Chapter 1
Kim Dokja was a truly concerning person, that was what most people thought of him.
He doesn’t think of it as shameful, it felt more like a title. A way to show how different he was from the copy-paste ‘people’ nowadays.
His mental illnesses made him feel special. They didn’t feel like illnesses, more like specialities. Specialities that made him understand everything in the world.
It was easy, just pretend like everything is a book, like a meaningless story. Although, his book would be incredibly boring. He was just like all the soulless wage workers that are bound to get fired one day or the other.
Was that the reason why he doesn’t value his life? Maybe if he had a life like the protagonists he reads about, he would care more about his life. Unfortunately though, he was just born as a background character.
His therapist would tell him that he should take care of himself from time to time, but its not like he cares. So what if he was a little suicidal? It makes him different from all those soulless bodies walking around.
So what if he already figured that out at the age of 14, cooped up in a hospital, way before the therapist did? That just made him better, made him more knowing than the common man.
It was ok to be mentally ill.
***
It was yet another day riding on the metro, his only form of transportation from place to place. He was on his way back from his job, the one that makes him want to hold the entire staff at gunpoint.
Nonetheless, it helped him live. Helped him get a stable income and an acceptable livelihood. So he didn’t hate it too much, just for those reasons alone.
Even if it made him gain the role of a stable citizen though, he absolutely couldn’t bear listening to the orders and chatters coming from the people working there. Every single word that came out of his co-workers’ mouths made him want to quit.
Just like the one sitting next to him at the moment.
“But yea! These are my favourite authors, their books are...” said Yoo Sangah, the only co-worker of his that had the guts to keep talking with him, despite the nasty reputation he gained at his workplace.
Kim Dokja doesn’t hate Yoo Sangah, not at all. She’s a nice person with pure intentions who wants nothing but the best for everyone. Maybe that’s why the two of them aren’t very compatible.
He appreciates her sympathy and her urge to create a positive change in the world, but he doesn’t really agree. He wouldn’t go out of his way to tell her about how annoying it was, because it felt nice to have company every once in a while.
“So, what type of authors do you like, Kim Dokja-ssi? I remember that you said that you like reading a while ago.” Yoo Sangah said, catching his attention as he was deep in thought. Ah, he accidentally tuning her previous words out.
“Ah well... I don’t really read much other than web novels, so our tastes can vary a lot.” Kim Dokja didn’t like talking about the authors he liked, since they were mostly web novel authors.
Yet, Yoo Sangah wasn’t the type to judge. “Oh, that’s cool! What type of novels? I’m not much of a web novel reader, but it would be nice to start somewhere..” She chuckled nervously. He wouldn’t mind telling her if the things he liked weren’t so childish as compared to hers.
Maybe it was just his luck that day that the bus announced his stop at that moment. He apologised to Yoo Sangah and headed out of the bus, grateful that he was able to dodge that question completely.
The station was completely packed as he stepped out of the bus, people pushing and chatting from all corners. It made him want to run away. Loud places weren’t very appealing to him.
Just as he almost made it out of the underground station, an old man pushed him harshly, angry for no particular reason. The action made his jaw forcibly close on his tongue, giving the sound of a sickening crunch.
Kim Dokja would’ve shot back a disgusted look had he not hit his head on a nearby wall, making his vision shake and his balance falter.
“Ah, fuck...” He mumbled under his breath as he groaned, holding his head. The force of impact was strong, stronger than he thought it was. He felt his head going numb from the pain.
He leaned against the same wall as he tasted a familiar metallic taste in his mouth. His head didn’t hurt that much, so he guessed that it was from accidentally biting his cheek or tongue too hard.
He closed his eyes, trying to get himself back together again before going to a hospital and getting himself checked. He would look like an insane person trying to get medical help if he went this way.
Though when he opened his eyes, he saw a man staring deep into his eyes in front of him. Maybe his luck had run out ever since getting out of that bus.
Or maybe it hadn’t. To say that the man looked ethereal was an underestimation. He was the prettiest man he had ever laid his eyes on. Beautiful obsidian dark eyes, gorgeous wavy hair, nose sculpted by god himself, he could write poems out of the man’s looks alone.
Kim Dokja would’ve told him off out of surprise if his mouth wasn’t filled with blood. He thought that he bit his cheek, but that type of wound wouldn’t bleed too much. Maybe he bit his tongue instead.
The man in front of him, perhaps sensing his discomfort, took a napkin out of his jacket pocket and gave it to him. Kim Dokja was a bit confused, but took it nonetheless.
He wiped his mouth and pressed on his tongue with the napkin as the man watched, leaving the napkin bloody and thoroughly used. He needed to go to a hospital, but the man was almost caging him in from the way he was standing.
So, with a slurred voice, Kim Dokja spoke. “Hey, can you move? I need to go to the hospital,” he said. He didn’t expect anything other than him to move over and let him go. Yet, the man smiled.
