Kanon Wakeshima - Kagami

He knew that he and his friends were not the only knights in the world. There were plenty of them, scattering in places most unexpected. To Junior, though, meeting Joo Inhyung’s knights had been both a pro and a con. When he finally noticed the true identity of the four boys surrounding Joo Inhyung, he surprised himself that he was unable to perceive the look in JB’s eyes. It was pure devotion and care; reflected in a pair of clear onyx orbs. The look he himself once had.

Old memories and scars were unearthed and surfacing all at once, sending Junior into momentary distraction. He picked himself up rather quickly, however; smile reaching his face as he took note of the situation. They were both knights; born from the tears of despair and will perish in tears of joy. Sooner or later, JB would be presented with the same choices as the ones he faced ages ago. He made his decision. And JB would do just the same.

You will make the choice just like mine.

The Huntsman is the only person the Queen could trust.

JB barged into his practice room one night, eyes blazing with rage as he tugged roughly at Junior’s collar with iron grip. Explain, he demanded, voice laced with venom. Junior had no intention to sugarcoat his answer; he returned the malice tenfold. It’s either the princess dies, or all knights must die. If you want to save one, sacrifice the other. It’s as simple as that.

JB wasn’t Joo Inhyung’s only knight; she’s got three more of them. The horrific truth had landed upon them, and Junior stood there watching the Knights fight among themselves. They wanted to live. Deep inside, Junior knew that JB did, too. But he was blinded from everything, blinded by the illusion of love. The Knights’ brotherhood melted away in kicks and punches fueled with their own ego.

JB refused to betray Joo Inhyung. He went as far as throwing away his pride to stay by her side.

But, he decided to save Snow White.

Junior never thought that JB would be able to persuade the others to stay.

And so, The Queen was left to take matters into her own hands.

He waited for his moment; for the perfect time. When Joo Inhyung was left alone, baffled, having no clue on what was going on, Junior made his move. He took advantage of the feelings she harbored for him to lure her away from the Knights. A ‘love’ confession was all it took. When the Knights return, they would be left with the fact that their princess no longer needed them.

Snow White took the poison apple, all on her own will.

There was something in Joo Inhyung’s smile that stung him a bit. Poor maiden was unaware of her own ill fate. Nevertheless, there was nothing he could do; he had made his decision. She wasn’t the one to save him from the pit of despair. JB might. And for this very reason, Junior had wanted the other to live. It was selfish, he knew well, but after what he had endured, he believed that he deserve second chances.

Of course, he didn’t miss the look in JB’s eyes the moment he declared that Joo Inhyung and him were dating. The other Knights all shared the same look; but JB’s had something else in it. It was a split second of confusion, followed by disbelief and a glint of hopelessness behind the ever-stoic face. The raging war was so desperately hidden behind a calm façade, and Junior felt an odd sense of accomplishment.

See? She no longer needs you. Now all you have to do is leave her, and you’ll live.

Finally, The Queen’s mirror told her the answer she always desired.

But is it really the end of the tale?

Junior’s moment of glory lasted only for a brief period. Soon, he found himself staring into Joo Inhyung’s glassy eyes as she trembled, fingers clutching what appears to be a piece of ticket tightly. It must have triggered something inside her, because only seconds later she dashed out of the trailer house, an almost inaudible ‘I’m sorry’ rolling off her tongue.

Junior ran after her, hiding behind trees and walls as Joo Inhyung tripped several times. He held back as she arrived in front of the concert hall, looking around only to discover that the concert already ended and JB was no longer there. He kept silent as Joo Inhyung slumped on the top stairs, the star of the concert attempting to comfort her. He stayed in the shadows as Joo Inhyung described her thoughts of JB to the growing crowd. He watched, senses failing him as the man in question passed through the crowd, walking straight to the girl and wiped the tears running down her cheeks with a smile gracing his lips.

He turned away as Joo Inhyung fell into JB’s arms.

The Huntsman found Snow White and saved her once again.

Back in the practice room – his only sanctuary, the only place he could truly felt alive in – Junior stared into the mirrors only to find an unfamiliar male staring back at him. The past mistakes devoured him from the insides and the envy clouded him; like maggots swarming a decayed corpse, like flies surrounding a pile of waste. There was no trace of the devoted Knight he once was, nor was there any hint of the confident young idol he was known to be. He felt hollow, a void case of what used to be a soul.

His mind reeled back to the night he became human – the night that he wished he could change, the night that he had been lamenting from time to time. He was a knight – and a knight must stay faithful to his lady, for his entire life solely existed for her sake. Lost love and a broken heart had forced Junior to desert his vow, and a tragedy sealed off his past as a Knight. He tried to drown the memories of that night with his fame and success, but every now and then, he could feel the slight brush of Jisoo’s white scarf against his fingertips. The shakiness of her voice when she begged him for help. The tears swimming in her eyes when he tried to reach out to her the last time. Those memories fueled his remorse, keeping them ablaze despite his efforts to bury them deep in the darkest chasms of his heart.

When Jisoo lurched herself into the afterlife, she brought Junior’s humanity along. She put him in shackles, locking away his chances of happiness.

And years after, the man who could’ve become his savior turned out to be the blade that killed him.

All that’s left of The Queen’s fate was a pair of scorching iron boots – and she was bound to dance in them forever; burning herself into oblivion.

The original ending of Dream Knight still bugs me to this point, honestly. But damn that plot twist. The whole 12 minutes of episode 8, I kept pausing just to scream what the ?? Jr did very well with his acting, though I think the whole backstory with Jisoo and Jun seems a little rushed :/ or maybe that's just me.

look at me shamelessly complaining when the plot of this fic is rushed af

wait am I the only one around here who secretly hopes for a twist in the drama where jb saved jr instead ;u;

Tell me what you think ;u;