Chapter Text
“That's it?!”
Junhui stared at his screen unbelievingly. He tried scrolling down only to get more disappointed because it's really the end. The story he had been following since months ago has ended.
When he came across this novel in the popular web novel site, JJWXC, he really thought the prompt was cool. There's a whole variety of characters with great potential to create conflict and make the story more interesting. But no, that didn't happen.
It soon gained popularity and after forty chapters, Junhui noticed that the story was slowly taking a wrong turn. By wrong turn, Junhui meant that the writer looks like he's just been reading comments and starting to follow all the whims and wants of the majority of readers in order not to lose his earnings.
Still, he gave the writer the benefit of the doubt. No way, he's going to do this. His characters are very promising. I'm sure he has plans. He has been following OneShotLeft since he started posting his web novels on his account and his mystery novels are the best. It might not have the biggest readership but the plot and characterization is solid, it made Junhui so invested.
Junhui continued reading the novel, only to get the biggest disappointment when the story ended in the most ridiculous way. Plot holes are everywhere, the characters started acting OOC and what the fuck is this main character getting all the girls at the end? Character development where? How could he go through all that just to get all this harem as reward at the end of the story? Where is the growth?
“OneShotLeft, stupid bastard,” Junhui mumbled, still not believing that the novel ended this way, the fire inside him rooting for the characters he had grown to love for months slowly dying.
[oneshotleftlover: very beautiful! thank you oneshotleft-nim!]
[huachengsbxtch: this is the best!!!]
[xieliangetlost: im so shocked at the ending!!! oneshotleft-nim, you are the best]
[문open: You gotta be kidding me, OneShotLeft, what is this dumbassery? I was your fan. Imagine my disappointment when you started ruining this story. It has the biggest potential yet you wasted it to fit the taste of the majority of your readers. I am so disappointed. What happened to character development? What's with all the plot holes? You wasted all your characters. If I am one of them, I would curse you for giving me the most horrible story to be in. I hope you get sucked in your own book to experience the stupid things you did with your characters. #JusticeForXieLian]
[oneshotleftshooter: shut up, 문open! go away!]
[eminglover: that stupid anti is here. stop bothering oneshotleft. he made the perfect ending]
[oneshotleftdan: fxck off!!!! write your own!!!]
[xielianhater: CLOSE NOW!! 문open !!!]
“Stupid author, stupid novel,” Junhui said as he closed the tab of the web novel. He wasted months reading that stupid shit. He knew he should have started walking away the moment he noticed the writer was being possessed but what can he do? He started rooting for the charactees too, praying that fucker OneShotLeft won't fuck up the story and it would all make sense in the end. But alas! Everything went downhill and it turned out to be the biggest disappointment.
He knew, as a reader, it's all on him because it's his choice for continuing but at the very least, isn't it the author's responsibility to give his characters justice?
He also knew it's just fiction and none of them is real but when you started rooting for the characters, for the plot, you just can't help but be affected by them too.
Good riddance, OneShotLeft. I hope you get your cash bag from this dumbass novel, Junhui thought to himself. This might be overreacting over a piece of fiction but if he could dive into the novel himself to make things right, he would.
“Ugh, I need a drink.”
Junhui went to buy some beer and went for a walk by the Han River where he found a spot where he could watch the sunset. His heart still feels heavy. Yeah, he should move on. It's not like he'll be affected with whatever's written in that book. At the end of the day, it's just fiction. He could always find another novel to read. Yes, that's right. That's what he'd do.
He was sipping his beer and was scrolling on his phone in hopes to find another novel to read to forget that novel from OneShotLeft when he heard someone screaming for help.
He immediately stood up and roamed his eyes. His eyes widened when not far away from him, he spotted someone…drowning. He looked for other people to seek help but to no avail. He's the only one nearby.
Shaking his head, Junhui took off his shoes and rushed to where the person was. In no time, he reached the guy and was about to bring him to the riverbank when something weird happened. All of a sudden, Junhui couldn't move. He was trying to shout but no voice was coming from his mouth.
He looked up and the last thing he saw was the sun and moon aligning into one. Then, everything went pitch black.
So this is how I die, Junhui thought.
Great, the last thing in his mind before he died is that stupid novel, Junhui couldn't believe it. But is dying supposed to be like this? He could still think and curse?
