Work Text:
[A sub scenario has arrived!]
[Sub Scenario – Conquering Somnos]
Category: Sub
Difficulty: C
Clear Conditions: Sleep at least 8 hours in the same room as Incarnation ‘Yoo Joonghyuk’ before the next scenario begins.
Time Limit: 12 hours
Compensation: 10,000 coins, a new great-grade story
Failure: —
The coin amount was paltry at this point in the scenario, but the promise of a great-grade story was admittedly tempting in the face of how little effort it would take to complete. Well—how little effort it would be if his partner was anyone else. And, Kim Dokja noted, his mouth suddenly going dry, if there was more than a single bed.
He risked a glance at his companion, but Yoo Joonghyuk’s expression was impassive outside of the slightest furrow in his brow as he read the scenario information. At a glance, said information was largely the same as Kim Dokja’s own, aside from the substitute of his constellation modifier in the clear condition and, interestingly enough, a lower difficulty rating of ‘D.’ That was probably an allowance for the difference in their personalities, he mused.
[The constellation ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ is excited.]
[You have been sponsored 500 coins.]
[Several constellations are watching your reactions closely.]
Suddenly, he had a good idea of why such a scenario was introduced when one like it hadn't been in Ways of Survival.
“Biyoo,” Kim Dokja called as he left his partner behind at the threshold and entered the room. There was nothing wrong with getting a headstart, after all, if this was going to be as difficult as expected. They couldn’t take the bed in shifts, with the time limit of the scenario only being 12 hours. There would have to be some overlap for them both to meet the clear conditions, and he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to sleep in a real bed with how little rest he'd gotten over the course of the past several scenarios. He knew very well that between the two of them, Yoo Joonghyuk was far more used to sleeping in uncomfortable places. Sleeping on the floor for the night wouldn't be a problem.
The challenge, of course, would be convincing Yoo Joonghyuk of that.
“Baat!” At his summons, Biyoo appeared. The white fluffball settled into his hair, content to manage the channel while perched atop her father’s head.
“Are the constellations abusing your power again?” With a gentle hand, Kim Dokja pulled Biyoo down into his cupped palms. “Did you really come up with this scenario yourself?”
The baby dokkaebi blinked at him with big, uncertain eyes. “B-baat…”
With a sigh, he tucked Biyoo close. There wasn’t much point in interrogating her, and technically speaking the extra experience with managing scenarios and their channel would help her development. Still…
[The constellation ‘Demon King of Salvation’ is glaring at the other constellations.]
[Several constellations protest that the scenario was only suggested with fair compensation for the streamer!]
“Kim Dokja.” The voice comes from behind him, far closer than expected.
[The exclusive skill ‘The Fourth Wall’ has offset some of your shock!]
If it hadn’t been for the Fourth Wall, Kim Dokja would’ve jumped out of his skin. As it was, his heart was racing and his fingers sank reflexively into Biyoo’s soft fur.
「K im Dok ja is ner vous.」
“Y-Yoo Joonghyuk?”
“You’re in the way.”
Belatedly, Kim Dokja realised that he and Biyoo were blocking the narrow entry hallway so Yoo Joonghyuk couldn’t get into the room without pushing his way through.
“Sorry,” he said reflexively, moving towards the room’s sole piece of furniture with quick steps.
The bedding looked to be high quality, but the bed itself was only a double—in other words, it wasn't big enough for them to share without being in close proximity.
Kim Dokja bit his lip. What would be the best way to go about this? Perhaps he should test the waters first.
He circled around to the other side of the bed, pressing a knee into the mattress as if he was going to climb onto it. The response was as swift as he was expecting.
A hand fisted into the front of Kim Dokja’s shirt, crumpling the black button-up under scarred fingers. When he looked up, he was met with Yoo Joonghyuk’s signature glare. “What are you doing?”
“Aba-at!” Biyoo, who was cradled to Kim Dokja’s shoulder, bit down on one of Yoo Joonghyuk’s fingers in protest. The tiny needle-like teeth didn’t break skin, but his grip lessened nonetheless.
