Chapter Text
[“Shin Yooseon, I trust that you’ll be able to assist my past selves.”
“Captain, I…”
“Go.”
Once Shin Yooseon had disappeared, the 41st Yoo Jaehyun lay there unmoving, waiting for his death. A brief regret washed through him as he remembered all the atrocities he had committed and how not even all of that could do anything right. He couldn’t get to the ‘end’, nor protect anyone.
When Yoo Jaehyun closed his eyes, he accepted in resignation that all these horrors would only be repeated in the next regression and that he would never find true peace.]
“...? Wait a minute, that’s it?”
Kim Dokja blinks his eyes repeatedly and tries his best to scroll down, but the chapter still ends there, and the next one continues to the 42nd regression right away. Disappointed, he leans back against the chair sighing, and just sits there blankly for a while.
While he’s always thankful to tls123 for the updates despite the steadily declining popularity of Three Ways to Survive in an Apocalypse, Dokja still can’t help but feel dissatisfied with the chapters sometimes, this one included. He has hoped that the ruthless 41st Yoo Jaehyun would get redemption somehow, but the 41st regression ends with him using yet another of his companions and just… dies like that.
Although Dokja still comments under the chapter with praises and only talks about his dissatisfactions very gently, somewhere in him itches to see the 41st regression being written in a different way - where Yoo Jaehyun might still be the jerkass he is, but receives help near the end and being able to redeem himself to his companions.
In essence, Dokja wishes to see someone writing a fix-it fanfic for the 41st regression, and he proceeds to search for it. To yet another disappointment, there is none. In hindsight, he should’ve expected it considering how every other TWSA reader had dropped it after chapter 50 and he’s the only one left, but still.
It isn’t that TWSA has zero fan content, either. During the first few chapters when it was well-known enough, some people wrote a few fics for it, which are still currently available. However, extremely kinky NSFW Kim Namjung x Reader fics aren’t exactly what Dokja is looking for, not when he used to spend time fighting with those Kim Namjung fans who frequently talked shit about Yoo Jaehyun.
After digging up every fanfiction website he could think of and still not getting what he wants, Dokja lets out another long sigh when he realizes that if he wants to read the very specific fix-it fanfic… he’ll have to write it himself.
The idea of writing, especially fanfics, is so… intimidating, for some reason. To start, unlike tls123 or his mother (the thought of her brings a scowl to his face), Dokja has always been more of a reader than a writer. He can spend days reading books after books, but to actually write anything on his own…
How does he even start the first line? And what if it turns out awful enough for other people to mock him? Sure, he’s now the only reader of TWSA, but what if the former fans now turned haters go around finding TWSA’s fan content and flaming it? Getting trashed by reporters and bullies in real life is bad enough, Dokja would rather not invite that even in online space.
Thus, the fanfic idea is put in the back of Dokja’s mind for a while, until one fateful day. His mood has already been at rock bottom after being picked on by Song Minwoo yet again, and when he opens TWSA for salvation only to see the newest chapter demonstrating how Yoo Jaehyun’s 42nd regression is also a failure, something in him just snaps.
It’s so unfair. Here he is, already being tossed around like a ragdoll by the assholes in his life, and here Yoo Jaehyun is, also never getting anything go right and always having to regress just to fail, over and over again. Why do they have to put up with this? Why can’t they be happy for once?!
Don’t get Dokja wrong, he still loves tls123 with all his heart, but the way the story is going isn’t something he can handle right now - it hits too close to home for any comfort. He feels like if his own life is destined to go to hell and be unsalvageable, at the very least, he should do something for Yoo Jaehyun to be happy, even if it’s not acknowledged by the original author.
And so, Dokja finds himself staying back at school to borrow the computer room for much longer than allowed, although judging by the unbothered attitude of the supervising teacher, they probably don’t care anyway.
All of his previous hesitation about having never written or potentially being harassed goes out of the window as his fingers type with a furious speed, ideas flowing out of his mind like a waterfall. Yoo Jaehyun’s last moment in the 41st regression was about using Shin Yooseon? To heck with that, how about that guy finally realizing that he was an asshole and sacrificing himself instead? As for who would be the one to give his past selves ‘revelations’ in her place…
Before Dokja can reconsider it, he’s already written a version of himself into the story as a mysterious guy named ‘Kim Daeyoon’ who, for some reason, knows every event that will happen in TWSA and seeks to assist Yoo Jaehyun with his knowledge. All of Yoo Jaehyun’s troubles in the 41st regression that caused him to be such an asshole are properly dealt with by ‘Kim Daeyoon’, and even though Yoo Jaehyun is rightfully cautious toward the new guy, he’s still begrudgingly starting to warm up to him.
