Chapter Text
Matthew stumbled home from work, head spinning from the onslaughts of overuse.
“I fucking hate my life” He mumbled as he tripped over a rubbish bin.
His life as a college student had hit rock bottom. Sunken lower than anyone could ever sink. He was ridden with college debts, no family to go back to and worst of all, he was too caught up in part time jobs that he had no friends to lean on.
“This could be worse” he gaslighted himself as a piece of rusty metal rusted his knee, causing him to hiss.
“No actually-“ Matthew swore as he wiped over the wound. He made his way back to his old rusty apartment, stumbling in the dead of the night.
He flicked his light on, wincing at the mess of his small apartment before he collapsed on bed, not even bothering to take off his shoes. “Huh?” He whispered as he felt his body coming in contact with something hard.
Matthew reached under him and found a strikingly blue book labelled, Youth in the Shade , sitting on his bed.
“Hm weird I’ve never seen this before” Matthew pondered as he shrugged and tossed it to the side, failing to notice the book slightly glowing.
The next morning, Matthew woke up groggily, turning to see the mysterious book from his side still there. He glanced at it suspiciously as he looked at the date.
“My day off,” he mumbled as he dressed into a more comfortable outfit and got ready to spend the day happily alone.
Stealing a pool floaty from the neighbour’s kids next door, and feeling no remorse, Matthew made his way down to his apartment complex’s pool. He plopped the floaty into the crystal clear water- suspiciously clean unlike the apartments themselves- and carefully sunk onto it, not forgetting to bring his new book.
He floated around for a while, drifting and enjoying the bright sun, before opening the first page. Matthew nearly capsized in shock as he yelled “what the- it’s blank”.
Suddenly little words were scrawled onto the first page.
Seok Matthew, our chosen Narrator. Would you like to create new virtual realities? The only rule is, you must reach the end of this novel, and save your new eight friends.
“I have no friends.” Matthew deadpanned, not even bothering to wonder why a freaking book was writing messages to him. It felt supernatural…
You can choose your own storyline, and create your characters.
The book continued scrawling in black ink as Matthew felt a headache forming, images flashing through his head.
A best friend, a lover, a protector. Magic, fairies, royalty, all those scenes flashed through his head. The stories he could create and the power he had.
The book never gave him a choice to respond as his floatation device suddenly started shaking. “Woah, woah please no” Matthew begged as he watched a whirlpool start forming.
“This is too scary-“ Matthew screamed as his head flashed white and he was capsized down into the pool.
Matthew choked on water as he slowly drowned, not having any energy to save himself.
His eyes slowly closed as the book in his hand unknowingly flipped to the first page.
Chapter 1: A best friend
——
“Seokmae, Seokmae wake up!" A voice screamed as Matthew burst up and found himself face to face with a handsome stranger.
“Yah, Seokmae, you scared me there! Sleeping like a cat” the stranger cooed as he grabbed Matthew’s face and rubbed it.
Matthew’s eye twitched as he wondered what the hell was going on. Didn’t he drown? Was this all a dream?
Matthew glanced back down at his knee and noticed the scar from yesterday glaring right back at him.
“This is real” Matthew groaned as he felt the blue book clutched tightly to his hand. He hesitantly opened the first page, reading:
Seok Matthew and Sung Hanbin, the best friends of the century, woke up too their first day of college.
He clutched his temples as he looked around, noticing pictures of him and Sung Hanbin pressed to the wall. Them as children, them growing up together, them graduating, the whole backstory was already prepared for Matthew.
This was the first chapter to his story that he got to create. Wild.
“Matthew ah, are you ok” A worried voice asked as Hanbin held him protectively.
The book forgot to mention how attractive his characters would be.
He stared at his best friend’s face, black strands of hair framing his striking features and dressed in a white shirt that showed off his muscles.
“Seokmae you’re staring,” Hanbin chuckled as Matthew turned away and blushed.
“G’morning hyung!” He exclaimed as he reached up to lazily embrace Hanbin. The elder beamed as he saw his best friend coming back to normal. Matthew grinned as he clutched the book tightly.
If this was his story, then he sure as hell was going to create fun and happy memories for himself. He didn’t care that they might’ve just been his characters, the Sung Hanbin staring down at him with whisker smiles sure felt like a real person.
“Hyung, hyung!” Matthew exclaimed as Hanbin picked him up and hugged him, laughing at his bed hair. Matthew’s heart skipped a beat.
