For some reason, Jongwoon woke up and found himself in his favorite boys' love novel: "Of Stubbornness and Late Realization".

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The premise:

The main character, Kim Ryeowook, had been friends with the male lead, Cho Kyuhyun since they were young. They realized that they had feelings for each other during their last year in high school but both of them were too stubborn to admit it. After graduating, they grew apart and lost contact. Their reunion was ten years later at Ryeowook's wedding. They realized that they still held those precious days close to their hearts but it was too late to do anything. The story ended with them moving on with their lives while keeping their love as a memory— a cute story with a bittersweet ending.

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Jongwoon remembered bawling his eyes out after finishing it. Then, he knocked on the door of the author's DM and sent ten pages of complaint regarding the angsty ending, though most of his complaints leaned towards the male lead who is his bias.

"If it was me, I'd never make Kyuhyun sad!"

Then, he went to bed and woke up in the said novel world.

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Jongwoon opened his eyes and found himself in an unfamiliar high school. He thought he was dreaming until he saw two boys who fit the two main characters' description: Cho Kyuhyun and Kim Ryeowook. He realized that he got isekai'd as a mob character in his favorite novel. Since he got himself into this fantasy mess by harassing the author, Jongwoon accepted his new reality as it was.

Most importantly, he got a chance to make Kyuhyun happy by changing the story!

With that thought in mind, Jongwoon was determined to play a cupid role in pairing the two main characters together.

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First encounter arc:

Jongwoon hid behind a tree while anxiously watching the two youths arguing. Of course, he remembered the novel's opening scene as if reading it yesterday. It was Kyuhyun's and Ryeowook's first year in high school yet they already fought a lot. The reason? Kyuhyun liked staying at home playing games while Ryeowook preferred going out when he had free time. Yep, they argued all the time because of their crashing interests. Another reason was jealousy. Both boys made new friends so they spent less time together. They didn't like it but neither of them was willing to admit it, hence this childish fight…

"Why can't you just stay home and play games with me!!?"

"Why would I!!? I asked you to go to this recommended restaurant I found on the internet with me last week but you ditched me!"

"Because that sounds boring as hell!"

"So is playing games with you!"

Oh no, Jongwoon knew how this situation would escalate. This fight would become one of many contributions as to why the two main characters refused to talk about their feelings properly! He must interfere now!!

"Did…" Kyuhyun spoke up, looking pissed. "Did you just say that playing games with me is boring?"

Ryeowook scoffed, "veeeeery boring."

"You little—!"

"Please don't fight!"

Jongwoon ran to stand between them but got knocked out by Kyuhyun's punch…

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"Ouch… my nose…"

"Hey, you woke up!"

Jongwoon blinked a few times before realizing that he was in an infirmary. His bias Kyuhyun sat beside his bed with guilty looks. The novel's male lead kindly helped him sit up (he squealed internally when Kyuhyun's warm hands held him). The boy brought a glass of water and carefully fed him.

"...Sorry for knocking you out. But you shouldn't get in the way in the first place!"

Jongwoon pouted, "I just don't want you to fight with your friend."

Kyuhyun snorted, "The two of us fight all the time, dummy."

"But then you regret it every time, right? Stop it, Kyuhyun, I don't want to see you sad."

Kyuhyun stared at him with mild interest.

"How's that any of your concern…?"

He grasped Kyuhyun's larger hands, hoping to get his message through the stubborn male lead.

"Because I care about you (as my bias) and I want you to be happy (as my bias). If fighting with Ryeowook makes you sad then stop it. To me, you (as my bias) deserve all the happiness in this world."

Kyuhyun seemed stunned by his words so Jongwoon took it that his plan worked. That's right. If fighting with your precious friend hurts you then just don't do it again! He beamed while shaking the male lead's hand up and down in a good mood. His short fingers hooked the larger palms and squeezed. After a while, Kyuhyun squeezed back and smiled warmly at him.

"What is your name?"

