"...Will I get more than fifty readers today?"

 

 

Jongwoon logged into his account having a high expectation. Sadly, the chapter view number was still fifteen just like yesterday. He sighed and closed his eyes so he didn't have to see that pathetic number. He had been writing this fantasy and romance novel for four years now but the number of readers in each chapter was still lower than his weight! He had always dreamed of being a writer and even took the creative writing course in college. However, reality was never kind and his career was light years away from calling it successful. He had to find a part-time job in order to not get kicked out of his apartment. He wrote at night, slept during the day, and worked in the evening shift. Obviously, such lifestyle was bad for his health but he had no other choices. There were times when he thought about quitting it and found a proper job, but he always decided against it in the end. He wouldn't give up on his dream that easily. Besides, he had one great supporter by his side.

 

 

As usual Yesung, your story manages to make me feel all emotions in just one chapter! I love the part where Maya jumped in the fight and saved Wolfgang! So cool! We stan a strong heroine in this household! That cliffhanger though! Yesung you're so cruel to end it like that! Please tell me that my boy Wolfgang is safe… Ahhhh I can't wait for next Saturday to come!

-Your_Geamer

 

 

Jongwoon's smile almost reached his ears while re-reading the comment for the umpteenth times. This person, Your_Geamer, had been following him ever since the very first chapter of his story. Their comments were another reason why he hadn't quit this job yet despite he got little to none profit out of it. For him, even just a single comment was enough to encourage him to keep writing.

 

 

"I wish I knew who this reader is though. I'd love to thank them for the support they have given to me…"

 

 

Jongwoon sighed at his silly thought. The internet world was so huge. There was no way he could meet his number one fan, right?

 

*******************************************************************

 

"Goddamn that cliffhanger!"

 

 

The hairdresser lady jumped when he suddenly shouted. Kyuhyun quickly apologized for surprising her. He couldn't stop himself though. His favorite novel's latest chapter ended where the male lead (the author hadn't confirmed it yet, but he personally hoped that Wolfgang won the male lead war) used a forbidden magic to seal the Devil General in exchange for his life. If it was any other stories, he wouldn't worry about the character dying. However, Yesung (the author of the Tale of the Raven) easily killed off characters without hesitation, not unreasonably killing off, but still, a character dying! No doubt his heart would break into a million pieces if his favorite character died! As usual, Kyuhyun went to Twitter to rant out his fanboy thoughts again, even though he just ranted about it last night.

 

 

Maya to the rescue! My girl so cool! I'll cry though if Wolfgang dies! Best boy deserves best ending w/ Maya after all BS he's been through! Yesung you won't kill him right? Right!?

#SaveWolfgang #Dunmakemecry #TheTaleOfTheRaven

 

 

"Kyuhyun-ssi, it's your turn to take the photoshoot now."

"On my way!'

 

 

Kyuhyun pressed Tweet in a hurry and gave his phone to his manager, not knowing that he just stirred up chaos in the SNS world.

 

**********************************

 

Jongwoon worked up before the alarm because someone called him. He drowsily reached for his phone and answered it.

 

"—ello…?"

"HYUNG! YOU GOTTA CHECK YOUR NOVEL! NOW!!"

 

He woke up fully at once from that shouting. Wincing at the volume, he brought the phone away from his ear and looked at the screen— Ryeowookie.

 

"Ryeowookie… You know that this is my sleeping time, right?"

"Is sleeping more important than your novel? Seriously hyung, check your novel, and you'll know why I freak out."

 

He blinked cluelessly then headed to his old but reliable laptop. He started it and went to the novel website as per his little brother's words. While waiting for the website to load, he went to make a cup of coffee and wondered what happened that freaked out his brother like that. Ryeowookie said something about his novel. Did it somehow miraculously gain a hundred readers in a day?

 

"Nah, it's probably thirty-ish at best. No way my obscure novel gets more than a hundred—"

 

He choked on the coffee he just drank.

 

 

Total view: 13.4 m

 

 

A freaking thirteen million views!!? What the heck happened while he was sleeping!!? He slapped his cheeks checking if he was dreaming or not, and it hurted so much that he cried out in pain. So it wasn't a dream then!? After the shock subsided, he quickly called his brother trying to make sense of whatever going on right now.