“So this is what it feels like to be hugged” Matthew whispered.
Matthew and Hanbin spoke like old friends- they were- and Matthew learnt more about this storyline.
They had been friends since childhood, meeting in a playground ages ago. Apparently Hanbin had fallen over on the swings and nearly started crying when a sunshine came to him.
“That’s how I knew I’d want to spend my life with this bright pretty sunshine” Hanbin recounted as Matthew eagerly nodded, ready to learn more about their relationship.
“And then you wiped my tears away with your dirty hands and your mum scolded you for dirtying me. You even exclaimed ‘but his handsome face could never be unattractive’ as a five year old kid” Hanbin laughed as he noticed Matthew staring up at him. “You don’t remember?”
Matthew paused, shaking his head furiously. “Of course I do hyung!” He exclaimed as the two college roommates got ready for classes.
“Seokmae ah, here!” Hanbin said with a tint of red on his cheeks. He held up his own hoodie and helped Matthew get into it, blushing slightly when he saw how cute the younger looked in his clothes.
Matthew didn’t question it whatsoever. Except, did best friends usually share hoodies like this? Did best friends stare at each other like they owned the stars? Did they call them strangely endearing nicknames? Nah, he never would’ve known cause he had no friends.
“That’s so sad” he whispered to himself as he focused on cutting up their vegetables. “Seokmae, remember not to hurt yourself- AH!” Hanbin yelled as he watched Matthew cut his finger.
“Ah shi-“ Matthew cursed as he hissed. He was too caught up in his former loneliness that he forgot to focus on his task at hand.
“Seokmae!” Hanbin yelled as he ditched the eggs in favour of running up to Matthew. Hanbin blew on Matthew’s finger and bandaged it with a cute howls moving castle Band-Aid.
“It’s not that big of a deal hyung,” Matthew laughed as Hanbin forced him to sit down and rest, choosing to do the rest of the kitchen work by himself.
“Of course it is Seokmae! Your health comes first” Hanbin scolded as he gently packed up all their food. Matthew placed his hands on his cheek, watching as Hanbin fluttered around the kitchen, making small talk as the best friends grew closer and closer.
“Hyung, are you ready?” Matthew asked as Hanbin cooly got his car keys and nodded. Matthew watched in awe as they hopped into their shared car, staring at Hanbin whilst he revved the engine and reversed.
“Woah-“ he’s never seen someone look so good whilst driving one handed before. Of course the perfect person didn’t exist in real life. Only in Matthew’s twisted reality.
Hanbin sneaked a glance at Matthew, smiling to himself proudly as he took a hand off the steering wheel to hold Matthew’s hand.
“Uhh- anyways hyung! What’s the plan for the day?” Matthew asked as he avoided staring at their interlocked hands. Why was his beat thumping for a person who wasn’t even real?
“I’ll pick you up from your classes and we’ll have a picnic together ok? Then maybe we can walk to our PE class together!” Hanbin exclaimed as Matthew excitedly laughed. He’d never been this happy about going to college before.
“Sure thing hyung!” Matthew said as they pulled up to their college. The bright words SNU stood out as Matthew stared at it in shock. How on Earth did the Narration go so well that Matthew went to the top university in Korea?
He spotted signs at the gate with banners waving a “SUNG HANBIN” around, whilst girls and boys alike stood there screaming.
“Of course,” Matthew whispered. In virtual realities and real life there’s no way Hanbin would’ve been any less popular.
One girl spotted them as they ran up to Hanbin, yelling “Hanbin Oppa!”
Matthew raised his eye brows at Hanbin as Hanbin sighed in exasperation. “Seokmae, on the count of three we run ok?” He said as he gripped Matthew’s hand.
Matthew begun to feel claustrophobic as he got pushed from all sides, everyone wishing to spend some time with their school president- because yes of course Hanbin was also the school president.
Hanbin gripped his hand tightly as he stood in front of Matthew protectively. “Ok, one… two… THREE” Hanbin yelled as they ran through the mob, ducking and weaving together.
They ran straight through their school gates as Matthew finally let go and slowed down, “w-wait hyung” he gasped out, trying to get some oxygen back into him as he stared at Hanbin’s unaffected figure with jealousy.
“Seokmae, you ok?” Hanbin asked as he worriedly patted Matthew’s back, holding a bottle of water up to his lips.