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Nursing event arc:

A year has passed since Jongwoon got isekai'd into his favorite BL novel. Because of his presence as a mediator, Kyuhyun and Ryeowook didn't fight as often as they did in the original story. The two main characters actually had gotten a lot closer while he kept watching over them from afar, yes, from afar. He didn't want to be a third wheel so he always stayed at least one meter behind them, only showing up when they were about to fight. At some point, Kyuhyun caught him stalking them and told him to come to join them. So, he had no choice but to disguise himself as a tree while following them around. He only wanted a front-row seat watching their relationship grow, not being an extra character in their stories. While disguising himself, the handsome male lead somehow always found his eyes and smirked at him, though he probably imagined it. Why would the male lead take an interest in a mob character like him? It was merely a coincidence that Kyuhyun always found him among other people (although it definitely wasn't a coincidence that his heart skipped a beat every time their gazes met).

Seeing his bias in flesh and blood only confirmed that he truly did like Cho Kyuhyun.

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"Today is the day of another important event. I mustn't miss it!"

Jongwoon talked to himself cheerfully while checking that his disguise was still intact. This time, he disguised himself as a pot plant in the student council room. A nursing event should happen here soon and it was one of his favorite scenes in the novel. So, he wanted to witness it with his own eyes! In a nutshell, Kyuhyun, who was a student council president, worked too hard while having a cold so he fainted. When Ryeowook found him collapsing on the floor, the MC stayed with his friend and nursed him until the fever cooled down, all the while begging the male lead to be with him. This event made Kyuhyun realize that Ryeowook did care about him despite his harsh words. Thus, the two youths got one step closer to realizing their feelings. The scene was already so sweet and fluffy just by reading the text. Imagine if it happened right before his eyes!

So, Jongwoon waited impatiently while watching the male lead cough nonstop. Kyuhyun's face was reddened due to the fever and he kept rubbing his forehead, and the sight squeezed his heart painfully. His poor bias…! Just wait a bit more and your fated partner will be here!

But No one came.

I-In a minute! Ryeowook will definitely come here!

Still, no one came. Kyuhyun closed his eyes and put his face in his palm, groaning in pain.

What…? Did he mistake the date…? B-But it should be today! Maybe Ryeowook is on his way!

No one came even after another ten minutes passed. Kyuhyun looked like he couldn't stand the headache anymore. The male lead got up and headed to the couch with wobbly steps, but collapsed on the floor first.

"Kyuhyun!"

Jongwoon immediately threw his disguise away and reached the male lead's side within a second. He put Kyuhyun's arm over his shoulder and took him to the couch, carefully laying the boy down. He took out a nursing kit from his bag. He actually prepared it for Ryeowook but screwed that! He would never stand still and let his bias suffer! First, he loosened the male lead's necktie and top two buttons. Then, he used a damp towel to gently wipe the sick person's face, neck, and arms to reduce the fever. After a while of hard work, Kyuhyun finally regained a bit of his consciousness.

"Jongwoon…?"

"Yes, it's me. Here, Kyuhyun, drink this soup so you don't have to take a med on an empty stomach."

"Why do you carry these things around?"

"Someone has to, right? Consider how you abandon your health! Besides, I said that I'll always watch over you, didn't I?"

Kyuhyun stared at him without saying anything, probably too tired to do so. The male lead let him feed the soup spoon by spoon and took a fever reducer. After that, Jongwoon made his bias lie down again and continued to nurse him. Seeing the other boy's frown due to a headache, he caressed his bias's face and hummed softly until Kyuhyun's expression relaxed. Jongwoon smiled, knowing that the medicine had taken its effect, and softly coaxed the male lead to rest with a promise to never leave his side. Kyuhyun's eyelids fluttered as drowsiness hit him. Before falling asleep, Kyuhyun beckoned him to come closer and suddenly kissed his cheek when their faces were an inch away.

"Thank you, Jongwoon, what would I do without you…"

With a tired but happy smile, Kyuhyun dozed off while holding his hand firmly. His expression was extremely relaxed and satisfied. On the other hand, Jongwoon was too shocked to think straight after what just happened. His mind only replayed the affectionate peck on his cheek by his favorite male lead which caused his face to heat up.

Did he catch a cold from Kyuhyun?

