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A commoner learns of their secret aristocratic lineage and is sent to the kingdom's most prestigious academy. In addition to attending classes to prepare them for managing their lands, the newest child of the Duke must navigate the dangerous intrigue of high society. Garden of Eternity has received high ratings from players for its expertly written cast, breathtaking art, and a staggering amount of narrative options.
Yoo Joonghyuk is not one of those players.
"Would you like to take a walk with me?"
Hopeful eyes. Polite smile. A hand offered to take his.
「 I'd love to! + 」
「 I would prefer somewhere… private. ♥︎ 」
「 I'd rather not. × 」
Glaring at the middle option, Yoo Joonghyuk selects the third. His mouth opens to reply to the blushing guard in front of him—even though he's used to the system taking control of his body, the sensation is unpleasant.
"I'd rather not." The guard visibly deflates. With another spike of distaste at the second option, Yoo Joonghyuk drives the point home. "Never approach me again."
The game, however, is terrible. Instead of being crushed and unable to overcome each of Yoo Joonghyuk's rejections, the guard seems... determined… to become someone good enough to have him return his affection, which will never happen. He was Yoo Mia's favorite character—Yoo Joonghyuk feels an especially strong dislike for him. When he'd confiscated the game from her for having themes too mature for someone her age, this Lee Hyunsung had the highest favorability level of the choices.
Lee Hyunsung bows, apologizing as he hurries down the hall. Yoo Joonghyuk doesn't watch him go, continuing the opposite way towards the dormitories.
At this point, he has been stuck in this godforsaken dating game for a month. A month of cliche, "spontaneous" meetings between himself and the other five romanceable characters. Yoo Joonghyuk has the agency to go to whatever location is unlocked on his map, but he is still forced to attend classes and major plot events. He can't escape bumping into them.
Considering his real-life status as a relatively famous pro-gamer/coach, it's not far off from the usual. With every curt rejection towards the affections of the capture targets, it's… also not different from his real life. Here and in the real world, Yoo Joonghyuk has no interest or time.
If Yoo Joonghyuk was the type to appreciate such things, the western royalty fantasy setting would have been nice—regardless of the world being fictional, the prestigious academy is beautiful. As it stands, the only enjoyable aspect is that he gets to wield a sword every so often.
"You're never going to get a date like this," someone laughs.
Yoo Joonghyuk finds his head turning towards the source of the voice instinctively. Tucked between two marble pillars, a man is seated on the wide ledge of a railing connecting them. With his back against one pillar, his long legs stretch out and nearly touch the pillar opposite. A book is open, laying flat in his lap to keep his place—behind him is a courtyard, full of lush green plants and vibrant flowers.
A nice place to read, but Yoo Joonghyuk knows the game has spawned him here. He always appears after a "failed'' love interaction to lecture him on his tactless ways. Kim Dokja—the son of a Baron and unfortunately, his roommate —grins at him. Yoo Joonghyuk doesn't acknowledge him and continues his brisk pace.
"Ah? Hey, wait up, jerk!" Kim Dokja scrambles off the ledge. Kim Dokja catches up to Yoo Joonghyuk's stride easily, following him towards the dormitories. His book is tucked under his arm, uniform messily askew from his lazing about.
"Lee Hyunsung is part of the royal guard. Depending on who you marry, he'll be an excellent ally to have."
This isn't the first time Kim Dokja has touted Lee Hyunsung's many, many virtues.
"You're so interested in my love life. You should worry about your own," Yoo Joonghyuk says—not from concern, but rather a desire to shut his annoying roommate up.
He knows this character is simply meant to guide him through the mechanics of the game. It's in his coding to be irritating, to cling to the main character's side as their introduction to the world… to ask an NPC about their own romantic pursuits is a dead end at all turns. Kim Dokja's eyes widen, perhaps because this is the first time Yoo Joonghyuk has said something like this.
His smile is the same as ever—pleasant, a little mischievous, and doesn't quite meet his eyes. Perhaps this is why Yoo Joonghyuk doesn't like him, regardless of how useful Kim Dokja has been as he tries to figure out how the hell to escape the game.
"You're far more handsome though," Kim Dokja says, once his surprise wears off and his cheekiness returns, "You have many more suitors than I do!"
Of course he does. He's stuck as the main fucking character of a dating sim.
"Stop being obsessed with who I talk to."
It's in Kim Dokja's programming to be annoying. To remind Yoo Joonghyuk of his objectives in the game.
