#dark sung jinwoo
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envy-of-the-apple · 3 months ago
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Watchmen
Yandere! Sung Jin-woo x reader
(Warnings: Yandere, Implied kidnapping, stalking, kinda stockholm syndrome, mc has given up on trying to escape)
After a while, you'd given up on trying to get him to talk.
At least, you think it's a him. You're not sure if monsters have genders, much less shadow monsters. He's big, however. Two long tusks prodding from either side of his mouth. Has to crouch whenever he's moving through the room Jin-woo trapped you in. You were scared shitless when he was first summoned to 'protect you'.
Now, you much prefer this monster compared to your captor.
You put down the book. You don't know how many times you've reread this, but you could probably recite it by heart. Books were the only source of entertainment you had here. Wherever here was.
You've given up trying to find those types of questions a while ago.
When you stare back at the shadow monster, he's staring right back.
"Do you know when he'll be back?"
You don't like saying his name, so you try not to say it as often. Fortunately, the shadow monster understands what you're trying to say. Unfortunately, he decides to immediately send your message over to his higher up. The shadow monster turns away, giving a low call that you recognize.
"No, no you don't have to-"
"Is there something you need, My Queen?"
You close your eyes, resisting the urge to pinch your brows. He's already bowing, deep and low to the ground. You would've preferred Igris, or Iron, maybe even Tank. Out of Jin-woo's guardsmen, Beru was your least favorite. All the soldiers were loyal to Jin-woo, but Beru's complete submission to your captor unnerved you.
But he's the only few that could talk, so you had to make due.
"It's nothing. Sorry, if I disturbed you. You're free to go." You wave him away. Beru's head lifts up, his antennae twitches.
"I was told that you had something of importance to discuss? Is that not the case?" Beru's head flicks over to your guard who now is starting to look a bit nervous. "It appears this one lied. Shall I cut off its fingers as a punishment-"
"No! No it's okay." You quickly interrupt, knowing all too well about Beru's bloodlust. "I was just wondering when he was getting back. That's all."
Beru straightens up, eager to be talking about his master. "My King has gone to a dungeon, but he won't have any issues with the raid." He preens. "He should be back by sunset."
Damn, these days, Jin-woo took less and less time to get back. You still don't understand how he's so strong, but you know your captor typically only enters Rank A dungeons or higher. It's partially why you gave up on ever escaping. Even if you got away from his army of shadow monsters, he'd still manage to find you.
"Okay, that's all I wanted to ask."
Beru tilts his head. "My Queen, were you asking because you were worried about the King?"
Another reason why you disliked Beru. He was always so insistent on your relationship with the so-called-King. You hold your tongue, however. You remember the last time you openly portrayed any emotion towards Jin-woo that was pure disdain. You've retained your fear, however.
Instead you hum, letting him think whatever he wanted. The insect flitters in pure delight before he darts away. He's probably going back to write a 12-page report about you blinking to his dear master. Knowing Jin-woo, he'd probably read it. Like soldier; like master.
Glad that Beru's gone, you give your original shadow guardsmen a sheepish smile.
"I'm sorry about that." You apologize, knowing Beru isn't just terrifying to you. The shadow monster visibly relaxes. He smiles back, both tusks showing. It's a little cute.
You reach over, patting the guy on the head. He's huge, at least four heads taller than you but with the way he's crouching beside you, it's feasible. He seems to enjoy it too.
You smile. At least there was one monster here that you enjoyed the company of.
You clear your throat and you look at the book you tossed away.
"Want me to read it to you?" You ask. The monster beams, and you decide that it's too cute to be a monster.
You only looked away for a moment. When you looked back, your reading buddy was gone, and Jin-woo had taken it's place.
He didn't look like he'd gone through a dungeon. He never did. You'd suspect him of lying if you didn't know better. Not a hair was out of place.
"Where did you send him off to?" You ask, referring to the orc-shadow.
Jin-woo thinks for a moment.
"Somewhere in Portugal." He decides on. "Forgot the city."
You hum in thought. "How was the raid?"
You don't know why you always ask this. You don't know why he always answers.
"Good." He breathes, leaning into you. He smells the same as he did when he left. Fresh. You remembered the first few times he'd left you behind to go on a raid. He'd always come back smelling like ash and blood, and that only scared you even more. Nowadays, it appears he's cut back on his bloodlust. Or he took a shower before he came back.
You let him rest his head on your lap. It's the same routine you and him always had when he came back. You stroke his hair, combing through his soft locks. You look at his clothes, his shoes. Perfectly average. He had this obsession with wanting to look human.
Even when he clearly wasn't.
"Jin?" You call because he likes it when you say his name. He hums, eyes closed.
"Why doesn't every monster have a name?"
Your question doesn't upset him. That's good. Upsetting questions make his eyes flash, teeth bare. So does begs of being let go, pleads of going home.
"Only knights rank A and above gets names. Makes things easier." He answers. "It'd be a hassle to name all 10,000 of them."
The number doesn't even feel real, but you know he isn't lying. He never is.
One of his eyes open, he stares up at you.
"Why do you want to know?"
You swallow, but you shrug anyway. "I was just curious. So he doesn't have a name? The shadow monster you just switched with?"
"No." Jin-woo continues to watch you. "Would you like to give him one?"
You jolt at his sudden question.
"What?" He smiles in a way that nearly makes you forget that he's stolen you away from your life for months.
"A name," he says, "would you like to give him a name?"
You don't know what to say. To prompt your answer, Jin-woo snaps his fingers, and the familiar shadow-monster appears before you. Seeing Jin-woo, the monster immediately bows to his master.
"Is that okay?" You ask, quietly.
"It will be." Jin-woo concedes. "You should be more comfortable with the one guarding you, after all."
That's why he was doing this. Another way of placating you. Making you feel like you had control in this drama. Like you weren't just as trapped as his thousands of puppets he pulled on his strings.
"Gan," you say anyway, "I like 'Gan'."
You're not sure what happens. You aren't a hunter. You aren't a monster. But the shadow monster seems to be listening to something.
And then, Gan smiles. Wide and toothy.
Jin-woo dismisses him with a wave, rising up from your lap to stretch.
"Have you eaten?" He asks, probably already knowing the answer from Beru.
"I haven't." You shake your head.
He pats your shoulder.
"Go wash up then." He's about to leave again, when you muster up your courage and call out his name for the second time.
"The book." You start. "I was just wondering if I could have...more?" You're careful not to insinuate how bored you were, how miserable.
He watches you. Silent. You can't tell how he took it.
"That's the second request tonight." He notes, tilting his head. "That's new."
Right, he's never been one to give something away for free. You give, he takes. Keeping you in this dollhouse isn't enough for him.
Still, you steel yourself, keeping yourself from shaking. His aura envelopes you when you step forward, it makes your knees tremble. You lean up, and quickly give a peck on the corner of his mouth.
"Please?" You ask, an inch away from his skin.
His lips quirk.
The next day when you wake up, he's gone, and Gan is cheerily holding a pile of books.
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dark-night-hero · 8 months ago
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Imagine Sung Jinwo with a significant other who was a few multiple hunter crush. But he does not know that. So by the time there was a world hunter gathering as the two of you attended, it was quite chaotic.
Imagine the way in the middle of interview, as you stand there by his side with no signs of answering, just letting your lover answer the questions thrown to him and you. You eyes boredly wander around despite all the flashes when someone thing- one caught you eyes.
Imagine the way you unconsciously tighten your grip in his arms causing him to eyes to twitch for a moment in discomfort, making him look at you with concerns gaze. At the same time, you were looking at the blonde hunter for afar, all while repeatedly talking to yourself mentally that you need to calm down, you have a lover, your lover was just right beside you. But damn, that was Lennart Niermann, the blonde german that you have taken quite admiration of long ago.
Imagine, of course he was nothing compared to Jinwo, your lover. It was a different kind of admiration after all. Jinwo was special, very special to you. Still, it was not every day that you get to see the blonde german hunter right in front of you. Causing you to squeeze your lover's arm once again.
Imagine the way your lover unexpectedly pull you close to him, place his hand on your chin making you look up to him before leaning down to kiss you. Hard. The way your eyes widen in shock as well as the rapid flashes of camera right now. Simply you tried to pull away, but you cannot seemed to. His hold on you kept on place and maybe you are not even trying that much. Because you are not.
Imagine the way you rest your head on his neck, desperately things to hide your red cheeks when you felt him move his hands on the back of your neck. "Look only at me. Hmmm?" Pulling away from him, you met up his tempting gaze. "Okay." There was a smile on his face.
Imagine, not too far away from you two was the certain blonde german hunter. Goosebumps all over his arm as he recalled the way the korean hunter looks at him. What did he do?
[ⓒdark-night-hero] 2024°
: a chronicle from my Solo Leveling FF on quotev, wattpad and oa3 (The girl from another world)
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pa1nrema1ns · 4 months ago
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It's giving 'fallen prince who seduces the princess of the opposing kingdom and intends to use her in his plot for revenge but falls in love with her instead.'
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erensemeraldorbs · 9 months ago
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okay so i finished Solo Leveling season 1 loved it so much Sung Jinwoo is soooo fine gaaaaahdamn so i went and read all of the manhwa and omg it was everything and more so here’s some sexy Jinwooo oooof🥵🥵😩😩
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195seojoon · 8 months ago
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I wanna to peg Sung Jinwoo.
I want to become his twin bro. (If I was born biologically with him then no pegging him but torture (tease) him about his love life for Cha Hae-In.)
I want to tease him. (That's what I said above.)
I want to become Daughter/Son of Antares so I could be with his son, Sung Suho. (Sadly the spoiler gave two new ships for Suho 😔, but still we can make it fanon, right?)
I wanna become older bro of sjw and become Glitch Monarch (ah, OP than Shadow Monarch... yes I am cringe and I don't care. I live with cringe and suffer myself. You should suffer with me with your cringe memories from your past and your delulu 🙄😒 I know I am rude but that's what every Fans and simps are like crazy like me)
I wanna be player and plays SL:Arise just like how @nyashykyunnie made this YandereSJW x Player (Y/n) (this fanfic made me giggle and wants more, and it's my fav tho, also I recommend this user cuz they made many yandere SJW x Reader and it's best.)
I want to become sjw and travels to sjw's world where there is two of sjw (me and him) everyone goes chaos because of two sjws.
I wanna reincarnate into sjw's body and suffer to grow until become strong (follows the plotlines but adds some funny scenes unlike funny scenes from manhwa) and tells Jinah, Cha Hae-In, Ashborn and Woochi Jinchulie (Woo Jinchul) That I am not real sjw but someone in sjw's body hehehe.
I want to sleep and SJW comes out of my phone and finds where tf he is and wakes me up why is he in my world like you guys can imagine it how you want to show so much things good and bad side of this whole ahh world. Show everything you have (traditional and randoms you do to him)
I wanna become a reader in every fanfic of this @jinwoosungs all short fanfics fluff, Angst and everything. Pain, happy, twisted, everything! GO AND READ IT FROM THIS USER! IT'S BEST!
I know I am crazy talking Stuffs but it's normal cuz this tumblr has full of craziest talks and Stuffs and everyone and everything vibes with it. Sometimes likes and sometimes doesn't. Still crazy. Love it.
Kudos to hardworking people who makes world better in mind and actions despite the whole world is in chaos.
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dashinhfuzzydeer · 1 year ago
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Soulmates!Au
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"For a ancient being you are quite knowledgeable about the modern world" The blindfolded man spoke playfully as he looked over his partner's shoulder.
"My planet was just like you, and I am no ancient being" The man with short black hair spoke with a scoff as he scrolled across his phone.
"Well the time dilation between your and my solar system is billions of years and you came all the way here soooo...." The taller male spoke to prove his point but was cutted off.
"I can travel through dimensions in seconds you dumbass" The other put his point before walking ahead faster.
"Well, then you are techinally younger than me so you should call me senpai" The albino jogged his way to his friend, catching up with him as he spoke with a playful tone.
"Ew, never. I am not gonna call you that" The man in black made a disgusted face as he pushed the other slightly and walked ahead.
"Hahaha! Common! I was joking! Don't get mad!" The sorcerer tried to woo the other from being mad at him, he didn't want his soulmate to be made at him and go back to his home planet afterall.
In a world where humans are blessed with different forms of powers, they are also blessed to be never alone in this world. Every being has hold of it's soul in it's body and the other half in it's soulmate's. The divine beings gifted them with the power to sense the presence of their soulmates.
What he didn't knew that it could be done across the universe, but he is glad it is possible. Or how would he have found his soulmate in this vast universe, quite literally?
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zedx1 · 11 months ago
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〔 𝐋̶𝐎̷̲𝐑̸̸𝐃 𝐙᪾᪾᪾𝜩̸̸͇𝐃᪾᪾᪾᤻᤻ 〕⌖
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circeyoru · 4 months ago
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The Only Reason _ Part 2
[Yandere!Sung Jinwoo x Worker!Reader - Mana Chaos AU]
*Note: I got a name for the AU!! Mana Chaos!! A bit random, but I just went with it. Here’s part 2 since the part one blew up.
Part 1 — Part 2 (here)
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“Have a safe trip, Personnel 002.”
“Be safe, please.”
“We’re counting on you.”
“Don’t let your guard down.”
As you expected everyone was treating you like you were the one going into a war zone and not the S-Rank Hunter that was doing the country a favour. You internally sighed while you maintained an expressionless face to all those around you bidding farewell or wishing you luck and safety. 
Honestly speaking, you were the safest person in the building, if not, in the world with the amount of Shadow soldiers Jinwoo has put into your shadow for your protection. Just the other day, you were furiously protected by none other than Beru, one of Jinwoo’s strongest general grade or was it higher? You can’t recall and Jinwoo did explain to you once, but your system overloaded and didn’t catch much.
Concerning how those soldiers came to be, it was simple. To raise them from the dead. With every battle, Jinwoo grows stronger and stronger, hence why you privately dubbed him a National Level Hunter. His army of Shadows could practically cover the entire country two or three times, maybe even more. Even give Thomas a run for his money, if they ever meet each other in a battle. It would be distaterous so you rather not come to it.
This is why you didn’t want Jinwoo in the facility at all. He has perfect control over his emotions and high morals if you don’t cross his line. He was overall peaceful even with his vast strength and power. Unlike Thomas, he was tamed and very very well-behaved, to put it simply. You had tried to get your seniors or higher-ups and colleague to understand, but they all brushed it aside, saying an S-Rank belongs here and under surveillance. 
Once, they agreed to observe Jinwoo’s tamed nature, to stop your insistence. However, it turned out horribly. You watched from the surveillance room when your unconvinced party enter Jinwoo’s cell. It all appeared normal until the straitjacket was removed from him and he started lashing out. The guards immediately tried to subdue him and rescue the innocent group from the clushes of the raging Hunter.
A chill ran down your spine as you froze up while the room darkened, an echoy whispered in your ear, “I heard you wanted to kick me out. So cold of you, really. I would have behaved if you had a work-life balance, but you are always in this insufferable building, so I have to decline.”
“You could have just told me…” You voice only came out as a mere mutter, but Jinwoo heard it loud and clear. Whatever controlled and peaceful image you have of Jinwoo gone to the drains, never to be recovered in that moment. Like anyone else, you were afraid. Not for yourself, but for those around you.
A dark chuckle rang and you felt like you were in his shadowy embrace with a weight lunched over from the back of your head down to your spine. “That was an option, but I wanted to show you my opposition to your idea. This was the best way I’ve come up with. Plus, it shows everyone here that you aren’t replaceable.” The weight was gone and the room returned to normal with his words beckoning you to him, “So come and calm me down, Personnel 002.”
Looking out the transport vehicle, you saw the streets practically empty apart from the guards stationed from place to place. You grimaced at the fearful citizens that no doubt went indoors or hid in their homes at the news. 
Whenever an S-Rank is let out of their cell into the streets, be it for fresh air or raiding an impossible dungeon for the country, the public would get news of it and warn the citizens to stay away from the gate and advised to remain indoors while the mentioned locations or roads would be purposefully used to transport the Hunter directly to the site. 
Bringing an S-Rank to an A-Rank gate or higher alone was practically giving them a death sentence. It was the government and people’s way of telling the strong Hunters to control themselves or they would die hourably in the raid while protecting their country. 
A case of such an instance was the Jeju Island Raid. An S-Rank dungeon that have failed for 4 times before an alliance was formed between the Japanese S-Rank and Korean S-Rank. The Japanese Government sent their strongest to offer support, but mostly to get rid of them because they have grown too powerful and influential. With the <Outrage Incident>, they couldn’t afford to take any chances. 
That raid had the most S-Rank Hunters in the same place, fighting the same battle. Originally, Jinwoo wasn’t present and you were with him in his cell doing paperwork while he watched the news. As sudden as it came, Jinwoo demanded to go there to help his fellow S-Rank Hunters from total annihilation. 
When you saw the murderous ant, you knew Jinwoo wanted to add him into his army. You did wonder if the people above would want help, since it was a sure-fire way to rid the S-Rank Hunters but when again without the S-Rank, who would clear the harder gates? This stupid EMI system and all the cautiousness of frightened people. 
