Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

When he woke up, Kim Rok Soo noticed multiple things that were off. The table he laid on was unfamiliar… The moment he opened his eyes <record> chose to ruin his mood right away. It showed his body from the day that his Team Leader and Choi Jung Soo died. Right now, he had the same scars. The newer ones he’d gained on missions and thanks to <instant> were gone. Scars could never disappear like that; how could they? They were just as eternal as his <record>.. His uniform matched the record. Why was it like this, why, why—

If he focused on < record> for any longer, he’d go insane (and he was always the only sane person, he couldn’t change that now, could he?). He observed his surroundings. On top of the table there was a book which had been his pillow moments prior. farther away there was a small wardrobe. He looked inside, it did match the clothes he used to have. But these ones hadn’t been ripped many times, and sewn back together just as much. Finally he saw one shelf and his bed. It was a nice room. Kim Rok Soo turned his attention back to the aforementioned book.

As he opened the book, he tried to avoid staring at his hands (his hands with far less scars—). The first page started with… describing his life? What the fuck. Kim Rok Soo wanted nothing more than to throw that damn book out of the window... He was tired, if that book was gone the newfound source of work would be too. The feeling of his slacker life walking away from him was horrible; he would not accept a cycle of endless work ever again. However, he chose to not get rid of the book. It was weird from the very first page, but throwing away valuable information was dangerous.

Thanks to <record> he read it all quickly, even if it felt weird (the book described him as an ‘interesting bastard’?). This ‘Kim Rok Soo’ lived in The Birth of a Hero, had managed to go to an academy, and had started doing many different jobs after that to earn enough money to buy a house for himself (if the apocalypse hadn’t happened… would his life have looked like this?). He lived near the Henituse borders, and knew almost all the townspeople because of the different jobs he’d done. But, he was still like himself. He didn’t have any people he considered as friends here, not anymore. .

The Birth of a Hero was a book he managed to read six novels of. Before ending up in it, it was a story that was written a decade before the apocalypse started in Korea. It had been fun to escape into this different world with magical creatures, superheroes and villains battling. Over time the story turned to a dark path; he felt it was similar to what Korea had become.

“...how far is the plot?” Kim Rok Soo’s brow was creased as he mumbled to himself.

If Choi Han had already made it out of The Forest of Darkness, witnessed the huge fire that a rookie superhero caused in Harris village by not knowing how to control his powers, and had already started battling the many greedy villains of the book, it wouldn’t be so easy for him. Kim Rok Soo thought it was interesting how some nobles alternated their bodies to gain powers. He knew they were scum, but he also knew the feeling of helplessness, and how weak it makes you feel.The area his perfect little apartment was wouldn't be safe if that was the case. Anyone who got in the path of a munchkin protagonist would danger those around them too. Cale Henituse, the trashy heir of this area's Count had managed to gain Choi Han’s ire. 

Well, the relationships among characters wouldn’t matter as long as he got to buy himself a house and start a farm. 

Kim Rok Soo put on an extra layer of clothing— to cover his scars, and to stop staring at places where scars should be. 

It was the afternoon and a cold wind was blowing against him (now him covering his body up like this didn’t seem strange). In the book it’d mentioned multiple times the same merchant going into a pub everyday around this time after a hard day's work to rest. He was also full of a lot of information, and he wasn’t scared to speak of the Henituse for a price that came in the form of some drinks. With slow strides, he took in everything that was happening in front of him, and he went into the pub. It was a weird feeling of familiarity, like he’d walked this road many times despite not actually ever being here. For his eyes, everything was new, but his feet knew the area like the back of his hand.

The pub's door opened, accompanied by a bell’s ring. Kim Rok Soo saw a dimly lit room, there was live music playing, loud talking, and the waiters ran around filling up glasses or helping a stumbling drunk up (lest they broke something). 

With such a ruckus, Kim Roksoo originally thought the person he needed would be hard to find, but he noticed a guy slipping a paper to another guy after he was given a drink, not looking drunk at all. 

Aha. 

On the contrary, it was easy. He looked like he was partaking in shady business in a dark alley with that smug look of his. 

Kim Rok Soo waited as the guy who got a piece of paper left, and pulled the chair so he could sit. “Hello, I’m not troubling you, am I?” He didn’t bother with a smile.

The merchant finally looked away from his booze, “Well well well, if it isn’t Rok Soo! Kid, I haven’t seen ya in a bit, what is it that you’d need information from me?” He waved his hand, eyes keenly on Kim Rok Soo who sat down.” Ahhh, still so cold, that attitude of yours.” 

He ignored the remarks about him, they were nothing new. Kim Rok Soo was already used to being called emotionless. “I have a few questions about the Henituse, how many drinks will I need to buy you?”

“Now I see why you came to me! Huh, the Henituse! Well, I suppose it makes sense. No one from your town has got the balls to talk about them.” He fell into thought for a moment. “I’ll give you a discount this time— just buy me a regular beer. But remember, if you’d asked another merchant they would’ve charged you for more!”

“Yes, thank you.” Rok Soo nodded, he was ready to spend more money, but it was also nice to save some.

Winking at him, he said mischievously. “Do recommend me to the uncles and aunties who you talk to.” And then turning thoughtful, scratching his chin that had an unkempt beard. “Hmm… the Henituse, well the young master is still a bastard, but other than the regular fights nothing’s happened.”

He bought the beer, but didn’t leave, instead he asked a new question. This time with a smile, “Can you find me a job near there? I’ll make sure to recommend you around town.”

“Now that’s what I wanted to hear! But didn’t you earn enough money for that house of yours?”

“Doesn’t mean I get to stop working.” He said with a shrug.

Kim Rok Soo left later than he’d planned. The merchant, or “uncle Bob” as  he was persuaded to call him by the end of the night, had many questions for him. Rok Soo had been suspicious, because he thought this uncle should still have drinks to earn, but the uncle laughed, saying he wasn’t planning to drink to death today.

 It was already well into the night, a scene from TBOAH resurfaced in his mind. The night loomed over Choi Han too when he had gone to tell the Henituse Lord of  Harris village. The young hero had jumped over the gate, but he only noticed two frail kittens when it was too late. He had hurt himself to not fall on to them. . Besides dealing with Choi Han, he’d have to deal with them too, no? 

Choi Han would feel less wary if someone who looked kind helped small creatures. Just seeing his face might rile the ticking time bomb of a hero, any precaution he could take was necessary. It would not be too much work either; Kim Rok Soo was sure (well, if record was wrong, then that’d be a first) that the cats didn’t tag along with Choi Han.

…No. They wouldn’t want to stay with him anyway. Why would they follow a weak person like him instead of Choi Han? But he could give them food.

“Hmmph,” he groaned. Rok Soo, if he could’ve, would’ve absolutely  slept in but with no one else to wake him up when he needed to, he had to get up from his bed. When he sat up, his hair was all messed up from the hours he slept. (Even if the bed was much more comfortable than sleeping on cold floors during the apocalypse, he still couldn’t just quite calm down and rest.) 

Merchant Bob had quickly written him a note for a job he could take near Rain City (he’d also get a free ride there! Kim Rok Soo was able to save cash once more), promising that if he mentioned it was him who recommended him, he was sure he’d get the job.

Kim Rok Soo wondered what kind of person the merchant was to gain connections so quickly, but it was not any of his business. Why would he pry if he was benefiting from it?

It was a small matter of helping to lift some noble’s belongings off a carriage, but merchant Bob had told him that last time most of the belonging carriers had managed to piss off the nobles, so the chief would definitely be happy for some extra hands.

His eyes were still drowsy from sleep, so he went to the small garden that this apartment had and took water from the well to splash his face. It was that easy to get clean water, and the greenery around here was nice, too.

Truly, even the already descriptive TBOAH couldn’t paint such a pretty picture as the one he saw on a random morning.

His breakfast was a simple sandwich, and after that he quickly packed his bag. It was nothing close to luxury, but Kim Rok Soo wouldn’t take simple pleasures for granted. He made sure he had everything he needed.

Making his way out multiple aunties noticed, and greeted him. It caught him off guard each time, so he only managed to nod in response.

The carriage he was supposed to get on had a few other people sitting on it already, he curtly greeted them, and for the rest of the ride (thankfully) he got to sit in silence. Looking at the houses that they passed by felt like watching an outdoor cinema.

Stepping off the carriage, with a “thank you” to the coach, he already noticed who he should be working for.

“No, no! You’re absolutely not allowed to help carry things again! I told you! Go home.” A man screeched, and ended it with an exasperated face. His clothing looked more high quality than the others around him. 

That was it, the chief. He walked over and said with a slight smile, “Hello merchant Bob sent me over to help carry the belongings.”

“Oho!” the chief put his hands together, rubbing them (Rok Soo noticed small sweat drops forming on his hands). “See!” he turned towards the other guy again, “you’ve already got a replacement. It’s better that way, if you fuck shit up again it’s not only you who’ll suffer.”

The failed worker walked away dejectedly, but Kim Rok Soo didn’t have time to think about that, the chief put them to work right away.

The chief quietly sighed. 

God, that guy Bob sent scared the shit out of me when he appeared out of nowhere…  

“Hey,” Rok Soo called out to a fellow worker who was startled by him. “Has anything happened with the Henituse?”

“...oh.” Eyes looked back at him like he had three heads. Kim Rok Soo was sure that he wasn’t some crazy bastard. 

“What?”

“I didn’t think you’d be into gossip.. Not an insult! Hahaa.. Anyone can enjoy it, of course. It’s just that you look so frightening. You’re not part of one of those gangs that’s gotten on the Young Masters' bad side, right?”

Kim Roksoo looked at the rambling guy with crossed brows, Really? I look like I’m in a gang? 

The scars that littered his body may look violent and crude to anyone else, but he was as weak as can be. How could he be in a gang?

“I’m asking because my town doesn’t talk about the Henituse a lot, but I’d still like to know about them. They are the ones keeping us safe.”

“Oh.. I guess that does make more sense. Mmmh, no I don’t think I’ve heard of anything.”

“No recent fights where the Young Master got beat up?”

“...and you’re not in a gang? Right?” When Rok Soo just stared at him, he hurried to answer, “No! Uh, I don’t think so!” he said hastily, thinking please don’t beat me up!

“No past ones come to mind either?”

“When the Young Master has gotten hurt it’s only been because of his drinking.”

Huh, so Choi Han hasn’t made it yet? That was better for him. It seemed this was the only time the world was on his side.

“Thank you.” And like that Rok Soo continued carrying luggages off the carriage without talking to anyone till the end of work.

He got himself a small room in an inn near the city gate. Kim Rok Soo would have to look for a place to live later, even if his stay at Rain City was temporary. 

From his memory, Choi Han had made it to the gate when it was late… so he’d need to go checking near the gates till who knows when.

He put on a coat and walked around to explore the place. It was cool to notice shops from TBOAH that he remembered reading about. He did go try some bread. It looked too good (and cheap) to not buy. Kim Rok Soo hadn’t had such delicious bread in years. 

There were many shops he vowed to go back to (that poetry and tea shop… he could practically live in there, he’s sure), but decided to pause that to go and check the city gate. To his amazement, he saw two kittens, one grey and the other one red. Are those the cats that Choi Han didn’t want to fall onto?

He could understand Choi Han, they did look cute and young, if he hurt them he’d feel too bad. Kim Rok Soo did not like cats, but he did not hate them enough to go out of his way to harm them.

Life didn’t give him much time to leisurely think, he heard haggard breaths, and then not even a second later someone jumped over the gate so quickly he guessed he wouldn’t have seen their movements, if it weren’t for the fact that they were in terrible shape. 

What he saw was straight out of TBOAH— for a second he forgot that this wasn’t a movie, and he couldn’t just sit back and watch, but he’d also have to help. Choi Han had already managed to hurt his leg like in the original to not hurt the kittens.

Three sets of piercing eyes were on him, but he chose to ignore the cats’ ones. “Do you need a place to go to?” Kim Rok Soo did not make eye contact with any of them, he hoped that Choi Han would pick up on his message. The hero was crazy, but he was not stupid.

No response. The gaze he felt was cold.

“I can give you hot food.”

No response once again. Kim Rok Soo was Korean, possibly the only other Korean in this world. Choi Han’s already chaotic mind had to be spiralling. 

“I know my way around here, I’ll help you.” Kim Rok Soo did not look directly at Choi Han. To anyone else he was suspicious, but his words were the truth. Do you speak Korean?”

When he mentioned Korean, Choi Han looked at him with an even more piercing gaze. With a desperate voice, but still looking at him warily, he asked, “you speak Korean? Could you… say something. Anything—”

Choi Han hadn’t heard his mother tongue in so long, it was embarrassing to call it his mother tongue if he could only remember so little. Constantly trying to keep talking to himself in Korean, even after he learned the new language. His Korean was probably outdated (how long had he been here?), and there was no one he could converse with.

“Hello, my name is Kim Rok Soo.”

“Hi… I’m, Choi Han.”

It felt nice to introduce himself in Korean , even if it came out of his mouth in a robotic and rusty way, and not to be met with confused gazes. Kim Rok Soo’s tone was different from his, the villagers had told him he spoke old fashioned just like the rest of them. Was this person from the city? No matter where he was from, it calmed his heart to know that the other understood him.

“How did you…” He made a gesture with his hands,  “here?”

“I just woke up here.” Rok Soo shrugged.

“Ah… Has it been long since you arrived?”

“Depends on how you view it, but we’ve got bigger things to deal with. You’re not in good condition, and you came here for something didn’t you?”

“Yes!—” Choi Han regained his stubborn side, he needed to honour the Harris villagers. His shabby hand made graves weren’t at all good enough. His hand shook too much for the sword master that he was, and his eyes were so vivid yet blurry. Nothing was right.

I need to do this. 

He had to. 

“Do you know where I can find the Lord? I need to speak to him—”

“Not that.” Choi Han looked at him in confusion. “Look at yourself, we need to clean you up first. Are you planning to march into his office bloody?”

