They caught Kim Dokja eventually and Kim Dokja regretted giving Han Sooyoung a spare key to his little apartment.
Han Sooyoung had been sitting on his creaky old sofa when he opened the door. She had her laptop settled on her lap and was working on something. Her head snapped up when the door swung open.
"You jerk, why're you not answering any of my calls or messages?" Han Sooyoung spat, jumping up from the sofa.
She was in a black tank top and skinny jeans, having taken off her hoodie which lay in a purple heap beside her on the sofa.
It was hot, mid-summer, but Kim Dokja's apartment didn't have an air conditioner. He did have a portable fan that he usually kept in his bedroom. Han Sooyoung didn't even bring that out. He felt sorry that she had to wait for him in this uncomfortable place.
"I was busy," Kim Dokja said, shuffling into his apartment. "They seem to want to squeeze everything out of me before letting me go."
His tired face seemed to be enough proof for Han Sooyoung and she believed his excuse.
He wasn't lying completely. He was pretty busy and work was tiring, though he wasn't really doing any work at his office.
He just sat at his desk, fiddled with his computer, pretending to work. Put together some crappy, half-assed report when he was asked to and listened to the earful he was getting from the department head.
He got yelled at regardless of how his performance was, why should he bother doing it if that was going to be the case in the end?
"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" Kim Dokja said.
"And let you escape? No chance in hell," Han Sooyoung snorted. "I came here determined to catch your rat ass and skewer it on a pike. Then deliver you to Jung Heewon, she was two seconds away from asking Lee Seolhwa for sleeping pills. And Sangah said she'd manage to sneak it into your coffee."
Kim Dokja shivered a little, those women were truly frightening. And they could actually manage it if they wanted.
"Then what?" Kim Dokja said.
"Have you even been sleeping?" Han Sooyoung glowered at him as he opened the door to his bedroom and walked in.
"I have," Kim Dokja said. "It's a bit weird, but I am."
He felt drowsy and exhausted most of the time these days. He might just give up caffeine and let his delirium carry him throughout the day. Maybe he'll run into a car or something and just die. With how crap his state was, he was more likely to walk into a telephone pole and die and then end up on the headlines saying 'Local man hits head on telephone poll like a fucking dumbass and dies'.
Han Sooyoung had left her laptop and hoodie behind and had followed him. She leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed across her chest as she stared at him with a very disapproving frown.
Everyone did that when they saw him. They said he was too thin, too unhealthy. He knew that much. There wasn't a lot he could do about it though.
"Did Yoo Joonghyuk come here?" Han Sooyoung asked as he peeled his suit off his back.
"No, why?" Kim Dokja said.
"No, the mochi in the fridge," Han Sooyoung said. "I thought he got them for you, but it's strange. He wouldn't just bring sweets. He'd stuff your fridge with veggies instead."
"Ah, that," Kim Dokja remembered the box the other, CEO Yoo Joonghyuk had given him the last time they'd had dinner. Kim Dokja tried refusing it but the man was insistent.
"A friend of mine gave it to me."
Han Sooyoung blinked.
"A friend? Or something else?"
"A friend," Kim Dokja said firmly.
"Hmm," Han Sooyoung hummed suspiciously.
"I'm being serious," Kim Dokja cried. "I met him when I went for that exhibition. We went to karaoke and then had dinner a few times."
"Date then," said Han Sooyoung.
"No. We both made it very clear that we're not looking for any relationship more than friends," Kim Dokja said. "I'm going to give up on dating now. It's all a waste of time."
Han Sooyoung clicked her tongue, annoyed.
"I knew you would be moping around like this," she huffed. "What did I tell you when you said you were going to date an actress? Did you listen?"
"Ah, why're you nagging me now?" Kim Dokja grumbled. "I told you not to date a guitarist either, did you listen?"
"Oi, why're you bringing up that now?" Han Sooyoung barked. "Focus on what's important."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever."
