summonedfrommyhands

[summonedfrommyhands]

“Earlier this morning. Raon was the first to notice after you returned,” Choi Han’s voice was strangely cold, and seemed to take faster steps to reach the others.

… After what?

On was the first to spot the duo, stopping her chase for Hong and Raon to walk by him. Hong yelled a hello, jumping into his arms. Raon stayed by the portal, continuing to circle it.

Eruhaben stared at him, an odd look on his face. He looked from Cale to the portal, finally deciding to speak.

“Are you alright?”

Cale flinched at his words, responding quickly.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?�� Eruhaben sighed, muttering something under his breath. Raon circled the portal once more before taking notice of Cale, a confused but happy smile on his face.

“Human! This thing is rather interesting! I found it last night and it reminds me of you!” He circled Cale as he said this, once, twice, three times before settling on his shoulders.

“Also, I will destroy the world if you disappear again! I'll start picking which land to start!” Raon said, then proceeded to paw Cale’s face, like he was making sure he was tangible and real. Cale shuddered at the threat, but otherwise paid more attention to Eruhaben and Choi Han, who were trying to hold their laughter.

And, again with the weird lines - disappear? He didn’t go anywhere last night.

He pointedly stared at Choi Han, who continued to look away from him. He narrowed his eyes a bit, and Choi Han changed the direction of his stare of avoidance.

What was so important last night that he’s trying to hide it?

“You vanished in a spectacle of light last night. Then you returned, still asleep, with grass and soil staining your clothes. Then this appeared,” On said, joining her brother in Cale’s arms.

Cale adjusted his arms so she would be comfortable, staying silent as he poked at the Ancient Powers.

“Right, and the only reason we didn’t wake you up was because our youngest said this wasn’t dangerous and you were fine!” Hong pawed at his shirt, seemingly copying Raon’s actions from earlier.

“Does anyone else know?” Having this leaked before they could get a handle on the situation wasn’t good, nor if the gate broke before they could.

“Only the crown prince and smart Rosalyn! They said they’ll be over soon to look at it,” Raon said.

That was good, at least.

[summonedfrommyhands]

Today marked the year he’s been at the company, and because of today, he can kiss a permanent contract here goodbye. His friends were full time contracted, so it made him a little bitter to not stay alongside them. It didn’t help because of his untalkative nature, and the fact everyone sees how tightly he clings to the two people who gave him the time of day.

Those two were well respected in their fields, so he knew to keep them from following him - laughably untrue - they would strike a deal he would lose in anyway.

Companies aren’t friends, after all. He didn’t know why he had those small moments of hope. To get what the company wants, people like him would be kicked to the curb, even if their best still want the gum stuck to their shoes.

Despite it all, he actually came to enjoy their friendship. It started with one of them calling out to him, little gestures that turned into an actual conversation. She even struck an interest in the novel he read, and constantly asked him over it. Rambles, theories, waiting for the new chapters with him. Seeing the reader tick of 1 become two was like a dream come true.

Honestly, it still didn’t feel real, even now. He expects to wake up and it all been a dream. But everyday he gets to work and they’re still here, friends with him and sharing an interest for a novel the world had given up on.

Ways of Survival seemed to be a little less lonely because of it.

He also didn’t go outside a lot, either, but because of her, he went out a little more. He especially liked the cafe she introduced. It was small, cozy, and had a really good atmosphere that Ways of Survival conversation thrived in.

Just the other day, the reader tick of 2 went up to 3, then 10, and it constantly rose. He hadn’t seen a number like that since halfway through the novel. It made him happier, too, and his friends teased him over it.

He was curious about the other readers, and why so suddenly they picked up the novel. She convinced him to reach out, since she was already talking to some of them. It started as a warm welcome, then the readers formed a little community over the novel. Sometimes even tls123 joined in.

Genuinely, it made him really excited to wake up everyday.

It became a habit, too, to watch the reader count reach the same number every upload. Sometimes someone wouldn’t read it and he’d stalk the page for days until it showed up, usually with the reader commenting some excuse they’d all joke about.

He was still glad for her friendship, though. Someone as amazing as her constantly calling out to him was nice, even if it didn’t feel real most of the time. She even struck an interest in Ways of Survival, always asking him about his thoughts, theories, or just rambling about it.

Going out was easier because of it, too. He liked that cafe she showed him. Cozy and not really busy.

It was nice, also, seeing the reader count of one become two. Then it suddenly upticked, and was now in the double digits. She had convinced him to talk to the other readers, and they all had formed some sort of group. The author rarely responded, but they did add some comments here and there.

It was nice. It was genuinely really nice.

It felt a bit weird, caring about something like this at his age. His whole life he grew lethargic and apathetic, but now he’s come to care deeply for this two digit reader count. He’s even had thoughts of -

“Dokja - ssi!” Making a sound in surprise, Dokja turned his head to see the best of Minosoft’s human resources department, Yoo Sangah, waving at him as she walked his way. Behind her stood Han Myungoh, who also held a friendly smile.

He didn’t know how this happened either. He just assumed Sangah was just amazingly cool about her interactions with others. Han Myungoh went from hating him to turning a 180, and while Dokja couldn’t believe it at first, he tentatively came around to it with Sangah’s reassurances.

There was also a rumor that Han Myungoh liked Sangah, but when asked, he denied it with such a strong look of disgust on his face. Sangah would laugh, and say something about a kid not liking it. He didn’t know what that meant, and Sangah frustratingly wouldn’t tell him.

“You’ll see,” she’d say, and laugh as Myungoh went red for some other side. After that he decided not to question it any longer.

If there was one thing Dokja was slightly sure of, was that Myungoh didn’t particularly like Ways of Survival. He knew a lot about it, but he didn’t actually participate in theories or favorite characters like he and Sangah did. Sangah reassured him, though, since she caught him reading it when they weren’t looking.

He decided to believe in that. But still, he couldn’t be completely sure.

At least being in Myungoh’s car was fun. The seats were his favorite, since they were so comfortable. Really easy to fall asleep in.

“Hello,” he greeted them. Dokja hadn’t realized it was the end of the day already. Since he was usually absorbed in his work, they came over to get him at the end of the day, making sure he didn’t fall asleep at his desk.

“Ready to go? The last chapter drops soon, I’m very excited about it,” Sangah said, bag over her shoulder. “Today was also that rumored end of the world, so I have a contingency just in case.” She smiled as Myungoh looked at her bag, nodding.

“It was today?” Dokja couldn’t remember the rumor because he wasn’t too particular about it. It caught fire a while back, but he was too engrossed about the novel and his shift in relationships. He also didn’t mark Sangah as someone who believed in those conspiracies. The way she said it felt like it really was about to happen.

