#dark sung jinwoo

[envy-of-the-apple]

Pass it Forward

Dark!Sung Jin-woo x reader

Synopsis: You gain a new client. Even though you're sure you've never met him in your life, he feels familiar

note: commissioned by a very lovely anon. ty so so much for being patient!!!!!

Word Count: 5.4k

(Warnings: implied kidnapping, implied drugging, stalking, violence)

You never wanted to be a hunter. 

Fighting magic beasts, doing raids, getting caught in red gates was all too much for your liking. Even if you did have an awakening, you doubt you’d go get tested. Besides, you weren’t a fan of hunters to begin with. You found most egotistical, violent. The higher-ranking ones especially thought they were above the law and above social order. You weren’t a fan of hunters. 

It’s a shame that your job revolves around them. 

Dungeons have created multiple industries. You may never get to explore one, but admiring the multiple finds hunters bring in is more than enough for you. 

It’s nothing more than a glorified appraisal shop. Still, you enjoy your job, because you’re introduced to finds no one has ever seen before. The store is a little on the higher-end, so your customers are mostly B and low tier A-ranked hunters, each looking to see what their finds are worth. 

It’s a nice job, the pay is wonderful, and if you can look past working with hunters directly, it’s not all that bad. 

There’s a tap on your desk. You glance up. 

She gives you a grin. 

“We got five new swords.” 

“Five new swords?” you repeat, staring back at your desk. “Amazing.” 

She scoffs. 

“C’mon be more excited!” Your co-worker whines. “It’s four more than my last haul.” 

“I am.” You assure, “Honestly! What grade were they?” 

“Bronze, mostly.” She deflates. “But they were all from a B-rank dungeon.” 

“A B rank dungeon.” You repeat. She frowns. You send her an apologetic smile. 

“Ignore my tone. I’m just exhausted. That’s amazing.” 

“Don’t bother, no one gets impressed when they have your numbers.” She sighs before immediately perking up. “Before I forget: your special customer’s waiting for you.” 

You roll your eyes, but you’re getting up from your seat. 

“Stop making it sound dirty.” 

“I’m not!” She argues, but there’s a grin on her face that follows you as you step out of the room and into the gallery. 

The gallery is breathtaking, as always. Most of the displays are the ones you set up. You can’t help but admire them as you pass through rows of gauntlets and knives and crystals. It’s your work and your pride. 

He’s in the same spot as always. You spot his blue hoodie a mile away, face always covered by a mask. The routine is the same as last time. You press a smile onto your face, stopping right behind the glass case. 

“Hello.” You say politely. “How are you doing?” 

As always, there’s no response. Instead, he’s placing a tiny sack onto the glass. Usually, he’s hauling around bigger items. His dungeon raid must not have gone too well this time. 

You peek into the sack. 

Two purple essence stones stare back at you. 

It’s only customary to bring out the loupe, to check the weight, the density. You already know these are S-rank essence stones. You’ve only admired these from behind the glass, but to actually touch and inspect one? It’s almost too much. 

“Okay,” you breathe, placing down the last crystal. “Each one is about 2.5 million won. Would 5.5 million be enough to part with these?” 

Unlike the other hunters, he doesn’t negotiate or groan or boast. He gives a tiny nod, so subtle you had to actively look at his face. 

Not like you could considering it’s buried in that mask. One of your most tolerable customers, and yet you barely even see his face. The only thing you can see of him are those eyes. It’s a familiar kind of blue. His eyes remind you of a hunter you once knew. 

“Great.” You pull away with a smile. “Please wait for me to get my manager.” 

It’s only ten minutes later when your manager is cheerfully sending the hunter away, still clutching the stones in his hands. 

“Everytime,” he sighs, and you watch the hunter’s disappearing back. “I don’t know how you do it, but keep it up.” He pats your shoulder. 

You smile, but you don’t know why this hunter keeps visiting this store, especially when he has such high-end items. You don’t know why he insists on working with you and only you. You don’t know why he hides his face, barely even looking at you. 

He’s an odd one, but which hunter isn’t?

On your off days, you visit the outdoor mall that’s just outside of the city. 

It’s a cute place. During hot summer days, they have free snow cones and ice cream, sales are almost always plentiful. You can spend hours milling around, walking from shop to shop, only to end up with nothing. 

You don’t mind it. It’s fun to waste your time on nothing. You let your mind wander from shop to shop, stopping to pick up trinkets and Knick-knacks, only to place them down when they’re far too expensive. 

One booth catches your eye. A lady with a practiced customer-service smile sits right behind it. 

Awakened? Take the free hunter’s exam to find out!

They’ve even taken malls now, hm? 

Hunter’s have completely overtaken culture. They’re everywhere: in media, podcasts, celebrities, actors, singers. Even D-list hunters are famous. They are completely untouchable by both the law and the public. 

When will people finally realize that’s a bad thing? 

There’s a scream. 

You barely turn around before you see the truck. It’s wobbly, unbalanced. The driver had clearly lost control, he’s wildly honking in his panic, you can see his pale and horrified face, barely obscured by the dirty glass. 

The truck is headed straight towards you. 

You try to move. You can’t. You’re frozen. Your feet have planted themselves on the ground, too stubborn to run. Fight or flight, most ask. What would you do? 

The answer is clear, now. Freeze. 

You blink, and suddenly, you’re not on the road anymore. The sounds of panic feel more distant. 

You moved?  Teleported? 

There’s a hand on your back, steadying you. You catch a glimpse of a blue hoodie. 

He’s not wearing his mask this time. 

“Youー” You barely have time to think before he’s gone, jumping back into the fray. You’re left on the side of the building, watching as everyone else picks themselves up. 

When you look down, your bag has fallen. 

You never even got a chance to thank him. 

Usually, the appraisal shop closes along with the usual work hours. Today, your boss had closed a big deal with a favored investor, and as a ‘valued’ employee, you had to stay behind. 

By the time you were freed to go home, it was already dark. 

You clutch your jacket closer towards your body, but it does nothing to stop your shivers. You can still remember the way that A-rank hunter looked at you. He never did anything. Never touched you, barely even spoke to you. 

He just stared with those beady black eyes. When you met his gaze for too long, his mouth would spread into this sick smile that made you want to slink behind your oblivious boss. 

It was horrible, you were just glad you got out when you could. 

All hunters were egotistical assholes. 

…Okay, you were being mean. Not all of them were horrible. You know a couple of C-rank healers who were the sweetest pair of girls you’ve ever met. There was also that D-rank kid who just started out and was already filled with so much motivation and charisma. 

That one nameless hunter wasn’t all that bad. 