“Ah…” Choi Han’s whole face turned red, and he turned his head down, deciding to instead focus on the kittens who had so far been watching them. “...”

“Do you want to take them with you?”

“I don’t have anywhere I could keep them.” Choi Han had no money. Caring for other living creatures would be irresponsible. Did he himself even know how to live in a city anymore? 

“It’s fine. I can help you with that, too.”

“But then you’re doing too much for me!”

“I have a way that you can pay me back. Don’t worry.” Kim Rok Soo waved his hand dismissively. It will benefit him a lot already if Choi Han won’t fight with Cale Henituse. If he was going to support Choi Han, having less attention on them made it easier to act. 

“Come let’s go clean you up, eat and rest. You’ll need it.” Because you’re the protagonist and this was only one of the many challenges the world will throw at you, was something Kim Rok Soo only thought to himself.

“Yes, thank you for your kindness!” Choi Han did a bow that Rok Soo thought was lower than necessary. Choi Han looked so young— of course kids like him needed to be cared for.

Kim Rok Soo looked at the cats “Will you come with us?”, the cats looked at each other and seemed to discuss something, and as Rok Soo and Choi Han started walking (Choi Han didn’t let Rok Soo help him walk) with Choi Han minorly limping, the cats decided to follow along.

Not long into their walk, Choi Han asked, “How old are you, Kim Rok Soo-nim?” He was eyeing him with poorly hidden curiosity.

“Don’t call me that.” It made him feel like there was a weird authority gap between them! Which, in terms of the novel, there wasn’t! Kim Rok Soo was a cannon fodder, who shouldn’t even exist. “I’m 36– ah, 20 something. It seems my body is younger here than it was in Korea.”

“So...Rok Soo-hyung?” Choi Han asked, saying it made him feel warm. Like he still had a family.

Huh, for a second instead of Choi Han calling him hyung, he saw Choi Jung Soo. Nope. He won’t think about that bastard. “Mm, that’s better.”

They made it to the room Rok Soo rented. “Oh, you don’t live here, hyung?” 

“No, I came here for work. I live on the other side of the territory.”

Choi Han went to wash himself of the grime on his body, and Kim Rok Soo felt happy that he always packed extra. It really came in handy that he had enough clothes for himself and Choi Han (even if these weren’t Choi Han’s size). He put a black shirt and a pair of pants in front of the bathroom.

For the cats –they’d bought meat along the way– they had at first been very distrustful, but in the end they gobbled it up, and now were resting on the small couch snuggled up closely to each other.

Now, he’d need to make something for Choi Han and himself to eat. 

Huh, making something Korean would feel nice, but that would be hard to make– ah grilled meat. I’m confident in that. 

He wanted Choi Han to feel good, even if in a way he was using him.

There wasn’t a grill, but they did have meat, so he cooked it, and made a quick salad for them.

After Choi Han had washed himself (it was great for clearing his mind), and put on the clean clothes Rok Soo-hyung had given him, he could smell something delicious.

“Ah, you’re done already?” Kim Rok Soo, who had just put the plates down on the table, looked over at him. “The clothes are the wrong size for you, but you still look good.”

“Thank you.” Was all he could muster to say. It sounded pathetic. Why was he so nice to him? He did see his sword, and how bloody he was. This should’ve been suspicious! Why—

“Spit it out.”

“Excuse me?” 

“What are you thinking so hard about?” Rok Soo’s brows were crossed, as if what he’d done so far was completely normal human behaviour. 

“You… are being too helpful.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself. I haven’t done anything yet.”

Choi Han wanted to tell him just how wrong he was, but he could see that Kim Rok Soo wouldn’t listen to him. A small part of him was still ready to be betrayed. To take his sword. To… he didn’t know what. But that fully depended on if Rok Soo kept his word on helping him. He did want to feel the warmth. To have someone to explain how things work.

“Sit down, you’ll need the energy.”

Even if Choi Han knew how his sense of taste wasn’t right anymore. Even if the food was burnt or undercooked it tasted alright to him. But this. It felt different, and good. A bit like what he remembered home as. 

Rok Soo saw his sparkling eyes, “Do you remember any Korean dishes you liked?” He asked with amusement dripping from his tone.

“No…” He wanted to remember now!

“I believe I could make some for you, someday.” Rok Soo smiled indulgently.

Rok Soo had washed Choi Han’s clothes, and sewed the holes in the cloth so that it looked good as new. Not good enough that he’d be seen as a noble, but not bad enough to be looked down upon.

“You’ll need to be polite,” Rok Soo nagged, as he packed their bags. He had gotten a small one for Choi Han, too. It was a gift (which Choi Han seemed to be fond of, him either holding onto it with one hand or glancing at it a lot was a sign).

“I will.”

“Try not to get mad, gaining their ire will do you no good. But if there is no choice, don’t let yourself be beat up. I know you’re strong.” Choi Han nodded. “Also, remember I will help you. You’re not alone.”

“As for you,” Rok Soo turned to the cats. “You’ll look after the apartment. There is enough food. We’ll be back.”  Choi Han had already stepped outside, and Rok Soo followed him, looking at the cats one last time (they seemed to be waving goodbye to them) he closed the door.

Choi Han was reminded when staring at the luxurious buildings around them that he’d get to go and try to speak to the Lord, and that it was actually happening. “Hyung… you’re coming so far to help me, but you don’t even know what I’ll need to talk about.” 

“You’re not doing something bad right? I don’t need to know everything either. You can tell me when you’re ready. I just don’t want you to end up in trouble.”

How could Kim Rok Soo say such things so easily? Choi Han didn’t know, but when he made it to the Count’s estate, he did know he was so glad he wasn’t here alone. All of the servants they saw doing their tasks (and not even looking their way, other than the guards) were dressed in high quality clothing, and even the way they walked was different. He felt out of place.

Rok Soo went ahead, almost shielding Choi Han, and went to talk to a guard, “Excuse this lowly one.” He started, and the guard stared at him. “This one has something to report about. Behind me is a witness.”

“We'll he better not waste the Lord’s time. Briefly, what is it about?”

Kim Rok Soo looked over at Choi Han, and he understood, “it’s about Harris Village. I’m from there. Around two weeks ago a superhero with fire powers came and destroyed the entire village. Nothing is left of it. I only made it after everything was gone.”

The guard thought about it, but ultimately said, “Go on then…”

They had to speak to a butler first. A man with ginger hair and a bubbly personality. But it did not take long to meet Deruth Henituse. The massacre of a whole village was an urgent matter, especially when it was the village guarding the rest of the world from the Dark Forest. 

Choi Han told the story again to the Count, this time in more detail.

“And the superheroes vanished too?” Lord Deruth asked, sitting on his chair and scratching his chin.

“The fire engulfed everything.”

Rok Soo internally thought, Smart Choi Han! It would’ve been bothersome if he admitted he was a murderer.

Choi Han had never killed before Harris Village’s destruction. Alongside them, the innocent part of the hero died too. 

“I would just like there to be proper graves, Everyone there was precious to me...”

“Alright.” The Count smiled gently at Choi Han, no doubt sympathetic. “I will send someone to do it, all you will need to do is tell them their names.”

“Thank you very much.” Choi Han and Kim Rok Soo bowed, and left.

Kim Rok Soo couldn’t help but be unsettled. Their business had finished quickly without any problems. It wasn’t right. Wherever a hero went, trouble would follow. He did not want trouble but by helping Choi Han he had to prepare for it. 

On their way out, loud footsteps echoed through the hallway.

And here trouble came. Kim Rok Soo glanced over to look at Choi Han. 

 Cale Henituse, the trash of the territory who hated Harris Village finally arrived to disrupt their peace. Kim Rok Soo had been surprised when they managed to go and talk to the Count without encountering him. He heard muffled whispers, probably the servants, being distressed that Cale would go around destroying the estate again.

“What business did you commoners have here?” Swinging a water bottle in one hand, his face was flushed pink, but his gaze he had on them was not that of a drunk person. “Nothing big, I’m sure.”

“We came to talk about a village where everyone died.” Kim Rok Soo did not stall. 

“Oh...? Go on.”

Hm. It seemed for a second Cale Henituse was mellower. He didn’t cause the same level of ruckus he had in the original novel. Was it because he was home? The trash was a troublemaker but he did not hurt any of his family. There even seemed to be some interest in what they had to say. But that was quickly gone, and back was the bastard.

“Harris villagers died because of a superhero testing their fire powers. Everyone died by the time I found out.” Choi Han explained, expression worsening.

Hearing about Harris village made Cale look angry. “Served that sorry village right.”

Rok Soo saw that besides him, Choi Han was clenching his fist so tight that he might start to bleed. “Let’s not turn this into a fight. Dongsaeng, we did everything we had to do.” Everything had gone so well so far! He understood why Choi Han wanted to start a fight, but this would do no one good.

“Hyung…” Choi Han had shown Rok Soo such an ugly side of himself… but he really wanted to pick the nearest thing to him, and put that through Cale Henituses’ skull. He saw that, that spoiled young master would’ve gladly spewed more shit about his village. What did he know?

Had he ever lost something before? Someone?

A noble who was born with luxury would never know what it was like to live like him. 

Cale, however, seemed to be enjoying what was unfolding in front of him. “Hah, are you his dog or what? Will you bark at me when he pulls you away?” 

Shit, if he didn’t do anything, it would be the same as when Choi Han jumped over the city gate and hurt himself. He saw the way Cale showed no signs of backing down, and Choi Han was too stubborn to. A side effect of the protagonists of such novels. 

Then he understood that small whispers he’d heard before weren’t of some lowly servants'. They had been coming closer and closer to the edge of the corner, but when it seemed a fight would commence he heard a distressed, “Oppa! We have to do something now …” The voices sounded young too. 

Kim Rok Soo doesn’t remember any servants ever stopping Cale Henituse. He was willing to take a hunch. 

“Apologies, we wouldn’t want to show an ugly side of ourselves in front of children… Young Master, we really have to leave.”

Choi Han’s fierceness lost its flame, instead he looked like an embarrassed wide eyed puppy. Cale looked behind him, and spotted two small heads staring back at him and then fleeing. Kim Rok Soo noticed that he’d almost dropped his bottle at the sight.

“What were they doing here…?!” Cale’s mumbled curse was intriguing, he couldn’t guess whether trash felt embarrassment, or if he had a strict thing about his family not seeing him like this?

“You.” Cale looked straight at him, “Go then, if you need to, but if I spot you again we’ll have a talk.” Kim Rok Soo wasn’t sure whether he was supposed to be threatened by this talk, but it didn’t matter. It’s not like he was unable to protect himself, as annoying as it is.

“I thought that the Young Master wouldn’t want to waste time on these lowly servants.”

“I don’t, but there’s always exceptions, isn't that right?”

“The Young Master is right. Then we’ll excuse ourselves.”

“...sorry.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I wanted to crush his skull with anything. It felt like I was in a trance, and my mind was telling me to beat him up. But you told me not to fight.”

“You don’t have to listen to everything I say. I thought it’d be less troublesome without any fights and we achieved that.”

“Besides, you can pay me back.”

“How?” Choi Han wanted to know, Rok Soo-hyung had already mentioned he would pay him back, but never mentioned anything that he could do. 

“There’s someone you need to find for me. I’ll tell you the details later.”

When they made it back to the inn room, they were surprised. Instead of seeing two cats, they saw two kids that looked like them. 

“Ah…” Both of the kids froze, though their eyes were darting around the room, looking at them, the window, the door, and at each other.

“So this is what you two look like.” Rok Soo said, with an amused face. Choi Han didn’t look surprised either, anymore. 

Their faces looked… welcoming? This is not how similar situations happened before.

“...What? But you’re not angry at us?” She asked, not believing what was happening. They had treated her brother and her well, but that didn’t mean that couldn’t change.

“Angry at you?” Choi Han asked with bewilderment.  “Why would Rok Soo-hyung and I be angry at you?”

“...” The older sister looked at Choi Han like he was stupid. “We’re werecats. You took us in not knowing that.”

“Well, there were signs…” Choi Han acted like it hurt him to admit that. He avoided making eye contact with the kids. 

“Right, like the way you understood what we said. But enough about that, what are your names?” 

“I’m Ohn.” She said, and looked over at her brother.

“I’m Hong!”

“Nice to meet you.”

Onh and Hong had fallen asleep, they’d gotten a bit carried away with the newfound information that they didn’t have to hide who they were, and could speak freely around them. At first they still hadn’t believed them, but eating dinner with them calmed them down, and they seemed to slowly be opening their hearts.

“Let’s go outside. The stars are beautiful.” Rok Soo said, glancing one last time at the cats. They looked so calm sleeping on the bed. 

They walked to a nearby bench outside. Because of how late it was, it felt like the city was theirs.

“In the forest of darkness it was hard to admire the sky like this…” Choi Han mused aloud.

“Should we do it often together? Go and stare at the sky like this?”

“I’d like that.” Choi Han smiled to himself. It felt like he could regain that feeling of his pure side, that he lost due to those reckless superheroes. 

“You wanted to pay me back, right?”

“Yes! It feels like I only keep taking from you, hyung.”

“You’re still young, I need to take care of you Choi Han-ah. But I need you to find someone for me.”

“I can do that.” If Choi Han was more fired up because of the endearing way Rok Soo-hyung called him, then neither of them commented on it.

“Thank you.”

After a good night’s sleep, and a hearty breakfast (the cat siblings were very happy that they got to try human food now) they checked out of the inn. Going with a carriage was another experience for the cats, and while Choi Han was happy, he made small comments on how he could be a better carriage. Something about him not being so shaky, and that he’s faster. 

“So this is where you live Rok Soo-hyung?” 

It was fun for Rok Soo to see their reactions. Why were they surprised? It was just a normal apartment.

“Currently yes. I’m planning to buy myself a house soon.”

“I thought you’d maybe live in a house that looked noble. But this looks very homey.”