[The constellation ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’ wants you to fight for the bed.]
[The constellation ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ notes that sharing is caring.]
“What does it look like?” Kim Dokja snarked in response to Yoo Joonghyuk’s question. “I’m not sleeping on the floor.”
“Then don’t.” His gaze dragged downward, then he withdrew his hand. Biyoo went with it, but she was easily caught in Yoo Joonghyuk’s other hand. “At least remove your shoes first.”
Wait, that’s what he took issue with?
Kim Dokja watched, mouth agape, as Yoo Joonghyuk sat on the other side of the bed and began unlacing his boots.
[The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’ wonders if you are trying to catch flies.]
Belatedly, Kim Dokja shut his mouth in response to the indirect message. He was distinctly aware that the longer he stared, the stranger it became, but he couldn't help but watch as Yoo Joonghyuk set Biyoo aside and stripped off his coat. Next was his turtleneck, revealing an expanse of scarred muscle, and then—
Kim Dokja was startled out of his daze by the clink of Yoo Joonghyuk's belt. Did the regressor really have to strip down if he was planning on sharing the bed?
It'd be weird if Kim Dokja didn't at least remove some of his clothes now, wouldn't it? Could he get away with not removing his button-up? It would've been bad enough to strip so readily in front of an audience, but to do so in a situation where he would be compared against Yoo Joonghyuk's well-built form…
Damn that sunfish bastard and his stupid protagonist physique.
Perhaps only recourse would be to reduce visibility. With that in mind, he crossed back over to the entryway, where the room’s lightswitch was located.
“Baat, aba-at,” Biyoo babbled to Yoo Joonghyuk, drifting up to his eye level. To Kim Dokja's surprise, the regressor seemed to be listening, watching the baby dokkaebi with an expression infinitesimally softer than usual. It was—cute.
The thought caught him off guard. Yoo Joonghyuk? Cute ? There were many descriptors that Kim Dokja would use for the protagonist (“damned,” “sunfish,” and “bastard” being chief among them) but “cute” was not one.
“I’m turning the lights off,” he announced in lieu of further examining the warm feeling in his chest.
Yoo Joonghyuk barely spared him a glance, opting instead to pull the covers back and get in bed. That was more like the protagonist he knew—an asshole that definitely wasn't cute.
「K im Dok ja is in de ni al.」
Shut up.
He switched the lights off with a click, washing the room in darkness. He relaxed fractionally, but he could still feel eyes on him. Returning to the other side of the bed with quick strides to escape that gaze, he began to strip out of his clothes until only his briefs and button-up remained.
Kim Dokja fiddled with the top button, hesitant to remove the only piece of fabric that kept him from being bare, but his pale skin was barely visible even to him. The constellations wouldn’t be able to see much through the stream, and Yoo Joonghyuk had his back turned, uncaring.
[The constellation ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’ is complaining that it’s too dark.]
[The constellation ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’ suggests that you should sleep with the lights on.]
That honestly wasn’t even worth responding to. Who above the age of five slept with the lights on?
[The constellation ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ agrees that she would like to see what is happening.]
[The constellation ‘Secretive Plotter’ wonders what you’re hiding.]
Even that guy was watching?
[The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’ tells the other constellations that they shouldn’t pressure the constellation ‘Demon King of Salvation’ into showing his scrawny body.]
Kim Dokja opened his mouth to retort, then realised that the more vehemently denied the Great Sage’s words without backing his claims, the worse he would look. Besides, it wasn't really his musculature that he wanted to hide, it was the map of scars that had marred his skin since long before the scenarios. Still—
[The constellation ‘Demon King of Salvation’ asks sweetly if the constellation ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’ still has a bald spot or if his hair has grown back in yet.]
[The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’...!!]
Instead of reading the Great Sage’s reply, Kim Dokja silenced the stream's notifications with a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. He might come to regret that comment later, but he also couldn't take the insult lying down.
