#but he didn't because he fell in love with dokja

[1800-page-not-found]

"Who are you?" Yoo Joonghyuk x Reader

Summary: Assuming to find Kim Dokja in his fourth regression, Yoo Joonghyuk regresses. But Kim Dokja isn't there. Instead, you are.

I BROKE 2 FINGERS LMAOAAO BUT ITS OKAY BC SPEECH TO TEXT SAVES LIVES 😋😋🙏🙏

Requested by anon

It took quite a few scenarios for Yoo Joonghyuk to realize that Kim Dokja did not exist in his fourth regression. The two of you met when the hidden scenario to kill the master of the Theatre Dungeon.

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Yoo Joonghyuk had awoken after being controlled by the master of the Theatre Dungeon. He quickly grabbed his sword and pointed it at your neck. "Who are you? What have you done to Kim Dokja?"

You stared at him and sighed. "Please, calm down Joonghyuk. I'm also searching for him."

"Do not address me so casually. How do you know him if he doesn't exist in this regression? How do you know so much?"

You pushed the sword away from your neck and began to speak. "I'm similar to him, for example the way he seems to be omniscient. In fact, I wield more knowledge than him. I'm not going to hurt you."

His eyes widened as his skill told him your words were true. "What is your goal then?"

"I want to find Kim Dokja. And I want everyone to have a happy ending. Lets work together."

Yoo Joonghyuk relaxed a little after hearing your words to be true. "Alright. But if you dare to try anything on me or the others, I will kill you."

You chuckled softly. Yoo Joonghyuk has changed. If it was the previous regression, he would've probably killed you. It seems that this world really cannot exist without Kim Dokja.

"Say, is your constellation sponsor still the same?"

"Yes. How else would I be able to regress?"

"Oh right. Oops. That's intresting though..." You mumbled the last part.

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Scenario by scenario, the two of you had gotten a little closer each time. It was nice to not have to worry about your companion sacrificing themselves at every waking moment you know?

He slowly started to view you as your own person, and not just 'the girl who replaced Kim Dokja.'

Perhaps because Kim Dokja was a man who could not be replaced. Or perhaps Yoo Joonghyuk started to feel a certain way towards you.

It's not like he didn't know what he was feeling, after all he did get married and have children in his previous regressions.

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Maybe he should confess soon? You walked in front of him before turning around. "Oh don't worry. I know a way to get Lee Seolhwa on our side. You can marry her again!"

You instantly crushed this man's spirit in one go.

Why did you say that? Well, thats because you wanted nothing more than to see your favorite character from orv to be happy. You loved him more than anything, but you saw yourself as a mere pawn to try and fill the void of Kim Dokja.

"I don't...." Yoo Joonghyuk started, but slowly quieted down into a mumble.

"Huh? Sorry I didn't hear you." You apologised.

"I don't like Seolhwa..." You gasped. Oh no! Did you change up the plot?!?!

"W-wait what??!" You stuttered, a little shocked.

He sighed, and walked up to you and flicked your forehead. "I like you, you stupid pufferfish."

(I tried to give you a nickname like how yjh has the sunfish and kdj the squid.)

"I'm not a pufferfish! And-hold on. You like me???" You stood, stunned and mouth agape.

"Yes, you stupid pufferfish. Hah, you reject the idea of someone calling you a pufferfish but not the stupid part? I can't believe I fell in love with someone stupid." He shrugged sighing.

Man, sometimes you wished he was more like his old crusty strict self. He became so sassy after Kim Dokja.

"I. AM. NOT. STUPID. OR. A. PUFFERFISH. WHY PUFFERFISH???? CANT YOU CHOOSE SOMETHING NICER LIKE-LIKE A SEAHORSE???"

"Seahorse doesn't have the same ring as pufferfish. Besides you're just like it. You're clumsy, stupid, and you inflate your ego when someone verbally attacks you."

"DO-DO YOU EVEN LOVE ME?" You cry dramatically.

"Yes, but im starting to question my taste. I mean, do you even love me back?"

"Is that even a question? Anyone who doesn't love you is on my hit list. Maybe you're the stupid one. I've loved you ever since I knew of your existence."

"And how long is that?"

You started sweating. "A-A few years..."

"What? But we've only known each other for a few months? [Name]? What do you mean?"

You laughed nervously and started backing up.

"[Name]!?!"