 

"Ryeowookie! What the heck happened!?"

"Apparently, Cho Kyuhyun is your fan and he tweets about your novel on his official Twitter account. His fans then go check your novel out and boom! You're famous now."

"Cho Kyuhyun?" He frowned, "who?"

"Oh my god, hyung, I know you're not a fan of SNS and entertainment circle but you seriously don't know him!? He is like, the number one actor right now!"

"Well, between writing my novel and working a part-time job, I really don't have time for that. Is he really that famous?"

"Isn't that view number enough of a proof? Hyung, maybe you should try searching him in Google and thank him for the free advertisement."

 

With that said, Ryeowook ended the call leaving him stunned. So, someone famous was his fan and posted about his novel? He wondered which of his readers was it? Could it be… Your_Geamer! He was so excited that he couldn't stop bouncing in place. At any rate, he should check out that Cho Kyuhyun guy first and properly thanks him! Well, he ought to do that, but the time on the wall clock changed his mind.

 

 

"Crap, it's time for my shift now!"

 

 

He grabbed his coat and the room key before running off, stumbling a bit because of the lack of sleep.

 

*****************************************

 

"Urgh, can't believe I did something stupid like forgetting to switch the account…"

"Shouldn't you be happy that your favorite novel finally receives the recognition it deserves?"

"Of course I'm, but…"

 

Sungmin glanced at his friend through the rear-view mirror.

 

"But you're worried that some of your crazy fans might attack Yesung out of jealousy?"

"Absolutely," Kyuhyun sighed, "you know how extreme those fans can be, hell, calling them my fans leaves a bad taste in my mouth so let's just call them maddie. You see, these maddie are crazy and will do anything to ruin people's lives. Remember Seohyun?"

"of course I do. She was threatened just because of that kiss scene. The lawsuit suing that maddie still gives me a headache nowadays just thinking about it."

"Now you know why I don't promote Yesung's novel. It's a shame though. Their novel is really good…"

 

Sungmin hummed quietly in agreement. He had already read the novel and as Kyuhyun said, it was definitely a hidden gem among cliche romance novels and over-power main character novels. It was unfortunate that not many people had heard of it. Well, not anymore after Kyuhyun (accidentally) promoted it. Sungmin gripped the steering wheel while waiting for the light to turn green. This mess was partially his fault too. He should have been more careful about how Kyuhyun used social media…

 

 

The light turned green. Sungmin stepped on the gas pedal.

 

 

And he hit someone.

 

 

"Holy cow! You hit a man! Let's get out and check on him!"

"Have you forgotten who you are? Stay here, I'll go check him myself."

 

Sungmin put on a cap and got out of the car while Kyuhyun waited impatiently. After a while, the back seat door was open and his manager popped in with a man limping in his arm. Sungmin carefully lay the black-haired man on the back seat with his help. Kyuhyun frowned upon seeing the trail of blood trickling down the unconscious man's oval face. He quickly used his handkerchief to press on the wounded temple to stop the blood. The man leaning in his arms whimpered quietly but showed no sign of waking up. Kyuhyun found himself staring at that lips and couldn't take his eyes away, gaining a disapproval scowl from his manager.

 

"Cease your ert stare. Just because he is your type doesn't mean that you can stare a hole through him, especially when he's unconscious."

 

Kyuhyun clicked his tongue in annoyance at his friend who knew him too well.

 

**********************************

 

"Where am I…?"

 

 

Jongwoon groaned when the sudden brightness hurted his eyes. He shut them for a while before slowly lifting both eyelids up. White ceiling greeted him which immediately woke him up. Wait, wasn't he on his way to work? How come he was lying in a bed staring at the white ceiling?

 

 

"You wake up now! How are you feeling?"

 

 

He turned to the voice and found a handsome brown-haired stranger sitting by his bed. The taller man flashed a bright smile that temporarily blinded his vision. Too good looking! His immunity to a handsome guy was low to begin with so stopped smiling! Wait, was this the so-called meeting of fate? Could it be that after living a lonely life for twenty-seven years, he finally had a chance to say goodbye to his bachelor title!? But what if this handsome guy already had a lover? Yep, he had to make sure first! But how to subtly ask that without revealing his intentions?

 

"Hello? Can you hear me? Should I call a doctor?"

"Are you single?"

