k-drama fic collective

fics from k-dramas everywhere

[dramafics]

the inevitability of loss | 如丧 by ming_1999 (trans. @ficklefackle

Drama: Kingdom

Summary: My name is Yeongshin. That is to say, if you shout those two words, I would pause to think for a moment before asking you what is the matter. I respond to this name but it isn't truly mine.

Rating: General Audiences

Pairing: Prince Lee Chang/Yeong-shin

CW: N/A

Chapters: 1/1

Tags: Post Canon, Translation, Character Study

Notes: Have I ever felt such singular feelings about a work of fanfiction before? Every so often, I will read something that feels like a privilege, and to know it's a translated work (and thus inaccessible without the kindness of a stranger on the internet) is equally haunting. Whilst reading, I felt such deep regret at having paused my Mandarin studies because the language of the translation is so superb and the emotions so exquisite. The fic is brief but I felt transported for most of the day. Brava.

[dramafics]

fourteen minutes past sunrise by @pepperfield

Drama: Sweet Home

Summary: Three brief moments during Ji-su and Jae-heon's partnership at the end of the world.

Rating: General Audiences

Pairing: Jung Jae-heon/Yoon Ji-su

CW: N/A

Chapters: 1/1

Tags: Pre-Relationship, Canon Compliant

Notes: Do you like pain? It doesn't matter, if you are at all invested in this couple, this lovely, lovely fic provides the quiet moments between them with such exquisite tenderness that you're left catching your breath at the end.

[dramafics]

Bright presentiments of shining rhythms by afrai Drama: Crash Landing On You

Summary: "Ri Jeong-hyeok," says Seri, "do you think I'm a virgin?" "No," Jeong-hyeok lies. "Of course not. You told me about dating men." Was that what she meant when she'd said their kiss outside the hospital was minor physical contact? No big deal, she'd called it. That kiss was one of the most beautiful things that has ever happened to him. OR In Seoul, Seri and Jeong-hyeok discover new things about each other.

Rating: Mature Pairing: Ri Jeong-hyeok/Yoon Se-ri CW: N/A Chapters: 1/1 Tags: First Time, Canon Compliant, Pillow Talk Notes: As someone who has not watched the show and only has seen the wave of emotions surrounding this couple from the sidelines, I still felt all of the warm fuzzies reading this fic and the slight tinge of melancholia accompanying it. A gorgeously written vignette.

[dramafics]

from a distance, in a crowd, i know the shape of your shoulders by @angryteapott

Drama: Mr. Queen/Queen Cheorin

Summary: Before she can stop herself, Hong Yeon blurts out the worst thing she possibly could. “Oh, I feel so sorry for you that that her highness left! I missed this one so much, but now I miss the other one!” His majesty whips his head towards her. “What,” he says heavily, “do you mean by that?”

Rating: General Audiences

Pairing: So-young & Hong-yeon, Cheoljong/So-young, Cheoljong/Bong-hwan

CW: N/A

Chapters: 1/1

Tags: Post-Canon, Grief, Character Study, Fix-It, Friendship

Notes: I definitely wasn't the only one who was desperately in need of a fix-it fic after the way Mr. Queen ended, and this fic provides it in a delightful little capsule with Hong-yeon and her relentless empathy and kindness front and center. I don't think there is ever going to be a neat answer to the body swap dilemma, but emotionally, this fic provides some sense of closure with some beautiful prose throughout. (And of course, the wretched pathos in the idea that love is knowing.)

[dramafics]

By Attoneyship by @rain-hat

Drama: Vincenzo

Summary: “We’re going to be married,” Vincenzo said. “Not exactly what I expected when you said you wanted to go away to Sokcho for the weekend,” Cha-young said, “but continue. Are you bringing me dowry?”

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Pairing: Hong Cha-young/Vincenzo Cassano

CW: N/A

Chapters: 1/1

Tags: 5+1, Fake Marriage, Post-Canon

Notes: If you needed redemption for Hong Cha-young after ep. 19&20 of Vincenzo, look no further. The author brings a degree of cleverness and rollicking, snappy dialogue AND much needed character depth and texture that is almost too good for the show. As the author writes, this is indeed a Cha-young story. I've never loved her more.

[dramafics]

in transit by Inktwice (Inkjade)

Drama: Forest of Secrets/Stranger

Summary: Han Yeo-jin and Hwang Si-mok do many things well. Taking time off is not one of them.

