"Let go of me! Yoo Joonghyuk!!"
"Not until we've crossed the bridge."
"Since when were you so good at keeping promises?"
"It's nothing but pathetic sympathy."
My brother had thrown himself off the bridge.
Why?
That one question kept circling in my head.
Why had he sacrificed himself?
How had he become so strong so quickly?
"According to your brother, you're the one who told him about me. What exactly are you?"
When she had first grabbed me, there was no way [Sage's Eye] should have failed.
And the fact that Dokyun already knew Yoo Joonghyuk, and even knew the extent of her strength, couldn't be explained simply by knowing the 'pro gamer Yoo Joonghyuk.'
Of course, Dokyun hadn't fully grasped the depths of her power, but his words proved that he had known from the start that Joonghyuk was strong. Yoo Joonghyuk had no choice but to be suspicious.
And since he had heard this from his own sister, she became an even greater object of suspicion.
"Yoo Joonghyuk, I... know a 'future' that you don't."
"...Can you use [Foresight]?"
"...I can do something similar."
"So you knew I would come here. That's why you warned that man you call your brother."
"Yeah."
At first, I had planned to become Joonghyuk's companion.
But the moment I saw my brother die, my heart began to shake.
My brother, Kim Dokyun.
The brother who rejected the meaning our trash of a father had forced upon him and forged a new meaning for himself.
The brother who abandoned his own dreams and took any job, no matter how grueling, sacrificing everything for my sake.
The brother who was always the one suffering more, yet always told me he was sorry.
My one and only listener, who always made time for me and listened to my stories until the very end, even when he was exhausted beyond words.
The brother who pulled out every cent he'd saved for college and laughed with a brightness that could shake the world, telling me not to worry about my tuition.
The brother who cried tears of joy and hugged me tight when I got my first job.
That brother, Kim Dokyun.
He was no longer in this world.
'Come to think of it... what did my brother even like?'
He knew I loved novels.
Whenever I talked about them, he would chime in and listen with a look of genuine happiness, as if he were the one enjoying the story.
But what did I know about him?
I couldn't remember what he liked, or what he hated.
If I'd known it would come to this, I should've thanked him one more time. I should've told him I loved him one more time.
For the brother who bought me a slice of cake every single year on my birthday, had I ever once told him happy birthday?
No. I only remembered complaining and asking why it was just a slice.
I was trash—the kind of person who took the family member who cared for her most for granted and never once said thank you.
That trash was me, Kim Dokja.
If I'd spent that time with my brother instead of visiting Mother one more time, would I regret things a little less now?
"So what are you trying to say? Speak."
"I know that you also know the future. And I know that your knowledge is incomplete. So... 'make me your companion.'"
Silence settled between the two of us for a moment.
"Decide—"
"...is what I wanted to say, but."
"...?"
"I need to go save my brother, so let go of my hand and get lost, you fucking bitch."
Yoo Joonghyuk looked down at me with a faint smile curling on her lips.
"We've crossed the bridge anyway... so I suppose that means I kept my promise."
—Tap.
Just as Dokyun had done, Yoo Joonghyuk relaxed her grip and dropped me.
"I'll believe you. You really are a prophet."
'Hah... what a bastard.'
—Grab!
The moment Yoo Joonghyuk let go, the sea serpent that had swallowed Dokyun devoured me too.
On the ruined bridge, only Yoo Joonghyuk remained.
Standing alone on the silent bridge, Yoo Joonghyuk spoke with a heavy voice.
"A siscon and a brocon... what a fantastic combination."
.
.
.
"So the second you crossed the bridge, she threw you under it?!"
'She was acting like some big sister, so I thought maybe she'd changed her mind a little, and then she stabs us in the back like this?!'
[The Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' says lying isn't good.]
"Our Dokja doesn't lie. Don't slander her. Dokja, come here."
"Okay."
Without saying a word, Dokja buried herself in my arms and started crying.
Watching me get eaten right in front of her would've been enough of a shock, but then she'd been swallowed too. The impact must have been devastating.
And on top of that, the one who had practically fed her to a monster was none other than Yoo Joonghyuk, the very person she had admired so much.
"Oppa... don't ever do that again."
The shock of death must have been severe. She clung to me, not even thinking of pulling away, her body trembling violently.
[A few Constellations recoil in horror at Kim Dokja.]
[The Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' urges you to look at Kim Dokja's expression.]
[The Constellation 'Goddess of Love and Beauty' likes Kim Dokja's heavy love.]
[The Constellation 'Secretive Plotter' freezes at the sight of Kim Dokja.]
'What's wrong with them now?'
"Oppa, promise me. Promise me you'll never sacrifice yourself alone again."
"...Okay. I'll try not to sacrifice myself alone."
"Not 'try.' Show me with actions."
"How?"
