Work Text:
Han Su-Yeong fidgeted around with my hair from behind and asked me. “By the way, will you remain as a blondie forever?”
“No, it’s because of the Great Sage’s Status seeping into me. I should go back to normal in a little while.”
“Your hair is really soft, though.”
ORV - 482
I had to start off with this. This happened when they're about to go to the Final Scenario and KDJ is getting dressed up to prepare for a big speech to Seoul.
I mean!! OK. It's not obvious in the novel because Kim Dokja is oblivious to this and his narration doesn't allow the reader to acknowledge it.
But the sheer AMOUNT of times KDJ and HSY are in each other's personal space is OUTSTANDING. They hang out privately consistently often (in kim dokja vision, planning for scenarios) while in HSY vision (fuck I wouldn't hang spend so much time with anyone except for this one man, he's the exception). They're both introverts ok. Or Kim Dokja is an extrovert with social anxiety (in hindsight I think this is more likely, he always wants to be included with people but doesn't really know how). HSY is definitely not the type to waste her time with any single individual but to her, KDJ doesn't count as 'people'.
HSY is constantly touching his cheeks.
HSY just stuffs lemon candy that she's been sucking on and puts it in KDJ's mouth. Like they indirect kiss and its at the point where KDJ is just unfazed.
HSY is honestly making it a game to see how far she can take being physically flirtatious with Kim Dokja without him noticing and it turns out he can just not notice forever. I mean COME ON. She's like, using her finger to tilt his chin, grabbing at his collars, pressing close to whisper secrets about the scenario--
I will CITE MY SOURCES for this IF NEEDED.
The type of dynamic where KDJ would snatch bubble tea from her and sip on the same straw and not think twice.
Where Han Sooyoung playing with his hair like this is just normal. Like it happens often. Like there's no surprises here, yep, Han Sooyoung touching Kim Dokja, just another day.
She strode closer, lifted herself up on the tiptoes, and grabbed hold of my collars.
“You haven’t forgotten about the promise to read my novel, have you?”
“Huh?”
“We promised. You forgot?”
I looked into her blazing eyes, and finally recalled the conversation we had in the past. Right, while exiting from the ‘Kaixenix Archipelago’, Han Su-Yeong did tell me that.
She said that she wanted to write a novel once all the scenarios had ended, and when the time came, she wanted me to read it.
“You were being serious back then?”
“You think I’ll lie about something like that?!”
I could only grin wryly. “I’ve got a high standard, so will it be okay with you?”
“Oh, a dude with a high standard kept reading trash like Ways of Survival for ten years straight??”
“I might end up writing a bad review, though? Pointing out that it’s got no probability, and say stuff like I’ll be dropping this series in my comments, you know?”
“Go ahead. You’ll see what happens next.”
I quietly stared at Han Su-Yeong’s face. She looked back at me with a serious face, not a hint of backing down visible on that expression. Right, she was originally like this, wasn’t she?
“....I might end up nagging you for more chapter uploads.”
“Not a problem. I’ve written ten chapters in a single day before, so it’s fine.”
My sense of reality seemed to weaken after I continued this tit-for-tat with her still holding my collars. The first time I met her, I never imagined that we’d end up as comrades like this.
ORV-483
Just take a moment to imagine this scene. ONE MOMENT.
They are hiding in the backstage while Yoo Junghyuk gives his speech. At this point KDJ was like "Lol I won't save you losers, go save yourselves" and set YJH up to be the hero of Seoul.
He's such an idiot. Last time he saw HSY talk about this new novel of hers he described it as "I've never seen her look this serious before".
THATS BECAUSE SHE IS NOT TALKING ABOUT YOU READING THE NOVEL.
SHE IS TALKING ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT KIM DOKJA WILL REMAIN AN ACTIVE PART OF HER LIFE OR NOT. She's sharp enough to be able to tell that there's some part of Kim Dokja that doesn't plan on sticking around after the scenarios because out of the whole party, she understands his train of thought the most.
*song by J. Cole plays* "She knows~ she knows~ and I know she knows~~"
AAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!! *banging head on table*
It's a world changing moment for Seoul, and these two are prioritizing flirting back stage. This is non-consensual flirting. Kim Dokja does not know he is engaging in flirting.
