Chapter 4 - Yoo Jonghyuk's side quest #3: Compliments are good for the health. [part 1]
The sun was slowly rising up in the sky, the pure white clouds pushed away by the morning breeze uncovered the bright horizon filled with light. It was too early for anyone to be up, as everyone was still lost in their own dreamlands.
Inside a spacious room the morning light was slowly, but steadily creeping in through the clear windows. Sunlight shined upon a very pale face covered with sweat as the person seemed to be struggling from a nightmare. Those dark eyelashes kept quivering as his breath became more rugged. Abruptly raising his arm towards the empty ceiling, followed by a heart ferociously pounding inside his ċhėst, the youth roughly woke up greedily gasping for air. As two pair of eyes shot open, tears immediately started overflowing, leaving only streaks of salty water flowing down on those rosy cheeks, soaking wet the white patching he had just put on last night.
Clenching a fist tightly up in the air for then weakly release it after. A hand trying to grasp fragments of an unforgettable and hazy past, a lost soul that needs to find its way. With wet strands of hair sticking on his face, the disheveled teen slowly raised up as the ticking sound of the clock accompanied him. There wasn't a single muscle inside his body that didn't felt numb when he tried to move. He sat there in silence, as the sun welcomed his wretched self in the world.
The clock maintained its steady rhythm, filling the silent room with that faint ticking noise. Shifting his gaze away, as the feeling of clothes sticking to that sweaty skin made him scrunch his face in discomfort. The teen reluctantly left the safety of those soft blankets wanting to get washed up as soon as possible. Setting foot on that cold marble floor, disregarding the biting sensation caused by the contact, he walked bȧrėfooted while swaying a little bit.
The bathroom was opened with a light clicking noise before he stepped inside. The young went directly towards the sink without switching up the lights as the room was already being brightened up by the natural light of the sun. Lifting his head up facing the mirror, all he could see was the reflection of his haggard appearance. Messy hair all ruffled up and puffy eyes with two hardly unnoticeable dark circles around them. Kim Dokja knit his eyebrows while sighing as he turned away with a downcast expression.
"Why do I always dream of bad things?"
***
Perhaps it was because Yoo Jonghyuk's internal clock was already used to an early routine, when birds were still sleeping and dew was still condensing, he had been awake well in advance. The warm sunlight softly made its way towards the bed, drawing closer and closer, slowly illuminating the sharp features of that handsome face, giving it a dreamlike and ethereal touch to it. Leaning on the headboard, he slowly lifted his head to greet the new day. Framed by two graceful eyebrows were his dark brown eyes still clear as water. The man unconsciously emitted an unapproachable frosty aura filled with arrogance, detached from all living things, Yoo Jonghyuk gave a piercing gaze while scowling inside.
[Side scenario has been updated]
[Side quest #3 - Compliments are good for the health has begun.]
+
[Side quest #3 - Compliments are good for the health.]
Difficulty: ???
Clear conditions: 0/100
Side effect: Indirect inclination towards the character 'Kim Dokja'. *Warning: Random activation.
Time-limit: One week
Compensation: ???
Failure: ㅡ
*There are additional clear conditions.
*No constellation interference allowed.
+
「 Why the time-limit remains unchanged? 」
「 Shouldn't it be already six? 」
Yoo Jonghyuk initially thought about wanting for the time-limit of the scenario to reach its end, then he would be just kicked right back into the main one, shrugging it off and treat everything just as a strange dream. But it wasn't easy as the task started getting weirder, not even speaking about that strange side-effect.
「 Compliments? 」
「 What use do they even hold? 」
What could he even say as a compliment towards him? That he looked cute when flustered? Wait! No! Absolutely not that. So many bizarre thoughts were floating inside his mind, an once clear ocean is now being perturbed by many unpredictable waves. Was it because he has been too idle? He was already used to live on the edge every day, but now he was surrounded by absolute tranquility. Everything was so placid and calm, he almost felt like going insane. And to prevent that, his brain couldn't help but divert the main focus onto something else. Feeling a wave of distress wash over him, Yoo Jonghyuk decided to get tidied up first and ponder over his problems after...
Seated on the edge of the bed, Yoo Jonghyuk had just finished showering and wore the black clothes he was so used to. His hair was still a little bit wet and messy as he couldn't find the hairdryer, leaving him only with some towels to dry himself with. Making his way towards the windowsill, the regressor slowly twisted the handles opening a path for the morning breeze to rush in. The glaring sun was now up in the sky, surveying over the city. Glancing outside, the neighborhood was still relatively quiet and not much was happening outside.