You almost miss your step, narrowly avoiding stepping into a giant puddle as you think about that nameless hunter with the blue hoodie and the white mask. Blue eyes. You remember he had blue eyes. 

Almost silver. 

Pretty. 

He never once gloated over his rank, now that you thought about it, you didn’t even know his rank. It had to be high. B maybe even A? He looked strong, the kind that carried his strength with his silence. 

Also, he’d saved you. You can still remember the pulsing in your heart as the vehicle slowly careened it’s way to you, showing no signs of stopping, and you just stood there, stupid, idiotic, frozen. You’d be badly injured, or worse, if he hadn’t saved you. 

Not all hunters are bad. 

At least, he wasn’t bad. 

Just then, it started drizzling. 

“Unbelievable,” you muttered, feeling the droplets hit your head, as you clumsily pulled over your jacket’s hood. You know there’d be a slight chance of rain today, yet you hadn’t brought an umbrella. You assumed that you’d be home before the storm. 

You fiddle with your jacket a little more, unaware that you were the only person on the street. Usually, you’d be more aware of your surroundings, not so distant, thoughtful. 

You don’t notice him until he grabs your arm. 

You open your mouth, intent on screaming, but he’s faster, shirking a hand across your mouth to hush you into a pitiful whimper. You kick. It does nothing. He’s so much larger than you, pushing you forward until you’re trapped between him and the wall. 

Panic, you can feel it clawing up your throat, into your chest. You can feel his hot breath into your ear, a rasp of a laugh. 

“Shut up,” he snaps, impatient, angered and you can feel your heart sink even faster. “Wallet. Now.” 

He loosens his grip on your arm, just a bit. When you flinch, he squeezes down even tighter. You wince. 

“No funny business.” He demands. “Just reach into your pocket, nice n’ easy and—“ 

He releases his grip. Silent. 

You stay there, facing the wall, eyes shut and shaking for what feels like hours. 

Nothing happens. 

Slowly, you blink your eyes open. You look to the left, then to the right. 

The entire street is empty. 

You don’t think. You don’t care what happened. You don’t care that it might be a trap. You just run. You race down the street, past the flickering lamps, running up your apartment stairwell. You don’t stop until you reach your apartment, shoving your keys into the slot and slamming the door closed. 

When you’re sure you’re alone, when the only company you have is your rapid heartbeat, you sink down into your carpet and finally let yourself have a sob of relief. 

Hours later, when you’re calmer, showered, warmer, tucked into your blankets and a good book, you’d think back to that incident as well as your assailants strange disappearance. Everything about that interaction was so odd. 

Also, this may just be because of the panic, but you could have sworn your shadows were longer in the flickering lamplights. 

You only see him again a month after the vehicle incident. 

Your customer is in the same spot as always, right in the corner, always silently waiting for you to acknowledge him. He’s dressed differently this time. Instead of that iconic blue hoodie, he’s switched to a long black cloak. The only thing that remains of him was that stubborn mask that always kept him anonymous. 

Before you can say anything, he’s already dropping his latest findings onto the table. The sack makes you recalibrate. Buffer. 

You forget your words, silently reaching forward, aware of his eyes watching you the entire while. 

You take the chance, just then, meeting his gaze. Silver clashes onto yours. They remind of you a weapon, a sword, a dagger. Dangerous. 

You look back down again, staring at the treasure he brought you. 

This time, he’d brought weapons and mana crystals. A ton of mana crystals. You immediately total it in your head, the numbers getting higher and higher. After putting the crystals in their designated piles, you start on the weapons. The smallest of the weapons is a tiny blade. It’s featherlight, you can barely feel it. 

“Careful. It’s sharp.” 

He’s never spoken before. You jump at his voice. Deep, quiet. It suits him. 

You offer a tiny smile; it flutters on your mouth. 

“I will.” You give. 

You place it aside, tallying the total before reaching for the second smallest. An arrowhead with a tinted yellow metal. You balance it on your fingers, watching as a tiny drop of liquid balances along the arrow’s edge—poison. That would easily up the price for this. 

“Thank you, by the way.” You start, still not looking at him. “For saving me, that day.” 

As predicted, he’s silent, still as a statue. It’s more of a quirk than a flaw at this point. Out the corner of your eye, you swore you saw him stiffen, just the tiniest bit so you know he heard you. 

Eventually, you finish tallying up the worth of each item, handing him the total. He examines the price, and when he deems it acceptable, he gives a slight nod. You pack away the mana crystals and the weapons, promising yourself you’d put the weapons in that open part of the gallery you’d always wanted to fill. You doubt your boss would mind you taking the space—especially since you’ve snagged such rare items. 

You wait for him to accept the money and walk off. He reaches over the table, fingers itching to grab the packet. 

Then, he hesitates. 

“You get into a lot of trouble.” He suddenly says. 

It’s not an invitation for conversation. It’s a fact. The sun is yellow. The trees are green. Your eyes drift up to meet his. 

That same familiar blue. 

You think he’s talking about the day he saved you on the street, but somehow, you feel like he knows about the mugger incident. How? Was he there? Was he watching you— 

He takes the packet, slipping it into his cloak and turns away. You watch him until the doors shut behind him. 

You’re blinking, and then you’re laughing. No way, you’re overthinking this way too much. Of course he didn’t know. He was just worried, like any normal person would. You needed to stop seeing the worst in people. 

You ignore your shadows, the way they jumped when he was near. It was almost like they wanted to follow him out the door. 

Once again, your boss asked you to work in the back. 

You don’t mind the job, with rent reaching sky high prices, you know you needed it. You just wished he’d give you more of a heads up when he told you about the amount of work you’d have to do. You highly doubt you’d be able to organize all the dungeon artifacts in a few hours. 

At least, he was nice enough to give you a helper. 

“What is this?” Your co-worker asks. She’s one of the newer ones, hired just last month, so she’s less of a competent independent worker bee and more of a baby you have to keep your eyes on. It didn’t really matter if she wasn’t the brightest crayon in the box, you needed extra hands. 

You look up, spotting her messing with a grade-A trinket. 

“I wouldn’t touch that if I were you.” You say, glancing back down to your own pile. “The last person who did disappeared.” 

“What?” She drops it back in the pile, her voice is pitchy. 

Your mouth curls into a smile. 

“Kidding kidding.” You tell her. “But, seriously, grab the gloves over there before you start handling things. Most times, the hunters take care of runes and poisons, but they might miss something every one in a while.” 

She nods, the color returning to her face, before strapping on the gloves. Again, not the brightest crayon, but at least she’s a good listener. You can work with that. 