I spoke to her. “It’s your turn. Go ahead.”
But she shook her head, instead. “I hate stuff like that.”
“I thought you liked being the centre of attention? Was I wrong?”
“That’s as a writer, not as Han Su-Yeong, you know.”
ORV - 483
God he’s just!! He’s NOTICING things about her and just remembering them. Maybe I have my Doksoo lenses screwed on a little too tight with this one.
He's done this in earlier chapters before though. He noticed that 3rd round HSY likes cliches but 1863rd round HSY doesn't like them.
Suddenly, a corner of my chest grew cold.
I wanted to ask her – have I been reading every story that I found at a suitable pace?
Could I say that I’ve read the stories of everyone precious to me thoroughly and didn’t miss a single thing?
“Kim Dok-Ja.”
“What is it?”
“You may not be this world’s protagonist nor a really cool side character.”
“...”
“However, you have read it with all of your heart. I know that.”
I didn’t know what to say.
“And everyone you’ve read, they are standing there now.”
Kim Dokja can be a very solitary character. We have all seen how he doesn't really ask for support, but rather attempts to manipulate people in supporting him. He doesn't know how to ask for help and views himself as a terrible person which drives him to make those choices consistently, even if he's scamming everyone with their best interests at heart.
He's got his walls up, figuratively and physically.
However, time and time again (although he won't voice it) he'll look to Han Sooyoung for validation. He did the same thing after he thought HSY died. In many ways, the emotion he's experiencing is "Was I enough? Am I doing well?".
I don't think I can describe this exchange in a way that is brief.
Imagine, your entire identity, your character, is built upon masking yourself and separating yourself from everything and everyone. It's in your name. It's in your skills, your strengths, and everything that you are. But for one person. Just ONE person--this one person your heart tells you can see through your mask and your walls and see you for who you are, understand your secrets, your partner in crime, and knows the worst parts of you and still holds you close. You look at this one person who KNOWS your heart and wonder, did I love the people in my life enough?
Could I say that I’ve read the stories of everyone precious to me thoroughly and didn’t miss a single thing?
I just.
I don't know.
At what point of intimacy do you trust someone to know your heart well enough to be able to say that your love was enough?
And at what point of intimacy do you have the answer for such a question?
At what point would you be able to respond without it being asked?
“However, you have read it with all of your heart. I know that. And everyone you’ve read, they are standing there now.”
I have never met a character that loved as deeply as Han Sooyoung and it's making me crazy.
⸢Just like how Yu Jung-Hyeok was an imagined character to Kim Dok-Ja, Kim Dok-Ja was exactly like that to Han Su-Yeong.⸥
She thought that such a person wouldn’t be real, but...
That very person within the texts was standing right before Han Su-Yeong’s eyes.
ORV-487
Man.
Kim Dokja is the biggest simp for YJK and she just compared her feelings for Kim Dokja as similar to how he felt for YJK.
Just a deep wish of "I wish someone like you was real". I wish you were in my life.
A wish that she held for years.
I have never met you. But I want you, and I love you.
⸢You idiot.⸥
She couldn’t believe that she wrote something that stupid. However, she didn’t have any energy left to write a follow-up.
It was then that the wall began shaking.
Accompanied by a light knocking noise, a new sentence she didn’t write appeared above the wall.
⸢■■■..... Han Su-Yeong.⸥
ORV - 490
This is during the "Enemy of the Story" arc. Nothing got through that wall EXCEPT FOR HER.
EVEN in the 1863rd round Han Sooyoung was still the only existence that could get through those damn walls ARGH
ARGHGHHHHHHGDHGSGDHGHG
Im Dying DYING help!! Help!!!!!
(Meanwhile, KDJ's boyfriend is using his sword to smack smack beat it down... not the right move, buddy. Deep inside, he's a kid who likes to hide in the snowfields.)
An excellent writer had to be an excellent reader first. And Han Su-Yeong knew a way to read such things.
ORV - 491 (I think)
I just think they have a lot in common. They have soooo much fun together.
I can imagine them hanging out together more than I can imagine YJK x KDJ hanging out together.
YJK x KDJ is more like, mutual reverence and mutual obsession. Whatever KDJ and HSY have with each other is so much softer and so much quieter.
I am d y i n g in the fluff.
