#lycoric3.bit

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Spoilers for sctir 815+

We all remember the iconic hjyj lines from chapter 102, right? The-

“Why are you staring at me like that?” “Because I think I’ll fall in love.” “You said you already fell.” “I could fall again.”

We struggle throughout the novel with Yoojin's insecurity of losing Hyunje's interest. Of his emotions towards Yoojin disappearing, that Han Yoojin will never be able to grab his attention once he's lost it.

Then, towards the end of the novel, as Sung Hyunje tries to approach his desired end, he buries his feelings for Han Yoojin. Makes sure to throw them away and avoid the desire to look forward to tomorrow.

However, Yoojin can't give up on him. How could he ever give up on someone he loves after all? It's just not his nature. So Yoojin chases after him, spars, argues and screams of how regardless of their past relationship, he wants Hyunje in his life simply because he does. That there is no desire for approval, no jealousy nor hatred.

Han Yoojin likes Sung Hyunje, that's all.

And Hyunje. Hyunje falls.

"...So, it did come back after all." "How could I resist falling for such a grand and splendid Han Yoojin?”

Sung Hyunje falls for Han Yoojin again.

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You know what's so bitter about Yoohyun leaving Yoojin in order to protect him? The fact that he never really understood the social implications of it.

We know that Han Yoohyun doesn't care for social cues, laws and regulations, all mannerisms and behaviour towards people are done simply to please his brother. And so- he doesn't realise that by denouncing Yoojin, as a highly praised and popular S-class, he has condemned him in society. Yoohyun leaves as soon as he can, publicly announces that he's a burden, and the media is having a field day where Yoojin is made a villain.

Unfortunately, it's only made worse by Yoojin's lost desperation to find out why his brother, his child, who he has raised all his life has left him behind. Has spit in his face and is so cold, and that maybe Yoojin has failed him all this time. His desperation in trying to get to talk to Yoohyun at least once, to give him a birthday cake, to awaken so that maybe he can reach him. It only ends up adding to this manic, ungrateful and spiteful image that the world views him as.

Yoojin is condemned by society. Yoohyun gets mad that he's a hunter but Yoojin has no other option. He can't get a regular job because his reputation has been dragged through the mud and because the constant public attention is too burdensome for any employers. Seok Simyeong has constantly berated Yoojin, fucking up his mental state and as the 'spokesperson' of Yoohyun, Yoojin must think its true.

Yoohyun tries to protect him from hunters through this instinctual thought of predators and prey, but society is far too nuanced and he doesn't understand. By trying to leave him out of the dungeons, he left him to the world.

Oh Han Yoohyun, you've doomed him.

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Sometimes, I like to imagine that in that moment when Han Yoojin sings happy birthday to Sung Hyunjae for the first time in his life, tucked away in some convenience store with a small candle on a tiramisu cake, he looked at Yoojin the same way Han Yoohyun did when he realised-

When they realised that somehow, someway, in some unfathomable shape or form, with their displaced bodies and souls, that Han Yoojin has come to see some tangible being to be adored.

In that moment, the look on their face is the inexplicable realisation that they are loved.

[lycoric3]

spoilers for late msch/sctir main novel

Something about Han Yoojin, Song Taewon, and Sung Hyunje being fated to meet but holding onto one other by choice.

How Song Taewon was grown to be an eclipse, destined to swallow Sung Hyunje and lose himself to that, but instead he tears himself away from that fate and forms his own identity that can protect Sung Hyunje instead. And how Han Yoojin, someone so ordinary that even their destined string was unclear to the point that they could’ve just walked past each other, becomes someone so extraordinary and so determined in his love that he ties himself to Sung Hyunje with his own hands. Sung Hyunje, whose highest priority is self-preservation to the point that he can remain himself even as everything else disappears, decides to declare Han Yoojin and Song Taewon to be his life and death.

Taewon seperating himself from the shadow of Hyunje, and Yoojin who wraps that pink string round tight. Han Yoojin, a mere f-rank who embraces the both of them in weak arms, and they just, stay.

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slight spoiler for sctir chp 242

"I believe you, Han Yoojin, raised Han Yoohyun well."

Could you imagine the absolute pride, sheer joy and relief that Yoojin felt hearing those words for what must've been the first time in his life, especially coming from Hyunjae?

Yoohyun is someone who, as a natural born s-class, is distant from people his entire life. He's cold and uncaring if they're unrelated to Yoojin, with everyone else unable to come to know Yoohyun as a result. Yoojin raised his brother without support, no one in the story really knows how he dedicated his life to his younger brother but with Yoohyun's apathetic exterior, it's easy to misinterpret.

