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Kim Dokja feels like ripping his hair out as he reads Uriel’s account on how his companions got captured. Blue screens pop up one after the other as she rambles away, not even bothering to fix her typos. But the thing is, Dokja gets the feeling she is more excited than inherently worried.
“Oi, Kim Dokja,” Han Sooyoung calls, skipping up to him, several rare weapons dropping from the pile she is holding. “Why do you look so constipated? We are gonna make bank when we sell this stuff!”
Dokja drags a hand down his face and sighs. He was hoping to avoid that dungeon like it’s the plague. But fate has it that he needs to go there nonetheless.
Before Uriel starts wasting any more coins to retell the story to Han Sooyoung, Dokja says through gritted teeth, “Our companions have been trapped in the K-pop dungeon.”
Han Sooyoung drops the items in her arms, mouth agape. There is a beat of silence before her face splits into a wicked grin. Judging by her expression, Dokja knows exactly what she is going to say next. So he beats her to it.
“I think.” He swallows. “We're gonna have to dress up.”
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[Hidden Scenario – The World May End But The Party Doesn’t]
Category: Hidden
Difficulty: ???
Mission: Participate in the party to end all parties, hosted by the Incarnation Jackson Wang.
Time Limit: 12 hours
Reward: Being able to hear your favorite K-pop singers performs live (if they have survived this long, of course)
Penalty for Failure: You’ll hate yourself if you miss this ;)
Han Sooyoung closes the floating screen with a snort.
“This is barely a scenario and more of a party invitation,” she says with a shake of her head. “Leave it up to our companions to somehow mess it up so badly they end up imprisoned.”
From what Dokja has gathered from Uriel’s rambling, after he and Han Sooyoung parted from the rest of the group to go raiding for rare items, the kids heard about a party that was being hosted by one of the most famous people in Korea, Jackson Wang. Dokja is familiar with the man and his globally hosted parties. He was asked to perform at some of them before the scenarios started. Dokja is surprised Jackson Wang has survived for so long.
Although something about the motives of the party rubs him the wrong way. There’s definitely something simmering beneath the surface.
He shakes his head to get his thoughts back in order. Apparently, nobody except the kids had been interested in attending, but after they heard that the dungeon where the party is being held could store another Limited-Edition Item Box, then the entire team was immediately swayed.
Dokja sighs. “Uriel?” he addresses. “Would you like to repeat how they managed to get captured at a party?”
A blue screen pops up in front of Han Sooyoung.
[Constellation Demon-like Judge of Fire says that Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk called the party lame in front of Incarnation Jackson Wang.]
[Constellation Demon-like Judge of Fire says that as a punishment, the entire team was trapped inside a disco ball.]
Dokja’s hand is squeezing the bridge of his nose.
Han Sooyoung is left speechless.
After a long beat, she opens her mouth. “A… disco ball?”
Dokja nods, hand remaining on his face.
“Can’t they just… break out?”
Dokja shakes his head.
[Constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon says they are weak.]
[Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband explains that the disco ball is a modified prison.]
[Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband explains that it can not be broken by any skills or weapons.]
[Constellation Demon-like Judge of Fire says that that doesn’t matter either way because their weapons were confiscated.]
Han Sooyoung smacks her lips. “So, Kim Dokja. Just so you know. I am not letting them live this one down.”
Dokja finally removes his hand from his face and looks up at the sky, taking a deep breath. “Good.”
“But we should still go and save them.”
Dokja nods.
“But chances are they wouldn’t let us in because they probably know we are with those morons. And considering he imprisoned our entire team, this Jackson Wang guy is pretty strong.”
Dokja takes another deep breath through his nose. “That’s why we are not attending as ourselves but…” He trails off.
[Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband wants Constellation Demon King of Salvation to finish his sentences.]
Han Sooyoung clicks her tongue and unwraps a sour candy. “Why are you being so secretive now? You know perfectly well that I know you used to be an idol.”
Ignoring the influx of rapid messages, Dokja looks sharply at the smug woman. “Yes!” he snaps, before correcting himself with a cough. “I know that you know that I… who I used to be.” He pauses. “And the constellations know now too.”
Han Sooyoung coos. “Awww… Are you embarrassed?”
Dokja jolts before looking away. “Well, being an idol during an apocalypse isn’t something that strikes fear into the hearts of your enemies.”
[Constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon says that idols are lame.]
Dokja ignores him. “I am quite grateful for the censorship that my skills have provided.” He looks at Han Sooyoung from the corner of his eye. “And I’m surprised you’ve kept your mouth shut for so long.”
The woman shrugs. “You are right. It’s something that doesn’t matter during the end of the world. What matters is what we are right now and how we can be of use. Who we used to be is as important as this wrapper.” Dokja watches her drop it to the ground and crush it with the nose of her shoe. “Well, of course, I, Han Sooyoung, the famous writer, am the expectation. My reputation exceeds that of others.”
Dokja mutters, “That’s because you keep bringing that up.”
“And now your past has come to haunt you,” she says while poking him in the chest with her finger. “And in order to save our damsels in distress, we must join forces to become an undefeated duo.”
“You are really getting into this rescue mission, huh?”
“What can I say? It’s not every day we can swoop in as knights in shining armor. Especially when it comes to Yoo Joonghyuk.” She nickers to herself. “Oh, he is gonna be pissed. I'm sure he is having the time of his life having to listen to one K-pop idol after another.”
[Constellation Demon-like Judge of Fire wishes she could attend physically as well.]
Dokja looks up. “That’s why you’re so excited? You didn’t strike me as a fan of K-pop.”
[Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband says it should have been obvious.]
[Constellation Demon-like Judge of Fire can’t wait to see Constellation Demon King of Salvation perform.]
[10 000 coins have been sponsored.]
Dokja winces at Uriel’s last message before checking the time. “Well, either way we should start preparing. We only have 6 hours until the end of the party. And something tells me there is more to this Jackson Wang than meets the eye.”
