Title: A Pocket Full of Rye
Author: gwanshim
Characters/Pairings: JunhuixVernon (JunSol)
Genre: Angst, Drama, Friendship
No. of Chapters: 1
Status: Completed
Warnings: Mentions of OCD, Trichotillomania (if this should be under warnings, I'm not sure)

Summary:

When the callouses on his fingers start to sting, Junhui is there. Even if it's just to hold his hand when he cries.

Why I love it: 

The story was, how could you aptly put it, emotional. Not in a way where everyone would be able to relate because it opens up a universe where a lot of us are clueless of. It's a glimpse to the scary truth behind trichotillomania, I'm no medical expert and this is the first time I've heard about this but despite the lack of knowledge, the story had triggered a rather sympathetic peat to people who suffer from this disorder (is it right to call it as such? Please let me know if it's not). Thus, as I said, an emotional story.

Now, why would I be interested in something I have no knowledge about? Truth be told the emotion triggered by the story was just a bonus. The reason I'm recommending this fic was because of it's ability to provide comfort. It gave a silverlining not just to those who suffer from the disorder (?) but also to people who are struggling. Yes, the main focus of the story was the sickness but it dug deeper, what triggered this? How do someone stop it or is it even possible to do so? And most of all, acceptance. The core of this story is acceptance, for the things that we cannot change and the things that has yet to come.

It wasn't falsely keeping people's hopes up, it's real. A story that tells you what it is in it's face value. Buried under beautiful words this story is simple yet so emotionally triggering in a good way.

Another thing that kept me from reading forward was the fact that this was written in a way I've never encountered before, so plus points for the fresh writing style. "It doesn't have dialogues, so it must have been boring," I thought... But really, who am I to judge? So I gave it a shot and I was not disappointed at all for it kept me on my toes. It made me read faster because I wanted to know more.

It was a mischievous, emotionally challenging, and surprisingly fresh story for me. I have felt a sense of peace and comfort as soon as I reached the end of it, like relief flooding through every part of my body. It wasn't what every reader would want, it was just reality. Reality  that a lot of us tries to escape through fanfics but forgotten and disregarded as we try to fit these idols into images of them that we perceive.

This story is far from the ones that I have recommended so far, it's not angst or fluff, it's romance at some point but not entirely, friendship yes, a lot, but this story just doesn't fit any genre nor any category, in my opinion. It's just a good fanfiction, behind the fanfic an even better story of struggle and survival. 

I thank twinkoo for sending me gwanshim's story. Send the author love for s/he deserves it. Thank an author for their hard work and their talent.

PS. Gwanshim, it took me so long to post this but gdi, this story is beautiful. Thank you for this and for sharing your favorite stories with me.

PPS. I've removed the subs only restriction because the main goal of this reclist is to share stories and not gain subs. With that, I hope this reclist grows as a community who shares each of our own favorite stories and even your own authored stories so we can expose it to every thirsty Carat out there.

I bid you all adieu, until the next story recs.