I Lava You

CHAPTER 05.2 : HE'S NEAR ME

NOTES
The second part of chap 5.

CHAPTER 05.2 : HE'S NEAR ME

Before Dokja came, he never had a say about living in solitude. He didn't care even if he was alone in his territory or going outside to look for friends. Still, without searching for it, a friend named Han Sooyoung willingly came for him.

Even so, other than having a friend who messed up his territory and filled his place with annoying noise, Yoo Jonghyuk felt his life only changed a bit. That's until he met Dokja. 

Dokja was like... how do you describe it? A star that suddenly fell into his hands. A star that shines so bright that he couldn't help but take notice and be fascinated by it. A star that lights up his world and warms his soul. As well as a star that directly entered his heart and conquered it.

However, this star's life was very short. Its shine was becoming faint then it threateningly flickered and flickered and flickered... until he dreadfully watched it dimmed and completely vanished.

When it happened, Yoo Jonghyuk felt helpless for the first time. His star has been taken away and suddenly becomes unreachable. Adding to the fact that he didn't know when his star would be born and appears again.

After Dokja had been buried, Han Sooyoung left to recuperate and leave Yoo Jonghyuk alone in his soulless territory.

Once again, this was the first time he felt the place was quiet and suffocating. He finally got to know how it was to be lonely with no one there to accompany him. It just proves how Dokja left a big influence in his life. Which makes Yoo Jonghyuk feel melancholy once he remembers the memory of their not short but not long companionship together. 

Every corner of this volcano, Yoo Jonghyuk always saw Dokja's afterimage. Whenever he went, there was Dokja. Even if he closed his eyes, there was Dokja. 

Although Yoo Jonghyuk was frustrated with his circumstances, he wouldn't dare to erupt since the world's consciousness might be angered again, also thinking of ‘what if his reincarnation shows beneath his territory?’. With such thoughts, this prevents him from harming the humans and restrains his temper. Yoo Jonghyuk was afraid to hurt the Dokja's reincarnation as well as the person that would bring him into life again.

He chose to change.

No more unnecessary eruptions.

Just waiting.

Waiting… 

Waiting for Dokja to come to him again. Even if it takes many days, weeks, months, years, decades, centuries, or for however long it takes.

Yoo Jonghyuk would choose to wait.

Everytime, Yoo Jonghyuk would climb down to the boundary area to watch the humans do their daily lives. After so many years of being silent, humans once again bravely settled at the foot of the volcano with the people who prostrated at Yoo Jonghyuk for forgiveness as the head... though, he didn't actually hear their prayers and just coincided with his change of mind. 

Nevertheless, he never disturbed the humans again. He let them grow and populate in his territory, as long as they didn't cross his bottom line. Fortunately though, the native people unconditionally believe the volcano spirit existed and behave themselves, afraid of angering him. He was even shocked and amazed when humans built a shrine for him as well as offered him a prayer. 

What's more, when Yoo Jonghyuk hears the oral legend of his and Dokja's love story being spread at the village. He only learned after that it was Han Sooyoung who started spreading the story that will later on become a folklore being passed down.