[imaginativewriter23]

Late Nights - Dokja x Reader - Oneshot

Note: A random thought resulted in a fairly boring story on how I fell in love with this fictional reader.

Warning(s): Boring, short, probably has grammatical errors, and low-key cringey.

© 2023 imaginativewriter23. All rights reserved, do not modify. Reblogs are appreciated! If you’d like to repost on a separate platform, please ask for permission first.

Rare is what you'd call these nights. Nights where Gilyeong and Yuseng were nestled under a blanket and over a make-shift cardboard bed. Nights where the fire cackled just enough to keep the company warm as they slept. Nights where neither you or Dokja needed to worry about being attacked by a group of survivors or another scenario. Nights where you and Dokja sat on each side of the "bed" and talked the kids to sleep. 12 hours left of rest is what you had before the next scenario. You'd make the most of it.

Gilyeong and Yuseng's eyes began to shut but they forced their lids to open.

"Sleep," you whispered. "Rest before the next scenario."

"Story," Yuseng mumbled, "Tell a story."

You looked at Dokja who shrugged. The only story he knew was TWSA. He didn't know how he'd tell such a story to one of the characters in a span of 12 hours.

"Once upon a time," you began, not knowing where the story was going.

Gilyeong shook his head against the cardboard.

"A different one, please."

"What type of story do you want me to tell?"

Gilyeong looked up at the stars for a moment before saying, "Tell us how you fell in love with Dokja."

Both you and Dokja blinked for a handful of seconds. You stared at each other before Dokja quickly laughed it off.

"Well, it's not exactly a fairytale story," he admitted.

"Mhm, Dokja here wasn't exactly a prince like he is now."

He glared at you with a blush of embarrassment. You smiled.

"That's okay," Yuseng said.

"It's not exactly a romantic one either kids. It's kind of sad," you mentioned.

"Tell it," she still pried.

You looked at Dokja again. This time, he smiled. "Go ahead."

"Okay..." You looked back at the kids and moved forward to smooth out Yuseng's hair.

"I first met him at work. I was hired as a game tester in the team. My desk was beside his but we didn't talk until three months into my job."

"Why did it take that long?" Gilyeong yawned.

"We were both shy. Neither of us had social skills before the scenarios."

Both of the kids gave a sleepy giggle. Dokja chuckled and pushed Gilyeong's bangs out of his face.

"That didn't mean I didn't like him. Actually, I found him very handsome. I guess that made me shy away from him."

You felt Dokja's state but couldn't tell what face he made. You assumed it was between a small blush or a smirk for someone finally calling him handsome.

"Then, one day, I got a peek at his screen and saw him reading something."

"What was he reading?" Yuseng asked with her eyes closed.

Ironic that she was the one to ask.

"Something special. Something that no one else read. When I saw, I think I was struck with lightning because I wanted to marry him."

"Don't exaggerate," Dokja said.

You waved him off. "From there, we just talked and talked and talked. I don't exactly remember how we got to dating or falling in love..."

Your eyes fell into your lap. "I just remember that he made living a little bit easier. Now, I can't imagine my life without him.

The fire cackled behind you.

"I always wanted to escape into the world of fiction, but I couldn't. Dokja became my reason to move forward just because he was a reader. It felt like he understood me more than anyone else although I never spoke to him once."

Dokja stared at your soft expression. He looked at the kids to see both of them nestled into sleep.

"They're asleep," he muttered.

You looked up and tucked the blanket closer to them. "I didn't think a boring story like that would help them go to bed."

You shuffled over to sit beside Dokja. He wrapped his arm around you.

"It was interesting to me. I didn't know how you fell in love with me either."

You chuckled. "Well, I'm glad I did."

His lips briefly met your forehead. "It looks like I have to thank TWSA for bringing you to me."

You smiled. "Or maybe we're just meant to be together."

"Cheesy."

You both laughed as quietly as you could. You gazed at the sky. This was the closest you've ever seen so many stars without the city lights. It was late nights like this, where you could feel yourself drowning in your love for Dokja. What better way to drown?

[moonlight-blue-rose]

Part 4 of my journey with the 1863rd arc, yesterday I didn't even realise I've spent 4 hours on 4 chapters....

ch 295

… h u h? huhhhhh?????