In the end, Jinwoo’s wish was granted and you were also sent to the front lines in case Jinwoo went haywire. As drugs and medicine was proven ineffective to Jinwoo, the next best thing was you, since he held you in high regard. Not only did Jinwoo get his new soldier, who was later placed as your bodyguard, but he also somehow managed to control the other surviving S-Rank Hunters. 
What happened after was Jinwoo showing his dominance over the other S-Ranks in Korea and making himself at the top of the food chain. He’s stay mild and controlled because he wanted to. Not because you people —the public and the government— could control him. 
The vehicle stopped and your door was opened from the outside, a guard nodded and welcomed you while you got out. Your eyes looked over to the gigantic gate. 
“Feels like a date, doesn’t it?” Jinwoo’s voice brought your attention to him. Dressed in a causal manner, a shirt and pants, plus a long coat to complete his look, his stuck to his dark theme. You were quite used to him in a straitjacket that everytime he was dressed normally, you were always spellbound. He chuckled and ruffled your hair. “Cat got your tongue?”
“You’re looking good.” You looked away to the side, a faint blush over your cheeks. There was no use fangirling in secret when Beru or some other soldiers would report back to him and he’d have a field day the next time you visit him. You might as well be honest and tell him now to get over it.
Now it was Jinwoo’s turn to freeze up and chuckle. “Thanks.”
Amidst the careful atmosphere, you sense the guards around you two on edge with Jinwoo’s freedom to do anything and his power unrestraint. Better enter the gate before they act out of fear and trigger some ridiculous conflict. “Let’s go, do you need any gear?”
“I only need you by my side.” Jinwoo returned back to his smooth and cheeky self, smiling down at you with a soft look in his eyes. 
You physically and mentally controlled yourself so that you don’t faint from his words, reminding yourself repeatedly that you two were in public. It was hard for you to defend yourself against these attacks of his when he wasn’t in his usual dull look in the EMI. He is one handsome man. “Just say we can go…”
Jinwoo extended his hand to you and waited for you to put your hand in his, essentially you’d be putting your life in his hands because once you pass through the gate, he was your only lifeline to return in one piece. You did so without hesitation, Jinwoo will never allow harm to you and never let you out of his sight so long as he lives. You could feel the nervous and anxious glances from the guards scattered around the site from your nonchalant actions.
With a hum, Jinwoo gripped your hand in his and lead you into the gate where only he and you would be without any other humans. Truly as he said, it’d be a date where he and you could be your true selves.
“Come forth.” Jinwoo summoned his army who all appeared at his command, all kneeled and bowed their heads to him. “Like usual.” His eyes glowed a purple hue, “Leave the boss to me.”
So began the massacre while Jinwoo walked you through it all. The first time it happened, you were beyond terrified for you only knew Jinwoo was a capable S-Rank and shouldn’t be underestimated. That was the first time you’ve seen his army’s might and power. Compared to him, you and all the others in the EMI were ants, mere insects. 
How you managed to capture Jinwoo’s eyes was beyond you, but you were a lucky person to be favoured by him, to some extent. Soon, you didn’t mind Jinwoo’s little favouritism and childish acts to get you into his cell. You looked forward to it. He accepted you for who you are and given you a place, a special irreplaceable place in the world and in his heart. 
For all he has done for you, you wanted to return something for him. You even asked the soldiers in your shadow to keep it a secret from him so it was a grand surprise for him. The Jeju Island Raid that he singlehandedly cleared, you brought the island under his name with your wealth. With the help of the Shadows, you made the island habitable once more and invited some special people to live on it. 
Your hand squeezed his as you looked up to him, he momentarily took his eyes off the battlefield and stared into your eyes. “Yes?”
A rare smile spread on your face, your inner self becoming giddy and expectant of Jinwoo’s reaction. “Do you want to see your family? I’ve offered them a place to live away from all the criticism and pressure from the government and public. They’ve also been wanting to see you too, face to face.”
Jinwoo’s eyes widened. The moment he was reevaluated, he was sent to the EMI building in Korea, he was treated like an object rather than a human being. He could have lashed out, but his family was on the line and while he could use his Shadows to protect him so he has freedom, that only puts a target on his back. By then, people would want him dead for sure. 
The only solance he found in his darkness was you. The you who found out his secret and kept it to yourself, even wanting to give him back his freedom for your security, but he wanted to stay by your side instead. He thought that’s all he needed, but one day, you connected him with his family while in his cell and let him have his moment with them. 
From time to time, you’d call his family and have a video call to let him and his beloved mother and sister chat together while you work in the corner with music playing in your headphones connected to your other device to give him privacy. A luxury he never could have with the protocols of EMI.
He was grateful for all you’ve done for him. Genuinely and absolutely. “Yeah, I’d love that.”
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Note: I seriously did NOT think there would be another part. You guys liked part 1 a lot and I have no idea why. Welp, here's part 2. Not sure about a part 3, but I'll see how this one goes. Enjoy~!
Circe Y.
My Works: MASTERLIST
Taglist: (these are the people from Part 1's comment section)
@stupendouspizzacomputer @xiannars
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kyunniebuns · 2 months ago
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˗ˏˋ Entry : 046 - Jinwoo x Fem! Reader ◛⑅·˚ ༘ ♡ ˎˊ˗
ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕘 𝕁𝕚𝕟𝕨𝕠𝕠˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ
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╰┈➤ ❝ [ All of Him ] ¡! ❞
His Hands
Long and slender fingers who would never dare to harm your precious body and only aims to ever pamper and care for you. His lingering touches would always feel slightly ticklish as it ghosts over your delicate skin. 
Jinwoo would never dare lift a heavy hand on you.
Hell, he would rather cut his limbs off than ever dare to imagine it.
His hands will never fail to caress your face, his thumb swiping affectionately across your fluffy cheek. 
Jinwoo would always offer his hand to you wherever you two may be. He just can’t get enough of you really.
And maybe it’s also because he has developed separation anxiety over the years of spending his time in the gates fighting wars against the monarchs and the beasts they have summoned to attempt making him submit to them.
So really, how could he not cherish you after spending almost decades being battered in a bloody hellscape? 
Jinwoo wants nothing more than to pamper and care for you with his hands.
Hands that have ended many but will always, always, be gentle for you and you only.
His Eyes
Oh his eyes, those charming grey eyes of his.
They would look at you like you’re the only existence that would ever matter in this godforsaken world.
His foes recognize him with the familiar blazing lilac in his eyes. Once they see that color, they know their existence will undoubtedly disappear from this world or maybe they will be turned into one of his abominations.
With everyone else, he was always a cold and stoic person, the warmth that he had once disappeared overtime with his growth as a player. Everyone around him would always be afraid of his eyes. They say that when they look at him it’s akin to staring directly at the abyss.
Hence why people would always avoid looking at him.
But with you?
With you, it’s different.
He wouldn’t have a hint of lilac in his eyes.
Lilac is the shadow monarch.
Grey is Sung Jinwoo.
Grey is your Jinwoo.
As long as you’re in his sight, everything is beautiful.
Though this world is littered by cruelty and unsightliness, Jinwoo forgets all of it the moment you are in view.
He looks at you as his goddess.
Everything that you are and will ever do is beautiful. There’s really nothing he could say or think to describe anything else.
So long as you are here, everything is seen through rose-colored lenses.
When Jinwoo looks at you, the emptiness and sadness in his weary heart would disappear in an instant. He wishes that he can just spend every waking moment by your side and overlooking you as you did usual menial activities. Everything that you do is extremely adorable to him after all.
He just can’t help it, he can’t help but love you. 
His Arms
Strong and firm, his arms have ended a lot of his foes brutally. But to you?
They're your safe haven.
When everything gets too cold, you can always count on Jinwoo to embrace you and share his warmth with you.
When the world becomes too overwhelming, you hide in his arms that doesn't question you and would immediately sheler you into safety.
Jinwoo would always cradle you into his loving arms.
He in fact loves it the most when you're tucked into his embrace. He gets to pamper you with so much affection.
Though he would always be mindful and make sure he doesnt squeeze you too much.
The strength of the shadow monarch isn't one to be trifled with.
So he, who loves you more than anything else in the world— Wishes nothing more than to make sure you are safe and sound in his embrace.
His Body
Tall, dark and handsome.
Jinwoo's frame is something he honed to perfection to complement his role as the shadow monarch.
He is powerful and imposing.
His figure sends a shiver on anyone's body the moment he is on sight.
Lanky may he be, but he is the perfect vessel for war. He trained himself to the absolute limits.
And his skin shows proof of it all.
Burn scars from the late monarch Antares.
Multiple and giant scars that prove his decades of war.
Oh but to you?
He uses it to care for you.
He'd use his exceptional strenght to carry gifts for you or carry all the luggage he has undoutebly forced you to accept during your many, many shopping sprees.
Honestly he does it so often that you completely forget that he is actually a man that ended monarchs and demons alike. In your eyes? He is just someone who enjoys being of service to you.
Jinwoo's towering figure would always make you feel extremely small, but not to the point he makes you feel afraid.
You know this man better than anythign else, he also wishes to use himself as a shield for everything else that dares to try and harm you.
He'd always lift you up in his arms and pull your face into the crook of his neck.
When he does that, you know better than to lift your head up and dare to look at anywhere else. When Jinwoo does that, it means that he made quite the scene with someone who dared to disrespect you in front of his eyes.
You pretty eyes are only meant to see pretty things.
And Sung Jinwoo is dead set on making sure of that.
His Lips
Those sweet, pink and thin lips of his.
Lips that open to praise you like you're a precious flower.
Lips that could never get enough of you when he peppers you with loving pecks and kisses.
Jinwoo's normally empty and harsh words would morph into tender ones. As if he has a language made to be used for you only.
His kisses are feathery light, aiming to kiss every inch of you. From your forehead, to your cheeks, to the corners of your lips, to your collarbone and your delicate digits.
Jinwoo is never good with his words, but he makes up for it with his delicate pecks.
He will never go by 2 minutes without kissing you somewhere whether it was a gentle one or one where he's utterly frustrated with how cute you are that he can't help himself.
He'd be in a sour mood if he goes by a day without your kisses.
The first time it happened it was a complete hellday for his coworkers since he was exceptionally prissy that day.
So Jinwoo makes sure to shower you with loving pecks before he is off to work.
On his Knee
As the shadow monarch, he makes everyone around him grovel to the ground. His existence itself exudes regality that they'd instinctively be on their kness.
You're an exception though.
The same man who makes every being around him beg for mercy and ultimately lower themselves into nothing more than isignificant beings; the same man who has humbled the monarchs into nothing more than a pile of ashes and bones—
He will be down on one knee for you.
"Sarang, you know what this means, don't you?" He says in a tender voice when he lowered himself down to the ground.
In this paradise that he takes you to every once in a while, the secret garden he built himself by turning a dying island into a lush forest with flowers all around you both— Jinwoo is down on one knee in this very place that is for you and you only.
"I'm not good with words hahah, I might screw up the atmosphere with how flimsy and stupid I am with confessing my feelings," He chuckles softly, taking out a small velvet box and opening it to reveal a golden band with a gleaming gem on it. "But know that I will do anything for you."
"Do you want the world at your knees? I can do that. But knowing how kind and selfless you are, I know you wont let me do such a thing. Still, I want you to know that all that I am and all that I'll ever be is yours. I love you. More than anything in this world. I don't know how I can show you how completely and utterly devoted I am to you. If you want to use me as a bridge to get you to where you want to be, so be it. If you want to use me as the stepping stone to reach your dreams, then I'll let you use me however you want."
"Just know that I love you so much."
In those grey eyes you can see a blaze that will only be there when it's looking towards you, a fire that will only burn for you.
This man is willing to dance atop the flames if it means to make you happy.
Jinwoo would let himself burn for you.
"I don't really need anything fancy" You tearfully smile, extending a hand to him to which he gently takes. "I just want to spend my life with you and the next ones."
"Then we will." Jinwoo cooes as he slips the ring onto your finger and brings it up to his lips to kiss it, now murmuring against your soft skin "In every lifetime I'll find you, fall in love with you, and marry you. I want to be your husband and be the father to your children."
"Just as long as you're in my reach, I am capable of doing anything."
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꒰ 🪼 A/N: We're so back now my precious guppies. I hope you guys like my new layout too since it's simpler and easier for our eyes now www. It's still my branding style so xDD!!! I just switched up a few elements here andStarting out slow and steady with a Jinwoo proposal fic because I love my hubby. ꒱
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ʚ(੭´͈ ᐜ `͈)੭ .。✧: ~♡ —! stories written by kyunnie; translations, reposts, plagiarism are strictly forbidden.
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envy-of-the-apple · 2 months ago
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Heart for a Heart
(Dark!Sung Jin-woo x reader)
3.8k - Word Count
Synopsis: In a world where soulmates share each other's pain, yours is particularly clumsy.
(Warnings: Yandere, dark content, gore(not done to reader), kidnapping)
It started out small. A few bruises. A paper cut here and there. A mark you never really noticed before. Things that didn't matter.
You never really minded the bond. It's often relieving that somewhere, out there, your soulmate was okay. Okay enough to get scratches and paper cuts. Alive enough to get hurt. You know, people that weren't so lucky so have those.
And then, you stopped being so lucky.
One day, you suddenly had this searing pain in your leg. It was excruciating, you were screaming so loudly you were sure the entire town could hear you. When you’re finally rushed to the hospital, it’s there where your doctors discover the broken leg. You hadn’t done this, however. 
You’re soulmate had. 
It escalates from there. Broken legs aren’t enough; sometimes, you got shattered ribs, torn ribs. Once you got your stomach ripped open by a long sharp object. That had kept you in the hospital for more than a month. At first, people would just assume you were painfully clumsy. All they had to see was your fingers getting crushed by seemingly nothing to get the picture. 
The only upside to this was whenever you were rushed to the hospital, your soulmate was inadvertently saved as well. Giving them some much needed aide when they clearly were in need of it. 
“Maybe your soulmate is a hunter.” Pondered your friend, sitting next to the hospital bed. 
“I hope not.” You mutter back, looking at your newest injury: Stabbed in the thigh. “They’re pretty shitty at their job, then.” 
“Maybe they’re pretty low.” She thinks out loud. “Rank D. No, maybe even rank E? Or they’re pretty high up, so they get the more dangerous jobs?” She shrugs. 
You huff. Somehow, the thought that your soulmate is out there intentionally putting both themselves and you in danger would make this entire situation even worse. You desperately hope this guy was just a clumsy idiot—the type of person who trips over a rock and shatters a whole bone. An accident would be much more forgivable. 
And if they were a hunter, then you hoped they’d have a big enough accident to put them out of commission permanently. 
You were high on drugs. You didn’t mean that. 
You certainly never wanted this. 
You were asleep when it started. Alone, in your apartment. No one was by you. Your phone was on the cabinet. You were alone when it happened. 
You wake up to the feeling of death. You don’t know how else to explain it, but something was looming over your chest, pinning you down until you were suffocating. 
In your panic, you fumble out of your blankets before trying to get out of bed. The moment your feet touches the floor, you stumble, crashing onto hardwood. On your hands, you look back, trying to see what you tripped on. 
Gone. 
Your leg was gone. 
“What the fuck…?”
You’re hyperventilating. You can’t stop yourself. You can’t control yourself. Your leg was gone. It was severed off. You were bleeding out. There was so much pain. So so much pain.
You needed to get to your phone. It was high up on your cabinet, just sitting there innocently, mockingly. You needed to call someone. 
You crawl on the floor, fists clenched tightly together, dragging yourself across the wood, smearing blood everywhere. It was worth it. It would all be worth it if you could just call help. 
There’s a second, and then you’re losing your breath as something slams into your chest, knocking you down. A sledgehammer? It didn’t matter what it was. You’re coughing up blood, retching out your dinner, when there’s another and another. You’re getting sliced. Punched. Beaten. 
No, not you. 
Your soulmate. 
You needed to get to your phone, but it’s miles above you, sitting right on the ledge. Sometime after that, your arm gets cut off, too. You’re clutching at the cabinet, crying out when there’s another stab, this one right in your chest, right at your heart. 
You see it then—carved stone skin, glowing eyes, a terrifying smile. Looking right at you because it saw you. 
You were going to die, you were going to die because of that thing. And neither you nor your soulmate could save either of you. Not this time. 
But your phone is right there, you could get to it if you just–
Your remaining arm give out; you collapse onto the floor. The last thing you see is your blood seeping from your body before you pass out. 
_
Death is warm, like sunlight dappled across your face. Death is calm, like birds cheerily chirping out your window. Death is peaceful, like the low hum of your fan. 
But you can’t be dead. You’re still breathing. 
Your eyes blink open. There’s not a remnant of pain, not even from your past injuries. You sit yourself back up, examining your hands, your body, your leg. You still had both of your feet. You wiggled your two hands. You were more than content to just write it off as a dream when you see the blood smear from where you dragged yourself from bed. Your clothes were torn, but your skin was magically fine underneath. It was like last night never happened. 
Except it had. You still remember that face. So many teeth. 
You know you lost your leg. You know you lost enough blood to die. And yet, you were still here. Had…had your soulmate done something? Had they saved you? 
It takes hours to clean up the blood. Thankfully, peroxide gets rid of most of it. You can still smell the faint stench of metal, and you hope an open window would be enough to air it out. 