"You need a date for the ball," he insists, "and if you wait, all the best candidates will be taken."
Even if Yoo Joonghyuk locks out all the other routes before the ball, he knows he'll still "run into them" at the party. He would skip it altogether if the game didn't force him there.
"What about you?" Yoo Joonghyuk asks. He means to insinuate that Kim Dokja should worry about his own date, not that he be his date—but when he receives no response, he glances over. Kim Dokja is looking at him with wide eyes again, and a slight pink flush on his cheeks.
「 ■■■ Route Unlocked! 」
■■■■■ ■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■■■
More information about ■■■ can be revealed if this route is pursued.
The system notification pops up, and Yoo Joonghyuk frowns at the hovering text. Kim Dokja's saving grace has been that the man was not one of the five romanceable candidates and his information was useful. Now he'll have to fight Kim Dokja off as well—thanks to his coding, Kim Dokja is impressively stubborn.
And yet, Kim Dokja does not jump at the misunderstanding.
"I'd rather not go," Kim Dokja says, after a moment.
His tone makes Yoo Joonghyuk pause—usually, after a misunderstanding, the characters would be jumping for his attention. Kim Dokja is one of the chattier NPCs, anyway, always ready with an inane quip or retort. After a month of fending off every romantically inclined conversation at this foolish NPC's behest, Kim Dokja having the audacity to say he doesn't want to go renders Yoo Joonghyuk speechless.
Kim Dokja is generally impertinent despite his lower social status, but now he seems… shy. Yoo Joonghyuk wants to feel satisfaction at having finally quieted Kim Dokja, but there's something in the moment that has him hesitating.
"So I have to go and you don't?" Yoo Joonghyuk questions, stopping before the door of their shared set of rooms with his hand on the knob.
"No, no," Kim Dokja assures him, hands held in front of his chest in surrender, "I'll also be attending."
"Who are you taking?" Yoo Joonghyuk stares down at him.
"..." Kim Dokja balks, before shrugging his shoulders awkwardly, "No one?" He glances up at Yoo Joonghyuk, only to falter as his gaze darts away.
Go with me, Yoo Joonghyuk almost says—maybe because he's bitter after all his nagging and wants to see Kim Dokja suffer like him. Maybe he's used to Kim Dokja at his side, rather than the game's options throwing themselves at him. Either way, Yoo Joonghyuk is well aware Kim Dokja's investment in him is also due to the game.
Instead of any of these, he says, "You should worry about your own prospects."
"There aren't many." Kim Dokja's lips twist, his hand gesturing at the door that Yoo Joonghyuk has yet to open, "Are you feeling alright? Perhaps you should lie down."
Yoo Joonghyuk steps inside. As Kim Dokja tries to follow him, Yoo Joonghyuk turns and places a hand on his shoulder. Kim Dokja blinks, before realization dawns on his face.
Sending Kim Dokja stumbling back with a light shove, Yoo Joonghyuk shuts the door.
"I'm surprised she didn't throw her drink on you."
Yoo Joonghyuk doesn't lower himself by responding.
"I've never seen Lady Croft look so furious. You should be more careful in how you speak to her—Zarathustra is a thriving business."
Kim Dokja's inane prattling drowns out the gentle orchestra music filtering through the glass balcony doors from inside.
"There's still time for one more dance, you know… that doctor you like, Miss Lee Seolhwa, she looks like she's hoping you'll ask her. Princess Uriel is about to duel Sir Nirv—"
"Why do you care?"
Again, it is because of the game pushing Kim Dokja at him. Kim Dokja would never know that this is why, but Yoo Joonghyuk finds it irritating all the same.
"I'm a good samaritan trying to help out a helpless friend? It's hard to watch you waste that handsome face? It's funny to see you cringe at grand declarations of love? Pick your favorite," Kim Dokja says, leaning back against the balcony railing. The moon is bright and full in the sky behind him, light casting shadows over the details of his face, "I just know you're going to end up joining a monastery if you keep being a bastard like this."
Yoo Joonghyuk steps forward.
"What about you?"
"What?"
He places a hand on the balcony ledge, next to Kim Dokja's side. It would be the simplest action in the world to place another on his other side, to cage his squirrelly roommate and stop him from running whenever Yoo Joonghyuk deviates from Kim Dokja's matchmaking attempts.
"What will you do, Kim Dokja?"
