Chapter Text
He never thought that he'd die this way.
Seonghwa had been sorting out administrative matters, going through his meticulously colour-coded timetable for school the next day while absentmindedly spooning his leftovers from lunch into his mouth.
After he's done preparing for the lesson tomorrow, he goes to the kitchen, still unsatisfied and takes out a cup of Buldak to make. While waiting for his ramen, he turns on his phone and clicks on his most frequented website, opening the web novel that had been his latest fixation.
His excitement surges and he makes a tiny noise of delight when there's a notification in his inbox. Seonghwa dances on the spot while his eager eyes scan the message.
Edenary has updated Take Me Home.
Read the latest chapter here!
Hi everyone, thank you so much for being here until the end. I hope that you enjoy the last chapter.
PS. This is absolutely the last chapter. (I'm serious this time!)
Seonghwa immediately clicks the link. The chapter loads immediately, words jumping out at him. The chapter picks up quickly from the previous one, detailing the fallout from an assassination attempt on the crown prince and the main character’s success at saving him. Enraptured, Seonghwa unconsciously holds his breath as the long awaited confession scene takes place.
“Yeosangie, who completes me other than you?” The question is asked fondly and gently, and as Yeosang looks up, he sees nothing but affection in his warm gaze. “From the first day since I’ve met you, I knew that you were brave, kind and good.”
“Would you do me the honor of being my Empress?”
By this time, the ramen is done. He stuffs a big spoonful of ramen - at least a quarter of the existing ramen - into his mouth.
“Ah.” Yeosang states.
“I'm sorry. I can't.”
He turns, staring pensively into the distance. “I'm going back.”
“Thank you for everything.”
What.
What?
What?!
In utter disbelief, Seonghwa stops chewing and scrolls through the rest of the chapter detailing how Kang Yeosang essentially just fucks off back to his farm and leaves the male lead all alone, pining despondently for the one who'd got away. The novel ends with Kang Yeosang living alone for the rest of his life, given the unfortunate tragic backstory every main character possessed that resulted in dead parents, some beloved mentor dying and being betrayed by people he'd thought were his friends.
Where was the happy ending he was promised? Where was the kiss and Happy Ever After he'd begged for? Was his countless exchanges with Eden as the novel’s #1 fan all for nothing!?
Had he read five hundred thousand words of angst and hurt/comfort for the story to end this way? What about the soulmates tag? What was this bullshit? Right person wrong time kinda thing? Seonghwa's (non-existent) love life was already tragic enough for his liking. Why does he have to deal with this in his escapism world too?!
That was what he would have ranted (more like vehemently complained) if he could speak. He couldn't. Because he's currently choking on his ramen. He had only realised that something was wrong when he felt a large chunk of chewed up noodles going down the wrong pipe and that he can't actually breathe.
Hungry and impatient, he'd defaulted to eating as quickly and as much as possible, cramming his ramen into his mouth to chew rapidly, filling his cheeks full and swallowing without much thought.
Fire erupts in his chest. Seonghwa tries and fails to breathe. Fear and panic well up within him, and his eyes widen. His eyesight turns blurry as he tears up. Flailing around in his chair and sending his neatly organised papers flying, Seonghwa gasps and wheezes, trying to dislodge a fistful of ramen in his windpipe.
He slams a heavy fist into his chest and tries to get up, reaching for his phone, which was laid innocuously at the side. Grabbing his phone, his heart falls when it doesn't turn on. He'd forgotten to charge it when he had gotten home. He punches the table a few times in anger.
This couldn't be the end, could it?
Wow, what a terrible way to die.
The lack of air makes his head spin, dizziness consuming him. Seonghwa thinks that the tightness in his chest isn't solely due to the lack of air, but also the panic that's crashing over him. He coughs and tries desperately to breathe as time flashes by. Black spots appear in his vision and Seonghwa starts to feel faint.
“Ah crap,” Seonghwa thinks, because his mouth is too busy gasping for air like a suffocating fish. “I was supposed to meet the parents tomorrow.”
Before it all goes black, his brain lets out a litany of colourful curses and rueful thoughts.
Stupid author.
Stupid novel.
Stupid Kang Yeosang.
Scamming me from a happy ending, this is so unfair, I was reading this novel as therapy, now I need therapy!
Screw you Eden, I'd make sure they have a happy ending.
And - I can't believe I choked to death on ramen, that's so embarrassing. Mom was right when she told me to eat slowly. Dammit.
It's dim when he wakes up again. Awareness comes to him slowly, sounds trickling to his ears and the sensation of lying on something soft reaching his fuzzy brain. Dazed, Seonghwa opens his eyes to see a wooden ceiling. A quick, panicked look around fills the details in. He's lying on a bed - a grand exquisitely carved bed with hanging curtains. The sheets and curtains were a deep, rich burgundy, expensive and lavish looking even to Seonghwa's peasant eyes.