What did Choi Han mean by that? Was it a backhanded compliment?

Seeing Rok Soo-hyung’s confused face he said, “You handled the servants at the Henituse so well I thought you might be working in a similar position.”

Rok Soo opened the door, and the cat sibling ran inside, chasing each other playfully. “Thanks. Etiquette is good to learn, it’s easy to bump into nobles. Best to be ready.”

“Rok Soo nya! It’s so small here!” Hong and Onh had already easily run multiple laps inside his small apartment. 

They spent the rest of the day with Kim Rok Soo and Choi Han following Ohn and Hong, who curiously examined every nook and cranny of his apartment.

The next morning Choi Han left. He was determined to return quickly! Rok Soo-hyung would need to be repaid, and then he could happily stay beside him. 

Before he left, Rok Soo-hyung had also taught him about the currency (which the cat siblings had also listened to with interest, asking more questions than him), and etiquette. He was confident he wouldn’t let his hyung down! Not after he’d helped him so much.

Chapter Text

With Choi Han gone, Kim Rok Soo managed to steer things back to the story’s original pace, with Choi Han befriending Lock and Rosalyn. He didn’t care much about the plot, more so about Choi Han. In the original he’d made these friends, and just because of Kim Rok Soo he couldn’t just never meet them, could he?

For the time being he started mentally preparing himself. With two kittens sitting on his lap, the plan was to go and enjoy a cup of tea and leisurely read a book at the tea and poetry place he’d been eyeing near the Henituse–even if he’d just made it back to his own apartment. But now he couldn’t move. Children needed to rest. 

But not every child got the luxury to rest.

In the original story Lock had an awful awakening. Being so weak himself that  the power that wanted to come to his body was all too much. 

Kim Rok Soo didn’t have any magical items (nor enough money for that, he was already taking care of three people besides himself financially), and his powers couldn’t help.

“Ohn, Hong.” With a whisper he called out to them, though his tone was nonchalant, he didn’t really want to feel bad for disturbing their rest. They did slowly stir in his lap, so he talked more, “Do you want to go and explore the city more?”

…

“Explore the city…? Nya! Yes we do!” Hong answered before his sister could open her mouth. 

“Sure nya.”

With a smile Rok Soo said, “Good.”

If he didn’t have any ideas now, surely he’d gain some in the city? He wasn’t one to eavesdrop, but sometimes good ideas did come from what he’d heard someone say. 

Kim Rok Soo decided against going back to near the Henituse estate, that’d be too bothersome. With Choi Han being the type of protagonist that he is, Kim Rok Soo couldn’t be sure when he’d make it back. It’d be better to stay near one place.

Ohn and Hong were in their human forms. With both of them excitedly running around, but not running too far to cause trouble. They’d stay and wait for Kim Rok Soo to catch up to them when they wanted to show him something. In Kim Rok Soo’s opinion they were too well behaved, they didn’t ask him to buy them anything.

Ohn and Hong stopped in their tracks— they swore they’d heard a whoosh sound, and saw someone fly over their heads in a haste. 

They looked behind him, and Rok Soo had noticed something too. 

“Noona, do you think it was a superhero?” Hong whispered, instinctively he was already holding onto Ohn’s hand who was deep in her thoughts.

She shook her head. “That form didn’t really look human… I don’t think it was a werebeast either.” 

“Hm. Maybe a dragon?” Kim Rok Soo asked, he tried to make the way he asked seem normal. If he looked back on <record> that really did resemble a young dragon’s body. In the original there was one dragon that gained interest in Choi Han.

“A dragon?!” Hong looked an equal amount excited and frightened. Ohn on the other hand looked intrigued by Kim Rok Soo’s guess.

“It won’t eat you.” She reassured her younger brother.

“Why did it fly in such a hurry then?” Hong was curious.

“Let’s check it out.” Kim Rok Soo said. 

Before they could go to check it out, two men ran from behind them, and into the same direction the dragon flew to.

Fuck… It looked serious. He gained goosebumps for multiple reasons, but his slacker life also seemed farther away? Fuck! Wrong timing!

Making his choice,  Kim Rok Soo quickly picked Ohn and Hong up. The cats yeowled in surprise, but he couldn’t do much more than pet them soothingly as he started running.

The men had cornered the dragon, whose invisibility spell was wavering. 

“Bastard! Stole an apple pie from us!”

“It thinks it can get away with it?!”

The men looked cruel, much crueller than they needed to be in this situation. Kim Rok Soo quietly set the cats down, and he was sure that Ohn understood his gaze. Ohn nudged Hong to start hiding with her. Good, that was done. He needn’t worry about them.

His strides were quick as he walked to the men, and without giving them any time to look at who it was that was walking towards them he punched ones jaw so that he fell to the ground and the other suffered a similar fate.

It wasn’t nice that what looked like a kid had to witness something like this, so he did nothing more to the men. They were despicable, but the kid was more important. He looked towards the dragon and asked, “Are you okay?”

It let its invisibility spell go, and he could see a small black dragon before him. A very cute one.

It stared at him weirdly, but Kim Rok Soo saw that there was no trouble. “Live well. Try not to get caught in such situations again,” He threw a small bag to the dragon. “Take it. There’s some money, don’t worry about it.” 

He walked to where he saw the cats hide themselves.

“Huh? It really was a dragon!” Hong said, as he was back in Kim Rok Soo’s arms with his sister.

Kim Rok Soo nodded in response, and Ohn stayed thoughtful.

“Dragon, come with us!” Hong invited the dragon, eyes full of glee.

Upon being invited, the dragon slowly flew towards them. It eyed Kim Rok Soo again for some time till he started speaking. Some gears in its head had reached their rightful places. 

“Human?! No— you look different from those humans!” The dragon looked at Kim Rok Soo like he was a specimen to study, flying a few circles around him. “You don’t have a yong, do you?” 

“A yong…” He was about to fall into the grasp of <record>, but he snapped out of it and responded, “No, I don’t have a yong.” Anyone could have a yong in this fantasy world, right? It didn’t mean anything. Even if Choi Jung Soo was here, would he really show others his yong?

…

He would. That bastard.

“The humans said something funny back then! I asked if they’d give me a name, but they looked into the distance and mumbled something about knowing a punk being good with names.”

“Why was that funny?”

“They looked like they didn’t mean that the punk was good with naming, even though their voices sounded genuine.” The dragon was doing a poor job of hiding how excited he looked to be talking about this. It seemed even a dragon’s scales could turn pink. “Even this mighty one was confused by their tone!”

Hong who had been hiding behind his sister and Kim Rok Soo peeked at the dragon, with his head tilted slightly, “Why didn’t they name you then?”

“They had to meet with a merchant.” The dragon said with a ting of disappointment, slowing his flying. 

It didn’t take long for the little dragon to cheer up. Oh, no. Already its head that had been pitiably staring down at the ground, cheekily looked up at him. “Human, you’re good. Why don’t you name me?”

“Name you?” Was this a new kind of trap that Kim Rok Soo hadn’t heard of?

“Yes! That’s why I’m on this grand adventure.” It said with a look of importance (that Kim Rok Soo couldn’t take seriously because of its small stature).

Kim Rok Soo thought about it, and huh. Was it this late already…? Darkness had without him noticing come already. He did suppose the start of the day was lazed away, and it was only around evening that they were really looking around town.

He looked up at the dragon. Although the sky was vast, in the face of such an amazing creature, its endless potential could not ever be as magnificent. 

…

“Can it be a common name?”

“Of course not! It should be a name that befits a dragon like me!” The cat siblings snickered at the way the dragon had said it with that smug look on its face. 

Kim Rok Soo fell into thought. 

When he was done thinking, he turned his head to the dragon. “It is a beautiful night isn’t it, Raon Miru?”

The dragon gasped, with eyes sparkling, “Is that my name? Raon Miru?” He started flying in fast circles around Kim Rok Soo’s head again.

“If you like it, then yes.”

“What does it mean?”

“Joyful dragon.”

“I like it!”

Hm. Rok Soo thought that perhaps dragons would be hard to please. Maybe he’d been thinking about dragons with rose tinted glasses? 

Hong yawned, though he tried to cover it up. When Rok Soo looked at him with pointed eyes he tried to clear his name, “I’m not tired! I want to talk with little Raon for longer!”

At being called little, Raon grumbled, “I’m not little!”

But it went unnoticed. 

“But Raon also has a home to return to… Well then we best go our separate ways.” Kim Rok Soo tried to get home. 

“I’m on a grand adventure! My home is far away.”

“Can Raon still not come with us?” Hong looked up at Rok Soo with pleading eyes.

“...” He looked over to Ohn, but it was a lost cause. She started inching further away from him and closer to her brother. “Sure. Yeah sure he can come with us.” It was a struggle to not pinch his nose.

Even the kid with the most common sense abandoned him! 

Somehow Kim Rok Soo had ended up falling asleep with three kids squished against him. He woke up when the three children had somehow woke up in sync, and without acting eloquently started rolling around the bed. Kim Rok Soo didn’t know what that was supposed to mean, so upon waking up he chose to instead stare at the wall.

“Human! What do you normally eat for breakfast?” Raon’s never ending questions started when the day started, and ended when it was time for sleep, it seemed.

“Nya, he can make anything and it tastes good!” Hong chirped. 

Kim Rok Soo wasn’t sure if that was right… He himself thought that only the Korean foods he made were good.

Ohn hopped out of the bed with elegance. “I eat pancakes and dried fruits.” 

“Pancakes? I want to try them!”

 Rok Soo nodded. “Pancakes it is then.”

Huh… after that was a struggle of trying to make them all brush their teeth so that they didn’t speak instead of doing it, then Raon fed the idea to Hong that he should try wearing Kim Rok Soo’s clothes. (The clothes bit happened when he tried to shave the small beard that wanted to grow on his chin. It surprised him to see Ohn staring at him blankly, paired with Raon and Hong who were very excited.)

So far it had been going well for Choi Han. He found the mercenary group Rok Soo needed him to be going along with.

“Huh? Why did uncle stop?” Choi Han asked, though the two mercenaries ahead of him weren’t much taller than him, they did seem wider because of their muscle mass making it hard for him to see. He didn’t hear anything wrong either.

The merchant looked around before turning to Choi Han and saying with a puzzled face, “The people we were supposed to trade with aren’t here.”

They didn’t stand for long till when Choi Han and the other mercenaries scrunch their noses, and Rosalyn (whom Choi Han had shared a nice conversation to fill the silence) noticed later when the smell came closer.

“Blood!”

They looked around and saw a Blue Wolf tribe limping towards them. The chief merchant went straight to helping him regulate his breathing. “What happened to you?!” Seeing his beaten up body close was much worse than it seemed from far away.

“Huft… haa” Trying to catch his breath. When running here he hadn’t thought about his body for a second. “Go to the tribe.”

The chief merchant looked behind him, “You go and do as he said. I’ll stay here and join you later.”

“Yes, sir!”

From there on everything Choi Han saw felt dizzy. Running frantically, seeing dead bodies with body parts removed. Would this end up like Harris Village? 

He was a sword master, but breathing became hard for him. It couldn’t be because of the running.

“There they are!” A merchant screamed.

There was someone alive.

Ten younger and one older wolf kid. They were huddled together either trying to soothe one another or looking somewhere with a gaze as if they weren’t here.

Rosalyn walked closer to them. “We’re here to help you out of here…” She said it carefully. Not quite sure how to act. 

The kids looked towards her, and then towards the oldest amongst them.

He understood their gazes, and looked timidly at the strangers promising to save them. “...Who are you?” 

“We were supposed to come to trade, but instead a guard limped to us and told us to come here.”

“You’ll really get us out of here?”

“Yes. I’m a mage, I can teleport us. Is there anything you’d like to take with you?”

In a barely audible reply he said. “Everything is destroyed.” It seemed that he couldn’t hunch his shoulders anymore from how hunched they already were. 

“Apologies…” Seeing their current state, she tried to steer away from this topic. “My name is Rosalyn, and he is—”

“I’m Choi Han.”

“Yes, thank you.” Rosalyn sighed from relief internally. Choi Han didn’t always seem to be inept at conversations, but turns out it’s more dependent on his wants. 

The boy looked at them hesitantly, “Lock. These are my siblings.”

Before teleporting Choi Han briefly bid goodbye to the merchants and like that they made it to the capital of the Roan Kingdom.

There they bought necessary things for the Wolf kids, and Choi Han with the ‘allowance’ Rok Soo-hyung had given him (Rok Soo didn’t call it an allowance at first, instead payment, but that seemed… wrong, to Choi Han. An allowance had a much better ring to it) bought a small notebook the size of his hand. He tucked it safely into a pocket near his heart.

The kids' faces started slowly looking less miserable, and more curious. Thanks to Choi Han’s heightened hearing, he could hear their quiet musings to each other and couldn’t help smiling gently.

This relaxing way of going didn’t last for long, at one point Lock started acting weird. At first they couldn’t see anything wrong with him, then his face started turning pink and his face was sweatier by the minute. His breathing also became haggard. The other kids became even more clingy towards him, and the second oldest Maes got the courage to tug at Choi Han’s sleeve, who had also been looking at Lock’s condition. 

“Mister, can you help him?”

Choi Han nodded, he thought he could in some way. He looked over at Rosalyn with a questioning face.

“No, I’ve never seen something like this… I’m sorry.”

He looked back to Maes with a face showing he’d made his mind up, “My hyung can help. Rosalyn, could you teleport us to Rain city?”

Kim Rok Soo had woken up that day feeling that something would go wrong. It was similar to feeling his slacker life going farther away. 

Now when he saw Choi Han, with who he guessed was Rosalyn along with Lock and his ten siblings came running to him.

The thing that was wrong in this scenario was that Lock looked horrible.

Fuck.

Wasn’t this supposed to happen later?

“Hyung! We don’t know why he’s like this!” Choi Han rushed to him, Lock, who he had been carrying on his back was gently put on the couch.