Above you two, the TV is running. Typically, you’d like to work in silence, maybe a podcast running if your boss allows it. However, the newbie insisted on playing the news, claiming there’s a new S-rank hunter that’s being revealed tonight. You heard about that. Although you were also curious, you felt it was a bit too soon for yet another S-rank to be announced. Wasn’t the last one unveiled just under a year ago? 

“I’m excited!” She pipes up with little prompting. “It’d be nice to see people excited for once, instead of upset of all the gates forming. At the same time, they are kinda’ getting to be a hassle. One popped up on my way from work, two weeks ago. It took me three hours to get home and I live thirty minutes away. Oh, and this other time, my boyfriend got stuck in a subway because a gate had formed right on the tracks. Can you believe that? Honestly, I—“ You hum along, half-listening to her ramblings as you find your eyes drifting to the screen. 

It was one of those old-fashioned TVs, the ones that were getting more and more outdated with every passing year. The images were grainy, a bit hard to focus on until you squinted your eyes a bit. 

Movement caught your eye. The camera was pointing right at the entrance of the Hunter’s Guild. The speakers were quieter than you’d liked, but you could hear the excited murmurings as the reporters talked to themselves of the newest S-rank hunter being revealed. 

Even your colleague had quieted down, just in time to watch as the doors swung open. 

You recognized him immediately.

For the first time, he wasn’t wearing that mask. His eyes were staring straight at the camera, his hands were up, his mouth was open. He was surprised. It was the first time you’d ever seen emotion on his face. 

It’s a little funny: Remembering that a human being is human. 

Cameras and lights flashed at him. He winced, backing away as people shouted ‘Sung Jin-woo!’ ‘Sung Jin-woo over here!’ ‘Sung Jin-woo have you already chosen a guild yet?’ ‘Sung Jin-woo are you—‘ 

“He looks like a model!” Your colleague gasped. “Was he in a movie or something? He seems a little familiar.” 

You shrug, turning back to your work. Strangely, you weren’t too surprised that he was the S-rank everyone was frothing over the mouth for. He’d always struck you as odd, out of place, otherworldly. 

Now, that you thought about it, you felt like you’ve heard his name before.  

After his reveal, he doesn’t show up at your shop anymore. 

He doesn’t need to. S-ranks have their own private tradesmen that give them better deals and ever greater packages. Those days of silently looking over the artifacts and essence stones he suspiciously hauls over your desk were long gone. 

He’s famous now. Everyone knows Sung Jin-woo, the 10th Korean S-rank hunter. You don’t tell anyone he used to come to the shop, looking to sell his items. Firstly, you don’t think anyone would believe you. Secondly, it felt like your way of repaying him; he seemed like a pretty secretive guy. 

Thirdly, it was like a secret for you: personally catering to an S-rank hunter was an honour. Despite how badly you think of hunters, the sheer magnitude of what an S-rank hunter is, is enough to even bowel you over. 

Despite having not seeing him for months, you still see his existence all over your screen. The ant raid, the numerous dangerous gates popping up left and right, red gates, double dungeons. He’s been everywhere, doing everything. 

He’s there, but he’s far away. Always in the back of your mind. A distant memory. You forget to pay attention to him, and eventually, he disappears. 

Hunters are a weird group of people. 

The D ranks are the most tolerable. They’re the most humble, down to Earth. They treat it like a job: just go in and out. C ranks are a little full of themselves, but they mostly leave people alone. High and mighty, think they’re on top of the world. B ranks are the same, but most have the skills to back it up. 

Anyone higher than that…those are typically the problems. 

“What’doya’ mean it’s only worth 150 million?” The hunter demands. 

A-rank. You can tell from the quality of his armour. Also, from his demeanor, the way he eyes you like a pest. The way he knows that if he crushes you right now, he’d get away with it. 

“I’m sorry, sir,” You say as softly as you can, “but I’m just repeating store policy. These essence stones are–” 

“Bullshit.” He hisses, the gaps of his teeth clench into nothing. “I worked my ass off for this haul, and all I get for it is 150 million? What, so you can just gimme a shitty deal and I’m supposed just to accept it, Bitch?” 

You knew nothing you would do would calm him down. Hunters are volatile creatures. They spend their days in caves, holed away from the rest of the world, fighting monsters beyond humane comprehension, and when they come home, society is expected to treat them like humans? 

What kind of humans would willingly do that kind of work? 

No, they were monsters. Just like the monsters they shred apart for jewels and crystals. 

You don’t negotiate with animals. 

It’s why you know there’s nothing you can do to prevent this from growing violent. Just by his look, you could tell he wasn’t even mad at you specifically. He was just walking around, waiting for someone to give him the tiniest reason. 

And then, you fell into his trap. 

Your manager was nowhere to be found. Your co-workers were all in the back, cowering from the yelling you know they can hear. No one is going to save you. You can’t even blame them. You’d do the same thing if you could. 

He raises his fist, ready to strike. You can see his power, fire sparks in his fingers. 

And then, something blue barrels into him. 

It’s a flash, you barely catch it before it zips from behind you and launches at the man. He and the thing are both sent crashing into the back, smashing into the display sets. 

It’s a bear. But it’s larger, almost looks like a hologram, even though you know it’s real. It’s pinning the man to the ground with force. You could feel it as it flew past you. 

The bear roars. It’s loud enough that it rings your ears. You cover your ears, keeping your eyes open as you watch the man kick the bear off of him, scrambling to his feet. 

“What the fuck!” He yells, staring at you with a deadly glare. “Are–are you some kinda’ summoner? Who the fuck are you?” 

This wasn’t your doing, though. You couldn’t summon. You weren’t a hunter. When you look around, the shop is empty. By then, everyone had fled. There was no one close enough that was controlling this creature. 

Which meant, whoever did that had the power to control beings far away….what kind of power was that? 

“Who cares.” He spits in your direction. It lands by your feet. “It’s just a B-rank. I’m gonna rip your precious pet apart. And then, I’m comin’ after you.” 

It didn’t matter. None of this mattered. You had to go. Earlier, this man just wanted to scare you a little. Now, it’s clear he wants to kill you. 

Your legs scramble across the floor. Your heart is thudding loudly in your chest, and you can barely hear the sounds from the fight. There’s more growling, there’s a spark of pain in your leg. You feel hands, the ghost of fingers trailing over your jacket, your clothes, about to pull you back into the fray. 

And then, everything’s gone. 

The silence happens all too quickly. You don’t realize it until you’re pushing past the glass doors when you slip and cling onto the railing. You expect to feel scorching heat from the A-rank’s hands–the unbelievable power from a man who foolishly thinks he is God.