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Dokja and Han Sooyoung end up raiding a supermarket. Initially, he didn’t have high hopes of finding anything useful but as it turns out, at the end of the world, the importance of beauty products diminishes. Nobody in their right mind would be applying mascara during the apocalypse, Dokja thinks, while applying mascara. He squints at his reflection in a cracked mirror, tongue sticking out in concentration as he tries to draw an even wing from the corner of his eye. No matter how many times he has done it, he has never quite mastered it.
“Okay!” Han Sooyoung shouts while entering the shop, causing Dokja to jump and mess up his line. With a grumble, he wipes it off and starts over. “I scored us some clothes. Trust me, this is the best I could find. But I’m sure you can pull it off,” she says with a teasing wink.
Dokja picks up a concealer. He checks its brand. “Meari” is written on it in elegant and swirly letters. He starts covering up his dark eyebags. “I hope you haven’t picked anything indecent. I have standards, you know?”
Han Sooyoung only grins in response, which doesn’t help ease his nerves. So he returns to fixing up his face, one blemish at a time.
He realizes after a few minutes that Han Sooyoung is observing him lazily, head resting on her hand. “What?” he asks, glancing at her through the mirror.
She tilts her head. “Can you see your face through the censorship or are you just winging it?”
Dokja blinks, surprised by her query. “Of course I can see myself.”
“Well, I can’t, no matter how hard I try to. It’s odd, considering I knew you even before the scenarios started. But I can’t recall your face, either. It’s like I’m forgetting the face of somebody that is standing right in front of me.”
Dokja pats some pink blush onto his pale cheeks as he ponders over her words. “Well, we didn’t know each other, did we? We only met in passing at galas and whatnot.” A soft smile graces his lips. “But I’m glad you considered us friends, even back then.”
“What? No. Ew. What I meant to say is that there was a big ass billboard outside my window that had your ugly mug on it.”
And Dokja’s smile drops. An irritated vein pops up on his forehead. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. It blocked my view. Thank you very much.”
Dokja opens his mouth to bite back at her, but ultimately decides it’s not worth it. So he returns to his task. There is something very therapeutic in applying make-up, he decides. And familiar. He can almost imagine he is back in his old studio, turning down various make-up artists in lieu of doing his own make-up.
“But speaking of which,” Han Sooyoung starts again, pulling him out of his memories, “are you gonna remove the censorship over your face?”
At the mention of Fourth Wall, Dokja gets an odd feeling that various constellations are sitting forward on their seats, focusing intently on their conversation.
[Constellation Demon-like Judge of Fire wants to see Constellation’s Demon King of Salvation face.]
[Constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon says Constellation Demon King of Salvation is ugly.]
[Constellation Secretive Plotter is looking at Constellation Demon King of Salvation.]
“Hush, you,” Dokja scolds as several screens pop up in his vision, blocking his view of his reflection. “Please, behave.” He sighs and turns around in his chair to look at Han Sooyoung. “I’m hoping to… negotiate with my skills to remove the censors for a little while.” He has no idea how that will pan out.
Han Sooyoung’s eyes go big before she starts cackling. “Are you really so inept that you can’t even control your own skills?”
Dokja makes a face and turns back to the mirror. He is not sulking. “It is a very stubborn skill.”
Han Sooyoung snorts. “Like father, like son.”
[Constellation Demon-like Judge of Fire wonders which idol Constellation Demon King of Salvation is.]
[Constellation Demon-like Judge of Fire wants to know what song Constellation Demon King of Salvation will sing.]
Dokja almost drops his blending sponge at Uriel’s sudden messages. “There’s been a misunderstanding,” he says quickly, voice higher than it normally is. “I will not be singing.”
“Boo!” Han Sooyoung shouts. Her sentiment is shared by a number of disappointed constellations. “Why not? You’d get a shit ton of coins from your number one fans.” She gestures vaguely at the blue screens that surround him.
“I don’t need more coins. I have enough.”
Han Sooyoung raises her eyebrows. “You never have enough coins.”
“I haven’t sung in a long time. I’ve gone rusty.”
“Then warm up your voice.”
“I don’t have a song.”
“Just sing one of your old ones,” Han Sooyoung says with a tired groan. “Why are you so adamant on ruining my fun? Are you really that embarrassed?”
“I–” Dokja starts before cutting himself off sharply. He stares at his reflection. Cracks run across the surface of the mirror, splitting his face apart. Thanks to the make-up that covers the marks the apocalypse has left on his face, he almost resembles the idol from back then. Dokja loved being an idol. Because people loved him. And the love of his fans filled an empty hole in his chest. They loved him when his parents didn’t. They loved him when his classmates didn’t. They loved him when he himself didn’t. So Dokja kept performing. He sang and sang and rose on the rankings. It became his escape for many years. People loved him and he loved them.
Or he thought he did.
Unbeknownst to him, the first scenario would start at his comeback concert. Thousands of fans died because he had gathered them all together into one place. Back then, Dokja didn’t understand why nobody in the crowd recognized him. Now he knows it was thanks to Fourth Wall.
As he watched people die, he realized he felt nothing. If they weren’t characters from the novel he used to read and spun into his songs, he let them bite the dust without any remorse. He doesn’t know why he was drawn to Lee Gilyoung and Yoo Sangah when he only should have worried about Lee Hyunsung.
Dokja is a hypocrite. He never loved his fans. He loved what they provided for him. Dokja the idol died with them.
Seeing his dark expression, Han Sooyoung relents with a sigh. “Fine. Whatever. I never liked your songs anyways.”
That gets a reaction out of Dokja as he whirls around to start defending his ego. Han Sooyoung only laughs in response.
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The K-pop dungeon had popped up in one of the biggest stadiums in Seoul. Dokja figures that a dungeon with a name like that was bound to activate in one of the most popular arenas in Korea when it comes to idol shows. In fact, Dokja recalls a myriad of instances of himself performing here. Even now, he can hear music blasting through the thick walls.
