around, only darkness greeted him; he couldn’t even see the walls of the room. With a sigh, he shuffled forward through the arch.
Almost there. Damn sunfish bastard.
Inside, it was just as the announcer said: there were slanted mirrors on all sides, reflecting all sides of Kim Dokja. Slowly, he walked forward, hoping he wouldn’t run face-first into a mirror.
Is that really what I look like from the back?
With a small twirl, Kim Dokja watched as his Infinite Dimension Spacecoat swished around his legs. Huh.
His reverie was broken by a small ‘click’ sound. Bending his knees, Kim Dokja stalked forward, scanning the mirrors for the source of the sound. Was Yoo Joonghyuk near?
“Dokja-yah.”
Kim Dokja stilled.
“You’ve grown.”
Slowly, Kim Dokja turned, gazing into a mirror on his left.
“My son.” From the glass his father smiled, lips baring yellowed teeth.
[Exclusive skill, The Fourth Wall is thinning!]
Electrification flickered along his arm as Kim Dokja struck the glass. It cracked underneath his fist, embedding shards into his skin. Air burned his throat as he hissed in a breath, shoulders shaking with the effort.
“Now why would you do that?”
Kim Dokja spun. There were mirrors on all sides, but only one reflected the monster that still haunted his nightmares.
[Warning! The Fourth Wall has grown extremely thin!]
“AHHHHH!” A guttural yell accompanied his fist that once again struck. “Shut up, shut up, shut UP!”
The thoughts in his head became jumbled. Kim Dokja had stopped stalking through the maze, stuck in a daze as he stared at the cracked glass.
“Look at me.” That voice, it came again. Kim Dokja wanted it to stop. With a slow turn, Kim Dokja once again looked at his father—he was in the first mirror that had shattered, but the glass was repaired now. A chill ran down his spine.
“I’ve missed you, son.” Kim Dokja couldn’t stop staring. “I’m upset I never got to see you grow up. I’m sure you’ve become a man just like me.”
The last words struck harder than the glass under his skin. The fists at his sides unclenched and a harsh whine ripped through his raw throat.
The click resounded again and Kim Dokja looked down. Dizziness struck as he stilled.
As his father stared, his fingers tapped against the empty bottle in his hand. The wedding ring on his finger made a rhythmic click sound. Click, click, click.
“Stop it,” the whisper sounded pathetic in Kim Dokja’s ears, but he couldn’t stop.
“Oh,” his father clicked his tongue and moved. Kim Dokja stood still as his father walked into the next mirror, appearing beside his reflected figure.
Have I always looked that pale?
“I’m proud of you, Dokja-yah. What a strong man you’ve become. Leading the scenarios, exerting real power over others. I’m glad my lessons truly took hold.”
“Shut up.”
“Oh, and I can’t forget those kids! How cute.” Kim Dokja’s mouth hung open when his father slung his arm around his shoulders. Was that in the mirror? It was like he could feel the phantom weight settling over his coat.
“But, I am a little concerned. They’ve been acting out quite a bit. Have you been disciplining them properly? You don’t want Lee Gilyoung to turn into a pussy like that Hyunsung fuck.”
Kim Dokja remained silent. The sound of blood thrummed in his ears.
“Oh, and Shin Yoosung. Be careful there, Dokja-yah, women can be tricky. Make sure she stays in line—”
[Stigma, ‘Self-Rationalization’ is activated.]
Kim Dokja closed his eyes and covered his ears. It had to be the scenario. That man was dead. There was no way his father would be there. Right?
[‘The Fourth Wall’ is silent.]
“Oh, Dokja.” The voice was muffled but it sounded closer than before. “Old habits die hard. I suggest you listen to me.”
With a harsh yank Kim Dokja’s hands were forced down to his sides and pinned there. His eyes flew open, stunned.
“You are me, after all.” The static noise in his head increased. Right in front of his nose was a man, but it was no longer his father. It was Kim Dokja himself, staring back with deep brown eyes that had dulled over time.
“Maybe it’s a good thing you’ve been keeping us distant.” The other Kim Dokja spoke and he could smell the alcohol on his breath. Revoltion turned his stomach and a sharp whine left his throat.
“After all,” his other self continued, “look at what happens when you get close.” The white coat swished aside and Kim Dokja’s eyes widened. In the mirrors were the forms of Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung, reflected over and over again, spread all around him.
His knees buckled and hit the floor when he looked at the children. They were both staring at their shoes and sported bruises that blossomed up their arms, necks, and cheeks.
“No,” Kim Dokja whispered.
“Yes,” his other self responded. “You did this.” The alcohol bottle was still held in his hand and it dangled in front of his nose. “You know better than anyone what you are capable of.”
A rhythmic click was all he could hear over the ringing in his ears. There was a dampness on his cheeks and the smell of alcohol burned his nostrils as he panted out a breath. Once again, he screwed his eyes shut and tried to cover his ears.
“LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID, KIM DOKJA!” His other self knelt quickly and grabbed his hands in an iron grip, hard enough to bruise. A harsh hand lashed out and struck his cheek before grabbing his chin and wrenching his face upward to face one of the mirrors.
“Kim Dokja.”
Yoo Joonghyuk stood there.
“Ngh, no,” Kim Dokja squirmed, trying to look away.
[Story, ‘Life and Death Companions’ is shaking.]
A horrified look twisted the protagonist’s face. Kim Dokja put that there. Everything Yoo Joonghyuk went through in this round was his fault. If only Kim Dokja had never read that stupid novel, then he could’ve stayed dead and never would’ve become a burden to these people. The kids would be happy and Yoo Joonghyuk would be—
“Kim Dokja,” Yoo Joonghyuk’s voice was a bare whisper and Kim Dokja screwed his eyes shut. The harsh hand on his chin was replaced with a gentle touch but Kim Dokja shook his head violently. That’s what he did, he always tried to be gentle and caring but he just couldn’t do it. Love was not made for people like him.