Instead, you feel nothing but a freezing, calming chill. 

The shop is in total disarray. Dungeon loot worth thousands and thousands were scattered around like measly trinkets. The only things that were kept safe were the precious armor, each cemented into glass by a powerful rune. The bear was gone, the A-rank was unmoving on the ground, face-first into cracked cement. 

Like a Monarch of destruction, he looms right in the center of it. 

He’s turned away from you, but you know it’s him. You can recognize his features even from miles away. Sung Jin-woo is leaning over the body, once a monolith of destruction, now just as mortal as you are, inspecting it. You don’t have to see what happened to put the pieces together.

Slowly, things start to come back to life. The police are there in just a few moments. You can see the blue and red sirens flicker from the windows. A paramedic checks up on you a little while later, and you understand why you tripped. Sometime, during the scuffle, something had cut your knee. The pain didn’t set in until after the moment faded, when your breathing was starting to calm down, when you started to feel like a person again. 

The paramedics tell you it’s a minor scratch, looks worse than it actually is. You try to pay attention to them, but you can. Words filter in and out like muck. Your eyes drift, trailing over to the cops and the other paramedics that were checking on the A-rank hunter. He’d only passed out, he wasn’t dead. 

Sung Jin-woo is gone, by the time the police take your statement and release you. You shouldn’t be surprised. He’s a man of few words, you’ve known that of him for months now. Still, your mind lingers on the man who saved your life for the second time, even after the police take your statement, even after you’re manager tells you that the shop will be closed until further notice, even after your remaining colleagues fret over you. 

You’re still thinking of him, even when you step out of your co-workers car, thanking her for the ride home as you hobble up the stairs to your apartment. 

It takes you a moment to realize he’s in your living room, lingering next to the bookshelf. 

You don’t scream, even when your heart is pounding in your chest. The door shuts and clicks behind you. He doesn’t move, doesn’t even acknowledge your presence. 

“Do you have a favorite genre?” Sung Jin-woo asks. 

You stop, torn between thanking him and asking how the hell he’d even gotten in. His nonchalance keeps you from doing either. 

“Yes.” You respond. You don’t say what your favorite genre is. He doesn’t pry any further. 

He sets the book down, carefully tucking it back into its original place. 

“Why are you here?” Your voice wavers, even when you’re not sure why. All logic points to that he’s harmless. You’ve known him for months. You’ve spoken to him. He’s saved your life multiple times. He’s a well-known hero. 

And yet, that strange feeling of offness comes back. Your shadow is reacting to him, jumping every time he moves. 

“How did you get in?” You try instead. Just like last time, there’s no answer. 

Sung Jin-woo finally looks up at you. You expect to see that familiar shade of blue. 

His eyes are different. 

Blue and silver and so cold. 

Like all the light is gone, snuffed from his being.

“You should sit,” he tells you, soft voice, impassive tone, “you’ve been through so much today, you shouldn’t stress yourself.” 

You can’t do anything but listen. Odd, this is your home, but he occupies the space as though he owns it. When you take your seat, sinking in the cushions, he doesn’t follow suit, preferring to stand over you. You can’t tell if it was to provide comfort or to intimidate you further. 

It’s barely a touch. One of his fingers lightly grazes your injured knee. Before you can flinch or even scream, gentle green light emits from your bandages. The aching and soreness fades. When the light is gone, you hesitantly lift the bandages up. Your skin is untouched, unscarred, not even a blemish. As though you’d never gotten hurt in the first place. 

“How–how did you–” Your voice is dry and scratchy. You look up at him, mute, filled with questions but no clear answer. 

There’s a twitch of a smile on his face. 

“You don’t remember me, do you?” He asks suddenly. No presumptive buildup. Everything with him is cut and dry. To the point. 

It’s why you can’t keep up with him. 

“What?” 

“It’s okay, if you don’t.” He tells you, ignoring your questions, moving on as always. “I was a little disappointed when you didn’t recognize me, but I’ve changed a lot since that day. I understand that now.” 

This was the most he’d ever talked, but you can’t pay attention to that feat. You’re still lagging behind him, trying to understand what he’s trying to say. 

“It’s also my fault.” He admits, the ghost of a smile growing a bit the more he talks. “I never formally reintroduced myself. Whenever I tried to, I always found myself backing out. I just wished I’d kept better care of that dagger you gave me. That way I could’ve given it back.” 

Dagger? It sounded familiar. You rack your brain over and over again, turning over every corner, every nook, every cranny until–

How did you not see it sooner?

“You.” Your words feel like sand, sticking in your throat. “You were that E-rank…” 

His smile widens ever so slightly as an answer. 

It was years ago, back when you were still so enamored with the idea of hunters being good-standing Samaritans. You were standing right next to the road, like most other pedestrians, waiting for the light to turn red. 

He was standing there too. You noticed him because of the bandages, one on his face, the other wrapped around his arm. His hair was hiding most of his face, you couldn’t see his features. 

You also noticed him because he was standing way too close to the road. 

It snapped him out of whatever fog he was in. He apologized profusely for disrupting you. You had laughed it off, thinking nothing of it. 

It was easy to figure out he was a hunter, it was even easier to figure out he was a weak hunter. You saw the bandages stretching over his face and hands and skin. The slight limp in his step. You remember there was a raid near the area earlier. 

Sometimes, your employer allowed you to bring some trinkets home. Loot that’s barely worth paper. That night, you’d snagged a dagger. Lower than e-rank, honestly. Probably would’ve only lasted a few more hits. Nothing more than a rusty kitchen knife. You were just planning on framing it. It’d be useless in your hands. Honestly, the more you looked at it, the more of an eyesore it became. 

It was thoughtless. Nothing, on your part. But the way his eyes widened when you handed it to him. He clutched it like it was the most precious thing to him. 

‘Thank you. Thank you so much. How—how can I ever repay you?’

 You remember the words, they were forever etched in your brain. 

“Do you remember what you said to me that day?” He asks, now in the present.

You blink, and you’re sitting back down on that couch, looking at the ghost of your past. Someone you didn’t even know was still alive. 

“I—“ your voice fails “I-just.” 

“You told me to pass it forward.” Sung Jin-woo finishes. “You told me to help someone who needed it next time. I just don’t think you realize that person was you.” 

Too much was going on. Your brain couldn’t keep up. However, you just knew this conversation was headed to a place you didn’t want it to. 

“I’ve kept tabs on you.” A confession, but there’s no guilt. “You keep getting into trouble, again and again. I’ve saved you countless times and I’m afraid that one day…” He trails off. 

