Work Text:
「The planetary system Z91581863. In the year 2024 of the imperial calendar.」
Walking hand in hand, Yoo Joonghyuk, alongside a small child resembling Kim Dokja, navigated through the busy city of Seoul. Everything felt so much different than their own ruined-now-had-been-redeveloped worldline.
“Captain, let’s eat there,” while licking on an ice cream, Biyoo suddenly spoke. Her small hand escaped from Yoo Joonghyuk’s grip as she pointed at a restaurant with the most comical ‘number 1 fried chicken in town’ billboard hanging atop of it.
“You don’t even need to eat,” his vacant hand reached back for hers.
In this extremely overpacked street, a child, especially as small as her, would easily get lost if the adults were careless. He knew she was only a child in appearance, but it still wouldn’t do him any good if she was to disappear.
“You are not being stingy, are you?” Her childlike voice made Yoo Joonghyuk’s heart almost tingled. He thought to himself if the voice was more manly and mature, her sarcastic remarks would be no different than Kim Dokja’s.
“We have a mission to accomplish. Let’s not waste our time here and go to the next worldline.”
Their targeted destination right now was a web novel company where they—mostly Yoo Joonghyuk—assumed would be a place for successful writers. Biyoo was amazed at the fact that her captain’s brain wasn’t completely useless when it came to matters like this.
Not giving up, she tried again, “let’s eat fried chicken.” This time, she gave Yoo Joonghyuk her cutest expression, trying to manipulate him into agreeing.
However, he didn’t budge.
With a ‘hmph’, she threw the ice cream she was holding to the ground and stepped on it. Like a child throwing a tantrum, she started wailing uncontrollably.
“I wanna go there!!! Huwaaaa…! I want fried chicken!” She made the whole situation worse when she began to repeatedly pull his coat.
His eyes widened slightly at her sudden burst. Some passersby stared intently, giving him a disapproving look. From their viewpoint, they were watching a child crying because her father denied her request to go to the restaurant.
Yoo Joonghyuk inwardly cursed her and her two fathers.
With no other way out, he lifted her from the ground and walked away. There was no way he would stay there for another second.
After making sure they got away from all the people, he said with an almost expressionless tone, “don’t pull that kind of stunt again.”
In an instant, Biyoo stopped crying as she laughed wholeheartedly, “are we going to the restaurant, then?” Her arms wrapped around Yoo Joonghyuk’s neck, maintaining their father-daughter facade.
“Hm.”
“Captain, you have a weakness after all,” she smiled victoriously, resting her head against his sturdy shoulder. It was warm.
She had been yearning for a father’s warmth for a long time. Once upon a time, she had gotten very close to it before she blinked and found out her fathers were taken away from her. Now, all she had was her captain.
But this was enough for her. She was content with this.
The second they entered the restaurant, a delicious and savoury smell began to viciously assault their nose. Yoo Joonghyuk placed an order after Biyoo enthusiastically pointed at this and that.
His eyes roamed around the interior until he spotted a secluded place. Sitting down, Biyoo suddenly asked, “why did you order so little? Are you not hungry?”
“I don’t consume anything made by others.”
“Are you afraid of being poisoned?”
“It is because it isn’t delicious.”
She scoffed.
“How delicious can the food you make…” She closed her mouth when the dishes she ordered arrived. Not wasting any more time, she dug right in.
Yoo Joonghyuk only ordered himself a cup of plain water. He did nothing but occasionally stared at the mess she made while eating, contemplating if he should help wiping her cheeks. In the end, he didn’t and directed his gaze outside.
He had always been mesmerised by how similar Biyoo’s human form was to Kim Dokja. If he didn’t know any better, he would’ve thought that fool had been fooling around behind him.
“Captain, do you want a bite?” A small hand suddenly appeared on his peripheral view, waving a chicken nugget.
“No. Just eat quickly.”
“It’s really good!” She insisted, pressing the dinosaur shaped nugget against the corner of his lips.
He wanted to continue refusing but didn’t want the same tantrum incident happening again. With a crumpled expression, he threw the whole thing into his mouth.
“Is it good?”
“Hm.” It was really good, to be exact.