“I can take you there. I have a car,” the man suggested with crazed eyes and a wide smile. It looked awfully creepy, and maybe sensing his hesitation, the man spoke again. “Don’t worry, I won’t do anything. I promise.”
Kim Dokja mulled over the idea for a second and decided to go. What’s the worst that could happen? He was already on the pathway to death, getting kidnapped wouldn’t be too bad. Especially by someone like this.
He nodded, and the man quickly dragged him by the arm. The crowded station just a few minutes ago changed into an almost empty one, as most people left at this point.
When the both of them reached the man's car, the man looked at Kim Dokja with a strangely content smile. It was different from the one before, but Kim Dokja didn’t really care that much.
The man sat Kim Dokja down with care in the passenger’s seat before getting into the driver's seat himself. The man looked at him like he was love-struck, leaning onto the steering wheel and giggling at the sight of Kim Dokja.
Kim Dokja thought he was a little weird. But lucky for him, he liked weird.
***
At midnight, Kim Dokja finally got his tongue treated. The man waited for him outside, looking less crazed out than before. When he saw Kim Dokja, though, he smiled creepily yet again.
Kim Dokja approached him before speaking. “Listen, I’m grateful for the ride you gave me, and I won’t really be able to repay you right now,” he apologised.
The man's smile didn’t even budge. He chuckled before saying, “you don’t need to repay me. Just give me your number, please.” He paused for a second before continuing, “I’d like to take you out someday.”
Kim Dokja was confused. Why him out of all people? To say that the man looked handsome was an understatement, he looked breathtakingly gorgeous. Why would he want to take out the most mediocre man out there for a date?
Kim Dokja wasn’t sure why he accepted to begin with. Maybe it was a gut feeling, he felt like he needed to know more about the strange man. “Sure, I’ll type it on your phone. What’s your name, by the way?” He asked.
The man’s face lit up at a miniscule level as Kim Dokja typed his number on his phone. “My name is Yoo Joonghyuk,” he said with a smile.
“Sure then. Yoo Joonghyuk, text me when you think of a time and place, alright?” Kim Dokja said with a smile that he often used for customer service at his work.
Yoo Joonghyuk was delighted nonetheless. At least, that’s what Kim Dokja thought, even though the man's smile seemed a little fake just like his own. As he typed his number into Yoo Joonghyuk’s phone, he felt a burning gaze on him. Kim Dokja sighed.
He felt it. This was a prank, wasn’t it? There was a reason he was getting stared at so hard, because who would actually want to get with him? He scoffed lightly and gave the phone back.
His mood soured a little, but he smiled either ways. “Thanks for the ride, Yoo Joonghyuk. I’ll walk back home, it isn’t too far from here,” he said even though it wasn’t, but he didn’t want to be in the same car as the man again.
Kim Dokja left before Yoo Joonghyuk’s reply could be heard. His smile was plastered on his face as Kim Dokja left. Taking note of where he went, he whispered as he covered his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket.
“I finally got you, Dokja-yah.”
***
(Edited part is from here and downwards... the yoo sangah part is still pretty messy and it keep switching perspectives so I’ll change that later.)
Kim Dokja realised that, over the years, being a corporate slave was the worst type of job to apply for. They get paid minimum wage, get treated like shit, and get no respect whatsoever.
He doesn’t understand why people try so hard to get into these types of jobs. They’re ridiculously dehumanising. If it was up to him, he’d quit right away. Anything would be better than working like an actual slave.
Maybe Kim Dokja was just angrier than usual for his boss' indifferent reaction to his injury. Couldn’t Han Myungoh have a single bit of pity in him? It was ridiculous.
Angry thoughts rushed through his head as he harshly typed his game report into the worm desktop. Being too focused on being angry rather than typing out his report, his well used keyboard stopped working after a few harsh taps.
Kim Dokja thought of how a keyboard like his could even break after all the hardships it has been through. Why now? He mulled the idea over and over in his head.
A sigh left his mouth as he thought of how he would be able to explain this to his bastard of a boss. He wouldn’t hear the end of it. Just thinking about the interaction made his head hurt.
Just as he was getting ready to give up his job and quit, he felt a hand touch his shoulder. He flinched before looking over his shoulder, only to see Yoo Sangah looking back with worry.
“Hey, what’s wrong..? You look a bit frazzled...” she said, a worried tone lacing each word that came out of her mouth. Kim Dokja calmed down before facing her and smiling politely.
“Yeah, I’m alright. Just accidentally broke my keyboard. I don’t think boss-nim would let this slide...” He sighed at the end of his sentence.
Yoo Sangah looked at him with pity before her eyes lit up with an idea. “Hey, you can have my keyboard. I’ll take yours and ask the boss for a new one, how about it?” she suggested.
At that moment, Kim Dokja was oh so grateful that he had an angel of a friend like Yoo Sangah. He was about to shed a tear out of happiness. He smiled greatly at her before replying.
“Yeah, that would be great. The boss is a weird freak for women anyway.” He said, cracking a pretty bad joke. Luckily, Yoo Sangah laughed heartily before exchanging their keyboards and leaving.