 

Yep, that was super subtle. Absolutely no way the handsome knew that he was hit on! Jongwoon hid his face in his palms. His face heated up so badly that he bet you could fry some egg on it. He didn't dare to look up because he knew the other male definitely looked at him with disgust right now.

 

"Pfft… Hahahaha! Wow, you're quite bold, aren't you? I've been hit on for the most part of my life but never have I met someone who is so blunt and tactless like you before!"

 

Hearing a heartfelt laughter, Jongwoon timidly peeked out from his hands. Contrary to his worry, the stranger actually laughed and smirked at him. His sharp brown eyes shone with mischief that caused Jongwoon's heart to skip a beat. Realizing that he hadn't lost all hope yet, he quickly tried to salvage the situation.

 

"It's not like I don't want to be smoother. This is my first time hitting on a stranger so forgive my terrible attempt. Let's pretend that nothing happened and starts over, alright?"

 

Rather than answering him, the stranger stared at him with a look of pure shock.

 

"A stranger…? You don't know who I'm?"

"No…? Should I?"

 

Jongwoon blinked cluelessly at the stranger who looked at him in disbelief. Was this guy some kind of a celebrity or idol?

 

"What is your name? Maybe I might know you!"

"Someone is getting smoother, eh?" The brown eyed man smirked, "My name is Lee Sungmin, at your service."

"Nice to meet you Sungmin! I'm Kim Jongwoon."

 

Jongwoon beamed and extended his hand to the taller male. He enthusiastically shook it while smiling widely. Obviously, he noticed how Sungmin's hand lingered in his but he turned a blind eye to it. Reciprocated gesture, eh? Hello to his future boyfriend!

 

*************************************

 

"Anyway, where is this place and why am I here again?"

"You didn't remember what happened to you before fainting?"

"I… I think I was on my way to work? Then I crossed the road and… I fainted?"

"Jongwoon," Kyuhyun sighed, "you walked down the street when the light was green. You're lucky that we didn't drive too fast so you only had a minor injury."

"I see… Sorry for troubling you then. I'm fine now though! Can I discharge now?"

 

Kyuhyun stopped the man who tried to sit up. He kept his hands on that slim shoulders and stared into the black orbs full of confusion.

 

"I did say that it's a minor injury but you still hit your head pretty hard. Stay a night to make sure that you didn't have any concussion."

"Stay a night… here…?" Jongwoon's eyes darted around the room, "but I can't… I mean…"

"I already paid for everything so don't worry. Stay a night, alright?"

 

It took awhile but Jongwoon eventually gave in with a small nod. Not to be rude, but just a glance at Jongwoon's outfit was enough to hint him of the shorter male's poor financial situation. That was why he took the liberty and paid for everything, while making sure that this cute guy got the best doctor and best room. Sungmin could nag him all he wanted but Kyuhyun would never miss a chance to impress the guy that caught his eyes!

 

"Sungmin, you're really kind, thank you!"

 

Kyuhyun frowned before looking down to hide frustration in his gaze. He truly wanted to hear that y husky voice calling his name not that of his manager, but he lied about it because he wanted Jongwoon to look at him for who he really was, not at the mask of celebrity that he wore. For now, he wanted to focus on getting to know each other better first.

 

 

"Jongwoon, do you mind if I ask you—"

 

 

The man in question was already fast asleep. The sight didn't surprise him because the doctor did inform him that not only Jongwoon suffered a minor injury from the accident, but he was also in need of proper sleep and nutritions. He didn't know what Jongwoon did for making a living but it sure did mess up his health. Kyuhyun quietly pulled the chair closer to the bed. He pulled the blanket up to properly cover the sleeping man. Then he placed his elbows on the white sheet and rested his cheek on his palm. He was about to begin his "observation" session but the phone vibrating in his pants pocket distracted him. He headed to the connected restroom and answered the call from his manager.

 

 

"Sungmin, what happened?"

"Bad news. I don't know how but those maddie are here at the hospital. Right now, I'm cooperating with cops and hospital's staff to guard the place. We won't let them find you but that means you can't get out of here in the meantime too."

"Seriously? Urgh, the thing these lunacy do to stalk me…"

"Speaking of stalking, you have to stay a night so don't even think about those immoral stuff. Even my best lawsuit teams can't save your if that guy sues you for ual harassment."