Junhui saw a blinding light enveloping him. The light is so blinding he could barely open his eyes. He felt himself floating. Is he going to heaven? After leaving a mean comment, he's still going to heaven? Junhui felt like… crying. As expected, the Lord up there knows he's still a good person despite him cursing OneShotLeft. Hell, he even saved the drowning guy by the Han River.
Oh, speaking of the guy, did he die like him too? Or was he saved?
His train of thoughts was interrupted when he felt like he was being carried somewhere. Everything was happening so fast, he didn't know what's happening anymore. It felt like he was moving in a vacuum. He could hear bells from a distance, ringing non-stop. Few more seconds and the sounds became nearer and nearer and then, he could hear people murmuring.
Suddenly, he stopped floating. The next thing he knew, he was dropped to the ground as the blinding light exploded and the people around him gasped. There was silence.
Is this heaven?
Junhui slowly opened his eyes. There, he found lots and lots of people wearing lavish clothes and golden armor. He was also surrounded by golden palaces and towers.
Am I finally in heaven?
The people around him looked at him, their jaws dropped as if they'd seen a ghost. Junhui gave them an awkward smile and tried to wave a little when everyone around him shouted, “You again?!”
Me, again?
Junhui looked at everyone, confused. Did he perhaps die before and then die again? And these saints or whatever don't want to accept him in heaven already?
The crowd started dispersing and Junhui swore if looks could kill, he'd probably be double dead by now. The other people wearing golden robes and armor looked at him as if he was the reason for the end of the world. What did he even do? Isn't this heaven? Are saints supposed to be that rude? Where are the angels? He got so many questions swimming inside his head.
“Your Highness, welcome back to Heaven… for the third time.”
Junhui looked behind him and there, he saw a guy with a beautiful, angelic face, holding multiple scrolls, his long hair tied in a bun with a wooden ornament. “Your Highness? Why are you… calling me Your Highness?” He asked, more confused than before. “Third time?” He gasped. “I died three times already?”
“Your Highness? Are you in pain? The third ascension might have done something to your mind. Do you want me to arrange a quick trip to the Heavenly Capital's infirmary? The Palace of Jeonghan would gladly assist you.”
Upon the mention of that certain palace, Junhui's eyes went as big as saucers. “A-Ascension? Palace of Jeonghan…” He grabbed his hair and slapped himself. “Oh god, am I not in heaven?”
“You are in the Heavenly Realm, Your Highness.”
No way…
The beautiful guy, the guy holding a lot of scrolls. Oh god, how could he not recognize him. But no, this should not be his concern right at that moment. This is not the heaven he was supposed to be in.
third ascension
Palace of Jeonghan
Heavenly Realm
heavenly capital
Your Highness
Why am I inside OneShotLeft's book?!
“Oh, one more thing,” Jeonghan, Heaven's top civil god, interrupted Junhui's inner turmoil. “Congratulations for placing first on the list of ‘Heaven’s Officials most anticipated to be demoted and banished to the mortal realm’,” the civil god said as he handed him one of the scrolls he was holding.
Demoted and banished? Junhui gasped when he realized who was the character he was in.
Did he just acquire the body of the dude with the worst of the worst of luck?!
🌸🌸🌸
Junhui has read enough transmigration novels in the past. OneShotLeft's first web novel is about a girl who transmigrated into the book she was reading. Did it just happen to him? Why him? What did he even do?
All of a sudden, the words he left on the comment section of Crimson Rain flashed in his mind.
[You wasted all your characters. If I am one of them, I would curse you for giving me the most horrible story to be in.]
“Oh, fuck. Did I just— Oh god, I shouldn't be cursing right now. I am the great Martial God Who Pleased the God,” Junhui said as he slapped his mouth. “Oh, wait, why do I even have to act like him? This is a dream. Right! This is a dream.” Junhui sat in a lotus position and closed his eyes. He'd be waking up this nightmare soon, he doesn't have to worry, he thought.
Junhui's meditation was disturbed when the ox cart encountered a rocky road and he lost his balance. He almost fell but someone caught his hand.
When he opened his eyes, he saw a youth in red, his skin as white as snow, his clothes as red as the maple leaves falling on the path the ox cart was travelling. His fox-like eyes… the most mesmerizing Junhui has ever seen. Are all novel characters supposed to be like this? Wait— is there even a character in Crimson Rain as captivating as Crimson Rain?
He was snapped back to reality when the youth pulled him back to his position. How did this guy even get in here? Has he been here since earlier? Did he perhaps hear Junhui's random ramblings?