You still don’t know what happened that night, and when you try to search the Internet for it, nothing comes up. Perhaps your soulmate was a hunter and they just happened upon a rare healing item during a dungeon raid, and that was enough to completely reverse any injuries that happened to you and them. It’s the best theory you had at the moment. 
You can’t bring yourself to dwell on that night. You’d go insane if you kept having to remember that face, those glowing eyes, that hellish grin. You move on, pretending it never happened. 
But ever since that day, something changed. 
Your soulmate stopped getting hurt so often. Instead of getting severe injuries every month, you’d get paper cuts, bruises, and burns. At most, you’d get a large cut or two, but even then, after a couple of minutes, even the deepest cuts would disappear, and your skin would be like it never happened in the first place. 
You didn’t mind the change. If anything, you embraced it. You’d take anything. Anything over being stuck in the hospital for months, wailing over injuries that you didn’t even cause. 
But maybe you should’ve read the fine print a bit carefully. You should’ve been more wary of the change. 
It’s a regular day. You’re out grocery shopping, humming as you toss a packet of bell peppers in your cart. Your neck twinges, like a claw mark. Your soulmate must’ve gotten into another scuffle. You’re a bit pissed, but at least they’d figure out a way to deal with it. 
You aren’t expecting the punch to your gut. 
It sends you flying into the aisle behind you. You crash against the milk cartons, produce flying everywhere around you. People are already clamoring over you, worridly asking if you were okay but you couldn’t answer because of how much pain you were in. You were bleeding, and everything felt broken.
You hadn’t felt this much pain in a while. You’d been growing used to the recent change. Lax. 
Clearly, your soulmate had too. 
‘How’
You don’t recognize the voice. There’s ringing in your head. Someone is tugging at your arm. 
‘How how howhowhowhowhowhow h o w.’
The voice claws at your brain, you’re sure you’re bleeding there, too. It’s insistent, shaky, delusional, repeating one sentence over and over again. 
‘The system made me do it’
You’re above someone–a man. He’s staring up at you with a kind of fear you’ve never seen anyone have before–desperate, animalistic. There’s white-blue crystals everywhere. The knife in your hands is bloody. 
These aren’t your hands. Longer. More masculine. 
“You won’t get away with this.” The man underneath you is stuttering. “You’ll never get away with this.” 
You open your mouth. This isn’t your voice, either. 
“What happens in a dungeon stays in a dungeon. Your words, not mine.” 
The dagger reaches down to cut off his head entirely. And then you’re back in the grocery store, screaming. 
There’s more people gathered around you now. Someone hollers for water. A woman is asking if you can stand. You’re still in so much pain that you can hardly breathe but you hardly give a shit about that right now. 
Your soulmate was a murderer. 
You can still feel the ghost metal of that dagger–how easy it was to slice the skin, like it was nothing but paper. And you still remembered your soulmate’s emotions, buried deep down inside that unbeating heart. 
Nothing. He felt nothing. Only one thought was going through his head. 
‘Use the system.’
_
You witnessed a murder. You felt a man die in your own hands. 
You don’t go to anyone. Not the police, not to the hunters association, not even to your own family. You keep your hysteria locked up deep inside of you. You’d believe you. You could barely believe yourself for what you saw. Some days, you genuinely thought you were going crazy. 
But you know what you saw. You know what you felt. 
Apparently, seeing what your soulmate sees is rare, but not unheard of. It typically happens when one soulmate is in a great amount of distress, typically when they’re about to die. The theory is that sharing the trauma between two people would increase the odds of survival. 
You think back to the smiling statue. You think back to that man pleading for his life. Blood was prevalent in both. 
You try looking up ‘system’ and anything of that sort relating to hunters. Unlike your last delve into research, you turn up with nothing. 
You get paranoid. Even you can admit that. You can’t help but avoid hunters these days, even the lower-ranked ones. The thought that one of them could be him makes you want to vomit. 
Or maybe all hunters were like him? Filled with bloodlust, eager to shred skin. Now that you think about it, the man back then hadn’t been all that innocent. You could feel the rage emanating from him as well, the desire to kill. He just never got to fulfill his desires. 
These people were roaming the street, completely free. They received no consequences for their actions what-so-ever. In some respects, your paranoia is justified. His slit throat could one day be yours. 
You don’t see any more visions after that day. Something that you’re extremely grateful for. It makes you think that you could even forget that you ever even had a soulmate. You’d like that. God, more than anything, you’d like that. Soulmates were supposed to be romantic. Every time you thought of yours, you were supposed to get butterflies in your stomach. Not fear. Not horror. 
How many things had he stolen from you? 
Does he even know you exist? Does he care? 
You can’t avoid hunters forever. They were a staple in mainstream culture. Basically ingrained into society itself. Celebrities, politicians, and the reach of hunters was prevalent everywhere. So when the 10th S-ranked hunter in Korea was revealed, you simply had to go and see. Your friends were insistent on it. You reluctantly went, partially out of guilt for constantly blowing them off these days and partially because you were trying to slowly overcome your irrational fear.
It was a grand affair. The press was going wild, and pictures upon pictures were taken. A flash would go off every millisecond. You were in the back of the crowd, and even you were taken aback by how much of a spectacle it was. 
“Can you see anything?” You friend asks eagerly, shifting through the crowd. “I only see cameras!” 
“Same here.” You agree and then you move to a less crowded place, right by the railing. “Oh, come over here, I think I see him–” 
You’ve never seen your soulmate before. 
You’ve only gotten glimpses. Hands, bloodied hands. Clothes, torn clothes. You’ve never seen his jet black hair. You’ve never seen his tall figure. You’ve never seen terrifyingly blank eyes. And yet, you instantly knew. 
It was him. 
That was your soulmate. 
In that moment, he freezes. You regain control of your feet to duck back into the crowd. You’ve never been more grateful for the wall of cameras, a divide between you and that–that–
What even was he anymore?
When you peek over, he’s already walking away, a crowd of hunters surround him. He hadn’t seen you. He couldn’t have, right?  You know the soulmate bond is vice versa, so if you knew who he was just by looking at him. 
Sung Jin-woo could, too. 
You leave without telling your friends. You ignore their calls and messages. For days, you sit in your room, huddled in the corner. You’re waiting for something. A break in the silence. An attack. Him. The only things you do is eat, wait, go to work, wait, eat, wait, wait. 
A week passes. Nothing happens. The Jeju island raid comes and goes; you watch as the entirety of Korea cheers for him, unknowing of his horrors. 
He doesn’t know you, even if all you can think about is him. It’s torture. You wish you could stop. 
_
Something that calmed you down these days was baths. Even then, you made sure they were only for special occasions. This week, your boss hinted at the thought of a full-time position instead of being a contractor. Things were going well in your life. You wanted to reward yourself. 
It’s a good night. The water is just the right temperature, and you’re so comfortable you almost fall asleep in the suds. When the water turns lukewarm, you step, wrapping yourself in a fluffy towel. The soapy water drains into the sink as you dress yourself in warm clothes, fresh out of the dryer. 
It’s a good night. You order takeout, settle on your couch, and play something meaningless. You laugh at the half-hearted jokes the characters make. 
It’s a good night. You’re warm. Your belly’s full. You’re content, and your eyes are drooping. You’re close to dropping when you finally pad into your bedroom. The light’s already on. 
He’s standing right next to your bed, unmoving even when the creak of your door is so loud it’s ringing in your ears. You’re frozen, your heartbeat is so loud. The intruder calmly looks over a picture frame.
“Are these your parents?” Sung Jin-woo asks, “Are you close with them?” 
You don’t answer. You can’t. Your mouth is so dry, you want to scream but your horror keeps you silent–it also, unfortunately, keeps you rooted in place. You’re too terrified to run. In retrospect, you doubted they would’ve let you go far. 
“The King asked you a question.” A voice hissed in your ear. That causes you to scream, whirling around, just in time to spot a monster emerging from the shadows. You don’t know what it is, you don’t care, watching as it fully forms, tall domineering, more insect-like than anything. A monster. 
Panic. You pull yourself into a corner before your knees give out. You’re so terrified you're close to pissing yourself. 
The man doesn’t seem so concerned. If anything, he looks the slightest bit irritated, like the monster’s sudden appearance was an inconvenience more than anything else. 
“Beru.” Sung Jin-woo starts. “You were supposed to be keeping watch.” 
The monster bows, suddenly flustered. “I’m sorry, My King. You see, this one wasn’t giving you an answer, so I thought–” Sung Jin-woo clicks his tongue. 
“Just get lost.” 
It disappears. And then, it’s just you and him. Alone. 
Sung Jin-woo sighed before he kneels in front of you. He’s smiling, like his presence is supposed to comfort you, somehow. You press yourself further into the wall, watching him. 
“I’m sorry.” He apologizes, voice soft, you watch as his hand reaches out. “I hope he didn’t startle you too badly. He’s…taking some time to get used to humans.” 
“Please don’t touch me.” 
You’re surprised at your voice. So is he. His fingers stop inches from your skin. Sung Jin-woo waits before he eventually retracts, standing back up. The space is supposed to be relieving. It isn’t. 
You already know what he’s capable of, even miles away. 
“I won’t hurt you.” He starts. “Why would I hurt my soulmate?” 
You cringe at his words. His smile drops ever so slightly. 
“Do you have any siblings?” He asks, glancing back at the portrait of your parents. “Or are you an only child?” 
He’s acting like you two are on some date with the way he’s asking all these questions. Maybe to his deranged mind, that’s precisely what this is.  
“Please go.” Your voice is so low, barely a whisper. “Please please please leave.”
That’s all you can say. Threatening will lead you nowhere. Calling the police on an S-class hunter is laughable. Attacking him is even more pitiful. The most you can do is beg the monster in your room to go away. He doesn’t leave. He doesn’t respond, not to your pleas, at the very least, but his smile completely drops. His face is uncannily blank. It’s terrifying, but you’re glad he’s stopped pretending he’s human.
“I always wanted to meet you.” Sung Jin-woo suddenly says, “Even back when I was an E-class. You…you helped me out of many binds, those days. I don’t think I’d still be alive without you.” 
He’s talking about the days you’d wake up and realize both your arms were broken when you’d be rushed to the hospital for a broken rib. When the hospital staff saved your life, they inversely saved his. If you two had met a few months ago, you’d be overjoyed to hear this, you’d be so glad that your intervention saved his life. 
“And then that dungeon appeared–the statues.” Your heart drops, but he doesn’t stop talking. “I thought I lost you that day. When that statue pierced my heart, I felt you die. I think I heard you for the first time. You were screaming, and then I felt your heart stop.” 
You whimper, trying to push him away; he grabs your face with his hands, forcing you to face him. Your hands grip his wrist, nails clawing at this skin. He doesn’t care, why would a man who’s fought monsters care about a kitten with tiny claws? 
“But here you are.” He’s giving a breathless laugh. “Completely unharmed. The system must have saved you. The system must have known that I would go insane if I lost you.” 
He was already insane. You don’t know when he lost his mind, but you know that it was far before he met you. You shiver when he presses his forehead against yours, closing his eyes. The tears are making your vision blurry. You can’t stop the hiccups and sobs, feeling like you’re on the verge of a panic attack. 
“I know you don’t understand, but I need to keep you safe.” He’s insisting. “I have so many enemies. People who’d want nothing more than to rip you into pieces.” 
You turn away, and he lets you hide from his face, tucking into his chest. His hands–the same ones he used to kill people–find their way to your shoulders, keeping you within his grasp, as though he’s terrified of you disappearing if he isn’t constantly crushing you within his grip. 
“I love you, " he murmurs into your hair, and you just cry louder. “I need to protect the ones I love; I can’t lose anyone else.” 
One moment, you’re in your room, the next, you aren’t. The shadows engulf you. When they disappear, you’re in an expansive room. The ceiling is miles above your head. As soon as Jin-woo releases you, you immediately scuttle away, shuffling into a corner.
“Where am I?” You demand, panicked. “What–what did you do–” 
You cut yourself off when a coughing fit wrecks your body. It must be pathetic from his point of view, for a monster like him. Maybe if he sees how pitiful you are, he’d realize this was all a mistake and let you go. 
He doesn’t. His eyes just soften. 
“It’s okay.” He tries to console when it starts to sound like you can’t breathe. “You’re safe now.” He takes a step forward, but this time, you don’t let him get close. He stops at your closed stature. His jaw works, and you realize how bad it would be if you got this kidnapper, psycho, murderer, irritated with you. 
“My King,” A familiar rasp comes. “My apologies, but the dungeon you requested is starting to open.” 
The same ant monster materializes beside him. Sung Jin-woo frowns when he’s interrupted, but you’re glad his attention is diverted elsewhere. His lips purse, like he’s debating something in his brain. His searing gaze fixes itself on you. 
After a suffocating minute, he steps back. 
“I apologize,” he says, “this must be a lot to take in. I’ll give you some time to adjust.” 
The more he backs off, the more you feel like you can breathe again. But you can’t relax fully. He waves his hand and another monster appears in your vision. A large knight-like monster with a long red plume. His dark armour clicks everytime he moves. 
“Igris will be right by the door if you need anything.” He tells you it’s supposed to be kind, but it sounds like nothing more than a warning. The knight bows to Sung Jin-woo, and you can feel the knight looking at you before he makes his way out the door, stopping at his post.
Sung Jin-woo watches you for a bit, before he finally relents, stepping away to stand back with the ant monster. The shadows run back to him again and then he’s completely gone. 
You’re alone. 
The door is shut, probably locked. Outside, you can hear the knight back back and forth, like a diligent guard. A diligent guard of a prison. 
Slowly, you curl into a ball, and as quietly as you can, you cry. 
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dark-night-hero · 5 months ago
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Imagine the way every inch of your body hurts. The way you try to move but could not do so, only end up with a groan as you cried painfully. And then you open your eyes. It was burry, but thank the moonlight that seemed to give light into the room, you slowly became aware of your surroundings. The sound of the machinery beside the bed monitoring your heartbeat, the IV drop connected to your hand, the oxygen mask on your face, the lamp on the corner of the room, and the man sitting in an uncomfortable position not so far away from you, one of his free hand above yours, unmoving.
Imagine the way you frown, about to say something when it only causes your throat to get itchy, causing you to let out a dry cough. Startling the man sleeping right on your bed side. Even in the dark you could clearly see his face.
Imagine seeing him unconsciously made you let out a chuckle out of relief. Thank God. Thank God he was fine. It made you smile, ans so you close your eyes for a moment. At the same time, you felt him approach you gently upon recovering from the shock. "(First name)?" His voice seemed to tremble making you open your eyes despite your body's protest, wanting to rest even more.
"You... you look like... shit." You utter with a giggle, oxygen mask becoming foggy upon doing so. He just stare at you, and then he moved. Hands reach out to brush off a stray strand of your (hair color) locks away from your face. "Not as much as you tho." He smiles gently at you, despite his mess of a hair, his eyebags due to the lack of sleep. Sung Jinwo was just as handsome as you remember him to be.
"That's not... very nice thing so say... to your lover..." You are sleepy. Your head is aching, your ribs hurts like him. Your arms felt like going numb at how weak you feel right now. "Hey... it's okay. Go back to sleep baby." He hush you, continue on running his fingers through your hair. "I'm here now." You heard him say as you slowly drift off back to sleep but of course, not before saying, "I told you... not to call me that..."
Imagine as he watch you close your eyes again. He never stopped running his finger through your hair, hand free hand holding your cold and stiff finger, giving them warm. It's okay. He told himself. He's right here beside you. No one can talk you away from him nor do they can take him away from you.
[ⓒdark-night-hero] 2024°
: okay pa. Buhay pa ko guys.
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sylusjinwoon · 8 months ago
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{ 167 }
peaches.
husband!jinwoo sung x wife!fem.reader
{ i get the feeling, so i'm sure | hand in my hand because i'm yours | i can't, i can't pretend, i can't ignore you're right for me | don't think you wanna know just where i’ve been, oh… }
when you first married your husband all those years ago, you didn’t think that your life would turn into something extraordinary-
almost too extraordinary.
of course, jinwoo sung had always been the sweetest, most kindest man alive. upon meeting you in college, he had stolen your heart with that mysterious smile and strange, glowing eyes of his. the way his soft ebony locks of hair fell across his features along with the way his full lips was turned up in a sheepish grin was enough to steal your heart instantly.
when the man began courting you was when you realized that your lover could do things that many normal people couldn’t do.
for starters, he had a strange, dark aura that constantly surrounded him. those wispy shadows would catch your attention, and before your gaze could follow them for too long, jinwoo would grab your chin and distract you with a kiss-
(which unfortunately for you, worked every time.)
the more you spent your time with him, the more you began to realize that those same wisps that exuded from his form would ultimately surround you as well. you recall the first night you had seen them after working a late shift at the diner that was your job during that time. once you had clocked out and stepped into the cold, night air, you swore you saw something shift within your shadow. curious as to what it was, you step closer to one of the streetlights, hoping that it would further accentuate your shadow-
only to nearly scream when you saw what looked like five pairs of glowing, purple eyes looking back at you. after the realization, you gasped and took a step back, suddenly finding yourself in someone’s arms, jinwoo’s happy voice whispering within your ear.
“hello, my beloved treasure. are you ready to go home?”
your head was spinning, looking at him, then back at your shadow to see it return back to its slender shape, glowing eyes all gone as your head began to spin. swallowing thickly, you turn around to hide your face within his chest.
