Work Text:
Kim Dokja knew he’d fail the moment he read the window pop up.
Sub Scenario
Clear condition: Talk about your feelings to anyone in the company
Failure: Losing your voice (Little Mermaid style)
Reward: 10000 coins but it can only be used for therapy
He huffed at the last note. What was the point of coins when he was forced to spend it on a specific thing? And why therapy? He was perfectly mentally stable and was very offended the constellations thought otherwise.
“Books are my therapy,” he grumbled, waving away the window.
He walked off and tried to find someone to talk to about… about… he gagged, talk about his feelings. He decided not to approach the children, they didn’t need his trauma on their mind. After all he was there to comfort them not the other way around. Though, none of the adults were great options either. At best he could talk to Lee Jihye as he knew her response would just be “damn fr?” but also she’d most likely tell Yoo Joonghyuk about it which he did not want at all.
Except Yoo Joonghyuk would probably be the only good option, given he knew the most about him. But none of that was through talking, it was through sword fighting and death threatening each other, how was he supposed to just sit down and request to vent? He sighed and decided to give up. He didn’t want to burden anyone with his complicated emotions, and the failure wasn’t so bad.
He’d do just fine not being able to talk for a bit, right?
“Hey Dokja I can I eat the rest of your food?” Han Sooyoung asked with a grin.
He shook his head, and protected his plate with his arms.
“Hmm I’m not hearing a no.”
He mouthed out a you’re the worst.
She feigned a touched look. “I know I’m amazing, you don’t need to say it.”
His hand clenched on the glass in his hand so hard it might shatter. At least everyone else wasn’t as immature as her.
“Ahjussi, can I sleep at midnight?”
He looked at Shin Yoosung surprised and shook his head.
“Oh ok, so after midnight?”
No, he mouthed.
“Yes? Thank you ahjussi you’re the best!” She smiled.
He sighed. He didn’t know if he could take much more of this. It grew worse when the team began discussing tactics and he wanted to speak up many times but of course couldn’t get a word in or get anyone’s attention without making a fool of himself or failing miserably.
“What’re your thoughts, Dokja?” Lee Hyunsung eventually acknowledged him.
How was he supposed to answer a question as broad as that? That wasn’t even a yes or a no question. He weighed up the discussion in his mind and eventually gave a thumbs up, even though he still had many issues with the plan. For one, they weren’t going to let him die.
The group disbanded after that, leaving Kim Dokja sulking to himself. He didn’t feel like spending time with any of the members as he usually did, what would be the point? He’d just sit in the background and listen to them talk to a conversation he couldn’t be apart of. Jealously, he watched everyone energetically converse with each other in their own groups. Yoo Joonghyuk was silently listening to Lee Jihye rambling about something that he was too old to understand, while the kids were making up a game among themselves.
At first, he began wondering how Yoo Joonghyuk was mostly silent all the time. Though, his mind wandered further, and he was hit with a realisation. He left the room and walked through the building, taking his phone out of his pocket.
Han Donghoon was sat at his desk, his computer being the only light in the room. He rubbed his tired eyes, but didn’t feel like sleeping, so just continued to type. A notification appeared on the screen.
Kim Dokja: Can I come in?
The teenager got up and opened the door, looking surprised to see the man even with the given warning. Kim Dokja gave him his usual soft smile and entered the room, and the boy immediately picked up how oddly quiet he was acting. He handed him a lunchbox and Han Donghoon took it, too embarrassed to thank him even though he wanted to, so awkwardly set it on his desk to save for later. Before he turned back, another notification popped up on his computer screen.
Kim Dokja: Sorry I’ve been so busy lately. Did you like the comic I sent you yesterday?
He glanced back at the man, then sat on his desk and typed.
Han Donghoon: I read all of it. I enjoyed it
Kim Dokja: …Like all of the first volume?
Han Donghoon: The entire series
He heard the man let out a surprised laugh behind him
Kim Dokja: You’re turning into me
Han Donghoon: So are you. Why aren’t you talking out loud
Kim Dokja: Scenyario pwenalty
Kim Dokja: *SCENARIO PENALTY
Kim Dokja: I don’t know why it corrected to that
Kim Dokja: Stop laughing I can ground you
Han Donghoon: My worst nightmare
The reader smiled at his sarcasm. He leaned against the wall and continued to type, noticing how Han Donghoon’s posture was a lot more relaxed than the previous times he’d meet up with him. Perhaps it was a jump scare each time he’d open his mouth out of nowhere and shatter the silence the boy was so accustomed too.
Han Donghoon: How long will it last?
Kim Dokja: Forever
Han Donghoon: How long will it last
Kim Dokja: Forever
Han Donghoon: How long will it last
Kim Dokja: Forever
Han Donghoon: Hyung
Kim Dokja: What
Han Donghoon: I’m going to kill you
Kim Dokja almost choked on his spit.
Kim Dokja: WHAT?