“Thank you,” Junhui composed himself.
“You must be full of other thoughts, that's why you lost your balance while meditating,” the youth pointed out. There's an air of pride in the guy's voice but it's not offensive.
“Oh, I’m just — I'm just…” His eye caught a scroll and he immediately took it. “I’m just studying about gods. Right, gods.” Can you please act normal, Wen Junhui? You don't know what these characters would do if they know you are not from here.
The guy in red crossed his arms. “I know a bit about gods. You can ask me if you're curious about anything.”
Junhui smiled at the offer. Of course, he knows a lot about Crimson Rain's heavenly officials too. He’s an avid reader himself before he became a known critic of OneShotLeft.
Nevertheless, he asked the young man about the gods. Who knows, there might be new information that he would be able to acquire despite already finishing the novel.
“Martial God of the West, Hansol.”
“Oh, you mean the kid who loves beating up his followers? I understand why his master has been hiding from him.”
“The Three Tumors,” Junhui pointed out when he remembered cold Jeonghan welcoming him earlier. “Are they really good friends or are they just stuck with each other just for the sake of it?”
“They are friends. It's just the fact that each of them became well-known in each of their fields that the other gods made it look like they're just sticking together for power.”
Junhui didn't know why he felt relieved. Crimson Rain is a very cliché novel. Almost every other relationship inside it is made to favor the main character. He had no knowledge if what this character is saying is true but somehow, it made him content that at least one friendship in the book is genuine.
Then, he remembered another star-crossed pair of characters.
“You know something about the Earth Master.”
“He loves food most especially rice more than anything in the world.”
“More than his best friend, the Wind Master?”
“Earth Master Jihoon has always been in denial of their best friendship. But Wind Master Soonyoung has been pretty consistent about it so…”
They both chuckled. Not until Junhui remembered how the backstory of these two best friends ended up. In the novel, those two have one of the most fucked-up backstory. OneShotLeft really did them dirty. If he would write a wholeass rant about how BeefLeaf ended up, he might be able to surpass his thesis way back in college. He looked at his companion and he didn't know why it was as if he could see similar disappointment or sadness in his eyes.
“Do you know why the Martial God of Southwest and SouthEast are always fighting? Do they have unresolved romances or anything? Maybe, they used to fight over a person, that's why they're always on each other's throats now that they both became heaven officials?” Junhui asked.
He has always been curious about the root cause of the two gods' dispute. At first, he thought maybe they both had romantic feelings for the Crown Prince but… as expected, OneShotLeft didn't give them a proper back story and they ended up being just a plot device for Crimson Rain to have his revenge.
There's a mischievous glint in the eyes of the red-clothed youth. “The truth is… they're exes.”
Junhui almost choked. “What— You mean—”
The youth leaned closer to Junhui that made the latter's breath hitch. “This is just a secret, okay? But Martial God Minghao and Martial God Mingyu are exes. Too bad their romance was cut short because of the fall of…” The youth cleared his throat and looked at Junhui. Is that sadness in his eyes?
“Shenzhen?” Junhui supplied and the youth nodded.
The character he was in is actually his favorite character. This dude is actually the Crown Prince where Crimson Rain lives. He saved the main character from falling off the wall in one of the kingdom's festivals. From then on, Crimson Rain followed him like a lost puppy. Not until he learned about the Heavenly Emperor switching their fates. That's when everything goes downhill.
The Crown Prince is a decent guy. OneShotLeft made Junhui root for this character because despite everything that he's been through, even if he got the worst of the worst of luck, the dude stayed true to his principles. Well, obviously, his plotline didn't end well. Probably one of the many reasons why Junhui was so bummed out of the ending. Most of the readers hate the Crown Prince because for them, he's a gullible, self-righteous dumbass who thought he could save everyone so they made mean comments about him. They even requested OneShotLeft to just kill off the character. Well, that fucker OneShotLeft succumbed to the reader's requests. So, there…
Junhui's eyes widened when he suddenly thought of the Crown Prince's ending.
What the actual fuck? Am I going to end up like him too?
Junhui shook his head. No, he has to do something. He should not end up like that Crown Prince. This dude might have the worst of luck but he should change the ending. If this isn't a dream, might as well make the most of it and try to at least give the character he was in a better ending that what that stupid OneShotLeft had made.
If only he knew more about Crimson Rain's weakness… Maybe he could befriend him, maybe he could make them friends, allies…
“You know a lot about gods. What about… ghosts?” Junhui tried asking the youth again.