When his hands and eyes are finally exhausted, Dokja blinks to see that he’s already written more than 10,000 words, almost doubled the original 41st regression chapter, just to ‘fix’ it. With the adrenaline and frustration now gone, a part of him gets extremely embarrassed at what he’s done. Yet, when Dokja takes another look at the finished product, another, smaller part of him can’t help but feel a little… proud. He’s never thought of himself as someone who could write, but he’s managed to write all of that just to give a less painful outcome for Yoo Jaehyun’s life.
However, now that it’s done, there’s another important question:
Does he post this?
It’s nothing unusual, right? Like, even those extremely kinky one-shots by that particular Kim Namjung fan were proudly posted on fanfiction.net for anyone to see, even if they did receive a few flame reviews from Kim Namjung’s haters. Dokja’s fic is much milder in comparison, just a self-insert fix fic with the same level of violence as the original novel. Still, there’s a chance it can get flames from people who don’t like a Gary Stu OC - the exact thing his OC ‘Kim Daeyoon’ is.
And, though very unlikely, there’s also a possibility of tls123 stumbling across his fanfic and assuming that him having to write a fix fic means that he doesn’t like the original novel they wrote, then gets discouraged and stops writing. That would be the last thing Dokja wants - just because he disagrees with how TWSA flows sometimes, doesn’t mean he hates the story. Heck, he wouldn’t be here right now without it.
But is he supposed to just discard this as well? Amateur and bad as it may be, this is still 3 hours of hard work…
After another moment of debate, Dokja decides that he’ll post it, but on a site where tls123 is unlikely to come across. tls123 posts TWSA on Naver, while his fix-it fic will be posted on archiveofourown, a foreign website that he only found out by pure coincidence. When Dokja sees that the official tag for TWSA hasn’t even existed yet, he feels much better about posting the fic - if it’s unpopular enough to not have a tag, there’s no way tls123 would even bother seeking out fanfics for their work.
As for the fic’s name…
Dokja’s lips curve up mischievously as he decides to name it ‘Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint’.
===
Afterward, Dokja begins to update the fic at a somewhat sporadic speed, considering he only feels the need to ‘fix’ things when TWSA does something he doesn’t like, which isn’t that frequent. In addition, most of his time not reading TWSA is spent on surviving in university and then on the front line, giving him even less time to update.
He doesn’t feel bad about that, though. Contrary to his paranoid worries, the ORV fanfic still stays at 0 hits even after 6 years since he first wrote it (with Dokja’s own rereads not counting because he always stays logged in). It means that no one will care so there’s no pressure for him to update, nor to be afraid that what he writes may offend anyone. He has ORV all to himself, just like TWSA, and can do whatever he wants with it.
Dokja confidently adds rewritten scenes from TWSA that he wishes were different. Whether it be the unsatisfying conclusion of Lee Seohee and Yoo Jaehyun’s relationship in the 3rd round, Yoo Jaehyun being forced on the ‘fate’ to die by the King of Hell in the 81st round, or the eventual failure of the seemingly perfect 999th round… Each time, his OC ‘Kim Daeyoon’ always has the perfect solution that helps Yoo Jaehyun not have to sacrifice anything and protect his companions.
And the more he makes Yoo Jaehyun’s life happier along with making him and Kim Daeyoon closer, the more attached he becomes. Not for the first time, Dokja wishes that Yoo Jaehyun was a real person. After all, there’s essentially no one in real life whom he can trust or turn to in difficult times, which is why he had to go out of his way to write a fix-it fanfic in the first place.
Well, there’s tls123 if he ever feels like reaching out to them… except that he won’t. Even if they’ve technically known each other for years now due to him always loyally commenting on every chapter, he still doesn’t feel like asking them about meeting in real life would be appropriate. There’s just an invisible barrier between them, one that he doesn’t know how to cross.