“He’s a werebeast, right?”

“Yes!” Choi Han answered quickly. The way he said it was reminiscent of how he used to answer to his Team Leader when reporting about something serious.

“This could be his first transformation.”

Rosalyn and Choi Han stayed silent. This was a new area of knowledge for both of them.

“Can one of you quickly find an inn for his siblings?”

“I can do that!” The confident side of Rosalyn shone, now she could be helpful. She went to the kids and explained that their hyung would be helped, and that they’d just need to go to a separate room for now and then they could visit when he’d be better. They weren’t thrilled about leaving their hyung behind, but looking at him writhing in pain wasn’t good either. With some more encouragement from Rosalyn that their hyung wouldn’t want them to see him like this they managed to leave.

Rok Soo said, “Thank you.” To Rosalyn and then looked at Choi Han with a serious face, “Now  we need to keep an eye on him. Usually during first transformations the parents are there to keep them safe and take the attacks, but they’re not here so we have to fill the role.”

Choi Han nodded solemnly. 

“Also, I have someone to introduce to you.” Choi Han looked at Rok Soo-hyung expectantly. Did he go around picking strays like himself and the cat siblings? “Raon come here.” 

A dragon flew out of Rok Soo-hyung’s bedroom. 

A dragon.

“I believe Raon can help to activate some spells that could keep us, Lock and my apartment safe.”

As Rok Soo went to get a wet towel to put on Lock’s now tomato red face, Raon went to Choi Han, with the cat siblings following him. 

“You and the human look similar!”

“We’re from the same… town.” His answer came out awkwardly. His lying has never been good, but thankfully his face managed to stay stoic and not show any of the inward embarrassment that he was feeling.

Raon continued to fly around muttering something about, “Other humans”.  Usually, Choi Han would’ve managed to listen to what the other was saying easily, but Lock started stirring when Rok Soo-hyung who had been hovering above him with the towel was making it wet again. 

Lock, the boy who was almost afraid of making too much noise or even standing out, started making sounds akin to a dog’s growling. 

“Raon, set up a spell to keep us from getting hurt. Take care of Ohn and Hong.”

“Okay human! I’ve also added an invisibility spell.”

“Thank you.”

Kim Rok Soo pulled Lock up from the couch, he wasn’t conscious enough yet to push Rok Soo away so he was carried outside without any interruption. 

Kim Rok Soo didn’t want his apartment to end up in pieces after all.

Choi Han looked down at Lock, he couldn’t recognize  the boy currently, but he also knew that he was still human despite his body slowly starting to change. “Hyung… we really have to fight him?” 

“Yes, that’s the way that we can keep him safe right now.”

They couldn’t idly chat for longer, because Lock started trying to sit up. With his next movement he sprung up and tried to knock Choi Han out with claws that had appeared on his hands. 

Choi Han had quickly used his scabbard to protect his face (it had already become second nature to reach for it in any situation). When he’d pushed Lock away with medium force, and got to really look at him the boy had really changed.

His messy hair was highlighted even more by the wolf ears, his fangs were pointing out of his mouth and over all he was much bigger. No more was the coward.

For the entirety of Lock’s transformation Choi Han and Rok Soo supported each other.

Choi Han knew that his full concentration should be on fighting Lock, but at times Rok Soo-hyung’s fighting reminded him of his family's martial arts. He didn’t dare ask yet, but he was very curious. 

“Huuhh… he collapsed.” Kim Rok Soo said very relieved that this workout was finally over. Never again. Now he’d devote himself to his bed. He did feel a bit disappointed that all of his muscles that he’d been forced to work for were gone… Why make him so feeble if he still had most of his scars?

Lock laid on the ground, his inhuman parts gone. 

“Nya! It’s over?” Ohn cautiously asked not daring to step into the back yard unless she was sure it was safe with her siblings standing behind her. 

“Yes, it’s over.”

Hearing that, Raon flew over, and Hong ran to catch up to him as quickly as he could with Ohn following them in her own pace.

“Choi Han! You’re much stronger than you look!” Raon exclaimed. 

“Thank you?” Choi Han accepted what he wanted to believe was a compliment with an awkward tone. There was a lot on his mind.

Choi Han wasn’t stupid, but after killing for the first time he felt weird. There was this need to be reminded that he was human. That he wasn’t just a demon wearing the face of a human. “Hyung, what do we do now?” 

“Let's lay him on my bed first.” 

Ultimately it was easier for Choi Han alone to carry Lock carefully in bridal style, as Rok Soo-hyung fluffed the pillows and rummaged around his wardrobe for a better blanket. During this the kids followed along as if Rok Soo-hyung was a mother duck.

“Choi Han, did the mage give you any way to contact her?” Kim Rok Soo should’ve secured a way before, but even he wasn’t ready though he knew the plot of the novel.

“Yes hyung!” Choi Han took out the notebook he’d purchased and handed it to Rok Soo. At the time Rosalyn had thought that they could part ways soon and had written down her mana device’s digits. 

“Raon please leave a note to her from me.”

“For someone as mighty and strong as me, this is easy to do!”

Raon ignored how Hong and Ohn snickered behind him and quickly delivered the message to Rosalyn. Making them laugh even more when another round of his boasting started.

It wasn’t much longer till Rosalyn arrived with the wolf kids’ following her nervously.

“Hello, your big brother is just resting. He’s doing much better.” Kim Rok Soo reassured them. “Come with me.”

When Rok Soo had guided the kids to Lock, he left Rosalyn and Choi Han to look after them. They did trust those two more already, so Rok Soo felt confident with leaving them alone.

“Human, what will happen to Lock now?” Hong asked, he’d already adopted calling him ‘human’ the way Raon did. 

“Well, first we’ll have to see that he’s well. Next comes housing and making sure he could either work or go to school like his siblings.”

After a bout of silence, Raon chose to ask. “Is he a superhero?” 

“In a way… He might be. Though as far as I know his transformation is something he’s born with, but he might have awakened some powers amidst awakening his wolf side.” 

TBOAH had a variety of characters who at first would’ve all seemed like superheroes, but only a small portion of them were. Fantasy beings like werebeasts existed, and though they could use the abilities they were born with to be superheroes it’s not like many chose that path.

Similar to how Choi Han didn’t actually awaken any superpowers, though people did mistake his martial arts for that. 

Maybe that is why he’d started reading TBOAH again when the apocalypse started. There were awakeners, but the reason why a lot of them actually used their powers was because they had to. If it hadn’t been life threatening they would have half assed helping others just to become famous.

“Does one have to have powers to be a superhero?”

“No, I don’t think so. But having powers does come in handy.”

With that Raon flew away and outside into the backyard where Ohn and Hong had been discussing something.

Choi Han came out of Kim Rok Soo’s bedroom (which had also now turned into the kids’ bedroom), and with a happy smile on his stoic face announced, “He woke up! He’s a bit bruised, but he seemed more embarrassed hearing that he fought us.” He walked over to Rok Soo who’d been leaning against the wall.

“Lock is also hungry.” Choi Han added as his smile turned bigger.

A small smile appeared on Rok Soo’s face. “Well that is good to hear. Did he ask for anything specific?” 

“Ah… when I asked him, he froze up and immediately turned his head down.” 

“We’ll have to fix that later on.” Kim Rok Soo added it to his mental to do list with a nod of acknowledgement. 

“Yes, it’d be good if he felt comfortable.” Choi Han said in a way which reminded Kim Rok Soo of various aunties. There was potential in Choi Han to settle down instead of the munchkin ‘edgy’ superhero he became in the original. 

Kim Rok Soo decided to make a simple chicken soup. Thankfully there was enough so that Lock’s siblings could also eat with him. While he was making it the children went back and forth between staring at Lock (who at first turned redder and redder with each visit, but he got used to it), and coming to look at him while asking a train of questions. He did feel warm knowing they felt safe enough around him to parade him with questions like that. 

Soon it was ready. Kim Rok Soo who had gone to look for a tray to put the soup on for his own amusement and to kill time, not believing that he’d have a tray was proven wrong by the universe. He found a tray. It looked posh with beautiful patterns carved on its handles.

…When he’d have some alone time, he'd need to start getting rid of things. Not everything was needed for his survival, even more so when he was much more experienced now. 

“Choi Han, come help me bring them food.” Kim Rok Soo called out. Even if he had a tray he couldn’t carry all eleven bowls on it meant for the wolf children. 

“Yes, hyung!”

And help Choi Han did. Kim Rok Soo’s fancy tray could only fit three bowls. Choi Han took it upon himself to stack the bowls on his hands. Kim Rok Soo isn’t sure how Choi Han managed, but somehow he became one with the bowls. 

When they made it to his bedroom, after walking very carefully the children cheered with Rosalyn looking at them like they were stupid.

“You actually managed that.” She said flatly. She had been much more interested in not so secretly sneaking glances at the dragon. 

“Yes.” Choi Han said with proudness. He looked over to the wolf kids with eager eyes. In Harris Village he’d always been doted upon, and seen as the ‘forever’ baby because of his face and personality despite his strong swordsmanship. Now he could truly understand the aunties and uncles whose eyes light up when they could fit more food in him.  “Eat a lot.” He added.

Kim Rok Soo was happy to see Choi Han like this, but he wasn’t sure if he had the ingredients to make more food. 

Well, the only important thing was that the kids were happy, comfortable, rested and fed. Choi Han could make a few trips to the nearby food stalls if needed.

As the kids ate, they gradually became more relaxed. Chatting about mundane things was as far as their conversations went, though.

Kim Rok Soo felt that it was time. “Now that you’ve eaten let’s discuss some things.”

The room temperature turned chillier, and even the younger wolf kids who didn’t quite understand what might come still felt on the verge.

“We need to speak to the Count. Maybe you’ll get some kind of support. If not, we will try to help you along with probably other townsfolk.”

“Yes! We’ll try to help you as much as we can!” Choi Han cheered in with Ohn, Hong and Raon agreeing excitedly and Rosalyn calmly nodding along.

“You will be helped, but allow us to help you. We might not realise what you need.” This had happened to Kim Rok Soo before, and even with <record> not allowing him to ever forget, he wouldn’t want to repeat such a mistake.

Lock, who was sitting on the bed with his siblings all piled near him, looked like he couldn’t believe his ears. It was hard for him to make eye contact, and his face was turning pink again with there being a chance tears might start spilling from his eyes.

“...thank you.” Was all he could mumble.

“Rest now. It’s been hard for all of you.”

Kim Rok Soo slowly left the room, the other’s lingered a bit, but ultimately left the Wolf kids alone. They definitely had things they wanted to talk about privately.

Kim Rok Soo along with Choi Han had yet again gone to speak to the Count to announce what happened to Lock and his siblings. Some servants had recognised them, and only thanks to both of their heightened senses they understood that word of the mouth had begun about them.

The Count had been surprised by seeing their familiar faces, but he quickly hid it and managed to stay professional. 

In the end they managed to get housing for the wolf kids near Kim Rok Soo’s own apartment and other things that would greatly help in the future.

Before they could leave the Count asked one last thing from them, “Is the oldest boy, Lock, a superhero?”

There was an awkward silence that Kim Rok Soo would’ve taken care of himself but the Count hurried to fix it. “Apologies. From your story it sounded like he might have abilities to become one. I am always ready to help future heroes.”

“Count we ourselves aren’t sure yet whether he’ll be a superhero or not.” Kim Rok Soo said with a disappointed tone.

“Only time will tell then. Alright, thank you for informing me of this. You are excused.” The Count said with benevolence with some awkwardness in his voice.

They bowed, with this time Choi Han not looking as rigid, and left. Making it outside and farther away from the Count’s estate the wolf kids’, who had been waiting in a separate room from them, tensed shoulders relaxed.

“Hyung…”

“Could be a superhero?!”

“Cool!”

They all flocked around him hiding the embarrassed Lock. 

That day it was even harder to separate Lock’s clingy siblings from him.

The wolf kids couldn’t immediately start living in the house the Count had provided. Instead they still had to spend some time crammed up in Kim Rok Soo’s apartment.

He was lucky his house wasn’t full of furniture and they could fit sleeping bags for all the kids.

Raon, Ohn and Hong had fallen asleep for once without Kim Rok Soo. He had thought only for a bit to go and stare at the stars, an old habit from the apocalyptic times in Korea that didn’t want to leave him behind. And how could he leave it behind when despite everything the stars always shined so brilliantly?

On the porch he found a hunched form— it was Lock. His head was buried in his hands, messing up his hair.

Carefully he walked towards him and sat next to him. “Is something bothering you?”

“...” 

Kim Rok Soo looked away from Lock and much farther away with a sigh. “It’s about becoming a superhero, isn’t it?”

Lock tensed.

“Mhm. Just know you’re not alone.”

“What do you mean?” Lock’s voice came out quietly as he finally turned his head towards Kim Rok Soo, but didn’t dare to look at him.

“Choi Han will be with you. Your siblings along with, the dragon, the cat siblings Rosalyn the mage and me are cheering you on if you choose that path.”

“Though because you don’t really know any of us yet, I’m not sure if it helps you.” Kim Rok Soo’s tone had turned more gentle than his usual one. A small part of him felt like he wasn’t speaking to Lock, but to a younger version of himself. 

Lock felt like he should say something. Anything. But his mouth was clamped shut. He had so many thoughts swirling around his head, why are they so supportive? They talk as if they know he’d do a good job, but that’s not guaranteed. And yet, why do they have so much trust in him? He felt so pathetic. Why did he feel like crying so much every time he was near them?

These people already seem much better than he thinks he could ever be. Was he even allowed to dream to become like them? Choi Han and Rosalyn, from the short time he’d known them, were both so strong, smart, and capable in every way!

Kim Rok Soo looked up at the sky, “It’s late now.” He gazed at Lock with a small smile. “Tomorrow we’ll talk more about this. Your worries should cease then.”