All that peace and quietness reminded him of his old monotonous days, where nothing interesting ever happened and if it did, it was bound for being forgotten after its initial spark. He hated such days, it held no meaning no matter what he did. Slowly shaking his head, the regressor allowed a small bitter laugh out as he held a mocking glint in his eyes. For what he had fought for? For what those people wanted? For this peace?
Obviously not. In the first place, was he even that type of selfless person? He had been called a monster, a bastard, all sort of scornful words. But 'selfless', Yoo Jonghyuk wasn't even sure if that thing even existed inside of him. He hadn't met anyone that could carry the word 'selfless', but if he had to choose, maybe Lee Hyunsung could be considered one of them but he is currently restricted by the military. Leaving only one person left that could fit that description. A silhouette of a familiar man wearing a white coat could be vaguely made in his mind.
Overall, he had been given only a task for the 'gift' he had received. An ending is what his ultimate goal was supposed to be. Would 'it' even accept such a boring ending? Not talking about 'it', not even Kim Dokja would approve of such underwhelming finale. And an end that's not even approved by its only reader, what kind of mediocre epilogue is that even?
As he immersed again in his thoughts, the regressor gradually made his way down the stairs towards the living room and as he expected, Kim Dokja was still not awake. Looking around the interiors of that room, Yoo Jonghyuk's sight fell on the kitchen. The regressor felt that freeloading form a teenager sounded wrong no matter which way told, and even if that same teen was Kim Dokja, he still shouldn't just loiter around doing nothing at all. He had been just wondering what he could to repay that person for giving him shelter. After all, what Yoo Jonghyuk hated the most in the world was owning debts. Cooking breakfast is something he usually did in the morning for his sister and himself back then, so tasking him with such chore wasn't too much of a burden.
The sizzling noise of eggs cooking in the oil accompanied by the knife on the chopping board soon filled the room with many lively sounds coming from the kitchen. At that moment Yoo Jonghyuk looked like the perfect image of a house husband. Slowly setting down the steaming dishes on the table, pulling out a chair, he rested himself while waiting for Kim Dokja to get up. Pouring himself a cup of the green tea he had just brewed, the regressor elegantly lifted the cup towards his lips. While savoring the herbal taste of the tea, Yoo Jonghyuk felt that this day didn't start off too bad. But that peaceful moment was shortly interrupted by a sudden shout coming from Kim Dokja's room.
"I am Yoo Jonghyuk!"
Almost choking on his drink, Yoo Jonghyuk coughed a few times to clear his throat. Hearing sounds of footsteps coming down, the regressor promptly regained his composure. As the teen made his way towards the living room, that cheerful mood was instantly wiped away by the sudden realization he had got by locking eye contact with the tall man seated directly in front of him.
After experiencing a rough awakening, he wanted to lift his morale up, so he shouted 'I am Yoo Jonghyuk!' like he always did. Totally forgetting about the fact that a real Yoo Jonghyuk was currently residing here. Kim Dokja remained frozen like a shocked deer faced with the headlights of an oncoming car, shifting his gaze away as soon as possible, the young teen wanted nothing more than slip away from that sticky situation. But as his nose was lured in by the aroma coming from those dishes, the growling sound coming from his stomach betrayed him. A pink blush crept across his face, lifting an arm to cover up his tomato-red coloring, the teen mumbled out many distressed noises.
The black-clothed man remained unfazed as he kept sipping his tea while staring at the prominent sign of that reddening face, which was a faint blush covering his exposed ear. Yoo Jonghyuk couldn't help but think that this little bastard no matter what, who, or when, seems to always like to impersonate him.
With tensed nerves, Kim Dokja stiffly gave his morning greeting as he timorously peered at the older man. However, the response he had received from the regressor was only a light hum. But that, incredibly, hadn't discouraged the teen from making more remarks.
"Uhm... You made breakfast?"
"It smells nice..."
Another light hum as an answer.
But the silent treatment he had received was only a partial display of Yoo Jonghyuk's level of pettiness. That man can behave rather childishly for small matters and would hold a grudge even better than any woman.