In the absence of the indirect messages, the silence was oppressive.
Let's just get it over with.
Unable to shake the sense of unease, he unhooked the buttons with unsteady hands and removed his shirt. The quiet was broken only by the rustling of fabric as he pulled back the blanket on his side of the bed. The movement made the covers slide down Yoo Joonghyuk's arm, revealing more and more of the regressor's bare shoulder blades. Involuntarily, Kim Dokja's eyes followed the sweep of muscle down to the small of Yoo Joonghyuk’s back.
Even in the dim light, he could see enough. He swallowed thickly, heat creeping up the back of his neck.
「Ki m Do kja th o u gh t h e’d li ke to tou ch, e ven ju st onc e.」
No I do not. Stop it.
He forced himself to look away, climbing under the sheets with jerky movements and turning onto his side to face away from the source of his embarrassing thoughts.
He honestly expected to be wide awake, given the circumstances, but no sooner than his head hit the pillow did he let out a jaw-cracking yawn. Alright, so maybe he was a little sleep deprived. It was already warm under the covers, too, the heat from Yoo Joonghyuk’s back tangible with how close they were lying.
It was strangely soothing, in spite of the fact that he hadn’t shared a bed with anyone since he was a child. Or maybe that was the exhaustion talking. Either way, it seemed like completing the scenario might not be that bad after all.
“Good night, Biyoo,” he called. A beat, and then, softer, “Good night, Yoo Joonghyuk.”
“Ba-aat!” Biyoo nuzzled into his cheek, then disappeared to watch over the channel elsewhere.
With the baby dokkaebi gone, it was silent. A long moment stretched out, and then Kim Dokja closed his eyes, resigned. He hadn't really expected a response anyway.
The quiet, the darkness, and the warmth radiating from the other side of the bed had him drifting off when he finally heard the regressor's low voice. “Good night, Kim Dokja.”
When Yoo Joonghyuk snapped awake, it was still dark.
[The incarnation ‘Yoo Joonghyuk’ has used the exclusive skill ‘Eyes of the Predator’ Lv. 10.]
As the darkened room sprang into sharp relief, his eyes darted to the Black Demon Sword, where its sheath was leaning against the bedside table. It was readily within reach, but he hesitated. He couldn't sense anything out of place within the room, but it quickly became evident what had awoken him.
“Kim Dokja?” He murmured, turning to look at the silhouette of his companion. Like this, with coat and sword discarded, it was easy to see how slender and lean the other man was. The sheets had slipped down at some point in the night, pooling across Kim Dokja's lithe waist.
Kim Dokja was muttering something incomprehensible, his limbs giving the occasional twitch. Dreaming, it seemed.
Yoo Joonghyuk wasn't sure what made him keep watching—his eyes caught on the curve of the other man's long lashes, fluttering as he dreamt, and then down to the fullness of his lips, slightly parted. Joonghyuk's gaze continued downward to finally rest on the pale expanse of Kim Dokja's back. He was expecting it to be marked—it would be stranger if it wasn't, considering that the scenarios were both unforgiving and provided the suicidal bastard with ample opportunities to throw himself into danger under the guise of protecting others. However, he wasn't expecting the skin to be the mess of scar tissue that it was.
New, freshly healed scars overlapped with the old ones. Many of them were faded enough that, by his estimation, they must've predated the scenarios—not just that, but by a significant amount. His brow furrowed at the thought.
His gaze snapped back to Kim Dokja's face as the older man shifted in his sleep, face becoming troubled. “...s...no…” Most of what Kim Dokja was saying was incomprehensible, but it was impossible to mistake the way the tone of his mumbling became distressed. Then, Kim Dokja jolted as if electrocuted, limbs jerking as he turned his face further into the pillow. “I....mn.......j........hyuk…” Breaths coming in shuddering gasps, Kim Dokja's entire body seemed to tremble, shaking the bed with each abrupt inhale.