Biyoo smiled and laughed. Her laugh was that of a happy child whose father approved of the cake she baked for Father’s Day celebration. It was very similar. Her smile was so wide it could reach her ears.
Yoo Joonghyuk was struck silent by the laughter. He looked down at her with an unreadable gaze before turning his head away.
But for some reason, the laugh vanished instantly in less than ten seconds.
“Father?”
“Stop joking around.” Something inside his heart shifted upon hearing the word.
“Captain, isn’t that father?” He frowned and after a while, it finally hit him that she wasn’t calling him that but was pointing at someone. He calmed his heart down, turned and was struck speechless for a second time.
Two pairs of eyes fixed on a certain five feet eight inches man standing near the entrance. He was standing outside the restaurant, as if waiting for someone.
“Shin Yoosung, what are the probability?” He asked.
She could hear her captain’s voice trembling although it was faint. “Usually one hundred percent, but father’s case is special... I don’t know.” It was clear she hadn’t expected this too.
Yoo Joonghyuk observed the Kim Dokja standing there, away from them. Not long after, a man greeted him from behind and Kim Dokja immediately smiled at the man, seemingly happy to see him.
“Captain...” She tugged on Yoo Joonghyuk’s sleeve. “Isn’t that you?”
Yoo Joonghyuk nodded. The man that was greeting Kim Dokja was indeed the him in this worldline. Although that Yoo Joonghyuk was wearing a completely different outfit—more stylish—it was unmistakably him.
After observing a bit more, Yoo Joonghyuk swung his head back to Biyoo, “finish quickly and let’s follow them.”
She nodded, shoving everything down her throat.
• • •
“Joonghyuk-ah, you’re distracted again.”
Yoo Joonghyuk snapped back from his thought, raising his head to look at Kim Dokja.
“Are they giving you a hard time at work?” Kim Dokja asked again.
“No, I was just thinking about something.”
They had spent their day off together after three weeks of being away from each other. They went to boutiques to shop for new clothes, they went to the cinema and now they were having a dinner date in a fine dining restaurant.
“About what?” Kim Dokja carefully sliced the meat and stuffed it in his mouth.
“It’s insignificant.”
“Try me. I like insignificant thoughts.”
“Do you believe in parallel universe?”
Kim Dokja thought long and hard. He put more effort into answering the question than he was during his university entrance examination. “I mean, kind of? It’s not like I fully believe it, but I do want to believe somewhere in another universe, another version of us are also good friends.”
“Good friends? You don’t want us to be together in every universe?” Yoo Joonghyuk raised his eyebrows, amused by the answer.
Kim Dokja laughed it off, “you might find it pretty boring to be with me in every single universe.”
“I won’t.”
“You can’t speak for the you in other universe, you know? They are their own person, too.” For someone who said he only partially believed in parallel universe, Kim Dokja did have a unique way of thinking. He even empathised with the Yoo Joonghyuks he never met and never will.
“If they are also me, undoubtedly, they would also fall in love with you. No matter how hard they’re trying to brush it off.” Yoo Joonghyuk, on the other hand, was the opposite. He wholeheartedly believed no matter how many different versions of him out there, they would continue to fall for Kim Dokjas. No matter how long it would take them, they would find their way back to Kim Dokjas.
“You speak like you have actually met the you from other universe.”
“I don’t have to meet them to know. They are also me in some way.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Why won’t you have some faith in me? In them? In us?” The frown forming on Yoo Joonghyuk face made Kim Dokja realised he was serious. He suddenly felt a bit guilty as he didn’t think this conversation was anything but a light-hearted conversation to pass the time.
“I do have some faith in you. I wasn’t thinking too deeply and just saying things that came to mind. I’m sorry, alright? Don’t be mad,” he reached forward to intertwine their hands together. The matching white gold rings on their respective ring fingers shining under the restaurant’s light.
“Just... Why do I have a feeling you will start to invade other universe if I die?” Kim Dokja tried to play along and joked, but Yoo Joonghyuk took it seriously once again.
“Who knows? I might if I can.”
Kim Dokja prevented himself from laughing at the impossible answer. He smiled, “please don’t. Let the us in that universe live peacefully.”
Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t expect that kind of reply but also smiled.