He’s shaking his head. “No, no, I won’t let that happen. Not again.” 

You stand. You don’t think you should be below someone who’s looking at you like that. Like you’re: small, tiny, insignificant. 

But if you were in his shoes, you’d probably think the same. 

You can feel it in the air, now. Heavy, close to crushing you to dust. You’ve never once been face-to-face with an S-class hunter, until now. You finally understand why they were so heralded in society. 

Power, unrelenting power. 

And when you look into his cold, dead eyes, it’s all focused on you. 

You don’t understand. But you do. Enough. 

“I’m sorry.” He tells you, but it doesn’t sound sincere, not when it’s watered down by that look in his eyes. 

“But you need to be protected.” 

Something materializes in his hand. A glass bottle filled with something red. 

Your vision blurs, before blacking out completely. 

“I can do that.” 

[dark-night-hero]

Imagine being Sung Jinwo's significant other, who was with him through thick and thin. Someone who was very close to his family and would often fill in the gaps in his life and family.

Imagine doing your normal routine in the mornjng into to look into the calendar and saw today's date marked up with a note that says parent teacher conference causing you to blink, still sleepy. First of all, you've graduated high-school and is a worker and a part-time hunter. Second, you don't have a child let alone a sibling that's going to scho- oh!

"Sung Jinwo!" You scream as soon as he picked up the phone. You heard a groan and a bit of shuffling before you heard a deep husky voice on the phone "Hmmm? Morning." Followed by a chuckle. "Did you just woke up?" He asked causing you to roll your eyes. "No." You lied with a pout. He knew you very well. "You should get ready, Jin-Ah's parent teacher conference meeting is in three hours." "I know, thats why I called you. I thought you were still asleep." "Come on now darling, I'm not a sleepyhead like you." He laughs.

Imagine Jinwo who was on the other side of the phone, just woke up and is now making his way into the kitchen, chuckling as he listen to your rebut with a smitten look on his face, after all, there was nothing he would trade for as long as your voice is what greeted him as he wake up in the morning. "Shall I pick you up at your place so we could go in there together?" "Nah, your house route is completely on the opposite direction of mine. Let's just meet on the school grounds okay?" "Alright." He replied with a smile on his face. "Well then I need to get going now." "Alright, you do take your time to get ready." He tease

"I love you" You heard him say as you almost ended the call due to this teasing. "I love you too." You replied with a small smile on your face. "See you later babe" "I told you not to call-" "Love you! bye!" "Sung Jinwo you punk!" Although you said that with such annoyance, there was a hind of happiness in your eyes that you cannot deny.

Imagine silently waiting for him at the school gates, playing on your phone with some random blocks game when you heard a familiar step coming close causing you to look up only for your eyes to squint as you try to get a grip of reality if your boyfriend was actually the one jogging right in front of you right now.

"Hi." He said with a cheeky grin on his lips as you stare at him wide eyes. "You- your hair." You utter as you reach out and touch his undercut, causing a shiver down his spine as you do. "Yeah I though a little hair cut wouldn't be so bad, my hair was getting long. Why? Does it not look good-?" "No. No Jinwo. You're... beautiful." You utter with a soft smile and proceeded to mess up his hair. "Funny, we used to be by each others height but now you're taller than me." You whispered. "What was that?" "Nothing, let's get going, its almost time."

Imagine noticing the stare and murmurs that the two of you were receiving ever since the two of you have gotten inside the building and eventually to the room where the meeting is about to be held. And to be honest, you honestly cannot blame the students for gossiping and looking at your way because even Jian-Ah was surprised to see her brother's new look upon seeing him. But the way the young adult, one who seemed to be in the same age as you and your lover, probably the sisters of the other students looked at Jinwo that makes you sigh.

Imagine, it was easy to see the changes that was happening with Jinwo. His growth spurt, this strength and abilities were slowly catching everyone's attention. In comparison to the Jinwo you have grown up with, there was this feeling of confusion and anxiety of not being able to keep up with him. You know you should be glad that he was no longer the weak he once was but at the same time, there was this fear of being left behind by him. But you knew for a fact that he would not leave you behind, that's why you fear that you would rather become a burden for hi- "Ouch!"

"You're thinking of something stupid again." "You bas-! That hurts!" You complain as you clutch your forehead, glaring at your lover who was slurping his ramen without care. "You deserve it for thinking about something stupid." "I- I'm not thinking of something stupid." You utter, looking away from him, down into your ramyeon. It's not stupid for what you are thinking was a fact, a truth that hurts to admit.

Imagine the way he slowly reach out and touch your forehead, caressing the spot where he had flicked you earlier. "Sorry, does it hurt?" When he said that with such lovely look on his face, how could you not soften? "No, I was over reacting." You smile gentle at him and lean on his touch. "Still, I'm sorry." "It's alright Jinwo."

"Thank you for bring me home-" You were cut off with a pair of lips. Wide eye, you cannot help but to be taken a back by your lover's action. Nevertheless you soon melt into the kiss and kissed him back, even hooking your arms around his neck, pulling him closer. "Thank you for staying by my side all those years." He said as the two of you pull away from each other but still close enough that your foreheads where touching. "I love you and only you. There will be no one else, okay?" "Okay." You chuckle and hug him. Right there was no use in being scared when it was obvious whom he loves. "I love you too."

[ⓒdark-night-hero] 2025°

: I want to write an angst, not sure if Jinwo would be a fit or a blue lock or Genshin character would be a nice victim.

[heyimkana]

What if I say Husband!Jinwoo from Pillow Talk sounds like this in bed 😵‍💫

[bookished]

💎 sugar daddy!sung jinwoo

penthouse levels of luxury | daddy kink | possessive dominance | overstimulation + power dynamics

You’d been teasing him all evening at the charity gala — that damn dress, the one that clung to your curves just right, showing off your legs and making it impossible for him to keep his hands to himself. You were fully aware of it too, especially when you saw the way his gaze would flicker to your exposed skin when you laughed with other men, the faintest hint of jealousy darkening his usually calm demeanor.

But now, here you were, alone on the jet, the luxurious leather seats cradling you while the world outside blurred into nothing. The soft hum of the engine was the only thing you could hear besides his voice, smooth and commanding.

“You’ve been teasing me all night.” His voice is low, rougher than usual, and it sends a shiver through you. His eyes are dark behind those glasses, his suit jacket discarded, only his white shirt and tie left, both ruined after your little game of teasing.

You look up at him from your seat, knowing the kind of trouble you're about to get into. His eyes flicker to the lock on the door, ensuring privacy, before they move back to you with a dangerous smile. You shift under his gaze, crossing your legs, feeling the tension building.