Biyoo, in response to her father's distress, incarnated back into the room. She hovered near Kim Dokja's head, patting desperately at his face with tiny paws. “Baat...”
If the baby dokkaebi's watery cries alone weren't enough to spur Yoo Joonghyuk into action, the realisation of what Kim Dokja had been saying struck him like lightning.
“Kim Dokja.” Yoo Joonghyuk repeated, more loudly this time. He grasped the other man's shoulder, giving it a firm shake.
With a sharp inhale, Kim Dokja's eyes flew open. They darted around the room for a moment, before finally turning to Yoo Joonghyuk. Slowly, the shaking mellowed into light tremors as Kim Dokja absently took Biyoo in gentle hands, tucking her close. “Y-Yoo Joonghyuk?” He asked, voice small.
Yoo Joonghyuk didn't like the almost soulless look in Kim Dokja's eyes, the way that they were devoid of light in a way that had nothing to do with how dark the room was. Prompted by his companion's lost expression, Yoo Joonghyuk said, “You were dreaming.”
“...Oh.” Kim Dokja turned his gaze to Biyoo, carding trembling fingers through her fur. “Sorry for waking you up.”
Though Kim Dokja’s face was hidden in shadow, Yoo Joonghyuk watched the way that his companion’s hand shook when he pulled the covers back up over his pale shoulders. He had never seen Kim Dokja this…affected. The other man preferred to keep his cards close to his chest, and his feelings closer. Kim Dokja seemed to have a preternatural ability to appear impassive, even in situations that would break a lesser man. It was almost unnerving to finally see a clear show of emotional vulnerability.
After one last searching look, Yoo Joonghyuk rolled back to his side of the bed with a grunt. “It’s fine.”
The room fell back into quiet, broken only by Biyoo’s soothing warbles.
What Kim Dokja had said still weighed on Yoo Joonghyuk’s mind, however. He knew just as well as any of the other company members that getting Kim Dokja to talk would be a tall order, especially with their current audience of constellations. Still, with how unbalanced Kim Dokja seemed to be in the wake of his dream, this might be Yoo Joonghyuk’s only chance to get him to talk. After a moment of consideration, he opened Midday Tryst.
[Yoo Joonghyuk]: You were mumbling in your sleep.
There was a moment of silence, before the system pinged with a response.
[Kim Dokja]: Oh, haha…I didn’t say anything embarrassing, did I?
[Yoo Joonghyuk]: You said my name.
Behind him, Kim Dokja stilled. It had purely been a guess on Yoo Joonghyuk’s part, but judging by Kim Dokja’s reaction, he had been spot on. It was obvious that Kim Dokja had received the messages, but no response was forthcoming. As expected. Just as Yoo Joonghyuk’s patience was wearing thin, a message came through.
[Kim Dokja]: Ah.
Yoo Joonghyuk was going to strangle Kim Dokja. Again. He turned to glare at the back of Kim Dokja’s head, and in response, the older man’s shoulders hunched up around his ears.
[Kim Dokja]: Did I say anything else?
[Yoo Joonghyuk]: It sounded like you were begging.
[Kim Dokja]: What?
[Yoo Joonghyuk]: You were begging me to stop.
There was a choking sound from the other side of the bed.
[Kim Dokja]: I think there’s a misunderstanding.
[Yoo Joonghyuk]: What is there to misunderstand.
[Kim Dokja]: It wasn’t anything like what you’re imagining.
[Yoo Joonghyuk]: Then explain.
[Kim Dokja]: It’s not that big of a deal. Don’t worry about it.
Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t bother holding back his scoff.
[Yoo Joonghyuk]: You’re still shaking.
[Kim Dokja]: Okay, so I had a nightmare.
He could hear the sheets shifting behind him, and then:
[Kim Dokja]: I can just finish the scenario on the floor if it bothers you so much.
Yoo Joonghyuk’s hand shot out behind him, snagging Kim Dokja’s wrist before he could escape.
[Yoo Joonghyuk]: Don’t put words in my mouth.