“hm, what’s wrong, sarang?”
“it’s nothing.”
maybe you were just tired, that’s all. you didn’t want to worry jinwoo and tell him how you saw glowing, purple eyes staring back at you.
perhaps you should take his advice and stop working such late shifts after all?
instead, you ignored those feelings of suspicion, simply cuddling closer to jinwoo as he walked back with you to your shared apartment (completely missing his sigh of relief when you didn’t bring up his soldiers seen in your shadow.)
you didn’t know why you ignored all the strangeness surrounding your beloved boyfriend, but perhaps it was due to the fact that he was such a walking green flag that you truly didn’t care nor mind.
ultimately, he was the best thing that ever happened to you, and who were you to give him up so easily?
after years spent dating, jinwoo finally proposes to you at the ripe age of 27, with you accepting his proposal within seconds. you recall basking in his sweet kisses before proceeding to make love with him the night of his proposal, further cementing your promises of forever with him.
after your marriage, you didn’t think of such weirdness ever again… choosing to simply ignore the shadowy wisps as you correctly guessed that they were meant to protect you-
however, it all reached a boiling point when your son, suho, reached his first birthday and began floating across the dining room table. your eyes go wide, seeing him glowing as the shadowy wisps surrounded your baby boy. he had gotten upset when you didn’t let him eat his birthday cake. one moment you were telling suho to wait for his papa, and the next he was floating above you with pieces of his cake clutched tightly within his tiny grasps.
jinwoo told you he had some work to do at the station, but you were too panicked to wait for him to come home tonight. in your anxious state, you called him right away, feeling grateful that he answers on the second ring.
“hello love-“
“jinwoo…! suho is… he’s floating and the shadows are trying to help him down… but he’s not coming down!”
you follow your child in hopes of catching him if he ever decided to come down, hearing jinwoo shift around a bit on the other line.
“don’t worry, sarang… i told you that i know how to fly, too, right?” amusement was heard in his voice, and you felt a sense of pure annoyance flooding your veins.
“you most certainly have not told me such things! and i expect a full explanation when you come home!”
“wait, my love-“
“and i mean everything, jinwoo sung!”
you hang up the call quickly, watching as suho took a nose dive back into your arms. filled with a sense of relief, you felt your son smear his cake all over your blouse and take a step back-
only to detect the faint scent of your husband’s cologne as his powerful arms were felt wrapped around you.
“how do you manage to do that?” you hiss at him, eyes weakly glaring at him when he holds you even tighter to his chest. again, he had appeared when you needed him the most.
“later, my love… i’ll tell you later… first, let’s celebrate our suho’s precious birthday.”
“bah!!!” suho’s eager cries for his father makes your heart melt, easing your anger just the tiniest bit. you pout while transferring suho into jinwoo’s arms, snickering when your son manages to smear even more bits of frosting and cake against his turtleneck sweater.
the next few hours were spent with you finishing up dinner and celebrating suho’s first birthday with his lopsided cake. never wishing to remain too far away from you or suho, jinwoo settles your form on his lap while you held on to suho, cleaning the crumbs of his cake off of his mouth as your husband cuddled close to you and your son.
when nightfall came and jinwoo helped put suho to bed in his crib, you stayed close by with your arms crossed over your chest. when he shuts suho’s door, his solemn, grey eyes meet with your gaze. you gesture at him to follow you out into the balcony, and he does so while wrapping a hand around your waist.
you slide open the glass door and close it, speaking in hushed tones so as to not disturb your neighbors. “i turned a blind eye to many things when it comes to you jinwoo… solely because i love you so damn much.”
he hums, holding you tightly in his embrace while momentarily looking at the skies.
“from shadows that seem to surround me to your strange glowing eyes-“
“we have a history together, my love.” jinwoo interrupts you, not looking away from the sky.
his words make you look up at him. “obviously, we do. we’ve been together since the start of college.”
“no… before that. way before that.”
taking advantage of his strength, he turns you around so that you were now facing him. his eyes glow that same, startling hue as his hands gripped at your shoulders tightly. “if you wish to know the truth, the whole truth, then say the word. i’m no longer the coward i once was… i’m certain i can keep you by my side regardless of what happens.”
you let out a shaky breath before giving him a nod as your final answer.
he brings you closer to him now, surrounding you within his powerful embrace as he kisses you fully on the lips. the shadows dance around you once more, as you saw a faint glow surrounding your form from beneath your closed eyelids-
and that single action alone was enough to pull the curtain away from your very memories.
there were gates and hunters… monarchs and monsters that threatened to destroy all of humanity…
and there was you and jinwoo…
a hunter with his healer…
all at once, you felt your vivid memories returning back to you, the onslaught of visions being too much to bear that you had a hard time discerning all of them. you end up falling against jinwoo, his arms being wrapped around you in a comforting manner as he prevented you from slumping against the ground.
your head was pounding, yet despite the pain, you manage to look up at him, seeing jinwoo with his eyes clenched shut as tears streamed down his face.
“i’ve been so alone- i’ve kept this burden of mine a secret for so long, and this may be selfish of me, but- i’m truly so happy that you know.”
you shake your head and push through the pain, leaning up to kiss him deeply as he delves his fingers into your hair. as the full moon shone brightly against your entangled forms, you knew that jinwoo had always been your soulmate from the start.
as you spend the following years in marital bliss, you gave suho a little sister named sera, a precious little girl who held both yours and jinwoo’s features while having your eyes. even at such a young age, suho swore to protect his little sister while allowing jinwoo’s shadow soldiers to surround both of them.
yet there was a growing concern between you and jinwoo when it came to your children. after all, jinwoo wanted both suho and sera to live a relatively normal and peaceful life, forcing him to lock away their memories pertaining to the powerful nature of their father (a power that they were sure to inherit someday.)
after jinwoo had erased your children’s memories, you spent the night in your children’s room comforting them, with beru crying while clutching on tightly to suho’s drawing depicting beru holding hands with both him and sera. as the former ant king leaves the room, you whisper to jinwoo.
“will you leave them in the dark forever?”
he shakes his head, bringing you into his embrace while pressing a kiss against your hair. “no, not forever. they’re both still too young… and i’d like to give the fruits of our love some happiness… after all, being children of the shadow monarch is no easy burden to bear…”
you hum in agreement, moving your head so that you could meet his lips in a searing kiss. regardless of what the future would bring, you swore to always remain by jinwoo’s side, all while protecting and raising your children…
“mom, if you keep cutting the cucumbers too much, it’ll be like baby food.”
you snap out of your reveries just then, looking down to see a 10-year old sera looking up at you with an innocent expression. you giggle and pick up the slender girl, allowing her to sit on the counter as you placed the cut cucumbers into a bowl for tonight’s kimchi.
“thank you for helping your mama.” you smile and brush your lips against your daughter’s forehead, earning a giggle from her.
“mama, where’s oppa…? it’s getting late.”
you purse your lips, looking up at the clock to see that it was 6:45pm… sera was right. usually suho would come home from school at around 3pm with your husband joining later around 8 to 9pm.
“my queen, do not fret, for your husband and young monarch are here…” tusk whispers in your ear, making your eyes widen in response.
as if on cue, the door was heard opening, with jinwoo carrying an unconscious suho in his arms.
“oppa!” sera calls out to her brother, jumping off the counter to meet with her father, “papa, is he okay? is oppa hurt?!”
jinwoo chuckles, ruffling his daughter’s hair with a fondness. “your oppa is fine, he just has a little headache. how about you keep him company until he feels better?”
sera gives him a determined nod, following jinwoo into suho’s room when you decide to put all of the ingredients for tonight’s dinner back into the fridge.
after all, jinwoo had a lot of explaining to do.
while waiting for jinwoo’s return, you poured him an ice cold glass of lemonade, filling it to the brim and offering it to him when you felt his arms suddenly encircle around your waist a couple of minutes later.
“thanks, honey…”
you face him, watching him drain the entire glass within seconds.
“where’s sera?”
“staying by her brother’s side until he wakes up. i told her to keep a close watch on him, he should feel better when dinner’s ready.”
you nod and lean against the kitchen sink. “and… just what did you do?”
you take a moment to admire him, feeling a sense of womanly pride filling you at the fact that he was your husband. despite how it was clear that jinwoo had aged, with slight wrinkles against the corner of his eyes and corner of his lips, he still looked as handsome as the day you first met him-
perhaps even handsomer than before.
settling the empty glass to the side, he wraps his arms around your back. “i was testing him, to see if he was ready to fully inherit my abilities. i even made a system for him to help level up as well.”
you hum and sway back and forth in his arms. “and…?”
jinwoo scoffs, “he is far from ready… filled with overconfidence and a cockiness that’s seen in all teenagers his age. suho has been too spoiled, never once facing the dangers or the fear of death… and such inexperience could lead to his downfall.”
your husband’s words manage to earn a laugh from you. “weren’t you just as cocky back then, too?”
jinwoo rolls his eyes, playfully taking your hand before gently biting down against your fingertip. “there’s a difference between fighting to protect what matters and when to stop when victory cannot be achieved. suho has yet to learn that."
he sighs when he sees the concerned look in your eyes, bringing you closer to him as he presses a lingering kiss against your forehead. “i just want him to be able to protect himself and sera if anything were to happen to us… and at the moment, he’s not ready to receive the full gift of my powers just yet.”
you let out a hum and rest your head against his chest. “our babies are growing up so fast… it’s crazy how far our family has come. i trust you and your judgement, jinwoo. because regardless… i’m so happy that i was able to be the mother of your children.”
“and you have no idea how happy i am to be the father of your children.”
after spending a few extra moments sharing kisses, jinwoo smiles down at you while framing at your face with his two hands.
“how about we order some fried chicken with all of our children’s favorite side dishes… as a treat and an apology for scaring our son?”
you giggle and roll your eyes at your husband and his playful smile, feeling your heart become alight with pure love for him-
praying that such bliss with him and your precious kids will last for forever and a day…
{ done being distracted | the one i need is right in my arms | your kisses taste the sweetest with mine | and i’ll be right here with you 'til end of time. }
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a.n. - i was so desperate to write for hubby!jinwoo, and i’m so happy at how this turned out 🥹 i apologize for any errors, since i wish to get this posted asap!
all stories are written by rei; reposts, translations, and plagiarism are not allowed.
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shomatoriashi · 21 days ago
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12/03/24: 04:45pm
lovesick!sung jinwoo x fem.reader
notes: loosely based on the hallmark movie drew gooden was watching and reviewing titled timeless love.
warnings: unedited; canon divergent to fit with this oneshot's storyline; potentially ooc; dark content; obsessive behavior; read at your own caution.
alternate title: your heart belongs to me.
sunlight streams through the open windows, painting the bedroom in brilliant hues of gold. dawn had long since morphed into morning, rousing a once sleeping couple back to consciousness.
the husband was the first to awaken, stretching out his limbs as a yawn escapes from his parted lips. wiping the sleep from his eyes, he trails his stormy grey eyes toward the form settled achingly close to him.
pulling down the comforter, he reveals your sleeping figure with your head buried within his chest. letting out a grunt of approval, he gently delves his fingers into your hair, massaging at your scalp, already grinning the moment you began to awaken.
he was the first to notice the smile that was beginning to spread across your features, basking in your sleepy giggles when he continues massaging at your scalp. "h-hey, if you keep doing that, i'll end up spending the whole day in bed."
jinwoo simply lets out a rich chuckle in response, allowing the tip of his nose to nuzzle against yours, eyes filled with adoration for you, "well, maybe that's what i want to do... keep you here in bed with me for the rest of the day-"
he stops speaking, eyes now turning affectionate at the pitter patter of footsteps quickly approaching your shared bedroom. already accustomed to such sounds, you sit up in bed, already anticipating their arrival when your kids, min-jun and sera, rush into your room.
hearing his children's laughter fills his chest with joy, allowing his son and daughter to jump on his bed, eyes already regarding the way his kids cling to their mother. he rests his cheek against the palm of his hand, admiring the way you pressed kisses against both of their tiny cheeks.
"hey, you guys are making me jealous over here."
sera was the first to move away from you, grey eyes lighting up when she suddenly lunges at him, "papa!"
welcoming his little girl in his embrace, he gives her a series of kisses as well, only stopping when min-jun comes closer to him as well, "dad, i'm getting hungry, can you make breakfast?" sera's eyes light up at the thought of having breakfast soon, with her nodding her head in agreement to her brother's words.
"well, who am i to deny my children's needs?" jinwoo was grinning down at his kids, "how's this for a plan: why don't you and your little sister brush your teeth and wash your face while your mother and i prepare breakfast?"
"yay!" both of his kids immediately rush away from him, giving him a private moment with you. just as you got out of bed, jinwoo wraps his arms around your waist, managing to capture your lips in a sweet kiss while basking in your soft giggles.
"behave, i need to take a shower real quick, then i'll join you in the kitchen." letting out a groan of your name, jinwoo allows you to escape from his loose embrace, not moving from his spot in bed until you disappear into your shared bathroom and locked it.
running a hand through his hair, making them even messier while letting out a yawn. he gets out of bed, remaking it as he places the sheets and comforter in place, adding the finishing touches by fluffing up the pillows and settling them against the headboard.
making his way towards the kitchen, he makes sure to make a fresh batch of cooked rice before making the rest of his side dishes ranging from his famous omelettes with sausages and a side of kimchi. with the table all set, jinwoo calls out to his beloved family.
"min-jun, sera! breakfast is ready!"
he strains his ears, trying to detect any sounds of pounding footsteps. yet... when all he hears was dead silence, concern began coursing through his veins. rushing out of the kitchen, he calls out their names again, voice cracking when he cries out to you-
only to receive the same, deafening silence in response.
the room was felt spinning around him, making him stumble before falling to his knees. his eyes look straight into the digital clock settled in front of him, the time reading 0800 as an incessant beeping sound breaks jinwoo out of his reveries-
"BOSS!!"
sung jinwoo wakes up with a start, covered in a thin sheen of sweat, his heart pounding in tune to the heart monitor his body was connected to. no tubes or wires covered his mouth as jinwoo takes in a deep breath to help with steadying his heart.
"boss, are you okay?! you've been out of it for a while now! i was so worried about you-" from beside him, jinho continues on with his concerned rambles as he looks away from him to see the familiar blue screen of the system:
[ player sung jinwoo's slumber has lasted for 21 days and 8 hours... ]
"where's min-jun and sera?" jinwoo asks in a hoarse tone, making jinho furrow his brows at him. "what? who are they?"
"tch, they're my kids." jinwoo was glaring at jinho, as if silently scolding him for his ignorance. "and my wife-" yet the moment he says your name, jinho's expression remains confused.
"boss, i hate to break it to you, but- you're not married at all. you've been single the whole time that i've known you."
"that's-" yet jinwoo's words were cut off the moment a nurse enters his room. she sees him sitting up in bed while pressing down on her communication device, "dr. choi, patient sung jinwoo has just awakened, come to unit d501, quick!"
jinho was immediately rushed out of the room, and the young hunter finds himself surrounded by a plethora of medical staff-
without a single sign of you in sight.
{ ... }
the weeks pass by in a blur, with his sister helping him back home. she keeps a steady hand behind his back, rubbing comforting circles behind his back, "oppa, are you alright?"
lifeless grey eyes meet with his sister's concerned gaze, making him force a smile as he gently ruffles her hair. "yeah, i'm alright."
he continues the trek back to his and jinah's shared apartment, thinking back on the events that had happened so far (according to jinho's recollection).
apparently, they had entered a dungeon together, and jinho had simply witnessed him taking on hundreds of enemies. jinwoo vaguely recalls how the system had ordered him to take out at least a hundred enemies within the span of an hour and how he had fought tirelessly against them with a single dagger-
only to feel something sharp pierce him at the back of his head, successfully rendering him unconscious.
that single attack was enough to knock jinwoo out for a total of three weeks-
within the span of those three weeks, he had dreamt of living a blissful and happy life with you-
but now that he was awake, he had long since lost such feelings of happiness.
"you know..." jinah's voice breaks him out of his momentary reveries, "jinho told me what happened, and he said that you... you wished to see your kids-"
"i'd rather not talk about it." jinwoo grits his teeth in response, hurriedly pulling up the hood of his jacket to help with hiding his expression from his sister. it wasn't like he wanted to remain so closed off from jinah-
it was the sheer fact that acknowledging how it was never real put an even deeper hole within his chest.
detecting the pain in his voice, jinah simply nods, walking beside her brother while softly sighing to herself. somehow, she knew that whatever jinwoo had went through truly took a toll on not only his mental health-
but his heart as well.
{ ... }
jinwoo felt guilty for remaining so closed off with his sister that he decided to cook her favorite meal later that night. while eating, he saw his sister trembling in her seat, eyes filling with tears before admitting to him, "w-when i saw you sleeping so deeply, like you were trapped in a glass coffin, i was so afraid that i would lose you- just like with mom a-and dad."
his heart twists even further upon hearing her admission, making jinwoo stand from his seat. he takes jinah's trembling form within his embrace, delving his fingers into her hair, "ssssh, i won't ever leave you... and i'm so sorry for making you wait for so long."
jinah sniffles and gives him a nod, "y-yeah, but, when you were still sleeping... jinho stopped by and helped a lot. he stayed by your side and gave me updates, s-so..." as his sister trails off, jinwoo felt a strange sense of relief at the thought of jinho helping his sister.
making sure that jinah was well fed, jinwoo makes sure to send her off to bed at a reasonable time for school. with all the dishes cleaned, jinwoo heads back to his room before taking out his phone. his gaze remains expressionless when he searches through the device while typing in a single name.
