Scenario Destroyer (5)

In the deep hours before dawn, under a sky still thick with night, a woman carefully opened her eyes in a darkened room.

"…Mm."

"Ah… I'm back."

Kim Dokja sat up in bed, messy hair falling around a tired face.

With this, Shin Yooseung's soul is safely protected.

She frowned, thinking of the adult Shin Yooseung whose soul had been split in half. She had completed Persephone's task in the Underworld and recovered that soul—but she could not simply return it to the adult Shin Yooseung. Too much time had passed with half of it severed from the original body; the soul could no longer rejoin its host.

So Kim Dokja had sealed the adult Shin Yooseung's soul inside Bihyung's Dokkaebi Egg in the Underworld. For the adult Shin Yooseung's sake. For the child's soul as well.

"Anyway… with this, Shin Yooseung's life should be all right."

A small knot of guilt tightened in her chest. She bowed her head for a moment.

In truth, it was not all right. It was complicated. She was reincarnating a child who called her Unnie into a Dokkaebi, inventing every excuse she could.

I need it for my plan.

It's been separated from the original body too long—the souls won't fuse.

There's no other way.

All of it was just excuses.

Kim Dokja gave a bitter little smile and muttered,

"Ha… getting sentimental just because it's dawn."

She shook her increasingly tangled thoughts free, got out of bed, and pulled open her door.

Her throat was dry from the trip to the Underworld, so she headed for the kitchen in My Room, drank a glass of cold water from the fridge, and started back toward her room.

"Hm?"

Something caught her eye.

His door's a little open.

It was Park Jinwoo's bedroom door—not fully shut, just cracked. Kim Dokja stared at the gap for a moment, curiosity pricking, then switched on the phone in her pocket and carefully pushed the door wider.

The room was quiet and dark. He seemed to be asleep.

Passed out right away, huh.

Aside from that mild curiosity, there was nothing special about Park Jinwoo's room. Mildly disappointed, she started to close the door and leave—

"Ha…?"

—if only she had not looked at the bed and seen not one figure, but two.

Kim Dokja's eyes trembled with disbelief. She turned the phone light toward the bed.

"…………."

Her face went cold and hard.

There lay her boyfriend, Park Jinwoo, sleeping peacefully—and beside him, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, a strange woman nestled against his arm.

"…Ha. Fuck."

She laughed coldly, spat the curse, and scrubbed both hands over her eyes. Rubbing them did nothing. Pinching her cheek did nothing. The scene in front of her refused to change.

Once she accepted that this was real, her heart began to hammer. A twisting pain bloomed behind her ribs. Her fingertips went ice-cold. Her throat burned dry.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The violent pounding filled her ears.

…Who the hell is that bitch?

She clenched her fist so hard her knuckles whitened and her palm stung, staring at the stranger draped so casually against her boyfriend. The pain arrived late. Her gaze still would not leave the bed.

I want to kill her…

The thought had barely formed when her hand was already reaching into the inner pocket of her subspace coat. The hilt of Unbreakable Faith was already sliding free—

"Oh my. You're early, Dokja."

A woman's voice rose from the bed.

Kim Dokja snapped back to reason, scowled, and spoke.

"Min Jiwon?"

The stranger clinging to the peacefully sleeping Park Jinwoo was Min Jiwon.

Realizing it late, Kim Dokja shone the phone light at her and opened her mouth.

"Oh? Not even adding 'ssi' after my name anymore? How sad."

Min Jiwon—a beauty with long brown hair like Yoo Sangah's—smiled softly up at her.

Kim Dokja's brow furrowed harder.

"Whatever. Why are you in Jinwoo's room?"

Her voice was ice-cold as it filled the space.

But—

"Hmm. Is this somewhere I'm not allowed to be?"

Min Jiwon was completely unfazed. She smiled with easy leisure and ran a hand once over Park Jinwoo's stomach as she spoke.