So, Dokja keeps writing the fanfic. If he can’t reach out to tls123 nor have a real-life Yoo Jaehyun to be friends with, at least he can always use his imagination. It’s not until much later in his life that he finds out about how he’s been unconsciously doing writing therapy for all those years, but even right at this moment, Dokja can still feel how happy he becomes from fantasizing about a world where he and his protagonist can be with each other.
Tonight, after finally feeling satisfied with his rendition of the ‘altered’ 1001st round, Dokja lets his brain rest for a bit by looking for some videos to watch. The recommendation shows him a video of a gamer named ‘Yoo Joonghyuk’ having some kind of scandal, so he clicks on it out of curiosity.
Dokja barely holds back a gasp when Yoo Joonghyuk’s face shows up on the screen - this guy is probably the most handsome person he’s ever laid eyes on, even if the good looks are slightly marred by his deep scowl from annoyance toward his stalker. Apparently, Yoo Joonghyuk is being pursued rather relentlessly by a fellow gamer named Nirvana Moebius, leading to him decking Nirvana in the face, thus the scandal.
Both Yoo Joonghyuk’s good looks and violent tendencies remind him of Yoo Jaehyun for some reason, and when Dokja thinks more carefully about it, this guy is the perfect inspiration for a ‘real-life’ Yoo Jaehyun. Weirdly, Dokja’s fingers itch in excitement, and before he realizes it, he’s finished sketching Yoo Joonghyuk’s face on a paper nearby.
The inexperienced illustration makes Dokja cringe at how it completely failed to capture that gamer’s handsome face. Thus, instead of resting, he spends the whole night looking at photos of Yoo Joonghyuk’s face and trying to recreate it on paper, erasing and redrawing over and over. It’s only until well in the next morning, when his body screams at him to sleep, that Dokja’s finally satisfied with the result, even if it’s still obviously amateur-looking.
Work is in two hours, and he’ll definitely fall asleep in the office, which will get him chewed out hard. Yet, at the moment, Dokja can only laugh fondly at the way Yoo Jaehyun keeps making him do things he never considered doing before, along with wondering why he has never known of Yoo Joonghyuk before this. Sure, he’s occupied with reading TWSA and writing the ORV fanfic in addition to his hellish job, but to think that the perfect inspiration for Yoo Jaehyun has slipped right under his nose this whole time…
Dokja decides to draw a version of himself as ‘Kim Daeyoon’ next to the drawing of Yoo Jaehyun to commemorate this moment and posts it to the ORV fanfic before going to work, a smile on his face the entire time.
===
“Hahahahah!! Oh my God… Yoo Joonghyuk, you have to see this shit!! These guys really make their preferences clear on how they would much prefer that you bottom for Nirvana, huh… Oh shit, not the omegaverse…” Han Sooyoung repeatedly smacks his shoulder with one hand while the other holds her phone tightly, her eyes welling up from laughing too hard.
Joonghyuk violently swats Han Sooyoung’s hand away, which causes her to briefly glare at him but otherwise undeterred in the slightest. She continues to gleefully read the ‘fanfics’ that his fans started writing after his scandal with Nirvana. They’re apparently convinced that Joonghyuk and the bastard are a thing and that Joonghyuk is just being a ‘tsundere’ to not admit it, at least based on what Han Sooyoung tells him amidst her hysterical laughter.
“Are you done?” He gives her a death glare after she still keeps laughing and reading those stupid fanfics without doing anything productive. “Don’t you have your stories to update? If you have so much time, spend it on something useful instead of such trash.”
“Hey, how could you call the fanfics your fans wrote with love ‘trash’?” Han Sooyoung snaps back petulantly. “I mean, it’s true that they aren’t the best at writing nor at keeping you in-character, but their fics are at least amusing to read!”
“I don’t find it amusing. If they truly ‘love’ me,” he deliberately repeats her words earlier with a mocking tone, “they would’ve understood that I hate that bastard and would know better than to write fics shipping me with them of all people.”
“Tch, you’re not fun at all, asshole.”
Despite her complaints, Han Sooyoung does seem to take his words to heart as she finally sits up straight, puts her phone away, and begins typing what looks to be the next chapter of a story on her laptop. Now that Joonghyuk can focus on his work again without her laughter, he also gets back to training for his next competition.
“What if ‘that one reader’ writes fanfic about you?” Han Sooyoung suddenly speaks up again after about an hour has passed.
Joonghyuk raises a questioning eyebrow. “Who?”