{ ... }
jinwoo and jinho were settled within ahjin guild's new building, with jinho looking over the thick notebook that held an almost frightening amount of notes pertaining to his boss's so-called dreamwife.
"this is the reason why you won't let hunter cha join our guild?" jinho looks away from the pages to meet jinwoo's gaze as he sipped on a cup of instant coffee. "yes, because i am already a married man and don't wish to have any distractions."
"does she know she's married to you?" jinho wasn't brave enough to flat out tell jinwoo how insane all of this was, since he still held him in high regard. after all, he knew that if it wasn't for jinwoo, then he wouldn't have had much success in kickstarting his own guild.
which was why he kept his own personal musings to himself, still doing his best to support the man he saw as his big brother despite it all.
"not yet." jinwoo glares down at his cup of coffee, "it's just... i know it's crazy, but you don't know what it's like to be in a coma for that long while experiencing something so vivid."
focusing his gaze on the dark liquid, jinwoo continues to reminisce about his dreams, "in my dreams, she was so real to me. her smile, her laughter, and the way she made me feel- every single thing about her has been imprinted on my soul."
finally meeting jinho's gaze, he gestures toward the filled notebook, "those pages contain every little detail that i know about her. from her favorite color to her favorite foods, to even her favorite books and movies- everything was written based on my memory of that dream."
jinho heaves out a little sigh before closing the notebooks all while sliding it back to jinwoo from across the coffee table. "you're right in saying that it is crazy, however, i'm stupid enough to follow with your whims and support you, boss."
{ ... }
jinwoo had a meeting to attend with the chairman, which was what brought him back to the hunter's association. he vaguely recalls go gunhee mentioning a new healer that would be transferring to seoul, and how he responded in a polite manner, doing his best to hide his disinterest.
when he steps out of the chairman's office, he nearly runs into someone, clicking his tongue as he wrapped his arms around the unknown person to keep them from falling to the ground.
"are you alright?" jinwoo asks, only for his eyes to go wide upon seeing a familiar head of hair.
"sorry, i got a l-little lost, is this the chairman's office?"
it was at that moment that jinwoo felt his heart cease its beat-
for he had finally found you.
{ ... }
heat was felt settled on your cheeks the moment you came face to face with sung jinwoo.
and gods above, he was far lovelier than you could have ever dreamt of. despite coming from a different country, you remained achingly aware of how a single hunter from south korea rose to the ranks, losing his former title of being the weakest in the world when he became korea's 10nth s-ranker.
in every candid shot you had seen of sung jinwoo, he appeared goofy yet incredibly cute at the same time. sure, you acknowledged his attractiveness on screen-
but nothing could prepare you when it came to finally meeting him face-to-face.
his boyish features were now amplified, with jinwoo standing well above you with his lanky frame. you take in the sight of his crooked smile and how his beauty seemed to be further accentuated by the sight of his sharp jawline.
you kept gawking at him for a few more seconds before quickly snapping out of it with a shake of your head. an introduction was felt settled on the tip of your tongue, yet jinwoo ends up further surprising you when he says your name.
"it's nice to finally meet you, my name is sung jinwoo."
you open and close your mouth in response, asking in an almost dumb manner, "h-how did you know my name?"
your question succeeds in making jinwoo stiffen in response, his outstretched hand remaining frozen. his mouth kept opening and closing, without a single word being said. "ah... well, the chairman was talking about you being our newly transferred healer earlier, that's why i knew your name."
you visibly relax upon hearing his explanation, letting out a sigh of relief, "oh, right, that makes sense!"
wishing to diffuse the awkward situation, you let out a gentle laugh and gesture toward the chairman's office, "ah, so, i guess i'll attend my meeting now-"
a gasp was felt lodged within your throat when jinwoo grips at your wrist, preventing you from moving forward, "wait."
you give him a questioning glance, earning a warm smile from jinwoo, "i'd like to welcome you here, so... would you care to join me for dinner later?"
the same warmth was felt against your cheeks, making you feel a bit shy when you give jinwoo a nod, "sure, i'd love to join you for dinner."
an overwhelming look of joy takes over jinwoo's features, with him letting you go to attend your meeting with go gunhee. "awesome, that's... great."
feeling dazed at the sight of his smile, you knew that the butterflies that kept erupting all across your abdomen prevented you from truly acknowledging the alarm bells that went off in your head, your mind slowly taken over with romantic daydreams pertaining to the famous hunter you had finally met.
and sadly, you would never know the true depths of sung jinwoo's obsession for you.
{ ... }
jinwoo had spent months preparing for this very moment-
and once he finally had you sleeping in the same bed with him-
there was no way he was going to squander it.
moonlight paints his room in subtle, glowing silver hues, painting our sleeping figure in an almost ethereal light. the powerful hunter was unable to sleep now that he had you so close to him-
exactly where he wanted you.
his whispers of your name remained constant, becoming so frequent that the syllables that made up your name felt like a prayer that fell from his parted lips.
of course it was like a prayer-
for jinwoo solely worshipped you.
you had come into his life in the most unorthodox of ways, where his first meeting with you happened during a mutual raid that happened when he first began his career as a hunter. he was barely out of high school when he attended a raid that nearly killed him.
somehow, he had gotten lost, nearly dying of starvation as he was left to rot-
life was felt quickly seeping out of him-
but that was when you came along.
you, with your gentle healing aura and kind eyes-
you, whose beautiful features were forever imprinted within his very mind the moment you healed him and offered him some food to help with regaining his strength-
you, who never once left his heart ever since that fateful day.
you became his sole source of light, using your existence as a means to push him forward when he was struggling so much with keeping his own life together (a sickly mother with a sister who relied on him in the wake of his father's disappearance).
you were the one who gave him the sole courage to face the many challenges that came with being the weakest hunter-
yet even when he was so close to death, your comforting presence never once returned to him.
by then, he was desperate to know all he could about you, and it was during this time that he realized that you had lived in a different part of the world, saving the lives of other hunters in gates that were more prevalent within your city.
but that didn't stop jinwoo's obsession from growing.
he kept what felt like thousands upon thousands of notebooks pertaining to you and your accomplishments, never once stopping his writings when it came to you all while praying for the day he would see you again.
up to the point where his fate had been altered by the events of the double dungeons-
jinwoo had never once stopped thinking of you. and when the system offered him another chance at life-
your face was all he could see the moment he accepts being the system's player.
while he performed all of the missions and tasks given to him, jinwoo had no intention of getting knocked out by the enemy, falling into a coma that left him helpless-
yet at the same time, the fact that he dreamt of you and the perfect life you had built together-
it only served to further solidify jinwoo's belief that you were made for each other-
made for him.
and it was only a matter of time that you would serendipitously appear within his life.
in fact, jinwoo had carefully orchestrated your transfer to seoul's hunter association branch. using the funds jinho had provided for him, he manages to find you, paying off your guild all while convincing your guildmaster to keep such a transaction a secret as the promise of your arrival further fuels his desires to see you again.
the waiting game for your arrival nearly killed jinwoo-
yet when chairman gunhee tells him about your transfer to seoul-
the hunter couldn't have been happier.
upon seeing you once more, he basks in your presence, knowing that you were by far the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. he ignores the need to chain you to him, wishing to take his time when it came to courting you-
because deep down, he wanted you to naturally fall for him more than anything else.
now, six months later, sung jinwoo finally has you exactly where he wanted you. unable to hide his feelings of pure devotion for you, he makes love to you after celebrating being together with you for half a year. after waiting far too long for you, there was no way he was going to ever let you leave him.
had you been awake, you would have noticed the crazed expression settled within jinwoo's gaze, his voice letting out soft coos of your name before laying beside you. he allows the back of his hand to caress at your bare skin, swearing an oath to never leave your side.
sliding his eyes shut, jinwoo carefully places your body against his naked chest, basking in your gentle hum as you buried your face deeper into his chest. hazy grey eyes look over toward his closet, knowing of the stacks upon stacks of notebooks he had dedicated to you were behind that closed door.
jinwoo supposes he could let his loyal shadow soldiers help with burning those books away-
after all, the shadow monarch had no need for them now that he has you in his arms.
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end notes: lmao when the delulu is the solulu in jinwoo's eyes ♡
all stories are written by rei; please do not repost, plagiarize, or translate my works!!
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mydearestbeloved · 1 month ago
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Chapter 6 [Draft]
Sung Jinwoo/Trial Player!Reader
CW:
Inspired by @circeyoru ‘s “Future Power Couple”
[Masterlist🦋✨️]
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Sung Jinwoo didn't know what to expect from you. You were fascinating, more so than he would ever admit out loud. All the clues the system had fed him about your existence were vague at best, referring to you as only the "Trial Player." And while he couldn't yet piece together what that truly meant, he wasn’t going to let his guard down around you.
If you were planning something, he would figure it out eventually. For now, he would keep you close, both as an asset and as a potential threat.
He stole a glance at you now as you knelt by the remains of a fallen beast, checking to make sure its soul was vanishing, as it should. There was nothing particularly alarming about you outwardly. You were quiet, practical. But he noticed the way you watched the world—distant.
Despite his wariness, Jinwoo couldn't deny that you were useful. In raids, your healing abilities were top-notch, quick to mend injuries, faster than his own healing factor. Not to mention that you could directly heal his shadows, Jinwoo took note that the amount of mana he needed to regenerate them decreased when you were around.
Jinwoo had initially assumed that you were strictly a healer type. That’s what the Hunter’s Association records said, and your mana signature had a distinct, calming presence to it that he had only ever felt from skilled support-class hunters. Yet your mana felt… dense, almost limitless. If his own mana was a roiling river, yours was an ocean, calm on the surface but powerful beneath, which wasn’t too surprising, considering you'd been a part of the system before him. But a mere healer shouldn't have that much mana reserve.
Are you actually a mage class too?
 His suspicions were confirmed when he saw your summons.
---
The first time he’d seen them, Jinwoo had barely registered what he was seeing. An ethereal swarm fluttering around you like an aura. They were mesmerizing, each one a different color and size, their wings glittering with a soft, otherworldly light, brushing against your cheeks as you gently whisper to them.
Your mana poured out of you and into each butterfly, connecting you to them as though they were extensions of yourself.
Jinwoo couldn’t help but wonder: Were these creatures merely magical constructs? If they were—
“Why butterflies?” he had once asked, when you were both taking a rare break between raids. The delicate creatures flitted around you, glimmering faintly.
You glanced up at him, blinking. “Why shadows?
Another point taken.
He shrugged, accepting your answer—or lack thereof. Jinwoo didn’t miss the way your butterflies tended to hover near his shadows, seemingly fascinated by them. His shadows didn’t react aggressively, which surprised him. Normally, any foreign magic would cause a disturbance, but your butterflies were… different. It was odd, watching those bright, delicate wings fluttering around his pitch-black soldiers, but it was almost... cute, in a way. A contrast between darkness and light.
It wasn’t long before Jinwoo realized there was more to your butterflies than their strange, almost playful nature.
During one of their dungeons together, Jinwoo had summoned Igris to deal with a particularly tough group of orcs. He watched, mildly perplexed, as one of your butterflies—brilliant red with iridescent wings—flitted toward Igris. At first, the shadow knight seemed to briefly stop, his glowing, empty eyes flickered to the butterfly perched on his shoulder.
The crimson light from its wings seemed to seep into Igris, and Jinwoo blinked in surprise when his loyal knight straightened, his movements becoming quicker, more precise.
Jinwoo couldn't deny the difference. Whenever your butterflies were around, his shadows seemed to grow stronger, faster, even more resilient. The boost was subtle, but for someone like him who had honed his skills through the system, it was noticeable. You hadn’t mentioned this, and he planned to ask you about it later—after all, he was in no hurry to reveal how closely he was watching you.
As the raid came to an end, Jinwoo glanced over at you, watching as your butterflies settled back around you. You smiled softly, looking at them with an expression so gentle it almost made him forget about his suspicions. Almost.
He learned early on that you treated them with unusual care, a gentle vigilance like a mother would her children. There was a fondness in your tone, a rare warmth that softened the careful detachment you usually kept.
That same red butterfly always seemed to stick closest to you, fluttering protectively by your side. Yet, every now and then, Jinwoo would catch it drifting toward Igris, as if drawn to the shadow knight’s presence.
One day, it had landed on Igris’ sharp armored finger when there were no more enemies around. The shadow knight had looked at his master with a flicker of—well, if shadows could be confused, Igris certainly looked it at that moment. Jinwoo gave him a shrug, watching with mild amusement as the red butterfly seemed to glow brighter, almost as if content.
He wasn’t sure if Igris understood, the knight merely tilted his head but remained still, allowing the butterfly to rest on him until it eventually fluttered back to you.
---
Jinwoo often found himself watching you as much as he knew you watched him. But even as he remained wary, he couldn’t deny his respect for your skill. You were no burden to him. You wielded primarily healing abilities, you also seemed to know when to boost his power or his shadow’s, almost anticipating his needs before he even voiced them.
As far as your own magic went, Jinwoo had seen enough to confirm his suspicions. You had offensive capabilities as well, striking enemies with long-range magic that was precise and deadly. You were the most versatile support type hunter he had ever seen.
Still, he assumed your strength was primarily in long-range magic. He’d noted your blind spots in close combat—standard for a healer type, though he didn’t miss the subtle, fluid way you adjusted your stance or deflected attacks from mid-range with your scepter-like staff. This led him to conclude that, for all your talent, you still had weaknesses in close range.
That was, at least, until today.
It was a sprawling forest dungeon, lit by beams of eerie green light filtering down from an unnatural, leafy canopy above. They were knee-deep in werewolves, snarling beasts that prowled out of the shadowy depths of a ruin. Jinwoo's shadows were handling most of the enemies, and you were providing your usual support from the backline, healing and boosting his soldiers while occasionally sending out a volley of offensive spells.
Jinwoo had been keeping an eye on you from the corner of his vision. After all, mages, more so healers, were supposed to be squishy, vulnerable when isolated. However, something had drawn Jinwoo’s attention, leaving him at a distance from you for just a moment too long.
Everything was going smoothly until Jinwoo sensed a surge of bloodlust behind you.
When he turned, he saw it—a massive, hulking werewolf, eyes glowing a sickly yellow, leaping at you from behind with razor-sharp claws extended, ready to tear you apart.
Jinwoo’s pulse spiked, the realization hitting him a heartbeat too late. He reached out instinctively, calling for a shadow to intercept, but then—
Shing! Slash!
In one fluid movement, you had twisted on your heel, a silver blur in your hand. The werewolf's momentum came to a sudden, brutal stop as its body split cleanly in two, blood spraying across the ground. You stood over the corpse, a rapier gleaming in your hand. The silver blade pulsed with magic before you flicked the blood off and sheathed it in one graceful motion, the weapon seamlessly retracting back into what looked like your scepter.
Jinwoo stopped in his tracks, your gaze meeting his for the briefest of moments, offering a nod, before you turned back to the shadows.
By then, more werewolves emerged from the trees. The rest of the pack howled, charging at you, and Jinwoo saw the faintest shift in your expression—a steely determination, and something almost akin to exhilaration.
As the next wave of beasts closed in, Jinwoo watched as your fingers danced over the length of your scepter, infusing it with your mana. The staff elongated, shifting its shape until it became a spear, the blade at its tip crackling with your signature silver magic.
You twirled it with practiced ease, thrusting it into the nearest enemy with deadly precision.
The scene was a blur of movement, each swing of your weapon releasing bursts of silver energy that cut through the werewolves like a hot knife through butter. You fought with a grace and precision that was almost hypnotic, your movements fluid and controlled.
When one of the beasts tried to flank you, you sent a wave of silver butterflies at it. They swarmed the creature, their wings fading in and out, and Jinwoo saw the werewolf's eyes glazed over right before you struck it down.
“Are you just going to watch, or are you planning on helping?” you called over to him as you pulled out the bloody spear from the beast’s corpse, not even turning to face him.
Grey eyes shifted to blue, Jinwoo couldn’t help but let out a low chuckle.
As the two of you fell into rhythm, your combined strength decimated the remaining enemies. His shadows worked in sync with your butterflies, an unspoken alliance that seemed more natural than either of you expected. He didn’t fully trust you, but standing here together, he felt a rare sense of ease, an almost enjoyable synergy he hadn’t experienced with anyone before.
Once the last beast fell, you took a breath, looking entirely unruffled as you dusted yourself off, letting your spear shift back into its scepter form with a wave of your hand.
Jinwoo watched as the butterflies gathered back around you, the red one taking its usual place by your ear.
“So, are you a healer? A mage? Or something else entirely?” he finally asked the question he probably already knew the answer to.
Your gaze flickered, “A little of both. The system assigned me as a hybrid after my job change quest.”
Ah, so you went through that too.
“Why’d you hide it?”
You arched an eyebrow. “Hide it? You never asked.”
Again, Jinwoo couldn’t deny that.
---
The moment Jinwoo proposed a sparring match, he could see a flicker of hesitation in your eyes, a split-second of doubt that you quickly masked when you uttered your first refusal. It would take weeks for Jinwoo to finally convince you to spar with him.