"I became Jinwoo's girlfriend this time too, you know. Can't you let this much slide?"

"Let it slide? Who said you could?"

Heat surged up through Kim Dokja's chest at the shameless nonsense. She was his first girlfriend, and even she rarely got to cling to him like that—yet this thieving cat of a woman, barely a girlfriend at all, was putting on this outrageous display right in front of her. It left her speechless.

Min Jiwon studied the glare fixed on her and let out a small, amused laugh.

"Hehe. Dokja? Aren't you overreacting a little?"

"What?"

Kim Dokja's face twisted with pure incomprehension.

Min Jiwon watched her for a moment, then trailed her fingers across Park Jinwoo's chest and licked her lips.

"Love is a truly terrifying thing, isn't it? You want to receive love from the one you love. You want them to look only at you. You want to drive away the vixen sitting next to them."

Right?

As if seeking agreement, Min Jiwon met Kim Dokja's glaring eyes head-on.

Kim Dokja was not listening.

"…Get to the point. And take your hand off him. Now."

Rage was burning through her reason. She squeezed out what patience she had left and stared at the filthy hand still groping Park Jinwoo's chest.

"All right. So would you mind putting away that terrifying glare?"

Min Jiwon's expression stiffened a little under the continuous stare. She lifted her hand from his chest and continued.

"Then I'll get to the point."

Their gazes locked.

Kim Dokja looked at her with eyes twisted by anger and jealousy.

Min Jiwon looked back with a mix of composure and envy.

"Do you know why I came into Jinwoo's room? It was all because I was jealous of you, Dokja."

"Ha…?"

Kim Dokja had been waiting with strained patience to hear what this thieving-cat performance would produce. What came out was so hollow and absurd that the word just slipped free.

Even under that look of pure disbelief, Min Jiwon spoke on with a confident face.

"I woke up in the middle of the night and thought for a moment. Once morning comes, we'll be heading back to Earth soon."

"…Go on."

"Once we return to Earth, we'll end up separated again. You were already in the same party as Jinwoo, so you won't be split up. But I will."

Kim Dokja nodded, already understanding where this was going.

"Of course. You're a king leading a whole faction."

Min Jiwon's face dimmed a little as she nodded.

"That's right. I'm a king who leads her people. I can't just abandon them."

Even in the middle of the argument, she gently smoothed Park Jinwoo's messy bangs while he slept on, completely at peace.

"Dokja. I know you're Jinwoo's first woman. But when morning comes, you and Jinwoo will stay stuck together like always and clear the next scenarios. The main groups running the Seoul Dome right now are yours and the Supreme King Yoo Joonghyuk's, after all."

"So because you're about to be separated, you wanted to stay by Jinwoo's side even a little longer?"

"In summary, yes."

Even under Kim Dokja's barbed words, Min Jiwon nodded with a calm face.

"If I'd been a woman more insane with love… or a woman who could lightly let go of what she held… I would have followed Jinwoo instead…"

"………."

Kim Dokja fell silent, watching Min Jiwon look at Park Jinwoo with distant eyes.

Then Min Jiwon, once an actress, quickly composed her face and glanced at Kim Dokja again.

"Dokja. I'm truly sorry for acting like this even though you're Jinwoo's first woman. But I just couldn't hold it in. The thought of a farewell with no promise of when I'd see the man I love again… I simply couldn't endure it…"

"You…"

Kim Dokja's lips parted at the wistful, aching voice. She watched Min Jiwon quietly.

The rage and jealousy that had been eating through her mind like a virus began, little by little, to recede.

Then Min Jiwon's eyes reddened. Clear tears spilled over, soaking the blanket and Park Jinwoo's shirt.

"Haa…"

Kim Dokja glanced at the woman suddenly crying and gazing at him with such a pitiful expression, scratched her head, and sighed.

She propped her chin in her hand and closed her eyes, thinking hard. Min Jiwon stopped looking at Park Jinwoo and watched her in silence.