[Kim Dokja]: Is there something else you would like me to put in your mouth, then?
[Yoo Joonghyuk]: …
[Kim Dokja]: Sorry.
[Kim Dokja]: I just don’t know what you want from me. What answer could possibly satisfy you?
[Yoo Joonghyuk]: The truth, obviously.
[Kim Dokja]: The truth is that I don’t even remember it that well, but I can assure you that I wasn’t begging you for mercy. You weren’t even there.
[Incarnation ‘Yoo Joonghyuk’ activated the exclusive skill ‘Lie Detection’ Lv. ??]
[‘Lie Detection’ Lv. ?? has determined the statement to be true.]
[Kim Dokja]: What the hell? I didn't even know Lie Detection worked on Midday Tryst...
Neither had Yoo Joonghyuk, until now.
[Kim Dokja]: Is that concrete enough evidence for you? You weren't in my dream at all, so you can stop worrying.
That revelation only raised more questions. Like, for example, why Yoo Joonghyuk had been mentioned at all if he wasn't there. Had Kim Dokja dreamt about being abandoned during a scenario, left for dead by Yoo Joonghyuk? He would never do that to his life and death companion; surely Kim Dokja knew that?
Yoo Joonghyuk was considering sending a message stating as much when he was broken from his thoughts by a loud sigh.
[Kim Dokja]: I can hear you thinking from here.
[Kim Dokja]: At this rate, neither of us are going to get enough sleep to fulfil the clear condition.
[Kim Dokja]: Do you need me to tell you a bedtime story?
The message was teasing, but the following one was more pensive–and apprehensive.
[Kim Dokja]: I suppose there’s one story I could tell that might…answer your questions. It’s not really fit to be a ‘bedtime story,’ but…
How cryptic. While Yoo Joonghyuk wasn't interested in the exchange of stories like the constellations or dokkaebi were, he supposed that he wouldn't mind listening, if it was Kim Dokja.
[Yoo Joonghyuk]: Go on.
[Kim Dokja]: Well, don’t forget I’m a reader, not a writer. I’ll do my best to tell this story, but don’t expect eloquent prose or anything.
[Yoo Joonghyuk]: You think I care about eloquence?
[Kim Dokja]: ...Fair enough.
[Kim Dokja]: Still, don’t complain if my storytelling is lacklustre…
[Yoo Joonghyuk]: Quit stalling, Kim Dokja.
[Kim Dokja]: Right, fine.
He could hear Kim Dokja take a steadying breath.
[Kim Dokja]: Once, there was a boy. His life was…troubled, but he didn’t realise until much later that it was unusual. Walks in the park with family, loud laughter and sweets, and gentle touches with fond words were for other children, not him.
The words began slow and stilted, but as more of the story was revealed, they began to flow more quickly.
[Kim Dokja]: Reserved for him were punches that left his ears ringing, hands ground into shards of glass with shouts of degrading words, and the sting of antiseptic in reopened wounds. Even if he hated it, this was the boy’s fate. He knew that.
[Kim Dokja]: ...He knew that.
As the silence after that message stretched longer, a realisation began to take shape in Yoo Joonghyuk’s mind. It took only the slightest shift to lean his back into Kim Dokja’s. The other man flinched away, but at the insistent press, he slowly relaxed into it.
[The fable ‘Life and Death Companions’ is continuing its storytelling!]
Like this, it was impossible to miss the shakiness of Kim Dokja’s breaths, but the longer they stayed like that, the more his breathing evened to match Yoo Joonghyuk’s steady pace.
After a few moments, the messages continued.
[Kim Dokja]: The boy’s one recourse came to him when his mother pressed a well-worn and well-loved book into his bandaged hands and asked if he wanted to read it together. The effect was immediate; he fell in love with the stories hidden in those pages.
[Kim Dokja]: Every stolen moment from then on was spent hidden away, tucked into a book. Though he was at first bereft when the story ended, he learned to read it again and find something new between the lines with each pass.