Dokja shudders as he stands in front of the entrance and he pulls his thin shirt closer around himself.
Initially, Dokja was very unimpressed with the clothes Han Sooyoung had picked out for him. But after putting his styling skills to use, he ended up with something that is somewhat up to his standards. Even if it’s not the most appropriate for the chilly weather.
After parting his hair in the middle (Han Sooyoung teased him for copying Yoo Joonghyuk, which he adamantly denied), he sprayed a generous amount of glitter into it. He also glued some tiny crystals around his eyes, which earned a scoff from Han Sooyoung. She asked if he wasn’t going overboard, to which Dokja replied this wasn’t even remotely close to what he used to wear when performing.
His white shirt is loose and flowy. Moths had bitten some holes into it but after modifying the tears, he made the cuts look intentional and grunge. Dokja figured it’s a fitting look, considering it is the end of the world. The shirt also has intricate swirls crawling across his torso. He topped off the accents by gluing on more crystals and glitter.
He is wearing black cargo pants that are the least flashy part of his outfit. Although he wrapped an unnecessary amount of belts around his waist.
When it was time to pick out his shoes, Dokja balked. To Han Sooyoung’s dismay, he refused to don the heels she had smugly picked out and resorted to wearing his usual black dress shoes.
All in all, if asked to describe his outfit in one word, Dokja would say “sparkly”.
But if there’s one good thing that comes with dressing for the party and not for the weather, Han Sooyoung is in the same boat as him, suffering all the same. She insisted on glamming herself up as well, because otherwise, she would “stand out for being underdressed”. Dokja figured she just wanted an excuse to wear the pretty jumpsuit she found.
[Constellation Demon-like Judge of Fire says that Constellation Demon King of Salvation looks like the night sky.]
[Constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon says Constellation Demon King of Salvation is too flashy.]
[Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband is impatiently waiting for the censorship to be removed.]
Dokja sighs at the messages that have been popping up non stop ever since his idol career got revealed. His thoughts trails over to the ‘conversation’ he had with Fourth Wall regarding his censorship. It had been very reluctant to hear him out but ultimately they got to an agreement. Even if Dokja isn’t too happy with the conditions.
“I’ll do it when the time is right,” he says, shooting a glare at the sky. The last thing he needs is to shut off Fourth Wall prematurely and at the wrong time. He would much rather commit to the plan as late as possible.
Han Sooyoung checks the time and bites through the candy in her mouth. “We have 3 hours until the end of the party.” She sighs. “That’s barely enough time to get shit-faced.”
“We are here to save our companions,” Dokja reminds her with a tick of his eyebrow.
“I’m only joking around,” she says flatly. Dokja doesn’t think that even she believes her own words.
“Alright.” Dokja takes a deep breath and straightens his spine. “We’ve kept them waiting for long enough. You know the plan?”
Han Sooyoung’s face turns serious. “I will scout the perimeters for any funny crap while you gather information from the man himself.”
“If possible, try to get in contact with our team, but considering the details behind their imprisonment, I doubt it will be possible at this time.”
“There will probably be guards around.” She sniffs. “Sounds to me like we are gonna have to come up with a distraction.”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
Dokja and Han Sooyoung pump their fists together as they enter the dungeon and part ways.
As Dokja pushes open the door to the venue, he is immediately hit in the face by the deafening noise. Music is blasting through the speakers and the crowd is cheering and singing along with it. Dokja realizes how badly he underestimated the amount of people participating in this event. People are pressed tightly against each other as they jump and dance around. Squeezing through the crowd to find a good vantage point is a slow process. Dokja feels the beat thrumming in his head. Sweat drips down his back from the heat. Dokja worries about the state of his make-up. He is hot, the place smells strongly of cheap cologne, there is barely enough air and people keep shoving their elbows into his ribs. And despite these rough conditions, people keep on cheering and dancing. To them, in this moment, in this arena, the world isn’t ending. Blindly, a woman grabs his arm, face sweaty but cheerful. Dokja doesn’t know who she is and he will never cross paths with her again. But she came here to live in a dying world, so Dokja smiles and raises his arm, pulling her into a twirl. Just as quickly as it happened, Dokja lets go and keeps moving.
After a long and strenuous trek, Dokja makes his way over to a bar. Ignoring the protests of the bartender, he climbs onto the table as he takes in the entire stadium. He recognizes the idol that is currently performing but he doesn’t remember her name. But she is quite popular, judging by the energy of the crowd. Dokja searches the people before craning his neck to look at the ceiling. He spots a huge disco ball suspended in the air. Bright lights are reflecting off its surface, causing Dokja to squint his eyes against the sheen, but he is able to spot a group of familiar people huddled together in the prison. After a quick headcount, Dokja confirms that Yoo Joonghyuk, Yoo Sangah, Lee Gilyoung, Shin Yoosung, Lee Jihye, Jung Heewon and Lee Hyunsung are all present. But as he suspected, it’s impossible to reach them without being noticed. To make matters worse, none of them have spotted him amongst the crowd of people. Instead, they are hunched over, simply waiting for the scenario to end. Dokja feels a little bad for keeping them waiting for so long.
“Hey! Do ya hear me? Get off the table!”
Dokja turns his attention to the bartender who is hitting his legs with a rolled up towel. Dokja crouches and looks the man in the eye. “Where is Jackson Wang?” Dokja asks, using his skills to make his voice louder in order to be heard above the music.
After some… persuading, Dokja is pointed towards the employees’ door. As he closes the door behind him, he sighs in relief when the music stops blaring into his ears and is reduced to a muffled noise. He leans against a wall behind him and stares at the dark hallway in front of him. There are a multitude of doors lining the walls and behind one of them resides the man he is bound to meet soon. Dokja closes his eyes and leans his head back, resting it against the cold wall.
“Fourth Wall?”