Seeing him smile with such a thick skin, she suddenly felt compelled to hurl several choice words at him. She wanted to say, she’ll definitely kill him if he went ahead and did something like this again.
Just like how it had been. She really wanted to do that, but...
“Han Su-Yeong.”
...She couldn’t.
When she lowered her head, she saw Kim Dok-Ja’s ankles. The battle-ready formal suit crafted by the Mass Production-type Maker was now in tatters.
His entire body, having fought Constellations as an Outer God King earlier, was riddled full with wounds, so much so that it’d not be strange for him to keel over right now.
“....Are you alright?”
And him worrying about her instead of himself only made Han Su-Yeong unable to figure out how to digest her current emotions.
.
.
He supported Han Su-Yeong tottering unsteadily. She was about to slap his hand away, but instead, sighed and spoke up. “Don’t ever make me do that again.”
“Only you could’ve done this.”
She bit her lip the moment she heard him.
ORV - 493
Note the chapter number. They are on and off cuddling from here on out until the next few chapter numbers. Spoiler: They are attached to the hip physically supporting each other and even hold hands and I don't know how Singnsong managed this but we were all collectively BLIND to this unless you read the novel more than once.
I know Kim Dokja is a self sacrificial bastard to everyone in the party, but he checks in on her emotionally. He does it subconsciously, naturally.
At the end of the world, when everything has gone crazy, and quite honestly the ENTIRE party needs his leadership now more than ever, he prioritizes her above the others. (note the quotes below ahem ahem)
This man is in love and he doesn't even know it because he's never loved anyone before. He will attempt to kill Yoo Junghyuk over her (canon).
Every emotion permeating within the words got transmitted vividly. She felt as if she now knew what Kim Dok-Ja was thinking about, and what he truly wanted here.
Only after reaching the end of everything did he finally open up his heart.
⸢And that was precisely why Han Su-Yeong thought that things must not end here.⸥
Fuck her ending is literally Neverending Story because she wants so badly to keep KDJ’s heart open fml fml UGH AAAAA
I AM DYING
I AM DYING !!!!!!!!
Everything has gone to SHIT and its the FINAL BATTLE and this is Han Sooyoung's priority!! Kim!! Dokja's!! Heart!!!!!
The lightning seemed to blanket the entire world. None living within this worldview would be able to dodge Zeus’s wrath.
Han Su-Yeong was looking in this direction, shouting something. I silently mouthed the following to her.
‘It’s alright.’
- 498
*my rambles are echoing*
he checks in on her emotionally. He does it subconsciously, naturally.
*echo fades*
The world is out kill Kim Dokja. There's a terrifying inescapable danger coming his way. A thousand different emergencies are all around him, and yet he turns around and thinks of reassuring her.
It's alright.
Han Su-Yeong and Yu Jung-Hyeok, plus Anna Croft, stood there waiting for me, having broken past this scene of pure pandemonium earlier.
Han Su-Yeong ran up to me and supported my figure. I looked behind and saw the corpses of heroes, their eyes still wide open; the stars that fell from the skies; Fables that would not be told anymore, were now looking at me with resentful eyes.
ORV-498
And yeah, Kim Dokja lied and he's not alright, but she's there to support him!!
Only the hollow screams could be heard in the starless emptiness.
Would those screams be recorded as Fables, too? And would someone else listen to them later? Just how many more Fables need to repeat themselves before this world came to an end?
“Kim Dok-Ja.”
“I know.”
The voice coming from Han Su-Yeong still supporting me helped me to get a grip on myself.
- 500
Omfg. Kim Dokja. This woman has been physically supporting you for like 2 full chapters. She is also 5’2”. And another 2 chapters ago, you were physically supporting her. This is like, hugging for 5 chapters, dramatically. That’s like 10k words, joined at the hip, you know.
Just cuddle normally, without injuries PL EA S E.
On another note, sorry, the horrors of the universe are screaming at you, and Han Sooyoung is what gets you to get a grip?
No need for a Fourth Wall when she's around, huh??
The Fourth Wall has never needed to activate for her. He doesn't need walls if it's Han Sooyoung.
Was it because of fatigue? Han Su-Yeong had stopped [Predictive Plagiarism]’s story for now. Our gazes met and for a moment there, she raised the corner of her brow slightly.