Lock could only nod. When Kim Rok Soo said it like that, it seemed like it’d be true. Getting up he felt his mind becoming clearer, but his body was heavy. He hadn’t realised he was this tired. 

…When was the last time he slept well? 

Not that Kim Rok Soo and the others didn’t take good care of him! But his transformation had been tiring, his mind was plagued by memories of his family being destroyed, and everything was so new to him. 

From there it was fuzzy— his eyes had involuntarily closed, but he felt strong hands hold him up and guide him into his bed. Because of that he didn’t start fighting his sleep, and instead embraced the sleepiness. Somehow his bed was as comfortable as a pillow. Laying there felt like he was being hugged.

Lock slept the best he had in a long time. He had surprised himself, he stood in the corridor, dazed in his pyjamas. 

A few of his siblings came running, it looked like they were about to wake him up, “Oppa, your mood looks much better now! Did something good happen?”

“Oh,” It caught him off guard that his siblings would already notice (they were looking at him with these big shiny eyes, what were they expecting from him?). They were always quick, especially noticing something that involved their family, but it was still surprising to experience each time it happened. “I guess you could say so.” The answer came awkwardly from his mouth. It contrasted how happy he was feeling internally.

“Hehe! Uncle Kim—”

Lock’s mouth involuntarily made a strangled noise. Uncle Kim. He couldn’t yet decipher what it was that he was feeling at this revelation. But he felt something.

His sibling eyed him warily, but continued, “He made pancakes! It smells so good. Come quickly I saw that some had already started eating!”

“You go ahead. I’ll come… soon.” 

His siblings didn’t even wait, as soon as they heard that he would come some time their job was done and they ran to the kitchen.

To see them like that, acting like everything was okay, it soothed him.

He didn’t take long to sit around to just think, he would’ve liked to, but his conscience would’ve strangled him for it! The others were waiting for him to eat. For whatever reason that he couldn’t understand they wanted to care for him, so even if he was confused he shouldn’t let them hanging.

Walking over he saw his siblings, some on the couch haphazardly lying on each other with their stomachs looking big, and the more energetic ones were already in the yard running around chasing after each other.

“We have some left for you.” Kim Rok Soo handed him a plate with a pancake already placed on it. True to his siblings’ words, it looked very delicious.

As he began eating Choi Han sat down near him, he gazed at him, but the other was looking outside. Not much later when many of his siblings had gone out of his sight to play Kim Rok Soo also sat down.

…?

He was still timid— making eye contact was hard, so he was awkwardly eating, trying his damndest to not look them in the eye. His stupid eyes would’ve liked to do so out of reflex, but he held back. Just doing so made his eyes almost water, but that wasn’t important.

“Lock, you can look us in the eyes.”

“What hyung said, we’re really nice.”

“No, no… I don’t think you’re mean… or anything.” His voice sounded awfully small. How could he explain himself?

They patiently waited for his mind to search for the right words.

“...” But the right words just didn’t come.

“Okay, well, do we scare you?”

Lock shook his head.

“Good. Do you think it’ll take time for you to adjust and that’s it?”

“...maybe.”

“Alright, Lock we won’t pressure you into anything, but we wanted to talk about you becoming a superhero.”

Again, it was weird to him that he could become a superhero. 

“Even if you do, at your current age you’re not allowed to handle anything dangerous.” Kim Rok Soo said like he was a boulder. His sentence was the law, which it might’ve been, Lock didn’t know the laws here. There was no room to object.

“If you want to take on more dangerous tasks then Choi Han will accompany you.”

“What?!” He croaked. Still not loudly, but he was embarrassed by the sound he made.

He felt Choi Han perking up, looking at him with this wide smile that showed teeth. This display made it so that Lock saw flowers popping up behind Choi Han. It was even more embarrassing, the way that Choi Han looked at him! And just after that weird sound came out of his mouth… ugh!

He managed to mumble, “I would like to at least try to be a superhero….”

Maybe then he wouldn’t let everyone down.

Kim Rok Soo didn’t know how bigger cities operated, and informed superheroes of tasks, but here in Rain city there was a small board where you could write what help was needed.

Of course, it wasn’t the fastest method, but that’s not where emergency situations were handled. It had more mundane things like: cat ran up a tree. HELP! Perfect for a beginner like Lock. He could accomplish these, and still remain in one piece. Maybe even gain some confidence in himself.

Lock, as per tradition, had put on something that… resembled a superhero costume. Not exactly, but it did its job so that the neighbourhood's aunties wouldn’t recognise him. He had a mask to conceal his face, and Choi Han’s older uniform which Kim Rok Soo had slightly modified to fit him.  

“What will your first mission be, new superhero?”

Hearing him being addressed like that made him blush. He was really doing this. “Well, I uh, thought that…” His voice shrunk as he kept talking, “helping find the cat…of that uncle.”

“That’s a good starter.” Kim Rok Soo said, and Choi Han nodded enthusiastically. “We wish you good luck, and so did your siblings. Return to us in one piece.”

His siblings really had wished him luck. When he woke up they acted like it was his birthday. They’d gathered near his bed, when he woke up he was so shocked, but they didn’t care and started singing congratulatory and good luck songs. Then there was a row of hugs, and a few of his siblings even shed dramatic tears.

He didn’t know how Kim Rok Soo would expect him to find himself in danger if he was just searching for a cat, but nevertheless he knew when to surrender, “...Yes, if the situation is more dangerous than what I can handle I’ll run away.” Lock repeated the sentence that Kim Rok Soo kept reminding him of since he had said he could try being a hero. Sometimes, even in his sleep he could hear Kim Rok Soo uttering it to him.

He waved Kim Rok Soo and Choi Han goodbye, and went to speak to the uncle who’d lost his dearest “daughter”, a cute white cat.

At first his mission was going well. He found the cat on top of a tree that wasn’t that far away from the owner’s house, and the owner in response hugged the air out of him. He felt very proud that he managed to do it, and seeing the man’s smile heightened the good feeling he had.

But when he wanted to start leaving he noticed a suspicious interaction in an alley he was near.

He wanted to ignore it, normally he would’ve , but he had gotten a confidence boost, one which had never really happened like this before, and he wanted to experience it again by doing something useful. By really proving to himself and others’ that he could be useful.

Despite his outfit looking tacky, the thought that people wouldn’t recognise him made him feel secure.

He went closer, but because he was so focused on looking ahead, he hadn’t looked down and slipped and almost slipped on a rock. This sudden movement made the suspicious guys notice him.

Ah… they started coming towards him. 

If they were really bad guys, maybe this wouldn’t have happened, if he wasn’t wearing this costume.

Before the two guys could get much closer, Choi Han appeared out of a bush and quickly positioned him in between the guys and Lock.

When Choi Han noticed they had weapons without further ado he knocked them out.

Choi Han turned to look at him with a flowery smile, as if he hadn’t just effortlessly knocked two guys out, “Let’s hand them to the police.”

“Yes…”

How did rescuing a kitten escalate to this?!

From there Choi Han took the reins, and as they walked around Lock wished he wasn’t wearing the costume. Now it was just attracting the attention of townsfolk.

Despite his first mission going the way it did, Lock wanted to try it more. This time, for the sake of his own sanity he told Choi Han that he wouldn’t have to pretend to go away just to stay near Lock and make sure he was safe.

Turned out they were both relieved.

But this and the future missions had one thing in common: bad guys were travelling around. Lock wasn’t sure how they kept finding them, but he had a theory that Choi Han attracted them. The few times that Choi Han couldn’t join him nothing odd happened.

Kim Rok Soo each time he heard of this reacted with his brows creasing, and going sitting down onto the couch to think about something with a serious face. 

Lock waited for him to collect his thoughts, and when it looked like he’d reached a conclusion he sat down near him, and asked, “Could I maybe…” He started, out of habit his eyes dashed to the floor.

“Look at me when speaking.”

The way Kim Rok Soo said it wasn’t degrading, no, it had fondness in it. All this time he’d been trying to make it so that Lock wouldn’t be so afraid of speaking up…

“Could I use my transformation to fight?”

So far it was more like Lock was Choi Han’s sidekick. It didn’t upset him, and he understood where Choi Han was coming from… but he did feel helpless each time. 

Kim Rok Soo took a moment to think, “You do need to learn how to use it… Sure, but try it out a few times with Choi Han before.”

“Thank you!”

Lock’s transformations were going well, they weren’t perfect.

When Choi Han joined less it didn’t go so well. Lock would try to not admit it. 

It was troubling him. Why couldn’t he figure out how to control it?! He had such pure blood… was this another indicator of how bad he was at most things?

He found himself sitting on the porch again, despite the fact that he should be sleeping. Kim Rok Soo kept reminding his siblings and himself to eat and sleep enough. 

He didn’t sit for long alone under the stars, soon he heard someone sit down next to him. It was Kim Rok Soo.

“I really like the stars.” He said, looking up at them absentmindedly. “Lock, is your transformation troubling you?”

Ack…! Kim Rok Soo knew right away what was wrong! Was he so obvious?

“...mmm,” he mumbled, “Yes.”

“Don’t rush it. Your family isn’t in danger, and if they are, leave it to the adults.”

Was Kim Rok Soo disregarding him entirely? Yet he had praised him yesterday for completing a mission…

“You are still a kid. Enjoy this time in life, and don’t try to rush against the rules of nature.”

They chatted for a bit, until Kim Rok Soo inevitably told him now he really should go to bed. Some thoughts still plagued his mind, but whenever the thoughts wanted to worsen, he heard Kim Rok Soo’s calm and all knowing voice. 

Kim Rok Soo had started paying for weekly newspapers. At first he was second guessing the idea, his money was not at its peak anymore. Keeping so many mouths fed wasn’t that easy. But knowledge is power, and he bought it.

On the cover page was a title meant to get the reader's attention. Hmm, the noble's possessions were being stolen. It didn’t concern him, but for the fun of it he read more.

…? These powers, the way they were being described? Team Leader? Choi Jung Soo?

Could it really be them?

It was uncalled for him usually, but he quickly threw a cloak on himself, telling the other’s he was going into town alone. No, sorry Choi Han he needed to be alone. The same goes to you, Raon, you aren’t a part of me stay with the cat siblings at home.

There were more newspapers covering what seemed to be about his… his hyungs. His hyung’s being supervillain’s. The newspaper did include different opinions from townsfolk, some being on their side and others not.

He needed to sit down for a moment.

Chapter Text

His whole body hurt, but his mind was focused on reaching out to him.

He can, he’s so close, just a bit more!—

“...Aiyah! Why are you touching me?” A raspy voice of the person he had managed to grasp— upon opening his eyes it was the Team Leader. He wouldn’t have guessed by his current voice. But it wasn’t who he wanted to reach out to. Kim Rok Soo… punk where are you?

“We’re both in bad shape…” Jung Soo commented seeing that Lee Soo Hyuk’s raspy voice was actually what seemed to be in the best condition compared to his other injuries. His own body felt incredibly wrong, too. There wasn’t a particular part that hurt, it was everything that was causing him pain. 

There was silence as their last memories came pouring in and they assessed their wounds.

Lee Soo Hyuk was exasperated, “How are we even alive?” His body didn’t look human, more like a dead persons’ corpse used as a puppet! 

“Haha! Ouch—” Even laughing hurt now. “Didn’t we die?”

“We did.”

…

Who guessed that it’d be awkward to talk about their own deaths’?

“Kim Rok Soo is not here.”

Saying it was painful. How was that bastard not with them? What load of shit had that GoD bastard spat at them after they died?!

Kim Rok Soo was the one that was supposed to die, my arse! Jung Soo was so mad, if he could’ve he would’ve obliterated that GoD motherfucker with the help of Lee Soo Hyuk, he would’ve done it in a heartbeat.

It took time for both of them to cool down, and to not start breaking the surrounding trees with their bare fists. When they did manage it, Lee Soo Hyuk started, “We should find water to clean ourselves up.” 

“You’re right about that! It’s so disgusting to be head to toe in my own blood!” Jung Soo complained, currently he’d like to complain about everything and anything. The urge to start screaming was there. But his face remained stoic as always.

They were in a dark forest. It was eerie that they couldn’t hear any sounds other than the ones they were making. Though their minds were very chaotic, they chose to not think about it. They were strong enough to handle whatever hit them. Surviving death somehow had to prove their point.

Lee Soo Hyuk sighed as they started walking, limping as they went. “That punk always managed to magically have everything we needed on him…” 

“All of his pockets were working overtime to fit all that he was carrying with him.”

“Pfft, it’d come in handy now.” Lee Soo Hyuk laughed fondly.

“I don’t remember when it didn’t.”

“That’s also true.” 

It didn’t take long till they found a river. One that under normal circumstances they would stay a good twenty feet away from. 

“Is this even water?” Choi Jung Soo did live in the outskirts as a youngin, but the water was always clean there! Despite what some posh city kids seemed to think.  

The water didn’t even look like water, more like black gooey chemicals. They were hesitating to go near it.

“Try throwing a rock in.”

He did as Lee Soo Hyuk said. The rock didn’t start melting, as he had already managed to think might happen.

“It’s not… as bad as it could be.” Lee Soo Hyuk’s answer came out in a hesitating tone. They didn’t have any other choice though.

Lee Soo Hyuk went and carefully put his fingers into the water. Nothing dramatic happened, and despite its appearance it felt like normal water. He relaxed and started washing his hands, and then his whole body.

Choi Jung Soo gave up— he was familiar with much worse things (no thanks to the apocalypse), why make bathing in this ugly looking water so complicated?

Maybe Jung Soo also splashed Soo Hyuk, so that the other’s hair got more wet than planned. But no one besides them was there to see that (a shame really, Lee Soo Hyuk’s expression was priceless).

From there on they kept following the river to try and get out of the forest. To make walking more bearable they reminisced about the past. A lot of their talks involved Kim Rok Soo in one way or another. 

Lee Soo Hyuk, who had been walking in front of Choi Jung Soo out of habit, and at this point it felt wrong for Choi Jung Soo to be in front unless he was playing some kind of prank. Came to a halt abruptly making him bump into him.