Fourth Wall had refused to remove the censorship over his face. After a long debate, Dokja successfully managed to get to an agreement with the stubborn skill. Basically, it is all or nothing. Fourth Wall can’t turn off partially. If Dokja wants to get rid of the censors, the wall needs to be removed in its entirety. Meaning, Dokja will have to fully submerge into the scenario. He’d lose all of his protection that the wall has provided for him. He’d be vulnerable to pain, shock and mental attacks. Dokja swallows. And the Sage’s Eye.
It wouldn’t be a permanent arrangement. But the Forth Wall warned that it won't turn back on for 24 hours. It made it very clear that if Dokja doesn’t appreciate the things it has done for him, he will have to live with his choices for an entire day.
Dokja clenches his fists.
“... Turn off.”
Dokja feels the exact moment when the walls around him crumble. A shiver runs down his spine. He feels like he has fully woken up for the first time since the scenarios started. He feels the air entering his lungs, sweat dripping down his back, the thrumming of his heart. He can’t bring himself to move. Right now, he isn’t Dokja the companion or Dokja the idol. He is Dokja, the lonely child. He hoped he’d never have to feel like this again. He thought that after all these years, he’s changed. But the child in him never left.
Dokja hates it.
But who doesn’t share his morbid sentiments are the constellations. Dokja jumps when an array of messages pop up in his vision. The brightness of the screens hurt his eyes.
[Constellation Demon-like Judge of Fire is screaming.]
[Constellation Demon-like Judge of Fire is screaming.]
[Constellation Demon-like Judge of Fire is screaming.]
[Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband fell off his chair.]
[Constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon is openly gawking at Constellation Demon King of Salvation.]
[Constellation Secretive Plotter is looking at Constellation Demon King of Salvation.]
[Constellation Secretive Plotter can’t tear his eyes from Constellation Demon King of Salvation.]
[Constellation Demon-like Judge of Fire is screaming.]
[A huge number of constellations are starstuck.]
[51 000 000 coins have been sponsored.]
Dokja narrows his eyes at the messages. “Really?” he asks, huffing a small laugh. “Is it really that surprising that I don’t look like a squid?”
[Constellation Demon-like Judge of Fire is screaming.]
[Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband is telling Constellation Demon-like Judge of Fire to pull herself together.]
Dokja shakes his head and starts making his way through the hallway, feeling slightly more grounded. The world is still unusually clear without the safety of his walls but he quickly steps into the familiar role of an idol as he approaches the room where Jackson Wang is supposed to be.
Dokja knocks on the door and waits for it to crack open. He flashes the man one of his signature smiles. “Jackson Wang? It’s me, Meari. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
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Long story short, Jackson Wang is delighted to see Dokja (or rather Meari) again. Out of politeness, Dokja keeps up a polite conversation with him before teetering the topic towards the issue at hand.
“Ah, yes! A fantastic party, isn’t it? I figured that the people need some proper cheering up at bleak times like these,” Jackson Wang explains as he leans back on his chair.
Dokja smiles. “It seems to be working.”
“Absolutely! It’s been a while since I’ve seen so much laughter and happiness in one place.” Jackson Wang ponders for a moment before grinning widely. “I truly hope you will remain here until the end of the party, because me and my team have something very special planned for the guests.”
“Is that so? I can’t wait.”
Jackson Wang nods. “But considering you are already here, what do you say if we squeeze in a surprise performance by Korea's sweetheart? People will go crazy if they see you perform again. You dominated the charts for a long time. You were the most sold idol in Korea, if not in the entire world.”
“You flatter me, Jackson Wang.” Dokja’s smile becomes strained as he pretends to consider his offer. “It’s tempting but I fear my idol days are behind me, unfortunately.”
Jackson Wang’s expression falters before he deflates, disappointed. “That can’t be helped then. You were always stingy with your schedule.” He shoots him serious look before smiling sweetly. “Let me know if you change your mind. But if not, please do stay until the end of the party.”
Dokja nods and stands from his seat, bidding goodbye to Jackson Wang. He steps out of the room, closes the door behind him, and asks, “What did you find?” to Han Sooyoung who has been eavesdropping for a few minutes now.
Han Sooyoung grabs his arm and drags him down the hall, putting distance between them and the room Dokja just emerged from.
Dokja looks around for guards before lowering his voice and saying, “Jackson Wang is under a powerful hypnosis. Do you know who the puppeteer is?”
Han Sooyoung nods, face grim. “Below the venue, there is a basement. I didn’t go too deep in there, but I felt it in the air. A powerful demon resides there.”
Dokja hisses a curse. “Just as I feared. The special surprise Jackson Wang was talking about must correlate to that demon.”
“Do you think all of the people here will be sacrificed to it?”
“Something akin to that. Whatever it is, the result will probably be the same. Everyone here will die.”
Han Sooyoung slaps her forehead. “Damn. That explains why our companions were imprisoned and not simply thrown out. That greedy demon wants as many souls as possible. Do you think they know what is going on?”
Dokja chews on his lower lip with a frown. “I doubt it. Otherwise they would be trying to escape more intently and not just sit around.” If Yoo Joonghyuk knew the danger they are in, he would have ripped the prison apart with his own bare hands.
Han Sooyoung puts her hands on her hips and looks up. “So, to make things clear. We need to notify our team of the danger, free them and defeat the demon.”
“And we need to do that without being noticed,” Dokja starts, eyes darkening as only one plausible plan starts forming in his head.
“And we also need to consider how we are gonna break the disco ball.” Han Sooyoung groans. “This is just getting better and better. How do you break something that's unbreakable?”
“It can’t be broken by skills or weapons,” Dokja corrects her.
“Well, how else are you gonna–” Han Sooyoung cuts herself off. She is staring at Dokja with wide eyes. After confirming that Dokja is entirely serious, she blinks. “You are– Can you even– Is that even possible?”
[Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband wishes that anyone would finish their sentences.]
Dokja makes a face. “I’ve done that before, but at a much smaller scale. It could be possible, especially if I use the help of some skills.”
Han Sooyoung is still staring at him, baffled. She scratches her head. “I mean. Shit. If you say you can do it then props do you.”
Dokja nods. “It has to be done.”
[Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband wishes that people expressed themselves more clearly.]
Han Sooyoung pauses. Dokja must be mistaken because he spots something akin to worry in her gaze. “But didn’t you say that you weren’t gonna sing?”
Without Fourth Wall, Dokja is much worse at hiding his conflicted emotions. Pushing down his discomfort, he forces a confident expression onto his face. Judging by Han Sooyoung’s frown, he doesn’t quite succeed. “Well, it seems plans have changed.”
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Jackson Wang is delighted to hear that Dokja reconsidered his offer and has agreed to perform as the last singer. That means he and Han Sooyoung have about an hour before the plan gets put into motion.
Dokja is pacing around nervously in one of the empty studios as Han Sooyoung pulls up a multitude of his songs on her phone.
“I can just sing one of my old songs and just say the plan outright at the end of the song.”
“Are you kidding? And you think that would work? Not only would the entire crowd know what we are up to but also the monster,” Han Sooyoung scolds as she keeps tapping on the keyboard. The music of one of his older songs starts playing through her speakers. For some reason, hearing the familiar tune makes him even more nervous. “Besides, it would sound like shit.”
“Who cares if it ends up being a good song or not? Our friends’ lives are in danger!”
“Oi! Calm down, will you? You are interrupting my creative process.”
“Creative process–? What creative process?! What are you doing?”
“Writing you a song, duh?” Despite her confident tone, Dokja sees her stress in the unsteadiness of her fingers and shaky eyes.
“Don’t bother. Besides, have you ever written songs before?”
“No. But how hard can it be?”
“Very hard!” Dokja says from experience. “It usually takes me multiple months or even years just to–”
Han Sooyoung cuts him off with the shake of her hand. “I suppose that explains why your release schedules were so sparse. But what I’m getting at is that how hard can it be for the best writer in Korea? Me. Han Sooyoung.”
Dokja groans into his hands. “Please, spare yourself the trouble.”
“What? Do you not trust me anymore?” After Dokja refuses to keep bickering with her, he hears Han Sooyoung sigh. There is a brief moment of silence. “Listen, Kim Dokja.” Her voice is more gentle than before, causing Dokja to look at her through the gaps between his fingers. She is looking at him, eyes hard. “I will write you a song. But I can’t do it alone. You are right. Writing songs isn’t easy, especially if all you’ve ever written is fantasy fiction. So I need you to pull yourself together and tell me what I need to know. We need to save these people. And if not the entire crowd, then at least our companions.”
Dokja thinks back at the woman that had grabbed his arm and twirled.
Han Sooyoung keeps talking after seeing Dokja’s resolve strengthen. “We do not have the time or tools to create new music, so we are gonna use the instrumental of one of your previous songs.”
Dokja takes a deep breath. “The meaning that the words hold needs to be general enough to go unnoticed by the wider crowd, but simultaneously grab the attention of our companions. We could resort to using some specific keywords or even inside jokes.”
Han Sooyoung grins. “That’s the Dokja I know. Now use that pretty little head of yours to come up with a plan that will save the day.”
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“Everyone! Are you having fun?!”
It’s deafening, the cheers that emerge from the crowd. Nobody is aware of the dangers lurking below. Except for Kim Dokja. He has always known more than anybody else. It’s always been his burden to bear.
“I have some very exciting news to top off today’s great party!”
“Kim Dokja,” Han Sooyoung calls, running up to him. “You ready?” she asks, grinning.
Dokja regards her carefully before giving her a soft smile in return. “Yeah.”
But this time, he has somebody to rely on.
Dokja turns to look at Jackson Wang as he hypes up the crowd. No matter how many times he’s done this before, familiar tremors still run through him as he waits for his cue to step onto the limelight from behind the stage. This time, it’s no different.
Han Sooyoung grasps his trembling hand and gives it a tight squeeze. Her eyes are hard. It’s a look that says that even if something goes wrong, she’s there by his side to fix it. Despite himself, Dokja believes her.
A messaging panel pops up in his head. Midday Tryst.
[Are you there?]
Dokja smiles.
[I hear you.]
[I will tell you the lyrics in advance through here. Do not mess up.]
[Like karaoke.]
Han Sooyoung smirks. [Yeah. Like karaoke. Just without any fun cocktails.]
Dokja snorts. “You have a problem.”
Han Sooyoung sticks a tongue out in response. She steps up next to him and looks at the stage. “It’s starting soon.”
“It is.”
“How are you feeling?”
Dokja ponders for a moment, thinking his answer over. “Nervous. Scared shitless. A thousand things can go wrong. Maybe I won’t succeed.” He glances down at Han Sooyoung and grins. “But I’m also excited.”
The woman punches his shoulder. “Attaboy!”
[Constellation Demon-like Judge of Fire is waving her lightsicks and yelling encouragements.]
[Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband is telling Constellation Demon King of Salvation to break a leg.]
[Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband doesn’t mean that literally.]
[Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband is wishing Constellation Demon King of Salvation and Incarnation Han Sooyoung luck.]
[Constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon says that these people won’t know what hit them.]
[Constellation Secretive Plotter says that it’s time.]
“Well, let’s stop beating around the bush! We have a very special guest performing today! Please make noise for the one, the only, Korea’s sweetheart, a global phenomenon, the man at the top of the charts, the voice in every radio… Meari!”
If the crowd was loud before, then upon hearing his name, they go ballistic. Dokja almost forgot what it felt like. To be wanted on such a huge scale. The feeling is intoxicating. But brief. Because they want Meari the idol, not the man that resides behind the mask, Kim Dokja.