⸢”You think writers enjoy writing stories all the time?”⸥
I could understand the meaning behind her grin now.
Even if the world was destroyed, even if the scenario barrelled towards tragedy, she’d remain as a writer, always. And that was why it was so much more painful for her. All those different pains yet to be described must still be inside her head even now.
⸢And that was why only him, the ‘reader’, could make this choice.⸥
ORV-500
I have
lost track
of how often these two have been checking in on each other's heart during the final battle.
Yoo Junghyuk, where are you?? Your boyfriend is making difficult decisions on behalf of his girlfriend because he thinks it would hurt her.
“Kim Dok-Ja!”
Yi Ji-Hye was crying as she shook me around. No one tried to stop her. Not Yu Sang-Ah, not Jeong Hui-Won, not even Shin Yu-Seung. Everyone’s head was lowered, their eyes fixed to the ground.
⸢And Kim Dok-Ja understood their feelings.⸥
All of their resentment was my burden to carry.
⸢However, there was someone who didn’t think that way.⸥
“Yi Ji-Hye.”
⸢It was Han Su-Yeong.⸥
ORV-504
It's reactions like these that make Kim Dokja sit on a subway for centuries. (This is the part where the constellations were sacrificing themselves for them and a LOT of people died or were dying)
Imagine - the friends you love and sacrificed yourself time and time again for, at the end of it all, they still hold resentment towards your decisions, because your choices weren't perfect enough. So you carry those feelings because you agree--yes, I wasn't enough. The whole world is telling you that you are not enough.
And one person goes against the world for you, because she knows you.
She knows you've been trying your best.
She understands how much this all means to you.
She will understand you even if the entire universe misunderstood you.
“Let me go!”
Yi Ji-Hye’s reaction to Han Su-Yeong’s hand grabbing her shoulder was vicious, to say the least. However, the latter didn’t let go. Her dogged hand swept back Yi Ji-Hye’s bangs, wiped the thick teardrops away, then she continued with what she wanted to say.
“The Black Flame Dragon, Uriel, the Maritime War God, they are not dead yet.”
“How, how do you know that??”
“I can sense them. It’s really faint, but I can definitely feel they are still alive. Also....”
Her voice sounded cold yet caring, to the point and didn’t waver once. Only Han Su-Yeong could have spoken in such a voice.
“Wipe your tears away and take a good look. Look at the state of the bastard you’re choking right now.”
The stupefied-looking Yi Ji-Hye had dropped her head, only to raise it back up again. And for a very long time, she hesitated and stared at me. I didn’t try to avoid that gaze.
“But, why...?” Yi Ji-Hye’s voice was trembling. “Why are you crying too, ahjussi...?”
ORV - 504
And when you don't have the words to convey your pain, to make them understand...
...she'll have them.
She will fight her own companions, the universe, if it meant protecting your heart.
I'm getting emotional.
To a man who fears being seen and understood, this is equivalent to having the most fragile, ugliest, broken part of yourself entrusted to someone else... and for the first time in your life, this person knows how to hold that broken 'you'. Love is such a painful and ugly thing, and sometimes it feels like being able to be held while your entire existence is made up of broken glass.
Her hands grabbing hold of my collars let go. Han Su-Yeong quickly seized that opening to dig in and punched me in the face.
“Get your shit together, you idiot! Now, give us a proper explanation! You probably didn’t come here without a concrete plan, right?”
If one were to flip her words around, then she was threatening to really kill me if I caused such an event without thinking too much about it.
ORV - 504
Ya he does need to get punched in the face sometimes.
10/10 no further comments.
Han Su-Yeong was the only one remaining. However, one of her arms was already being swallowed up.
“Hurry, this way....!”
I used every ounce of my strength to pull her out. The effects of the [Way of the Wind] permeated into my feet and the explosive forward momentum wrapped around me.
[‘Final Wall’ is exposing its greed over your epic!]
[‘Final Wall’ is looking at the individual not yet included in its story!]
Tsu-chuchuchut....!
Han Su-Yeong’s body was trembling as if she was having a seizure.
⸢The only other person who wasn’t a ‘Character’ besides himself was Han Su-Yeong.⸥
I ran as hard as I could. Unfortunately, the Wall’s pursuit proved to be persistent. What’s worse, I had no clue where exactly I was running off to. Front, back, side, up; I looked everywhere, but couldn’t see a place I could escape to.
