Dokja read about his 'home' again.

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20-year-old Kim Dokja tried to wipe off the blood running from his nose. His eyes drooped, looking at the collection of books laid out across on his desk. Alone the thought of the CTSA test almost made his go crazy.

Although this desperate fits of studying had somewhat taken his mind off the bullying and pursuing reporters, he was still exhausted.

Deciding to take a break now, the precocious teenager picked up his flip phone, to check for updates on his favorite novel. A smile began to bloom on the dark-haired figure's face when he saw that a new chapter had been published.

Especially because... there was a paragraph about Hanibaram!

It had been a year since the character's appearance, and only 6 chapters had described or featured Hanibaram following that. This was something that disappointed Kim Dokja greatly.

Slowly and solemnly, Dokja began to read while enjoying every second of it.

[.... Yoo Jonghyuk met the red-haired man again after his 78th regression. This time it happened after Lee Jihye had been flung away from him, Lee Hyunsung was seriously injured and Kim Namwoon already unconscious. Together with Lee Seolwa not far away, they saw the heart of nature, Hanibaram walking towards them slowly.

The atmosphere instantly calmed down. The disaster from Main Scenario #23 this time came with its monster and did not even flinch. It was as if time had stopped because of the presence of the man with the smell of nature.

"Yoo Jonghyuk-ssi." A soft voice, which he hadn't heard in decades of regression, rang out.

It made something in his heart swell up, various feelings surging, the urge to complain, to lean back, cry, scream, and-.

"It's alright," murmured the owner of those jeweled reddish-brown eyes. A small grin appeared on his face, making the few onlookers gasp.

"You can rest. I'll finish the rest." A pale, frail hand patted Yoo Jonghyuk's head twice before the man turned to face the Disaster.

At a glance, they saw that there was a sad expression on Hanibaram's beautiful face. His eyes twinkled sympathetically at the Disaster who was now screaming in pain behind his monsters, due to Dokkaebi's character imposition.

"I will release you from the pain." Hands facing forward- ]

Dokja's reading stopped for a moment, to grasp his beating heart.

[ Then, the rumbling of nature's fury could be heard. Everyone watched as spears formed from the ground, the sky began to cloud over with the sound of lightning, the wind began to pick up, the water seemed to stop in time, and the wooden flares began to rise from the ground.

Had Yoo Jonghyuk ever mentioned how incredible Hanibaram was?

"Everyone..." Reddish-brown eyes stared calmly.

"...attack." A brutal attack came facing the monster.

Water that turned into bullets and tsunamis, earthen spears that hardened and sharpened, skies that sent down rose lightning, and wooden roots that firmly held the bodies of Class 16 monsters still.

And in just an instant, the monster was destroyed. Its body sprawled forward, leaving behind the Disaster who now looked at Hanibaram with a terrified face.

"I won't hurt you," the red-haired man murmured, once again sending out his unique scent, which made the Disaster pause, his eyes widening and beginning to tear up.

"Y-you..." there was a smile on the Disaster's face as he looked at Hanibaram. The hand holding a weapon relaxed as all the attacking insect monsters collapsed. The Disaster fell to his knees and began to cry.

"He-help... p-please bring me back..."

"O.. the owner of the a-nature world... br-bring me home..."

"It's painful here..."

"Where is it painful?" Asked Hanibaram, now walking closer to the Disaster. His footsteps sounded echoing in the middle of the dead city, yet they brought plants to life with every step. ]

Dokja's heart trembled as he read Hanibaram's question. He could feel his lips trembling as his eyes began to glaze over. It hurts here too... in my heart... it hurts here, Hanibaram...

[ "Here..." the Disaster pointed out in his mind.

"Here too... it hurts here..." crying like a child, the Disaster pointed to his heart.

"Okay... now, big men don't cry easily, right?" Like facing a mother figure, the Disaster silently gulped and nodded. His terrifying appearance gradually revealed a brown-haired human figure.

Hanibaram then crouched down and reached out to stroke the Disaster's cheek, wiping away his tears.

"What is your name?" An empty stare was given in return.

"M-my name?" Hanibaram nodded.

"I-I..." -who am I?

"It's okay. There's no need to exert yourself. Are you ready to rest?" Asked the red-haired man again, now with a soft smile on his beautiful face. The Disaster nodded, tears falling freely.