She rolls her eyes as if he just asked the stupidest question in the world, and it takes every restraint he has to not punch her. “Who else but the only reader TWSA has? The only one who still reads the story whose protagonist was blatantly based on you. In a sense, that reader would be the one ‘fan’ of yours who understands you the best.” Her face suddenly becomes serious. “If he writes a fanfic about you, would you still hate it?”
When Joonghyuk finally realizes whom she’s talking about, his face unconsciously becomes softer as he remembers the person who’s been following ‘his story’ since the beginning, and is now the only reader left after almost a decade.
Han Sooyoung, his childhood neighbor (they mutually refuse to acknowledge each other as a ‘friend’ out loud), has always loved writing ever since she was a kid. And being a difficult kid with barely any friends aside from Joonghyuk himself who lived next to her, she was eager to use him as the reference for the male leads in her stories, ignoring his protests.
TWSA was the first story with a protagonist inspired by Joonghyuk that she published publicly, and although it had some readers at the start, her inexperienced writing at the time combined with the controversial elements she liked adding to the story due to her complicated home life had driven most of them away around chapter 50. Her writing and storytelling drastically improved later on, which showed clearly in her later works that became hits after hits; but by then, it was too little, too late for TWSA, and the readers who walked away never came back.
Only one of them still remained with her throughout it all, a person who nicknamed himself ‘Kim Reader’ and never failed to comment on every chapter of TWSA. Han Sooyoung had proudly shown Joonghyuk his comments and even said that she would’ve stopped writing TWSA if not because of this person. Before he realized it, Joonghyuk also found himself fascinated by this one reader.
Han Sooyoung asked for permission to use events that happened in Joonghyuk’s life in the story and promised that she would change the names so no one could recognize him, which he eventually agreed to because no one else read TWSA but that one guy anyway. Thus, although the reader didn’t realize it, he was actually privy to everything that happened in Joonghyuk’s life, including his failed romance with his first love Lee Seolhwa, which translated into a star-crossed love that always failed to go anywhere in every regression; and a lot more.
The protagonist inspired by Joonghyuk, Yoo Jaehyun, was an asshole, to put it bluntly. He had indeed been jaded by the pain and sufferings he’d had to endure for so many regressions, but Han Sooyoung sometimes wrote that guy in such a ruthless way that Joonghyuk wondered if she was using this story as some kind of vent outlet. And yet, if his comments were any indication, that one reader still wholeheartedly supported Yoo Jaehyun and even repeatedly made his wish of seeing Yoo Jaehyun happy known.
Joonghyuk knew that those words weren’t directed at him, but because the events in TWSA were taken from his own life, he couldn’t help but see that reader’s comments as direct encouragements for him, from the one person who understood him the most.
And so, before he realizes it, he has started to look forward to seeing that reader’s comments along with Han Sooyoung. The reader has become so important to both of them, even if he doesn’t know that.
“... If that’s him, I suppose… it’s fine.” Joonghyuk finally replies to the question after a while of being stuck in his thoughts.
“Why am I not surprised? You’ve always been a softie when it comes to him.” Han Sooyoung grins smugly and barely dodges his slap to her head. Her eyes suddenly widen. “... Actually, how come I’ve never looked for fanfics of TWSA in all those years?! It did flop hard after chapter 50, but even so, there should still be some fanfics before that, right?”
“Why are you so hung up on this whole fanfic thing, anyway?”
“People who aren’t fun should shut up.” She doesn’t even look at him, eyes completely focused on her computer and typing furiously. “Aha!! There are some… but what the hell is this…”
Joonghyuk curiously looks at the screen when he hears her defeated voice, and he quickly mirrors her unimpressed expression as the screen shows a few rather… questionable one-shots, judging by their titles, of a reader fantasizing themselves with Kim Namjung.
He thought Han Sooyoung would give up on this fanfic thing and go back to work, but she’s still stubbornly searching and eventually lets out a surprised gasp as she drags him closer to the screen. Joonghyuk’s eyes also widen when he sees what it is.
[“Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint” by kimreader1502
Archive Warnings: Graphic Depiction of Violence, Major Character Death
Relationships: Yoo Jaehyun & Others, Yoo Jaehyun/Original Male Character(s), Lee Seohee/Yoo Jaehyun
Additional Tags: Canon Rewrite, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Original Male Character(s), Angst with a Happy Ending, Spoilers for ‘Three Ways to Survive in an Apocalypse’
Summary: Yoo Jaehyun has known nothing but suffering since the scenarios started. Even though he keeps on regressing over and over, he’s never felt any closer to the ‘end’ or any kind of salvation.