Yoo Joonghyuk doesn't like to repeat himself. He already feels like a broken record, having rejected the advances of all five of the love interests—like clockwork, Kim Dokja appears to bother him. Yoo Joonghyuk wants to ask where he's been hiding this whole time, and why he has only come out now.
Yoo Joonghyuk does not want to say he has been waiting, even if he has.
As if trying to free them from the strange tension, Kim Dokja pushes off the balcony and steps away from Yoo Joonghyuk. He shifts forward anxiously, facing the moon and peering down into the gardens in the courtyard below.
"Who knows?" He shrugs his shoulders, "I'll probably become a librarian. I don't have the drive or focus to be a scholar."
He does not mention a lover. From his side profile, Yoo Joonghyuk can see the corner of his mouth twisted into a wry smile. The profession would suit him, Yoo Joonghyuk thinks, but his attention is focused on the system message hovering in front of him.
「 Mission: One Last Dance! 」
The Grand Ball cannot conclude without a final dance! Please choose a partner to complete the level.
As he'd predicted, Yoo Joonghyuk did not need a date to the ball.
This does not stop the game from forcing him to attend, or from shoving Yoo Joonghyuk into an elegant, dark ensemble, hints of gold and dark grays accenting black fabric. Despite his attempts to discourage his suitors, the game only requires his participation in the main plot points; this ball is no different. He has maintained a wonderfully low and declining 15% rating average with the capture targets, except for a surprise 35% with the doctor—but that was an accident. He liked her enough to not insult her to her face, but even that went against Yoo Joonghyuk's plan to run the game's plot without romancing someone.
Yoo Joonghyuk has been warned about locking out the routes if the favorability falls too low—asking one of the love interests to dance would likely raise his favorability with them. Kim Dokja will not ask him to dance, nor will he ask Yoo Joonghyuk on any dates. There is no favorability level hovering near Kim Dokja's head, but he has a confirmed optional route.
He's perfect for this part of Yoo Joonghyuk's plan.
If Yoo Joonghyuk wanted to, it wouldn't be hard to regain the lost favor. Even though the game is likely close to midway in the plot, the path of least resistance would definitely make Kim Dokja happy—but rather than jump through the hoops of the events and earn favor to finish the game, what's stopping him from speed running his way to the end by locking out all the love interests?
"Dance with me, Kim Dokja."
After bullying Kim Dokja with a firm grip on his wrist to the center of the ballroom, they take their stances.
Yoo Joonghyuk should have expected that Kim Dokja can't dance, but watching him struggle is more enjoyable than he thought it would be. Staring at his partner in his white formal coat, Yoo Joonghyuk realizes he hasn't seen Kim Dokja wear anything but the uniforms of the academy.
Kim Dokja scowls and grumbles the entire first verse of their somewhat messy waltz—to the point that Yoo Joonghyuk can't help but scoff, "Stop whining. You're stepping all over my feet." Kim Dokja's jaw drops in surprise; the embarrassment on his face is completely worth the sharp stomp he receives in return. Kim Dokja mumbles something that sounds like why are you like this and fucking jerk under his breath.
"And why are you leading?" Kim Dokja says, though his scowl becomes more subdued. There are a lot of people watching them. Yoo Joonghyuk, unexpectedly amused by the entire debacle, squeezes his hand on Kim Dokja's waist.
If I wasn't, you'd have run already, he thinks and does not say. The flush on Kim Dokja's face deepens, his gaze flickering to the crowd.
"You ask too many stupid questions."
"I don't think wondering why the hell you're dancing with me is a stupid question—your grace," as if remembering himself, Kim Dokja tacks on Yoo Joonghyuk's future title. He always includes the title when he's nervous, "There are more suitable partners than myself," Kim Dokja says, not meeting his eyes.
"I want to dance with you," because you're useful. Yoo Joonghyuk doesn't say the last part, but the words he did utter are enough to have Kim Dokja's bewildered expression darkening.
"But I'm not one of the—'' he cuts himself off, lips clamping shut. Yoo Joonghyuk grips Kim Dokja's hand with his own.
"Finish your sentence," he demands, a suspicious frown on his face. Kim Dokja shakes his head, an overly pleasant smile returned.
"I was mistaken, your grace," he says. Before he can interrogate him further, he hesitates. The eyes on them seem suffocating, invasive—Yoo Joonghyuk narrows his eyes in a way that clearly says this isn't over.