"This bastard's asking for a thrashing."
Han Sooyoung attacked the mochis the second he told her it was fine to do so.
"Just leave some for the kids," Kim Dokja reminded her.
"Wah...Why're these so freaking good?" Han Sooyoung said, her mouth stuffed with the sweet. "Hey, Kim Dokja, are you sure it's just friends? He's not trying to date you, is he?"
"He's not," Kim Dokja sighed. "We're not even close friends yet."
"Is he rich?" Han Sooyounh asked.
"Maybe, don't know," Kim Dokja lied again. He didn't think any good would come from letting his friends know about Yoo Joonghyuk.
"So, what's this guy like?" Han Sooyoung asked, holding out a mochi for him to eat.
"Nice," Kim Dokja said, taking a bite and the rice cake stretched as he pulled his mouth away from it. It did taste quite good.
"It's fun, hanging out," Kim Dokja said once he finished chewing the sticky, chewy sweet and swallowing it. "He likes singing, but he's so off-tune all the time. He gets like ninety, hundred every time. It's ridiculous to watch, really."
Han Sooyoung watched him intently, as though trying to find out if he had any interest in this new person he was mentioning. But Kim Dokja wasn't.
"Where did you meet?" she asked.
"When I went for that business trip last month—"
"Where," she interrupted him. "Where, give me an exact place."
"A bar," Kim Dokja relented. Han Sooyoung's eyes narrowed.
"A bar?"
"Hmm," Kim Dokja nodded. "I was tired, there was a bar right behind my hotel, so I thought I'd go have a drink and then I met him."
"And?" the woman prompted.
"And what?" Kim Dokja shrugged. "We talked for a bit, then left."
"Really?"
Kim Dokja nodded.
"Then," said Han Sooyoung.
"Then," Kim Dokja held in a sigh. "We were both going to the exhibition and we ran into each other there the next day. And we decided to go for drinks and karaoke."
Han Sooyoung seemed to be making up her own imagination of what this person was. Kim Dokja didn't give her any inputs.
"We were both heading back to the inner city after that, and we exchanged numbers on the journey back," Kim Dokja conveniently left out a lot of information.
"We're drinking buddies now."
"You don't like drinking," Han Sooyoung said, brandishing a pink mochi with a large bite taken out of it at him.
Kim Dokja could only shrug in response.
"It's a little fun with him," he said. "And I don't drink a lot. We mostly chat."
"So, it is a date then!" Han Sooyoung threw her hands up. "This guy clearly wants something more from you."
Yes, but in a different way. That wasn't very crucial information either, so he withheld that too.
"No, he doesn't," Kim Dokja shook his head. "He hasn't made a single move."
"Bullshit," Han Sooyoung snorted. "You wouldn't pick up hints even if the other person was naked in front of you."
Kim Dokja felt shame twist in his gut. That was exactly what had happened with this new Yoo Joonghyuk.
He didn't like to think he was dense, and he was pretty good at understanding the other person when he wanted to initiate it. He often thought of the other person as he thought of himself and wouldn't realise what they wanted from him.
"Hey, don't date until you get our approval this time," Han Sooyoung said threateningly. "No, I'm being serious," she snapped when Kim Dokja opened his mouth to protest.
"We've all agreed to it. The next person you even go on a blind date with, is going through a long interview by all of us. The kids included."
Kim Dokja chuckled lightly.
"Why would you even do that?" he said. "You don't have to. I'm giving up anyway."
"What happened to proving that Shaman wrong?" Han Sooyoung said.
"Who wants to do that?" Kim Dokja scoffed.
He took the box of sweets away from Han Sooyoung and put it back in the fridge. If he let her hold it, she would finish it all before she knew it and there would be none left for the kids when they came to meet him during the weekend.
Shin Yoosung lived a block away, she would head to the park in the middle and from there get to Kim Dokja's apartment. Lee Gilyoung lived in the apartment complex right next to the one Kim Dokja lived in, so he had a shorter distance to cover.