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Summer festival arc:

Another year had passed and there was only a month left before the graduation ceremony, meaning the first part of the novel was about to end. Ever since the nursing event, the male lead had become obsessed with him instead of the main character. Kyuhyun always found him without fail no matter how good his disguise was. Kyuhyun always hugged him and kissed his cheek whenever he had a chance. Worst of all, Kyuhyun happily ditched Ryeowook in favor of being with him. By now, Jongwoon realized that he totally screwed up the original plot by accidentally making the male lead fall for him. Determined to fix it, he worked hard to avoid Kyuhyun but the male lead also worked harder chasing him (and his bias always caught him in the end). They kept playing the game of cat and mouse while Ryeowook watched them in great humor from the side, munching on a snack as if they were some sort of entertainment. Before long, the summer festival was approaching.

And Jongwoon swore to make everything right again in this event.

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A summer festival was a mandatory event in every novel with a high school setting, including this one he was living in. In the original novel, the two main characters wanted to go to the festival together but neither was willing to ask their friend out. They went to the festival alone but ran into each other at a game booth. They got to spend time together and let go of their stubbornness. During the firework show, they almost kissed, just almost, they stopped at the last minute after realizing that it was their friends they were about to kiss. Although the kiss didn't happen, this event marked an important milestone where the two leads further realized their own feelings; something that might not happen now that Kyuhyun couldn't stop touching him instead of the main character…

To fix the mess he made, Jongwoon called the two friends and asked them to meet him at the festival. Obviously, it was a bull lie for the two youths to meet and spend time together while he stalked them from afar as usual. However…

"... Kyuhyun has been waiting for almost half an hour now but Ryeowook still hasn't shown up."

Pursing his lips, Jongwoon peeked from behind a tree to look at the lone brown-haired boy who was standing quietly by the festival entrance. He made sure to tell both friends to meet him here but why did only the male lead show up? What about the main character? Getting impatient, he messaged Ryeowook and his heart sank when the boy told him that he couldn't make it. What? Ryeowook should know that Kyuhyun was at the festival so why wouldn't he come? The novel got off the rails again! Is it really too late to restore the original story—?

"Jongwoon-ah,"

"Ah!?"

Jongwoon snapped out of his messy thoughts and looked up to meet the male lead's warm gaze. His bias's gorgeous looks and smile that shone brightly because of the colorful neon lights caused his heart to drum loudly in his chest. He was about to step forward but stopped when noticing the passersby. As expected of the male lead, everyone looked at Kyuhyun in awe and whispered among themselves praising his good looks, but no one spared a glance at him; a mob character that didn't even exist in the original novel…

"Jongwoon-ah, are you going to run away from me again?"

Only Kyuhyun looked at him.

"...If I said yes, what would you do?"

"I'll chase you to the end of the world, obviously."

The male lead smiled genuinely and clasped their hands close. Jongwoon stared at their hands, one big and one small, and noticed how they seemed to fit perfectly as if they were born to hold only each other's hands. He chewed the bottom lip. It's okay to be selfish just once, right…?

"Kyuhyun… do you want to see the festival with me…?"

"I've been waiting for so long for that question."

His bias squeezed their connected hands and pecked his forehead, before leading him to a vibrant night that he will never forget.

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Graduation ceremony arc:

"I love you, Jongwoon-ah."

…That was what Kyuhyun told him on that festival night. He was watching the fireworks when the male lead suddenly cupped his face and made him look up. Then, something soft and warm touched his lips while the colorful light exploded in the sky above them. Shifting back, Kyuhyun smiled and said the three magical words to him. Contrary to the cliche trope in most rom-com stories, the confession from his bias didn't get drawn out by the noise around them. If anything, the "I love you" was so loud that it deafened everything else and made his eyes widen. Kyuhyun loved him…

Kim Jongwoon had totally ruined this novel.

