No one dared to object to Yoo Jonghyuk's declaration.
That would also be the case, because the moment they raised an objection, they would be in an atmosphere where their neck would be cut off.
Both incarnations who knew Yoo Jonghyuk and incarnations who did not know him could not help but admit it this time.
With this, the owner of Chungmuro Station was decided.
Some incarnations shook their shoulders, and I saw readers making complicated expressions.
A few frightened people made small chatter.
"Is this okay?"
"But if it's Yoo Jonghyuk..."
"It's a problem because it's that Yoo Jonghyuk."
I seemed to know what they were thinking.
—Were you aiming for this from the beginning?
Ye Hyunwoo was glaring at me from a distance of ten steps away.
Instead of struggling, I opened my mouth to people.
"A new representative has been elected. Let's all celebrate."
Clap clap clap.
As my shameless applause resonated through the station, everyone treated me like a madman.
I looked around.
Goo Seonah and Kim Kyungsik also glared at me.
Everyone wondered why I didn't take the 'white flag' and waited until Yoo Jonghyuk came.
It was these facial expressions.
「 At this point, Yoo Jonghyuk is the most suitable representative for Chungmuro Station. 」
I calmly endured the gaze of the readers and kept the future of Chungmuro Station in my head.
「 If Yoo Jonghyuk becomes the representative, it is not impossible for him to bring Chungmuro's readers together. 」
Yoo Jonghyuk is the main character of 'Ways of Survival' and currently the strongest incarnation.
If Yoo Jonghyuk was the representative and no one else, readers would not be able to vote against it.
「 This was the 'Chungmuro Consolidation Operation' planned by Lee Hakhyun. 」
What is my role there?
"Come on, take the flag."
What is it?
"Everyone is waiting."
I could see some readers frowning at my brash tone.
But I can't help it. Right now this is the best choice.
Didn't I tell you?
Originally, my first survival plan was to meet Yoo Joonghyuk and hang out with him, then switch to Kim Dokja.
It's not like I still think...
"My mind has changed."
It was then that Yoo Jonghyuk said something strange.
"Yes?"
Yoo Jonghyuk, who was looking at me blankly, instead of holding the white flag, pushed it over with his foot.
The flag fell right on me. Yoo Jonghyuk, who looked down at the flag for a while, said to me.
"Take it."
"Inho-ssi. What happened?"
Things got weird. For the confused readers, here's a summary of the situation in Kyung Sein's version:
1. The main character Yoo Jonghyuk appears cool and claims that the flag is his. (possible)
2. The main character, Yoo Jonghyuk, looks around the station with a look of agony. (can be)
3. The main character Yoo Jonghyuk passes the flag to the suspicious Cheon Inho (???) <
Jung Heewon asked curiously.
"Did you give that person money?"
"He's not the type to do this for money."
Yoo Jonghyuk walked away, stepping on the flag he had knocked over, sitting on a bench looking far away from me, staring at me.
It seemed like he would wait and see what choice I would make.
[The constellation 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon' asks what the hell is incarnation 'Yoo Jonghyuk' doing.]
[The constellation 'Prisoner of The Golden Headband' purses his lips while looking at the incarnation Yoo Jonghyuk.]
[The constellation 'Bald General of Justice' asks what the hell is going on.]
I want to ask too.
Why did this happen?
"But touching it with your feet doesn't seem to qualify for ownership. Shall I touch it for a bit?"
"Sein is also right. Then, what are you going to do when you become a representative?"
"Hehe."
While Kyung Sein and Dansu-ahjussi were hanging out across the flag, I looked down at the fallen flag and lost myself in thought.
「 If it was the Yoo Joonghyuk I know, he would never leave the flag to someone else. 」
The moment a 'flag' is owned, everyone in the station becomes a group member of the flag's owner.
Nevertheless, instead of taking the flag himself, Yoo Jonghyuk handed it over to me.
Why?
There are two hypotheses.
One hypothesis, Yoo Jonghyuk turned around.
The guy suffering from regression depression has gone mad, so he surrendered the flag to me and made a showdown to come in as my roommate.
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't afford it.
Just looking at those splendid eyes, he is extremely sane.
Hypothesis 2: He noticed that I was using him for the apostles' fight.
But even if he found out about it, there was no reason for Yoo Jonghyuk to hand over the flag to me.
In the first place, if it's Yoo Jonghyuk's personality, it's not even a matter of caring about one or two apostles.
Seeing that I was being watched by an obsessive guy, I suddenly remembered what had happened in Theater Dungeon.
「 "You are Yoo Jonghyuk." 」
Wait a minute, maybe?
The third hypothesis, 'Yoo Jonghyuk who repaid the favor', appeared.
I assisted Yoo Jonghyuk in the 'Theater Dungeon'.