After paying, Yoo Joonghyuk told Kim Dokja to wait for him in the car while he went the toilet. Kim Dokja suspected nothing and said okay, heading to the car alone.
Instead of going to the toilet, he took a detour and went straight to the back alley. “Come out, I know you are there.”
Amidst the darkness—the only source of light being the one from the almost dead blinking light pole—a black-clad man came out of nowehere, beside him was a small child.
He could only make out a silhouette of the two. “I didn’t know there is also another me who sucks at tailing other people.”
“I wasn’t exactly planning on hiding myself.” The man replied. The voice was practically the same as if someone had recorded his own voice.
He had long noticed someone was following him and Kim Dokja. He initially thought it was a paparazzi. It wasn’t until they sat in that restaurant that he realised it was, in fact, not a paparazzi. Nevertheless, he was still surprised to see a man having an identical face as him and a child whose face almost resembled Kim Dokja.
That was why he brought up the topic about parallel universe and whatnot in the first place. Since he knew the man could hear them, he wanted him to hear what Kim Dokja had to say about this matter.
Black-clad Yoo Joonghyuk walked forward, “Although, I was impressed that you have a keen intuition.”
The ‘Yoo Joonghyuk’ of this wordline was more interested in the child that was standing silently beside him. “Whose daughter is she?”
“Technically, she is Kim Dokja’s.” Yoo Joonghyuk had no intention of hiding Biyoo’s origin.
“Technically?”
“There’s something like that. Long story, but she is his.”
‘Yoo Joonghyuk’ nodded. In a normal situation, he wouldn’t believe any of what the man was saying, but tonight was different. “What’s her name?”
Yoo Joonghyuk looked down at her, letting her answer the question herself. Whatever name Biyoo would answer in front of this ‘Yoo Joonghyuk’, he, too, would go along with her.
“Kim Biyoo...?” The way she said it almost seemed like she wasn’t sure which name to use either.
“And the mother?”
“There’s no mother.”
He was left speechless by the blunt answer, but he quickly remembered how Yoo Joonghyuk had said there’s a long backstory. He didn’t push the topic more. It was better if he remained ignorant. Something was ultimately better as a secret.
“What happened to your Kim Dokja?”
Yoo Joonghyuk’s expression was ugly. What ‘your Kim Dokja’? He was just Kim Dokja. “Complicated story, but to make it easier, he’s gone.”
‘Yoo Joonghyuk’ had expected that, but his heart still hurt hearing it. Then he heard the man clad in black spoke again, “you believe this?”
He hummed in agreement.
“Why?”
“These days, I’ve been having weird dreams. It was a long and nauseating dream. In the dream, it’s like the apocalypse broke out and you know the rest. I thought that it was too specific to be a dream, so I assume it was your memory?” He didn’t even know why he shared such information with ease in front of a stranger. Even his Kim Dokja didn’t know about it.
Yoo Joonghyuk was silent for a long time. “Yes.”
“Why are you here, then?”
“To get him back.” Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t elaborate more. 'Yoo Joonghyuk' idea of getting Kim Dokja back was different from what Yoo Joonghyuk originally had in mind because right now, the former's face had changed.
“He doesn’t belong to you. Please, just go back to where you come from. You heard what he said earlier.”
Of course, he heard. Kim Dokja made it super clear how he wished the ‘Yoo Joonghyuk’ of this worldline wouldn’t make a mess at someone else’s universe. In a way, he is also Kim Dokja, so his way of thinking should be practically the same with the Kim Dokja that Yoo Joonghyuk knew.
This was one of the reasons why Yoo Joonghyuk agreed quickly without putting up a fight. Another reason being he was never here to kidnap the Kim Dokja of this worldline. He was not that evil. “Then, do me a favour.”
Receiving a nod, he continued, “let her see him.”
• • •
Roughly around 11 in the morning, Yoo Joonghyuk and Biyoo arrived in front of a building. Walking inside, they then followed the receptionist’s word and finally came across a library.
The library was full of children around Biyoo’s human form age. Some were running cheerfully while some were taking their seats in front of a stage. Approximately, only four to five adults were present, and they were having a hard time managing all thirty something of the kids.