As if pulled by a magnet, Dokja’s eyes seek out his companions in the disco ball. To his surprise, all of them have gone alert. Dokja has to squint to make out their expressions but they look mostly excited. Especially the younger members. Yoo Joonghyuk is wearing the same frown as always but even he has turned to look at the stage.
Dokja always found it odd how Meari also existed in TWSA. When he first started out as an idol, he specifically picked the name of an idol from his favorite novel. It was only a name mentioned in passing that belonged to a background character. But as Dokja started topping the charts, his novel counterpart started reflecting his life. Sometimes, a background character mentioned his new album or one of the members in Yoo Joonghyuk’s company was found listening to his newest songs (mainly Lee Jihye). Back then, Dokja figured that the author must have been a fan of Meari and added his cameo into the novel as an easter egg. Now he isn’t so sure anymore. On multiple occasions, Dokja has found himself wondering who came first: Meari in the novel or Meari in real life. Who was based on who? For some reason, Dokja gets the feeling that this paradox doesn’t have a straight answer. Both of them will keep influencing each other until the end of time, going in a circle. That's what Dokja believes. Even if that's stupid.
Han Sooyoung nudges him and looks at him with a raised eyebrow. Dokja takes a deep breath and gives her a nod.
As the track starts playing through the speakers, Dokja steps onto the stage. He activates his skills that amplify his voice so that he doesn’t need to rely on a microphone. The cheering of the crowd becomes muffled as their presence gets shoved to the back of his mind. His only focus is his song.
Dokja counts down the beats. Midday Tryst pops up in his head, showcasing his first line. He takes a breath and opens his mouth.
His voice is a little rough at first, due to being rusty. But he chalks it up to an intentional change, making himself sound rugged. Slowly, his voice somewhat regains its familiar smoothness and clarity that made him so popular in the first place. But Dokja realized he will never fully return to his youthful glory. He has changed too much for that. So he adds growls and rumbles to his notes. The crowd goes wild whenever he does that.
The song itself isn’t bad, per say. Although it’s clear it was written in a rush and by somebody else. The lyrics are a tad bit too tacky for his taste.
My heart's a disco ball and you are stuck in it.
When it breaks then grab a sword and let us fight.
There’s a demon under us waiting there to hunt.
Hey! We will fight that demon with me on the front.
Dokja spares a glance up at the prison. He can’t focus on his company too intently due to his constant movement as he spins together dance moves on the spot but he doesn’t spot any recognition in his companions’ eyes. Instead, they are staring at him, starstuck. Dokja’s eyebrow twitches from frustration. Can he get any more obvious than that?
My body keeps on dying, held in your arms.
If I ever do that again, call me a squid and slap my face.
The lyrics are tacky and very on the nose. He is certain he hears Han Sooyoung cackling upon hearing him sing these words. Speaking of which, she has finished traversing the ceiling and is now lowering herself onto the disco ball. The bag of weapons that she and Dokja raided earlier is tied to her back. Her mouth moves as she tells Dokja the lyrics. To his relief, the company has spotted her. Now it's up to them to catch up on the meaning of his performance.
As the song goes on, the tone shifts. The lyrics become deeper and more layered, making Dokja wonder what Han Sooyoung is getting at.
Know that I am sorry for leaving you that night.
The train station was empty as I looked around.
Your house was full of people, music and stars.
A disco ball was shattering light like memories of us.
I couldn’t find you and you couldn't find me.
I am still in that station, watching as trains go by.
I am still there. I am still there. Do you hear me?
And when you reach me, know that I'll be gone.
I'm sorry for leaving from your broken memories.
Like a disco ball, shining high in the sky. Out of reach.
How is this supposed to help their company? Dokja wants to yell. But then his and Han Sooyoung’s eyes meet. And Dokja realizes that these words aren’t meant for his companions.
Light cast by the disco ball in the sky.
Shattered like stars that shine in your eyes.
These words are written to be read by you.
In this moment under the light of the disco ball.
Dokja frowns as he sings the words. He looks at Han Sooyoung again. Her expression is sad as she mouths them for Dokja to repeat.
Dokja drags his eyes away from Han Sooyoung and instead takes in the huge crowd in front of him. Long ago, their support meant the world to him. But the cheering doesn’t stir any feelings in him anymore. Because this love they feel for him is as surface level as his love for them. He recognizes it now. Because he has felt love that pierced his skin and made a home in his heart. The kind of love that holds him and stays with him. His eyes travel back to his companions. His eyes crinkle with warmth as he sings to them, for them.
So, influenced by Han Sooyoung, he makes a choice.
In the original song, the bridge was a quieter and slower instrumental break. Han Sooyoung didn’t prepare any lyrics for this part either. But after a brief pause, Dokja opens his mouth and with it, his heart.
I am sorry for the things I’ll do a few years down the line.
Just know that I loved you and I hope you did the same.
We are puppets of this dying world but still we choose to live.
Take this gift I give to you and please do not look back.
Han Sooyoung’s eyes are shaking and Dokja quickly looks away as he prepares himself for the ending as the song picks up again.
Light cast by the disco ball in the sky
Shattered like stars that shine in your eyes.
These words are written to be read by you.
In this moment, forever, you and I!
Back when Dokja had been at the height of his career, he was asked to test out a very difficult challenge. Due to his powerful voice, his fans wanted to see him break glass with it. It took him a lot of practice and failed attempts, but one day, while alone in his studio, he succeeded in breaking a wine glass.
Shattering a disco ball made out of impenetrable material is a lot more difficult, borderline impossible. But when it comes to defensive items that are specifically created to stand against specific attacks, it can be vulnerable to a completely different set of skills.
And as Dokja holds the last note, voice amplified thanks to a multitude of skills, he watches the prison quake. Han Sooyoung has latched onto the chain that is holding the disco ball attached to the ceiling, hands over her ears.