“Fight me.” Jinwoo had said, his gaze piercing through you with that unyielding resolve he was known for. It wasn’t a request; it was a challenge.
“I don’t see the point.” you replied, arms crossed over your chest. But he had insisted, and eventually, your resistance gave way to a reluctant agreement. It was inevitable. After all, you couldn't keep avoiding this confrontation forever.
Now, here you stood, the tension was palpable in the quiet clearing. The both of you had been going to forest-themed dungeons quite a lot. Jinwoo wondered if the system was indicating something by giving him the keys to these instant C-rank dungeons ever since he and you teamed up. Jinwoo studied you as you calmly positioned yourself a few steps away from him, your scepter in hand, ready for the match. You always seemed to reserve a part of yourself, moving just enough to protect him but never enough to display the full range of your abilities. It left him guessing—just like what he had done before for the rest of you.
If the mouth couldn’t speak, then let the body do the talking; and Jinwoo intended to get a clear answer.
The rules were simple: no summons or any other external help, just the two of you, weapons in hand, magic thrumming beneath your skin. A fair fight
As he set his stance, his grip on his daggers tightened, the familiar weight of the weapon grounding him.
“Ready?” Jinwoo called out; his tone steady but edged with a hint of challenge.
You nodded, adjusting your grip on the scepter as it began to shimmer faintly, energy pulsing through it. “Whenever you are.”
There was a heartbeat of silence, and then Jinwoo lunged, moving with the same fluid, precise agility he’d honed through countless battles. He closed the distance between you in a second, his dagger slicing down with surgical accuracy, aimed at your shoulder. But before he could even blink, you’d shifted to the side, your scepter flicking up in a smooth arc that deflected his strike.
The metallic clash rang through the air, and for a moment, your eyes met. There was a fire in his gaze—evoking a brand-new feeling of hunger. The force of your parry pushed him back a step, and he narrowed his eyes.
He feinted left, trying to throw you off balance, and for a moment, he thought he saw an opening. He moved to take it, his dagger flashing toward your side, but you sidestepped just as quickly, countering with a swing of your scepter that glowed as it extended into a spear. Jinwoo felt the air crackle as it barely missed him, grazing his shirt with enough force that he knew it would have been a devastating blow had it landed. He grinned, adrenaline surging. You were no exception, what with the subtle twitch at the edge of your lips.
“Not bad,” he admitted, shifting his stance.
You met his gaze evenly. Without another word, you lunged, and Jinwoo found himself on the defensive. Your movements were a whirlwind of adaptability, your scepter shifting seamlessly from spear to rapier as you closed in, then retracting back to its original form when you needed to parry his strikes. Jinwoo was fast, his dagger an extension of his arm as he blocked, dodged, and countered each of your attacks, but you moved with a surprising endurance, like you were used to fighting prolonged battles and conserving your energy with each fluid motion.
He pressed forward, feinting high and then dropping low to swipe at your legs. But you saw through it, stepping back just in time, and as he rose to meet you, your scepter extended again, transforming into a rapier that gleamed with concentrated energy. He barely had time to deflect it, the clash of metal reverberating in his grip as the force of the impact sent a shock up his arm.
“Yield?” you asked, your tone light.
“Not yet.”
He switched tactics, lunging in quick succession, trying to find a rhythm that would force you to defend and expose a weakness. He noticed that your form wasn’t as refined as a true close-combat specialist; there were small openings that a trained fighter would have exploited. But what you lacked in close-combat finesse, you made up for with versatility, adapting each move to match his. Every time he tried to predict your next move, you countered with something new, always one step ahead.
Jinwoo managed to get a hit in—his dagger grazing your arm—and he saw the slightest wince cross your face. But instead of faltering, you used the momentum to shift your scepter’s shape once more, retracting it briefly before extending it into a gun-like form, a barrel forming at the tip with an audible hum as energy gathered within.
He hadn’t seen this before.
You aimed, and Jinwoo’s instincts screamed at him to dodge. He barely evaded as a bullet of condensed mana shot past, searing the ground where he’d just stood. He shot you a glare, but you only shrugged, as if to say You asked, and I answered.
“You can do that too?” Jinwoo growled under his breath, wiping sweat from his brow, his chest rising and falling with each breath. “I thought you were more of a mage type.”
Look who’s talking.
You twirled the scepter-turned-gun in your hand before letting it shift back to its original staff form. “I am. But being adaptable is… useful.”
He scoffed, though there was no real frustration behind it. “Adaptable? You’re like fighting a damn chameleon.”
He lunged again, forcing you back, his strikes coming faster now as he tried to keep you from regaining control. But you parried each blow, countering with a series of swift jabs and thrusts that drove him to the defensive. The longer the fight continued, the more Jinwoo realized you were every bit his equal—or possibly even stronger. Each time he thought he’d found a gap in your defenses, you shifted your stance, countering his attacks with an unpredictable rhythm that left him scrambling to keep up.
The fight dragged on, each of you pushing the other to your limits. Jinwoo could feel fatigue beginning to wear at him, his breaths growing heavier, but you showed no signs of slowing. He wasn’t sure if it was raw endurance or sheer experience that kept you moving with the same fluidity you’d had at the start.
Finally, he saw what he thought was an opening. He lunged, putting every ounce of his remaining strength into the strike, but in the split second before his dagger could make contact, your scepter blocked it, catching his blade mid-strike. And in that moment, you pivoted, shifting your scepter back to a spear and hooking it behind his leg to throw him off balance. He staggered, and in the heartbeat it took him to recover, you had already retracted the spear and brought the tip of your scepter to his throat.
“Yield?” you asked again, your voice calm, breathing hard but steady.
“...I yield,” he muttered, lowering his weapon.
You stepped back, lowering your scepter as Jinwoo straightened, a grudging respect settling in his gaze. It was a hard pill to swallow—realizing that even with all his progress, he was still a step behind someone like you.
“Well,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “I guess I got my answer.”
“Did you?” you replied, there was no arrogance there, it was almost… reassuring.
He met your gaze, you nodded, offering a faint smile. “Work harder to catch up.”
I’ll wait for you.
As he watched you walk away, Jinwoo felt a mix of frustration and admiration twisting in his chest. For all his progress, all his strength, there were still mysteries he couldn’t crack, and you were one of them. But as maddening as it was, he couldn’t deny the excitement that thrummed beneath his skin at the thought of growing stronger, of one day standing on equal footing with you.
---
Your power was… formidable. Jinwoo was not the type to admit it easily, but you were undeniably stronger than him, at least for the time being. Every joint raid you participated in, every dungeon you cleared together, made that abundantly clear.
He could see it in the way you fought with lethal efficiency. You wielded your mana with a deftness he could only respect, if not quite trust. Your abilities, whether in healing or combat, suggested years—maybe decades—of experience. Yet, your gaze flicked to him every so often, as if gauging his reaction.
Despite that overwhelming power, you still played along with his orders, never challenging his authority. Here you were, guarding his back as if you had no greater ambition than to follow him. The thought of it unsettled him.
You were holding back.
If you were so powerful, why did you follow him? Why didn’t you resist more on this arrangement? Was it truly just because the system compelled you? And if that was the case, why didn’t you seem to resent it? Sure, you seem frustrated, but that was just about it.
“You’re… strong,” he admitted, watching you carefully. “Stronger than I am, for now. So why do you go along with all of this?”
Your eyes met his, surprise flickering in them before you looked away, staring off into the dimly lit cavern, adjusting your staff in your hands.
“I thought we’ve been over this. The system—”
“That’s just an excuse,” he pressed. “We both know how the system is. What I’m asking is why you follow my lead?”
For a moment, you didn’t respond. The silence stretched, heavy with unspoken words. Finally, you turned to him, your expression serious, your eyes searching his as if you were weighing something crucial.
“It’s… complicated,” you murmured that word again, as if it could sum up everything left unsaid.
“Let’s just say,” There was a quiet edge to your tone, “that I believe in what you’re doing.”
You said them softly, almost wistfully. “Or just call it curiosity, if you want.”
Jinwoo didn’t know what to make of that answer, and it frustrated him to no end.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that you knew more about him than you let on. That watchful gaze of yours wasn’t one of mere curiosity—it was the gaze of someone who was studying a well-worn book they had read countless times before. Jinwoo caught you doing it often enough to notice: the way you would follow his movements, anticipate his decisions, even predict his strategies as if you’d already seen it all play out before.
It was unnerving.
Jinwoo clenched his jaw, frustrated by the half-answers you always seemed to give. “You keep saying that. But you’ve been watching me just as much as I’ve been watching you,” He said that while never taking his eyes off you.
“But I get the feeling you know a lot more about me than I do about you.”
Your gaze flickered, and for a moment, he thought he saw a flash of guilt. But you quickly masked it, a faint smile tugged at your lips, though it didn’t reach your eyes. “I observe you because I… want to understand you better. Maybe it’s because, in some ways, you’re the first person I—”
You suddenly clammed up and then turned away. Jinwoo could tell that he wasn’t going to get any more out of you on this topic.
“Alright,” he said finally, voice dropping to a neutral tone. “But if you’re keeping secrets, just know—one day, I’ll find them out.”
You chuckled, the sound both warm and distant. “You wouldn’t be the Sung Jinwoo I know if you didn’t.”
---
Whatever your motives were, Jinwoo was now sure they weren’t as simple as he initially thought.
Why had you been helping him for all those years before he even knew you existed? What did you gain from it?
Maybe you really are just that kind.
It was a conclusion that didn’t sit well with him. Jinwoo had grown used to people having ulterior motives, but you seemed different. Your actions were selfless, almost to a fault. You cared, yet there was still more to your story.
There were days when he almost believed he’d solved the puzzle of who you were, pieced together from your silent gestures and guarded glances. And yet, the closer he got, the more he felt he was overlooking something vital, something you were desperate to tell him but couldn’t.
It gnawed at him in the quiet moments after a fight, and even more so as he lay awake at night, thinking back to those rare glimpses of a different you. For every truth you hinted at, there seemed to be a secret you swallowed, and the weight of it left him wondering if you were carrying a lot more than you should have.
As for your quiet knowledge, he’d caught on that it went beyond mere strategy or observation. You seemed to know his habits, his tendencies, even some things he himself hadn’t fully realized. He watched as you predicted his actions in battle, shifting to support him before he even had a chance to react, as if you knew what he’d do next.
But more than that, he could sense that you carried a strange sort of empathy for him—a sadness that didn’t quite make sense coming from a stranger. The feeling unsettled him, and yet he couldn’t bring himself to ignore it. You weren’t just another faceless hunter to him now.
It wasn’t enough, not nearly. Trust wasn’t something he could afford easily, not in this world, not after everything he’d been through. So, until he could figure you out, Jinwoo would keep you close.
Because, if there was one thing he had learned from years of surviving dungeons, it was that the most dangerous thing wasn’t always the monsters lurking in the shadows.
Sometimes, it was the ones standing right next to you.
And that, maddening as it was, was enough to keep him close for now.
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End Note:
Unedited Draft of [015/10/2024] -
First dive into Jinwoo's p.o.v. And also my first attempt at writing full fight scene, hopefully it make sense. Let me know your thoughts! Is Jinwoo too OOC? Is the fight scene lacking too much? Constructive criticisms are appreciated! <3
135 notes · View notes
viloxity · 4 months ago
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Fluctuating Skies (Part 2 of 2) -- Yandere! Sung Jinwoo x Female Reader
Part 1
Synopsis: The scenario where the Monarchs rule Earth and the Shadow Monarch finds you in the New World A/N: it's finally here! thank you so much for the support on the previous part, i hope this lives up to expectation! reblogs and comments especially motivate me so let me know your thoughts <3 enjoy!
WC: 7.5k (oops)
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Waking up to soft rays of light twinkling through cracks in the walls did not feel as invigorating as it should’ve been.
You slowly raised a hand to unwrap the blankets around you, stopping as yesterday’s events flashed through your mind. How could you even describe it? His behavior was becoming progressively uncanny and the foreboding that he would only get worse stuck with you. You felt like you were drowning, suddenly, weary eyes blinking to find yourself underwater in the middle of an endless ocean. You were surrounded by blue, as if you put on filtered sunglasses and now your world was the singularity of a color that reflected the same shade of the sky. Despite your circulatory system’s losing battle as the deep blue engulfed your trachea, you felt a sense of tranquility. Under the sky’s watchful gaze and the water’s gentle hands, you were protected. No longer did you have to suffer from the wars, the loss, the pain; you were free. Free to forget, free to explore, and free to experience.
You spent your time rejoicing under the guise that trepidation was a falsehood and forgetting that nothing was permanent because time waits for no one.
By the time you discerned the forgotten unpleasantry known as angst that did not belong in your Better World, it was too late.
You did not notice the inky black tendrils that were wrapping around your free-floating form.
You tried to swim away, to fight back, but they were relentless in caging you. The shadowy cage was reminiscent of a black tomb that fixated your view behind pole-like structures and entrapped you within something inescapable.
You distantly spotted a single immensely darkened creature as it swirled at the lower depths of the sea. The unknown entity eyed you hungrily from beyond the blackened bars, swimming patiently as you began to register once more the water bursting down your esophagus and into your lungs. You grabbed the bars with all your might and pulled, realizing too late that it only hastened your submerging. You were sinking deeper, closer to the unknown and closer to a fate that you would no longer be in control of. At last—before you buried the last of your desires—you screamed, attempting to curse out that disgusting monstrosity that spectated your descent to darkness; the water engulfed you, then, happy to oblige to your acceptance of asphyxiation.
The moment the light faded, your eyes shot wide open as your hands quickly moved away from clutching your throat. You gasped for breath, uncontrollably coughing as you wildly looked around. Your eyes finally settled on the streams of light pouring from the window, the rush of blood flowing past your ears beginning to fade. You then counted each beat of your heart, the tallying of each thump dissolving your heightened senses as you drifted under the threshold.
You hadn’t realized the moment you fell back asleep.
Gradually, as each night brought misery the second your eyes closed, you found yourself struggling to get a wink of sleep. The crevices of your mind were so desolate, so dolorous, that you shuddered at the mere notion of the night blanketing you. Each dream was similar, with some darkened figure watching over you like a god spectating their worshippers—never forwardly reacting, and never intervening. At the end of every scenario, you eerily felt that the entity delighted in your cycle of despair as previously neutral movements transitioned into fervent, animated motions. If it appeared like a shadowy humanoid, they would lean down and smile as you inevitably drifted towards them. In your most recent dream, it resembled a piranha that eagerly circled you as it waited to devour your impending despondence. Every single time, you remembered the creature, its face, its actions, and your anguish.
It had been a few days since your first meeting with Jinwoo, simultaneously marking the first day you began to fear the dark.
The darkness was another mask the sky used—a different side on the same coin of the marvelous bright blue you woke to. If the bright sky told you it was a beginning, the blackened night represented an end. Every day was unique; the beginning and end were never the same, nor did they repeat. A new day was a new beginning, while a new end was a new conclusion. In a society brimming with devastation, people tended to characterize ‘the end’ in this way—as a sum of its parts. This was a consequence, survivors learned, because it meant you neglected the substantiality of an imperfect world and became the first sacrifice as a method of fidelity to the strongest in the realm. The totality of the ending was the truth, because the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts in the New World.
You stopped looking at the other side of the coin because it was never meant for you. The strongest controlled the night sky and you had an inkling that Jinwoo might be one of them; a being that can write your ending so long as it satisfied him, his face abruptly flashing through your mind was enough to make you retch.
Your head turned towards the sky, somewhat covered by the walls of your home. At the very least, the morning sky was still your oyster—every morning was a fresh start that alleviated the pain of a predetermined ending. You learned to forgive it back then because you could not dream of never relying on it again.
You rose from under your bed covers. It was no longer something you could ignore.
To a degree, you were certain that there was some positive correlation between Jinwoo’s behavior and your nightmares. The more your mind flickered back to yesterday, the more unsalvageable his company looked. He was more a threat to your survivability than someone who you could befriend like the others. If it came down to it, you would possibly have to run the most you’ve ever done in your life. You were willing, but it was a matter of if you would get the chance to in the first place.
Jinwoo’s words from yesterday vividly echoed throughout your mind—in any case, there was no avoiding him today. You moved to the closet, creaky wooden doors opening to reveal you staring at your reflection. The mirror was placed in the middle of the closet, nearly engulfed by what looked to be a storm that passed through your belongings. You patted your face, fingers kneading away knit eyebrows as you tried not to focus on weary eyes and the tight line drawn on your face. Your affliction was proof of your dejection due to your new circumstance—it was unlike you to be in such a state. You survived to live freely and now you placed yourself in a predicament that threatened your state of being.
You ignored the sensation of faint prickling that tickled the corners of your lips.
Jinwoo was unpredictable, and that was a major problem in terms of survivability.
Damn it, how could you get out?
He was slowly beginning to root himself into your life and that was terrifying. Even worse, you were never clued in to his actual intentions—by a stroke of fate he gave you the ‘honor’ of his attention, and now he was feeding you handfuls. Was it a major oversight on your part, to not pay attention to such an action? Would your careless decision during a moment of vulnerability cost you everything? It was easy to envision how your life would eventually center around his, like a satellite orbiting a planet—Jinwoo’s raw strength and unknown capabilities could be enough to bend an individual to his desires. Said individual would no longer maintain the privilege of free choice; any option that was not correct—in his eyes—was a rash decision that betrayed his wishes.