“Hyung, they’re crazy” Matthew mumbled as Hanbin rubbed his neck, embarrassed. “Don’t worry Matthew, I’m not interested in any of those people” he said as he stared at Matthew intently, conflicted.
Matthew stared back with a confused expression. “… congrats?”
“Anyways I’ve got to get to class, so I’ll see you later hyung!” Matthew exclaimed as he brushed off the awkward tension. Hanbin nodded and asked sheepishly “do you need help getting-“
“Nope!” Matthew exclaimed as he gently pushed Hanbin away. “Hyung, as the school prez you don’t want to set a bad example for the juniors right?” Matthew said as Hanbin resigned and sulkily walked away. He looked back at Matthew’s smiley figure and melted at how cute his best friend looked in his sweatshirt, before waving giddily.
Matthew smiled as he hopped off to his first class, excited to finally be free of stresses- except he had no idea where his class was.
“I’m so stupid” he whined as he wandered around aimlessly, looking for a magical pathway to appear.
“Why didn’t I just ask Hanbin hyung to walk me there” he said as he felt a tingling in his pocket. He reached inside and felt the mysterious book, flipping the pages to see everything that had happened him and Hanbin this morning written out.
“Seriously, our poor protagonist was wondering how he ended up with such a handsome childhood friend who adored him? I’m not like that” Matthew snorted as he read the next few lines.
After breaking off with Hanbin, Matthew walked to his new classroom- room 6A, class 101 for Mathematics majors.
“I’m a nerd?!” Matthew gasped as mentally whacked the book and saw a sign with his new classroom on it down the hall.
He walked inside nervously as he plopped down, staring at the whiteboard filled with maths equations blankly. “Oh gosh,” he mumbled quietly in English as their teacher walked in and started teaching Matthew the saddest set of Maths he’d ever learn.
Who invented it anyways? Like who decided that they needed to find the rules of wavy, curvy sin/cos graphs and to use functions? Couldn’t they stick to simpler real life situations like, how many apples does Hanbin have if he starts off with one and gives one away.
“Stop thinking about Hanbin” Matthew muttered to himself as he spent the whole lesson doodling, not caring at once that inportant noteworthy information was probably being written down.
The class ended with Matthew half in a daze and half zoning out as he spotted a tall handsome figure by the door.
“Ah- hyung!” Matthew exclaimed as he bounded past the door and hugged Hanbin tightly.
“Seokmae, it’s only been an hour, did you miss me that much?” Hanbin teased as Matthew let go and pouted, not noticing how attached he’d grown to this character in the short amount of time.
“No its just I was scared you’d disappear” Matthew said as Hanbin looked at him quizzically. “I’ll always be here for you Seokmae, don’t worry” he said as he hugged Matthew close.
“Sure…” Matthew trailed off as they skipped towards the open clearing. Hanbin layed out a picnic rug as Matthew sprawled out on it, seeming like a cat basking in the sun. “Cute” Hanbin mumbled as he unpacked their lunches.
“Seokmae say ahhh” Hanbin said as he put a fork to Matthew’s mouth. Matthew flushed but opened it nonetheless, chomping down on the yummy food that he and Hanbin (mostly Hanbin) had cooked for them.
“Aigo, Matthew ah is too cute” Hanbin cooed as he pinched Matthew’s puffed cheeks. Matthew stared up at him with innocent eyes as he kept chomping, not noticing how Hanbin’s heart was beating rapidly.
“Mm delish” Matthew mumbled as he shivered. Hanbin worriedly wrapped his arms around Matthew, warming him up as he whispered “don’t get cold mattchu”
They sat there for a while, watching students and teachers laugh along the field with their friends.
“Hyung-“ Matthew started as he shut his mouth. He didn’t know when to tell Hanbin that none of this was real.
“Nevermind,” he sighed as Hanbin smiled encouragingly at Matthew. “You can tell me whenever” he whispered as he snuggled their cheeks together.
“Let’s go to our next class hey?” Hanbin mumbled as they hopped up, linked arms like true best friends- and skipped towards their joint health class. Yes because even though Matthew was a maths major, the Matthew of the past decided to take on a physical education class.
Shitty decision.
But at least he had Hanbin hyung to accompany him. “Hyung wow-“ Matthew marvelled as he openly stared at Hanbin’s tattoos on display- courtesy of their sports uniform.