This,,, makes sense actually. I wondered how she would kill yjh but never guessed it would be through such means…

Oh. Oh. It was Yoo Joonghyuk, wasn’t it? He was the one who told her to protect the people he loves until the end she thought of. That’s why he promised to die, didn’t he…

Ahhhh the back and forth, “some call it salvation” – was that a dig at kdj’s modifier? Because it sure feels like one

And what does she mean “it isn’t the world I made”? Is it because of the Covenant? Or is it because it is a world reached after 1862 regressions? I really don’t think kdj is right about his guess for hsy’s Covenant. Something just doesn’t add up

Of course he didn’t haha

Oh Kim Dokja you sly little- So that was the decision he reached in the end

... holy-…

Ch 296

Wow, just, the description… I have already spoiled myself yjh’s sponsor but every time they are referenced in the story is with such mystery and ‘otherness’ that leaves a big impression. Just, wow…

Snow… reminds me of the snow garden between the letters, the space only a reader can hide in…

Oh Yoo Joonghyuk… (╥╯^╰╥)

It’s a very faint voice… A voice suffocated underneath all the others… But it’s still there… Kim Dokja heard it…

The whole scene that feels like slow motion… Kim Dokja’s determination, his desire to see the ending, an ending, even if it’s not the ideal one he wanted… Why does all of this feel like defeat? And yet at the same time like a culmination to everything he has ever wanted... Even if he is not part of that story… he still wanted to see it…

I want to go there and shake him, ask him why is he giving up? The Kim Dokja I’ve read about didn’t give up, even if everything looked impossible. I want to tell him there is another way. But there isn’t, is it? He tried. He gave his best. There is nothing he himself can do anymore… And it’s just so unfair, to see him bow down like this, here and now… But at the same time, it’s a decision only he, the person who loves this story the most in the world, can make… The decision of a Reader… God, this arc is giving me too many emotions

Hahaha, of course he would throw himself on the path of an attack meant for yjh. He did the same with the 41st sys too after all

"Director of the false last act" such a fitting name

It does! It does… It’s a world only Kim Dokja could create…

Ch 297

It’s what you deserve for making yjh eat soil lmaooo

Honestly, the whole orv feels like that one post here on Tumblr “I’m asking you to endure it.” Yes, it may be incredibly selfish. Yes, you will suffer and it will hurt so much. But, still, please, endure. Orv just has this particular taste…

*crying* It’s the first time he admitted that he just doesn’t want Yoo Joonghyuk to die…

Honestly, it felt really strange since we got wos’s revisions but, the original text of wos disappeared forever. It was the story he grew up with. It was the story he fell in love with. And yes, it means so much that he can influence the third turn so they can reach the end but… But the original text disappeared. If I was Kim Dokja, I would feel heartbroken. Your memories can remain for only so much, that why losing the original text hit me hard. Yes, kdj has his strange mind library thing but can he go there at will? Maybe he could in the future. But it still makes me wonder whether kdj represses these feelings. I wonder whether he reread the text again and again in the 1863rd round not only to find a way out but also for himself. As a last attempt to keep this story with himself just for a little longer…

This whole arc is just pure pain, I understand why everyone is crying about it

… I knew it but having it confirmed hurts a lot more… Yoo Mia… His only baby sister… and his mother figure too… (╥╯^╰╥)

…. Everything until the end of the chapter… I need a moment… Yoo Joonghyuk…

At this point I can’t even explain what I’m feeling (╥╯^╰╥)

BOTH, BOTH ARE REAL!

He picked Kim Dokja’s coat… He abandoned the person he was and turned away so he can become someone new, someone who isn’t “the protagonist”… Yoo Joonghyuk, who found a different answer altogether

One of them is gone forever… I can’t believe this. I-

At this point I’m just crying- He isn’t a character, he isn’t a character

Ch 298

Kim Dokja having a panic attack is really understandable, with the way everything ended. Dissociation time yay! *sighs*

Of course he would want her to be honest with the rest of the party… He loves them too much not to do at least this for them…

Yeah… Maybe it was finally a time he did that… Not being chained down by the “protagonist” title but just being Yoo Joonghyuk…

A baby?? Is this referencing yjh’s sponsor? There was the sound of a baby laughing when they were described earlier. Uhhhhh I don’t know at this point

Hahaha of course she got attached. No matter which one it is, hsy has such a big, bleeding heart

I don’t think I can finish the arc today, these few chapters were just so draining. Hopefully there won’t be much to cry about in the next chapters, I don’t think I’ll be able to bear so much emotional damage in such a short time…

[sm1l3b0t]

HELLO! for the orv ask game

8, 15 and 16!! thank you <3

HI!!!!!!!!!!!