Han Su-Yeong and I began falling as if this was an endless emptiness.
ORV - 505
The only person he tried to save was Han Sooyoung!!
Yeah... Ok well, he attempted to save his boyfriend too, but YJK was like smack smack, gtfo and run you idiot. And he was like k bye.
One thing to note. The entire party had become a character at this point, with the exception of these two.
Eventually, Kim Dokja also becomes a character after complete immersion when finding his younger self. Han Sooyoung is the only person to never become a character (which makes sense I guess, she's the author..?)
⸢The ‘one’ was truly omniscient and omnipotent in this world. Because, the ‘one’ was the universe itself, and the universe was the ‘one’. The ‘one’ was perfect. And it was perfectly alone.⸥
Right after that, a blinding explosion went off.
⸢And that’s how ‘one’ became ‘two’.⸥
⸢’One’ was no longer omnipotent afterwards.⸥
.
.
.
I could hear Han Su-Yeong’s breathing coming from my back. Her breaths soon became a Fable and unfolded before me. The world seemed to distort, and a passage decorated with display shelf-like things appeared next.
⸢The universe became ‘two’, and the ‘one’ grew lonely.⸥
⸢Things that weren’t necessary back when there was only ‘one’ began appearing.⸥
⸢The ‘Good and Evil’ was created to differentiate the two.⸥
⸢The ‘communication’ was invented to soothe the two’s loneliness.⸥
⸢And ‘Samsara’, a wish to return to when it was ‘one’, was created.⸥
⸢However, ‘two’ could never go back to being ‘one’.⸥
Han Su-Yeong must be slowly waking back up, because I could feel her tremble a little.
⸢The ‘two’ needed something to connect the divided two. An existence that would live through all the Fables, and act as a proxy to their good and evil, their communications, and their Samsara.⸥
My feet came to a dead stop just then.
⸢The ‘Character’.⸥
ORV - 506 or 507
The beginning of their universe was reduced to a conversation between these two.
Sparks exploding brightly illuminated the man’s face. The ‘Dokkaebi King’, his eyes glowing bright blue, smiled like a devil at me while standing there.
[What do you think you’re doing to your own father?]
I roared out. I was not cognizant of what I was saying nor even doing at that moment. [The 4th Wall] was crumbling down.
“Kim Dok-Ja! Get yourself together!!”
And then, a voice could be heard.
There was this warmth still pressing onto my back. Han Su-Yeong’s Fable was being transmitted to me.
⸢This was the dok-ja/reader’s Fable.⸥
The story that protected me.
That's some delicious foreshadowing right there.
*my rambles are echoing again*
Han Sooyoung is what gets you to get a grip?
No need for a Fourth Wall when she's around, huh??
Grab.
There was a hand still tightly clutching mine. It was Han Su-Yeong.
ORV - 508
At this part of the story, YJK got caught by regression depression. KDJ is super anxious about saving him, and HSY takes his hand and basically tells him to trust in YJK to be able to overcome this on his own.
Will they ever stop being flirty in the middle of a fight?
Find out next time on, OMNISCIENT. READERS. VIEWPOINT!!!
[....Kim Dok-Ja!!] The Dokkaebi King shouted in my direction. [Do not go against your predetermined destiny. You love the Fables more than anyone in this world. I too was like you. I understand the feelings you have towards this world better than anyone in this universe!]
The Fable extending from his body reached out towards me.
Han Su-Yeong next to me covered my ears and growled angrily. “Don’t listen to him. It’s not even worth it hearing him out.”
ORV -509
Dokkaebi King tells KDJ he’s doomed to be the ‘reader’. He has this big speech that basically says he was created to become the Most Ancient Dream without outright saying it and spoiling it for us. Han Sooyoung is the one protecting him. She has been from the start.
“....Kim Dok-Ja?”
I removed Han Su-Yeong’s hands covering my ears.
Her eyes were trembling. My reddened appearance was reflected in her irises. A lengthy wound was running across my cheek; wings were torn, and the Demon King’s horn was broken. I was truly in a mess.
And Han Su-Yeong believed in such a mess of a man until now and came this far.