[Kim Dokja]: It was his one escape.
[Kim Dokja]: When his nights were spent in tense silence with the hope that his father wouldn’t find him, he clung to the stories he cherished. He drew strength from them. When his mother exposed their lives to the public, leaving strangers to descend on the boy like vultures to carrion, he turned to stories. When the gossiping whispers became too loud and he became reaccustomed to the taste of blood courtesy of his peers, he turned to stories. When he questioned why he should continue living when others saw him as nothing but a persistent stain…
[Kim Dokja]: He turned to stories. To living through the stories of others.
[Kim Dokja]: Those stories sustained him, as they would a constellation.
[Kim Dokja]: Without them, without the characters who became his only friends, he never would have been able to continue living.
[Kim Dokja]: Above all, he devoured the stories of protagonists that never gave up, no matter how many times they failed or lost what was important to them over and over again.
[Kim Dokja]: He imagined that he could be like them–that one day, if only he could press on, that he could be the protagonist that he dreamed of.
[Kim Dokja]: It’s embarrassing, but…
He could hear the click of Kim Dokja’s throat as he swallowed.
[Kim Dokja]: That’s why.
[Kim Dokja]: Because your story is my favourite.
The white text bled in the darkness as Yoo Joonghyuk read that line again and again. Those words weren’t what he had expected. They swam in his head: Because your story is my favourite . The implications would take time to parse.
Even with his suspicion confirmed, he kept up the charade in his next message:
[Yoo Joonghyuk]: What happened to the boy?
[Kim Dokja]: He survived, I suppose. He grew up, went to a mediocre university, barely scraped by with temporary jobs, and continued living on expired convenience store kimbap and trashy webnovels.
[Yoo Joonghyuk]: “Expired convenience store kimbap”?
He hoped his disgust was palpable through Midday Tryst.
[Yoo Joonghyuk]: How can you eat that trash?
He only realised his slip-up after the message sent, but Kim Dokja’s reply was swift.
[Kim Dokja]: Of course that’s what you focus on, you picky bastard.
[Kim Dokja]: It’s cheap. Not everyone has money to throw around, you know.
[Yoo Joonghyuk]: Buying the ingredients to cook with would be less expensive and less likely to put you in an early grave..
Kim Dokja’s laugh was almost bitter.
[Kim Dokja]: Who’s to say he cared about his health? All he needed was to live long enough to see the ending of his favourite webnovel. Convenience store food filled his stomach enough for him to get by–that’s all that mattered.
Yoo Joonghyuk’s hand tightened around Kim Dokja’s wrist, probably to the point where it was painful, but the other man didn’t indicate he felt it at all.
[Yoo Joonghyuk]: Kim Dokja, you…
He only got that far before he realised that he didn’t know what to say. What could he say, when his companion had essentially confessed that he hadn’t intended to live past the age of 30?
[Kim Dokja]: Even after the scenarios began, he only survived because of a story. Pathetic, right?
[Yoo Joonghyuk]: No. Using every asset available is key to surviving the scenarios.
The resultant silence was thick with Kim Dokja’s surprise. Had he really thought that Yoo Joonghyuk would agree with him?
[Kim Dokja]: You wouldn’t say that if you knew the whole story.
[Yoo Joonghyuk]: That’s not for you to decide.
[Yoo Joonghyuk]: So go on. Finish telling your story.
There was a tickle at the back of Yoo Joonghyuk’s neck as Kim Dokja shook his head.
[Kim Dokja]: I can’t. The ending hasn’t been written yet.
That message only confirmed what Yoo Joonghyuk already knew. There could be no end to this story until Kim Dokja himself came to an end. Under his fingers beat Kim Dokja’s slow pulse, the other man’s breaths even and calm. It seemed that Kim Dokja’s composure had settled fully back in place. Yoo Joonghyuk finally released Kim Dokja’s wrist, slipping his hand back under his pillow.