Dokja walked behind the two. He watched as they exited Minosoft’s doors and watched as they paused and waited for him. The moment he touched the cool glass doors, he grew extremely tired. Blinking, he exited the doors and stumbled, a sudden plethora of something bone - chilling filling him.

“Dokja - ssi?” Sangha asked, her eyes searching for something he couldn’t find an answer to.

“I’m fine, I think the temperature difference just hit me,” he replied, eyes drifting in a glaze trying to figure out what that sudden foreboding was.

Everything around him was ordinary.

Nothing that could cause a call for suspicion happened.

Completely, utterly, wholly, dully, ordinary.

Even on the way to the subway, that feeling never left. That feeling consumed him - the disjointed contrast that buzzed his senses in a way he couldn’t articulate. Something was wrong and he didn’t know what.

‘Ways of Survival’ had already been pulled up on his phone, a force of habit. It would only be a little more before the final chapter dropped, and his long lasting obsession would come to a close. His thoughts didn’t stay on the novel long, since something was still wrong and no one else seemed to notice.

Sangah and Myungoh talked about something, but he couldn’t listen in, his thoughts drowning by an unknown fear. He wasn’t a person who was afraid. The life he lived didn’t allow him that much. Still, he glanced at the pending chapter, frowning.

Something was wrong.

Was he wrong?

The feeling began to choke him, increasing with each step to the subway station he traveled from every day. His hands twitched, and he had half a mind to chuck his phone. Instead, he tightened his grip, convincing himself not to because he needed to immediately read that last chapter. He never missed an upload, waiting and staring at the screen until a chapter showed up every time. Being late was never an option.

“Dokja - ssi!” He flinched at Sangah’s worried voice. He blinked quickly, seeing they were on the steps to the train waiting below. Nothing continued to look right, but he shook himself to face her, clearly fine.

“Ah, sorry. I think that rumor is starting to get to me,” he said, laughing awkwardly. Yoo Sangah held his gaze for more than a moment before turning away.

Something itched at him then.

“Don’t worry, Dokja - ssi, nothing will go wrong,” her determination was strange, but he dismissed it. His jittery feelings over that rumor would quell the moment he opened the epilogue.

All of his feelings faded when he opened his favorite novel. Following the protagonist to the end, happily safe and out of danger, was all he ever wanted. All that pain and suffering the protagonist went through will end today with that last chapter, and he was genuinely excited for it.

Cozy slice of life ending was all he wanted, and it was all the protagonist deserved, too. As the reader, he wanted that cathartic ending more than anything.

Especially since he could celebrate it with others.

With that feeling still crawling over him, he watched as Sangah carried a conversation with Myungoh, the doors to the train opening.

[summonedfrommyhands]

“Does this mean if we do it he’ll wake up?” a voice said. Everyone looked to see the boy who stayed by his side from the very beginning.

“We tried once and it didn’t exactly work so well,” someone else piped up, “how do we know this won’t shatter that piece of him further? It said he’ll wake up soon, right?”

“But what if this speeds it up? We waited this long, if there’s a way - 

“Then we wait! We had the patience up to now, let’s not lose it over something suspicious. This world barely has any connection anymore, so this is something from outside.”

Sangah watched as people picked fights. She herself didn’t know which side to take, but she didn’t give herself any thought of it. Instead, she focused her attention on the two with the most authority of the situation.

“Sooyoung - ssi,” she asked, “what do you and Joonghyuk want to do?” In the corner of her eyes, she saw Sookyoung place her other hand over Dokja’s. The room had fallen silent, too, waiting for their answer.

They didn’t say anything either, like they had already chosen this path before. They shared a glance, holding it before coming to a decision.

“We have to try, don’t we,” Sooyoung said, the question more of a statement. Sangha nodded, agreeing. The others, by her guess still too shocked to say anything, stayed silent as a gold glow started to take over the paper in her hands.

After it faded, she read what was written.

“Thank you, and once more, I’m sorry. You all will regress to the very beginning of the timeline you currently live in. No, it won’t be a situation with your group regression, this is the same timeline you completed. Kim Dokja will be forcibly awakened, but since he is not whole, he will suffer a bit - “ someone cursed, the hiss loud in its fury, “but overall will be fine. There will also be people from other worlds - they're very similar to you all, so I ask you all to behave. Accepting again will start the regression. Also, please don’t mind the current situation, you all were scattered so I had to do my best to connect you here.”

This time, the whole room was deathly silent.

A second passed, then a moment, a minute. Two. Three.

“There’s so much I’m confused about,” Everyone looked at who spoke up, the face of confusion on one of the people who had been by Dokja’s side from the very beginning.

“Gilyoung, I think it means we have to find what that deal was, and how to solve it. It seems to be related to 

“We have to now, right?” Sookyoung said, voice even. “We'll most likely end up where we began that day. I'll see you as soon as I can,”

“Wait, wait, wait, other worlds? Similar to us? What does that mean?” 

“But what about the issues he'll face? Couldn’t we have gotten that instead of the other worlds bit?”

[summonedfrommyhands]

“Hey, Dokja - who are those two?” Sooyoung said, face twisted.

He hummed a confused noise, and turned to the side, only to be met with reddish - brown eyes and the reddest hair he’d ever seen. Dokja flinched, and on his other side was someone with earrings and a choker, black eyes also confused as to what was happening.

The three of them kept eye contact, before the two strangers vanished like a hologram fizzling out.

Somehow, weirdly, he started to miss their presence.

Face turning in confusion, Dokja could only stare at the place the two strangers stood.

“Well, that definitely answers one question,” Sooyoung said, rubbing her forehead in frustration.

His phone beeped, and when he opened it, the novel stared back at him.

[Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World.TXT]

“Ah, you finally got it. You know how hard it was to send that before running here?” Sooyoung said, which only confused the dazed Dokja more.

“What?” he could only say.

“Ah, right, I forgot,” Sooyoung raised her hand for a handshake, and reintroduced herself.

“Han Sooyoung, author of Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World, my alias being tls123.”

The world halted. His mind couldn’t take any more surprises. What’s next, the readers were also people he knew?

He took her hand to shake it, and when he did, multiple windows popped up for him to read.

[You have obtained an exclusive attribute]

[The exclusive skill slot has been activated]

Dokja blinked, and continued to do so. In the background, he could see Sangah and Gilyoung with Bihyung, and Lee Hyunsung with Kim Namwoon and the others in the car.