Whichever dish Kim Dokja picked, the regressor would be faster in stealing that piece away. The teen dejectedly looked at the older man expressionlessly eating. Only when he noticed those faint eyebags under the young man disheartened eyes, the regressor shallowed some of his frustration down with a mouthful of tea and allowed the teen to eat in peace.
As time passed, it was clear that the atmosphere was getting really tense and awkward. The two silently ate the food with occasionally some praises directed at Yoo Jonghyuk's cuisine, which he acknowledges them all with a hum. The young teen was desperately trying to find a topic for a conversation, but the person before him kept killing them all with his humming!
"So hyung prefers tea?"
"Mhm."
"Hyung is really like 'Yoo Jonghyuk' haha..."
[Side effect activated: 4 minutes 59 seconds left.]
"I am Yoo Jonghyuk."
"..."
"I am the real Yoo Jonghyuk."
Kim Dokja scratched his nape as a hollow laugh resounded. "Yes, yes. Hyung is indeed the 3D Yoo Jonghyuk."
Narrowing his eyes as they darkened even further, the regressor directed a cold gaze towards the confused teen. He was the original! If he had to direct compliments at someone that isn't even here, then it's better to give them to him instead. Not to mention again that 'he' is the same person!
"I. Am. Yoo. Jonghyuk."
Faced with the older man's sudden outburst of stubbornness, Kim Dokja felt very helpless. Why was he suddenly behaving like this? He had no idea. It may be that his hyung was also fascinated by the coolness of 'Yoo Jonghyuk' and wanted to impersonate him? But in his opinion...
"Hyung is already very cool..."
While giving a side glance, the regressor merely harrumphed in response. "Who's cooler between me and him?"
Being stared with such a contempt-filled gaze wasn't a nice feeling at all. Kim Dokja couldn't understand what caused this strange change in Yoo Jonghyuk's attitude. Looking at the straight back facing him, the expression Kim Dokja showed was very hard to describe. Why does this hyung sound like... Jealous? No way, right? Letting out a dry laugh, the teen waved off those thoughts as soon as they appeared.
He'd sooner believe that pigs could fly.
The teen helplessly smiled while shaking his head, looking up the first thing he saw was the older man staring daggers into his soul. As if saying 'What are you still doing there? Come here and appease my anger."
"..."
Looking outside the window, Kim Dokja wanted to be sure that pigs weren't really up in the sky today.
Inside a spacious room the morning light was slowly, but steadily creeping in through the clear windows. Sunlight shined upon a very pale face covered with sweat as the person seemed to be struggling from a nightmare. Those dark eyelashes kept quivering as his breath became more rugged. Abruptly raising his arm towards the empty ceiling, followed by a heart ferociously pounding inside his ċhėst, the youth roughly woke up greedily gasping for air. As two pair of eyes shot open, tears immediately started overflowing, leaving only streaks of salty water flowing down on those rosy cheeks, soaking wet the white patching he had just put on last night.
Clenching a fist tightly up in the air for then weakly release it after. A hand trying to grasp fragments of an unforgettable and hazy past, a lost soul that needs to find its way. With wet strands of hair sticking on his face, the disheveled teen slowly raised up as the ticking sound of the clock accompanied him. There wasn't a single muscle inside his body that didn't felt numb when he tried to move. He sat there in silence, as the sun welcomed his wretched self in the world.
The clock maintained its steady rhythm, filling the silent room with that faint ticking noise. Shifting his gaze away, as the feeling of clothes sticking to that sweaty skin made him scrunch his face in discomfort. The teen reluctantly left the safety of those soft blankets wanting to get washed up as soon as possible. Setting foot on that cold marble floor, disregarding the biting sensation caused by the contact, he walked bȧrėfooted while swaying a little bit.
The bathroom was opened with a light clicking noise before he stepped inside. The young went directly towards the sink without switching up the lights as the room was already being brightened up by the natural light of the sun. Lifting his head up facing the mirror, all he could see was the reflection of his haggard appearance. Messy hair all ruffled up and puffy eyes with two hardly unnoticeable dark circles around them. Kim Dokja knit his eyebrows while sighing as he turned away with a downcast expression.
"Why do I always dream of bad things?"