ORV - 510
They’re holding hands and looking at each other’s eyes in deep contemplation. You cannot convince me otherwise.
I’m imagining KDJ, both of his hands, reaching up to where HSY has her palms just past his cheeks, the last line of defence protecting him from his horrible destiny, and in removing them KDJ’s hands linger on hers for a moment.
And he just stares into her irises.
They don’t break contact just yet—neither of them want to let go of this reprieve.
He sees himself broken, but above all he sees himself as the one the woman he loves believes in. So he gets back up to fight once more.
(My heart gets pushed thru a cheese grater every time I read this scene )
This is my favourite Doksoo moment ever.
Looking into someone's eyes and realizing you're a fucking mess, but this person believes in you and that's enough for you (and you are enough for her).
Powerful gusts of wind knocked me off my feet. I was like some words cast out to the distant empty blankness, miserably rolling on the ground towards my rear. Then, my back collided with something while issuing a loud ‘thud!’
“You idiot! You think you can achieve something by rushing out all alone??”
It was Han Su-Yeong. I replied to her with a grin.
“I wasn’t rushing forward alone.”
ORV - 510
He’s broken and hurt and he still finds the energy to smile at her like holy hell, feelings of all the scenes above included, I would fall in love too.
I spoke to Han Su-Yeong. “They need to go back to their old lives.”
“You think they’ll be happier like that?”
“All stories are supposed to end that way.”
“And since when did you start enjoying that sort of development?” Han Su-Yeong shot back with a retort. “Hey, you. You aren’t thinking up of anything weird again, right? Are you hiding something from me again?”
“I’d like to, but I’ve nothing to hide anymore.”
OK this is number 1 bullshit guy. He was soooo salty that 1863rd Han Sooyoung was hiding her journal from him (and somehow that journal ended up with Yoo Junghyuk). These two get so envious whenever they realize the other person has a secret that isn’t exclusive with each other. Somehow, the target of this weird jealousy is YJK every time.
Kind of like a mutual, "You told Yoo Junghyuk, but not me???"
To be fair though, YJH also goes through phases of "You trusted Han Sooyoung with this, but not me???"
I don't think KDJ cares if YJK and HSY scheme together, in fact he ships it. He likes the exclusivity with Han Sooyoung though.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Me, trying to rush forward with my sword raised up, and Han Su-Yeong’s fist striking me in the face, all of them.
“—-!!”
I couldn’t really hear her voice. She was shouting something at me. Her reddened eyes were filled with tears. Her fists were pounding down on my chest, before her rough hands tried to hold onto my shoulders.
“...Dok-Ja!!”
ORV - 515
And then she gets shoved away!! Rude!! He deserves getting punched in the face. Han Sooyoung is the first to react out of the entire KimCo because she just knows!! She wants to understand his heart so bad and she does!!!
And then, I saw Han Su-Yeong pounding on the barrier of the ‘Most Ancient Dream’ in my stead. “Open up! We didn’t come here to harm you! We just want to talk to you for a bit....!”
ORV - 515
Even then, she still represents his wants and needs. I can't with these guys.
“Secretive Plotter! Stop! I said, stop!!”
Only Han Su-Yeong alone resisted the shower of sparks right before her face and swung her fists constantly towards the empty air. However, the ‘Secretive Plotter’ didn’t look back.
ORV - 515
Love that distinction of "only Han Sooyoung". Really, just her?
Time and time again, she’ll face the whole world, every being stronger than her, in Kim Dokja’s stead, even if she has to do it alone.
On a side note, the moment she gave up (ie began processing the fact that he can't be saved) Yoo Junghyuk became suicidal (this happened in the epilogue when they fought) because YJK was like... you of ALL people cannot give up on Kim fucking Dokja. The world truly must be ending, kill me now.
Kim Dok-Ja stared at the distancing meteor shower. He stared, and then, stared again.
As if she knew what he was thinking about right now, Han Su-Yeong addressed him. “This isn’t because you read that novel, you know? You also had no idea, right?”
The sudden shift to 3rd person perspective, ugh. HSY comforts him though.
He doesn't need to voice his concerns around her. She just understands, completely and with full acceptance.
Anyways in making this, I realized the last thing 100% KDJ ever says to HSY is “I’m not hiding anything from you anymore” and my heart is broken.