Yoo Jonghyuk's side quest #5: Compliments are good for the health. [part 3]

As Kim Dokja stood up, he was stopped in his tracks by a group of students mixed with few burly men. He recognized some of the people he had beaten up yesterday in his fit of rage and couldn't help but grimace. He just wondered why he has to always jinx himself.

"We'd like to have a heart to heart talk with you."

Seeing the hesitant look in Kim Dokja's eyes, made one of the hooligans smile with schadenfreude as he enjoyed the latter's uneasiness. With one step closer, he stood face to face with the frowning teen.

"You won't refuse us right?"

As they forced Kim Dokja to follow them, they led the youngster inside an inconspicuous alley far away from the crowd, with an evil glint in their eyes they immediately began their business by shoving the fearful teen on the cold and dirty ground. Crouching in a fetal position, the latter easily resigned to his fate without even batting an eyelash. Kim Dokja just hoped that it wouldn't last too long. He wasn't afraid of the pain as he has already got accustomed to its presence in his life.

After a few rounds of beating, a person who looked like the leader of that group abruptly raised up his hand. As the vicious kicks stopped hitting the disheveled looking teen at once, the faint sound of ragged breathing could be made clear. The bruised body of the youngster silently limped on the side while facing the ground. The performance that Kim Dokja was putting up as he kept quiet while accepting the abuse, really surprised the leading gangster. And not in a good way because such a surprise really annoyed him.

"He isn't putting much resistance. This is boring."

With his mouth curling up in a wide and contorted grin, he gave off a strong malicious aura as his eyes started glinting with lustful desire. The two lackeys of that person shivered when they saw the look in those eyes, no one better than them understands the true perverse nature of their boss. As black as their heart was, none of them was darker than their sinful boss's mind.

"I know the perfect way to make someone scream."

Gazing down at the unresponsive teen, he chuckled. "Turn him over and pin him down."

Feeling his body being forcefully yanked, the teen struggled as he slowly lifted his heavy eyelids to see a silhouette of the burly man crouched before him. As his gaze turned clearer, he was faced with that wicked smile as two pair of hands reached out to unbutton his jacket. Kim Dokja's heart took a leap as the information started registering inside his brain, struggling with even more energy than before only to realize that he was locked down with no way to escape. The dreadful expression on his face was filled with anguish as he watched that man's hands already working their way down with his shirt.

The uncovered pale skin of that teen put so much contrast against the dirty ground of that sullied place. Kim Dokja tried to shout for help, but as soon as he opened his mouth a hand immediately reached over to muffle his screams. Hopelessness started to fill his heart as he watched and felt that rough hand caressing his exposed body. The lewd expression he saw on that face forced him to shut both eyes in despair. It disgusted him. It scared him. But he was alone. No one will come to save him.

The despair-filled expressions that the teen was making now were much more pleasing to the eye for the gangster who was thoroughly enjoying himself at this point. All those intense struggles provoked nothing more than just pure joy and ecstasy inside that perverted person's black heart. A pleased expression started showing up on that twisted face as he let out a low maniacal chuckling filled with many expectations towards the main upcoming 'event'.

"Don't worry. I will ravage you slowly, so you can taste each and every second of your demise."

***

The regressor silently watched from afar, unsure if he should take action. He had found them when they surrounded Kim Dokja and started beating him, but he didn't immediately rescue the latter. Yoo Jonghyuk was unsure of what he was feeling, and that uncertainty obstructed his actions. But as soon as he saw the defenseless teen being slowly stripped bare, all he could see was red. The insecurities within his heart morphed into a deep wave of bloody rage. His already stone cold face was covered by another additional layer of frost as a violent blizzard of eternal darkness was awakening inside those eyes. Nothing mattered anymore and between the disarrayed murderous aura filled with a rampageous intent, only one word clearly resounded endlessly inside his chaotic mind.

「 Kill. 」

With few steps, the regressor already rushed over and blended his presence with the surrounding alley. Yoo Jonghyuk felt like his heart was being tightly crushed within a giant sharp claw when faced with the disheveled state of that frail looking companion of his. He couldn't ignore the turmoil inside his heart no matter how much indifference was displayed on his stoic facade. As he stared at those trembling shoulders that were expressing so many feelings of resistance and stubbornness but were all overwhelmed by the sheer oppression of the terror conveyed through his light sobbing sounds. A sudden sharp pang of pain hit Yoo Jonghyuk's chest, it was so uncomfortable that made him frown.