The ending he wanted seemed to fade away. All the plans he sought from the novel seemed to vanish. A new one formed, but he couldn’t see it clearly. Maybe if he read the novel again it would be clearer.

The scenario passed, the list of survivors being longer than it was supposed to.

Two people were supposed to survive, yet here Dokja stood, with everyone in the train car still alive.

Maybe the car behind him also has more survivors. Sangah did say that the conspiracy caught fire, and with Sooyoung’s words, a lot of people seemed to respond to it.

Lost in thought, Dokja missed the Constellation selection, and was dragged out by the others who seemed to have mastered their skills already.

The moment he stepped out of the train car doors, he felt a wave of exhaustion pass through him. Did his adrenaline dissipate already? Dokja focused to keep himself standing, wanting to be far, far away from the bridge as possible. The other scenarios won’t attack until they’re set to be, so he wanted everyone in a safe place to put everything together.

He also needed time to read WOS through the speed reading he acquired.

But with each step his vision failed, and his stamina worsened. How was he going to clear the scenarios for the end he wants if he can’t keep his eyes open?

“Hey,” he struggled to say. It felt like he was drugged with how heavy he suddenly became. His blinking slowed and his hearing died. He felt faint touches from the others before he started leaning.

They were saying something. Worry adorned their faces, but he couldn’t reassure them. Maybe when he woke up he’ll…

Ah, he’s so tired.

His vision completely blanked out.

[summonedfrommyhands]

“What a way to introduce yourself. I’m glad you weren’t late.” She smiled, lifting the person to their feet.

“Ah, shut up, you knew I would be late,” Dokja watched as they bantered, quiet and following the three into the train.

She felt familiar, somehow. Of course, this was their first time meeting, so Dokja was slightly taken aback by her knowing his name, but at the same time, the way she called his name seemed… used.

That desperation laced in her voice also seemed like she was familiar in a way he couldn’t recall.

Just as he opened his mouth to ask her name, the subway doors closed, sealing them all inside. The soft jolt of the subway car silenced him as he watched the three have a conversation he couldn’t hear.

He felt coldly alone in that moment, like he was watching them through a window; he the reader, and them the characters he’d come to care for.

Something nagged at him, that this feeling specifically wasn’t new. He didn’t know why his mouth felt wired shut, that all he wanted to do was reach out to connect but as he stood there, watching, something enveloped him in a way he couldn’t ever explain.

“ - ng!” small hands wrapped around him, startling him out of his thoughts. He looked down at those hands, then behind as a small boy smiled at him like he was the world.

It made him uncomfortable, but he chose to cherish it all the same.

Maybe he looked like someone the kid knew.

“Hyung! Hello!” The kid said again, squeezing him in a hug that couldn’t reach the other hand.

“Um, hello,” he responded, watching as the boy’s smile grew.

“Ah, right!” the boy said. “Lee Gilyoung! My name is Lee Gilyoung!”

“... Kim Dokja,”

Gilyoung laughed, then looked past him. The others stopped their conversation, greeting Gilyoung along with a fourth person who appeared from somewhere.

Dokja frowned as he looked at the new person, but couldn’t place why.

“Grab the kid, everyone’s getting off here this time,” the one who called out to him said. She looked up at him, seemingly sneering. “Han Sooyoung. You’re a rotten piece of shit fucker, you know?” Dokja could only blankly stare, confused.

“Hello, Dokja,” the guy who appeared said, nervous, “I’m Lee Hyunsung.”

Kim Dokja’s eyes widened. How could he ever forget a name like that? He looked at Lee Hyunsung, taking in all the details and finding he recognized everything. With his breath knocked out of him, he could only stare at this fictional character come to life.

… Wait, if he’s here, then…

Dokja’s eyes roamed the car, wide eyes only widening as a kid with white hair sat far, far away in the car. That bastard’s smile was as crazy as ever.

“Car 3807…” His eyes then drifted to the back of the car. In the one behind them…

Speechless, he was jolted back into reality with Gilyoung’s hug, Sangah’s hand on him and Sooyoung snapping at him. He avoided the strong gaze of Hyunsung, still not able to process it fully.

“Hey, check your mail,” Sooyoung said, and he opened his phone, dazed.

“Monetized at 7?” He said, seeing the time as five minutes before. Bringing up the library, his dazed state continued to worsen, as the work no longer existed.

He checked the reader’s list he had of his fellow readers, only to find them all offline.

Mouth running dry, Dokja could only hollowly listen to the others.

“‘59, ready, everyone?” Sangah said, stepping in front of Dokja alongside Sooyoung.

The subway lights cut out, sparking and the train car shaking before enveloping them in complete darkness, throwing everyone forward. People were screaming, but all Dokja could do was stare as he was caught by Lee Hyunsung, eyes trained to the front of the subway car.

[summonedfrommyhands]

A note had appeared in a flash of gold light. It fluttered down onto the hospital bed, shocking the two in the room, who watched with shock.

Soon, the room filled with many people, all who looked at each other with doubt, confusion, and a lot of hope.

"I vote we do," one said, the strange note in hand. She frowned at the text, but was determined. A chance like this could never come again, and this time, she intended to grab it and never let go.

"And this will be it?" Another said. He stood tall in the room, knowing their thoughts matched, but chose different outcomes. For someone who lived as long as he had, this unknown factor made him uneasy.

"You fucking - goddammit, look at you saying that when we all know you'll take however many chances." Glaring, the note remained unmarked in her clenched hand.

"We all are doing this, please get ready, everyone," a hand on her shoulder as someone else spoke. Several nods went through the room, the consensus made before it was even talked about.

"Okay. Let's fucking do this," and the wind picked up around the room, making everyone cover their faces to shield their eyes. 

The wind blew harder, tossing their hair as the hospital room deteriorated around them.

When they all looked up, they stared at each other incredulously, the surroundings something from a long time ago.

They came back a day before the constellations came.

[summonedfrommyhands]

Everything was too hot. He was thirsty and sweaty and he really wanted water.

Bracing himself to stand, Yoojin left the room, unaware at how silent the world was.

As he walked, it felt like he had fallen back asleep, as he felt his fever go down and walking normally instead of slouched over.

The walk to the kitchen seemed longer than he thought, as he hadn’t…

What was he looking for again? Instead of his fever, an overwhelming tiredness came over him. He kept walking, mind growing slower the farther he went.

Then, the sky greeted him again. The familiar ever expanding night sky with the most vibrant colors and bright stars faced him.

Colors flew by him, too, but he didn’t pay it much mind. Warmth enveloped him as he reached out, finally being able to touch the sky.