"Unnie."

"Pardon?"

The sudden word made Min Jiwon tilt her head in confusion.

"I'm two years older. Just call me Unnie."

"D-Dokja…"

Min Jiwon looked at her with moved eyes, understanding the roundabout forgiveness.

Kim Dokja turned her head a little under that gaze and went on.

"Yeah. Honestly, what did either of us do wrong? If anyone's at fault, it's the bastard sleeping so ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠comfortably on that bed."

"Hehe… That's true too. Dokja—no, Unnie Dokja. Thank you so much for forgiving me."

Min Jiwon wiped her eyes with her sleeve and smiled softly.

Kim Dokja looked at that smile, turned her head away primly, and muttered,

"Of course, I haven't completely forgiven you for leaving me out and acting like a thieving cat. So behave from now on."

"Of course, Unnie Dokja. I'll be really good from now on. Thank you so, so much for giving me a chance."

Having said everything and understood Min Jiwon's situation, Kim Dokja glanced at the woman still clinging to the sleeping Park Jinwoo, sighed quietly, and walked toward the bed.

She climbed up, pressed herself firmly against Park Jinwoo's free side, pillowed her head on his arm, and looked at Min Jiwon.

"…Let's sleep. At this rate we'll be too tired to get up in the morning."

Even as she cursed herself inside for being fully drunk on dawn sentimentality, she spoke with flushed cheeks to Min Jiwon, who was still staring blankly at her while stuck to Park Jinwoo's other side.

Min Jiwon laughed softly at the sight and smiled as she answered.

"Yes. All right. Good night, Unnie Dokja."

"Yeah. You too, Jiwon."

And so the two women closed their eyes in the arms of the man they loved, and fell asleep.

"…Fuck. I thought I was gonna die from how hard I was shaking."

I looked down at Kim Dokja and Min Jiwon, both snoring softly in my arms, and finally let the tension drain out of my locked-up body.

Before Min Jiwon came in, I'd finished the necessary arrangements with Lee Seongguk and Jung Minseob, turned off the channel screen, and was just about to sleep.

Then Min Jiwon suddenly opened the door and walked in—that alone was a shock. I never dreamed she'd climb onto my bed and lie down right next to me.

At first I was snickering inside, feeling her soft chest and warm body heat and thinking life was pretty damn good.

Then a little later, when Kim Dokja followed her into the room, I nearly had a heart attack from the sheer terror.

The dangerous atmosphere rolling off Kim Dokja and the bad feeling screaming in my gut had me tensed and ready to jump in the second things went south.

But thankfully they talked it out, and now I was looking at both women asleep with me held between ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠them, breathing a sigh of relief.

I gazed at the two of them using my arms as pillows, wrapped my arms around their waists, pulled them a little closer against me, closed my eyes, and whispered quietly,

"Sweet dreams, both of you."

Then the drowsiness hit, I shut my eyes properly, and fell asleep still holding them both.

Beep-beep! Beep-beep-beep!

The alarm blaring through the room made me scrunch my face up. I shut it off and yawned.

"Haaah… Even after sleeping, I'm still tired."

I'd gone to bed way too late. My head was still foggy.

I quietly looked down.

Kim Dokja and Min Jiwon were still deeply asleep, clinging to me.

The soft sensation pressing against both sides of my ribs made a smile rise on its own.

Breasts are always great.

Especially a woman's breasts in a bunny girl outfit. Even greater.

I carefully unhooked the hands gripping me so tightly, eased myself out of bed without waking them, and stepped outside.

Once I was out as quietly as possible, I looked through the window set in My Room at the royal castle of Veronica.

The sun still hadn't fully risen. Seeing Veronica just before morning, I felt a small relief that I'd woken on time, then headed straight into the bathroom for a quick shower.

"Yeah, yeah. You guys sleep well too?"

