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Yoo Joonghyuk is many things. A murderer. A leader. A monster. A captain. A husband.
(A father.)
He shed the titles that no longer suited him the moment he opened his eyes on the train carriage for the third time. He came back with rage and a trapped scream in his throat, clawing to be let out. At the injustice, at the betrayal, at the woman who took everything from him. But he didn’t. He swallowed his anger, stood up, and slaughtered the whole carriage instead.
Back then, his thoughts had been set on rounding up his usual companions, and then hunting down Croft for what she did. But his plans went awry with the appearance of a 'prophet' named Kim Dokja, with mysterious origins and even more mysterious plans.
Kim Dokja is many things. An idiot. A bastard. A self-sacrificial man. A schemer. An ally.
(A companion.)
Kim Dokja gains these titles with every action he takes, with that infuriating smile and plans that only make sense by the end of them. Yoo Joonghyuk should kill him. He has no need for prophets, real or not. Despite himself, Yoo Joonghyuk holds back.
Just one more time, he tells himself. Give him one last chance. And each problem is always solved somehow, with Kim Dokja the grand mastermind of it all. Before Yoo Joonghyuk knows it, the man is a companion to him. No matter how infuriating or condescending the man may be, he is no longer an enemy in Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes. They will fight side by side.
Still, there are some days where Yoo Joonghyuk wants to wring Kim Dokja by the neck until he coughs up all his secrets. Such as right now.
Yoo Joonghyuk stares at the man named Kim Dokja lying prone on the floor before him, bleeding out from a gut wound. He moves automatically to put pressure on the injury before anything else, considering how the man seems to be unconscious.
"Kim Dokja." He snaps irritably, and starts buying medical supplies from the Dokkaebi Bag when the man doesn’t respond. They're far from camp right now, which means help - Lee Seolhwa, in this case - won't arrive anytime soon. He sends a message through Midday Tryst, and scowls when messages from constellations start pinging in.
「 The constellation ‘Secretive Plotter’ is watching in interest. 」
「 The constellation ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’ complains that he wanted to see what happened! 」
「 The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband' is bored. 」
「 The constellation ‘Demon-Like Judge of Fire' is screaming! 」
「 The constellation ‘Demon-Like Judge of Fire' is delighted over the display of companionship! 」
「 The constellation ‘Demon-Like Judge of Fire' has sponsored 200 coins! 」
Yoo Joonghyuk grits his teeth against the annoying messages coming from the archangel. Even if it's all nonsense, there's no point in talking to constellations. They can't be reasoned with. He tips a recovery potion into Kim Dokja’s mouth slowly, trusting the man’s instincts not to let him choke.
He slips out a small knife from his boot and uses it to cut open Kim Dokja's shirt to reveal the gut wound, blood flowing sluggishly from it.
「 The constellation ‘Demon-Like Judge of Fire' has fainted! 」
Kim Dokja is still blissfully unconscious, breath strained and expression pained, but otherwise alive. Yoo Joonghyuk decides to use his leg to prop Kim Dokja up without risking too much jostling from trying to move the man. Bandaging a patient’s torso would not be easy unless they were propped up in some way. He only knew basic first aid, but this decision was more common sense than medical knowledge.
While moving the man, - and dealing with Kim Dokja's periodic spasms of pain whenever he was shifted too much, - Yoo Joonghyuk wonders if this is even worth it. He's half-certain Kim Dokja already has a plan for this predicament, and this is just another scene in his elaborate play.
Yoo Joonghyuk came across Kim Dokja by pure chance in the first place, after all. He had been away from camp doing a side scenario and was about to head back when he spotted a certain bastard lying down in the middle of the road. Yoo Joonghyuk furrows his eyebrows and clicks his tongue, finally getting his leg under Kim Dokja’s back.
Yoo Joonghyuk spreads the healing salve on the bandages and can almost hear Lee Seolhwa - his Lee Seolhwa - guiding him through the steps with gentle hands, simple instructions given whenever he needed it. He doesn’t linger on the memories and wraps the bandages around Kim Dokja's strangely slim waist. How did someone this scrawny get this far?
Yoo Joonghyuk doesn't dwell too much on it as Kim Dokja's breathing finally evens out once the bandages are firmly in place, and tips another recovery potion into the man's mouth.
「 The constellation ‘Demon-Like Judge of Fire' applauds your hard work! 」
He could regress. He could leave the man here. But they've already come this far and done admittedly well; it would be a waste to start over. And if he leaves Kim Dokja for dead, then there's no doubt the group would find out and likely turn on him with distrust.
With that said, Yoo Joonghyuk finds himself stuck, sitting on the ground with his leg under Kim Dokja's shoulders, still propping the man up. He's about to just yank his leg out from under the man when closed eyes finally crack open. He pauses as Kim Dokja looks around hazily, gaze finally landing on him.
"...Kim Dokja." He says finally. "Can you hear me?"
Kim Dokja's eyes widen, mouth opening to speak, but whatever he's about to say turns into a cough. Yoo Joonghyuk waits it out impatiently as Kim Dokja scrambles into a sitting position, staring at him in surprise.
"You're-" It's almost amusing, watching the man look from him to his bandages, shock clear in his voice. "You did this?"
"Who else is here? You must be going blind after being stabbed, Kim Dokja." Yoo Joonghyuk replied coolly, standing up.
「 The constellation ‘Demon-Like Judge of Fire' confirms Incarnation ‘Yoo Joonghyuk’s words! 」
「 The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband' is impressed by Incarnation ‘Yoo Joonghyuk’s actions. 」
「 The constellation ‘Secretive Plotter’ is amused. 」
「 The constellation ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon' thinks the incarnations should fight instead. 」
「 The constellation ‘Demon-Like Judge of Fire' tells ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon' to shut up! 」
「 The constellation ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon' thinks noona is too rude! 」
"Huh..." Kim Dokja still sounds dumbfounded even as those damn constellations send messages non-stop. "T-Thanks?"
Kim Dokja gives him a hesitant smile that blurs at the edges and Yoo Joonghyuk can't really focus on it, but somehow he knows it’s something more genuine than anything the fool has ever given him. He whips his head away from the sight without thinking before he can stare any longer.
"Be less careless next time, you fool." Don't get hurt again because of some stupid mistake or for the sake of your idiotic plans, he wants to continue, but the moment is lost as Kim Dokja laughs brightly.
"Yes, yes." The man gets up, dusting off his pants with a wry smile on his lips and eyes shadowed by his hair. "Of course!"
Yoo Joonghyuk pricks at a sudden surge of sound from behind, but realizes that it's the group once he hears Lee Jihye's shouting.
"Let's go back, then!" Kim Dokja holds a hand to his bandaged stomach, walking towards the source of the sound as a recovery potion falls into his palm.
Yoo Joonghyuk turns to watch the man go; this is a man who likes to use others in his plans and writes scripts for all of them to act out without telling them the twist at the end. Regardless, he saves them all, bringing those that follow him the salvation they so wish for.
Yoo Joonghyuk watches Shin Yoosung and Lee Gilyoung pounce on Kim Dokja, and huffs a quiet breath. Kim Dokja is an infuriating and idiotic fool, but he is Yoo Joonghyuk's companion all the same.