The stars bursted forth, swirling around him as his whole body felt light as he closed his eyes, being pulled forth into the gate.

[summonedfrommyhands]

He leaned back into the pillows, noticing something about the people in the room.

Even with his attempts at conversation, they all stared at him, making no sound whatsoever. If they weren’t going to answer him, that might just get him angry enough to kick them out and go back to sleep.

Well, now that he wasn’t groggy anymore, he might as well just do his daily tasks. Maybe if he grounded them from following him they’d tell him what happened?

No, that wouldn’t work. Since he’s a low class, he wouldn’t even know if they were following him.

Reorganizing his thoughts, he looked around at the group in his room again. Their usual blank stare seemed to have something more added to it. They also seemed to carry themselves with something else, but he couldn’t tell what.

He really wanted to chastise them right now.

When he opened his mouth to speak again, a hand softly touching his face made him flinch. He turned to the side of his bed to see his younger brother, face distraught and somewhat glazed over. His brother’s hand stayed on his face, as if he were checking for something.

His heart ached at the sight, making him forget what he was doing in favor of reassuring him. He placed his own hand over the one slightly putting pressure on his cheek, making sure to maintain eye contact.

“Yoohyun,” was all he said, but it was the soft way that was only reserved for him. He squeezed the hand too, trying to shake his brother from the unknown daze.

“Hyung,” he said, not moving. His hand twitched, but he remained still. He nodded, taking Yoohyun’s hand off his face and into both his hands, smiling. His heart ached again with the lost way he sounded.

“Good morning, Yoohyun. Can you tell me what’s going on?” Just as he was weak to his brother, Yoohyun was weak to him too. Taking advantage of him while in this state made him feel bad, but knowing the situation that created this was more important.

“Hyung,” his brother said again, his voice holding more strength, like a confirmation. “Hyung.” He repeated. There seemed to be something else in his voice now, but he couldn’t tell what it was.

He knew that if he couldn’t tell, his brother had thought something that he didn’t approve of. 

“Hey, Yoohyun,” he said more sternly. Was there really no one who was in their mind enough to respond to him? The more he didn’t know, the more frustrated he got - 

A sudden throbbing headache made him squeeze Yoohyun’s hand weakly, wincing as the sudden flash left as quickly as it came.

Of course, everyone noticed, and of course, everyone reacted. The room suddenly filled itself with noise, the other people in the room raising their voices in alarm to his headache.

The headache returned dully at the noise, making him duck his head. Seriously, these guys.

As the headache became more present, everyone’s voices slurred together. He couldn’t tell who was speaking, and he couldn’t tell that Yoohyun was grabbing onto him, yelling to quiet everyone else.

He’d say that his younger brother was so kind, if he wasn’t adding onto the problem. 

“Yoohyun, off,” he said, failing to push his brother off him. At least there were only four people in the room. Having anyone else would have made the situation unrecoverable.

… Well, looking at the people here, maybe he was thinking too lightly. Three guild leaders and a public servant. Honestly, why was he even thinking of getting answers.

“Well, now that it’s quiet, we can finally get some answers,” the redhead said, hand on her hip with her mouth a thin line.

A tired smile formed, the questions he’d been trying to ask finally close to being answered. 

“Hyuna - noona,” and relaxed when she smiled. It looked like she wanted to laugh, but held back at the soon to be serious conversation.

“You punk, seriously! Had us all worried and now you’re begging. Stop that Han Yoohyun,” Moon Hyuna waved off Yoohyun’s glare, smirking at his ire.

His brother still hadn't gotten off him, insteading to act like a child by climbing on top of him. He was suddenly reminded of Peace, who pawed at his face and clothes when clinging to him the same way.

Sometimes, those two act so alike he didn’t know why they didn’t get along as much as they should.

“That is true. Since Han Yoojin - gun is awake, we can finally put the mysteries to rest.” The glittery guild leader said. He smiled towards Yoojin, his words bringing the usual distaste to his life.

“What mysteries? I’m sure I’m more in the dark than you are. You do meddle in unwanted areas to find things out, right?” Yoojin said. He tapped Yoohyun again, but the younger wouldn’t budge. 

“Just because Peace can, doesn’t mean you can, Yoohyun. Get off your brother, you’re suffocating him.” Hyuna laughed as she teased him, mimicking the action of picking up a cat by the scruff, and very obviously pulling away when Yoohyun glared at her.

“She’s right, Yoohyunie, off. Off, Yoohyun.” Yoojin sent a glance of thanks her way, a sulking Yoohyun only keeping one arm looped with his brother as he slowly slid off him.

Hyuna smiled in return, her thoughts also very obvious. Her brocon comments were already haunting him, and she hadn’t even said any yet.

In any other circumstance, he'd find the pouty behavior cute. Little Yoohyun was a delight, and seeing it brought a lot of happy nostalgia.

"So," Hyuna started again, clapping her hands together, "before things can fall behind even more, let's get started."

Yoojin finally sighed in relief. Truly, he had been getting more antsy by the second.

He really didn't like not knowing.

"Han Yoojin disappeared from his bed at eleven o'clock exactly last night. He then reappeared four hours ago, at eleven am. For exactly twelve hours, Han Yoojin was a missing person." Yoojin felt disbelief creep into him as he watched Song Taewon recall the events.

As the Association member continued, his stomach dropped lower.

"Ten minutes after reappearing, a gate appeared. Unusually, no one can enter, and there has been no countdown." With the important information out of the way, Hyuna and Hyunjae each talked about how everyone was worried and if he became a national scandal again.

Pushing through the headache, Yoojin could only think in confusion. His brother, who at some point crawled back onto the bed, stayed completely silent.

He looked from the standing S - class rankers to the one who's on the bed. He looked back up, everyone already knowing what he was to say.

"No, hyung." Yooyhyun said, before Yoojin could even ask.

"I still will. Can I see the gate?" He replied. As an apology, he softly ran his fingers through Yoohyun's hair, which was wholeheartedly accepted.

"I can't believe he's being so docile now. You should've seen it, he was about to light up the city," Hyuna said, crossing her arms.

"He also tried to forcefully enter the gate, and tried to break it when he couldn't." Taewon added.

Yoojin looked down at his brother, who didn't turn to look at him. Brash kid.

"Well, since the gate isn't harmful, we can go see it," Hyunjae said, that too beautiful, cheerfully solid smile made Yoojin squint in disgust.

"You're lucky it was only us who came in. Everyone wanted to see if you were alright when you reappeared. It was like a very, very long line of rock, paper, scissors, and blatant use of authority to make it only the four of us," Hyuna laughed lightly as she flexed her muscles.