Two days ago, ‘Yoo Joonghyuk’ had told them to meet here. According to him, every tuesday of the second week of the month, Kim Dokja would come here to read for the children as charity. Yoo Joonghyuk also thought this was something the Kim Dokja he knew would do if he gets off the train wholly.
So, for the first time ever, they stayed overnight instead of going back to the ark.
“You should go take seat. I’ll wait there.” Yoo Joonghyuk pointed at the corner of the library, quite hidden from the stage. He had to hide himself, it wouldn’t do any good if the Kim Dokja of this worldline was to recognise him. Even worse if he mistook him for ‘Yoo Joonghyuk’.
Biyoo sat at the very front, she was determined to take a good look at her father during this time. This might be her last chance to completely engrave his face in her mind.
Kim Dokja came in five minutes later and took a seat. The creaking sound from his chair resonated through the now silent atmosphere. His eyes scanned his front surroundings before landing on a child whose face he never seen, but for some reason, she emitted a familiar aura to him.
Was it because of her eyes?
He flashed a smile at her and flipped open the storybook. Biyoo, who caught the smile, instantly drooped. Her heart felt as if someone had wrapped a chain around it, hanged it in the air and poured hot water on it. It hurt.
During the reading session, her eyes only followed his face.
She thought that her father truly had a knack for this. He knew how to attract the kids’ attention by acting out the scene from the book in the process of storytelling. She took in every single expression. Happy, angry, somber, bewilderment... All of it.
Before she even realised it, her cheeks were wet. She was crying.
She didn’t even know what she was crying for. Shouldn’t she be happy that she finally be able to be a child for a moment and watch her father from a far without a single worry in her mind?
Her head hung low as she quietly wiped her tears aways with her sleeves. Yoo Joonghyuk had bought her a new set of clothes yesterday and now she already stained it with her tears. She turned her head in search for him.
She saw that Yoo Joonghyuk was leaning against a wall near a bookshelf, he had changed places. Although half of his face were covered with a black hat, she could tell that he, too, was looking at Kim Dokja.
It was obvious.
After the session ended, she wanted to get away from this place as fast as she could, as she felt like she might not want to leave this world at all if she stayed for another minute, but then she saw Kim Dokja made his way to her.
“Hey,” he squatted in front of her, “what’s your name?”
“Biyoo.” She almost stuttered. Standing face to face with her father made her knees went weak. She composed herself.
“My name’s Kim Dokja. Is today your first time here? I’ve never seen you before.”
She only gave him a nod as an answer.
“I see. Then, who did you come with?” Kim Dokja couldn’t shake the feelings of familiarity. He had noticed earlier how she looked so much like him when the lights were switched back on.
Biyoo tried to eye Yoo Joonghyuk but he already went back to his initial ‘hiding’ place.
“My dad. I came with my dad.”
She wasn’t wrong. In some way, Yoo Joonghyuk was her father, too.
Kim Dokja oh’d. His smile never once faltered. He was about to open his mouth but the ringing from his phone interrupted him. After briefly checking the caller ID, he shifted his attention to her again, “I actually would love to meet your dad today, but unfortunately, I have something to do after this.”
“Okay.” Her voice came out soft, almost like a whisper. If one didn’t play attention, they would hear nothing.
He patted her head before standing up, “I hope to see you again next month.”
Next month...
She wouldn’t be here next month.
In a moment of impulse, she grabbed the hem of his shirt, tugging at it slightly. “Ahjussi.” Her tongue felt bitter when the word slipped passed through. This was so unfair. Why should she call him ‘ahjussi’ when he was her father?
“Hm? You want me to bring you back to your dad?”
She shook her head then handed him something.
Kim Dokja stared at the object in her small palm before asking, “what’s this?”
“I don’t think I can come here next month. Me... and my dad are going far far away.” She shoved the bow hair pin into his hand, not waiting for his acceptance.
Seeing how genuine the little child was, Kim Dokja was touched. He carefully stored the bow into his pocket, “thank you.” His phone rang again, but this time without checking the caller ID, he declined. “Anything else?”
She hesitated for a while, “can I hug you?”
The request was sure an abnormal one if taken into account the fact that they had just met today. Despite that, Kim Dokja didn’t think the child’s request was weird at all. Instead, he crouched down and wrapped his arms around her small figure, hugging her tightly.