Then you have Hyunjae, another natural born s-class, someone who knows what Han Yoohyun should've been. Someone who's almost perfect and fantastical, yet so much more human than you'd believe. Who achieves everything he desires, yet Yoojin recognises hard work and admires him all the more. Someone who Han Yoojin sees as a fellow adult that he doesn't have to take care of and genuinely trusts his opinions. Perhaps the only person that Yoojin may ever allow to see the parent that he is, that struggled to raise Yoohyun.

Hyunjae tells Yoojin that he raised his brother well; to Yoojin who was always alone as a parent and fears that he may have changed Yoohyun for the worst, it means everything.

"In fact, there's no perfect way to raise people. You simply need to try your best, and I think you certainly did that."

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Do you know how lucky it was the Han Yoojin regressed to the day that he was going to go the awakening broker? Because if it was any other time there’s the chance that he and Yoohyun would’ve just gone their seperate ways.

First off, this is one of the only times that Yoohyun and Yoojin are alone, because if Seok Simyeon or Kim Sunghan were there, Yoohyun would’ve been apprehensive of being openly affectionate and Yoojin would’ve gotten dragged away (like all other times—) and thrown out with insults about his uselessness to his face. Basically, Yoohyun would’ve been more likely to keep up the act. 

Then, we have Yoojin awakening and using the keyword which he theorises caused Yoohyun to become doubly more protective as an effect since he’s already his recognised caregiver, which is part of the reason why Yoohyun was more inclined to keep Yoojin with him and make up.

Lastly, Yoohyun mentions that he thought Yoojin was acting weird. That he suddenly threw away his pride, apologised, and said he was going to stay away. That suspicion leads to being the main reason Yoohyun wants to keep a closer eye on him.

(and maybe, there was fear. That even though Yoojin said he loved him— all of a sudden he was okay with laying low, to stop chasing. His mannerisms seem to have changed overnight and if he looks away his hyung will disappear and Yoohyun never wanted this—)

So, it was luck. 

Sheer luck that the Han brothers ended up in just the right scenario that they could live together again. 

[lycoric3]

spoilers for msch / sctir 402+

I know we love to focus on Han Yoojin's sense of self-hatred and how he expresses that very violently through his tendency to immediately try to murder alternate versions of himself. But I'd also like to point out that Han Yoojin loves a good fight.

He got invested in being a hunter, he adores finding out people's strengths and weaknesses. He's been kidnapped so many times that he can't count it on two hands. Yoojin has an abundance of skills and a sharpened sense of bloodlust, instincts matching S-classes but a body that can't keep up. As an F-rank he couldn't afford to hold back in any confrontation and so he always fights to kill. Something which he can rarely explore with the people around him because of their strength differences mixed in with their concern for one another.

He meets dungeon!HYJ and instantly decides that it's fair game. Someone he matches in a fight, who he doesn't have positive feelings for and as such refuses to hold back, while knowing his counterpart wholeheartedly agrees? Yeah, Han Yoojin's fighting this man out of self-loathing but also for fun.

Han Yoojin is someone who loves giving his all, and what better way to do so than a fight to the death?

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Spoilers for sctir up to ~870

Sung Hyunjae will always put himself first, he loves himself the most after all. That is an indisputable fact.

So why is it, that throughout the series, whenever he brings up the idea of handing himself over to the Crescent Moon or leaving, he says that it's for Han Yoojin's sake? Every character that has heard him say this line of reasoning always responds with "...You, really?" Even Han Yoojin himself is skeptical.

The action is so inherently selfish but novelly selfless that everyone's confused. But, his actions are in line with his desire to prioritise himself and to care for Han Yoojin.

Hyunjae would've gotten to meet his end, tackle his fate as Sung Hyunjae, no one else. And for Yoojin, well. His number one preferred method seems to be erasing his memories. To remove the cause of his pain (the loss of Sung Hyunjae) and wish him well. To leave him with all that he needs (resources/connections) and distance himself gradually.

It's such a typical self-sacrificial double-edged sword sort of maneuver that it seems out of character for Hyunjae. Yet, for Han Yoojin who Sung Hyunjae views as life itself, isn't it natural that he'd prioritise him? Wish for him to live well?

To Sung Hyunjae, Han Yoojin's wellbeing was on equal priority as his own (even though Yoojin's emotional wellbeing was the cost).