My [Incite] woke up Yoo Jonghyuk, who fell into 'regressive depression', and Yoo Jonghyuk took the opportunity to defeat the boss of the theater dungeon (it can be said that it is entirely thanks to me).
So, is this also the third hypothesis?
But, is 'Yoo Jonghyuk' who repaid the favor a story that exists in this world?
If it was possible, I wanted to go to the snowfield and ask Kim Dokja.
"Excuse me."
"What are you going to do?"
The incarnations cautiously raised their hands and asked me.
I haven't officially taken the flag yet.
Ye Hyunwoo, Goo Seonah, Kim Kyungsik, and even Killer King and Literature Girl 64.
Suddenly, all the incarnations of Chungmuro Station were looking at me.
「 Yoo Jonghyuk entrusted the disposal of this flag to me. 」
I don't know why he gave me this flag.
However, it was me from now on who decided who owned this flag.
[The representative of Chungmuro Station has been elected.]
Just as if the fight over the representative seat was a lie just a little while ago, the incarnations cooperated with each other to help fix the broken station.
"We have to use this place as a base for the time being. Seonah-noona, please secure food for the people to eat. Kyungsik-ssi will ask you to form a detached unit to scout nearby stations. Representatives for other stations will have been elected by now. There may be people from the Misreading Association."
"Leave it."
People moved in perfect order according to Ye Hyunwoo's words.
"And....."
Ye Hyunwoo, who met my eyes from afar, lowered his head subtly. It was still awkward.
Someone beside me spoke up.
"You really are a weirdo."
When he turned his head, he saw Gong Pildu with a disapproving face.
He was petting Max, a short-haired pup, and watching Ye Hyunwoo as he moved supplies.
"You could have been the representative. Hyunwoo wouldn't have had any complaints either."
"It's really annoying to do so."
"Why?"
Most of the incarnations here were members of the building owners association who had solved the scenario together with Ye Hyunwoo.
If I had been the representative, they would have complied reluctantly, but they would not have expressed their allegiance to me from the bottom of my heart.
In fact, even when 'Kim Dokja' took over Chungmuro Station, there were some breakaways from this group.
And.
"Above all, they look very good together."
[Currently, the representative of 'Chungmuro Station' is incarnation 'Gong Pildu'.]
One of the Ten Evils, Armed Castle Lord Gong Pildu.
He is the backbone of Chungmuro Station and an incarnation with the power and personal connections to lead this station without being a 'reader'.
[The constellation 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon' is disappointed with your protective behavior.]
[The constellation 'Heungmu the Great' asks if they're not fighting then.]
Several Constellations expressed dissatisfaction with my decision. I understand them.
Still, it wasn't a losing business from my point of view.
[The constellation who hasn't revealed their modifier yet is interested in your choice.]
[The constellation 'Flying Dragon' praises your judgment.]
[The constellations of the absolute good admire your wisdom.]
[The constellation 'Defense Master' supports your judgment.]
[2,000 coins have been sponsored.]
I continued stroking Max, who was rubbing against my calf.
"I gave it to him because Pildu agreed to my terms."
[You are not subject to Chungmuro Station.]
[Currently, you are not affiliated with Chungmuro Station']
The contents of the contract between me and Gong Pildu were simple.
I and the apostles and those who refuse to be ruled by the representative are to not be placed under the control of Chungmuro Station and not forced to act.
Form a temporary alliance with me, but do not have enmity with our party until the end of the scenario.
Pledge all these issues with the 'Oath of Existence'.
[The 'Oath of Existence' is currently activated.]
An Oath of Existence. An oath of an incarnation whose heart is burned with blue magic when the specified conditions are violated.
Readers who watched from afar were exchanging opinions.
"Seonah, are you really going to stay here?"
"What?"
"As long as the representative has no compulsory power, there is no rule that we cannot be together."
"Yeah, then I'll be in Chungmuro too."
What the apostles are afraid of now is that one representative wields 'unlimited power'. If that was the solution, there was nothing they couldn't cooperate with.
The reason readers couldn't come up with this simple answer was probably because they couldn't afford it.
Because they had been reading this story alone a while ago.
But the readers I knew were never the ones who read stories alone.
strawberry1137: Didn't I tell you before? Secretive Plotter is the protagonist! It's Yoo Jonghyuk from another world line! I thought so!
barampoong: You said it was Kim Dokja before?
killer_king: I'm Yoo Jonghyuk.
Princemaker77: He always makes the same comments.
Reading the comments written by readers, I briefly reminisced about the old days.
"Please. Just like you protected Hyunwoo, please protect those people."
"I didn't protect Hyunwoo. Hyunwoo protected me. I'm just paying off the debt."
I already knew that Gong Pildu had a special regard for Ye Hyunwoo.
Because I knew that, I entrusted Gong Pildu with the burden of being the representative.
「 This Gong Pildu is different from the Gong Pildu I used to know. 」
I don't know what Ye Hyunwoo did to change Gong Pildu like that.