“I couldn’t help it,” you murmur, voice soft and teasing. “You like the attention.”

He steps closer, the scent of expensive cologne wrapping around you as his hand lands on the armrest next to your head, trapping you between him and the seat.

“You’re right,” he says, leaning down until his breath is hot against your ear. “But you also like the punishment that comes with it.”

He’s toying with you now, his voice dripping with authority and something far darker.

Without another word, he reaches down, unbuckling your seatbelt with a practiced ease, his gloved fingers working the clasp as if he’s done this a hundred times. The way he touches you is both casual and possessive, like he owns every part of you — your body, your mind, your soul.

The moment you’re free, he guides you to stand, his grip on your wrist firm but gentle, leading you to the plush bed in the back of the jet. You swallow hard, your heart racing as you feel the heat of his gaze on your back.

“On your knees.”

You don't hesitate. Kneeling before him, your hands rest lightly on his thighs as you look up at him with pleading eyes, silently begging for his attention. His hand goes to the back of your head, tilting it slightly, making you meet his gaze as if he’s making sure you understand exactly what you’ve done to earn this.

“You like making me wait, don’t you?” He smiles, but it’s not one of those sweet smiles you’re used to. It’s something more dangerous. “You like seeing me struggle with patience.”

You open your mouth to speak, but before you can form a word, his hand grips your jaw, tightening just enough to silence you.

“You don’t get to speak. Not yet.” His thumb traces your lips before pushing inside your mouth, making you gag slightly as he forces you to take him in, his eyes watching you with intense focus. “Show me how well you can please me without speaking.”

The moment he says it, you’re lost. You close your eyes, and your body moves instinctively, hands gripping his legs as you take him deeper, the taste of him flooding your senses. You can feel the power in his grip, the way he holds control over you, over everything, and it turns you on more than you ever thought possible.

When you pull back, gasping for air, he’s right there, forcing you back in, this time a little harder, a little rougher. You moan around him, the sound muffled but full of need, and he responds with a low chuckle, his fingers tightening in your hair.

“You like this, don’t you?” He moves harder, making your head spin with pleasure. “Being used like this. Like you’re nothing but my toy to play with.”

Your mind is fogged with desire, body responding to every movement he makes. His voice breaks through your haze again.

“I own you. Every part of you.” He pulls you off of him with a sharp tug, fingers still tangled in your hair as he forces you to look up at him. “And you’re going to remember that. Every. Single. Time.”

[circeyoru]

Freedom in The Darkness

[Yandere!Sung Jinwoo x Royalty!Reader - Royal Fight AU]

*Implied Female Reader (it’s just the titles)

Deception. Manipulation. Blood. Pain. Betrayal. Assassination. Death.

Such things were the normality within the walls of the royal family that everyone seemed to admire. A fight for the title of crown prince or princess, to be the next ruler of the empire. It was the biggest succession fight in the world. Why? Because whoever wins this scrabble essentially rules the world. 

Only six princes and princesses remained among the 13. There were various deaths: poison, assassination, falling, disease, drowning, heart attack, and malnutrition. Within the six were three princes and three princesses. Because the fight hindered the standard functionality of the empire, the emperor sent the six candidates for the throne to six different domains. Each got to pick their domain according to their birth order.

There were a few reasons why the emperor sent his children to different places. (1) Of course, it was for peace to return to the royal capital since the beginning of the royal succession made the people split into groups. (2) It was for the remaining children to seek allies outside of their comfort zone―namely those in the castle. And (3) it was for said children to try and rule over their chosen domain within 7 years. 

You were one of the three princesses and you were sent to the lawless domain. You survived solely because you had a knack for hiding and living like the dead in the palace, so no one paid attention to you until the cease-fire was announced. Of the remaining children, you were the youngest and none of your elder brothers and sisters saw you as a threat. In fact, they bet you would be killed within the week in your new domain.

The lawless domain was where adventures and criminals mingled since even the emperor could barely pay it any mind or attention. It also served as the barrier between the empire and the dark forest, so no one cared for this place. Thus, the infamous nickname ‘Lawless’ is used.

Initially, you’ve given up on living since there was no light in your dark world. All you’ve known was how to survive. Turns out it was the same deal here. To your luck, although the people of that domain were notified of a royal arriving to rule over them, none knew what that royal looked like. So you have forsaken your clothing and identity for money to have someplace to stay. 

Throughout your time here, you’ve built bonds and connections, ones you never wanted to drag into your royal fight. One of which was a boy named Sung Jinwoo. He was the older brother of a younger sister, he and his family were adventurers and they have been the ones to help you with your life in this lawless area. There was once when you thought Jinwoo died in an expedition. You, who have unlocked your magic, set out to search for him after his team came back to town with tears. When you found him, he was still breathing, so with your last breath, you teleported him back to his home and collapsed. 

When you woke up, you were met with a Jinwoo look-alike exercising in your shared room. The moment the two pairs of eyes met, he gave you that soft smile, “Good morning, sleepyhead.”

“Morning… Jinwoo?”

“That’s me.”

From then on, Jinwoo was obsessed with growing stronger, and he did. Every day, he goes above and beyond to train his physical body and enters the forest like it was a mere training ground. There were times when you could join him, and other times when he preferred to go alone, those times you’d be with his family or other parties you’ve made connection with. 

Jinwoo never came back with any scratches or injuries, making you curious as to how strong he has gotten. You confronted him and he showed you what he was capable of. The powers of shadow and an army of undead so long as he stood strong and alive. When you heard that, you gave him quite the lecture on safety and worrying others. He was kneeling on his knees with his hands raised, looking like a kicked puppy. Meanwhile, any passerby would snicker and tease Jinwoo for angering his partner.

You took up the role of being his exclusive healer and was by his side every time he went to some sort of battle. In turn, Jinwoo set aside some soldiers of his to protect you since he’d be focused on the fight and you’d be focused on him. It was a unique partnership, you’ll admit. You’d never tell anyone that it was comforting to know someone would depend on you and you could rely on someone, especially when that someone was Jinwoo. 

At some point, you slipped up and your secret as a royal was known to him. It wasn’t a big deal since you didn’t care for your title anymore after living outside the palace for so long. You have long abandoned your royal title and privileges after being sent away to your new ruling domain. You found a new life and you treasured it more than what the stupid palace could offer. This was the freedom you never had; no one treated you like royalty, and no one expected anything of you. It was true bliss.

Until Jinwoo had this idea. “Say, why not take over the throne?”

“What?!” You spit out your drink and started a coughing fit that Jinwoo tried to relieve by patting your back. When you did, you glared at him and questioned, “Why would you suggest that?”