She, too, hugged him back. Her arms circled around his neck. Couldn’t restrain it anymore, her eyes began to damp his shirt.
Kim Dokja noticed it but said nothing. He gently rubbed her back, soothing her down. “It’s okay.”
Yoo Joonghyuk watched the emotional exchange between the two from afar. Unknowingly, his vision blurred for a moment before two crystal beads fell from his eyes to his cheeks.
• • •
“Did something happen? You declined me.” In the car, Yoo Joonghyuk suddenly asked.
“I met someone today. Sorry I declined your call earlier.”
Yoo Joonghyuk actually didn’t mind. He already knew what happened since he was the one pulling the string. Even so, he still asked, wanting to know what Kim Dokja was thinking as of now.
“Oh, who did you meet?”
“A little girl. She was so sweet. She gave me her bow.” He brought out the bow pin from his pocket before gently smoothing it out.
Yoo Joonghyuk glanced for a short moment before shifting his eyes back to the road. Kim Dokja continued, “I think she meant this as a parting gift. She said she wouldn’t be here anymore.”
“Did she tell you why?”
He shook his head, “no, she didn’t, and I didn’t want to pry. She looked so sad, I feel bad for her.”
Yoo Joonghyuk felt the same as Kim Dokja. Maybe even worse. He knew the identity of the little girl and Kim Dokja didn’t. Which made his sense of guilt was way intense than Kim Dokja’s.
Was this the right thing to do?
“I don’t want to sound weird, but she looks a bit like me. Her eyes, especially. That’s why I wanted to meet her dad earlier, but I think I won’t be able to handle it if I had.”
“Handle what?”
“Seeing her dad and accepting that she is not my child, but someone else’s.”
Yoo Joonghyuk went mute. He knew how much Kim Dokja cherished children. He was someone that would easily get attached to children. To the point of making time to volunteer once a month, despite his busy schedule, just so he could spend time with them. His throat was dry, he didn’t know what to say. What if Yoo Joonghyuk said that the little was really his and not someone else’s? Would he break down in tears? Would he urge Yoo Joonghyuk to turn the car?
Only after a while did he find a courage, “maybe she is your child in another universe.”
Kim Dokja chuckled. He assumed that was his way of comforting him. “You and your parallel universe theory.”
Yoo Joonghyuk also let out a small laugh.
After the laugh receded, Kim Dokja mumbled out, “That would have been nice.”
• • •
Biyoo only had her mood restored after Yoo Joonghyuk brought her a bucket of frozen yogurt with various of toppings. His fingers lightly tapped the table as he waited for her to finish it. Thankfully, the shop itself wasn’t full and the yogurt was delicious. If not, Yoo Joonghyuk would have lost his mind trying to find a way to cheer her up.
“If I knew you are hard to please, I wouldn’t have asked you to change into this form. I can’t refuse you without having to look like a bad person.”
“Captain, don’t be stingy. Who else are you going to spend your money on if not me?” She said leisurely while munching on a plastic spoon. “And I like this form more because it’s your weakness.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. It’s not my weakness.” He gritted his teeth.
“It is.” She began to sound more and more like Kim Dokja every time she teased Yoo Joonghyuk. That was something he could never get accustomed to.
He frowned deeply. “Just finish quickly and let’s go back to the ark.”
She shrugged her shoulders and continued eating. Then, she realised something amiss with Yoo Joonghyuk’s words. “By the way, captain. Aren’t we going to find a web novel author?”
He hummed, “not anymore. Let’s just leave.”
“Is it fine? This is one of the worldlines that Sangah unni traced, right?”
“Correct.”
“I thought it will affect the mission?”
“It will, but does it matter? The chances of succeeding are already slim as it is. Rather than forcing the Kim Dokja of this worldline to remember again, wouldn’t it be nice to let him live in peace?”
Biyoo thought that something had possessed her captain. Why else would he suddenly become empathetic? But for some reason, she agreed with him because deep down, she also thought of the same thing.
“Sooyoung unni will get really angry.” She said.
“You’re right. Maybe she will kill me when we go back home, but I know she’ll understand. She always does.” Yoo Joonghyuk threw his gaze outside, staring at the gloomy sky.
“Everyone will understand.”