Say it Again

Chapter 5

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Yoo Jonghyuk is second guessing decision to leave both of his followers in Chungmuro station to come back to Geumho. He didn't pick up contents from the dark vault at all, and just making this much change was making him anxious, but on top of that, personally coming to see his anomaly when he would handle everything on his own might be too much meddling.

But last turn Kim Dokja was constantly changing the board completely and still it was so close to ending up in a perfect run. Maybe this time a little more cooperation will be what tips the scales?

He is just standing by the wall, ignoring looks he is getting from Lee Hyunsung, and those two irregulars Dokja pulled out of nowhere, Yoo Sangah and Lee Gilyoung. Third one is not with them yet, but it will be interesting to see.

Finally there is commotion at the entrance. He doesn't really need to look to know who the reason is, but Yoo Jonghyuk still looks from the distance to see how careful Kim Dokja is to dispatch them without killing anyone.

He is clearly using just coin boosts, without any training, but there still is some odd grace to it. Or maybe it's just how calm he is about being attacked.

He approaches Kim Dokja, to let him see he was expecting him. “ Is it foolish to miss someone who can never quite be who you knew?” He thinks intensely, and seeing how Kim Dokja takes half step back, with eyes widening just for a moment before he smiles widely, it probably reached him just as it should. It's strange that he can accept Kim Dokja reading his mind as something comforting, when anyone else trying would make him hunt them down.

He just picks up the woman who is about to become the judge of destruction. So that's why she was this dedicated.

“Thanks for help, Jonghyuk.”

Oh, this man is doing things to him with simple words.

“Use honorifics.”

“Come on, like you aren't here just for me.”

And the bastard is right. He can't even respond to that without revealing too much. So change the topic it is.

“Wow, two of you guys are something alright.” Jung Heewon's comment makes him want to just drop her, but… Kim Dokja values those people, so it's better to endure a bit.

“You got the sword?”

“The? Ah, not yet, still waiting for the auction.” Kim Dokja looks a bit nervous at the question, but responds properly. Maybe, if it's like this, he won't leave him blindsided by new plans, this time around. Just talking will help, right?

“Just tell me where I screwed up,” Dokja asks as they reach his little group.

“You didn't.” He puts Jung Heewon down on the bench before facing Kim Dokja properly. “You were… my miracle.”

“Oh, wow.” Jung Heewon comments again. “You go, man.”

“What is wrong with you?! You! Threw! Him! Off! Bridge!” Yoo Sangah is nowhere near that nice about it, grabbing on the lapels of his coat with ugly snarl on her face. Wasn't she well controlled and nice? Curious how a little thing changed her this much.

“Please stop, Sangah-ssi. I'm fine. He knew I could handle it.”

Kim Dokja gently pulls her away before Jonghyuk frees himself and, oddly enough the woman lets herself be moved, instead leaning into him with tears in her eyes.

“I thought Dokja-ssi is gone.”

Lee Hyunsung is glaring at Yoo Joonghyuk and so he glares back. He is too weak to protect Kim Dokja as he is. But even when left in the perfect place for the attributes to bloom, he still didn't manage it yet. Too weak to be a proper shield. No wonder Jung Heewon ended up stealing this chance of progress from him.

There is a slight tug on his sleeve and, he isn't too surprised to see it's Dokja.

“Hey, Jonghyuk. What were you thinking,  leaving this place like that?”

“What was I thinking.” He turns to glare at Lee Hyunsung again, this time using the chance to grab the hand so close to his, challenging the other man to say anything about it when Dokja chose himself to come this close. “Kim Dokja, I will do my best to not ruin any of your plans this time.”

“Oh. That's… thank you.” Kim Dokja pulls away gently and Yoo Jonghyuk lets go easily. It's not a hard decision to just sit back and observe the situation. He will only do anything if Dokja asks him to do it. Simple as that. Two days isn't that long a wait. Everything can go more or less as it did and it will be good.

It's a little nerve wracking to see how Kim Dokja taunts the group in power on the station. Not because they can harm him. It's just too similar to how he taunted constellations, and dokkaebi, and the Star Stream itself. He was making himself into a target from the very start.

And Yoo Jonghyuk can't interfere, because he promised to not mess up his plans. And it hurts because there is nothing he wants more than to wrap Dokja up in a ton of fluffy blankets and keep him safe.

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