In fresh, soft clothes, I headed for the kitchen, traded a few more words with the Constellations, and started prepping breakfast for myself and the party.

For something simple, I bought the ingredients for doenjang stew from the general store, set a pot of stock on the stove, and dissolved the soybean paste into it. Then I sliced or minced the tofu, green onions, a bit of chili, and garlic that needed to go in, and dropped them into the pot to simmer.

Next I turned on a gas burner, pulled out a frying pan, poured in a decent amount of oil, and cracked fresh eggs into it. Watching the fried eggs ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sizzle and cook nicely thanks to the oil, I bought a few cans of spam from the general store, opened them, and dumped the contents onto a cutting board. I sliced the spam into even pieces with a well-honed kitchen knife, oiled a second pan, and fried those too.

I plated the finished fried eggs and spam, turned off the burner under the bubbling doenjang stew, and started microwaving packs of instant rice.

Finally, for a Korean table that absolutely needed kimchi—and some pickled radish for little Yooseung, who couldn't handle spicy food—I got everything ready, then hurried toward the rooms where everyone was still sleeping to wake them up.

Knock knock knock!

"Everybody up! Time to eat!"

After banging on the doors of the sleeping crew, I went back to the kitchen and started transferring the food, chopsticks, and spoons to the dining table in the living room.

A little later, just as I finished moving everything except the rice—

"Haaah… Good morning, Oppa…"

"…Good morning, Jinwoo hyung…"

Shin Yooseung and Lee Gilyoung appeared first, rubbing sleep from their eyes.

"Ah, Jinwoo. If you'd just said something, I would have helped…"

"Haaah… Morning, Oppa."

Lee Hyunsung in neat clothes, and Lee Jihye walking over with a huge yawn.

"What's a guy who's not even young doing getting up at the crack of dawn?"

"Good morning, Jinwoo."

Gong Pildu grumbling as he sat at the table, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and Lee Seolhwa greeting me with a gentle smile.

"…Noisy first thing in the morning."

Yoo Joonghyuk walked over, scowling as she tried to tame her bedhead.

"Haaah… Did you sleep well, Jinwoo?"

"Morniiing…"

Min Jiwon and Kim Dokja, both looking half-asleep, sat down at the table next.

"I'll prepare my own food separately."

"Sure."

I glanced at Yoo Joonghyuk heading for the kitchen, then looked at the rest of the party eyeing the simple spread on the table and spoke.

"Let's eat."

"Let's eat!"

Everyone except Yoo Joonghyuk—who treated anything she hadn't cooked herself as automatically terrible—picked up their chopsticks and spoons and started the meal.

After the meal, I headed for the kitchen to do the dishes, then handed the job off to Lee Hyunsung and Lee Jihye when they volunteered to help, and stepped outside My Room.

A low murmur of voices.

Outside, a crowd of little people had gathered somewhere and were making a racket. I headed straight toward them.

As I drew closer, a warped circular space of vivid blue light rippled in midair.

A portal.

The portal that would take us back to Earth was open.

I wonder if Lee Seongguk and Jung Minseob made it okay.

In the middle of the night they'd been ambushed by Salvation Church members and were in pretty rough shape, so I'd supplied them with guns enchanted for explosion. Since the sixth scenario still hadn't ended, their overall stats hadn't been reduced yet—the enchantments had gone on at full power. The last thing I'd seen on the channel was the two of them turning the tables and massacring the Salvation Church members. I'd told them to find the portal near Yongsan Station and then shut the screen off.

If they'd followed my instructions, they were alive. If not, they were dead.

Curious about what had become of the former prophets Lee Seongguk and Jung Minseob, I picked up my pace, pushed through the crowd of little people, and headed for the front.

Then I spotted the two of them, grinned, and waved.

"Yo, Lee Seongguk, Jung Minseob. Long time no see, both of you."

"Jinwoo!"

The two prophets—covered head to toe in scars and wounds—called my name with exhausted but delighted faces.