Shooting up immediately into a sitting position, Seonghwa gapes at his surroundings.
Where was he?
Wasn't he just choking and dying just now?
“Ah?” Seonghwa gasps when he sits up and sees his hands. They look weird. They look small. “Ack!” He stumbles when he tries to get off the bed and abruptly realises that in addition to having the opposite of yaoi hands, he's also short and slender.
Walking up to a mirror grants him all the answers. He's a literal child.
What on earth was going on?!
Dark, wide eyes stare back at him. His hair is silver and soft, curling around his face sweetly, making him look like a doe eyed sheep. His body is slim and rather short, with long and slender limbs. Seonghwa wiggles his toes in horrified awe. In terms of facial features, he looks much the same as he did when he had been a child. His pouty lips purse as he stares at himself. Seonghwa assesses himself. He looks to be about eight or nine. Luckily, he doesn't have the mental capacity of a child. Seonghwa shudders at that thought.
Pinching his cheek, Seonghwa winces when he realises that he can't be dreaming, or at least, this would be an extremely lucid dream.
His attention turns to his clothes. He's in some sort of nightgown that is wide and frilly. It reminds him of sick, rich Victorian children who died early, but he reckons that maybe that's what will happen to him soon enough.
A knock on the door startles him. A lady peers into the room. Her hair is braided into a neat bun and secured with a white cap. Her attire is black with a white apron that's pressed neatly.
“Young master?” She calls. “You’re awake!” Her eyes crinkle as her face into a warm smile.
Seonghwa startles.
“Yes?” He asks rather than answers, hand gripping each other nervously.
“I was frightened for you, Young Master!” She says, rushing in. “You were asleep for a while!”
No way, was this some kind of isekai where he replaced some poor guy who died?
“I was…?” Seonghwa eyes her warily.
She kneels before him and looks up into his eyes. “Young Master, I know that things have been hard since your father passed.”
“My father-”
“And your mother's passing last week was absolutely terrible-”
“My mother-?”
“Especially now that your stepfather is in charge of the estate.”
Seonghwa wisely doesn't interrupt.
“But he's starting to show his true colours and I know your stepbrother is a terrible child too-”
Good lord. What kind of terrible soap opera was this?
Just who was this tragic character?
“Don’t worry, Young Master, we the servants will do our best to shield you in honor of our Lord and Lady.” She finishes earnestly, his tiny hand clasped in hers.
“Uh.” Seonghwa says. “Thank you…Auntie?”
He immediately regrets it when the woman gasps. “Young Master!” She cries. “I'm honoured that you think of me so familiarly.” She opens her arms and looks at him pleadingly.
Slightly confused and relieved that she wasn't offended, Seonghwa steps into the hug anyway. He could use one after what just happened to him anyway.
What was this person’s name anyway?
He just keeps being addressed as Young Master.
“Uh Auntie.” Seonghwa says quietly, his cheek still pressed in her surprisingly strong shoulder. “What do my parents call me?”
Asking what his name was would probably alarm her and trigger fears of amnesia…
“Huh.” She says. “Oh no, Young Master, do you miss them?” She pulls him even closer. “I’m so sorry for your loss, but our Lord and Lady used to call you baby, bunny and sweetheart, remember?” Her hand presses the back of his head, stroking his curls.
Jeez. Seriously?
“How about my teachers?”
Hopefully they called him by his name.
“Oh, don't worry Young Master, you're still the heir to the estate, so they'll naturally keep calling you Your Grace, Young Master or Little Lord.”
Oh fuck this.
“Auntie. Please just say my name.”
“How could I do such a thing?! It would be remiss of me to address you so casually, Young Master!” She says, outraged.
“Just call me Seonghwa.” Seonghwa says tiredly.
Eh, if he was the heir to the estate, that wouldn't be a big ask, right?
“Alright then, Young Master, I'll call you Seonghwa.”
Huh. No way, was that actually this character’s name?
Seonghwa is about to pump his fist in the air before he remembers that he's supposed to be acting like a sad, traumatised child.
“Oh, and my son has been asking for you. I know he's pretty loud and kind of rabid, but Young Master Seonghwa needs some friends, yes?” She finally pulls back from the hug after one last pat to Seonghwa's head.
“Okay.” Seonghwa says agreeably.
“You're always such a delight, Young Master.” The woman says fondly as she dusts herself off. “Are you hungry?”
Seonghwa immediately nods. He turns his most effective pleading eyes onto her.