Yoo Joonghyuk would bring Mia and together those three kids would barge into his apartment and fill its usual silence with lively noise.
"What happened this time?" Han Sooyoung asked. "Tell me everything."
"Why?" Kim Dokja said.
He dreaded to think what Han Sooyoung would do to poor Min Jiwon if she found out. Han Sooyoung had a knack for manipulating public opinion on the internet and Min Jiwon was an actress. This was the last thing that woman needed. . .Hang on, Han Sooyoung wouldn't do anything. Because Kim Dokja didn't want to be blasted on the internet. So she would have no choice but to keep quiet.
"The fuck you mean why?" Han Sooyoung slapped his back and Kim Dokja jumped away with a pained hiss.
"Speak, asshole. Or I'll bring everyone here to interrogate."
Kim Dokja sighed heavily.
"Nothing new," he waved a hand. "The same old story, really."
Han Sooyoung's stare changed from annoyed to concerned to complete rage to worry for him again.
"Give me the details," Han Sooyoung snarled.
Kim Dokja didn't open his mouth and the woman tackled him, threatening him with calling their other friends to get answers out of him and finally, Kim Dokja had no choice but to speak.
"She was. . .I think it was the assistant director," Kim Dokja muttered, rubbing the back of his head where Han Sooyoung had yanked his hair while manhandling him to the sofa and imprisoning him there by throwing herself over him.
"They had texts. And they called each other a lot."
"And you didn't call her lie?" Han Sooyoung snapped.
"Hey, I didn't—I wanted to trust my girlfriend, is that wrong?" Kim Dokja said indignantly, feeling horrible that he was lying to his best friend.
But what was new about that? He always did this.
Han Sooyoung ran her hand through her hair, gritting her teeth and keeping all her frustrated rantings for later.
"I mean," Kim Dokja continued. "I did suspect something was up, but you know how Jiwon is. She was stressed enough as is, and she really wanted the role and—"
"Kim Dokja!" Han Sooyoung yelled. "I don't give a fucking damn what she wanted. You should too! You always do this! You let everyone walk all over you!"
"I don't do that," Kim Dokja snorted.
"Yes, you fucking do," Han Sooyoung roared. "You—You—Shit, you know what?! Give up on dating. That's what's good for you. You attract all shitty people who only take advantage of you."
Kim Dokja smiled at her and Han Sooyoung swore loudly.
"Then?" she said, still fuming, but she wasn't cursing anymore.
"Then what?" Kim Dokja took a deep breath. "A few days later, I think she felt bad about cheating, so she told me she wanted to break up. And I was like okay. And we broke up."
Han Sooyoung opened her mouth and the words that fell out of her mouth, cursing Min Jiwon would have the woman's ancestors die at least thrice more in their graves.
Kim Dokja shoved Han Sooyoung off him and left the sofa to get to the kitchen and see if there was anything he could make for dinner.
His cabinets were nearly empty, but he had a few ramen packets. And he had eggs. Works just fine for a meal.
"Hey, Han Sooyoung," he called. "You're staying? I'm making ramen? Want some?"
"Yeah," Han Sooyoung yelled back, pausing her curses. "D'you have cheese?"
Kim Dokja went to check.
"No."
Han Sooyoung groaned from the living room.
"I'm going to the convenience store then," she said.
"Why?"
"I'm not eating ramen without cheese, you bastard," she said.
Kim Dokja closed the refrigerator door and listened to Han Sooyoung shuffle around, put on her shoes and the door closed when she left.
He knew why she was doing this. This was Han Sooyoung's way of getting him things to fill his house.
Yoo Joonghyuk cooked, made excuses and said that he just happened to make an extra portion and gave it to Kim Dokja. He had been doing that since high school. He said that the standard recipe was two servings so there were some leftovers. When Mia came, he made three portions saying he didn't know how much a child ate so made extra. With Lee Seolhwa around he said that he was following different recipes and the servings were for four now and the extra obviously were Kim Dokja's to have.