As Dokja starts going blue from lack of air and his throat starts ripping itself to shreds, the glass finally shatters, the shards falling down onto the crowd below. All hell breaks loose, literally, as the demonic monster emerges from the floor with an explosion. But his companions have already gathered their wits and grabbed their weapons from Han Sooyoung and are now rushing it. Dokja grabs a sword from where he left it behind the stage, and joins the fight.
.
.
.
Dokja is chugging down one water bottle after another and Han Sooyoung can’t keep up with his demand. What can he say? Well, nothing, because his throat is completely shredded. The coolness of the water helps ease the burning somewhat.
“To be completely honest,” Han Sooyoung says, leaning against the wall next to the vending machine as she keeps purchasing more and more bottles. “But I didn’t think you’d pull it off.” At Dokja’s glare, she barks a laugh. “What? Am I so crazy for admitting that? Your plan was to break an unbreakable prison with your voice.”
“And it–” Dokja coughs. “Worked,” he croaks. He grimaces and immediately takes another swig. His voice is so terrible that even Han Sooyoung gives him a sympathetic look.
[Constellation Demon-like Judge of Fire says that she never doubted Constellation Demon King of Salvation.]
[Constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon laughs at Constellation’s Demon King of Salvation horrible voice.]
[Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband advises drinking tea.]
[Constellation Secretive Plotter congratulates Constellation’s Demon King of Salvation clever plan.]
Dokja nods to the constellations, thankful for their support.
After winning the fight against the demon, without having to be told, the company immediately got started with helping the survivors evacuate. Dokja saw that they could manage perfectly fine without his input and slinked away, cradling his neck. Han Sooyoung joined him soon after and now they’ve found themselves here, outside, behind the stadium, standing next to a conveniently placed vending machine. The sun is slowly setting, taking with it the last of the warmth. Dokja shudders.
Han Sooyoung pushes herself off the wall and announces, “Alright! I think we should get–”
“Han Sooyoung? Are you there?” The sudden shout makes both of them jump and whirl around just in time for Yoo Sangah to turn the corner. Her eyes light up when they land on the familiar woman but her expression freezes upon spotting Dokja standing next to her who is feeling completely out of place.
An awkward beat follows.
A bead of sweat drips down Dokja’s face. Alright. He figured his hidden idol career would stir up some conflicts with his companions but he didn’t expect Yoo Sangah to react so icily. She was supposed to be the most tolerant out of the group.
As if catching herself staring, Yoo Sangah shakes her head and steps forward, albeit hesitantly. “Forgive me,” she starts. Dokja is thrown off by her use of honorifics. “Are you–?”
“Did you find Han Sooyoung?” Lee Jihye asks as she appears next to Yoo Sangah. When her eyes land on Dokja, she also freezes. Her mouth falls open. She closes it. Then opens it again, as if to say something, but she only ends up moving her mouth like a fish out of water.
Dokja is starting to get very suspicious of what is happening with his companions.
Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung arrive next but instead of running up to Dokja, they stand behind Yoo Sangah, hesitant to approach him. And if that doesn’t break his heart.
Is it really so scandalous to be an idol, Dokja despairs.
“Uhh, what is going on here? Oh!” Jung Heewon and Lee Hyunsung freeze as well. What happened to his trusty sword and shield?
Han Sooyoung looks back and forth between Dokja and their companions, before an inappropriate grin appears on her face. “Wait. Hold on… Do you guys not…?”
At her voice, Lee Jihye snaps out of her daze. Slowly, she starts slinking over to Dokja. Her eyes are sparkling. She has never looked at Dokja with so much awe before. “Oh my god…” she whispers as if she can barely believe her eyes. Dokja takes a cautionary step back before Lee Jihye bounces up to him, buzzing with energy. “Oh my god!” she squeals, acting like a crazed fangirl. This is the first time Dokja has seen her act her age. “You are Meari! I can’t believe it! Are you real? I’ve listened to every single one of your songs. I know them by heart! Can I– Can I have an autograph? On my arm! Wait! I have a pen here somewhere!”
Jung Heewon approaches him next, looking uncharacteristically sheepish as she pushes Lee Jihye to the side. “Hello! My name is Jung Heewon and this is my company. It is an honor to meet you, Meari. Your performance was fantastic today. Han Sooyoung, you hadn’t mentioned you were familiar with such a notable figure.”
Dokja opens his mouth to immediately take care of this horrible misunderstanding, only to wince when his throat protests. Han Sooyoung isn’t helping out either, in fact, she is playing along.
“Well, you meet quite a number of celebrities when you are as famous of a writer as I am,” she says, basking in the light of their company’s awe. Dokja can only watch the situation unfold, horrified.
This isn’t something he considered. He always figured that once his plan got through to his companions, they would immediately realize that he, Dokja, is Meari. He never took into account that they wouldn’t make that connection. He is left completely speechless (again, literally).
Lee Hyunsung is standing a few meters away, staring at Dokja with respect but Dokja doubts he’s ever been big into music. Same with Lee Gilyoung, considering his age. When Dokja was his age, he wasn’t too familiar with the idol scene either.
But Shin Yoosung has walked over to him and is staring up at him with her eyebrows drawn together. Dokja gives her an awkward smile. And true to the bond between a constellation and an incarnation, pieces click together in her head as her eyes widen. She is about to say something but Jung Heewon beats her to it.
“So, Meari,” she starts. “It was an incredible feat you pulled off today. I’ve never seen someone shatter such thick glass before. Our company owes you big time.” She then turns to Han Sooyoung. “By the way, where’s Kim Dokja? Did he not come with you?”
Not wanting her to make this situation even worse, Dokja croaks, “I’m–”
“Kim Dokja!”
The entire company freezes at Yoo Joonghyuk’s roar. The man in question is quickly stomping up to the group, looking completely and utterly pissed.
Ah.
Dokja swallows.
He’s fucked.