“If you hate this royal succession so much, why not become empress and demolish it?” Jinwoo calmly spoke his mind. “You have my full support and the people of this city.”

You slumped, playing with the cup in your hands. “But, I’m not fit to rule… I didn’t receive any education like my brothers and sister. It’s not like one city; it’s a whole empire! I can’t handle it…”

Jinwoo cupped your hands in his larger ones, making you look up into his grey-coloured eyes. “Hey, I’ll be right by your side. So will the others in my shadow. We’ll all help you.” At your silence and uncertainty, Jinwoo hummed in thought. “How about this? Kill them and raise them from the dead to act as the ruling power?”

You blinked and stared at Jinwoo, bewildered by his new idea.

“That way, you’re not the figurehead to rule. They are. You’ll be behind the scene controlling them. You have me after all.” He let go of you and came over to his side, kneeling down on one knee as he took your hand and kissed your knuckles with a confident smirk. “Just give me the order, your majesty.”

After that conversation, the atmosphere in the city changed and people started acting like they were preparing for war. Whenever you were around, they would give you a nod and go back to their work. You realized they were prepared to act as your army when you fight for the throne. You couldn’t help but smile and cheer them on with your thanks. 

You had no idea when it started. The lawless domain that outsiders shunned and despised was just an unpolished diamond in the rough. It only took the right person to come along to change it to one of the more fearsome domains that could give the warrior, knight, and armoury domains a run for their money. Though you probably had a hold over its people because you never waved your royal card in their face like your elder siblings would. They respected you for your ability to survive and care for others no matter the circumstance, though it also had something to do with you being a two-faced cunning fox against your enemies. A story for another time maybe.

You gave it some thought. Jinwoo was right, if you were standing at the highest, nothing could stand in your way of implementing changes. Plus, you wanted to protect this city you grew fond of. Contrary to the rumours, this place was like any other; if not, it would have been more peaceful and human than your home in the palace. You wanted to have the power and authority, but you also wanted your own freedom. It was greedy and selfish of you, you know, still, you wanted no rules and obligations that could separate you from Jinwoo and those you care for.

On the day the time was up, the royal carriages arrived to pick you up. Jinwoo and Igris followed behind you, acting as knights and close aids of yours. Igris’ full armour appearance made the story more believable while Jinwoo appeared to be a mix of a butler and assassin, if that made any sense. Either way, the countdown began. 

The closer you were to the palace, the more your heart beat like mad. Jinwoo took your hand and gave you a tight squeeze. You looked away from the window at his soft expression, and you gave him the best smile you could. “I’m nervous…”

“Don’t be. You’re not alone now.” Jinwoo spoke melody to your ears. “Everyone can move at your word.”

You looked down at the shadows. Millions of glowing eyes looked back at you while the shadows wavered, showing you support in their unique way. “Yes, I’m not alone.”

The carriage stopped, and the door opened. Jinwoo got off first and held out a hand for you. You took it and the edge of your dress as you stepped out of the carriage. The scenery of the majestic palace didn’t change a bit, but the memories of all the squabbles for the throne rushed back like a storm. Screams and cries of agony you’d try to shut out to keep your sanity when you hid and witnessed murders and betrayals of all kind around you. All for the seat to be the top. Unconsciously, you squeezed Jinwoo’s hand to ground yourself.

“Oh my, what’s this?” A high-pitched voice rang to your side. You and your companion looked over and saw one of your older sisters. “You’re still alive? I thought you died! And what are you even wearing? No class?”

“Don’t be so mean.” A deep and rough voice sounded above; it was one of your older brothers. “Being sent to that lawless trash area must be hard. You should be applauded for even appearing here, but my hand is tired from all the work I’ve been doing.”

“Dying there would be better than here.” Another brother of yours scoffed as he headed up the steps to the entrance of the palace.

“Right.” Your eldest sister snickered as she purposely bumped into you before walking up the steps. 

“Poor thing.” The last of your brother muttered. 

You waited until they were all gone, and then unclenched your fist. Your eyes glared at where your siblings were. Whatever sympathy and affection you held for them just because they were your family, all gone. You were hoping they would have changed over the years and join you in thinking this fight was insane, maybe wanting to grow as a family instead. 

But no. 

Now you have your answer. 

“I think the invasion and turnover can happen after dinner.” You coldly stated, all emotion drained from your face. 

Jinwoo grinned while Igris bowed his head with his hand over his heart area. Jinwoo led you up the steps by the hand while he chuckled, “I feel like it’ll happen earlier. Want to burn down just the palace or the entire capital?”

“...Only the royal family is at fault…”

“So, if I secure the innocent, then~?”

“Yeah.”

“As you wish, My Empress.”

Note: One of my older works. Decided to post it now cause I'm a bit too busy with IRL stuff. Anyways, I saw the poll for {Shadow and Void} and the next update would be Arc 3 I believe, the parts would be back to back (a bit like the Christmas update). See you guys then!

Hope you liked this one!

𝕮𝖎𝖗𝖈𝖊 𝖄.

My Works: MASTERLIST

*(regarding requests, check the Masterlist to see if it’s opened or not and other info related before sending one. Thanks.)

Taglist: @rozuburedo @ariseverdark @skylar896 @o-qi-shisme

[pa1nrema1ns]

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.'

[erensemeraldorbs]

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🥵🥵😩😩

[mullermilkshake]

So... I just wrote a Sung Jinwoo one shot for my yandere/dark series, but I'm thinking of putting it on here earlier than my AO3, should I do that?

P.S I'm so in love with Jinwoo it hurts 😭 he's charmed me and I don't know which way is up.

Edit.... I DID IT here's the link if anyone is interested.

[ehabest]

Solo Leveling

Soundtrack DARK ARIA

[quandledlngle69]

i just know sung jin woo sounds HEAVENLY when he moans

[195seojoon]

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.

[envy-of-the-apple]

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.

[dark-night-hero]

Imagine being Sung Jinwoo's spouse who suddenly got thrown into another universe where you don't exist and happened to meet someone who looks exactly, after your husband.

Imagine walking on your way home with your husband and then all of a sudden, you found yourself falling, the last words you have heard was your husband calling out your name. In which you did the say, callig out your husband name instinctively within the first few seconds you were falling. But after a few more minutes of falling, here you are, falling in the midst of darkness. Crossing your arms in annoyance, thinking of what kind of scenario were you sent into.