Rating: General Audiences

Pairing: Han Yeo-jin & Hwang Shi-mok

CW: N/A

Chapters: 3/3

Tags: Light Angst, Post-Canon, Friendship

Notes: Inktwice is one of the original fic writers for this fandom, who always brings such beautifully sketched out stories involving our favorite duo that gives them ample room to breathe and engage in some of life's mundanities that's a genuine pleasure to read. This fic is no different in how it cares for its characters, and despite the gentle plotting, it somehow also incorporates an utterly believable side investigation that's a great indication of the writer's skill.

[dramafics]

buy cars, cut cards by @elderflowergin

Drama: Vincenzo

Summary: That was the closest he'd gotten to thinking that the person shell he wore - the person he'd pretended to be - was not that terrible. He could dance like this for the rest of his life, and perhaps the urge to destroy, to swallow things alive, would disappear.

Or: the first time Hong Cha-young meets Jang Jun-woo.

Rating: Teen and Up

Pairing: Hong Cha-young & Jang Han-seok/Jun-woo

CW: Implied Violence, Drug Use

Chapters: 1/1

Tags: Pre-Canon

Notes: Brief but mighty in its ability to sketch out Jang Jun-woo's internal monologue and psychology + how he develops his attachment to Cha-young with such elegant efficiency. The writing is, of course, lovely, but the real gift with this work is in how true it is to the source material while providing entire worlds of depth that the source material ultimately could not. I love how Cha-young is depicted in this fic and how the writing so naturally makes it clear that Jun-woo's attachment is inevitable and innate. A perfect piece for anyone who may have had similar unresolved feeling about this pair's relationship.

[dramafics]

Deer Heart by @drivingsideways

Drama: Beyond Evil

Summary: "Ji-hwa," he says, softer. "We're all fucked up. We're all going to die. Why deny yourself?" She shrugs. "Maybe so," she replies, "Maybe so. But even if there are no good people, there are good choices."

OR

Life finds Park Jeong-je, despite his best efforts.

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Lee Dong-shik/Park Jeong-je

CW: Su*cide Attempt, Extremely Dubious Consent, Explicit Sex, Trauma, Abuse, Internalized Homophobia

Chapters: 11/11

Tags: Angst (with a Happy Ending), Post-Canon, Canon Divergence

Notes: A multi-layered, raw examination of a character and a relationship that may have been overlooked in its importance within the canon. This fic provides it all the justice it deserves with such deftness and care that it satisfied an itch I didn't even know I had. The writing is lovely and almost tender in some parts, but it is not afraid to look at Jeong-je and Dong-shik with almost unflinching honesty. However, it is a story of growth and healing (but at such a cost!), and the writer is so marvelously gifted at drawing out each character, whether from the canon or their own creation. Truly stunning.

[dramafics]

just another pretty face by @beingjanee

Drama: Forest of Secrets/Stranger

Summary: He underestimates her at the beginning, as they all do.

Rating: General Audiences

Pairing: Lee Yeon-jae & Managing Director Park

CW: N/A

Chapters: 1/1

Tags: Office Politics, Tension, Character Drama, Grief

Notes: If you watched S2 of the show and wanted to know all about MD Park and his whole deal, this is such a fantastic character sketch and plausible back story for an intriguing supporting character. The bonus is that we get all of it as we view Lee Yeon Jae through his eyes, so it's a double treat: an insightful look at Lee Yeon Jae and her own journey. Author-nim's vivid prose makes this tiny piece very atmospheric; loved this a lot, and hope author-nim writes a sequel some day!

[dramafics]

Her Light in the Darkness by @humans-must-be-the-heroes

Drama: Forest of Secrets/Stranger

Summary: Hwang Si-mok thought he was incapable of having emotions. However, when Han Yeo-Jin goes missing, he discovers it might just be the opposite.

Rating: General Audiences

Pairing: Hwang Si-mok/Han Yeo-Jin

CW: N/A

Chapters: 1/1

Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Angst, Happy Ending, Friends to Lovers

Notes: A hurt/comfort scenario that puts Hwang Si-mok into an emotional tailspin when he learns his favorite senior inspector is in danger.  There is so much packed into this short and very sweet one shot, from Si-mok fighting through his emotions so that he can be by Yeo-jin’s side to Yeo-jin’s discovery that she likes it, the beautiful use of tropes, the natural physicality of their interactions, the feeling of “why shouldn’t this happen?”, and anticipation of more to come.