After what feels like forever, and somehow too brief, their tense dance ends. Kim Dokja's polite bow and subsequent escape happen so fast that while watching the man disappear into the crowd, Yoo Joonghyuk's palms are still warm from his touch. Even with Kim Dokja's suspicious words, his plan is a success. He can see the five love interests standing in various parts of the ballroom, their favorability levels hovering above their heads. Having not been selected for the dance, the numbers have all dropped.
Except for one.
25%? Yoo Joonghyuk frowns as his gaze hovers over the princess. After having ignored all of her letters, he started the ball at 20% with her. Turning her down should have lowered it, but instead it rose.
Yoo Joonghyuk hates this game.
In the two months following the ball, Yoo Joonghyuk does not get to interrogate Kim Dokja, nor does he lock out any of the romance routes. Instead, it is as if all his attempts are being rebuffed by the game, which doesn't make sense as he's been repeatedly warned about locking out. Is this game so lenient that it keeps giving him chances? Alongside her favoritism for the doctor and the guard, Yoo Mia had locked out the spiritual leader—before he'd deleted it off her computer, that is. He had thought it would be easy to destroy Lee Hyunsung's confidence, especially in the beginning.
(The favorability meter had gotten to 3% one evening, and Yoo Joonghyuk had felt confident that Lee Hyunsung would never approach him again. But the next day, Lee Hyunsung shot up to 11%, and from then on, none of Yoo Joonghyuk's harsh words seemed to affect him as much.)
Another thing that's been irritating him… Yoo Joonghyuk wonders if this is just a terribly coded game that breaks when the routes aren't followed, because the alternative would be that Kim Dokja is avoiding him.
He goes through most days continuing to fend off at least two or three interactions with the capture targets, but his suspicious roommate no longer ceaselessly pesters him. Kim Dokja always comes to chastise Yoo Joonghyuk's "awful personality", but he does not stick around like he used to.
It only solidifies the suspicion that Kim Dokja is hiding something from him.
At this point, it wouldn't surprise him if the game had a huge, spiraling backstory associated with Kim Dokja's character. Yoo Joonghyuk might reconsider his plan to use Kim Dokja to get through the scenarios, but it's hard to deny the usefulness of his knowledge of the world and lack of favorability. Kim Dokja is so stubborn, he's not sure if he'd be able to lock his route anyway. There are no dialogue choices whenever he interacts with him—Yoo Joonghyuk has been especially rude to his roommate and Kim Dokja still hangs around.
Just when he's beginning to think he's broken the game, Yoo Joonghyuk locks a route.
「 Anna Croft 」
-15%
She calls him an unpredictable, unknown variable in the socio-political power struggles that plague this kingdom—a threat. The secret son of a Duke, rising from a commoner upbringing to infamy, wielding such power and a terrible personality can bring only ruin.
An assassin comes in the night.
It isn't the first time Yoo Joonghyuk has witnessed blood in this realistic-looking world, but it is the first time he's seen his own. If Yoo Joonghyuk didn't have excellent instincts. If he hadn't enjoyed the physical training throughout his time here. If Kim Dokja hadn't warned him about Anna Croft's cracking façade of patience the night before, as the favorability hovered at 2% during their last meeting...
Yoo Joonghyuk is awake when they slip into his room, but they don't seem to be surprised when he puts up a fight. He trades blows with the masked assailant, knocking over furniture and banging into walls. At one point, they pull out a dagger—as he lunges to grab or knock it out of his hands, the blade slashes into his palm. Using the momentary distraction, the assailant kicks Yoo Joonghyuk back with a swift foot straight to the chest, knocking the air out of his lungs as he slams into a wall. His bleeding hand lands on the dresser, holding himself up as he gasps for air.
The assailant approaches him carefully, dagger glinting in the light of the stars.
Crash! The assailant stumbles, lurching forward from the impact of a blow, glass shards falling to the ground. Kim Dokja stands behind him, holding the shattered end of a vase.
"People are sleeping, you know," he grins at the intruder in a way Yoo Joonghyuk has never seen from him—more teeth bared than amusement. The assailant regains his footing, but at the appearance of another person, he tries to make an escape.
Kim Dokja does an impressive run after the intruder, but they're far more athletic than his skinny roommate. They slip out the window they'd entered and disappear into the gardens.
