Traces of the Sun (novel)
i already yapped about the manhwa so in the interest of not sounding redundant and repeating points i'll link it here
the manhwa itself is already amazing but compared to the novel it's only about like 80% of how good the novel is. a few things were changed in the manhwa adaptation that was pretty questionable, things like the implication that sa hyeon and jeong yiseon slept together in the main story (they did not. but mindblowing blowjobs happened) and some scenes got cut/altered probably in the interest of speeding the pacing. anyway the novel went super in depth in regards to their feelings (understandable bc it's the source material after all) and i love how much it makes me feel in turn.
sa hyeon has basically the most toxic "i can fix him" mentality ever but he fails to fix yiseon lmao
the aftermath of the seventh dungeon is way more detailed in the novel which i really really appreciate. both sa hyeon and jeong yiseon's quiet contemplation, each of them lost in their own thoughts---sa hyeon dissecting just why exactly is he so worried about jeong yiseon, why is he so rattled, why exactly he has such a desire to possess him; jeong yiseon still grappling with the reality that he's still alive and that he wants to live, utterly confused at sa hyeon's overprotective hovering; and finally their long-overdue conversation that sparks the beginning of their relationship.
reiterating this here i love that the author specifically mentions that sa hyeon signed yiseon up for therapy even though he gives off vibes that he doesn't really do it because he personally believes in it but it's because what most people seem to do. sa hyeon might be arrogant and controlling but above all he's practical and efficient and isn't afraid of admitting his mistakes. also love his aegyo moments towards yiseon lol
i can write a 10 page essay about sa hyeon honestly he's one of my fav gong for real. i like that he has such a shitty intention and dubious methods but ultimately some things he does are for yiseon's own good (like asking him to think about what he likes and helping him move on) but his emotional screws are all loose so he's totally okay with baiting yiseon with what's basically flirting but also isn't willing to take responsibility for yiseon's feelings because it's not like it's his fault he's being nice and yiseon likes him? (anyway it all boomerangs back to him which is like. terrible. but also lowkey he deserved it) but he's warm and real and yiseon likes that he's objective and practical. sa hyeon is manipulative and sketchy but he's also so painfully straightforward and that sort of contradiction is so fascinating to read about
and ofc yiseon the sun himself. i speak a lot abt sa hyeon but honestly sa hyeon is able to shine precisely because he has yiseon as a counter. the best way to counter a manipulative gong is a su who can't be manipulated, even better if the su can manipulate him back. yiseon might seem "weak" but honestly he's really strong. his mental health is always teetering at the edge and only held back by a deathly mix of survivor's guilt and responsibility for his friends, but that in itself is a form of determination, i guess. not a good sort of determination, but understandable after knowing what exactly he's gone through. despite his depression, at the core, yiseon still cares---he worries when sa hyeon gets hurt, he likes the chord team and does want to spend time with them even though he feels guilt crawling all over him when he feels even the slightest bit of happiness. i hope yiseon has nothing but happy days ahead of him, with sa hyeon and the chord hunters.
their first time is lowkey so crazy but also so sweet
i also really love the last extra, when yiseon accidentally started talking about his friends and then stopped, thinking it'd upset sa hyeon, but sa hyeon prompted him to continue instead, in a very matter of fact way, as if he's just "gathering information". it's a scene that expresses their relationship well---yiseon probably can't ever move on fully, and that's not a bad thing in itself to continue remembering his parents and friends because it's all a part of him. but it's unhealthy to wallow in grief forever, and he doesn't exactly need excessive coddling or pity. sa hyeon finally understands too that yiseon can't just let go, and instead, he wants to know more about the yiseon from the past, about these people who are so important to him. the last extra made me cry lol it's so sweet but the topic yiseon and sa hyeon discuss is so bitter as well. and yet it's a heartfelt, honest conversation that shows just how much they love and cherish each other.
it's also nice to know that they each have their own lives outside of each other. sure it kind of revolves around the HN guild considering sa hyeon is the leader and yiseon is employed there, but sa hyeon still takes his leadership duties seriously and yiseon is free to voice out what he wants to do as he slowly starts to discover himself. it was especially sweet (?) when yiseon said he wanted to restore for non-HN-related incidents and sa hyeon was like sure and then started to analyze how it would also benefit HN's reputation and yiseon was like should i be proud that i passed sa hyeon's efficiency standards lol these one-off moments are so sweet
another thing about yiseon and sa hyeon that made an impression on me is this... ship "checklist" thing? that the author did on twitter and i desperately mtl-ed and i couldn't really decipher most of it but one of the points was "do they believe in reincarnation/a next life" or some form of it... yiseon's answer was "yes" and sa hyeon's is ofc "no" but there's a note that if there is reincarnation/a next life, then he would like to meet yiseon again. and somehow that really tugged at my heartstrings (?) that this guy who lives adhering to his own sense of absolute efficiency and so realistically is willing to believe in something so vague and uncertain if only he could be with his beloved again
traces of the sun is one of my favs man it hit me with So Many Feelings All At Once, once when i read the manhwa and now again and even more intensely with the novel. 10/10 read for real will reread someday i love it so much
the yiseon glazing gets a bit crazy at times ngl like it's understandable but also the only s-class restorer in the world for real?
traces of the sun is one of my fav korean bls ever it's up there along with thgll. there is a pattern. just like how im weak towards unlimited flow, dungeon/hunter verse is also my weakness.