Imagine zooming in, looking down. You realise you were getting closer to the ground and not just it. There was a man you are about to fall into, "Hey! Watch out!" You would be okay if you land on your one, but you're afraid that if you happened to hit someone with the speed you're going down, you might ended up hurting them. But it was already too late by the time he looked up. "SHIT!" "I told you to watch out!"

Imagine finding yourself in the midst of a dungeon. The young man across you be looking very familiar, like he took it right after your husband. "What?" He asked, taking another bite of the food you had just cooked inside the dungeon. It has been a few hours ever since you crushed into this man. A few hours since you were separated with Jinwoo. Its been a few hours since you realised you've been thrown into a different alternate universe.

"Nothing." You look away. A universe where Jinwo has a brother? No, he doesn't look like his brother. If anything, you could guess who he was. "I doubt it was nothing-" "Come to think of you, you look very young... but well off. You should enjoy your youth, where are your parents? Why are you inside a dungeon by this age?" Taken back by your questions, he look away. "They're gone." "What? Like dead?" "I don't know, they're missing. I'm trying to find them." "Oh."

Imagine for the first time, in comparison to the fierce and competent young man that was leading and fighting earlier. The man in front of you looks vulnerable, like a son longing fornhis parents. Maybe it was his face that made your heart soften even more. Standing up from your seat, you sat down right beside him and gave him a comforting hug from the side. "Hey, hey, kid. It's alright. You'll find them." You gently pat him on the back. "(First name)!"

Imagine looking back at the familiar voice only to find your husband frowning as he hurriedly approached your direction. Withdrawing gently from the young man kid, who finally felt the approaching man from behind, he sat up straight and was about to turn to look at him when he catch a glimpse of arm on his side, arm which was now wrapping you into a hug as the man knelt down to your level. "Thank goodness I found you." "Ji- darling. It's okay, it's alright. You found me." You chuckle returning the hug and patting him on the back, giving the shocked kid right beside you an apologising gaze.

"Woah, the two of you..." looked a like... You thought but did not dare say it out loud. Jinwo was sitting next to the young man whom you have learned that his name was Suho. Both were Sung which means all of your thoughts were right all along. He was... the son of Jinwo in his universe. "What?" Jinwoo asked. "Nothing." You smile. How cute. Though the fact that Suho does not seem to recognise his own father, although in a different universe and probably in a much younger appearance seemed quite bothersome yet relieving at the same time. "Come to think of it, Suho-ah what are you doing in here? Why are you all alone?"

Imagine it turns out the kid had already gone through the dungeon once and reentered to see if there was any survivors inside but only found you in the process as well as come across Jinwoo who was looking for you. In the end, Jinwoo and you decided to accompany him as he deep dive into the dungeon. "How did you find me?" "I manage to squeeze in thanks to the fragments of the shadow monarch. But mostly because you left traces all over that leads me to you." He sigh, taking your hand closer to his face and nuzzle to it causing you to smile softly at him. "Don't worry, I'm alright. If anything, I'm worried about thay little guy." You nudge at the direction of Suho. "Ah." Jinwo just looked at the back of the young man.

Imagine in the process of exploring the cave, Jinwo realised that this was a place he more familiar with as this was the place had come across and killed the monarchs. Leading him into telling and explaining Suho what was this all about. You just follow them from behind, looking at the two fondly as Jinwoo helped Suho gain a better understanding of everything, even helped him made pack with Rakan's fang enabling him to use it. "Hey you two, enough of that. Food's ready." "Yes." "We'll be there in a minute babe." "I told you not to call me that."

Imagine after a all the exploration and quest inside the dungeon, it was finally your time to part ways as the three of you stand right infront of the dungeon gate. "I'm afraid this is as far as we can go with you, sweetheart." You looked at the young man softly. It was short while but it seems like you grew fond of the kid. "That is to say, the two of you aren't exactly from here." "You knew it all along you pun-" "Father." That made Jinwoo pause.

Imagine Sung Suho who manage to connect the dots and knew it all along this time. "You're my father at the same time, you aren't my father." He explained calmly. Then Suho faced you who still has a relax and gentle look on your face. "You aren't my mother." You have him a small yet genuine smile, because that was the truth. You knew he was Jinwoo's son, but this kid weren't yours and probably would never be. "There wasn't a (Firstname)(Lastname) in this world, so you cannot be my mother." He explained. By that you could feel the way Jinwoo shifted closer to you than he was earlier. But you turn to look at him and gave him a reassuring smile.

"Aren't you confused by that fact?" "Hmm? That my father- he was married to you than my mother? Not really." "Why is that?" "Because-.." because Suho had never seen his father in this world looked at you the same way this alternative universe Sung Jinwoo look at anyone else. While its true that his father love his mother in this world. The way this Sung Jinwo right in front of him looks like you was nothing he have ever seen before. This version of his father looked so in love, so contented, so genuine like he has everything in front of him when he looks at you. "Because?" "Nothing."

Imagine the way Suho let out a genuine laugh which has been a while. After everything that has been happening, its been a while since he have someone looking after him like his parents used to do before they went missing. "You two should probably get going, I alreay took too much of your time-" he was cut off by a bone crushing hug by you. "It was nice meeting you. Always be careful, okay?" "Hey, listen to them you punk." Jinwoo messed with hair before joining the hug and then pulling you away from Suho. "We'll stay here until you get out safely." Jinwoo added. "So go-" "Wait! Here, take this." You have Suho a pocket watch. "This-" "Take it. I'm leaving it with you." "Then... thank you."

Imagine as Suho looked back and forth between the gate and you two. He give you two the brightest smile he have before saying "I know you aren't really by father but... Father, please look after them and never let them go, okay?" "You have my words, son." With a little bit of regret, Suho left. If he was being honest, he's quite jealous by the fact that he probably wouldn't even become your son back in your world.

"He's a good kid." "Hmmm." Jinwoo nod as the two of you find yourself back in your own universe. "Who knows, maybe if we try hard enough he'll end up as our child." "I'm not even his-" "Does it bother you? We could always try and try until-" "You silly punk. Do you think it qould be ea- Sung Jinwo! Set me down you-" "Nope, nope nope. We're taking this to bed."

[ⓒdark-night-hero] 2025°

: this is my biggest what if.

[heyimkana]

good night to sung jinwoo and sung jinwoo only ❤️

[fionnalovesanimeboys]

Awwww Byang Gu 😭🥺 I thought and hoped that Jinwoo will keep him as his shadow but the fact that he revived him just so he could heal Cha and was not planning to keep him because he could tell Byang Gu was too nice for his own good. Jinwoo is not heartless reviving dead to his army no, it shows how kind Jinwoo is ♥️

[dashinhfuzzydeer]

Soulmates!Au

"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?