[ it's now or never. ]

[regression]

[ Joonghyuk started the scenario waking up in someone's bed, someone's room, and someone's house without his sword. Not only that, his body... Seemed to revert a bit over a decade back despite having all his stats and attributes intact. The strange situation highly upset him, but he was quick to check the scenario screen which fortunately manifested in front of his eyes. It, however, didn't bring any comfort. His eyes narrowed, not at all happy with what he read.

[Sub Scenario – High School Reverie]
Category: Sub
Difficulty: ???
Clear Conditions: To be added.
Time Limit: None
Compensation: To be added.
Failure: ―

And so he waited, living a high schooler's life with his name stamped on it. Not that he's attending actual school yet with it being summer... Only some cram courses that he begrudgingly attended because he suffered a penalty when he pushed the limits by telling his "parents" that this is merely a scenario. The only blessing was that he had plenty of time to search for clues, maybe find his allies. All to no avail. Seoul was as he remembered it before the scenarios...

Throughout his last weeks of summer, he used Midday Tryst in hopes for something.

Kim Dokja.

This never happened in the past regression.

It seems similar to that island. These strangers are playing the role of my family.

She isn't my sister.

Have you gone far?

The scenario window still hasn't updated.

The others haven't shown up yet.

If you do anything reckless, I'll kill you.

Kim Dokja, are you asleep?

The stars are harder to see here.

I don't hear the indirect messages anymore.

Where are you?

If Joonghyuk seemed panicked, then maybe he is. If he couldn't see the stars in the sky, especially one that seemed to shine the brightest despite its dark shade, then what does that mean? Even when he received no response, he kept sending messages... Almost documenting his small, mundane findings as he settled into normalcy. It was his way of remembering who he is and what this all actually is. But then the illusion of youthful routine all shattered when he recognized someone in his high school. However, the reunion didn't play out like he imagined.

It has been a whole week that Joonghyuk has been watching Dokja live blissfully like a regular student, waiting for him to notice and approach him. Of course, it comes with more messages ignored, adding to Joonghyuk's frustrations. Once he observed enough to deduce the reason why Dokja is keeping his distance, he decides to take initiative and approach him first at the cafeteria with his hands in his pockets. ]

Kim Dokja.

[ I finally found you. Based on his glare, he is very angry despite the relief that washes over him. He does nothing else, says nothing else, after. Instead, he continues to loom and waits for his companion's answer which... Makes a scene. Students were starting to whisper instead of eat, wondering why would the handsome Joonghyuk approach the weird bookworm. It all sounds like buzzing—annoying, but he doesn't care about them.

He cares about the one in front of him. ]

Comments

[ugliestking]

You'll end up tiring yourself out.

[ Dokja is already waving off the idea that Joonghyuk has to get himself a job. He walks over to the cupboards to start to take out the dishes as soon as he's "instructed" to do so. He uses the word "instructed" since that's better than "being ordered about by a psychopath in his own kitchen." ]

Your body is not the same one as before, you know. You could really end up hurting it if you aren't careful. [ His tone is not quite scolding. He supposes that Joonghyuk wouldn't really know what he is capable of given that he never had a past. Dokja has to pause for a second as he's setting down one of the plates.

His head turns to look towards the protagonist. I wonder how strange this all feels for you. I guess I've been hoping that you could enjoy it, but maybe it actually just feels... wrong. To cover up his staring, he adds: ]

If you end up passing out, I'll add that to your tab of what you owe me.

[regression]

[ ... Him? Tiring himself out? Him?! Passing out?! When it isn't a battle?!?! He has lived more lives than Dokja already, so something like working part-time after school and cram school would be nothing. Joonghyuk frowns even more as he pours the stew into bowls, then snaps the stove to a low simmer. The noodles are quickly stir-fried with an ensemble of ingredients, taking exponentially less time to cook than what's in the pot. ]

Then if you pass out, we would be cornered.

[ It's best if they both work together, which is funny considering humble and violent beginnings. Even if Joonghyuk has the safety net of a fake family, he... Doesn't want to be there. It's suffocating to the point it dulls his mind. It makes him start forgetting who he is. With rice in smaller bowls, then japchae on a share platter, he starts ferrying all the food to the table. If it can fit. He's trying his best? To fit everything on the table, but decides to leave the noodles for them to serve themselves on a nearby counter. This is so sad.

They make do and he takes a seat with eyes on Dokja to digest his new/old appearance appearance again. It's... Still weird to him, but at least Dokja's personality is intact. It comforts him as he leans back into his seat, now gaze downcast. ]

... I'll move in after the camping trip. [ He begins eating, silent for quite some time with his eyes on his bowl of rice. ] Have you gone camping before?

[ What they did in the scenarios doesn't count. They were literally homeless. ]