Appearing behind quick as a ghost, the regressor struck that perverted bastard with a roundhouse kick to his head, sending a body flying over the near garbage disposal spot. The gangster that was kicked over crashed with the metallic trash bins making a loud 'thud' noise, blood spewed out his mouth as he fainted from the collision. Everything happened within a short span of seconds, not allowing that bastard any resistance towards that hit. His state still unknown, dead or alive didn't matter for the likes of him. But unfortunately, the faint groaning sounds coming from that man's mouth confirmed his situation. Yama still hasn't claimed that dirty soul.

Widening their eyes in disbelief as they watched their boss being effortlessly thrown to the side by that black-clothed man, beads of cold sweat started trickling down on each of their foreheads. As they felt the iciness coming from that man's aura which seems it would envelop at any time the entire sky and land. The killing intent he gave off was already going beyond his own control. When faced with the cold-blooded Yoo Jonghyuk's killer gaze, an illusion of a Death God choosing his next victim appeared simultaneously in their minds. Such an image really sent down chills on everyone's spines.

All of them unconsciously loosen their grip on the teen's limbs. The struggling Kim Dokja then took the opportunity and freed himself from their clutches. Throwing a left hook towards the nearest person he managed to push the latter back, allowing himself to escape. Staggering a bit, he ran over the side, slowly sliding down the hard wall as he hugged his trembling knees. His only desire was to hide from everything.

Uncaring for the newly escaped teen, the thugs were now only concerned about themselves and the thorny situation they were stuck in. One of the students suddenly stood up and shot a glare towards the regressor as he tried to threaten him. Encouraged by the first person, the others soon followed up.

"We can take him down! Outnumber him!"

"Yeah! Let's charge together!"

Looking at the incoming group, Yoo Jonghyuk simply snorted as he coldly gazed at them. The one that came close enough was the first unlucky soul to be thrown away like a ragdoll. With a few sets of moves, all of them were soon rolling on the ground groaning from the pain. It was undoubtedly a one-sided slaughter and it wasn't long after before they all started begging for mercy.

"Spare me!... S-Spare me!..."

"D-Don't kill us... Please!..."

Listening to all the noise that they were making irritated Yoo Jonghyuk who dangerously narrowed his eyes and oppressed them with his unrestrained killing intent again.

"Shut up or I kill you all."

Like magic, or better, like a curse all of them kept their mouth shut as they dreaded the consequences. All the bodies silently laid on the ground, too scared to even breathe as they feared to bring the attention of that scary man towards them. They all wished nothing more than to be left alone by that devil incarnate.

Walking over the trembling teen's side, the regressor crouched down before him. As the wrathful emotions were momentarily put aside, Yoo Jonghyuk reached out a hand and started gently fondle the trembling youngster's messy hair. In contrast to his caring actions was his usual monotone voice.

"You did a good job."

The young Kim Dokja closed his moist eyes flinching in response, tears threatening to slide down his cheeks at any moment. But when he felt a gentle touch instead of a cruel one, a sturdy but warm hand followed by the indifferent voice of a now familiar person. Slowly raising his head to meet the expressionless gaze of the older man, that same handsome person who looked like he suffered from some kind of everlasting face paralysis disease, such an oddball, a handsome looking oddball though. This person who he had personally allowed inside his life just out of a whim, at that time he had just wanted to do something good for others to make himself feel a little bit better.

Kim Dokja has never been someone deserving to be called selfless, on the contrary, he was a very selfish person. Suffering alone and unwilling to share the burden with anyone else, a need to give contrasted by a void that begged to be filled but unable to easily accept the goodwill. But sometimes a type of selfishness can also be forcing others your selflessness. That is just how selfish Kim Dokja truly was. He had really felt the bitter taste of desperation this time and when he saw that face again, it was like a mouthful of sweet and refreshing spring water traveling through his dry throat. As an inexplicable sense of relief washed over him, all the grievance he had welled up inside flowed down like tears.

[Target favorability raised: +25 points.]