Hanibaram closed his eyes. There was a golden aura surrounding him, forming a circular rune between them with a golden glow.

"One who has compassion,"

"And the one who possesses the tranquility of the world,"

"Please bring back this broken soul home,"

"The world doesn't deserve to hurt him,"

"So..." Hanibaram gave a quiet smile.

"Give this soul a proper rest."

Gradually, the Disaster saw its body fade away. His eyes looked over his body with a surprised look, before looking at Hanibaram and crying out again.

"Th-thank you, hyung! It didn't hurt at all." His tears fell heavily. ]

As Kim Dokja's tears fell, he too yearned for the 'return home' that Hanibaram had given the other. Even the Disaster was given a proper rest? What about him...?

[ "I-I remember my name now!" Supporting his chin on his right hand, Hanibaram asked.

"What is it?" It was as if he was addressing a child now, not a Disaster.

"Lee Gilyoung! W-will I be able to call you 'hyung'?" Hanibaram nodded, earning the newly named Disaster's smile.

"T-thank you, hyung..."

And the body faded away completely, with a golden light heading towards the sky.

Everyone watched the moment in silence. Watching as Hanibaram's figure began to stand with a golden aura around him that shone even more. There was a shadow of wings present behind Hanibaram, his reddish hair floating.

Sharp eyes looked up at the sky.

Witnessed by thousands of eyes, Hanibaram's soft voice echoed throughout the world.

"Are you happy to turn suffering into laughter?"

The smell of nature grew stronger. They witnessed for themselves how nature's most beloved figure made the sky rumble with thickly growing vegetation.

"Whoever it is, that brought me here."

"Thank you." A small smile appeared on the beautiful face. Although it did not reach the man's eyes.

"I'll turn your gleeful laughter into cries of misery." ]

Hanibaram's final declaration left Kim Dokja unable to sleep. His eyes stared blankly at the ceiling as those words continued to echo in his mind. About the strong protagonist, as well as Hanibaram making a declaration of war on Star Stream.

Turning over to the right side of the bed, Dokja gripped the blanket tightly. Suppressing a shaky smile, he closed his eyes, imagining that the figure of Disaster saved by Hanibaram was him or even that the strong figure of Jonghyuk, who had found a home in the red haired man, was him too.

"What a beautiful dream...," Dokja muttered with a sad smile.

... but fiction was still fiction.

It never came true.

Imperceptibly, a tear fell from his eyes.

Even if fiction was not real... could he hope that one day it would become a reality?

"Stop wishing, Kim Dokja," he whispered inwardly trying to hold back the sobs that would tear him apart, once more. He had a test in a few days, he shouldn't destroy the calm he had before-

"... ugh... hiks..." A part of his mind was surprised to find that he still had tears to shed. However, in the silence of the night, Kim Dokja cried again. Clutching the blanket tightly, he imagined the two figures his heart had dreamed of with tears of regret.

Regret that he would never meet the figures of his dreams.

With this thought... he fell asleep.

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Who was that...?

In the blur and brightness of the dream, he tried to shield his eyes from the blinding intensity of the light.

Then, his eyes darted around the image of a ruined city with a look of wonder. What was he doing in a ruined city like this?

Faintly, he heard two people talking not far from him. With his eyes hypnotized and wide open, his feet slowly stepped closer.

There were two blurry figures standing behind him.

One had black hair, a knee-length black coat and a strong build.

The other had long red hair, a cloth (?) over his shoulderss, standing with the breeze blowing past the two figures.

They seemed untouchable and unreachable, yet at the same time, reachable.

He called out to them.

But who were they?

Both of them turned around.

Blurry.

But vaguely, he could see the smile of the red-haired figure, as well as a gaze full of warmth as he looked at him.

"-back, Dokja-hyu-," the whispered voice echoed. He, Kim Dokja, simply stood there in silence. Then he stared wide-eyed at the shadowy figure with reddish hair and golden glow who had reached out to stroke his hair. The head of his childhood figure, then his teenage figure, then his work figure.

"-you did great."

Kim Dokjas eyes opened wide. The ceiling of his room was the only thing that greeted him.

The man gave a sad chuckle that slowly turned into a painful laugh.

'No matter how real you may seem, to me you are still a wish that can never be achieved.'

SEE YOU IN THE NEXT CHAPTER

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Actually, I feel broken when I write and every time I re-read this chapter ಥ_ಥ)