Did the setting value of 'goose father' evolve, or was he originally this kind of person but he didn't have any luck in the main story?
Either way, it was great.
In a sense, Ye Hyunwoo had accomplished something that no one else had ever done before.
"Are you leaving? You'd be safer here too."
Surely I'll be safe here for a while.
But.
"Yes."
There is one thing I realized after meeting Han Sooyoung in the theater dungeon.
To reach the end of the scenario in this 41st turn, it is not possible with ordinary determination.
If I just follow the path Kim Dokja walked, I will never survive when I meet her again.
"I must become strong. Perhaps, even more so than Kim Dokja from the 3rd turn."
"Tell me if you need help."
"I hope that never happens."
I saw Yoo Jonghyuk, who was sitting on the bench, get up from his seat.
It was time for him to leave.
I packed up with Jung Heewon, Dansu-ahjussi, and Kyung Sein and got ready to leave Chungmuro.
Some people came out to see us off. Among them, there was also Literature Girl 64.
"What about Killer King?"
"He's in shock and won't get up."
"In shock? Why?"
"He's looking up at the ceiling and muttering 'I was fake'."
I seemed to know roughly what state he was in.
"Please comfort him."
Literature Girl 64 nodded her head.
"We can meet again."
"Sure."
"We'll talk a lot about novels again."
Lastly, I also exchanged greetings with Ye Hyunwoo. Seeing as he was still hesitant, I felt awkward.
There are people of that kind in the world. A person who commits more sorry things because he can't stand being sorry.
"If you're going to apologize, this is your last chance."
Fortunately, Ye Hyunwoo was still a boy, and he was not old enough to be reprimanded for not being familiar with various kinds of social etiquette.
"If you get hit by a shell, you usually die."
Ye Hyunwoo, his face reddened, lowered his head with his eyes wide open.
"Sorry. Sorry, Inho-ssi... I didn't mean to kill Inho-ssi. I couldn't think of a better way..."
I looked at Ye Hyunwoo for a while, then took out one of my items from my arms and set it down on the floor.
['Reduced Transformation' is turned off.]
As the canvas, which had grown in an instant, revealed their true form, Ye Hyunwoo's complexion changed.
"This is..."
"This is the 'new story' you asked for at that time."
Ye Hyunwoo opened his mouth as he inspected it.
"Really, really."
Judging by the twinkling of his eyes, Ye Hyunwoo is also a reader.
"But why give me this?"
I answered in a confident voice toward Ye Hyunwoo, who bowed his head.
"You did it to save people."
"Oh, no. I... I just—"
"Did you want to become Kim Dokja?"
Ye Hyunwoo's eyes suddenly turned round as he raised his head.
The expression of 'how did you know' was on his face.
I had no choice but to know.
['List of Reader Comments' is activated.]
I don't know if the author will see it. I'll try it once though. There is a spell that I sometimes memorize when I am having a hard time. "I am Kim Dokja." But my friend said I look more like an octopus than a squid. I just wanted to say thank you. In a few days, I'll come back for a regular drive.
—Recommended 351/ Disliked 0
(Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, chapter 551)
I just couldn't help but know from the moment I saw it for the first time.
So I wanted to tell him.
"Hyunwoo-ssi is not Kim Dokja. He is strong enough and cool enough without being Kim Dokja."
Not everyone has to be unhappy.
This world is a story created by just one person's misfortune, not a story written for everyone to be unhappy.
"Don't become Kim Dokja. Don't sacrifice yourself for someone. Survive no matter what. By all means."
Sacrifice is not the only way to save someone.
Just a single word can save a person from the danger of death.
The readers have taught me this.
So now, this may be the author Lee Hakhyun's old reply to those days.
"But I also memorize that spell sometimes."
"Yes?"
"I am Kim Dokja. I don't really want to become Kim Dokja, but when I say that, the things surrounding me just feel like a story."
I lightly patted Ye Hyunwoo on the shoulder, who had blank eyes, and turned away.
[The constellation 'Sneaky Schemer' nods.]
I saw a group of people waiting for me from afar.
A step later, I heard Ye Hyunwoo voice calling me.
"Wait! Inho-ssi! You are -"
I am not Kim Dokja.
I know, the readers know, and Yoo Jonghyuk, who is walking ahead of me, knows.
Staring at the protagonist's handsome back of the head, I thought of my old readers.
[The fourth main scenario is in progress.]
[You are currently not affiliated with any station.]
Chungmuro, a solid castle built by Ye Hyunwoo and readers.
I thought of the high fortresses they had built and the empty thrones for the vanished kings.
There will be no king in Chungmuro now.
Strangely, though, I still had the feeling that someone in a white coat was sitting there.
[You have become a 'wanderer'.]
[The 'Hidden Scenario' begins.]