[dramafics]

Hold Your Friends Close by @wakeupnew

Drama: Sungkyunkwan Scandal

Summary: Jae-shin has never considered the prospect of a Joseon without Yong-ha. He is immutable. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, striking a man in the face with an open palm will break his nose, and Gu Yong-ha is an irrepressible, vain, brilliant flirt. He is a constant of fifteen years: impossible and infuriating and painfully loyal. The sudden prospect of him being gone? Well. It changes things.

Rating: Teen and Up

Pairing: Gu Yong-ha/Moon Jae-shin

CW: N/A

Chapters: 1/1

Tags: Alternate History, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Canon

Notes: A delightful way to return to Sungkyunkwan.

[dramafics]

someone make him stop (put his bones in a box) by @pepperfield

Drama: Psychopath Diary

Summary: In which Seo In-woo kills a different first victim in Gwangju: a sad-sack, mop-haired loser who only hangs around the convenience store and his mother's urn. (Un)fortunately, it doesn't stick.

Rating: Teen and Up

Pairing: Seo In-woo/Yoon Dong-shik

CW: Violence, Suicide Mention

Chapters: 1/1

Tags: Immortality, AU, Canon Divergence, Twisted Relationship, Fluff, Happy Ending

Notes: It’s such a cute and funny fic about such a dark concept, which fits with the tone of canon perfectly.

[dramafics]

Diamonds for Eun-Seob by @sadviper

Drama: The King : Eternal Monarch

Summary: Jo Eun-bi knows there's something wrong with her oppa. No one believes her, but she knows he's missing, and she will do everything in her power to find him.

Rating: General Audiences

Pairing: N/A

CW: Minor violence, nothing graphic

Tags: AU, Kid Fic, Fluff, Humor, Domesticity

Notes: Absolutely delightful AU kid fic featuring some of the most adorable (and criminally underutilized characters from canon. It has humour, action, bonkers plot and SO MANY SHENANIGANS. Perfect pick-me-up for a day or a week when you’re feeling low.

[dramafics]

The Veritable Records of King Taejo: Year 2, Entry 16 by @sadviper

Drama: My Country: The New Age

Summary: Inspector Nam Seon-ho is tasked with getting clarity on a peer’s old audit report. Instead, he uncovers a possible scheme to defraud the government.

Rating: General Audiences

Pairing: N/A

CW: N/A (Additional warnings for later stories in the series in their tags)

Chapters: 1/1

Tags: Politics, Slice-of-life, Investigations, People Working Hard

Notes: The beginning of an outstanding immersive series about life, friendship and work in the newly established Joseon of Yi Seung-gye, worth reading for its world-building, office politicking, and complex platonic relationships. The protagonist is the murderous deputy Hwang Sung-rok, and the central relationship is his professional and personal intimacy with tortured anti-hero Nam Seon-ho. The worldbuilding is brilliant, and manages deep immersion in the strangeness of historical time with witty sparks of contemporaneity––just like the best sageuks.

[dramafics]

Heridas Abiertas (Exit Wounds) by @ibelongtomousse (blau)

Drama: The King: Eternal Monarch

Summary: Yeong gets not-so-accidentally married, dies for a while, considers a career change, and takes a vacation. In that order.

Rating: Mature

Pairing: Jo Yeong/Kang Sin-jae

CW: Grief/Mourning

Chapters: 8/8

Tags: Latin-American Literature, Happy Ending, Post-Canon

Notes: A dreamlike dive deep into the guts of a flashy but somewhat shallow show, endowing its universe with grace and depth. Two supporting characters, both prickly, damaged men, get a sweeping love story of their own, and in the process shed new light on some of the show’s dark corners. Full of poetry, allusion, delightful original characters and carefully crafted, beautiful sentences. This is a romance to savour.

[dramafics]

No Secrets by @thefeastandthefast

Drama: Hyena

Summary: "There is no action possible without a little acting." - George Eliot

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Jung Geum-ja/Yoon Hee-jae

CW: Smut

Chapters: 1/1

Tags: Porn with Feelings

Notes: A deftly-crafted, expertly drawn story. The smut is delightfully hot and smartly says so much about Jung Geum-ja and the man who adores her.

[dramafics]

Hi, how do you define 'quality' fics and who decides what is quality?

Hi! There is no set definition of “quality” for this site, as you can see by the limited rules for submission. I accept all submissions that are transformative works from Korean dramas; I trust the submitter and their recommendation. The curative part of this collection is not a personal curation but one, again, determined by submitters. 

The use of the word “quality” is not out of a desire to gatekeep or enforce a personal standard of writing on K-drama fics, but to highlight the curative element of the collection that is created by the people who are submitting. If you think it’s quality, it’s quality.