Then, what if he doesn’t have to suffer alone anymore?
Author’s Notes: I doubt TWSA has any other fans at this point to read this, but just in case you’re one of them, hello! I’d like first to put a disclaimer that this fic is by no means meant to disregard tls123’s canon story, I love it to death!! It’s just that… sometimes, Yoo Jaehyun’s fate was just too heartbreaking, and I kept thinking about what if there was someone to help him? And so, here this self-insert fic is. If you find enjoyment in this, I’d be very happy!]
“... Could the author be…”
“... Who else but the only reader?! See, his username, and the fact that his fanfic is already written up to the events of chapter 549 of TWSA… I was just joking about this reader writing a fanfic for TWSA, and yet he actually did?!” Han Sooyoung exclaims in probably the most joyful voice he’s ever heard from her and turns to look at him with stars in her eyes. “Hey, read this together with me! It’s not like you’re in any rush to go back to work anyway, what with your managers wanting you to stay low for now for the scandal to pass and all.”
Joonghyuk briefly scowls at the mention of the scandal, but reluctantly starts reading the fanfic anyway due to her incessant tugging on his sleeve. The reader is indeed an inexperienced author compared to, say, Han Sooyoung, but also not that bad. His word choice is appropriate for the situation, his violent scenes are written straightforwardly but not needlessly graphic, and he’s surprisingly good at describing the characters’ thoughts and emotions.
This fanfic is no masterpiece, for sure, but the writing is still comfortable to read and the self-insert character Kim Daeyoon is surprisingly likeable. Before Joonghyuk realizes it, he and Han Sooyoung have already stayed up until the morning just to read the fic. They probably would’ve gone on without a break, if not for a picture in the author’s notes of chapter 290 catching their attention.
[Author’s Notes: I’ve never been much of an artist, just like how I’ve never written anything before this fic, so my apologies in advance for how bad this drawing looks! However, seeing the gamer Yoo Joonghyuk reminded me of Yoo Jaehyun so much that I just had to sketch this immediately. And I also couldn’t resist putting in my imagination of Kim Daeyoon, haha.]
Joonghyuk blinks repeatedly at the drawing that, despite the amateurish lines, still looks obviously as though the reader had tried his best to capture his features and demeanor, enough that if Joonghyuk is shown this picture without context, he’ll immediately assume that it’s a fanart of him.
“He drew… me? How did he even make the connection between me and Yoo Jaehyun?” Joonghyuk narrows his eyes at Han Sooyoung in suspicion. “Did you slip in too much of my personal information in TWSA?”
“Hey, who do you think I am?! Even if I might use real events in your life in the story, I always fictionalized them well enough that no one could figure out!!” She snaps at him defensively. “If anything, maybe I just based Yoo Jaehyun on you so well that the reader was reminded of you right away!”
When he still doesn’t seem convinced and only looks more skeptical, Han Sooyoung sighs and pulls his hand to put it on the keyboard. “If you don’t believe me, why don’t you just ask him?”
“Why would I just go ahead and ask that? I may know him, but he doesn’t know me.”
“Yoo Joonghyuk… You realize that there’s such a thing as people being in the same fandom and thus connecting that way, right?” The pitying look Han Sooyoung is giving him looks almost punchable. “Just phrase your question nicely - or, as nicely as an asshole like you can - and he should also give a proper answer.”
“... Then, you should talk to him, too.” Joonghyuk glares at her to cover up his shyness (that he will never admit out loud) about reaching out to the ‘only reader’ out of the blue. “Doesn’t he always comment on every chapter of TWSA? Shouldn’t you return the favor?”
“W- Wha-?! I mean, you’re not wrong, but… What would I even say?! That I’m the author of TWSA and really enjoying his self-insert fanfic?!” To his surprise, it works in turning Han Sooyoung into a blubbering mess as she covers her flushed cheeks.
“That sounds perfect, actually. Go ahead and say that.”
“Shut up, you little shit!!”
After a short squabble, Han Sooyoung has to go down to the living room and sleep there once the tiredness of staying up the whole night finally catches up with her, taking some of Joonghyuk’s pillows and a blanket as if she owns the house.