Han Donghoon: Jihye typed that
Kim Dokja: NO SHE DIDN’TKAKSJSJSJS
He dropped his phone in the middle of typing and Han Donghoon for once let out a laugh. It was very short, but just loud enough to hear, and just enough to make the reader smile.
Han Donghoon: You should get your voice back soon this is weird
Kim Dokja: Is it? I thought it’d be more comfortable for you
Han Donghoon: I was never uncomfortable around you to begin with
The teenager turned around, wondering why he wasn’t responding all of a sudden. Kim Dokja just looked frozen. He blinked, concerned, debating between physically approaching him or just typing again. Then a message appeared.
Kim Dokja: I’ve been ignored a lot more today than most days
Kim Dokja: It doesn’t feel good
Han Donghoon frowned, knowing where he was going with this, and how he wasn’t talking about himself here.
Han Donghoon: You get used to it
Kim Dokja: But you shouldn’t have to be
Kim Dokja: Not around your family
Kim Dokja: I mean friends
Han Donghoon: Why is your autocorrect so bad
Kim Dokja chuckled. The chair creaked as Han Donghoon got up, sitting next to Kim Dokja by the wall, albeit awkwardly, and the older smiled. Han Donghoon got out a small notepad and scribbled words onto it, then passed it over.
“I haven’t seen you in weeks.”
Kim Dokja frowned, feeling guilty. He took the pen and wrote back,
“I’m sorry. It was really hard to talk to anyone after I came back.”
Han Donghoon blinked and wrote, “You avoided everyone?”
“Yes? Did you think it was just to you?”
He felt even worse when the boy nodded.
“I wouldn’t do that, I told you I’d watch over you, remember?”
“You don’t need too. I’m not like the kids.”
“I mean compared to my age, 12 is-“
The notebook was snatched. “I’m NOT 12.”
Kim Dokja chuckled. “Ok ok sure, but you still need someone to watch I’ve you. I do as well. I think all of us do, really.”
Han Donghoon’s hold on the pen was still for a while as he thought to himself. He went back to the top of the page, where Kim Dokja wrote about struggling to talk to anyone for the past few weeks, and wrote next to it,
“I didn’t think you’d be the type to go quiet.”
“I know I’m so great at dealing with things.”
Han Donghoon gave him a flat look that had a larger effect than anyone else in the company. The younger hesitated on his next sentence, and the handwriting came out more shaken.
“Why do you always run away?”
Kim Dokja paused as he stared at the words. He took the pen and it felt so much heavier. He knew he couldn’t sugarcoat the truth, not like he did towards Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung. He sighed and decided to just write out the truth,
“I don’t think I deserve anything.”
The younger was expecting those words, but it still filled his chest with worry. Kim Dokja looked at him apologetically.
“You don’t need to respond to that. I’m sorry.”
He shook his head but Kim Dokja kept writing,
“And I’m sorry for always leaving and”
He stopped mid sentence when a window brightened up the room. He looked up, dreading what it would say, hoping it wasn’t going to force the quiet boy onto completing a scenario.
Scenario cleared: You talked about your feelings
Reward granted
Kim Dokja blinked in surprise, and stayed silent for a bit.
“Why am I still hungry.”
Han Donghoon stared at him, then he couldn’t help but smile and tried not to laugh, barely believing those were the first things he decided to say after his silence was broken. Kim Dokja smiled back, always happy when he managed to get the boy to laugh. Han Donghoon got up and took back the lunchbox from his desk, then sat next to him again to share it, despite Kim Dokja’s protests.
The two ate together silently, enjoying the peace. Kim Dokja didn’t have much to say, he was just grateful of the gesture, and glad Han Donghoon was comfortable enough towards him.
The next day, Kim Dokja was talking Han Sooyoung’s ear off as revenge. She groaned and wore her ear muffs tighter but couldn’t drown out his voice.
“…then in chapter 1232 Joonghyuk had a dagger in his pocket which wouldn’t be an issue except in chapter 203 it said he hated daggers and he couldn’t have character development or anything because it’d be too soon-“
“PLEASE stop talking about your obsession over him I can’t take it anymore,” she covered her face as if she was close to tears.
He grinned evilly at her suffering. Though, his attention soon broke when he heard the kid’s giggles fill the air. He looked over and they were lying on the grass, Shin Yoosung on her stomach with Biyoo resting on her head and Lee Gilyoung sitting crossed legs across her. To his surprise, Han Donghoon also sat with them, and there was a large piece of paper between the three.
They took turns passing it to each other to write what they called a “secret conversation.” Occasionally Biyoo would whisper in Shin Yoosung’s ear and she’d nod then write down “baaht baa” onto the paper. What Kim Dokja picked up on quickly was that, despite not smiling, Han Donghoon looked very at peace with them. The boy usually looked uncomfortable anytime he was out of his room. Kim Dokja wondered if the therapy he used the coins on was helping him.
Either way, the sight of the three made him so happy it triggered his inner maternal instincts to adopt all of them and change their surnames to his. The boy looked up and spotted him.
Kim Dokja smiled and Han Donghoon smiled back.