“Hey, Kim Dokja, look at me.” Despite the buzzing that crescended in his head, Kim Dokja could still barely hear as another voice joined Yoo Joonghyuk’s.
“Whoa, what’s wrong with him?”
Kim Dokja knelt, not comprehending what was happening around him. All he felt was a tug on his arm and he stumbled to his feet, crashing into a large body as the voices turned into barely audible murmurs.
Kim Dokja was dragged forward, feet stumbling. Time felt malleable, stretching like putty and being moulded into shapes that did not fit reality. The suspended seconds passed, and eventually, the back of Kim Dokja’s eyelids burned with a bright light, forcing his eyes open.
“And our second pair crosses the finish line with a time of 24 minutes and 43 seconds!”
They were on an outdoor path lined with trees. Ahead, Shoji Michio and another incarnation from Japan waved, brows creased as their smiles trembled.
A low moan escaped Kim Dokja’s throat and he turned, getting his bearings.
[Exclusive skill, ‘The Fourth Wall’ is thickening.]
“Yoo Joonghyuk?”
The man answered with a grunt, shifting his weight as he let go of Kim Dokja’s arm, apparently trusting him to stand on his own.
As he retracted the arm Kim Dokja paused: a bruise poked out from under the coat.
Yoo Joonghyuk saw his stare and looked down, but Kim Dokja was quick to pull his hand away, dangling it by his side. The protagonist didn’t comment.
“Does this mean we lost?”
A grunt.
“Damn.” Did he eat those leeches for nothing?
“There’s a consolation prize.” Anna Croft emerged from the archway behind them, Selena Kim a step behind.
Yoo Joonghyuk glared.
“How is he?” Anna nodded her head toward Kim Dokja.
“Fine.” Yoo Joonghyuk shifted, blocking her view with his broad shoulders.
“What was that?” Kim Dokja was curious.
Silence. A shaky huff escaped Kim Dokja at the non-response. The sunfish was as expressive as always.
“All teams have finished! Congratulations to you all. The second and third place teams will receive a consolation prize.”
With that, they were transferred back to the yard in front of the Industrial Complex.
[You have received a consolation prize. Accept?]
Kim Dokja raised his hand and pressed [Yes]. A bright spark burst in front of his eyes and the prize fell into his hands. It seemed to be a rolled-up piece of paper, and when Kim Dokja unfurled it his mouth dropped open.
Across the top was splayed ‘FEAR FACTOR!’ in hideous font. The middle of the poster was dominated by a man who must have been the announcer, with a spiked mohawk, black sunglasses, and an announcer’s microphone.
“Seriously…?”
Yoo Joonghyuk was also gazing at his poster with an unimpressed expression.
“At least we beat Anna, right, Joonghyuk-ah?”
With a flick of his wrist, Yoo Joonghyuk lit the poster on fire. “We only beat her because she helped you.”
“…eh?”
He stepped close, towering over the smaller man. “What happened in there, Kim Dokja?”
“Nothing, Joonghyuk-ah,” Kim Dokja desperately waved his hands in an attempt to waft away the concerns. “I just got spooked by the mirrors, haha.”
“Oiiiii!” From a distance, Han Sooyoung was yelling. Kim Dokja took the opportunity to duck out of Yoo Joonghyuk’s range and sauntered over to the rest of the company.
“Ahjussi! You did great!” The kids tackled him at the waist and he chuckled nervously.
“Hey, you stupid squid.” Han Sooyoung clapped him over the shoulder. “What the fuck happened in there? The channel feed cut out and I was forced to watch Yoo Joonghyuk walk through the maze like he was going for a stroll. Stupid protagonist bastard.” She glared at Yoo Joonghyuk before zeroing in on Kim Dokja.
“Nothing happened, Han Sooyoung. Just got a little spooked.”
“Right.” She stepped back with her arms crossed before unfurling a lemon candy. With practice ease she plopped it in her mouth and went to join Yoo Joonghyuk.
Kim Dokja greeted the rest of the company and laughed awkwardly when they asked him about the leech pizza. As they all chatted excitedly, his shoulders started to relax but guilt encroached on his mind.
His eyes slid over to Yoo Joonghyuk before quickly shifting away. The protagonist bastard was standing with Han Sooyoung, both sporting unimpressed looks as they stared at the group. Just how much did he see..?
Nervousness crawled up his skin and Kim Dokja managed to separate himself from the group before slipping inside the complex. A click sound echoed in the halls as he walked mindlessly, brain thrumming from his overloading thoughts. When he walked past a window Kim Dokja refused to look, scared at what he might find.
Eventually, his thoughts drifted to what was ahead. The Final Scenario was slowly closing in and the plan he had painstakingly crafted since the beginning of the story was about to come to fruition. For a while, doubt had been eating at him; was this really the ending he wanted?
Movement caught his eye and Kim Dokja ended up looking out one of the large windows lining the hallway, pointedly avoiding his reflection. Below, the nebula members were lounging in the yard as the kids ran around. Though he couldn’t smell it, Kim Dokja imagined the taste of the meat that Yoo Joonghyuk was grilling. Jung Heewon was sparring with Lee Hyunsung and she stood triumphantly when he fell into the dirt. On the side, Han Sooyoung was splayed under a tree, asleep, and Yoo Sangah sat next to her, cheering Jung Heewon on.
A crooked smile twisted his face.
The Final Scenario would go forward as planned.