Chapter 83: God, I don't think I ever wanna read a Yixing fanfic ever again, because the standard this story has created for his portrayal is just absolutely, utterly and completely insane. I never knew how much I needed to read about Prince Yixing and the struggles he went through as a prince, and even though Yeonhee was the main character here, my heart just melts when I read about him in this story out of pure adoration as well as this constant desire to keep him away from all that could possibly hurt him (seriously, I don't want to see no more guns around him unless it belongs to Suho, Chen or Min).
I teared up so many times in the span of the three days I spent binging this, because Yixing is so precious. He made me think a lot about what the children of politicians and aristocrats go through and how there could be sweethearts out there who go through it all and still remain so responsible and so selfless like Yixing in the present but on the flip side, there could be people like Yixing in the past, acting out because everything just gets to them and they don't really know what to do.
When Jongdae said that most people would kill to get out of being a prince or a royal once they became one, it struck me a lot as I thought back to Yixing and how even though he would never let go of being a royal because of his love for his country and what he does, he has moments where he probably considers it. And I think that constant, back of your mind conflict must have such a harsh effect on someone who's just as human as everyone else around him. Then people like Sehun before he became Yixing's aides obviously make it worse when they waltz in and talk about things they think they know about. (That fight between them was so sad to read about, I mean genuinely, what more could they possibly want of him?)
Man, I don't know what else to say. There are a few random things that stood out to me so I'll probably comment on those briefly. 1) When Sehun said he respected Yixing too much to drop the formalities, gosh. I screamed because it was so Sehun and because of the extremities of it all (Yixing and Sehun had such a verbally violent fight only a while ago). I immediately told my friend about it and even though she doesn't read k-pop fanfic (and hence hasn't read this one yet), she loved it like I did.
2) Though we got to see more of the Queen in this story and not as much of the King, I loved Yixing's relationship with him. It was so refreshing to read about good familial relationships between people that carry status or are really important in their society. The whole my-parents-and-I-don't-get-along-so-I-blame-them-for-the-way-I-am thing sometimes just gets so repetitive, so I liked reading about Yixing's dynamic with his parents and how Yeonhee described it to be full of so much affection. 2i) I also liked reading about how his parents accepted her and hence the fact that this didn't turn into a Meteor Garden trope, because that was just plain traumatising to watch.
3) Poor, poor Luhan. I know Yixing doesn't intend on creating field days for the press but I can't help but feel bad for Luhan and all the work he has to invest in the prince. Because the prince's life is never going to stop, there will always be something that he might end up doing or something that requires the prince's comment or something or the other, so Luhan always has to be on the lookout. He probably doesn't complain too much because at the end of the day, he probably loves the prince and the royal family, but I still frown when I read about him in DMAD. I worried more about Luhan's mental health than Yixing's at a few points in the story.
4) I love how realistic and detailed your stories are, in terms of the world and characters you've created. It would have been so easy to write that Chenle's donor friend ended up winning a majority and that everyone lived happily ever after but I was really pleasantly surprised when you mentioned a minority government. I would have never in a million years been able to write something like that without wanting to just wrap everything up in a neat little bow and make it seem so unrealistic in the process.
Then the detail, damn. The amount of research and planning DMAD must have taken makes your work so admirable in my eyes, I mean it already was because of how you write and your dialogue but this just takes the cake.
5) I really liked how Yeonhee and Yixing came about because of a website and because of a simple online conversation. I don't know, there's just something so amazing in the reinforcing of the idea that the internet can lead to such significant events, because everyone's so used to being told about how horrible and dangerous it is (which I agree, it can be at times) The internet holds so much power in its hands, and I really liked reading about such a positive event happening, all because Yeonhee was intrigued enough to want to know who Lonelyblues was. (Also, Yixing on text, God, how can someone be so witty?? Also, whatta flirt.)