At my words, Dokja lifted her head, looked at me, and smiled.
"It's simple. Just repeat after me."
"Okay."
[Many Constellations try to stop you, saying something feels suspicious.]
"Say, 'I swear here and now that I will never sacrifice myself alone.' As for the time limit... let's say, for this Scenario at least."
[All the Constellations in the channel are shocked as they realize Kim Dokja's trick.]
"I swear here and now that I will never sacrifice myself alone. The time limit is for this Scenario."
The instant I finished speaking, blue flames flickered up around me.
"What is this?"
"Don't worry. It's not dangerous."
The blue flames rushed toward me, then were sucked into my heart.
Strangely enough, the flames weren't hot at all.
"Dokja? Do you know what this is?"
"It's an Oath of Existence. If you break this oath, you'll die. So at least for this Scenario, you absolutely can't sacrifice yourself alone."
"What kind of..."
"I'll let it go this time, but if you do it again next time, I won't let it pass this easily."
An Oath of Existence. Since I hadn't read [Ways of Survival], it was a setting I didn't know.
I'd been played hard because of that, but once this Scenario was over, it should be fine.
There wasn't only one Scenario, after all.
"Ah, well, it doesn't matter if I tell them. You can't refuse anything I ask of you anyway."
"Are you talking to the Constellations?"
"Yeah."
It seemed they'd asked whether I'd really do it again even after being told about the Oath of Existence.
Normally, if someone told you to do it again after learning the penalty, you wouldn't.
[A few Constellations ask if you would really do it again.]
"If that's what Dokja wants."
[A few Constellations sense madness in your words.]
'Madness is a bit much, isn't it?'
That aside, even if I was fine, I still had to get Dokja out of here... wasn't there any way?
With my current stats, even if this was the creature's insides, it would still be hard to deal any meaningful damage. That made it even more hopeless.
"Oppa. Listen carefully to what I say, and follow it. Then both of us can live."
"Okay. Have I ever done anything you'd hate?"
"Just now."
"...Other than that."
In a situation like this, Dokja, who knew the settings and the Scenarios far better, was obviously the one better suited to take the lead.
I had supposedly sacrificed myself for Dokja, yet now I had to borrow Dokja's strength. Somehow, that felt even more reckless than fighting Yoo Joonghyuk.
[You're really putting on a sitcom inside the stomach of an ichthyosaur.]
"...Dokkaebi," we said at the same time.
[Yes, that's right. As expected of siblings, speaking in unison and all. Anyway, you two don't seem surprised at all?]
"Of course not. We were waiting for you."
[...Huh? Waiting for me?]
"Yeah. There's a pile of Coins you need to collect from me—no, from us, isn't there?"
[Coins?]
'Coins?'
Wasn't it a trait of [Ways of Survival] that failure meant losing your life?
The Scenario definitely said death on failure... death?
<Sub Scenario - Escape>
Category: Sub
Difficulty: D
Clear Conditions: Cross the broken bridge and enter Oksu Station.
Time Limit: 20 minutes
Reward: 200 Coins
Failure: ???
'So that was it!!!'
Come to think of it, the first Main Scenario had explicitly said death upon failure, but the Sub Scenario had only said '???.'
Which meant there was a price other than death.
Dokja had grasped that much with ease. Of course, maybe she'd simply known because she'd read [Ways of Survival].
[Just as you said, even if a Sub Scenario is failed, you can survive as long as you pay Coins. Pay 5,100 Coins. Then I'll at least spare your lives.]
"That's too much."
Judging by Dokja's reaction, she currently had 5,100 Coins.
As for me?
[Coins Possessed: 1,100]
Nowhere near enough.
Probably because I'd invested everything into my stats because of Yoo Joonghyuk.
I couldn't ask the Constellations for help again like before... so as embarrassing as it was, I'd have to pray Dokja could solve this.
Even now, her eyes were full of confidence.
"Lower-grade Dokkaebi Bihyung. How's life as a Streamer?"
[W-what?! How do you know my name?!]
"Haven't things been pretty dull lately? The Constellations have been stingy with their spending too."
[W-who the hell are you? How could a mere human know that...!!]
'So that guy was Bihyung.'
I'd only heard descriptions until now, so I hadn't known, but Dokja really was a reader. She'd recognized him right away.
For her, [Reader] suited her better than [Only Child].
Reading only classic literature didn't make someone a reader, after all.
[A few Constellations begin to doubt your identities.]
[The Constellation 'Secretive Plotter' watches your plan with shining eyes.]
Dokja seemed to whisper something quietly to the Dokkaebi, but I couldn't hear it clearly.
Whatever she said, the Dokkaebi's expression stiffened, and soon he began gesturing through the air.
[Now then, speak. How do you, mere ordinary humans, know about the Star Stream?]
'...I don't really know either.'
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