“Ay! What is it?” 

“Bastard…” Lee Soo Hyuk said in a very fond tone, “We’ve made it out of the forest!” 

Jung Soo almost started sprinting out, he hadn’t seen sunlight properly for he-doesn’t-know-how-long! He wasn’t sure whether the time was warped in the forest, or if he had just lost the concept of time there.

The forest was like a nightmare. There wasn’t anything moving around them, but they did see signs that they weren’t the only ones there. Sleeping made him overly anxious, it felt like only knocking himself out would do the trick. He really wished he could sleep in the cryptic ways that Kim Rok Soo did! That punk looked scary when he did it, if he wanted to he could very quickly fall asleep, and not even move. Many times they were concerned that he’d died on the spot.

The only thing that made it bearable was that he wasn’t alone.

Lee Soo Hyuk didn’t let him sprint out, he took hold of his dirty shirt’s scruff and didn’t let go.

“What gives?” Because their height was really similar, Jung Soo was barely lifted off the ground by Soo Hyuk holding him like a mother cat held its kitten. 

“Imagine the shock people will have when they see us. They’ll think we’re ghosts.”

Jung Soo had gotten too used to how shabby and injured they looked.  Looking down at his body, despite the fact that it was washed, some wounds couldn’t be cured that easily. He felt embarrassed and sad, and he couldn’t quite explain it.

“Let’s go carefully.”

“Mh let me guess, we’ll make ourselves presentable, familiarise with the place, and then we can go and get some actual help?” To Jung Soo saying this was akin to the teacher asking a question that’s been asked so many times before that to the student it’s boring to say the answer.

“It’s weird seeing this smart side of you know.” Lee Soo Hyuk said, and without looking back he started walking away.  

Cheeky bastard! Jung Soo could practically see the smug look on his face.

“You know I’m smart!” Jung Soo didn’t let himself fall behind, and was quickly walking behind Soo Hyuk again.

“Yes, of course you are smart.” Lee Soo Hyuk slowed down his pace to ruffle his hair. “I’m happy we’re out of that place, whatever it was.” Saying that a sigh of relief escaped his mouth.

During the daytime they stuck as close to the village as they could without being noticed. Luckily they’d identified quite a few shops that would be useful to them.

When night came, and the last person that had still been wandering the streets went to their house, then they went to walk around freely.

“See!” Jung Soo pointed at a building. “I told you I had noticed a second hand items giveaway centre.”

“I didn’t think they’d have that here, but it comes in handy.” Despite the fact that everything was slowly beginning to look happier, Lee Soo Hyuk wasn’t sure of it just yet. He didn’t want to lie to himself and start cheering over something that was his own delusion.

The door to the building wasn’t sturdy at all, and they managed to break in with minimal effort. Not damaging the door was easy!

Individually they started looking around at what there was to offer, both going in opposite ways. When Jung Soo couldn’t find anything useful he turned around and froze.

He had to hold back his laugh with his hands as he looked at Lee Soo Hyuk and said, “That cloak makes you look like a villain!” If he laughed any harder his stomach would start hurting and tears would start running from his eyes. 

“Aren’t I made for a K-drama?” Lee Soo Hyuk instead took this opportunity to start posing. His outgrown hair came in handy to make it even more dramatic. Holding his hair and looking to one side with a complicated face, then hugging himself and making a villainous face… His poses kept switching.

What annoyed Jung Soo about this scene was that it looked good as Soo Hyuk did it . He would’ve liked to get lost in laughing at Lee Soo Hyuk’s appearance (really, that cloak looked like it was meant for bad vampire cosplay), but how could he do that when his eyes kept following his every movement?! 

Jung Soo’s gaping stopped when Soo Hyuk stopped posing and threw an identical cloak at him. With a wink he said, as Jung Soo stared at it with dread, “Now we can match.” 

…With Soo Hyuk’s mind made up which was like an immovable mountain at one time and as flexible as water the other time, Jung Soo understood that he had nothing else to do but suck it up. He had lost, and would be stuck wearing this ridiculous cloak.

Maybe it would’ve been more humorous if he had gotten to make Kim Rok Soo wear such a cloak with the power of teaming up with Lee Soo Hyuk, but now that he was the one subjected to this he wasn’t sure how to feel.

Was he sad that his dongsaeng wasn’t here for him to tease, for reasons he’d rather not think about? For his family at least he got to bury the bodies… but for Kim Rok Soo, he wasn’t sure if the punk actually survived or not. He liked to believe he did, because that was like him, but he didn’t get to see the aftermath. 

...

Soo Hyuk had already moved on from being amused at Jung Soo’s despair, and went to look around at what else he could find. Inspecting this and that.

Eventually Jung Soo followed along, and forgot all about feeling sad about wearing the cloak and his existential crisis. He was following behind Soo Hyuk, and asked after he couldn’t hold his confusion back anymore, “What are we searching for?”

The answer that he got was, Soo Hyuk with sparkling eyes picking something up, and holding it up in the air as if it was the most important thing.

Tilting his head he asked, “A bag…?” 

“Yes, we need a bag don’t we? And look at this— it has so many perfect pockets.” Soo Hyuk swooned as he started showing Jung Soo the good assets of the bag.

“You’re acting like that punk.” 

“I guess I am. It’s weird, I’m feeling so happy over a bag. I think he would really like this one too.” Looking down at the bag, he would’ve probably liked it even more if it wasn’t in his own hands, and instead in that bastard’s hands.

“At first he’d pretend such a thing wasn’t needed for him.”

“Right, right.” He pulled his eyes away from the bag to look back at Jung Soo, with an amused smile. “But then he’d still store it away, and later he’d be attached to it.”

With that they left. The only trace that someone had been there was the missing clothes.

Thanks to Jung Soo running around before going to sleep like a madman to try and get a wink of peaceful sleep afterwards, they’d found a well that seemed to be abandoned. With the help of it they washed themselves again, and this time with utmost care. They did need to go to the town soon, and if they planned to go through with that plan they’d need to look more like humans. Otherwise the townspeople wouldn’t talk to them. Gathering info, getting actual  medical help… They needed all of it, but it just wasn’t possible if they looked as crazy as they did.

Jung Soo attempted to splash Soo Hyuk again when his mind wandered away from making his body squeaky clean, but this time Soo Hyuk was the one who got him wet from head to toe emotionlessly. 

He’d seen Jung Soo’s mind that was filled with pranks from miles away gearing itself up, and he wouldn’t let it happen to him again.

“Ah!—” Jung Soo’s surprised cry didn’t earn any sympathy from Soo Hyuk.

“Punk, don’t act innocent. You would’ve splashed me again.”

“What’s the harm in a little fun?” He drawled his words lazily, whilst shaking the water off himself with big, aggressive movements. He reminded Lee Soo Hyuk of a dog as he did it.

“My hair is much longer than yours. You clearly don’t understand how annoyingly long it takes for it to dry once it’s wet.”

It took time for Jung Soo to speak up again. “D’ya think Rok Soo-yah started letting his hair grow longer because of you?”

“He might’ve, but still he didn’t keep it like that for long. When it got past shoulder length he’d cut it again.”

They kept scrubbing themselves in silence, when Jung Soo got another question, “Does this world look normal to you?”

“You noticed something, too?” 

“We haven’t really been anywhere, but already the forest was odd.” Jung Soo’s eyes stared concentratedly at his towel, his brows slightly creasing. “That wouldn’t be normal by our world’s standards before the apocalypse.”

“I thought so too. We’ll see more signs when we start speaking to people.”

“I hope this doesn’t have any fantasy monsters like in novels! It’d really be deja vu considering our own world.”

…

They’d made it to town, and lo and behold there was a werebeast. They quickly walked away from what felt like a crime scene, so as to not stare at that poor unsuspecting werebeast uncomfortably.

“...fuck.”

“It’s a fantasy ‘story’.”

They were both in sync with their feeling of despair.

“Why are you miserable? You read fantasy works. I’m the one that’s utterly clueless. I mostly watched K-dramas.” Lee Soo Hyuk asked as he pinched his nose. 

“Yeah, I read fantasy! A lot of it. But my memory isn’t that good.” Jung Soo buried his face in his hands. There were many fantasy works. A lot of similar ones too! 

He deadpanned, “Kim Rok Soo isn’t the standard to see how good your memory is.”

Jung Soo’s face did lighten up at what Soo Hyuk said, but his posture was still slumped.

He sighed. “You know… fuck it, let’s act like this is normal. We adapted to the apocalypse, we can do this much. Let’s proceed as planned.” Lee Soo Hyuk was trying to hold onto his sanity as he said it. If he couldn’t stay normal, how could Jung Soo? 

They tried to not stare too much when they saw magical device stores. They looked rather shabby, but it made sense because this whole town didn’t look too wealthy.

“Now I remember…” Jung Soo started, and Soo Hyuk looked at him expectantly. Would this punk remember something important? “I used to stop reading a lot of fantasy novels because the main characters who were supposed to be the strongest weren’t using their weapons right. If those fuckers were real then they’d seriously injure themselves with their half assed techniques!”

“What part of this world made you remember that?” 

“I dunno. Nothing in particular, maybe just the thought of fantasy novels.”

“You have no clue if this novel, this world, is dangerous?”

“Uh… dunno!” Jung Soo scratched his head trying to remember anything, “Well, usually only the main character’s are lethal. The side character’s aren’t that important usually.”

“Sure, sure. Let’s get ourselves fixed up now.”

Going to a hospital was weird. The nurse and doctor that was looking at them was confused, and kept asking them how they ended up like this. They feigned ignorance and said they couldn’t remember, something, something my head really hurts. 

They got to go (at first the doctor didn’t want to let them leave, but because they were grown adults, and they weren’t in a life threatening situation anymore, they were back on the streets), and now they looked better. If one didn’t look at them keenly, then any remaining injuries wouldn’t be spotted.

From this town they did learn that they might be in a fantasy work, but that was it. Now they went and travelled from town to town hoping to know more.

They had ended up in a wealthy city. So far it’d been like the few last ones, no new info till—

“...Roan Kingdom… Prince Alberu..”

Jung Soo didn’t hear the details of what the person was talking about, but those keywords made his ears perk up.

Jung Soo stopped walking and whispered, “Could it be… TBOAH?” The little grey cells in his head were working themselves to the core. 

“Oh, Rok Soo-yah talked about that sometimes, right?” Lee Soo Hyuk didn’t know much more about it. Some fragments of memories did start appearing in his mind.

“Yes… yes he did!” Jung Soo thought a bit more and said, “Actually, he read a bit of it to us out loud.”

This sentiment made Lee Soo Hyuk feel relieved. Maybe he wouldn’t be so utterly clueless as he thought he’d be. He’d just need to start remembering!

“Only I don’t really remember much.” Jung Soo said sheepishly, scratching his head. “I think we were both more focused on the fact that he was opening up to us about what he likes that we didn’t listen to the book as much.”

“...” Lee Soo Hyuk thought about it, and what Choi Jung Soo said was true. Kim Rok Soo had a very good, calm voice for reading books, only his voice was so nice to listen to that he’d forgotten to actually think about what was going on in the book. 

It felt like they were back at square one. 

“Hey! Don’t look at me like that!” Jung Soo didn’t like the way that Lee Soo Hyuk looked disappointed in him, though he knew it wasn’t didn’t mean much. “TBOAH was very descriptive, you know.” He explained himself, crossing his hands and turning his head away as he did so. 

“Also, usually fantasy works are similar, the background characters aren’t involved much, so I’d say we’re safe in that regard. We don’t even have to think that we’re living inside a story.” Jung Soo kept repeating to Lee Soo Hyuk the same sentiment. Nagging in his own way, because Lee Soo Hyuk was a fantasy works ‘newbie’.

“That’s good. Then we’ll keep exploring.”

Jung Soo saluted, “Aye, aye, captain!”

Lee Soo Hyuk had a kind smile on his face, but mercilessly he smacked the back of Jung Soo’s head.

Town to town they met interesting people, and took on different jobs. Sometimes they’d be helping at a restaurant -and wow, how many stories they heard there-, sometimes they didn’t even work. They’d use their hard earned money to get as much food that they could and either just use their legs to get from one place to another or they were lucky enough to get on a carriage to go on adventures.

Sleeping was done anywhere they could. A luxurious inn was nice, but there wasn’t much problem with sleeping under the stars either. Before going to sleep their conversations would go on for a long time.

It was a laid back routine that they had.

And would’ve kept having, if the GoD hadn’t uttered something about Kim Rok Soo to them.

‘He’ll end up in your world soon enough.’

Kim Rok Soo… If he was supposed to end up here anyway, according to this motherfucking God, then they could make sure that he would be here during their lifetime.

The GoD hadn’t specified when this supposed to be ‘soon’ was, so it was nothing but taking the matter into their own hands.

It started with brainstorming how they could get Kim Rok Soo to this world, and from fiction works they got an idea. Summoning. Yes, it was something usually done to demons, but so what? That was probably outdated knowledge anyway.

Then going to any and every library they could find, shifting through the books talking about magic and summoning. Finding what they needed took time, but they were too stubborn to give up. How could they if they knew that they could meet Kim Rok Soo again?

Before, thoughts about Kim Rok Soo being with them plagued them. Back then they didn’t know any ways to make it true, but now…

Nothing would hold them back from getting Kim Rok Soo to be with them again.

Summoning required peculiar things— some which they had to steal. 

In their defence, they didn’t have much time (or their sanity would break, knowing that Kim Rok Soo could be here with them), and it just so happened that everything that they needed was in the hands of bad guys. Really, they were doing good deeds for this world! 

The list of things needed was big, and they needed to ensure that the measurements were right, because  how much they put in something mattered. So for every ingredient they made sure that there was room to make mistakes. 