Fuck. All paths that tied in Jinwoo involved a life half-lived.
Unless you were inferring too much. Everything thus far was still speculation, other than a few abnormalities in his usual solemn behavior. It had only been a few days, and yet your mind portrayed him as a villain.
And yet…
And yet it felt like he was hiding. The feeling that he was still lurking within the shadows, just like the first day you met him. That he was not… fully there. He was faded out, but if you cared to look a little closer, you would see that he wasn’t a normal shadow.
Your antsy temperance, driven by countless near-fatal encounters, never quelled itself in the presence of Jinwoo.
Either your mentality was cracking under pressure—his pressure—or the severe amount of devils advocate you played as a paroxysm of coping.
It would not be long until your mind landed itself in the grave, by his hand or yours.
You watched the intense rich shade of red trickle down your lips and onto your chin, its boldness absorbing your attention and trail suctioning color beneath its crimson hue. Perhaps the aching of your sensory receptors was a direct consequence of the peril you put yourself in—an unconscious and remorseful action.
You could not regret—there was no time, for he controlled that too.
Reaching for a towel to wipe the ruby from your face, a flash of purple streaked from the corner of your eye. You quickly turned but all your bulging eyes made contact with was the floor.
The floor and your shadow.
Your shadow was swirling, its outline swaying against the wooden floorboards and darkness crawling as it followed your movements. Within its depths was the image of a battle; the clash of fragments of hazel scattered throughout the pools of ink. Each unconquered piece slowly succumbed to the tide because lone soldiers were weak in the face of an army. As rich brown gradually swirled into deep black, you were reminded of the arachnids; the eight-legged creature that crawled where it pleased and patiently waited for its prey to fall into its carefully crafted web. The flush colored area that unluckily landed itself behind you was now trapped in a web of gloom, an inescapable route that held no other option but to wait for its end.
Akin to how your shadow absorbed the surroundings around it—colors swirling from vivid to black—you too were mesmerized by its outlandish ferocity. The way it continued to entrench on other areas despite your lack of movement gave you the feeling it was more lively than how you remembered it.
You moved a step back. You felt your heart racing as the shadow stormed after you, quickly discarding its entrapped victims and viciously tearing apart others to get to you. Once it reached your side, the shadow began to swirl around in its new area, straying slightly farther than your outline as it dragged other pieces of hazel within its midst.
You took several steps back, fearful eyes following your shadow’s barbaric barreling as its outline shook and swirling hastened. You could make out a small groaning sound, then a wave of sighs once the shadow reached you. Your shadow’s outline and swirling lessened in intensity, resuming its invasion sequence. Near the bottom of your feet, you almost didn’t make out the tiny inky strings that connected you to the shadow. You wanted to say they resembled hands, the way there were several small strings tied to one long string, but the swirling of the ink made it hard to make out.
Even in your own home you were going crazy.
Shortly after, you quickly got dressed and rushed out the door, never once looking back at your shadow.
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The trek was fast because you did not bother to stop and look around for people to hand out food to. You were too absorbed in rethinking each encounter that you did not realize the man standing outside the shed.
“Glad to see you’re back.” Jinwoo greeted, body leaning against the shed with arms crossed. He was in a spot that offered him shade from the morning sun, dressed in his normal attire of all-black from head to toe.
You caught yourself from flinching, breaking out of your dazed state and willing yourself to speak to him.
“I, um, don’t see why not,” You meekly replied, the grip on the strap of your bag getting a little tighter. “The earthquake from yesterday did scare me, though.”
“There is no need to be afraid as long as I’m here,” Jinwoo said, pushing off the shed and stopping a shy few inches away from you.
You had not fully realized it, but Jinwoo really was an intimidating character. You never saw him at full height as he would always be sitting on something at some distance away from you and shrouded by shadows. With the way your eyes were nearly shoved into a face full of chest, you were struggling to maintain your fortitude against his domineering posture and terrorizing stare. His hands in his pockets could only do so much to shrink his broad shoulders that boldly shaped his black dress shirt.
Jinwoo leaned down toward you, head slightly tilted. His gray eyes immediately collapsed your own, unable to turn away as your heart beat sporadically. Soon the chirps of birds and the swaying of grass by the wind drowned out as static filled your ears. There was only static, until you made out faint whispering that echoed by your feet—it was incomprehensible, but it was there. You could not look away to confirm or deny your paranoia—to prove you maintained a piece of sanity—but that did not matter in the face of the ferocious beast in front of you. No, what you were more scared of now was if Jinwoo could hear how fast your heart raced—whether he could read your thoughts by glimpsing through your eyes and by the amount of time he’s spent in your head. You were able to push back the trembling, but how long could you hold it for?
A voice was murmuring underneath the ocean of sound, promptly silencing the whispers that plagued your ears.
“Huh?” Your mind was still mushy after the wave of panic passed you, having forgotten who was in front of you. The ringing static faded the harder your nails dug into your palm.
“No charity work today?” Jinwoo repeated, head tilting more at his inquiry. He leaned back, the mist clouding your mind finally settling as he separated from you.
Your fingers fiddling with the bag strap and the shuffling noise it emitted reminded you of the donations you were given today.
Wait—the donations. You sucked in a breath, trying to even out your breathing. It was made a point that you would always hand out food before meeting with him, as you would offer him the last piece you had. It was a consistent act that you performed despite only knowing Jinwoo for a minimal amount of time. How was he aware, that today of all days, was the one irregularity in your schedule?
You quickly cleared your throat. “I planned on going after meeting with you.”
Jinwoo hummed, eyes flashing to the small stream of red that trickled down your palm. His prolonged glare at the crimson liquid and clenched fists was nearly enough for you to voice your concern, but what could you even say? The tension in the air wound your vocal cords like tight knots with a string and you were too scared to unweave them.
The brief flicker of a violet hue immediately stilled your fiddling. The color was as vivid and deep as you remembered, so much so that your body couldn’t help but freeze.
There was no way he didn’t notice.
For a moment, the only sound you heard was the blood rushing through your ears as neither of you spoke a word.
Then, Jinwoo smiled. “I’ll go with you.”
“Ah—wait, um—“ You stuttered out a flood of incomprehensible blabber, quickly muted by the pattering of Jinwoo’s shoes as they trailed off in the direction you just came from.
Jinwoo turned after a few steps, eyelids slightly crinkled due to the corners of his lips being upturned. The way that his eyes were glazed over with a somber shade, the lines of his lips wavering from his strange smile, and his tight, restrained posture snipped the words of rejection off the tip of your tongue.
Oddly, your attention shifted to the floor. The sun was blaring strongly at the current hour, your shadow desperately clinging underneath you seeking respite from its isolation to other shadowy entities. You watched—in a state of shock and awe—as the shadow stretched its outline farther, almost as if extending an open hand, as Jinwoo crept closer to you. His silhouette looked animated as inky black pools excitedly swirled the closer it got. It was drawn to you—desperately trying to stay close to you—as if it was a planet orbiting the sun.
The gravity that must surround you enough to pull in an entity of the likes of possibly Jupiter—did it mean you were significant, someone that finally held power?
…Even then, would that be a good thing?
The sun’s gravity was strong enough to pull in other planets to its orbit, and they would remain there for however long the sun remained. If the sun moved, the planets moved with it.
The sun was significant, so the sun was trapped.
…Could the sun ever defy its fate?
Gray eyes pierced like needles into your skin.
“Shall we?”
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“Please use this to take care of yourself.”
You handed a woman a portion of your donations, watching as she carefully grasped the bread before hastily running off in the opposite direction.
You did not blame the woman since the oppressive presence behind you was beginning to give you a headache. You could say he was like a shadow that followed your movement, but that felt obvious.
In any case, he felt more like a parasite. He fed off any and all emotions you had and indulged as if it were a banquet and you were a feast—when you smiled after someone was vigorously thanking you, the atmosphere felt lighter. If you so much as frowned at someone’s words, the inky shadows that trailed his form flickered harshly.
He shared your actions, albeit more ferociously.
It was out of the question telling him to leave, so was it within the realm of possibility to tell Jinwoo to calm down?
Speak of the devil—he suddenly interrupted your thoughts.
“Would you care to enlighten me for a moment?” You perked up at Jinwoo’s words. He was smiling, albeit a bit more widely when your eyes met his.
“What are your thoughts about ‘wielding power’?”
A spontaneous question; something you were never normally asked. Sure, people ask what ability you would have if you awakened but they never asked about the concept. The wording was… off putting to say the least, but….
You pursed your lips. “Power is the gauge of potential. An individual can hold a certain level of power and thus exert that same level of authority over those without it.”
The Hunters Association and all guilds used a similar basis. Individuals had power, but what about combining power? There was a reason why the top guilds all held S-ranks and many A-ranks.
“When it comes to wielding power, I don’t think my opinion matters.”
“Well, I asked specifically for it, no?”
You shook your head. “That’s not what I mean. My opinion is that I have no opinion because it’s something I could never experience.”
Hunters? Awakening? If you had not seen the end of the world you wouldn’t have believed such nonsensical words. Your life was so awfully normal that dropping your phone on the floor was likely a weekly highlight for you.
“Wielding power… is something I’ve merely wished for. More precisely, I wish for the ability to protect.”
“The ability to protect…” Jinwoo echoed, pondering for a moment. Your eyes caught a glimpse of his eyebrow twitching, as if he had decided something. You wanted to inquire, but he looked incredibly deep in thought.
Eventually, you gathered the courage to speak.
“Jinwoo—“
“Excuse me?” A male voice spoke out from your side.
A boyish-looking male came into view and the first thing you noticed was his tattered clothing. His shoes were completely worn while his satchel was tearing apart at the seams. His clothes and face were marred with dirt and you felt your heart tug a little.
He looked exasperated.
You nodded quickly, pulling out bread and a bottle of water. You ignored the annoyed grunt from behind you.
The way the boy’s eyes lit up… it was a reminder of why you pushed so far. The loss of folks you cherished so deeply nearly tipped you over the edge. No matter how many times you begged the wind to guide you to at least a breathing sibling, or knelt down crying in front of the small cemetery that would never hold a single one of your family members—it would not bring them back. But, doing some good for others felt good. It reminded you of the days when they were still there—the small smiles plastered on grateful faces morphed into ones that resembled familiar, joyful expressions.
Familiarity was comforting in a world that was anything but.
What was not familiar, however, was the sudden warmth you felt allocating your entire body. Your wide eyes met his closed ones—he had shaky arms wrapped around you while murmuring multiple thank you’s. It was an uncommon occurrence for passerby’s to show this degree of gratitude, mostly because of fear. It took you a few seconds to realize he was hugging you, but when you did, you hugged back. Maybe it was because his hug felt like your parents were embracing you, or that he distinctly sounded like your younger cousin. Maybe it was out of pity. Nonetheless, you hugged him back and patted his shoulder.
“You’ll be okay,” You mumbled. You weren’t sure if it was to yourself or to the boy.
The boy pulled away, hesitating before saying, “Please thank the man that was with you for me.”
You raised a brow. ‘Was’? You turned around, seeking a figure that was no longer there. Your body shook a bit, hair on your arms standing. Where did he go?
You weren’t paying attention to where he fled, or whether he said anything or not. It wasn’t like him to suddenly walk out, at least, you thought so.
Maybe that was why your chest felt so light.
You waved farewell to the boy after a few more minutes of him bowing, watching him vanish among the cluster of trees. You couldn’t help but take another sweep around to make sure Jinwoo left. The numerous amount of times you’ve experienced him doing something unpredictable still did not quell the insurmountable dread racking over you.
Some time passed during your small scavenge to see where he had gone and you ultimately decided to return home at the sight of the darkening sky. The sounds of the night… on occasion there were the croaks of animals but, really, all that remained were the small insects the strong never worried about. The more you thought about it, you and the people you knew resembled those same insects. You all buzzed around as a population and prayed the predators didn’t bat an eye at the footprints left behind. The moment the noises got loud enough, the population would be wiped in an instant.
You readjusted your bag strap as you stepped over a tree root. The narrow path signaled you were getting closer to home. The familiar twisting of branches and rocks ensnared in crevices eased your spiraling mind. Leaves crunched under your foot with each step and eventually was matched by the sound of your breathing. This, too, was familiar.
You took another step. Crunch.
Then another step. Crunch.
Another step. Cr—
The crunching noise was subsided by a light splash-like sound. You took another step, not quite registering the sudden change, yet felt a sticky substance beneath your feet. You looked down, seeing splatters of a mysterious liquid littered around leaves. It looked like there was a trail, but even when you squinted your eyes you could not make out what the liquid was. You continued to walk, splatters turning into pools and your feet felt like it was moving through mud. The brisk fresh air that felt easy to breathe began to filter out as dread filled your lungs. The trees parted out around this point now, and the village was just in sight. The crimson gleamed grimly under the moonlight and you willed your shaking knees to not give out. You wanted to let out a sob but your throat tightened as the wind picked up. Leaves, some dyed with red, flew past you and all you could do was linger on the familiar flow of hair that sat atop an unmoving body surrounded by waves of blood.
You refused to move outside of the village.
The first few days, you stranded yourself inside your home. After finding the corpse, you immediately ran to the village chief and reported it. You were interrogated for a short while, but upon determining your innocence—the crime scene did not match how clean your clothes were—you were allowed to return home. The tread back did not stop you from listening to the whispers of curious crowds.
“He was stabbed a grand total of 30 times all around his body.”
“Really? I would’ve thought some sort of monster had slaughtered him, the way he was completely torn through…”
“He looks awfully young… This is truly a tragedy.”
“What caused this?”
“Does anyone know who this is?”
You shut the door, leaning your head down and bumping it harshly against the wooden door.
The familiar patch of hair covered in blood, cold amber eyes, and scarred boyish features kept you awake that night.
You did not tell the others that you had met him hours prior—had given him a portion of the donations you always carried with you. Perhaps it was so you could grieve by your lonesome, or so you wouldn’t have to face reality just yet.
You mourned the fact you didn’t even know his name.
For the first time ever, you refused to hand out donations. Instead, you helped around the village. Your guilt was eating away at you and you needed a distraction. You helped repair houses, organize food, and babysat children. Each job wore you down worse than the other, to the point where you would pass out in bed. You took nearly every job in the hopes of being kept away from… thinking.
It worked out for a while. You stopped thinking about the body, and you stopped thinking about Jinwoo.
Jinwoo. It was not difficult to put the pieces together.
He was despair incarnate—an accident waiting to happen.
It was high time you stopped fooling yourself that he would be anything less than ‘normal’.
You refused to fathom the ‘why’ and ‘how’. He was not someone you wanted to concern yourself with anymore. Each event that played out, odd occurrences, and anxiety attacks all linked to him.
To be around him… it was like reliving trauma from the day the world collapsed.
Each day away from him you continued living your past life of normalcy. You didn’t second guess actions of others, less nightmares, and you stopped paying attention to your shadow. There was a slight pull on your heart sometimes, one that resembled fear, and it motivated you go all the way for a fresh new start.
By the end of the week, you would move out. Based on the local nomads that come and go from your village, there was another shelter farther from here. It would be a long journey—not an easy feat—but you welcomed this as a new experience.
You were going to put everything behind you and live free. Your lost family, friends—maybe they would rest more easily knowing you finally stopped clinging to their memories.
You opened the closet door and looked into the mirror. Your face looked brighter and fuller. You smiled to the reflection, happy that for the first time in forever you were proud of yourself.
A heavy knock sounded at your door and you practically bounced over. It could be one of the parent’s wanting you to watch their children again; someone like May would want her daughter to get a proper goodbye.
An unfamiliar face greeted you at the door and you were taken aback by her petrified expression. Your smile dropped near instantaneously.
“T-The c-center… y-you…” The woman was quivering so much you thought she would fall.
You did not need to hear the rest of her words to start sprinting towards the village’s center.
The center had a good amount of space for larger-than-normal gatherings and meetings. Closest to the center housed the village’s chief, so any and all important duties always beelined to the center.
Certainly there was not a special meeting today, otherwise you would’ve heard about it. A surprise occasion, perhaps?
You spotted a giant cluster of people swarming the center. Roughly speaking, nearly the entire village’s population was gathered outside with even the scavengers joining the party based off the number of familiar heads you saw. The large crowd of people made you more suspicious. This was definitely not normal. You could make out numerous terrified whispers beyond the turning heads and mouths behind their hands. It was only when you got closer that you realized this was not a normal gathering.
At the edges of the crowd and covered in a thick, deep black were multiple entities. They varied in form from large bears, elves, ants, and wolves to humanoid figures covered in armor. You would’ve assumed them to be beasts if not for their color and that they were not attacking the unarmed civilians they surrounded.
A gut-wrenching feeling was pooling. All of the village was gathered, there were beasts patrolling thought to be untamable, and you specifically were reached out to. Your house was a bit out of the way—it was the one closest to the edge and furthest from the center. It would make sense why you did not hear the commotion, but it did not make sense for you to be called on out of everyone else.
In a moment you made up your mind. The beasts were busy watching over the crowd so you took quiet steps to back away. It was better to make distance in case you needed a head start—something you wish you did when the portals opened and you were too awestruck to move.