Without the help of Fourth Wall, Dokja struggles considerably when it comes to putting on a brave facade. So his smile is a little wobbly as he raises his hand and says, “Yoo Joong–” He cuts himself off with a cough. To make matters worse, he has drained all of his water bottles.
Yoo Joonghyuks’ steps falter upon hearing the state of Dokja’s voice, before correcting himself and speeding up.
Accepting his fate, Dokja closes his eyes and smiles, ready for whatever is to come.
And yet he isn’t ready when he is grabbed and a cold vial is pressed to his lips. Dokja almost chokes on the sickly sweet liquid that is forcefully poured down his throat. Dokja starts hacking violently and pushes the man away.
“Where are your items?” Yoo Joonghyuk asks, or rather, demands.
Dokja wipes his mouth and glares at him. “I didn’t even take my phone onto the stage with me! Extra items ruin the flow of my performance,” Dokja defends, surprised how quickly the healing potion helped fix his voice. Must be a high grade item.
Yoo Joonghyuk growls and whips his head towards Han Sooyoung who holds up her hands placatingly. “Why didn’t you give him a potion?”
“It didn’t cross my mind! Besides, he wanted water…”
“Wait. Wait. Wait! Wait!” Lee Jihye mutters, looking more and more horrified with each passing second. She slowly turns to look at Dokja who is still cradling his neck. Slowly, her eyes travel down to the soles of his shoes, then back up to his face where her eyes reside for the longest. “Ahjussi?” she squeaks. Dokja winces from the horror in her voice.
Although Lee Jihye looks the most horrified at the revelation, her shock is shared amongst the rest of the company.
Yoo Sangah covers her mouth. “Oh my…”
After the shocked silence continues to drag out for an excruciatingly long time, Shin Yoosung, bless her heart, looks up at Dokja and says, “I think you look very pretty.”
Dokja smiles. “Thank you, Shin Yoosung.”
Their words cause the company to snap out of their unanimous shock and they start bombarding him with frantic questions.
“Wha! Whoa! Uh! You, Kim Dokja, are Meari?”
“How do you look like that? What spell did you draw??”
“Why didn’t you tell us you’re an idol? You could have sung to us!”
“You have a very nice voice, Dokja.”
“How are you so pretty? Answer me! How??”
Lee Hyunsung has to hold Lee Jihye back to stop her from shaking Dokja who feels a little overwhelmed by their sudden energy. He really misses Fourth Wall as he fails to string together coherent sentences. Not for the first time does he wonder how he is capable of coming up with a dance on the spot when performing but is seemingly unable to vocalize his thoughts.
Only after the initial shock has faded, do his companions finally let him breathe. They have stepped out of his personal space and are now instead circling him, looking him up and down as if finding it hard to believe he really is Kim Dokja.
Jung Heewon, who has done a complete one eighty regarding her behavior, comes to a stop in front of him and with a scowl, says, “Speak. What am I missing?”
Dokja swallows. His throat feels sore again. But he knows the cause is more psychological than physical. So with a sigh he tells them about his former idol career and the plan he and Han Sooyoung came up with to save them from the demon.
Dokja has never felt so vulnerable without his walls, so he finishes his speech with a weak, “I’m sorry for keeping this from you.”
Because isn’t this the kind of thing you should share with your friends? He knows everything about his companions and yet, they didn’t even know he was an idol. He doesn’t deserve their trust.
Dokja is expecting to be scolded, to be yelled at, to be abandoned.
What he doesn't expect is for Lee Jihye to point at him and cry, “Who cares about that? Tell me already! How do you look like that?”
Her outburst causes Dokja to laugh, baffled. His light chuckling causes Jung Heewon's shoulders to lower and she sighs. “Yeah, she's right. Please tell us what the spell was that you used.”
Dokja’s laughter trails off. He blinks. “This is how I've always looked like.”
“No,” Lee Jihye immediately retorts, “you haven’t.”
Dokja considers playing along with Lee Jihye's words to spare her from yet another shock. Dokja realizes that the lack of Fourth Wall has made him soft.
So Han Sooyoung steps in and explains, “He's right. That’s what he has always looked like behind the censorship.” She sniffs. “Trust me.”
Lee Jihye makes a strangled noise.
Dokja nods. “I was able to remove my skills for a time. But unfortunately they won't come back for another day.”
“Don’t turn them back on,” Lee Jihye says immediately. She goes ignored.
Yoo Sangah steps up to Dokja. She pushes a strand of her hair behind her ear and she gives him a warm smile. “Well, I am quite glad that I still ended up seeing the performance that was taken from me.”
Dokja’s smile wavers as he remembers their first meeting at the stadium where he was supposed to sing. She had stood out from the crowd when the first scenario started. They had locked eyes and Dokja made his way over to her, sealing their fate.
Dokja swallows. “Was it worth it?”
Yoo Sangah considers his question carefully. “Yeah,” she decides. After a brief pause, she adds, “But the lyrics were a bit tacky,”
“Hey!” barks Han Sooyoung.
Dokja laughs.
“Your walls are down?” a low baritone asks, causing Dokja to freeze.
Oh no.
He slowly turns to look at Yoo Joonghyuk who is staring at him with a frown.
Without the protection of Fourth Wall, he is completely susceptible to Sage’s Eye. If Yoo Joonghyuk wishes to find out everything there is to know about Dokja, then there's no better chance than this. Dread crawls its way up his back, causing Dokja to shiver as he waits for Yoo Joonghyuk’s eye to turn golden.
But that doesn’t happen. Instead, his eyes soften a fraction. Then he does something completely out of character. He pulls off his coat and places it gently over Dokja’s shoulders. Despite himself, Dokja basks in the warmth that lingers on the coat.
“Your clothes aren't appropriate for the weather,” says Yoo Joonghyuk, not meeting Dokja’s eyes. Without looking back, he walks away from the group and into the night.
Dokja ignores the warmth that creeps up his neck as he wraps the coat tighter around himself. It really helps against the chilly wind.