The silence stretched. What else was there to say? He could push for more detail, but he knew that getting this much personal information out of Kim Dokja–even if it was framed as a story–was monumental. Sure, his original question hadn’t been truly answered, at least not in plain words, but there was a less obvious connection. Kim Dokja hadn’t told him this story for no reason.
Another message pinged in his notifications.
[Kim Dokja]: Well? Are you satisfied?
[Yoo Joonghyuk]: For now.
Neither of them said anything after that.
Slipping into a hazy state of half-consciousness was easy like this, lulled by Kim Dokja’s steady presence at his back. Yoo Joonghyuk hadn’t slept this close to anyone since he’d been with Lee Seolhwa, and it had been even longer since he’d been able to fully relax when he slept. The scenarios were unforgiving; nowhere was truly safe.
And yet…
Yoo Joonghyuk had to admit, with his life and death companion at his back, that this felt like safety.
It was warm.
That was the first thing that filtered into Kim Dokja's drowsy awareness. There was also a breeze against his collarbone, intermittent and humid, and he felt heavier than usual.
The kids liked to sleep tucked against his sides whenever possible, so the feeling wasn't completely novel. However, he thought as his awareness slowly returned, hadn't he been…?
His eyes flew open.
The temporary room was barely lit by pre-dawn light, but it was enough to see by. At some point in the night he’d turned onto his back, limbs splayed. That was his preferred position to sleep in, of course, but he’d gone to sleep on his side out of consideration for Yoo Joonghyuk. The very same Yoo Joonghyuk who was now curled into Kim Dokja, his head resting on the older man’s chest.
Lifting his head while trying to keep the rest of his body still as possible, Kim Dokja assessed the situation. Yoo Joonghyuk had one of his arms thrown across Kim Dokja’s belly and a leg hiked up over the reader’s upper thighs, dangerously close to his groin, which Kim Dokja was pointedly not going to think about. Like this, their bodies were flush together, bare skin against skin.
「Ki m Dok ja is a pe rv ert.」
He closed his eyes briefly, teeth gritting. Of course that was the first thing the damn wall said to him after he woke up.
The last thing he expected from this scenario was to be used as the regressor's body pillow.
Yoo Joonghyuk wasn't the only one asleep on him. Biyoo was nestled into his sternum, right above the scar from the Demon King scenario. She was making sleepy noises with each exhale, face tucked against his chest. Expression softening at the sight, Kim Dokja slowly lifted the hand that wasn't trapped under the regressor to gently smooth down Biyoo's fur with a careful finger. She didn't wake at the movement, instead nuzzling further into him with a happy noise.
She was supposed to be managing the scenario, but how could he wake her up after seeing such a display? His heart felt like it wanted to burst.
Instead, he pulled the scenario information up himself, the blue window overlaying his view of Biyoo.
-
[Sub Scenario - Conquering Somnos]
Time remaining: 4:39:04
Total time slept: 6:04:17 (of 8:00:00)
-
It seemed that there were still a few hours left before they fulfilled the scenario's condition. Six hours was already more than enough sleep for Kim Dokja–it was probably the most sleep he'd gotten in years. His daily average tended to be closer to four hours or less, a fact that likely would've gotten the rest of the Company on his ass if they knew. Regardless of the fact that he was plenty rested, he’d have to go back to sleep, even in his…predicament.
It wasn't that he didn't want to untangle himself–
「K im Dok ja doe sn't w ant to unt ang le hi mself.」
It wasn't that he didn't want to untangle himself from Yoo Joonghyuk, but Kim Dokja knew better than anyone that the regressor was a light sleeper. Trying to move would only wake Yoo Joonghyuk up, and that was the last thing Kim Dokja wanted. Dealing with the awkward scene that would ensue was far above his pay grade.
Besides, seeing such a relaxed and pleasant look on Yoo Joonghyuk’s face wasn't such a bad thing. And, of course, there was still the scenario to complete.