He looked at the three symbols on his chest as Hanbin raised an eyebrow. “Like what you see?” He flirted as Matthew scoffed. “Hyunggg let’s just go” he whined as they ran along.
Today they were going to play basketball. Matthew’s height was absolutely perfect for this as they could tell. They got put on completely opposite teams as Matthew whined, going on his tiptoes to try and reach Hanbin who held it right above his head.
“Hyung,” Matthew said innocently as he stood there cutely, batting his eyelashes. “Ugh I give up” Hanbin said as he gave Matthew the ball- they were playing basketball with a volleyball- and Matthew happily ran down the court.
“Man! You’re not meant to give the ball to the other team!” Hanbin’s teammate cried in despair as Hanbin ignored him and watched Matthew smiling brightly with a pleased expression.
“YAH SUNG HANBIN!” A crazy girl called from the sidelines. “SUNG HANBIN IF YOU DONT DATE ME I’M GOING TO TELL EVERYONE YOU’RE BIGGEST DARKEST SECRET” she screamed as everyone on court stopped to openly stare.
She had a crazed look on her face as the teacher tried prying her off the court. Matthew stood there, perplexed as his eyes wandered off to Hanbin. “Hyung, Are you ok?” He asked as Hanbin just nodded with a tight smile, indicating that this was a normal occurrence.
“What’s your darkest secret?” Matthew asked as Hanbin just flushed and averted his gaze. “Just stay here Seokmae ah,” he sighed as he walked off towards the girl, sweat dripping attractively off him.
“Look, I’m sorry but I can’t reciprocate your feelings.” Hanbin said tiredly as the girl turned red and narrowed her eyes. She held a triumphant smirk as she announced loudly “because you’re gay?”
Everyone stilled as Hanbin turned pale.
Matthew heard whispers floating around. “Sung Hanbin is gay?” “The school president swings that way?”
Matthew rolled his eyes, that’s what being gay meant. He noticed Hanbin standing still with his hands clenched as he watched the girl look down on him.
“And?” Matthew waltzed up to Hanbin and took his hand. “And?! What. Do you think that’s going to make him like you now? Do you think that makes you better than him?” Matthew said boldly as he stood his ground next to his best friend.
Hanbin stared at him in awe as he felt himself fall even further for the cute boy who was standing up for him.
“No- Seokmae I don’t really care-“ Hanbin said as Matthew looked at the girl in disgust.
Hanbin’s teammates all surrounded the girl and started pressuring her. “And so what if our man is gay huh? Who would be into girls like you?” They spat defensively as everyone felt their love for their amazing school president coming through.
Matthew took the final blow- literally- as he picked up the volleyball and threw it with all his strength, at the girl’s face. He and Hanbin laughed at her look of horror as Matthew grabbed Hanbin and ran away from the chaos.
Matthew’s laughs tickled in the wind as they ran through the campus, Hanbin happily trailing along.
“Wait- this feels like Deja Vu again,” Matthew puffed as he held his knees and breathed in long puffs of oxygen. Hanbin patted his back worriedly as he exclaimed “Matthew you were so cool!”
Matthew beamed as he thought about what he did. Did he really have to defend Hanbin there? Hanbin really seemed unfazed by the girl.
“You saved me” Hanbin mumbled as Matthew sucked in a breath. He remembered back to the book.
You must save your eight new friends.
Matthew had saved Hanbin. “I saved Hanbin hyung…” Matthew whispered as he nodded to himself, slowly believing the reality he was in.
“But hyung, why did you never tell me?” Matthew pouted as Hanbin bit his lips and sighed, feeling nervousness pool up inside him.
“Nevermind that Seokmae, let’s go on a date!” Hanbin yelled as he took Matthew’s hand and dragged them to his car. A date? Oh well, Matthew shrugged and went along with it.
Over the next few weeks, Matthew was fully settled in his new life. He spent most of his time with Hanbin and they did what all best friends would do: went to play sports, watched movies, they even got to the extent where Matthew would walk to Hanbin’s room at night when he couldn’t sleep and Hanbin would just move to the side.
He would lie there, head tucked in Hanbin’s chest as he listened to his heartbeat. Sometimes he wondered if he could stay there forever. In this college life- living as a normal bright kid with his best friend.
But fate seemed to have other plans.
“Hyung, coffee!” Matthew beamed as he spotted a cute cafe down the road. Hanbin, as usual, looked like a model strutting down the streets- his fluffy hair bouncing up and down as he held Matthew’s hands tightly.