8. whats your least favourite arc?

god this is a hard one because orv consistently puts out nothing but fucking bangers. honestly its probably gonna be the arc where they're fighting nirvana. i didn't really like nirvana's character partially because of the disrespect their gender and attraction towards yoo jonghyuk got and partially because when they got eaten by the wall i was really blindsided the first time i read it. while it makes sense in retrospect at the time i was kinda like 'oh. so we're just doing stuff now'. i also think we could have gone harder on the parallels between them and yoo jonghyuk. also when jung heewon gets infected with that thought poison thing that made her be trapped in her worst memories (her sexual assault) and the solution was.....for lee hyungsung to hug her really hard?

i understand what they were going for but they did.......not hit the mark there. there are some parts of the arc i really like - nirvana's interactions with lee sookyoung and han sooyoung killing kim dokja are two that especially spring to mind - but overall the arc is just not my favourite.

15. any characters you didnt love at first but grew to adore?

honestly? yoo jonghyuk. i will admit i fell for the trap!! i had a lot of trouble understanding him initially, honestly - i thought his whole shtick was 'total asshole incapable of communicating his emotions who secretly has a heart of gold' at first and it was an archetype i was pretty damn tired of. even when i finished the novel and grew to love his character, he was my least favourite out of yoohankim. i just couldn't relate to his eternal cycle of torment and struggle tragic backstory the same way i could relate to kim dokja or han sooyoungs. over time though i have come to appreciate and adore him and he is ABSOLUTELY one of my main blorbos now. such a fascinating character!

16. what part in orv made you realise it was gonna be your favourite?

ive talked about this a couple times on here before so ill try not to regurgitate it all (even though i love talking about it) but the part of orv that really made me realise it was like nothing else id ever read before was during the disaster arc when kim dokja tries to save 41st! shin yoosoung but is stopped because the constellations dislike the story. the reason it hit me so hard was because that was exactly what i was thinking as i read that part - wow, this seems kinda bullshit, no way it makes sense, etc - and it really hammered home for me what kind of meta story orv was building. the constellations were literally me!! probability was being moved by my desires and disbelief! it was such a gut punch moment!

thank you so much for the ask!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! had so much fun answering :))) <3

[pttucker]

Yoo Joonghyuk didn't reply to Reinheit, instead waiting for the rest of them at the top of the stairs he had made. Lee Jihye, Lee Hyunsung and Yoo Sangah climbed up first, followed by Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung. The moment Shin Yoosung was about to pass by, Yoo Joonghyuk grabbed her shoulder. "You shouldn't come with us." "Huh?" Before Shin Yoosung could reply, Yoo Joonghyuk pushed the child down from the ceiling. The monsters opened their mouths as they waited for Shin Yoosung. Lee Gilyoung shouted, "Yoosung! What…? What are you doing?" The angry Lee Gilyoung swung his fists at Yoo Joonghyuk. Yoo Joonghyuk lightly grabbed Lee Gilyoung's fist and said, "You should go too." After a moment, Lee Gilyoung screamed and fell down along with Shin Yoosung.

WTF JOONGHYUK! I WAS JOKING ABOUT SHIN YOOSUNG KILLING DOKJA!

Joonghyuk, my bro, my guy, my dude, I'm loving the protective fervor you've got going on right now, really I am, but don't murder Dokja's little siblings just because you have a hunch that one of them might be dangerous to him. WTF. Dokja leaves for five minutes

[everyyoojoonghyuk]

Spoilers for orv. Idk up to where cause I can't remember just don't continue if you haven't finished the novel

Anyway another day another thinking about YJH and how S O F T he is

Especially how 999th regression YJH fits into it

He basically did everything like how KDJ did, except without all the cheats that KDJ was able to nab and literally lost whole parts of his body and couldn't even reach the end himself because he made sure his companions could instead

And it's not like he even particularly tried to reach the end himself that run, it was more of a throwaway. A big whoop-dee-doo for living 1000 lives. Every other life he was selfish and cruel and violent (especially as he goes through more and more regressions). The goal here was to get to the end no matter what - which included seeing his friends die constantly

Despite that, we know that he genuinely cares for the companions that he makes throughout the regressions, he just gets more and more hurt seeing them die and subsequently cheer him on life after life that he detaches himself as much as possible to avoid the hurt. It's like getting a wound over a scar over and over - eventually the re-scarred tissue becomes very tough and unable to move much