Kim Rok Soo! They could see him again soon. Talk to him about their adventures, and what they’d seen. Surely, he’d like to hear about the people that they saw that all looked like protagonists of novels he liked to read.

This meant many treacherous months of trying to gather all of the ingredients. They were desperate for it, so they’d even used their powers to speed things up. Because of that they had managed to gain a reputation akin to super villains. Because this was such a world it turned out, instead of awakeners like they had to fight monsters, they had superheroes.

Wak! It was so untrue. Them, supervillains? Such rumours were born from the mouths’ of noblemen who were evil themselves, and tried to mask their mistakes so that there would be someone else to stare at. And that happened to be them.

No matter, the people that did talk to them, whether from not knowing about their reputation or not connecting the dots, didn’t view them as evil. The aunties especially were fond of them.

Though it did feel cool to kick ass, and the world would still be a safe place. Despite the battles they fought, they could later walk around anywhere and they’d see how peaceful everything around them was. 

“The Sword Demon finally made it back?” Lee Soo Hyuk asked in a teasing tone. Seeing that Choi Jung Soo came back uninjured, this was the way for him to release the stress of that bastard taking longer than usual. He couldn’t handle losing another dongsaeng.

“Your fault for not coming along! It’s a lot easier with you, Team Leader.” Jung Soo put his messenger bag on the floor gently, and took off his outerwear and shoes. Taking the bag with him he flopped onto the inn’s couch, completely out of energy.

Lee Soo Hyuk and Choi Jung Soo had gone together to retrieve the ingredients, but now that they’d gotten the hang of it he’d chosen to stay behind and instead make something for dinner for the both of them. Going on such adventures was tiring, and it was very unhelpful that you couldn't count on a Choi to make a decent meal. Lee Soo Hyuk wasn’t sure how Jung Soo still managed to have such a huge family. What did they eat?

“Ahhh… Who knew that now that I have a ‘reputation’ I would be chased around.” 

“The cloak did come in handy. Thanks to it, your face isn’t known, only your yong is.” Lee Soo Hyuk paused, “You really showed your martial art off easily. Now everyone knows about it.”

Jung Soo muttered curses under his mouth (Lee Soo Hyuk, don’t rub salt on wounds! Also, his martial art is supposed to be shown off!). He couldn’t refute it, but he was petty. Was this how Kim Rok Soo felt? He didn’t want to admit it, but he did like the cloak. He’d even grown attached to it. But if he uttered such a thing to Soo Hyuk, that punk would never let it die down.

“Anyway,” Jung Soo started, his voice becoming more serious. “That was the last ingredient.”

Lee Soo Hyuk had known that beforehand, but his breath was still caught in his throat. Many thoughts swirled in his head— so many, that if someone took a peek into it, they wouldn’t recognize him for his Team Leader self. Still he managed to say, “We better not fuck this up.” 

The way he said it, was to try and lighten the mood for both of them. Though they had so far managed to stay cheerful throughout this whole ordeal, Soo Hyuk wasn’t sure when sadness did take over, and they’d reach such a low that climbing up from their pit of misery would become impossible.

Jung Soo was surprised at how calm Soo Hyuk’s response came out, but knowing him, his mind must be as chaotic as his own was. 

“Yes, sir!” Choi Jung Soo saluted, and this time he didn’t get whacked, like he did when he called him a captain. He sat up.

“Where are you running, punk?” Jung Soo stopped in his steps. He’d been ready to go and summon Kim Rok Soo right away. “To do well, we need to eat a good meal.”

Jung Soo had smelled a heavenly aroma when he stepped into their inn room, but his mind was so focused on Kim Rok Soo that the fact didn’t really make it into his head. Looking over at the food, it felt like it was calling for him, and he couldn’t help drooling.

Jung Soo made up his mind, and sat behind the already covered table. “Team Leader, you’ve got exceptional thoughts.”

“Why thank you, punk.” 

Though the food was good, Lee Soo Hyuk hadn’t quite hit that Korean taste. Despite that, this time they gobbled the food down. Even if they tried not to, the thought of what they’d go to do next… Ah! Their hands were speeding up again.

The summoning process felt… underwhelming? It was weird. They had to draw a circle, some of the ingredients had to be put into a bowl and made like a weird soup, and the others were either used around the circle someway or another. In the middle of it, they put Kim Rok Soo’s shirt button that had fallen off. It had somehow been in one of Jung Soo’s pockets, and he’d managed to preserve it well.

After it was done, they weren’t sure if they had succeeded or not, because like the book said, it wasn’t like in books or shows that who they want to summon will show up right away with a, ‘ poof!’ sound. No, it’ll take time, because getting from one world to another is wacky.

“...We have to somehow find him on our own?” Choi Jung Soo stared dazedly at all that they had done for this summoning, just for everything to look the same as before as when they started. Even if the book had stated so, he’d hoped in his heart that it’d be more exciting.

“Shouldn’t be hard. He can’t rest if around him there is trouble.” Lee Soo Hyuk sat closer to Jung Soo to lean his head on his shoulder. The exhaustion was beginning to show itself.

Jung Soo also shifted, to accommodate it so that it’d be more comfortable. “He overestimates what is around him and what’s not.”  

“Isn’t 100 kilometres just in his backyard?” 

They laughed and giggled, for quite a bit. It made them feel like school boys, but they couldn’t and wouldn’t help themselves. It was all starting to look up! Really, starting to look up. 

“With this being a story he knows, d’ya think he’d start solving the main character’s sad life?” Jung Soo asked, reminiscing in his head how every main character had a tragic life story. 

“How could he resist it? It’s eye candy for him.”

“Team Leader, you’re really great at explaining things so simply!”

When it got dark, they moved their sleeping items near the summoning circle. They knew that Kim Rok Soo wouldn’t appear here, but they thought that it might still happen with the way that Kim Rok Soo always surprised them, and that they might see him soon… They wanted to be close to it.

It also made it feel like they were having a sleepover.

They stayed in the same inn for the longest they had yet to stay. 

“Living in this inn for so long, thoughts about having our own house are appearing again.” Jung Soo commented, he was eating, or well, staring at his breakfast very concentratedly. 

“It would be nice, wouldn’t it? Jung Soo-yah, we could finally have that farm you’ve been thinking about.” 

“And many, many bookshelves for Kim Rok Soo!” With this discussion he became energised again, and his stoic face was gone.

“Yes, and if possible, a coffee machine for me.” 

“Oh, how nice it’d be.” 

“We even have enough money for it. The leftover ingredients sold well.”

“Agh! It’s so hard to not spend it! I really want to, hyung.” Choi Jung Soo fake cried, but really… There were so many interesting items they saw on sale on random stalls.

They were back at one of the smaller towns, which was near the wealthy city. They hadn’t come here coincidentally, a merchant they’d gotten to know as well as you could a merchant, was supposed to meet up with them.

Not much had changed. It was as cute as ever, but they did see a group of aunties sitting with their portable chairs discussing something with such energy they looked much younger than their age. It was interesting to see, so they walked towards them and politely greeted them.

“Hello, aunties.” They both greeted, doing small bows.

The aunties stopped their heated discussion at once, looking so calm now, “Oh, you cuties! What would you need from these old aunties?” The one asking them was tilting her head, and holding her chin. She was aimlessly waving her other hand.

“Pardon us for eavesdropping, but it seemed like you were talking about something very interesting.”

“Oh yes!” The grannies stood up from their chairs, and guided them to be the ones sitting. Then they started one by one talking as if they were performing on a stage. Getting to gossip with more people made them immensely happy.

Lee Soo Hyuk and Choi Jung Soo weren’t ready for what they heard though . Kim Rok Soo.  He lived near here.

They had predicted it right that he couldn’t stay still. If it was their Kim Rok Soo. 

“This was indeed very interesting, thank you.” They stood up, and bowed again.

A few of the aunties blushed at the compliment, and they all collectively said, “Thank you!”

When they were far away from the aunties (farther than needed, but as they’d noticed even people who looked very normal could be skilled assassins which went against the logic Jung Soo had deemed to be true for fantasy works), they stopped and looked at each other.

“...I’m glad you also look so surprised, I don’t feel so odd now.” Lee Soo Hyuk started laughing as he said it. “Why are we surprised? Let’s be happy. That punk might be with us again soon!” Lee Soo Hyuk couldn’t bear being sad, if it wasn’t necessary. He wasn’t someone that wanted to wallow in his self pity, no, he wanted to enjoy the life he was given.

Seeing Lee Soo Hyuk like this, some tension released from Choi Jung Soo’s shoulders. When had he become tense? He didn’t know, but he felt a lot better already.

They found themselves an inn, still in half daze, but they felt happy. Many of their dreams seemed like they could come true now. 

Jung Soo plopped on the inn’s soft bed that felt like he was on a cloud, and turned his head so he could stare at his Team Leader. But the other didn’t look back at him, instead he walked from one place to another setting their stuff down, then rearranging something he didn’t like the look of.

It was frustrating!

“Lee Soo Hyuk-ah…” Choi Jung Soo mumbled. Then Soo Hyuk did turn his attention towards him. “What’s the first thing you want to do with Rok Soo-yah?”

Lee Soo Hyuk stopped walking around, and stood in place thinking thoughtfully. “Maybe I’d like to make him a nice meal, and I’d like to see him healthy.” After a beat he added, “I’d also like it if he made me something to eat, too. He was always better at making Korean foods.”

Soo Hyuk tore his gaze away from the wall he’d stared at when thinking, “And what about you, dear Sword Demon?”

Choi Jung Soo acted shameless, and didn’t react to his nickname. “I want to be with him in the same room, or go and walk around, and just look around us and talk to him again.” He really wanted to thank his stoic face for managing to say all of this, and act unbothered without turning red like a tomato, and also his family for making him so shameless. Only his inner thoughts were chaotic, outwardly he chose to act chaotic.

“Yes, that’d be very nice.” Lee Soo Hyuk started smiling just thinking about it. Didn’t that bastard want a domestic life? Or as he called it, slacker life? 

They stayed silent, only Lee Soo Hyuk rummaging around was heard in the quiet room.

“Soo Hyuk-ah, come and sleep too.”

“What, can't you sleep without me?” Lee Soo Hyuk asked with a teasing tone. Setting down the last thing around him.

“I can, but it’s nicer together.”

Lee Soo Hyuk yawned and deemed that Choi Jung Soo was right for wanting to tap out. He climbed into his bed that was right next to Jung Soo. “Tomorrow,” he whispered. “We’ll start looking for him."

"Tomorrow." Jung Soo repeated what Lee Soo Hyuk had said with a mumble. It was a promise now.

Chapter Text

There were a lot of questions in Kim Rok Soo’s mind. Were his hyungs really alive? Were they criminals? Or was it just a coincidence, and people with powers similar to his hyungs were roaming around?

Despite not being sure, he frequented the town a lot more often now. He went to the stores and stalls with Choi Han, and started accompanying Choi Han and Lock again when they went to pick out a mission for the day.

It took only three days until he saw the bastards’ faces. All three of them freezed on the spot. Kim Rok Soo went the farthest away from home that day, he headed to the tea and book store he’d been eyeing. He wasn’t sure himself if his mind was peaceful enough to read or not, but he wanted to try.

Who knew that a bit before its entrance he’d see the faces of the two people he loved most?

“Rok Soo-yah…” Choi Jung Soo mumbled his name in a daze. His eyes looked so focused, yet distant as he stared at him. Kim Rok Soo couldn’t decipher the emotions hidden in Choi Jung Soo’s eyes. “Is it really you?”

Lee Soo Hyuk whacked him for that gently. “Bastard, do you not believe your eyes?”

Lee Soo Hyuk didn’t even need an answer for his own question, he could see it from Jung Soo’s face. Honestly, he didn't trust his own eyes either, but it wasn’t logical that both Jung Soo and him were seeing hallucinations of Kim Rok Soo at the same time. Besides, the way that Kim Rok Soo was staring at them, he felt even less alone with his emotions.

Kim Rok Soo looked at Choi Jung Soo, and then at Lee Soo Hyuk back and forth a few times. His brows were creased, but they couldn’t understand anything else from his expression.

When neither of them were speaking up, Kim Rok Soo took the reins and said, “You two, let’s go in and sit down. I had plans here.” He started walking into the store, sure that they would follow.

When they went inside, there was a worker that looked like he wanted to speak to them, but seeing their faces he didn’t open his mouth and instead smiled politely at them. They sat down on the third floor, which by luck was empty. It was just the three of them there.

When they sat down, Choi Jung Soo felt like his emotions had been let free from the dam he had unknowingly built in his mind. No tears came yet, but he felt close to them. “Bastard… I,” Jung Soo started, but at Lee Soo Hyuk’s intense gaze he fixed his wording. “We have been so worried about you!”

“Huh?” Came Kim Rok Soo’s eloquent answer.

Jung Soo tried to not scream as he spoke, they were in a bookstore afterall. “You had to witness us die like that! We even heard this motherfucking god tell us you were the one that was supposed to die! What a load of shit. That’s easy for a god to say!” Jung Soo got really angry at mentioning the GoD. One day… he swore he’d punch that fucker. 

Lee Soo Hyuk asked, “Rok Soo-yah, have you been alright?”

His eyes looked so kind that it hurt for Kim Rok Soo to make eye contact with him, but he would. He wanted to, now that it was possible to see his Team Leader again. The person that was qualified to be a Team Leader, not like him who wasn’t.

Lee Soo Hyuk and Choi Jung Soo heard different stories from the aunties, and merchant Bob. The aunties said that he was taking care of exceptional children, even putting off buying a house like he’d so long dreamed of doing. Merchant Bob said that he was a good, but very interesting kid, but didn’t know much about his current state as his info was outdated.

“Mmm, I’ve been doing well. There were some things I didn’t expect to happen.” 

“We heard… you’d saved enough money for a house?”

“I don’t have enough money anymore for a house, and I didn’t earn it. This ‘Kim Rok Soo’ did.”

“This, Kim Rok Soo?”