There was growling heard from a wolf as a woman attempted to leave.
You took a few more steps back. If you reached a bit farther back you could block yourself with the bushes.
In any case, the situation looked dire enough for you to debate running to another village for help. The closest one was about a day or two’s worth of walking, it was a risk but what other option did you possibly have? All the people here were in danger, yet again, you were powerless. What a bitter feeling.
You took another step only to stop at the sound of groaning behind you.
You turned, nearly falling to the floor at the sight in front of you.
The figure was tall—tall enough that you had to turn your head up to see its head. Similar to its peers, it was completely encased in an inky black. Now that you could get a closer look, you also noticed dark clouds pooling around the entity, almost like a mist-like substance was protruding from it. It confirmed that whatever these… things were, they were not normal portal creatures. Your eyes trailed slowly from its darkened plates—was that armor?—to two white orbs. Its white eyes were staring holes into you, face hidden behind an armor helmet. You watched in horror as the plume atop its head waved, metal creaking as it bent its top half forward. You were expecting hostility; perhaps the being would usher you forcefully into the crowd or treat you as if you escaped. To your surprise, the head dipped—it went low enough for the white to disappear. The right hand of the knight was placed gently against the center of its chest and it kept its head down for a few moments. Was it… bowing?
You moved to sprint but the knight’s head shot up. It narrowed its eyes in a way that said ‘don’t’. The moment you saw the heavy sheathed sword strapped to its side you stopped. You felt your eye twitch as it waved its hand in the direction of the center, motioning for you to step forward first. You could clearly see, then, the other shadowy entities staring at you and how the armored knight perfectly stood atop your shadow. You were caught in the same trap as the others, the sinking feeling in your chest unyielding.
You reluctantly made your way towards the center. Following your steps behind you was the sound of metal grating and heavy thudding against the clear plain. No matter how many times you pinched yourself, the sight remained the same: large crowd and beasts. It reminded you so vividly of back then that you couldn’t stop the trembling in your legs. As you approached the crowd, their faces reflected your shaking: uneasy and fearful. Some shadows moved to part the crowd, allowing you an easier entryway towards the center. They mimicked what the knight from before did, all bowing in their own way.
You felt everyone staring and never before did you feel so anxious.
The sudden hushes from the crowd that swiftly turned into silence allowed you to hear the booming voices in the distance.
The familiar sinking of your heart stimulated the fully formulated sensation of fear—a new-found source of dread entirely because one of the booming voices you recognized.
“…This offer is beneficial to you, is it not?” A deep voice said, sending a tremor down your spine.
“It is a negotiation, not an offer,” Another voice said, “I am uncertain of your terms so I cannot comply.”
There was a long, drawn-out sigh. You peeked from behind the shoulder of a soldier in front of you, praying you wouldn’t be noticed.
Jinwoo ran a hand through his messy dark hair, eyes practically glowering at the village chief. The leader of the community—the one who allocates and organizes everyone’s resources while ensuring safety—is known as the village chief. For the minor semblance to how past society lived, they were elected periodically by the community. You talked to him recently about the body, but… why was he talking to Jinwoo?
Wait, why was Jinwoo even here?
“Well, it doesn’t matter. I only asked for your permission out of convenience.”
“After all, the person I was waiting for is finally here.”
You cowered behind the soldier, watching as his eyes raked through the entire crowd until stopping on you.
“Isn’t that right, Y/N? Come out now.” He was beckoning you forward with his hand, index finger wagging at you as if trying to cage a scared puppy.
Jinwoo, of the attire you’ve seen him in previously, was wearing something different. Instead of slightly ragged clothes he was wearing a long black coat with silver engravings around the shoulder and wrists. He wore a clean white shirt underneath along with black pants and formal black shoes—the outfit would’ve screamed ‘money’ to you if there was such things as designer still.
He was befitting to be someone of high society, in fact.
Your eyes met with the village chief and it seemed he immediately understood the situation. He was mouthing ‘no’ at you, trying to deter you—this was enough to keep your feet planted.
You remained still. Soon enough, you felt something spike in the air, the shadows beneath his coat tail flicking wildly at your impertinence. The entities surrounding the crowd grew restless, with the shadow-being you were hiding behind shaking. Jinwoo was staring bullets into you, even behind the soldier, and the shadows were as well.
“Move.” Jinwoo flicked his wrist towards the soldier and it immediately crumbled into a dark cloudy mist. The essence then moved back towards Jinwoo’s shadow, becoming absorbed into his outline.
Petrified, you stood still. A lot of things started to click as you began to realize what Jinwoo’s true power was. The way his shadow never stood still or how your own never acted quite right… it made sense.
Now you were staring at him and he was staring at you. Jinwoo gave you a slight wave.
He smiled. “I missed you.”
You were too scared to open your mouth with how tight your throat was.
Jinwoo turned to the tall knight next to you. “Good work, Igris. Now—“
The knight nodded his head, white eyes still watching you.
“—I’d like to discuss our future.” There was a glow emitting from Jinwoo’s eyes, light shining on his violet pupils.
He held out his hand, tapping the right palm of the hand using his left index finger. “From now on, the people living here will act under me.”
What? What did he say?
“I reject!” The village chief roared. “For someone like you to show up like this…”
“Quiet.” Jinwoo held a finger to his lips, purple eyes violently flashing.
“I wasn’t talking to you.”
He turned towards you. “I will protect all that live here.”
Jinwoo licked his lips. “In return, Y/N, you will be my betrothed.”
No. No, no, no, no.
No.
After all that has happened, maybe it was because of him. Just him. He single-handedly ruined the remaining good parts of your life and for what? To be some selfish bastard?
No. No way.
“What the fuck are you talking about, Jinwoo?” You shouted, holding back tears. No wonder his behavior was so goddamn psychotic—he wanted you to be his lover?
“I barely know who the hell you are, and what you’re doing right now is absurd. Just who are you?”
Jinwoo tilted his head. “Do you really not know?” He tapped a finger against his cheek.
“Have you heard of the Monarchs?”
Monarchs? Did he mean the Monarchs of Calamity?
Although you experienced the end of the world, you were unfamiliar concerning its origin. There were multiple theories that were shared with you, such as planned gate-opening or that multiple outbreaks occurred simultaneously due to probability. A leading theory was that there were beings, named Monarchs, who acted as divinity because they possessed power that rivaled gods. Even when the S-rank hunters of other countries joined forces, they were unable to be on equal footing with the Monarchs. These Monarchs, for an unbeknownst reason, released an unnatural calamity upon the world—hence the name ‘Monarchs of Calamity.’ You never pondered this theory—why would you want to reflect on the idea that a disaster was intentionally brought upon you? The fact that it was brought up means…
“…Are you a Monarch?” You asked, eyes flashing towards the darkened knight he called ‘Igris.’
“I am the Monarch of Shadows.” Jinwoo sneered at the title, the corner of his lips momentarily quirking upward as he watched despair flash over the village chief’s face.
It seemed Jinwoo did not like your own befallen expression, though.
“It’s of interest to you because that means I am also the leader of Monarchs.” You curled your right fist, squeezing your nails as hard as you could against the palm of your hand.
“In terms of protection, I am the best there is.” Jinwoo continued, waving towards his army—monstrosities that have already conquered countless civilizations within a blink of an eye.
“The people you love now… I can take care of them. All you have to do is say yes.”
You looked back towards the crowd. They were still anxious and afraid. The familiar faces you saw, the children, the families… this was cruel. If you said no, would he—
“Do you remember the conversation we had the other day, about power?” Jinwoo asked suddenly. The way his eyes were watching you so intently, that he was eagerly awaiting your responses frightened you more than anything. You saw him flick his wrists, pulling out something from within his shadow. There was a gleam of red and immediately you let out a scream for him to stop but it was far too late.
There was a loud thud next to you and you nearly vomited.
“Your wish to obtain power… I can grant it, so long as you become my Queen.”
There, lying on the ground next to you, was the unmoving body of the village chief. The one who attempted to protect this little community to the very end, who tried to shield you despite the circumstances, and stood up to a Monarch despite not wielding power himself. There was a large, red dagger driven deep into his chest. As his blood pooled out onto the floor, the screaming began. Men shouted and roared out of fear and anger, some women screamed while others covered the childrens’ eyes. The dagger currently lodged in his chest made you blink once, then twice.
You gasped suddenly, your mind flashing back to the corpse of the boy who was overly cheerful—the image of the deep slash marks, riddled with slashes that tore out skin from bone churned through your head.
“You… the boy—it was you, wasn’t it?” You choked out, reaching for the village chief.
“He overstepped, by touching what is mine,” Jinwoo hissed, expression smoldering and hair bristling. “It’s unforgivable.”
The shadows were shrieking now, trying to tame the crowd while their Monarch was simmering. He was about to burst, but you were already on the edge. You were so overwhelmed, so tired of him and whatever despair he brought with him, that you started letting go.
“You’re a monster. A cruel, unruly, disgusting monster.” You sharply emphasized every word, hoping it stabbed as deep as he did to those innocent people. “I will never agree to your dogshit proposal.”
The yelling of the crowd began turning into shattering shrieks and now everything was unraveling to be a slaughter. There were brave people who fought and those who fled. Those who were caught began to follow the village chief. The sound of constant thudding flooded your mind but all you could simply do was tearfully stare at the corpses.
It was like the end of the world all over again.
Jinwoo held a firm hand against his face, a purple eye peeking through his fingers to peer at you.
“I still have yet to understand you. Death is such an easy thing yet you act like it’s your first time witnessing it everytime…” Jinwoo softly gritted his teeth.
“However, if death is the only issue, then it’s fixable.” Jinwoo raised a hand towards the village chief, the shadowy cloud quickly enveloping the corpse.
“Arise.”
Everything happened so quickly that you were nearly convinced you had blacked out. From the corpse that remained on the now bloody floor rose a new shadowy figure. This time, it was in the very shape of the man who you saw killed just moments ago. In fact, multiple other figures emerged from unmoving bodies that sat on the ground. Each face was a face that you recognized as people you interacted with daily. They were familiar, yet not at the same time—their faces were dull, expressionless, as if they became puppets and were waiting for the master to pull the strings.
“Queen,” The village chief spoke next to you and you stepped back out of alarm. “You are the Queen.”
“Queen,” The crowd repeated in unison. “You are the Queen.”
Stop.
Queen. It was like standing in an echo chamber.
You are the Queen. Was he this heartless?
Queen. You are the Queen.
“Stop,” You whispered.
Queen. Some children were repeating it too.
You. Are. The. Queen.
“Stop it!” You screamed, holding both hands against your ears as you finally let a sob rack over your body.
You heard footsteps approaching you, but you didn’t care. You just wanted it all to stop—everything. All the pain, the suffering, the memories. You were tired. Enough fighting, enough thinking—just, please, stop.
A warmth enveloped your body and you felt a hand gently uncover one side of your ear.
“I have waited so long for you, so accept me.” Jinwoo’s breath tickled your ear and you couldn’t help but shiver.
"Just as you belong to me, I belong to you. Any item you want, I will give. Any person you dislike will vanish within an instant.”
If you want the stars in the sky, I will lay them at your feet. If you want to conquer the entire sky, it will all be yours."
“Just be mine.”
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themissinghand · 11 months ago
Text
Solo Leveling: Tease
Requested by: @666veiniklaas
Summary: In which Jinwoo likes every part of you, and he hates to share what’s his. 
Or, you finally take revenge on Jinwoo for teasing you a little too much. 
Pairing: Sung Jinwoo x M! Reader
Note: For some reason I lost your request in my inbox, but luckily I already started working on it in my drafts.
Anyways, not a bother at all! The cat drawing was so cute! Love how you showed my dark eye circles so accurately XD 
This inspired me to write a....sexier version of Jinwoo. Hope you enjoy it! 
Warnings: Some sexual tension and sensual touching, suggestive themes! Nothing beyond that, unless your imagination takes you there-
★・・・・・・★
Jinwoo is an asshole, and he knows because his boyfriend tells him too many times. 
“Hey (Y/N).” Jinwoo called out, before noticing you hunched over your laptop in his hoodie, that was clearly too big for you. He smirks before walking behind you and tapping you on the shoulder. 
“What? I’m in the middle of a game right now!” He leans down and lets his wet hair touch your skin. He feels you flinch before finally turning your attention to him.  
“Do you know where my boxers-” 
“What the f-it’s in the drawer!” Like a cat, Jinwoo watches his boyfriend malfunction (checking him out) with red cheeks, before screeching and dashing out of their shared bedroom. 
It’s adorable, seeing you throwing random items at him to cover himself up, or when you run away anytime you see him naked. 
But he knows you like what you see. Maybe, you’re just too shy or prideful to admit it. 
(Jinwoo knows it, after all, he remembers you giving ideas to his Shadow Soldiers when building sculptures of him in his Shadow Realm - he’ll never let you live that down)
You’re like a cat. 
A cat thief that likes to steal his hoodies, and wear comfy clothes. Jinwoo didn’t mind it, after all, everytime he hugged you, he felt like he was hugging a big marshmallow cat.  
Sometimes, Jinwoo would come by and scoop you up in princess carry, and like a cat, you would fight him and try to get out. But that never works, as Jinwoo was a S-Class hunter for God’s sake! 
“Beru! Help me!” You cried for Beru, who sheepishly looked back and forth between Jinwoo and you. But could only disappear in Jinwoo’s shadow when His Liege gave him a “I dare you” look. 
In the end, his kitty would give up and grumpily cuddle in his arms until Jinwoo decided to let him go. 
It’s fun teasing you and watching you run away from him. It’s also a great way to get your attention. 
For example, Jinwoo found a great way to wake you up. 
“Jinwoo…? What time is it?” Jinwoo watches his little kitty do a little stretch in his arms, clearly not awake yet. 
“It’s time to get up.” He pressed a kiss to your palms, before cheekily bringing your hand to his bare chest. 
“Wha-” In the next second, you broke out of his hold and slammed your back to the wall. 
“Like what you see?” Jinwoo leans on his arm, purposefully showing off his toned body, but by then you were already out of the room and screaming profanities at him. 
“I swear to God Jinwoo! I will get back at you for this!” 
Jinwoo laughed as he saw his marshmallow cat angrily stomp to the bathroom. 
“Oh yea? I like to see you try!” 
Jinwoo regrets challenging you. 
It was like any other day in the Shadow Realm, Jinwoo was training with his Shadow Soldiers until he heard a call from Beru.
“My Liege! His Highness is-” Without another moment of hesitation, Jinwoo teleported back to his house and worriedly rushed to the bedroom where Beru was at. 
“(Y/N)! Are you okay-” Jinwoo froze when he saw your figure. His oversized hoodie no longer to be seen. 
“Oh hey Jinwoo.”
Your quiet seductive voice sent a wave through him and Jinwoo even let Beru quickly slip away despite being part of the whole farce. But Jinwoo couldn’t be angry at you, as he was too smitten with your appearance. 
His shadows' excited clammer was ignored. 
A slim fitted black top with fishnet sleeves and matching black tights. Your collarbone, flat stomach, and even hip bone was exposed, making him unconsciously gulp. 
The fabric was almost transparent, as if teasing Jinwoo and letting his imagination to go wild. 
You looked so good right now, and Jinwoo feels himself slowly losing control-
“I’m going out.” 
“Where? Looking like that?” Jinwoo flinched when he felt that he sounded a little too aggressive, but he really can’t let anyone see you looking so good. 
You had the audacity to look confused. 
“Nightclub, Liu Zhigang invited me out.” A cheeky little smirk rose to your lips before playing with the collar on your neck. 
“How do I look?” 
In the next moment, you were swept off your feet and slammed onto the bed, but this time, you weren’t backing off. 
“(Y/N), is this what you mean by getting back at me?” 
“I don’t know what you mean-” Jinwoo dived for the side of your neck and felt you squirm. 
“‘Cause it working. Your plan.” Inhaling deeply, Jinwoo feels dizzy, did you even put on cologne?
Even though he knows that this was all part of your plan to get back at him for teasing you so often, the fact that you mentioned another man’s name makes him mad. 
What if you actually did it for someone else? 
Just imagining you with Liu Zhigang and other men-
“Hey Jinwoo, calm down-” 
“Do you know what you’re doing to me?”
Jinwoo pressed a couple of kisses to your neck, and then left a trail of marks down to your shoulders. He peaks up, seeing your face bright red, but looking directly at him. 
Even more surprising, Jinwoo felt your fingers in his hair, before cupping his face and kissing him.
“I know.” You licked your lips, and tugged on your top, revealing more skin. 
“So hurry up and take me, My Liege.” 
That was all you had to say to make him lose control, and devour.
Let’s just say that the shadows smartly decided to not interfere and watch the premise far, far away from the bedroom. 
Beru on the other hand was just happy that he wasn’t the one being peppered with kisses this time.
The next morning was a mess. Jinwoo went back to being an asshole, not because he wanted to tease you, but also because he didn’t mind being an asshole for you to dress up like that again.
Also, Jinwoo eventually figured out that it was not just Beru in this, but Bellion and Igris too. Apparently, it was their chance to show off their knowledge of their master’s preferences, and also give you some armour…though Jinwoo doubts you would wear it ever again. 
Not if he had anything to say to that though.
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