***
Perhaps it was because Yoo Jonghyuk's internal clock was already used to an early routine, when birds were still sleeping and dew was still condensing, he had been awake well in advance. The warm sunlight softly made its way towards the bed, drawing closer and closer, slowly illuminating the sharp features of that handsome face, giving it a dreamlike and ethereal touch to it. Leaning on the headboard, he slowly lifted his head to greet the new day. Framed by two graceful eyebrows were his dark brown eyes still clear as water. The man unconsciously emitted an unapproachable frosty aura filled with arrogance, detached from all living things, Yoo Jonghyuk gave a piercing gaze while scowling inside.
[Side scenario has been updated]
[Side quest #3 - Compliments are good for the health has begun.]
+
[Side quest #3 - Compliments are good for the health.]
Difficulty: ???
Clear conditions: 0/100
Side effect: Indirect inclination towards the character 'Kim Dokja'. *Warning: Random activation.
Time-limit: One week
Compensation: ???
Failure: ㅡ
*There are additional clear conditions.
*No constellation interference allowed.
+
「 Why the time-limit remains unchanged? 」
「 Shouldn't it be already six? 」
Yoo Jonghyuk initially thought about wanting for the time-limit of the scenario to reach its end, then he would be just kicked right back into the main one, shrugging it off and treat everything just as a strange dream. But it wasn't easy as the task started getting weirder, not even speaking about that strange side-effect.
「 Compliments? 」
「 What use do they even hold? 」
What could he even say as a compliment towards him? That he looked cute when flustered? Wait! No! Absolutely not that. So many bizarre thoughts were floating inside his mind, an once clear ocean is now being perturbed by many unpredictable waves. Was it because he has been too idle? He was already used to live on the edge every day, but now he was surrounded by absolute tranquility. Everything was so placid and calm, he almost felt like going insane. And to prevent that, his brain couldn't help but divert the main focus onto something else. Feeling a wave of distress wash over him, Yoo Jonghyuk decided to get tidied up first and ponder over his problems after...
Seated on the edge of the bed, Yoo Jonghyuk had just finished showering and wore the black clothes he was so used to. His hair was still a little bit wet and messy as he couldn't find the hairdryer, leaving him only with some towels to dry himself with. Making his way towards the windowsill, the regressor slowly twisted the handles opening a path for the morning breeze to rush in. The glaring sun was now up in the sky, surveying over the city. Glancing outside, the neighborhood was still relatively quiet and not much was happening outside.
All that peace and quietness reminded him of his old monotonous days, where nothing interesting ever happened and if it did, it was bound for being forgotten after its initial spark. He hated such days, it held no meaning no matter what he did. Slowly shaking his head, the regressor allowed a small bitter laugh out as he held a mocking glint in his eyes. For what he had fought for? For what those people wanted? For this peace?
Obviously not. In the first place, was he even that type of selfless person? He had been called a monster, a bastard, all sort of scornful words. But 'selfless', Yoo Jonghyuk wasn't even sure if that thing even existed inside of him. He hadn't met anyone that could carry the word 'selfless', but if he had to choose, maybe Lee Hyunsung could be considered one of them but he is currently restricted by the military. Leaving only one person left that could fit that description. A silhouette of a familiar man wearing a white coat could be vaguely made in his mind.
Overall, he had been given only a task for the 'gift' he had received. An ending is what his ultimate goal was supposed to be. Would 'it' even accept such a boring ending? Not talking about 'it', not even Kim Dokja would approve of such underwhelming finale. And an end that's not even approved by its only reader, what kind of mediocre epilogue is that even?
As he immersed again in his thoughts, the regressor gradually made his way down the stairs towards the living room and as he expected, Kim Dokja was still not awake. Looking around the interiors of that room, Yoo Jonghyuk's sight fell on the kitchen. The regressor felt that freeloading form a teenager sounded wrong no matter which way told, and even if that same teen was Kim Dokja, he still shouldn't just loiter around doing nothing at all. He had been just wondering what he could to repay that person for giving him shelter. After all, what Yoo Jonghyuk hated the most in the world was owning debts. Cooking breakfast is something he usually did in the morning for his sister and himself back then, so tasking him with such chore wasn't too much of a burden.
The sizzling noise of eggs cooking in the oil accompanied by the knife on the chopping board soon filled the room with many lively sounds coming from the kitchen. At that moment Yoo Jonghyuk looked like the perfect image of a house husband. Slowly setting down the steaming dishes on the table, pulling out a chair, he rested himself while waiting for Kim Dokja to get up. Pouring himself a cup of the green tea he had just brewed, the regressor elegantly lifted the cup towards his lips. While savoring the herbal taste of the tea, Yoo Jonghyuk felt that this day didn't start off too bad. But that peaceful moment was shortly interrupted by a sudden shout coming from Kim Dokja's room.