“Oh deary, there isn't any need to look at me like that!” She laughs, patting his head again. “I'll send my boy up with food soon!”
Flashing him one last smile, she then leaves. Seonghwa goes to his comically large bed and sits quietly, his mind whirling. As an avid reader of bl novels, he'd consumed Korean, Japanese and Chinese media. Isekai was a common troupe in Japanese novels, but didn't they always have some sort of link to whatever the MC was reading before they died?
Seonghwa had been reading that train wreck of a romance that Kang Yeosang refused to star in. But he didn't seem to recognise any of the characters in this new place.
Granted, he'd literally only met one person, but still!
He'd never read a novel with a character that had his name!
A loud bang startles him. His door opens shortly after that and a young, bright face behind a trolley appears.
“Hello!” He chirps. “Delivery for Young Master Seonghwa!”
Eagerly, Seonghwa stands up and goes to him. He helps to push the trolley to his dressing table.
He's not going to eat in the bed, that would be disgusting!
Staring eagerly as the boy lifts the metal covers, Seonghwa bounces on his heels subtly. The food revealed looks absolutely delicious and mouth watering. Seonghwa swallows thickly when he smells the aroma of sausages, egg and garlic bread. It's also a huge portion, so he eyes the other out of the corner of his eye as the boy efficiently places all the food on his empty dressing table and makes a plan.
Maybe this was his chance to get some information!
“Wanna share?” He asks, blinking when the boy stares at him in shock.
“You can't tell my mom though.” The boy says, furtively looking back at the door.
“I promise I won't tell. Here, sit with me.” Seonghwa drags another chair over with much effort. He climbs into the first one before patting the other chair’s seat encouragingly.
The boy hops up and smiles at him. Seonghwa's heart melts, the other has a cute face, with a mole under his eye and a mischievous grin.
“What's your name?” Seonghwa asks.
It seemed like they hadn't talked much, so it wouldn't be too unusual not to know.
“I'm Wooyoung, Young Master Seonghwa!” He grins cheekily. “You can call me Hyung though.”
Wait.
What.
Huh?!
“Jung Wooyoung?” Seonghwa squawks. “Jung Wooyoung, Kang Yeosang’s best friend?!”
“I dunno who this Kang whatever is, but yeah I'm Wooyoung.” Wooyoung says, chomping on the bread nonchalantly.
Oh to have the capability to be as unbothered as this child.
“And my estate is the…” Seonghwa trails off meaningfully.
“The Park estate.” Wooyoung says. “Dummy.” He adds, like an afterthought.
What the fuck?
“That means I'm the Park heir?” Seonghwa yelps. “I'm Consort Park?!”
“Dreaming of marriage already?” Wooyoung asks, raising an eyebrow. “You should be Lord Park though. Unless your stepfather turns evil and marries you off or something.”
Yes. That's what he did!
Good lord!
Seonghwa’s mind spins. Jung Wooyoung is Kang Yeosang’s best friend and platonic soulmate, who had unfortunately perished after sacrificing himself for Yeosang when an assassin had been sent after him. Seonghwa had remembered reading how Yeosang had broken down in grief and his wails of pain and horror had moved the stoic Kim Hongjoong to near tears.
Seonghwa himself had curled into his stuffed animals and sniffled his way through the chapter, occasionally pausing to wipe the tears away and having to take a break when he had gotten hiccups.
If his memory served him well, Seonghwa had been transmigrated into the future Consort Park’s body.
Consort Park, who was due a very unflattering and agonising death of freezing to death in the Cold Palace after being sentenced there by Kim Hongjoong. Oh yes, had he mentioned?! Consort Park was Kim Hongjoong’s despised wife who he had been forced to marry because Lord Park (his stepfather) had practically thrown his stepson at Kim Hongjoong to take control over the Park estate.
The Parks, who had been historical allies of the crown, had been granted a favour, and so Seonghwa's evil stepfather had just thrown his stepson at Kim Hongjoong and laughed all the way to the bank!
Though, to be fair, Consort Park didn't exactly make it easy for himself. Kang Yeosang had described him as cold and reserved, even cruel at times. Kang Yeosang had been convinced that it was Consort Park who'd sent the assassin after him which resulted in Wooyoung's death, but Kim Hongjoong could not find proof.
He was then sentenced to house imprisonment in the Cold Palace, and found dead after three months.
Then a bolt of realisation strikes him.
No wonder they all called me Seonghwa so easily!
The stupid author hadn't even bothered to name this character!
If not that, then Kang Yeosang never bothered to find out!
Stupid author! Stupid novel! Stupid Kang Yeosang!
Just you wait! I'll make sure you all get your happy endings and live happily ever after!