"Do I really have that little credit in your eyes?"

"I'd have more if you didn't stare at his lips all the way to the hospital. I'll hang up now. Don't forget to behave yourself."

 

 

His manager ended the call before he got to protest. Seriously, was he such a total ert in his manager's eyes!? Kyuhyun admitted that he got attracted to Jongwoon at the first sight and wished to know him more. But that didn't mean that he would attack Jongwoon! When the man was still in a weak state, no less!

 

 

Walking out of the restroom, Kyuhyun sat down on the plush chair with a dramatic sigh. Cho Kyuhyun wouldn't receive the "Most Chivalrous Actor" award if he wasn't such a perfect gentleman—

 

 

Jongwoon suddenly giggled in his sleep then pouted with a cute frown, probably dreaming about something now.

 

 

... Okay, maybe his manager was right about him having little to none credit. But hey! At least that chivalrous award should mean something, right? Right??

 

 

 

Kyuhyun harshly pinched his arm so that his gaze would stop gawking at the protruding plump lips.

 

****************************************

 

"What happened to Yesung…? Today is Saturday so why don't they update a new chapter…?"

 

 

Jongwoon woke up because he heard his pen name being called. Blinking drowsily, his gaze wandered on the white wall opposite of his bed to a wall clock— six in the morning of Saturday, no wonder he woke up on his own. It was usually the time he posted a new chapter. Being hospitalized didn't make him change his schedule. Luckily, he saved the novel file in his phone too so he didn't need a laptop. The question was, where was his phone?

 

"Where is my pho— cough!"

"Jongwoon? Are you thirsty? Wait a sec!"

 

He let Sungmin help him sit up and fetched a glass of water. Trying not to gulp it all in one go, Jongwoon carefully sipped the refreshing cool liquid under Sungmin's observant gaze. He sighed afterward in content that his throat no longer felt like sandpaper and repeated the question.

 

"Sungmin, where is my phone?"

"That…" The taller male looked away guiltily, "it broke when you fell on top of it after getting hit and fainting."

"What? No! My phone that I've yet to pay the installment!"

"Sorry… I promise I'll help pay for the new one after you discharge. But you can use mine for now if you want."

"No thanks, I just want to find something to do to kill the time. Speaking of time, don't tell me that you haven't slept yet!?"

"Don't worry, I already took a long nap on that comfy sofa."

"I see… Thank you for accompanying me then."

 

Pulling his knees close to his chest, Jongwoon sighed in annoyance that his perfect update schedule was ruined. He had no choice but waited for his little brother to fetch the laptop from his room. He wondered what his regular readers (probably ten-ish people) thought about his abnormal absence. Would they think that the commotion with the so-called superstar Cho Kyuhyun affected him? He genuinely felt bad because he did end the latest chapter with a cliffhanger. He hoped that the frequented reader, Your_Geamer, didn't die from anticipation first while waiting for the update!

 

 

Speaking of his novel…

 

 

Jongwoon stole a glance at Sungmin who frowned and clicked his tongue impatiently at his phone.

 

 

"Sungmin, did you… perhaps read the Tale of the Raven?"

"What!?" Those brown eyes instantly looked up, "you read it too!? Wait, are you a reader before or after the commotion?"

"Before that, actually, I'm one of the very first readers!"

 

 

Technically that wasn't a lie, he was indeed the very first person to read the novel.

 

 

"Oh, you're like me then! I've long known it even before it got the sudden exposure. Could it be that you're 'the Cutest Giraffe'?"

"No, I never left any comments there so you probably don't know me…" And that was definitely his brother Ryeowookie.

"Seriously!? Jongwoon, you can't enjoy masterpiece works while not supporting it! Think about the author who pours their heart into the story! They deserve the praises!"

 

Jongwoon hummed absentmindedly while hiding his smile in his arms before looking up again.

 

"Can we talk about it? The novel, I mean, I rarely meet someone who likes it so…"

"Absolutely! This is my first time meeting a fan of the novel too! I gotta warn you though, I'm an avid Wolfgang supporter so don't you dare slandering him."

"You're Wolfgang team? Then, are you 'Your_Geamer'?"

"Was I that obvious?" The taller male laughed sheepishly.