Yoojin thanked her, and politely kicked everyone out so he could get dressed. Before leaving the room, he pressed his hand to his head, attempting to lessen the headache.

There was medicine somewhere right? He couldn't remember. 

Before he could search, he was unceremoniously shoved through the door and into the car waiting outside. Somewhere along the way, Bak Yerim and Peace had joined.

The car was definitely spacious for everyone, but it still felt crowded. Probably because everyone was vigilant of something? An unknown gate after he supposedly disappeared?

Or, maybe it was because Peace picked a fight with Yoohyun and their squabbling was right next to his ears as both sat on either side of him.

He just looked at Hyuna who laughed at him. She laughed harder. Even Yerim was giggling, which made his frown deepen which made Hyuna wheeze harder, face red.

He could only sigh as they didn’t hear him ask to stop. For some reason, though, their fighting had lessened his headache.

Much too late for his tastes, they arrived at the unusual gate.

The first one out of the car was him, despite the protests from his brother. A breath of fresh air after that was amazing.

After everyone had gotten out, they walked to the gate. It looked the same as every other gate that appeared, but the feeling of it was just as everyone said - something was definitely wrong.

As Yoojin walked closer to inspect it, he noticed the color of the gate was changing. When it resembled the night sky, he felt an intense familiarity to it.

The night sky of the gate seemed to be changing, too. The galaxy look it took on slowly became whiter in color, as the stars started shining blindingly the closer he got.

Honestly, it was beautiful to look at, mesmerizing, really. As he reached out to touch it, the world seemed to blur around him.

All he could see was the gate in front of him, and how it suddenly looked so inviting. With the world muted around him, he didn’t notice how his group had gone silent, watching him.

Then he was jerked away from the gate, snapping awake as his gaze was torn away.

Yoohyun's face looked down on him, a frown on his face as his hand snagged Yoojin's wrist.

He watched as his brother said something, but he couldn’t hear it. Instead, his own heartbeat filled his ears, the temperature too hot. His headache throbbed painfully, too.

"Yoohyunie," Yoojin said, weak - kneed, "I think I've a… fever," and closed his eyes.

[summonedfrommyhands]

That’s when the yelling broke out.

The jumble of their shouting confused him even more, and this time he was the one staring at everyone else.

He watched as the shouting turned into fighting, as Moon Hyuna held Yoohyun’s collar and when he voiced an objection, Yerim was already in the air - 

A splitting headache made him weak, placing his head into his hands. The pain was unbearable, and the pain made him want to do nothing but take some medicine and sleep it off.

Someone touched his shoulders, the warmth of their hands making him lean into it. Suddenly quiet, he looked up to see everyone had frozen, turning their attention back to him.

He shifted away when he noticed it was Sung Hyunjae’s hand.

“It seems a party isn’t welcome,” he said, an unreadable look making him uncomfortable to look at.

“Hyung,” his brother said, openly glaring at Sung Hyunjae. He reached out again, but stopped when Peace barreled into the room, knocking Yerim and Yoohyun over in an effort to cling to him.

This is so strange, he thought as he ran his hands through Peace’s fur, am I able to ask what’s going on now?

His hands twitched when his headache throbbed dully, which made Peace lean into his face to nuzzle him.

“Yoojin,” Yoo Meyoungwoo said. Yoojin looked up to him, a slight wince when Peace tried to climb farther up.

“Can you tell us what happened?” He continued. He had that same uncomfortable look as everyone else, but it seemed more reassuring than the others.

“Um, that’s what I was going to ask, actually,” Yoojin tried to laugh through his words, but it came out flat, seemingly angering everyone else.

“What do you mean? You literally disappeared!” Yerim shouted, anger blazing in her eyes.

“That bratty bastard tried to keep your disappearance from us, but Peace started making noises - and now you wake up with nothing to say?” She continued in anger, but calmed down when Yoo Meyongwoo put his hand on her shoulder. 

“You reappeared in a bright light, with grass stains on you. Are you really sure you don’t remember anything?” Yoo Meyoungwoo asked, keeping Yerim still as his gaze drifted between the two.

Yoojin stayed silent, his confusion giving everyone the answer.

Peace pawed at his hair, not caring at all about the atmosphere. Yoohyun tried swatting him away, but the pet just hissed back, clinging tighter to Yoojin.

“Sorry,” Yoojin said, “I only remember going to sleep last night.” Without his fear resistance, he would have definitely been crushed by the energy everyone was giving out, but with everyone here, it also seemed like something else had happened too.

Him going missing wasn’t that big of a deal for everyone to gather, right?

Making eye contact with Song Taiwan proved otherwise. His solid nature looked ruffled, which was more scary than the others’ anger.

“On that note,” Song Taiwan said, “we still have yet to discuss the gate that appeared after Yoojin Han came back.”

Yoojin stared at him, unsure he heard those words correctly.

Song Taiwan just continued to stand still, eyes trained and focused. 

“The gate has no timer, and every attempt to pass through has failed. Yoojin Han, if you could - “

“Hyung’s not going,” his brother cut off the official with a cold stare, a fierce challenge being spoken.

[summonedfrommyhands]

“Um,” he started, rapidly trying to clear the grogginess and sudden headache, “good morning?”

No one answered him, so he averted his eyes in embarrassment. He sat up, leaning back into the pillows. He tried recalling the past few days for something they could be upset about, but nothing came up.

… They have to speak soon, right? Or blink? The hawk - eyed stares he was getting were setting off his Fear Resistance.

He looked at each of them to see who would answer first, but gave up when their blank stares started turning into something else.

I really want to scold them, he thought, but they all really do seem worried about something…

A smooth hand on his face made him flinch. He turned to the person, a question on his lips when he saw the blank eyed look of his younger brother. He reached up to hold that hand, his question to that of a comfort.

“Yoohyunie,"

The silence continued as a small flicker formed in his brother's eyes, trembling before fully engulfing him a hug.

"Hyung." 

That's when the room erupted.

Everyone began speaking at once, their shouts and jumbled words making him wince and hold Yoohyun tighter.

Noticing this, Yoohyun sent a glare across the room, but it didn't break the chaotic atmosphere. 

"You - !" Bak Yerim yelled, moving from Moon Hyuna's side to punch the guild leader in the face. 

"We're all worried here, Han Yoohyun," Hyuna said, catching Yerim by her collar, effectively cutting her off from attacking.

Yoohyun decided to ignore her and hug his brother tighter. 