"I am Yoo Jonghyuk!"
Almost choking on his drink, Yoo Jonghyuk coughed a few times to clear his throat. Hearing sounds of footsteps coming down, the regressor promptly regained his composure. As the teen made his way towards the living room, that cheerful mood was instantly wiped away by the sudden realization he had got by locking eye contact with the tall man seated directly in front of him.
After experiencing a rough awakening, he wanted to lift his morale up, so he shouted 'I am Yoo Jonghyuk!' like he always did. Totally forgetting about the fact that a real Yoo Jonghyuk was currently residing here. Kim Dokja remained frozen like a shocked deer faced with the headlights of an oncoming car, shifting his gaze away as soon as possible, the young teen wanted nothing more than slip away from that sticky situation. But as his nose was lured in by the aroma coming from those dishes, the growling sound coming from his stomach betrayed him. A pink blush crept across his face, lifting an arm to cover up his tomato-red coloring, the teen mumbled out many distressed noises.
The black-clothed man remained unfazed as he kept sipping his tea while staring at the prominent sign of that reddening face, which was a faint blush covering his exposed ear. Yoo Jonghyuk couldn't help but think that this little bastard no matter what, who, or when, seems to always like to impersonate him.
With tensed nerves, Kim Dokja stiffly gave his morning greeting as he timorously peered at the older man. However, the response he had received from the regressor was only a light hum. But that, incredibly, hadn't discouraged the teen from making more remarks.
"Uhm... You made breakfast?"
"It smells nice..."
Another light hum as an answer.
But the silent treatment he had received was only a partial display of Yoo Jonghyuk's level of pettiness. That man can behave rather childishly for small matters and would hold a grudge even better than any woman.
Whichever dish Kim Dokja picked, the regressor would be faster in stealing that piece away. The teen dejectedly looked at the older man expressionlessly eating. Only when he noticed those faint eyebags under the young man disheartened eyes, the regressor shallowed some of his frustration down with a mouthful of tea and allowed the teen to eat in peace.
As time passed, it was clear that the atmosphere was getting really tense and awkward. The two silently ate the food with occasionally some praises directed at Yoo Jonghyuk's cuisine, which he acknowledges them all with a hum. The young teen was desperately trying to find a topic for a conversation, but the person before him kept killing them all with his humming!
"So hyung prefers tea?"
"Mhm."
"Hyung is really like 'Yoo Jonghyuk' haha..."
[Side effect activated: 4 minutes 59 seconds left.]
"I am Yoo Jonghyuk."
"..."
"I am the real Yoo Jonghyuk."
Kim Dokja scratched his nape as a hollow laugh resounded. "Yes, yes. Hyung is indeed the 3D Yoo Jonghyuk."
Narrowing his eyes as they darkened even further, the regressor directed a cold gaze towards the confused teen. He was the original! If he had to direct compliments at someone that isn't even here, then it's better to give them to him instead. Not to mention again that 'he' is the same person!
"I. Am. Yoo. Jonghyuk."
Faced with the older man's sudden outburst of stubbornness, Kim Dokja felt very helpless. Why was he suddenly behaving like this? He had no idea. It may be that his hyung was also fascinated by the coolness of 'Yoo Jonghyuk' and wanted to impersonate him? But in his opinion...
"Hyung is already very cool..."
While giving a side glance, the regressor merely harrumphed in response. "Who's cooler between me and him?"
Being stared with such a contempt-filled gaze wasn't a nice feeling at all. Kim Dokja couldn't understand what caused this strange change in Yoo Jonghyuk's attitude. Looking at the straight back facing him, the expression Kim Dokja showed was very hard to describe. Why does this hyung sound like... Jealous? No way, right? Letting out a dry laugh, the teen waved off those thoughts as soon as they appeared.
He'd sooner believe that pigs could fly.
The teen helplessly smiled while shaking his head, looking up the first thing he saw was the older man staring daggers into his soul. As if saying 'What are you still doing there? Come here and appease my anger."
"..."
Looking outside the window, Kim Dokja wanted to be sure that pigs weren't really up in the sky today.
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