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Before long, the first part of the novel had come to the end. After graduating, the main characters would grow apart due to a misunderstanding and reunite later at Ryeowook's wedding. If he still wanted to ensure happiness for his beloved bias, Jongwoon had to make a move immediately at the graduation ceremony. In the original story, Kyuhyun asked Ryeowook to meet after the closing ceremony under a cherry blossom tree behind the gym, a popular place for students to confess to their crush. Although the main character did go to the meeting place, Ryeowook only watched his friend in a hiding spot and never approached the male lead. Why? Because the main character was scared of losing what they had… Just like how he felt right now…

"Jongwoon-ah, can you meet me behind the gym after the ceremony?"

"..."

Jongwoon did expect Kyuhyun to ask him instead of Ryeowook after the story changed but he didn't know how to answer yet. Just like the main character in the novel, he was scared. What if everything ended as soon as he accepted the male lead's confession and he woke up in the real world? Alone and unhappy? What if he continued to stay here with Kyuhyun but fate took its course and made the male lead yearn for the main character despite everything? Most importantly, Jongwoon was scared of his own selfishness that wanted to hoard his bias to himself for his own happiness…

After pondering for a very long while, Jongwoon decided to check the situation first. He went to the gym but hid rather than going out to meet the waiting male lead. Kyuhyun was leaning against the cherry blossom tree with a confident look as if he was certain that he wouldn't ditch him. Well, would he? He still didn't have an answer for that so he wanted to keep watching. Maybe his bias might leave eventually if he didn't show up—?

Jongwoon realized that he is doing exactly what the main character did in the original novel.

He hid and kept the male lead waiting because of fear, of things that he didn't know would happen or not, just like Ryeowook in the story. Then, if he kept hiding like this, would Kyuhyun and him also drift apart…? No! The only reason why he came into the novel is—

"Kyuhyun!!"

"Jongwoon-ah, you're h—"

Before the male lead got to speak, Jongwoon tackled the taller boy and kissed him. Kyuhyun was stunned but only for a few seconds. His bias happily reciprocated the kiss and even turned over the tide to take charge, teasing him until his knees almost buckled. The gleeful male lead was about to drive in for another kiss but Jongwoon stopped him first 

"W-Wait, Kyuhyun, there's something I must tell you…"

"Yes?"

"I love you too!!"

"I know. But it's great that you finally stop running away…"

"Hehe, sorry… but I do have my reason which reminds me. Hey, Kyuhyun, are you happy right now?"

Kyuhyun smiled more beautifully than the spring.

"Yes, today is the happiest day in my student life…"

Jongwoon grinned and squeezed his bias back. No matter what might happen in the future, he would never regret his choice. That's it. That's all he wants to know…

As long as his beloved male lead is happy!

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Extra

"Ryeowook is fine with it, right? Us dating and all…"

"Why wouldn't he? He's our best friend!"

"Well… What if he had a crush on you…?"

Kyuhyun looked at him as if he had lost his mind.

"Don't tell me that this is the reason why you always run away from me!? You tried to play matchmaking with us!"

"Hey! It's not my fault that you two look like you're meant to be together and I just want you to be happy…"

"Nonsense," his boyfriend scoffed, "Ryeowook already has a girlfriend so, no, there's nothing between us."

His eyes almost popped out due to shock.

"A girlfriend!!? What? When? Who? How?"

"Ever since you started following us in the first year. Ryeowook said that I already have you so he doesn't have to worry about me anymore. Then, he met a girl from the next class and asked her out. Her name is Ari."

Ari… That was the name of the bride whom Ryeowook married in the book! So, he had already messed up the plot ever since the first minutes he got in here…?

"Jongwoon-ah, are you alright?"

"Sigh, I just realized that all my plans have gone wrong."

"I wouldn't say so," Kyuhyun smirked. "It does bring us together, doesn't it? My days are happier because of you, Jongwoon-ah."

"If it was me, I'd never make Kyuhyun sad!"

...Maybe his plans actually succeeded?

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Author's note:

I like reading isekai-theme light novels and manga/manhwa/manhua so I wanna try doing kyusung au! I hope you'll like it~

If you're not familiar with this term, it's basically someone getting sent to another place and living a new life!

Take care and love you!  <3

PS. Some of you might feel like you have read this before. Yes, you didn't imagine it. I once posted it on my Twitter but this one is a rewritten version!