He watched as Yerim seethed, but didn't struggle from Hyuna's hold. Song Taiwan stood next to them, simply observing. 

"So," he asked, patting his brother into letting him breathe, "can I ask - "

"What's with the noise? Is he awake? Is Yoojin awake?" Yoo Meyongwoo opened the door, shouldering his way through the crowded room, Peace trailing behind him.

Peace jumped onto the bed, keeping his stare trained on him as he tried kicking Yoohyun to have a comfortable space on Yoojin to lay on. 

Of course, an angry Yoohyun pushed back, avoiding the swatting paws of the flame horned lion.

Myeongwoo had also brought breakfast into the room. He couldn’t see what he carried, but the smell made Yoojin realize how hungry he was.

"Yoohyunie, Peace," he said, tapping both of them lightly, "let go, I wanna eat."

"I'll feed you," Yoohyun tried to grab the plate, but Myeongwoo side stepped him. He tried again, and got side stepped again.

Myeongwoo waited until Yoojin pushed his brother away to hold the plate. Peace then bowled into Yoohyun, taking them both to the floor while Yerim and Hyuna cheered. For what, Yoojin didn't know, but the food as always, was delicious. 

"Are you alright, Yoojin?" His friend asked, worry clear on his face. Still confused by the situation, he replied when he was done chewing.

"I'm fine, but I don't know what's happening. Why is everyone in my room?" Feeling the room tense, Yoojin only asked again, seeing as no one gave an immediate response.

"... You had disappeared," Song Taiwan was the one to answer. "The only notice we had was Han Yoohyun causing stress to his guild. Bak Yerim then notified everyone."

Yoojin's face filled with confusion. He hadn’t gone anywhere - he went to sleep in his bed last night. He would have remembered going anywhere, right?

His confusion caused the room to chill, his Fear Resistance popping up amidst his racing mind.

"How long was I gone then? It didn't reach any news, right?"

"All night. And no, the situation caused a stir but nothing had been revealed to the public," Song Taiwan answered. "You also only reappeared less than four hours ago."

This froze Yoojin in his tracks, unsure of the information. His headache remained dull, but he felt that something was deeply wrong.

"You hadn't even mentioned the most interesting part in all of this," Sung Hyunjae peeked into the room, his smile and eyes looking the same as always.

Radiant bastard.

"Hey, hold on now, we don't know if it's actually connected to him," Hyuna said, long ago letting go of Yerim, who stood by Myeongwoo as he gave her snacks.

Yoojin stared at them, waiting for an answer. At some point, Yoohyun and Peace had returned to his side, fighting for who knows what.

"But isn't it strange that it also appeared four hours ago? After our dear Han Yoojin reappeared? And that there's no visible time limit, or the fact that no one can enter it?" 

That dull headache returned, rising from dull to annoying. 

I, he thought, I want to see it

"Hyung,"

I need to see it, a light tap on his face brought his attention back to those in the room.

The sudden thought scared him, but it wasn’t exactly concerning. A gate others can't touch and is possibly connected to him is something he needed to involve himself in.

"Can I go see it?" He asked, waiting for someone to answer. While they could deny him seeing it now, they all knew he'd sneak out later.

"Only when you're feeling better," Hyuna said, "whatever you disappeared to seems to have left you quite feverish."

Yoojin instinctively touched his face, concerned if he did have a fever. He felt fine, then noticed the sleeves he had on.

He didn't go to sleep wearing sleeves.

"... your clothes were dirty," his brother mumbled when he caught sight of Yoojin's stare.

… Having Yoohyun change his clothes didn’t feel right.

In fact, why didn't he just leave him in the dirty clothes? He could have just changed himself when he woke up.

"Yoohyun, Peace, off," he gently pushed the two off, turning to the others in the room.

"Please take me to the gate, I need to see it," Taiwan nodded, leaving the room to seemingly prepare.

"Are you sure?" Hyuna asked, "well, we're coming with you anyway. Nothing should be dangerous." He thanked her as she left as well, not giving Yoohyun a chance to decline on his behalf. Yerim and Myeongwoo followed her out.

"This should be very fun. I didn’t know that missing more than a night's work could be so rewarding. I'll see you outside," Hyunjae smiled, crescents for both his eyes and mouth.

Instead of retorting back, Yoojin just sighed and shooed everyone else out.

[summonedfrommyhands]

They shined brighter than the stars above, and the worlds unbalanced themselves to save themselves.

Burning brighter than existence themselves, the sky cracked.

The worlds screamed.

Opening his eyes, he swallowed a gasp as the dream abruptly ended. The chills that filled him weren’t familiar, almost like something that couldn’t be possible was about to transpire.

Sitting up, he shook his head to focus more on the dream issue, only to find it leaving him in a forgotten feeling fashion. Blinking once, he frowned, wondering what had given him a headache so early in the morning.

Something wasn’t right - an instinctual feeling that had kept him and his family alive signaling that he had to check something out. But what could he check out if there was nothing that came to mind? Especially with this headache that was faint enough to ignore was somehow overpowering his thoughts.

Standing up from the bed, careful of those still sleeping, he stood up to talk a walk around to clear his mind. Not knowing how early it was, he hoped no one would greet him.

Too lost in his thoughts, he didn’t register stepping outside the home, heading towards the open field of the villa. There, he could see someone crouched over, like they were searching for something. What caught his attention though, was the black hair the person sported.

Upon getting closer to what he recognized to be a child, the kid was wearing, he was shocked to find the boy wearing clothes that didn't fit this world.

He now stood right behind the crouched boy, and he knew that the face wouldn't be common either.

"Um," he said, crouching himself and reaching out to tap the boy on the shoulder. The child didn't react, instead picking up something he couldn't see.

"Hey," he tried again, suddenly awkward. Something was wrong here, but he couldn’t tell what.

The kid seemed to hear him this time, turning around as he stood to his height.

Transfixed, he watched the boy smile, hands clasped together, weakly holding what he caught.

"Hello…" the boy greeted. He shifted his weight and looked down peacefully, before stepping forward.

His voice was quiet, body smaller than healthy in too many ways.

The echo of his greeting seemed to wrap around him. Something… wasn't right.

"I have a gift for you," the boy stepped closer, showing his clasped hands to show where it was. 

All he could do was cup his hands and watch as the boy placed something smooth into his hands, the peaceful, timid smile turning into a happy one.

"Thank you," he said. The boy nodded and echoed his thanks.

Bashfully, awkwardly, the boy scrunched his face, as if deciding something. As if taking his stare as the answer, the boy nodded again.

"Please… believe that this wasn’t a bad intention…" 

The boy smiled.