"Oh, you're not that obvious at all!" Jongwoon smirked teasingly, "your comments are all about Wolfgang this and Wolfgang that. I seriously have no idea which character is your bias!"

"Cough, what about you? Who is your favorite character?"

"Hmm… I like them all but if I have to choose, then it's Maya! Our personalities are quite alike so I have a soft spot for her."

"So… you're saying that you're free-spirited and love money? Maya agreed to go on the adventure because the rewards are splendid, after all."

"Who doesn't love money?" Jongwoon shrugged, though he inwardly added that Maya was the first character he created so obviously he liked her a bit more.

"Our reasons are the same then. I like Wolfgang because his circumstance is similar to mine. People admire him for his look and believe that he's the god-sent, kindest mage on earth. They praise him and look up to him as if he was an angel of greatest good when in fact he's actually very manipulative and selfish. He has another side and desire just like any other humans but no one understands him. Only Maya who managed to pull his true self out and saw him for who he really is. Only Maya who treated him like an equal, not worshipping him as if he's a god. Only Maya who spoke honestly with him. Maya and Wolfgang are meant to be. That's why I'll ship them until the end of the world!"

 

 

Jongwoon stared at the man in amazement. Never before had he met someone who showed such passion toward his novel. He had been writing for four years and there were times when he doubted that his effort was useless. However, Sungmin eradicated any doubts that he had and reassured him that he didn't choose a wrong career...

 

 

Ba-dump ba-dump ba-dump

 

 

Ah, what should I do? I think I'm falling in love…

 

********************************

 

Crap, am I falling in love with Jongwoon?

 

 

Kyuhyun thought as his heart was unable to stop slamming against his chest. Jongwoon was staring at him with a beautiful smile while resting his head on his knees. The way those captivating dark eyes focusing on him completely stole his breath. As a superstar, he was accustomed to that kind of admiring gaze. But something about Jongwoon's warm gaze was different from the other. Maybe it was the fact that Jongwoon didn't know who he was and acted freely around him, but he really, truly was attracted to Jongwoon. The calling in his heart overwhelmed his logical thinking and he acted on his whim. He leaned closer into the black-haired man's bubble and broke the tranquility spell. Jongwoon's breath hitched and his chubby cheeks turned redder. The shorter male slowly shut his eyes as Kyuhyun leaned in closer and closer. His heart literally somersaulted when he felt a warm breath brushing against his lips…

 

 

"Jongwoon hyung why don't you tell me that you got in an accident and with Cho Kyuhyun of all people! If Sungmin-ssi didn't call me then I wouldn't have any ideas about it! Have you thanked him yet for promoting your novel for free? Oh, by the way I brought your laptop with me so you can continue writing your novel while you are… hospitalized…"

 

 

Ryeowook who barged into the room stopped rambling when he saw his older brother and the famous actor were so close to kissing. Kyuhyun blinked while registering what the newcomer just said about him promoting Jongwoon's novel. At the same time, Jongwoon was staring at him with mouth agape.

 

"You're Yesung!!? / You're that famous Cho Kyuhyun!!?"

"And I'm Kim Ryeowook! But I guess this isn't the best time for an introduction… I'll come back later hyung!"

 

Ryeowook said in one breath and slammed the door shut in the next second, leaving Jongwoon and Kyuhyun to exchange a confused gaze.

 

"Well… I think we need to introduce ourselves again?" Kyuhyun suggested uncertainty.

"You bet we need it!" Jongwoon pouted, "why did you lie about yourself!?"

"I just wanted you to look at me as an equal. Is that too much to ask?"

"Crap, don't pout! That's not fair!"

"You're not fair too," Kyuhyun continued to pout, "you had me embarrass myself by rambling about Wolfgang!"

"I just wanted to hear my novel being appreciated. Is that too much to ask?"

"Hey, don't pout! Now you're being unfair, Jongwoon!

 

Both men continued to pout at each other for a while before bursting out laughing at the same time. Kyuhyun and Jongwoon looked at each other and smiled at their silliness.

 

"Jongwoon, you were thinking about that too, right?"

"The scene in the novel, right?" Jongwoon grinned, "when Maya and Wolfgang first learned that they had been lying to each other about their identities, they argued furiously but ended up laughing after that. We're exactly like them!"