Han Sooyoung would always say that she wanted to get something from the convenience store for herself and when she returned, she would have bought a lot more, even stuff she didn't like and leave them at Kim Dokja's house. Sausages, cup noodles, flavoured milk, chocolates, chips, breakfast protein bars. She said the packets looked interesting and that she was giving them to him to taste test. But he knew what she was trying to do.
Yoo Sangah always got him coffee while at work, or during their lunch breaks when they ran into each other. They always ran into each other, it was obvious that Yoo Sangah was coming to look for him on purpose.
Jung Heewon always gave him free appetizers at the bar she worked in and said that it was on the house for her, one of the benefits she got as an employee, but she didn't really like eating those. He knew that she was always paying the tab though.
Lee Seolhwa got him vitamin supplements and other substitutes to make up for his horrible diet. She said it was stuff her hospital gave out to all their employees and that she got tons of them, but had no one else to give them to. She didn't want to waste them and Yoo Joonghyuk and Mia didn't like any of it.
They all did something for him, trying to be sneaky so that they wouldn't accidentally hurt his pride or something. He went along with their play.
They knew he had trouble with finances. Most of what he earned went into paying his loans and keeping his little apartment, he had little to spare for making himself grand meals. And since he had been foregoing those since a child, it didn't hit him as something very concerning. It sent the others screaming though and they were just trying to stop him from starving himself to eventual death.
Kim Dokja's pride might have been hurt if he were younger and immature, but he wasn't. He saw all the effort they were putting in for him. He saw the genuine worry they held for him.
And though it was suffocating, he could handle it. They were only concerned, they just cared for him. He had to return their efforts the way he could.
He thought they were worried about the chances of him getting diagnosed with cancer like his mother was. Lee Seolhwa always brought up health checkups and asked him questions over and over again every time they met.
If he ever went to the hospital, it wasn't alone. Someone would always be with him, usually Han Sooyoung or Lee Seolhwa, since he got dragged to her hospital.
They seemed to know that if something was seriously wrong with Kim Dokja, he wouldn't tell them anything.
The water bubbled and boiled and he slipped the hard noodles into the spicy ramen broth.
He thought about the offer Yoo Joonghyuk had made.
If anyone heard him, they would say he had made the stupidest decision ever. A part of him felt that way too.
But he was thinking about the long-term implications. Kim Dokja didn't have a lot of qualities that employers looked for in an employee. He had a very poor work ethic and wasn't loyal or hardworking.
That Yoo Joonghyuk seemed to have arrived at some super grand idea and now considered Kim Dokja a hidden genius when he wasn't one at all.
If he accepted the offer Yoo Joonghyuk had given him, he would be holding his position solely because he had the CEO's support. Once he realised that he actually had no potential, he would be disappointed and there was only so long he could defend Kim Dokja until he had to think about the other employees who were being affected by Kim Dokja's lack of expertise and motivation and let him go.
Another scenario was, that if he managed to become the target of Yoo Joonghyuk's wrath for some reason, he could easily have his life ruined.
Right now, Kim Dokja is doing fine. Sure, he wasn't swimming or sitting on a boat leisurely, but he was floating, his head was still above water and he was alive.
Kim Dokja had looked up the company on the internet. The sheer brilliance of it all intimidated him. He'd much rather not.
He wasn't planning on ever contacting Yoo Joonghyuk first. And since he was a busy CEO, that man would eventually have enough of Kim Dokja's behaviour, consider him arrogant and ungrateful and leave him alone.
Kim Dokja stirred the pot with a pair of chopsticks, loosening the ramen noodles, and separating the ones stuck together.
He had work tomorrow. He didn't want to go.
Yoo Sangah was his only motivation to make it to work these days. If he didn't turn up, she would get worried and go to the others and they would all get worried. Kim Dokja didn't want that.