He smiled back shakily.

Something… 

Was definitely…

Wr… on…g…

"Cale!"

-~-~-~

Once again, peacefully opening his eyes, Cale felt like something was wrong.

He didn't have a headache this time, and his hands were definitely empty. But the kids weren't in bed with him, and there was no Ron with his lemonade. 

[summonedfrommyhands]

They shined brighter than the stars above, and the worlds unbalanced themselves to save themselves.

Burning brighter than existence themselves, the sky cracked.

The worlds screamed.

Opening his eyes, he swallowed a gasp as the dream abruptly ended. The chills that filled him weren’t familiar, almost like something that couldn’t be possible was about to transpire.

Sitting up, he shook his head to focus more on the dream issue, only to find it leaving him in a forgotten feeling fashion. Blinking once, he frowned, wondering what had given him a headache so early in the morning.

Something wasn’t right - an instinctual feeling that had kept him and his family alive signaling that he had to check something out. But what could he check out if there was nothing that came to mind? Especially with this headache that was faint enough to ignore was somehow overpowering his thoughts.

Standing up from the bed, careful of those still sleeping, he stood up to talk a walk around to clear his mind. Not knowing how early it was, he hoped no one would greet him.

Too lost in his thoughts, he didn’t register stepping outside the home, heading towards the open field of the villa. There, he could see someone crouched over, like they were searching for something. What caught his attention though, was the black hair the person sported.

Upon getting closer to what he recognized to be a child, the kid was wearing, he was shocked to find the boy wearing clothes that didn't fit this world.

He now stood right behind the crouched boy, and he knew that the face wouldn't be common either.

"Um," he said, crouching himself and reaching out to tap the boy on the shoulder. The child didn't react, instead picking up something he couldn't see.

"Hey," he tried again, suddenly awkward. Something was wrong here, but he couldn’t tell what.

The kid seemed to hear him this time, turning around as he stood to his height.

Transfixed, he watched the boy smile, hands clasped together, weakly holding what he caught.

"Hello…" the boy greeted. He shifted his weight and looked down peacefully, before stepping forward.

His voice was quiet, body smaller than healthy in too many ways.

The echo of his greeting seemed to wrap around him. Something… wasn't right.

"I have a gift for you," the boy stepped closer, showing his clasped hands to show where it was. 

All he could do was cup his hands and watch as the boy placed something smooth into his hands, the peaceful, timid smile turning into a happy one.

"Thank you," he said. The boy nodded and echoed his thanks.

Bashfully, awkwardly, the boy scrunched his face, as if deciding something. As if taking his stare as the answer, the boy nodded again.

"Please… believe that this wasn’t a bad intention…" 

The boy smiled.

He smiled back shakily.

Something… 

Was definitely…

Wr… on…g…

"Cale!"

Once again, peacefully opening his eyes, Cale felt like something was wrong.

He didn't have a headache this time, and his hands were definitely empty. But the kids weren't in bed with him, and there was no Ron with his lemonade. 

[summonedfrommyhands]

Their worlds finally collide.

[summonedfrommyhands]

... why is the ao3 kudos heart different. i liked the red heart

[summonedfrommyhands]

Breathe. In. Out. Makoto repeated the process and decided to worry about everything after Komaru’s last surprise. He’s not in his usual hoodie and jacket, which feels a bit weird, but that’s okay. In Hope’s Peak it’s highly encouraged to wear the same style when not in uniform. He’d wear it then. 

The last forty - eight hours starts now.

“Makoto! Komaru is ready, are you?” His mom called out to him, and he made a noise of confirmation as he walked out of his room.

“I’m ready, where’s the last place, Komaru?” He was the second to walk out, his dad being the last to lock the door behind them. 

Walking down the busy streets reminded the lucky student why he didn’t watch too many mainstream shows anymore. Of course, after being used to watching his friends on television he had started watching shows again, but the first time he encountered an ad with someone who died right in front of him, he didn’t react too well.

The screen of Komaru’s television had become cracked from the glass of water he had. Not to mention he was standing in another room when it happened. Neither of them knew how that happened, nor how to explain it to their parents. 

After that, Komaru helped him to his room where he shut himself in for days and researched every name he knew. Makoto had cried at those that popped up, and broke down at those who didn’t - no matter, though, by extensively searching through news reports for any significant details, he had managed to track down more names that hadn’t been uncovered. He placed question marks next to those unspecifically named, checks next to those who were named, and blanks for the ones not found.

For some reason, he knew all his friends were here. It wasn’t just his optimism talking, here. It was different… like, he knew they were alive - like he can feel their presence without any real confirmation.

There was one name he hadn’t looked up yet - two, really, but one in particular set his heart racing like earlier, seeing his dead classmate performing live. That smile was the reason behind his nightmares, the reason he was like this.

Even thinking her name made his skin crawl. He didn’t know how he delt with her then, but he’ll do it again - for them. And for himself, to prove that no matter how different he was now, he can still achieve the things he’s done in his previous life.

His shoes were big, but Makoto was still growing anyway. He didn’t even begin to fight until two years later anyway, as a third year. So he can get the headstart he didn't have before.

He laughed quietly at himself as he searched in Ikusaba’s name. “It’s like those games with a memory reset. I think they were called ‘new game plus?’”

If he were a video game character, and not some reincarnation of himself, maybe it would be more believable he still had his memories. Though with the murder happy world he was in, doing it all again wouldn’t be too good for her.

Then again, she reveled at the fact makoto and the other survivors beat her and executed herself. He had wanted to help her, see the error and change - but being the constant in his nightmares still applied heavily. He can still choose to save people, even if they’ve done bad things.

Bracing himself, Makoto typed in the thirteen letter name, and hesitated before clicking search. Immediately, her face was all over the screen. Flinching, Makoto backed up enough to fall out his chair and the impact caused the poster over the computer to fall. He ducked his head to avoid her face and heard a cracking sound. 

It took a lot of self convincing to actually look up, but when he did, he gasped in fear. He couldn’t feel himself breathe, yet he couldn’t look away from the screen - Enoshima’s face was cracked, the pin holding the poster up somehow stabbed itself into the screen, cracking all the way to the edges of her face.

For such a small pin…

Makoto shook in place, staring at the image elevated in front of him. He couldn't move, his body had frozen, joints locked in place and the only thing he could do was shake. It was like - it was the same as - 

This feeling was when she - 

There was so much blood pooling from her - 

His vision grew blurry and he felt faint. Am I going to…?

A memory flashed infront of him. It was him, older. Right, follow that.