+

[Side quest #3 - Compliments are good for the health.]

Category: Side

Difficulty: ???

Clear conditions: 25/100

Side effect: Indirect inclination towards the character 'Kim Dokja'. *Warning: Random activation.

Time-limit: One week

Compensation: ???

Failure: ㅡ

*There are additional clear conditions.

*No constellation interference allowed.

+

Totally disregarding the message from the system, Yoo Jonghyuk's current dilemmas were all about that crybaby companion before him. Vexed, he didn't know how to act. Seeing the heartwrenching state of the young teen who silently cried his soul out, the regressor sighed as he started taking off his coat to cover Kim Dokja's bruised body.

"Stop crying. You are not allowed to cry."

That voice was filled with the same indifference as per usual, but it still sounded so soothing and comforting to Kim Dokja's ears. Throwing himself forward as he latched his arms around the regressor's firm chest, the teen cried out even more. Yoo Jonghyuk's stoic expression wavered as he immediately wanted to distance himself, but the constant whimpering noises coming out from that quivering body prevented him from doing so. In the end, he allowed Kim Dokja to lean on him with a defeated sigh.

"I will kill you if you don't stop crying."

Such a threat should have scared Kim Dokja away, but when Yoo Jonghyuk faced with those upturned eyes filled with even more tears, the guilt he was feeling forced him to rephrase the sentence again.

"I will not care about you anymore if you don't stop."

Unlike the response he had received through his first threat, the second one seemed many times more effective as the teen immediately tried to suppress his weeping while tightening his hold around Yoo Jonghyuk's body, fearing that the latter would really go away. This course of actions made the regressor's expression stiffen even more than before.

After some time he started sensing no more reactions from the teen, the regressor worriedly checked the state of young man and heaved a sigh of relief after. Albeit still in his embrace, it turns out that Kim Dokja ended up falling asleep from exhaustion after taking so many emotional tolls. From all the snot and tears covering that pale face, the visage presented to him wasn't one of the most flattering at all, but nevertheless, a strange sense of peace and relief washed over him.

As the leading gangster finally began taking conscious again, the harsh pain all over his body completely shook awake his groggy mind. Greeting him were the unconscious bodies of his companions and standing above them, was the tall frame of that same black-clothed man who knocked him down with a single and ruthless kick. As the cold man picked up the teen warped around his coat like a spring roll, Yoo Jonghyuk princess carried Kim Dokja away.

"W-Who... are you..." he now fearfully inquired.

Without turning his back, Yoo Jonghyuk answered with his usual indifference. "I am just a debt collector."

***

Inside a spacious apartment, behind an antique wooden desk was the back of a luxurious black-leathered chair. And the person seated on that spot was looking out the city below from the clear view windows that covered the entire wall. A light tapping noise could be heard as the unknown man motioned his index finger up and down on the left armrest. The same three burly gangsters that assaulted Kim Dokja got their entire body covered with white bandages and were now even struggling to maintain a simple standing posture. They were left alone as they sent back the useless hooligans that brought them in this mess, the leader couldn't vent his anger on them because it would just cause more headaches for his own employer.

The only type of person that could make a person like that sinful man cower in fear and respect was the individual seated in front of him. The old fox in front of them was a person who liked to speak with only one type of language, to be exact, money. Everything revolves around his greed for money. When he was happy, he would reward money. And when he was mad, he would make you vanish with his money.

That's what he had planned to do with that useless brother of his when their father decided to hand over the family treasure to that waste who only knew how to get drunk. But an unexpected factor disrupted his plans. And he was left with only one remaining lead. He wasn't the only one eyeing that treasure as many vultures filled up the sky when an unguarded prey unveils itself.

"Sir, we are telling the truth. That man is strong and he was protecting that kid."

"He was very vicious and too strong for us to take on!"

"Yes! Yes! It wasn't our fault!"

The chair slowly turned around showing the face of an old middle-aged man lightly frowning. The man's eyes then got cloudy as he murmured to himself.

"He got himself a guardian?"

The subordinated looked with uncertainty as they watched the thoughtful look on their employer's face. "Sir...?"

The slightly wrinkled face of that old middle-aged man started darkening even further.

"I guess we have to think of another way..."