I mean. It's a testament on how much he cared for them that he gave up an entire regression just to see them succeed. Even being 1000 lives in, he continued to care for them

And the 999th YJH that we see is the kkoma version. And he's just. So nice. He takes care of KDJ, makes sure he's fed with things he likes, protects him from the outer gods, gives him his coat, goes with him on his journey, and even teaches him how to make murim dumplings! Of course, he's still YJH, being blunt and sorta deadpanned all the time, but the rest of his personality stands out so much because of its uniqueness

But is it really so unique? Again, he's still a part of YJH. This isn't out of the ordinary for YJH wholely, it's just that the guy distanced himself because he knows that no matter what, either his companions will die and he will reach the end, or he will die so they can reach the end, so he doesn't show those parts of himself often. We can see it a LOT more in the regression that KDJ shows up in though because of how much he helps and how he takes the lead in taking care of their companions. He even goes full dad mode on the grill when they go on vacation which is adorable

And not to make everything about joondok but KDJ truly does bring out the softness in him. And that's true for every YJH that meets him. 999 is very nice to him, 666 is tsundere but still helps, 81 (I think) cooks for him, Secretive Plotter, although through kidnapping, still wants him to learn the truth ("and if he can't then ig he should stay here with me UwU 🥺" like we get it buddy this is a small foreshadow to how you will cherish Oldest Dream and spend the rest of your existence caring for him, every YJH loves every KDJ and vice versa WE GET IT) and let's him leave, 1863 YJH is ridiculously soft for KDJ after he learns of his journey thus far and literally dies for him after knowing him for I think 3 days. Of course the top contenders for "I AM SOFT FOR KDJ" is 0th regression and 1864th regression YJH

Like. "If I regress will I ever be able to see you again?" He literally had his happily ever after and choOSE TO HAVE THE CHANCE TO MEET KIM DOKJA INSTEAD. He KNEW what was in store for him but he didn't care!!!!!!! He loves him too much to care!!!!! Though honestly I don't think it was a romantic love at that point or he wouldn't have gotten with Seolhwa because he is a very genuine guy and wouldn't get with someone he wasn't in love with. I think there was a different love though. The best friend kind. The kind that can only come from someone who was by your side no matter what. Yoo Joonghyuk loved that the Demon King of Salvation adored his story and wanted to end the guy's solitude no matter what

Which brings me to 1864 YJH!!!! AKA the one we all know nearest and dearest

It does not take long for YJH to get attacked to KDJ once they finally meet (again). He is so different that by the 6th scenario, when he's fighting adult SYS, she notes that he is acting strange. KDJ himself notes several times during the entirety of ORV that his actions are "unlike him." And almost - if not entirely - every time this is mentioned, it has something to do with how well he treats KDJ

One of my favourite, yet overlooked, aspects of YJH bring soft for KDJ is that he is the only person he will eat food from. He usually only eats meals that he prepares himself because he's stuck up about cooking, but but KDJ! It doesn't happen often, but several times he eats what KDJ makes, including murim dumplings that were made so well he forgot to be stuck up

I'm rambling by now, but my point is that KDJ brings out the best in YJH and the latter is so deeply in love so early on that it's embarrassing and shows to literally everyone everywhere to the point that many people think that they're an item

[everyyoojoonghyuk]

AND SPEAKING OF!!!!!!!!! (This was from my last post)

From the side of YJH at least. I can explain pretty much every moment that joondok has as a classic anime-esque bromance that's just coming off too strong. Except one moment

The time where Yoo Joonghyuk got genuinely ANGRY when he thought Dokja and Yoo Sangah were kissing. Dokja tries to explain it off as a "oh, well he doesn't like it when people in his group get together because it distracts them" when that's literally nonsense as Heewon and Hyunsung get together and he could not care less

He got mad and stormed off when he thought Dokja was sucking face with Sangah. How!!! Do!!!! You!!!!! Explain!!!!!! That!!!!!!!

You can't!

It's even better cause this is fairly early on in the story. I'm pretty sure this is the first time KDJ meets Dionysus. Yoo Joonghyuk was down bad probably ever since the theatre dungeon. Although i honestly think that at the time of him getting mad at the kiss that didn't even happen, it was more on a crush level. I don't think he actually fell in love until later - scenario 7 or 8. Can't remember exactly where cause it's been around a year since I've read it 😅