"Are you alright?" Kim Dokja asks, pale as a ghost. Not waiting for an answer, he grabs Yoo Joonghyuk's un-injured hand and tries to pull him to the door, "We need to have someone look at it. I saw Miss Lee Seolhwa's light was still on, she can help—"
Yoo Joonghyuk doesn't let himself be led, but he also doesn't let go of his hand, causing Kim Dokja to jerk and stumble comedically.
"What are you doing?" Kim Dokja asks, bewildered when Yoo Joonghyuk grabs his wrist with his other hand instead, squeezing until he winces.
"Who are you really?" Yoo Joonghyuk demands, "Why are you so invested in me?"
Kim Dokja has the gall to look confused, "What are you talking about? Was I supposed to sleep through your—"
"I won't repeat myself."
Kim Dokja is a terrible liar. He's suspicious and shifty most days, infuriatingly impertinent every other—but Yoo Joonghyuk has never felt danger from him. Even still, Yoo Joonghyuk cannot forget the look on Kim Dokja's face as he struck the assailant. He can't shake the wariness at a side of his roommate that he does not know.
"I'm—Kim Dokja. The son of Baron Kim? I've been your roommate since the start of the year, you bastard. Ah, shit—I don't know what you want me to say," Kim Dokja curses when Yoo Joonghyuk squeezes harder until he feels like he could snap his wrist under his palm. He can feel the quickness of Kim Dokja's pulse against his own.
Sharp knocking at the door interrupts them, and a familiar voice filters through.
"My lords? Is everything alright?" Lee Hyunsung asks, because the game uses anything and everything to drive him towards them.
Kim Dokja furrows his brows at Yoo Joonghyuk like he's gone insane, but then tries to shake off his grip to open the door for Lee Hyunsung. Yoo Joonghyuk does not let go, but his hold is slippery with blood from the cut in his palm, dripping down Kim Dokja's hand.
「 Come in. + 」
「 I'm fine. × 」
"I'm fine," Yoo Joonghyuk grits out under the control of the system, barking out a follow up order afterwards. "Leave us."
There's a moment of hesitation from Lee Hyunsung, but obvious sadness is in his voice when he replies.
"... Very well. Please let me know if there is anything I can do, my lords." They wait in silence as Lee Hyunsung leaves.
"Let me look at your wound, then," Kim Dokja offers, softly.
In the moonlight shining through the opulent glass windows, he looks exhausted; older and more tired than an eighteen year old noble boy should. He doesn't try to push him to Lee Hyunsung, or insist he go to Lee Seolhwa—for this, Yoo Joonghyuk lets him patch his throbbing hand up.
"Are you after power?" Yoo Joonghyuk asks. As the adrenaline subsides, Yoo Joonghyuk realizes the shakiness of his legs. His hand trembles in Kim Dokja's hands, and none of the medicine he applies seems to stop the throbbing from traveling up his veins.
He cares little for the lore of this world, but he did read Kim Dokja's character info. It's true that the third, unimportant son of a Baron would do well to have a future Duke as a companion, but Kim Dokja has never once been like the rest of the sycophants that follow him.
"After everything I've done for you, you're still such a moody, imperial bastard," Kim Dokja sighs, wrapping Yoo Joonghyuk's tender palm in clean, white bandages. "Can't I just want you to reach the best ending?"
Yoo Joonghyuk freezes.
"Best ending."
Kim Dokja senses the drastic change in the atmosphere between them, and quickly backtracks.
"I apologize, your grace," Kim Dokja says, releasing Yoo Joonghyuk's hands. Again with the title, as if Yoo Joonghyuk is already the Duke, "I meant that as a figure of speech. I want you to have the most fulfilling, successful time here at the academy, but you're right, I would be honored if you were to remember my assistance when you succeed your father."
Liar.
Kim Dokja sounds like he's getting teeth pulled as he "admits'' his motives. He tilts his head down subserviently, hiding his face. Yoo Joonghyuk does not know what his expression looks like to make Kim Dokja hide his. The torrent of emotions swirling in him rises to a fever pitch, his vision swimming.
Best ending.
After a moment of silence, Kim Dokja finally looks up, licking his lips awkwardly. For the first time since arriving, Yoo Joonghyuk wishes he had played the original game to know if Kim Dokja was always like this.
"Are you alright?" He asks, reaching to touch his face before hesitating at the light sheen of sweat covering Yoo Joonghyuk's face, "You look pale."
Could Kim Dokja also be… the thought seems almost too crazy to give credence to.
What if Yoo Joonghyuk isn't the only one stuck here?