The Brightest Star in a Ruined World

[17]

[A/N: Thank you so so much for the 3k reads, 270+ votes, and adding this story to your reading list. 😘🥰💚 Also, I'm very sorry for the super duper major late update. Belated Merry Christmas and Advance Happy New Year! 🥳🎉🎆]

Chapter 17: Three...Two...One...Action!
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「 ...In the midst of the splitting headache, Yoo Jonghyuk came to his senses.

'Give up on this life.'

This was the end of Yoo Jonghyuk's eighth life. 」

"...SHIT." Kim Dokja could not help but curse mentally.

Why was this guy doing this on only his third life? If Yoo Jonghyuk moved carefully like the second life, he would've easily passed through the mid-to-late scenarios ...Err... Well, except that one scenario wherein Park Hanbyeol willingly killed herself. However, that's besides the point.

"Dokja-ssi, what are you looking at?"

Jung Heewon asked out of curiosity when she saw Kim Dokja staring intently at his smartphone.

Kim Dokja almost jumped under her intrigued gaze but held himself back in time and calmly made an excuse, "...Ah, the calendar. This situation has made me lose my sense of date."

Hearing a familiar phrase, Park Hanbyeol halted in her tracks and she turned to stare at Kim Dokja. The latter, noticing her intense stare, was forced to stop as well and he looked at her confusedly.

"...What?"

Park Hanbyeol narrowed her eyes at him. "You... Are you perhaps related to the Mad Hatter?"

[The constellation 'Greatest Hatmaker of the Sanest World' accidentally spits out his black tea.]

[The constellation 'The Hare of the Marchness' glares angrily at the 'Greatest Hatmaker of the Sanest World' while wiping its face clean with a napkin. ]

Kim Dokja blinked. "Huh? The Mad what?"

"The Mad Hatter. Are you two related or familiar with each other by chance?" Park Hanbyeol moved closer to him and queried for the second time.

Frowning a bit, Kim Dokja replied, "No, we aren't. Why do you ask?"

"Is that so?" Park Hanbyeol uttered skeptically before beginning to trot forward again. "I thought the two of you were. Cause earlier when I was intentionally thrown in Wonderland, I unfortunately encountered the Mad Hatter and he was wearing your face for some reason."

Kim Dokja felt his jaw dropping at her statement. The Mad Hatter wore his face? How? Why?

"My face? Why is that...? How is that possible?" asked Kim Dokja as he hurriedly followed after her.

Park Hanbyeol shrugged. "I don't know. Ask him. The idiot was being vague with his answer when I asked him."

[The constellation 'Greatest Hatmaker of the Sanest World' says that it was Park Hanbyeol's doing, not his.]

"Did you hear that? He's blaming me when it's his appearance in the first place. Such an idiot." Park Hanbyeol raised both of her hands up to show her frustration at the constellation's cryptic remark.

Kim Dokja became quiet, trying to understand what the hell was going on. He was wondering why the Mad Hatter decided to use his face out of everyone when the man introduced himself to the surgeon for the first time. More importantly, why was he blaming the matter to Park Hanbyeol?

"Unnie, you can also use a sword?" Lee Jihye giddily skipped beside Park Hanbyeol while eyeing the latter's long sword hanging on her back.

"Mhmm." Park Hanbyeol hummed and gave the girl a sideward glance. "Even I, myself, was surprised by the outcome. I didn't know nor expect that I would be able to wield a sword for I never tried doing fencing before, much less kendo. The only blade I'm familiar with was a scalpel considering my profession as a surgeon."