6) There was something else that was reinforced a lot in this story and that was Yeonhee's stance on monarchy and the republic. I liked reading about Yixing's simple work ethic and his sheer knowledge and understanding of his country and how he constantly strived for what he firmly believed was the best for the country. I mean, he didn't even need to convince her to change her mind on being a republican, she was so willing to change her mind herself. (And I think the fact that he could convince her, a republican through and through, says a lot about how there really is no one who could do his job better than him.) His mere being was enough for her to let go of something she was so sure of. I appreciate the slow process of that happening and how she always explained that it wasn't really conscious at first, it just happened because she believed in the prince, and had very little to do with the fact that she liked him as a person. (lol, am I making sense?)
7) . Paintings. Oh my God, when the King joked about it, I absolutely lost it. Major highlight for me, as odd as that may sound.
Honorary mentions: Sehun and Jia (I really wanna read that essay), Jongin and Minseok (cousin goals, yo), Minhee and Jongdae (cute), Juan and Mary Jane (my favourite couple after Xing and Yeonhee) and Yixing's lucky stars (I tried making some after reading but just like all my previous attempts, I at it, so I made a crane! lol)
Wow, this is probably my longest comment yet, but I honestly believe that your story is so, so worth it. Thank you so much for writing this absolute masterpiece of a story, and I look forward to popping my head into the comment section of your other stories as well. Hope you're safe in these trying times!
-MK
(PS: Have I mentioned Luhan yet? His frantic almost pulling of his hair still lingers in my mind. I hope he ends up alright.)
Chapter 83: i see i've taken over the comments section but i finally finished this after 2 days worth of binge reading (and in consequence pushing back my academic reading.... whoops) and honestly korey your stories are definitely my favourites of all the ones i've read, and you're definitely one of my favorite authors here. i read dlwl and attayear a longgg while ago so i don't remember much from them, and haven't got a chance to read others yet, but this is definitely my favorite (so far) of yours since you portrayed such a healthy relationship between two people (by the way i've been waiting for this to end to say this: yeonxing are stinking cute) and highlighting the importance of communication (which i think is still a big problem now around the world). thank you so much for writing this and i'll see you in other stories and hopefully ones that are actively being updated so i won't be 10 years late and spamming comments!!
Chapter 79: it's nearing the end jabzkzbsiahs BUT i'm LOVING how well chen managed to fit in with the rest of yeonhee's university friend group it's really adorable!!
Chapter 67: see i was initially only going to comment how it was indeed taehyung the creep and how i am not that bad at deducting a few things, along with chen x yeonhee friendship BUT KOREY HOW DARE YOU DO THIS
Chapter 18: Xiumin saving Yeonhee from Taehyung in this chap is everything haha definitely expecting some amazing bromance between her and Min in the future
Chapter 83: i’ve honestly had this story bookmarked to read for the longest time but always postponed reading it cuz ngl i was sorta iffy about this genre (since i initially thought it was going to be a historical fanfic). but now that i’ve officially read it and finished it, i have to say that your stories and just writing in general never fail to impress me and i was stupid for not reading this earlier. thoroughly and genuinely enjoyed it!! :)
Chapter 24: Reading this story once again because yixing and yonhee's relationship is really sweet and it is definitely my go-to story when I feel down. Now I'm reading this in a new light with the current events and even if the situation is not exactly the same some of the social problems you describe are one of the main issue and I am glad to find stories that bring up the subject in such intelligent manner without judgement but making me question my own judgement which is something everyone should do once in a while. The ability to communicate, especially these days with all the fake news being spread, is key. Thanks again for this wonderful story and sorry for the lengthy paragraph, probably the longest I've written on here.
Chapter 83: Just finished my annual re-reading of this story, and it remains my all time favorite! I first found this story when you were about 30~ chapters in (had a different account back then) and completely fell in love with the world and characters you built. 3 years later, still every bit as enjoyable each time I read it. Thank you for sharing your creativity. This has been a nice mental break from all of the difficulties going on in the world rn..
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