「Ki m Do kja is co mfor tabl e.」
He let his head fall back to the pillow, his eyes drifting shut. He obviously wouldn't be moving anytime soon. Most of his limbs were still asleep, and, he had to admit, the Fourth Wall was right.
It was comfortable to have his most beloved protagonist and his daughter tucked against him.
It was lighter when he woke again. Daylight was filtering in through the blinds, their slatted design barely keeping the room at a comfortable brightness.
With a groan, he rolled onto his stomach and slipped his hands under the pillow as he stretched. Although the method had been a bit of a pain, he had to admit that he felt refreshed. His sleep had been surprisingly restful, in spite of his…less than ideal dreams.
As he slowly blinked his way back into awareness, he remembered–with a grimace that he hid into the pillow–the way that he'd spilled his guts to Yoo Joonghyuk. It was embarrassing, but there was a part of him that he couldn't deny that wanted to share his story with his protagonist. He knew Yoo Joonghyuk’s story front to back, barring the epilogue, and now Yoo Joonghyuk knew the story of ‘Kim Dokja.’ The ‘him’ that had spent all those years living for the next chapter of Ways of Survival was contented by the exchange of stories: the fact that he ‘existed’ to the other man.
The ‘him’ now would have to deal with the consequences, however.
Yoo Joonghyuk was already mostly dressed, adjusting the belt across his breast. Kim Dokja met Yoo Joonghyuk’s gaze with half-lidded, sleepy eyes and watched, transfixed, as the protagonist snapped his attention back to his clothing with red ears.
Kim Dokja blinked. Was he…?
“Be out in twenty minutes if you want breakfast.” Yoo Joonghyuk’s tone betrayed nothing, but the way that he snatched up his coat and sword before stomping out of the room could be seen as nothing but a retreat.
After the door closed behind Yoo Joonghyuk, Kim Dokja rolled onto his back again to stare at the ceiling for a long moment. “What the hell…?” He said, with feeling. When did his protagonist get so…so…
Cute?
In the resounding silence following Yoo Joonghyuk’s departure, Kim Dokja reluctantly unmuted the system notifications. Instantly a backlog of indirect messages streamed in, which he skimmed with an impassive face.
[The constellation ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ is concerned about the constellation ‘Demon King of Salvation.’]
[The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’ thinks this conversation should be had aloud.]
[The vast majority of constellations agree!]
[1,000 coins have been sponsored!]
[The constellation ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ implores incarnation ‘Yoo Joonghyuk’ to at least show the chat screen!]
[The constellation ‘Secretive Plotter’ points out that incarnation ‘Yoo Joonghyuk’ arrogantly has indirect messages muted.]
Those were obviously from last night. He was thankful that none of the constellations knew what he’d told Yoo Joonghyuk, but…was that sunfish really ignoring the constellations?
[The constellation ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ is screaming!]
[1,000 coins have been sponsored!]
[5,000 coins have been sponsored!]
[5,000 coins have been sponsored!]
[5,000 coins have been sponsored!]
[10,000 coins have been sponsored!]
[The constellation ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’ loudly complains about the spamming.]
And that…was definitely from earlier that morning, but newer messages were starting to come in.
[The constellation ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ is astonished by the incarnation ‘Yoo Joonghyuk’s gap moe!]
[1,000 coins have been sponsored!]
‘ Gap moe ?’ Kim Dokja mouthed, but decided to leave it alone. Uriel was already excited enough without him feeding into it.
[The constellation ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’ is tired of being ignored.]
[The constellation ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’ declares that this scenario is boring.]
[The constellation ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’ wants to see more bloodshed.]
[The constellation ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ is threatening constellation ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon.’]
[The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’ is getting his popcorn.]
And finally, the scenario completion log popped up.
[The sub scenario has ended.]
[You have obtained 10,000 coins in compensation.]
[You have obtained the great-grade story ‘There Was Only One Bed’!]
“...Uriel.”
[The constellation ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ is looking at you innocently.]
“Please don't do this again.”
[The constellation ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ says she can make no promises.]