The shorter man glanced up at him with puppy dog eyes as Hanbin smiled and dragged them in. The cashier stared at them fondly as she pointedly looked at their hand held hands.
“You guys look so cute together” she said as Hanbin shook his head rapidly. “It’s not like that,” he whispered to her as she swiftly apologised. Matthew smiled through the whole exchange. Yeah there’s no way that The Sung Hanbin, would like him.
“Seokmae I’ll pay-“
“No hyung I’ll pay!”
They fought for a while as the cashier just stared at Hanbin’s gleaming eyes and Matthew’s bright smile. In the end, Hanbin defeated Matthew by force, holding him in a hug as he whipped his card out for the cashier shouting “quickly”
Matthew pouted as Hanbin only smiled adoringly at him. The server raised her eye brows at their domestically display of affection. “Ahh so it’s a one sided-“ she blatantly said as Hanbin flushed and grabbed Matthew’s hand, whisking him away with their drinks.
“Mhm this tastes really good hyung, thank you” Matthew murmured as the hot drink cooled up his insides on the cold winter day. He held up the straw to Hanbin, urging him to try it as Hanbin just shook his head, ears tipping red at the implications of an indirect kiss.
“Ah, Seokmae I’m fine- oomph” Hanbin sighed as he slurped up Matthew’s warm coffee. “It is nice,” he admitted as Matthew nodded his head cutely and skipped away, unaware of the effects his actions had on Hanbin.
They stood by Han River, staring out into the beautiful landscapes as a large gust of wind blew by. Matthew shivered as Hanbin opened the coat of his blazer, gesturing him in. Matthew stared at him quizzically as Hanbin opened his arms and engulfed the shorter in his blazer.
Matthew stood there stunned, as he felt the warmth of the fabric and Hanbin’s arms embracing him. He heard Hanbin’s heart beating loudly as he absorbed the heat.
Hanbin stared down at the fluffy head and at Matthew who was leaning into him and hugged him even tighter. “Are you warm now?” Hanbin asked as he ignored the squealing girls nearby.
Matthew looked up at him with doe eyes, nodding excitedly. “Yes hyung I’m- ugh” Matthew coughed as he clutched his heart, feeling it clench up tightly as his head spun dangerously.
His legs gave out as Hanbin screamed his name. “Seokmae? SEOKMAE” Hanbin yelled as he held Matthew up. Matthew squeezed his eyes closed tightly in pain as the book burned in his pocket.
“Matthew, Matthew talk to me” Hanbin said urgently as he watched Matthew wheeze in pain and hold his chest.
You’ve been in this chapter for too long.. it’s time to move on.
A voice whispered in his head as Matthew stared out frantically to the river, watching as a whirlpool appeared. He had resisted following his narrative for too long, opting to stay with Hanbin.
He looked up to Hanbin with tears in his eyes, before pulling Hanbin into a hug. “H-hyung, will you believe me if I said y-you were only a character in my story?” Matthew hiccuped as Hanbin wiped his tears away with gentle hands.
“Seokmae, I don’t understand” Hanbin said as Matthew watched the people walking past start to blur.
The extras.
“H-hyung! I’m sorry that I have to leave you like this,” Matthew sobbed as he pushed his best friend aside and wobbly stumbled towards the river, with a hurting heart- both metaphorically and physical.
He felt his heart pain begin to relief as he neared the edge of the water, peering in as images of a young fairy and trees flashed through his head. His next chapter.
“MATTHEW PLEASE-“ a voice begged.
He looked behind to see Hanbin staring at him, yelling his name with tears streaming down his face as Matthew gave him a small but pained smile.
“Hanbin hyung, thank you for being my best friend” Matthew whispered as he clutched the book to his throbbing chest and he dove into the whirlpool.
His chest started hurting less as Matthew started to lose consciousness in the water, holding the book like a lifeline. Matthew sunk deeper into the depths of the whirlpool as he spotted a familiar figure swimming towards him.
Hanbin grabbed Matthew, holding the boy tightly to his chest as they both sunk into the water. Tears streamed down Matthew’s face as he was embraced in the arms of his best friend.
“I’ll go anywhere, as long as it’s with you Seokmae” Hanbin thought as he clutched Matthew protectively, both of them losing consciousness.
The book flipped to a blank page.
Story 10% completed .