“Yes, I’d been working as the new Team Leader after you…” Kim Rok Soo paused  awkwardly, “and then I woke up younger.”

He woke up as younger? How long did they drift in a space of nothingness, being dead, til they made it to this world? How much time has passed for Kim Rok Soo? How long had they actually been in that forest?

Lee Soo Hyuk and Choi Jung Soo were silent. Cold sweat gathered on their hands.

When they summoned Kim Rok Soo they used their last memory of him. That was younger Kim Rok Soo?

“This Kim Rok Soo had lived a happy life mostly.”

When they were summoning him only good wishes arised in their mind for Kim Rok Soo. They regretted that before they died they hadn’t gotten to pamper him as much as they wished, and that he never got to live in a nice, cosy house like he wanted. That he never got to go to university. 

Lee Soo Hyuk felt a lump in his throat. “Are you happy, Rok Soo-yah?”

That was a hard question to answer, and Kim Rok Soo was momentarily shocked by it. He didn’t take long to recover. Gently, a small smile graced his face, and he said, “I am.”

“That—” Choi Jung Soo couldn’t hold it back anymore. Tears started streaming down from his eyes. He went in and hugged Kim Rok Soo, pulling Lee Soo Hyuk along with him. They fell to the floor, Kim Rok Soo squished under them. “I’m so relieved to hear that!” Choi Jung Soo said, but through his crying and being pressed against Kim Rok Soo it was hard to hear for the two other Soos.

Kim Rok Soo’s face was blank. 

What is happening? He thought. He couldn’t entirely understand a reaction like that from them.

Lee Soo Hyuk had begun to cry too. He laughed upon seeing Kim Rok Soo’s dumbfounded face, “Bastard, we love you!”

Kim Rok Soo didn’t understand why —he wasn’t sad— but involuntarily he started crying too. He tried to wipe his tears with his hand, but Lee Soo Hyuk and Choi Jung Soo as a team effort hugged him tighter. “Aiyah! I can’t wipe my tears!”

“Rok Soo-yah, don’t force yourself to stop crying.”

Choi Jung Soo agreed with Lee Soo Hyuk, “Yes! Don’t do that!”

This too, was surprising to Kim Rok Soo, but he knew that the two hadn’t been right in the head from the start.

“I won’t but at least, let’s not cry here. It hurts being on this floor.”

“Ah, it hurts?!” Choi Jung Soo shrieked, quickly getting off Kim Rok Soo with Lee Soo Hyuk following suit.

They both helped him stand up with apologetic faces while tears still fell from their eyes. 

Kim Rok Soo sighed at the sight of them. What was he supposed to do? Those eyes… they were sly! He was weak against puppy eyes.

“You can come to my place.” His answer came out in a nonchalant tone. He hoped no one would notice that his ears had turned pink.

Lee Soo Hyuk and Choi Jung Soo bowed both saying, “Thank you!”

“We’ll need a carriage to get back.”

“A carriage?”

“So fancy!?” Choi Jung Soo gasped. “Rok Soo-yah, this is why you don’t have enough money anymore!”

Lee Soo Hyuk and Choi Jung Soo were looking at him like he was made of money. This made Kim Rok Soo in turn confused too.

“It’s a long distance from here.”

“Ahh… That was it.”

“Makes sense.” Lee Soo Hyuk nodded.

They were talking amongst themselves now, as if Kim Rok Soo didn’t exist!

“You’ve always hated exercise.” Lee Soo Hyuk looked at him in an understanding way.

“We can carry you there!”

“???”

Kim Rok Soo was with the world’s two most stubborn people. Ultimately he had no chance of winning that battle.

“How exactly were you planning on carrying me?”

“Well, either one of us could carry you on our back.” Choi Jung Soo looked at him with sparkling eyes that screamed , pick me!

Seeing that no other options were presented, he made his choice. “Lee Soo Hyuk, carry me.” His shameless mouth managed to say it!

Choi Jung Soo deflated from not being chosen, but Kim Rok Soo couldn’t find it in himself to care. He had to put himself first in times like these. Knowing from past experience, letting Choi Jung Soo carry him was one of his worst decisions. That bastard ran as fast as light, and forgot that it might be uncomfortable for Kim Rok Soo! On the other hand, the Team Leader was much more caring in these aspects. An overall better choice.

The ride home consisted of him, on Lee Soo Hyuk’s back, pointing with his finger where to go. They did get stared at, but with the speed they were moving at Kim Rok Soo couldn’t even get a second glance at those people.

Lee Soo Hyuk asked, as he set Kim Rok Soo down slowly, “This is where you live?”

“Yes, I’m currently renting it.”

The house was made of wood, and with a red roof. It wasn’t big, but it wasn’t too small either compared to his past apartments. They could hear kids running around and screaming happily in the backyard.

Huh, so that’s how Kim Rok Soo felt when others had a family? Seeing this cute house, and the happy residents, it felt like they were intruding in their happiness.  

This feeling worsened when they went inside and were greeted by two boys that looked the eldest and then two cats, a dragon, and some wolf kids (the others stayed behind to play) came to look at who Kim Rok Soo had brought home.

The eldest of the two boys started with bowing. “Hello, I am Choi Han.”

Choi Jung Soo stiffened, “I am Choi Jung Soo.”

They both stared at each other in their awkward stoic ways.

“Ah, hello nephew once removed…”

“...Yes. Hi.” 

It hurt Kim Rok Soo to watch the interaction. “Everyone, these are Lee Soo Hyuk and Choi Jung Soo. They are my friends.” 

A few of the kids gasped. Kim Rok Soo wasn’t sure why. Did they think he didn’t have friends?

“Humans! You are this human’s friends?” The dragon flew towards Lee Soo Hyuk and Choi Jung Soo, staring at them with those big eyes.

A light bulb lit above Jung Soo’s head. “Oh! It’s that strange dragon!” 

“Strange!? I am the strong and mighty Raon Miru!” He huffed angrily, but his flapping wings betrayed that he wasn’t angry at all. 

“Raon Miru?” Lee Soo Hyuk said questioningly, and turned his head towards Kim Rok Soo. “You named him?”

“He asked me to.” Kim Rok Soo shrugged his shoulders. 

“Hahaha! And we’d even told Raon that he’s good with names!”

“You were talking about this human?” Raon tilted his head.

“Yes.” Lee Soo Hyuk said with a small smile.

Kim Rok Soo guided them all to the couch. Lock, and his siblings introduced themselves and left to play. The cat siblings and Raon hopped onto Rok Soo’s lap. Choi Han and Choi Jung Soo eyed each other weirdly, but it didn’t seem like anything negative. Lee Soo Hyuk sat next to Choi Jung Soo, and his presence helped the awkward atmosphere between the two Chois. 

The rest of the day was spent talking. Kim Rok Soo answered their questions diligently, and in turn asked them things. 

Raon yawned, he’d been stubbornly fighting sleep. He wanted to listen to the humans talk too! At times they spoke in that language that Raon couldn’t understand, but even Choi Han knew it! Since he was mighty and strong, and also very wise he’d learn this language.

Kim Rok Soo looked at Raon on his lap. What a funny kid. Ohn and Hong had long started napping on his lap, but he wanted to listen to them talking so badly?

“I think we should go to sleep now.”

They arranged it so that Lee Soo Hyuk and Choi Jung Soo slept in Kim Rok Soo’s room with sleeping bags.

That was the best sleep Kim Rok Soo, Lee Soo Hyuk, and Choi Jung Soo had gotten in a while.

For breakfast Kim Rok Soo made apple pie. Actually, he’d been planning to make some. That was how he’d met Raon afterall, because he had stolen or was faultily seen as a thief of apple pie. He’d made preparations a few days before. Now, he got to make it. 

Lee Soo Hyuk joined him in making it. How nice it was. 

Choi Jung Soo started tidying around the place, feeling like there was no other way he could contribute his help. When Choi Han came back from his morning training he helped Jung Soo. They managed to even talk a bit about martial arts, and the air around them was better.

One by one the kids started waking. 

Ohn and Hong had made it to the kitchen table half asleep. The smell of food had brought the both of them there. 

“Human, this time it isn’t pancakes?” Hong asked he’d gotten used to eating them every day, as Kim Rok Soo placed a piece on his plate.

“No, I made apple pie this time.”

“Raon will be happy.” Ohn smiled as she started eating.

Raon was happy. When he made it to the kitchen, right away he flew to the apple pie. “It’s similar to the one from the day that you saved me.” He mumbled, blushing.

“I made it after that.”

“Human, but you didn’t even ask if I stole it!”

“Does it matter?”

“Huh?”

“They were being too cruel to you , a kid. I couldn’t live on knowing I saw that happen, and I didn’t interfere.”

Eating the apple pie felt even more special to Raon now… He’d ask human to make more apple pie in the future.

“But Raon, don’t you have a home to return to?”

“I do! Human, come visit my mom and me. She’s awesome.” Raon’s wings flapped proudly. It looked like he could talk about his mom for a long time.

“Will you be leaving then?” 

“Not yet. Mom told me to learn many new things and then tell her about them.”

“That’s good. When you do leave, let us send you.”

“Yes!”

Raon flew happily to the backyard after he finished eating (which he did quickly, he practically gobbled the apple pie down) to play with the others.

The kids had gone with Choi Han to walk around town. As much as they wanted Kim Rok Soo to come along with them, they understood when he told them he’d be here at home with Lee Soo Hyuk and Choi Jung Soo to chat with just the three of them.

They’d planned to hangout like they used to in Korea after hard missions. Cook something, chatter endlessly and go on walks. 

It had been great, everything. Now was an odd moment. They were sitting on the couch, with him in the middle, when he noticed that Lee Soo Hyuk and Choi Jung Soo eyed each other weirdly. It was like sending a secret message. 

Next thing that happened was that they asked to go and walk. Kim Rok Soo had been looking forward to it and said yes. He went to look for outerwear for the three of them from his room. Those bastards hadn’t wanted to go clothes shopping yet. Said they were saving it for something. When he came back with cloaks, Lee Soo Hyuk and Choi Jung Soo looked at him meaningfully.

“Kim Rok Soo, do you…” Lee Soo Hyuk took a breath and cleared his throat, “Still want to have a farm with us?”

It took a moment to answer, “...Yes, I do want to have a farm with the both of you.” Were his ears pink? Because to him it felt like they might be. When he found himself in this body and world, he’d thought about their promise of having a  farm. It felt sad to think he’d have to grow it alone, but now… He really wanted to do it. 

Choi Jung Soo hugged him so hard, and Lee Soo Hyuk joined in suffocating him. He didn’t know he had a thing for that. It felt nice somehow.

When they went walking Choi Jung Soo started pointing out from other peoples’ small gardens what he’d love to grow.

“I even heard that talking to plants helps them grow!” Choi Jung Soo looked at them with serious eyes.

“What are you implying?” Lee Soo Hyuk had to hold back a sigh.

“We’d have to make a schedule for when someone talks with our plant kids. It’s very important.”

“Pfft, sure.” It was such a silly idea, but it made Kim Rok Soo very happy. 

“Rok Soo-yah, let’s go and look at houses that are for sale!” Choi Jung Soo came running to him, still sweaty right after having practised martial arts with Choi Han. Lee Soo Hyuk heard it and came out of Kim Rok Soo’s bedroom where he’d been reading. In this life he was giving fantasy works a try.

“I don’t have enough money for a house.” 

“We do!” Choi Jung Soo was grinning ear to ear as he said it. “We can buy a big house, and a backyard big enough for a farm!”

“You have enough money?” Kim Rok Soo was suspicious of how much truth was in what Jung Soo said. Weren’t they the ones that eyed him weirdly when he suggested riding a carriage to get to his house? And now they have enough to buy a house? Something wasn’t adding up.

Choi Jung Soo turned silent, and Lee Soo Hyuk took over. “We are the reason you ended up here. The GoD told us that you’d end up here anyway, but we weren’t sure when that’d be so we summoned you.”

Kim Rok Soo looked at them with wide eyes. Summoned him?

When he thought about it, it started making more sense. But still a crazy thing to do!

“Summoning needed peculiar ingredients, a lot of those selling for a lot of money.”

“Wait, how did you get those ingredients then?”

“Thankfully a lot of it was in the hands of bad guys.”

“Yes, we kicked ass!” 

So the newspapers held truth that they stole those things. They were also the reason that whenever Choi Han and Lock came across bad guys they were gone quickly before they could even do anything. 

“Hm, we’ll let’s buy a house then.” Kim Rok Soo was very excited. His dream of three decades, to have his own house, was becoming true. It felt as if someone was giving younger him a hug that was so warm that he wanted to melt.

They moved into a house nearby. It wasn’t sold for a lot because it was very close to the Forest of Darkness. The owner thanked them for buying it.

Kim Rok Soo wouldn’t have done it if Lee Soo Hyuk, Choi Jung Soo and Choi Han testified that it wasn’t that bad, and if there was something they would protect them. The three of them had a plan to try and make a map of the forest.

They saved a lot of money thanks to it too. 

At first the house had scared the kids, but it was also interesting for them. Thankfully they got used to it quickly. 

The garden was coming along too. 

But for him the most important thing after everyone was safe, was that he got his own little library. He was slowly building it from scratch. He’d made it a thing to weekly go to bookstores. Some books from his past life he was even writing down himself thanks to the help of <record>. This was the one good thing about his ability.

His own bedroom was now big enough that he, Lee Soo Hyuk, Choi Jung Soo, Ohn, Hong and Raon fit in there. Even the Wolf kids managed to squeeze themselves in there if they tried. What a blessing it was.

That wasn’t the end of new things though. Soon Lock would start going to school with his little siblings. Ohn and Hong would’ve gone too, but chose to stay and learn at home with Raon so that he wouldn’t feel left out. Kim Rok Soo would indulge in this wish, but sooner or later they’d join the Wolf kids at school.

Now waking up would make Kim Rok Soo happy, and falling asleep was more than just escaping from his life.