He must’ve been too grateful, staring at the fading back of Yoo Sangah's, to notice the camera flashing red every once in a while at his direction.
Yoo Joonghyuk looked at Kim Dokja with an eerily blank face as he sat on top of the security guard's knocked out body. He flipped through the camera channels before stopping at one that showed a brown haired woman strolling through the halls.
He remembered her name. ‘Yoo Sangah’. He has a new competition now. Good thing he was never the type to sit idly and let his possessions get stolen.
***
Kim Dokja opened the door of his cramped one room apartment.
“I’m home.” He whispered. He lived alone, but he had a habit of saying it nonetheless. It made him feel a little more comfortable living in a house as dead as this one.
He kicked off his shoes and put down his well used bag on a nearby table, and finally settling down on his bed. He wanted to take a minute to rest, even if he wasn’t that tired.
Kim Dokja opened his phone, intending to check if the novel that he’s been reading recently updated or not. What shocked him was a message from someone. What shocked him yet again was the message about a ‘date’.
Oh right, he almost forgot. That strange man he met at the subway station. He hesitantly opens the message. It read;
Yoo Joonghyuk: Hello. I’m free this Friday, are you?
Yoo Joonghyuk: For the date, of course.
He felt a shiver go down his neck. He was unexperienced in things like these, so he didn’t really know what to say. Nonetheless, he quickly typed down a reply.
Kim Dokja: Yes, I’m free.
Kim Dokja: I would like it if you tell me the time and the place, I don’t mind where or when.
Kim Dokja: Thanks.
He replied before getting up to freshen up and settle down for the night. He should probably eat dinner too, if he even had enough money to get food that is. His thoughts roamed as he stepped into the bathroom and closing the door behind him.
Meanwhile, in a dark alleyway.
Yoo Joonghyuk phone screen lit up from a notification. The name read out “My Love”. He smiled before picking up the phone and showing it to the bloody, yet breathing mess in front of him.
He chuckled. “Look, my darling is texting me. Not you. Never you, just me.” He said with a mocking tone.
“Let me... go..! You bastard... What do you want from me?!” She screamed, her voice hoarse and well used from screaming at the figure in front of her.
Yoo Joonghyuk’s face hardened. “...All I want is Kim Dokja. That’s all I need. I don’t need someone like you getting between me and him. He is mine, no one else’s. You will not take him from me.” He hissed at her, eyes wide.
Yoo Sangah felt goosebumps grow on her skin. Her mind was giving her loud warnings. He was fucking insane. Fear filled every part of her as she quietly begged. “L-leave me alone..! I don’t want him at all, please... let me go...” her voice cracked as he let out a few muffled sobs.
Yoo Sangah thought, she didn’t want to let out any weakness. But when a person stabs you and demands you not to take away the person he’s stalking, what are you supposed to do other than cry at the shitty situation you got yourself in?
Yoo Joonghyuk looked at her in the eyes for a bit, before letting go of his crazed eyes. He was content. He threatened, “good. Stay away from him. You know what will happen if you don’t.”
Yoo Sangah didn’t think she would be spared at all. She knew that she was incredibly lucky, so she thanked the heavens above for giving her a second chance in life.
“I’ll call an ambulance for you. Stay here, I’ll leave. Don’t tell anyone what happened tonight if you value your life.” He said one last thing before leaving Yoo Sangah all alone in the alleyway.
Yoo Sangah looked up at the shinning stars above before closing her eyes. She wasn’t sure if this would be her last moment alive, she wasn’t sure if she was going to die or not, but she was grateful.
She was grateful enough.
***
The awaited day came. Well, it wasn’t that special for Kim Dokja, but he hoped it was for Yoo Joonghyuk instead.
Kim Dokja had just got off of work, and was unlocking his apartment door. He was felt a bit tired, but it was manageable.
He had checked his phone on the subway. Yoo Joonghyuk said that 7 pm was a great time for him. It was only 5 pm at that moment, so Kim Dokja still had some time. He could take a little nap, right?
He quickly put on some comfortable clothes before laying on his bed, covering himself with his poor excuse of a blanket. He set up an alarm on his phone and put it under his flattened pillow.
He laid down peacefully, until a figure covered in black snuck into his room. Kim Dokja could feel someone stare at his sleeping figure. The person brushed away some stray hairs from his face and cupping it lovingly, before leaving with a click as they closed the window they came in from.
Confusion. That’s all that Kim Dokja could think of.
Who the hell was that? He acted like he was asleep, so maybe he wasn’t caught? His thoughts were all over the place. He had so many questions he needed answers for.
He only got one glimpse of that person – that stalker. They wore a black hoodie with matching sweatpants and a black face mask. Kim Dokja knew they weren’t up to anything good, but oh well. He needed a little bit of drama in his life anyway.
He stifled a yawn and realised that sleep was much important than whatever that was. He laid back down and let darkness envelope him as he slowly dosed off.