To rid the world of the scenarios, disrupting the Star Stream and the way that the universe had run since it was created - could that be called an ambitious goal, Kim Dokja wondered?

When reading Ways of Survival, Kim Dokja had never really thought of Yoo Joonghyuk as ambitious. Maybe in the beginning, yes, those goals had seemed to be more unrealistic, and Yoo Joonghyuk had seemed to have that intense desire to succeed. But later on, as the regressions progressed, as Yoo Joonghyuk had grown more tired and weary and depressed from the feeling of having to repeat it all, over and over again, Kim Dokja hadn't felt as if that word fit anymore. Something about the word 'ambition' had seemed too full of hope, and Yoo Joonghyuk had seemed to be more full of despair.

Though since they were in the third regression right now, maybe ambitious could once more be used to describe the regressor before him.

Yoo Joonghyuk was training now. By himself, of course, because that was the type of person he was. The Breaking the Sky Sword Saint could engage him at times, being his teacher, but often it was just him, practicing alone.

Yoo Joonghyuk glanced behind him, and Kim Dokja wasn't surprised that he was caught. Yoo Joonghyuk seemed tired, if Kim Dokja was going to be honest, sweat glistening on his skin (because for some reason, he had decided to train without a shirt on). Their gazes met, and then Yoo Joonghyuk turned away and went back to training.

Kim Dokja wondered, if he came up to the regressor and attempted to join in, if Yoo Joonghyuk would let him. Probably not. Yoo Joonghyuk called him his companion, but he shouldn't push his limits.

The scenarios progressed, going on and on and on. Sometimes Kim Dokja was present, sometimes he wasn't. Really, though, his absences were all because he had the Company's best interest in mind. That was why he kept sacrificing himself, if only they could understand that!

Kim Dokja knew Yoo Joonghyuk was never happy about his sacrifices. That's why he tried to take those measures in the 46th scenario, after all. In the end, though, all of these were done with their best interests, with the future of the world, in mind.

And maybe, Kim Dokja realized, if Yoo Joonghyuk could be called ambitious, then Kim Dokja could be called ambitious too. But Yoo Joonghyuk was able to inspire hope in the people of Earth, while Kim Dokja couldn't.

Maybe that was what it meant to be a leader - being alone, separate from all of the others in the world.

Kim Dokja did not care about their survival. He cared about his companions' survival. That was it.

He offered them help, but what could he do if they didn't take it?

He was the Demon King of Salvation. Contradictory titles - but maybe they should have concentrated on the demon part more than the salvation part.

When Kim Dokja woke up again after the scenarios ended - apparently 20 some years ago, due to his companions' group regression to save him, so it hadn't been as long for them than it had been for the rest of the people on Earth - he finally allowed himself to process that he had saved all his companions, including himself.

The Star Stream had long ago been destroyed. Both he and Yoo Joonghyuk had achieved their possibly ambitious goal. The one which had seemed impossible, but in the end, wasn't.

"Thank you for writing that biography about me," Kim Dokja told Han Sooyoung as she sat by his bedside. He still was not allowed to leave the hospital bed, his companions not yet believing that his condition was stable enough.

"I guess it was a biography," Han Sooyoung said with a sigh. "I liked to think of it as a fictional story. Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint. Amazing title, right?"

"It's the name of one of my skills," Kim Dokja pointed out.

Han Sooyoung smiled. "Oh, I know."

Kim Dokja affectionately rolled his eyes. Han Sooyoung was his best friend, if he was going to be honest. Yes, all of Kim Dokja's Company were his close friends, but Han Sooyoung especially. He felt he could trust her with his life.

"Are any others going to visit me today?" Kim Dokja asked. His mother, Lee Sookyung, had already visited earlier, but Han Sooyoung was the only other visitor so far today. They never really gave him a schedule of when they were visiting, just popped up or sent a text saying they would pop up, so he was never sure.

"Your favorite protagonist might," Han Sooyoung said.

"Joonghyuk-ah?" Kim Dokja gave her a surprised look. "He hasn't been here since I woke up."

"He's putting it off or something," Han Sooyoung said with a sigh. "I'd say that he himself is exhausted, but he's been doing a lot since he came back, so…"

"What makes you think he'll come today, then?" Kim Dokja muttered.

Han Sooyoung paused, then said, "It's just a feeling I have. I know he isn't a character I created anymore, but…"

It was true, Han Sooyoung was the author of Ways of Survival and would thusly know a lot about Yoo Joonghyuk, but sometimes, it was the reader who knew more. And even then, the Yoo Joonghyuk of now was no longer the character that Han Sooyoung had written about and Kim Dokja had read about.

"Since you're the author," Kim Dokja said, "would you call Joonghyuk-ah ambitious?"

"Of all the questions…"

Kim Dokja shrugged. "There are many more. I might as well start with a small one."

"What do you think the answer is?" Han Sooyoung asked.

"Joonghyuk-ah was certainly determined to succeed, and that is the definition of ambitious," Kim Dokja said. "But the word seems too hopeful to describe the later regressions."

"You're the reader," Han Sooyoung said. "You know best."

Han Sooyoung was right. Yoo Joonghyuk did visit later, though his eyes did not meet Kim Dokja's right away.

[The story 'Life and Death Companions' is continuing its storytelling.]

Not much was even happening right now, yet still, the story was speaking. It had been years, so Kim Dokja supposed it was just happy to finally see the two of them, the life and death companions, interact once more.

"Joonghyuk-ah," Kim Dokja finally said when the silence had become unbearable. "It's been a while."

"Years," Yoo Joonghyuk said. "It's been years."

"You saw me a week ago, when I first woke up."

Yoo Joonghyuk seemed to have a small smile for just one second, but maybe Kim Dokja just hallucinated. "Yes, I believe I did."

This sunfish bastard. Was he really just going to respond to what Kim Dokja said instead of actually having a conversation?

"Why did you wait so long before coming again?" Kim Dokja questioned.

Yoo Joonghyuk glanced away. "I don't have to explain my reasons to you."

He's putting it off, Han Sooyoung had said. Kim Dokja hadn't believed that Yoo Joonghyuk was a procrastinator, but then again, Kim Dokja had only truly known Yoo Joonghyuk during the scenarios.

Yoo Sangah was the only one of his companions he had known before the scenarios began. And though his mother wasn't officially part of Kim Dokja's Company, he had known her as well. He was only just starting to get to know what the others were like without the stress of the scenarios upon them.

Kim Dokja had also believed that he knew Yoo Joonghyuk better than he knew himself, but now, he questioned if that was true. He had interpreted what Yoo Joonghyuk was like based on the words upon his phone screen. The real life Yoo Joonghyuk was different. And he had years to continue to change.

All of them had had years. Yet all of them still seemed to care about Kim Dokja.

Kim Dokja decided to start with something simple.

"It's nice to see you again," he said.

Yoo Joonghyuk looked back at him. "Yes," he said. "It is."

Even if Yoo Joonghyuk had been ambitious once, he wasn't right now. He didn't need to strive for success if he already succeeded.

It was the same for Kim Dokja as well.

All they needed to do now was learn to be life and death companions once again.

If you enjoyed reading, please leave a comment!

My upcoming works are on my profile!