The other seemed like he was taken aback. He quickly diverted his gaze. But, it didn't take long before he composed himself again. “Which ghost”
Junhui scrutinized his companion. He's more than sure there’s no character like him in the novel. So, who exactly is this person? Is he perhaps…
“Crimson Rain Sought Flower.”
They had a mini-staring game before the red-clothed youth laughed. “You picked the most mysterious of them all.” He moved a bit closer to Junhui. “So tell me… what do you want to know about him?”
Junhui cleared his throat. “What does he look like?”
Of course, Junhui knows what Crimson Rain looks like based on OneShotLeft's description. Red robes, skin as white as snow, an eye patch adorning his handsome features and a braid with a red bead coral hanging on his hair. He was busy trying to remember Crimson Rain's features when the guy suddenly leaned closer to Junhui, staring right into his eyes.
“What do you think he should look like?”
Junhui could feel the blood rushing to his face. Of course, he knows how it is to fall in love with a fictional character but isn't it too much on first meeting?
“A-As a ghost king, for sure, he has multiple forms,” Junhui stuttered. This is one of Crimson Rain's powers. He could transform into any form, effectively fooling his enemies. “I think… one of his forms might be a young man like you.”
The red-clothed guy laughed, his deep voice doing something to Junhui's heart. “Maybe, you're right. However, one of his eyes is blind.”
I know! That is Crimson Rain's trademark! Junhui's inner Crimson Rain enthusiast almost jumped out. Before he could give away himself, he decided to go back to his agenda, “Do you know… his weakness?”
One plot hole in Crimson Rain is that it seemed like the red calamity has no weakness whatsoever. One reason why Junhui was so frustrated is that it looks like Crimson Rain was victorious at the end of the story just because he is the main character. While there was a sad background to justify all his actions, there was no weakness nor conflict to show how his character developed.
He didn't know if he just overlooked or OneShotLeft just left out the part where Crimson Rain's weakness is revealed but yeah, either way, he didn't know.
So, when the guy beside him thoughtfully looked above the sky and gave him an answer, he was shocked to the core.
“His ashes.”
“Ashes?”
The other nodded. “Whoever gets his ashes will get his support. However, destroying the ashes will also destroy the ghost.” Then, he blew a maple leaf to Junhui, making the latter's breath hitch.
Wait, why is this not written in the novel? OneShotLeft why are you keeping this vital information to yourself?! But then again, he thought, it might be difficult to obtain Crimson Rain's ashes. “No one might be able to get his ashes.”
Stupid Junhui, why did you say it out loud?
“On rare occasions, the ghost willingly gives his ashes to someone.”
Junhui excitedly asked, “How?” He realized he was being OOC so he tried to sit up straight again.
“There's this Ghost Realm custom that if the ghost trusts someone, he would offer his ashes to that person.”
Junhui slumped. “That would be so cruel. If ever that person betrays him, then his ashes would be scattered and he would cease to exist in this universe.” It gave him a bitter taste in his mouth. He wants to survive in this novel but not to the point that he would do that. He didn't want to be someone that he hates.
The other just smiled mysteriously at him. “Well, if it's me who's going to offer my ashes to someone, I don't mind if he'll destroy me with that. After all, I will only give that to someone who's the very reason for my existence.”
With that, Junhui felt his heart beating crazily inside his chest. Is it this easy to feel things inside a novel?!
“We've been talking since earlier but I haven't asked for your name. I’m Junhui, by the way,” He thought there's no harm in telling the other his real name. After all, the Crown Prince's name wasn't exactly mentioned in the story.
His companion looked at him, eyes full of interest. He cleared his throat then answered, “My name? I'm Wonwoo.”
Junhui squeezed his memory for a character with that name but to no avail. Who is this guy? Just who is this person?
“Are you heading to Puqi Village too?”
Puqi Village is the place where the banished Crown Prince had his own shrine. He was very poor with no merits because he literally got zero believers so he can't live in one of the palaces of the Heavenly Capital. So, he had no choice but to put up his own shrine.
“I'm just wandering around. I… am actually not from here.” The guy said the last sentence almost in a whisper before he offered a smile to Junhui's way again. “I have to make things…right.”
Junhui should be concerned of his own well-being inside the story he loathed the most. So, why…
Why is he so intrigued in this new character with a mysterious smile and beautiful eyes?