"And we're going to end up together like them too, right?"

"Not so fast, Kyuhyun, I won't spoil the story."

 

Kyuhyun tsked when the black-haired man saw through his scheme. Oh well, he had more methods to try to get the spoiler out of Jongwoon. But that had to be left for the later time, for now, he wanted to talk about something else with Jongwoon.

 

"Jongwoon."

"Hmm?"

"Does it change your mind knowing who I really am?"

"Do you mean will I keep hitting on you after knowing that you're a superstar with a hoard of fans ready to murder me for stealing you?"

 

Jongwoon smiled playfully and hooked his arms around the handsome actor's neck.

 

"The answer is, no, I'm not giving up on you. If I was that easy to give up, I would've quit writing ages ago!"

"Are you prepared for the hardships? Dating me is no easy task."

"I know I can do it because you won't let me face the obstacles alone, right?"

 

Kyuhyun smiled softly at the question.

 

"Of course, we'll go through it together like how Wolfgang and Maya did in the novel."

 

 

Promises made and feelings ascertained, Kyuhyun and Jongwoon leaned into one another determining to get a kiss for real this time. Time slowed down to unmoving as brown orbs and black ones were lost in their counterparts. Two pairs of anticipating lips were barely a centimeter away when both men closed their eyes…

 

 

Then someone barged into the room.

 

 

"Kyuhyun, good news! We've successfully driven those crazy fans out of the hospital ground so it's okay to go… now…"

 

 

Sungmin blinked stoically at the sight before his eyes. Both men turned to stare at him and responded differently. Jongwoon laughed heartily while Kyuhyun growled angrily.

 

 

"Sungmin-ssi! Don't barge in there— ah, I didn't make it…"

 

 

Ryeowook popped out from behind Sungmin who still stood quietly by the door and smiled apologetically at both men. He shrieked and quickly hid behind Sungmin when Kyuhyun glared daggers at him. Realizing that it was fully his fault, Sungmin stood protectively in front of the shorter man and faked a cough.

 

"Ahem, my apology for walking in when you were having a 'good time'. If I may, how about I call a doctor now and hurry the check up so that Jongwoon-ssi can discharge sooner?"

"Yes, you had better do that!"

 

Kyuhyun all but growled at his manager. Sungmin sighed tiredly at his talent's response. His career would no doubt become much more headache-inducing in the future, seeing how Kyuhyun was ready to bite anyone who disturbed his and Jongwoon's precious time together. Worst of all, imagine if those crazy fans found out that Kyuhyun's boyfriend, Jongwoon-ssi was the same person with Yesung who was Kyuhyun's favorite author…

 

 

 

 

Sungmin couldn't help but wonder if the health insurance he bought last year covered a potential heart disease that might arise from his stressful job...

 

****************************************

 

Two years later…

 

 

"Good day to all ladies and gentlemen present here! I'm Leeteuk, the mc for today's press conference of the movie 'The Tale of the Raven' which is based on the best seller novel of the same name. It's a story about a treasure hunter named Maya who goes on a journey to defeat the demon lord Razan to claim her eye-catching rewards. Along the way she meets many allies and foes. Will she succeed? You have to find out in the movie! But for now,"

 

The blond-haired man gestured his hand at the long table beside his stool.

 

"Let's say hi to the esteemed guests here who make the movie happen. Everyone, please introduce yourself one by one."

"Good afternoon, I'm Shindong, the director of the movie."

"Hi, I'm Seo Joohyun, I play as Maya, the main character of the movie."

"Yo! I'm Kim Heechul, I'm Lord Razan the greatest demon lord!"

"I'm Cho Kyuhyun, I play as Wolfgang, the bestest boy of all."

 

The reporters laughed at the last two men's antics. Then, they turned their attention to the last man sitting at the table. The black-haired man smiled politely while inclining his head to the reporters.

 

"Hello, I'm Kim Jongwoon, the author of the novel 'The Tale of the Raven' that the movie is based on."

 

 

Jongwoon turned to Kyuhyun who sat beside him. A silver ring adorning with a tiny diamond hugged around his left ring finger as he placed his hand above Kyuhyun's larger hand. Kyuhyun turned his hand over and intertwined their fingers while the mc moved on to the Q&A session.

 

 

 

 

The couple smiled at each other.