After being brought back, he glanced back to the monitor, seeing it had turned black after disuse. 

“If I’m going to panic when just seeing Junko, I won't last a day at the academy. I can do this,” Makoto told himself. He took off the pin from the middle of the screen, and set aside the journals keeping track of his friends.

“I wasn’t afraid of her before. I won’t be afraid of her now.” Hu mumbled. He looked through her public history, and saw nothing too suspicious. The thought at the back of his head told him she may not be despair induced this time around. Many things that have happened weren’t the exact same from his memories, so maybe this will be different too. 

It may not be, but still. He had to hope.

Either way, he will be ready to deal with it. He had to.

[summonedfrommyhands]

Is this some kind of parasocial thing? He is going to be their classmate and friend soon, and the fact he knew them from his past life - the bad, the killed, and the destruction of it all.

How has he not realized this before?

Embarrassed, he hides his face behind the brown bear, trying not to make noise to shake off the feeling.

Was this how Hifumi felt? Tsumugi?

He really didn’t like that.

Did his sister act like this too? With this realization will he see it in her too? Is this what his parents saw whenever they looked at them?

He felt uncomfortable with this. It looked like an unhealthy fan obsession. 

It was even worse they knew about the journals. 

[summonedfrommyhands]

Some were harder to find than others, and some still haven’t shown up on any feeds whatsoever. 

In true stalker fashion, he followed each of the social medias they were on, keeping track of the news they appeared in, newspaper and random photos and things they sold. Anything that was public of who he found, he had gotten his hands on.

It’s uh, something he’s definitely not going to tell them when he meets them on school grounds. He will never mention any of this to them. 

Ever. 

This was also his only way to see them, so it calmed him down whenever he felt terrible after another nightmare. It grounded him that they were alive, and still there with him.

It also made him feel a bit guilty, keeping tabs on them when they have no idea he even exists yet, helping him with troubles he’ll never explain.

At least I don’t have a stringed map of where they are, he thought. The journals aren't like that.

His phone beeps, a specific jingle that tells him that someone’s profile has been updated. Seeing his phone screen dim, he wondered who would be posting at night like this.

He reached over and turned on the phone to see the time and notification.

Especially at 4 am no less. The only people he knew had night habits didn’t even have social media of any kind, so who would - 

He drops the phone like he’s been burned, reaching wildly for the sheets so he could pull himself further and further to the headboard.

His head crashes hard against it and the plush falls off the bed, bouncing once and facing the door on its side.

Breathing heavily, he covers his eyes and tries not to scream. His hands move to his ears when the phone chimes again and he gets full body shivers, eyes wide and unseeing.

The phone flickers on again, a third notification from the same person spanning her various platforms.

Why was following her a good idea - how did he manage to convince himself to click that follow button over and over again? Out of them all, only one he had to force himself to look into, because he can still hear her voice laughing in his head, her long, sharp red nails digging into his shoulders to laugh at his attempts to locate his friends on the internet.

He wasn’t afraid of her then. He looked her in the eyes and said live, to reform along with the other remnants.

He walked through so many horrors with a smile and came out working harder than ever.

So why is it whenever she sneaks her way up to his mind, he freaks out so badly? 

He knows he wasn’t the man from his memories, but he also was him. So why wasn’t he as steeled to deal with this? From what he forced himself to look into, the creator of The Tragedy hasn’t done anything wrong so far.

The fashionista was just like any other superstar child influencer, posting about tips and looks and doing other famous people stuff because she was so interconnected with others.

Still frozen, he waited for his phone to stop getting notifications before braving himself to pick it up. 

Minutes later, he still does not move. Still sees her death before him. Still sees her sister’s death twice.

He’s gasping. He’s gasping and he can’t breathe. Where’s his - where’s the - 

He twitches when he feels something on his arms, and tries to fight when he feels something near his face. 

Tapping - there’s tapping tapping tapping on his arms and on his face and he wants them to go away. They’re still tapping against him and now it feels like the thing next to him is poking and prodding and - something’s making noise.

What’s - ?

The tapping makes sense now. His head is full of water and he can just make out something. He strains his ears and the water is slowly clearing and he finally recognizes the patterns.

Komaru.

His sister,

Ko - “maru…?” 

Komaru makes a soft noise of confirmation, and he looks up at her. She looks tired and extremely worried. He wants to look away in shame.

Her mouth is moving. She’s saying his name but he still can’t hear it all.

He taps back in return, he taps and taps and taps and he sees her face shift to a less worried one.

He knows what she’s saying anyway, asking if he’s okay and what happened that got him to panic.

He just needs time before he answers, so he closes his eyes and leans forward, reaching for her hands to reassure her.

That doesn’t happen though, because instead of his hands reaching for hers, the bear collided with them instead. He had not realized Komaru put the bear into his hands during his panic. He loosened his grip to not squeeze out of every inch of it’s unanimated life anymore.

He stares wide eyed as his hearing comes back and he can clearly hear her voice, asking why he placed it over her hands.

He opens his mouth to answer, but nothing comes out. She tells him to breathe and to follow hers. He does.

It takes a long time for him to start responding to her vocally, and the first thing out of his mouth was to ask why she was awake this early in the morning.

Komaru's laugh makes it seem like he just caught her doing something she wasn't supposed to.

It makes him happier, as if the minutes he'd been panicking had never happened. He knows it's not his fault it happens, but he can't stop feeling guilty nonetheless. 

"I was up watching the newest episode of a let's play, and then I got distracted by other videos!" Komaru explained that whenever she got done with one video, she would lose her little fights looking at suggested videos and the next thing she knew, it was four in the morning. 

This was where she stopped being so sheepish, and he watched her deflate with the guilt growing bigger in his chest.

"Then I heard a loud bang from your room. I didn't know if you had hit yourself in your sleep or something, so I didn't get up the first time. It was only after I got up to get something to drink I heard you fall,"

The problem with this happening too much was now he could hear exactly what she would say next.

He ignored that it was comforting.

"I know you won't tell me everything, Makoto, but I am here to help - just tell me what to do and I will," Komaru told him. He opened his mouth to respond, but stopped.

I'm sorry, Komaru, Makoto thought. You've been so close to knowing.

Of course they have their arguments and spats, but at the end of each day they cared for each other.

Komaru let him get away with a lot when they were younger and he didn't know any coping methods.

She was also the reason he even had trinkets to help him - the bear, the nightlight,  his jacket.

"Just another nightmare, Komaru, I opened my phone and - I'm here, with you - I don't - I don't remember what happened." 

"Thank you," he whispers, not able to make it louder. He knows his sister is smiling though,