Chapter Text
When Dokja was 28 the 3,149 chapter web novel, Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World, ended and then that was it. The End. It was an inconspicuous day where he sat on the train home, and chatted idly with Yoo Sangah, his coworker.
It was then and there as Yoo Sangah told him about how she was learning Spanish in her free time that he decided he couldn’t live like this anymore. He needed to actually do something with his life. So he did, he chatted with Yoo Sangah, he became friendly with his coworkers until his contract ended. The funny thing about when his contract ended was when it did, he had a plan.
Application after application out to editor place after editor place. He needed to stop attempting an office job he was ill-equipped to do, he needed to apply his strength, his skill set. The one thing he’d been doing as long as he could: reading.
Miraculously he got a few interviews back, and then a job. Slowly climbing the ranks throughout the years. Finally managing to establish himself enough to become a freelance editor. Becoming someone to be actively sought out, with a website, pay rates, and applications. Applications to work with him!
After a while Dokja had to admit to himself he wasn’t going to get any better at cooking by continuing to cook terribly. So he invested in some classes. Learned to actually cook, and cook well. An investment that paid off especially well once he became a father.
On a rainy day home after going to a convention for editors, he found a kid. Lee Gilyoung he’d said his name was. A sweet boy playing with some worms on the sidewalk. He’d run away, he said, telling Dokja that his aunt didn’t want him, not really.
So Dokja became the legal guardian and father of 8 year old Kim Gilyoung. He bought a new apartment with three bedrooms, with the novelty of being able to have a “guest bedroom”. A novelty that would soon be forfeited to a newcomer.
All was well and settled until a year later when he found another kid as she literally crashed into him while he ran errands. A victim of neglect and bad parenting it wasn’t hard to make them sign over the guardianship of their 10 year old child, a bit of money and some forms and she was his. Kim Yoosung. A patient and sweet girl who adored the cat they’d gotten as a welcome home present.
Kim Dokja was 40 with a 11 year old boy and 12 year old girl. It had been 12 years since the end of Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World and he’d managed to shove most of it into the past, kinda. That was until he got a new neighbor.
Knocking on the door of the recently occupied apartment next to him Kim Dokja waited with a casserole dish in hand, Gilyoung beside him. The door opened revealing a roughly college age kid, he was roughly the same height as Dokja with unfairly handsome features. Genetics had clearly done him well.
“Afternoon, I’m Kim Dokja, your next door neighbor. And this is my son Kim Gilyoung.” Gilyoung waved from behind Dokja, his bug enclosure hanging from a strap at his waist. “I have some lasagna for you, I know it can be hard to remember to eat well when you’re moving.”
“Yoo Jonghyuk. It’s nice to meet you,” his neighbor responded, taking the dish into his hands, “thank you, for the food.”
Smiling sweetly, Dokja nodded, “of course, if you ever need anything feel free to ask me. We’re in 78.”
“Thank you Mr. Kim,” giving a small bow Yoo Jonghyuk closed the door, taking the food with him.
“I would say that went pretty successfully,” Dokja declared, heading out with Gilyoung down the stairs to the first floor.
Gilyoung nodded, “he seems okay.”
Dokja stifled a chuckle, leave it to his preteen to downplay anything. “Alright, let’s go to the park, bud.”
Gilyoung nodded, “I want to see the bugs.”
“I know buddy, I know.”
As they headed down to the ground level Dokja couldn’t shake the impossible feeling of deja-vu. A small tick set off in the back of his mind.
-
With his perhaps odder than the working adult in society university schedule Yoo Jonghyuk managed to not see his new neighbor until a week after his classes had started on a clear Monday as he headed out to his slightly later than early morning class and found Mr. Kim out on the railing smoking. Harsh tobacco smoke blew from his lips, ashes falling over the white fence into the dirt below.
“Good morning,” he greeted, not in a particular rush.
Mr. Kim turned, letting Jonghyuk get a good eyeful of his eye bags, five o’clock shadow, and otherwise pale skin. “Ah, g’morning kid.”
He frowned, “I’m not a kid,” sure Mr. Kim had some gray flecking through his hair and a few smile lines to show for his years but Jonghyuk was a college student. He wasn’t a child anymore.
“Sure kid, how old are you anyway?” Mr. Kim asked.
“I’m 23.” Jonghyuk answered shortly.
“A kid for sure,” he said with a teasing smirk, as if he knew exactly what would get him riled up.
“How old are you then?” Jonghyuk challenged, not quite sure what he was expecting.
“Me?” Mr. Kim brought his cig up to his lips and inhaled, blowing a cloud of smoke out with the breeze, “I’m 40. That would be, hm, 17 years older than you?”
“Oh.” Jonghyuk still wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but he suspected it hadn’t been that. He wasn’t sure what it was though.
Mr. Kim laughed, his laugh was stark but warm. It was filled with a kind of joy Jonghyuk didn’t know how to get. “Yeah, oh. I’m not that old. Just entered the middle ages.”
“You’re a dad.” Jonghyuk blurted, although like most of his actions around this man so far, he wasn’t sure why he did.
“Picked up on that eh? Yeah, I adopted them both. Sweet things. You met Gilyoung-ah, my 11 year old son, ever since he entered middle school he’s got this air of being cool about him. Still loves bugs though. Then, you haven’t met her, my daughter Yoosung-ah. She’s 12 and one of the politest 12 year olds I know. Their teachers are always surprised they’re both mine,” Mr. Kim laughed again, a well practiced fond smile across his face.
“They sound… cute,” Jonghyuk responded awkwardly, unsure how to respond to such love. He watched the smoke drift the cig between the older man’s fingers, “do they know you smoke?”
Mr. Kim glanced between him and the cigarette in his hand, “They’re clever kids, I’m sure they picked it up on it. I don’t do it around them, but I don’t hide it necessarily,” he shrugged, “they’re smart enough to know they don’t want to do it.”
Jonghyuk hadn’t expected such a formulated answer, but he supposed the man in front of him was full of surprises.
“Now, answer a question of mine. What University do you go to?”
“I go to Dongguk University. This is my second year.” Jonghyuk told him, reminding himself of the class he needed to get to.
“Just moved out of the dorms huh? I remember that, nothing like having your own space. Although mine wasn’t nearly as good,” Mr. Kim laughed yet again, “you probably have a class to get to. Better hop to.”
Surprised at how much Mr. Kim had observed Jonghyuk nodded, standing in place in the mild morning.
“What are you waiting for, get, go,” Mr. Kim shooed him away with a hand returning to his cigarette.
Startling Jonghyuk obeyed, heading down the stairs. Waving to Mr. Kim as he got into his car.
There was something about his smile as he waved back, the crinkle at his eyes. There was just something about him that made Jonghyuk feel at ease. An uncommon feeling, it was unusual he decided, the feeling Mr. Kim had instilled completely muting the usual irritation at morning traffic. What an unusual man indeed.