Joonghyuk sighs softly as he feels himself getting tired as well, but when his eyes catch the fanfic still open on his computer screen, his sleep-deprived brain has already commanded him to type something into the comment section and hit ‘send’ before he realizes it.
With a good night’s sleep (or more like morning), Joonghyuk wakes up forgetting all about it, finishes the beta testing he was supposed to do, and just goes on with his work normally for the next few days. It’s only when a notification comes into his email that he finally remembers having commented on the reader’s fanfic. Heart beating in anticipation and a slight hint of worry, Joonghyuk clicks on it to see what the reader replies with.
[Guest1864:
I enjoyed this story. I want to ask, why did you choose Yoo Joonghyuk to draw as Yoo Jaehyun? Do you think they look or act alike?
kimreader1502:
!!!!!
First of all, I didn’t expect anyone to read this fic aside from me, so thank you very much!!
As for your question… I have somehow gone without knowing who Yoo Joonghyuk was in all those years, but the moment I saw him, for some reason, Yoo Jaehyun came to mind immediately! They were both extremely handsome, kind of jerks (please don’t be offended if you’re Yoo Joonghyuk’s fan), and felt a bit… lonely? I don’t know how to explain but Yoo Joonghyuk was just the perfect inspiration, haha.
Thank you once again for reading this fic!!]
… So it was just a coincidence that the reader thought of him, then?
Joonghyuk reads the reply over and over, feeling weirdly energized by the enthusiasm and joy coming from that simple message. To talk for the first time to the person who has read his story (or at least, a fictional version of him) in all those years, just feels so… nice. Along with the strange happy feeling, he also finds himself curious about what this reader is like in real life.
[Guest1864: I see. Then, is ‘Kim Daeyoon’ based on yourself? You did say that this is a self-insert fic.]
The reply comes faster than he expects.
[kimreader1502: Ahaha… it’s embarrassing to admit, but… yeah. To be honest, I’ve never seen Yoo Jaehyun as just a character in a story, but more like… my friend, perhaps. That’s why seeing him suffer in the story really got to me, made me wish that I could help him somehow, and so this fic was written. It’s pathetic, right? Thinking so much of a fictional character…]
His breath hitches at the surprisingly heartfelt, vulnerable words. It’s true that this person is the only one still reading TWSA and likes it enough to write a fanfic for it, but to see this man proclaiming his affection for Yoo Jaehyun like this…
… It almost feels like the reader is speaking directly to Joonghyuk himself.
Shaking his head to chase away the weird feelings, Joonghyuk decides to stop the conversation there with a last assurance that he doesn’t find him pathetic, which the reader seems grateful about. He forces himself to get his work done, but even then, the reader’s words still remain in his head.
Before Joonghyuk realizes it, he has come to expect new updates of the reader’s fanfic, just like the way that reader looks forward to TWSA. Every time there’s a new chapter of that fanfic, if possible, he’ll drop everything just to read it immediately. The more Joonghyuk reads, the more invested he is in this reader’s fanfic-verse, and weirdly enough, in the relationship between Kim Daeyoon and Yoo Jaehyun. He would occasionally leave comments to the reader about how he’d like the two to have a happy ending, to which the reader enthusiastically agrees and assures that he would do that.
Han Sooyoung didn’t comment on the fanfic at first because she still hadn’t managed to overcome her embarrassment. However, one day, that reader sent a loving comment on the newest TWSA chapter that she thought wasn’t good at all, and she finally gave in.
Since that day, she and Joonghyuk begin to anticipate the fic’s new chapter and comment right away after they’re done reading. The reader seems to be over the moon about that if the way his update noticeably speeds up is any indication. As both TWSA and the fanfic go on, he and Han Sooyoung also feel much closer to their only reader through all their conversations, and Joonghyuk almost finds it poetic. TWSA is written only for that reader, and his fanfic is written only for the two of them.
The two still feel shy about telling the reader their true identities, however, out of fear that he might be disappointed with the people they are in real life. Han Sooyoung says that it should be fine because Yoo Jaehyun is (in her own words) a million times more of an asshole than Joonghyuk himself, and yet the reader still loves him, so it should be okay. Even then, when he asks if she would like to ask the reader to meet in person, she still clams up with reddened cheeks.
Joonghyuk sighs in disappointment at their cowardice, and finds himself still agonizing about that even on the way to go to a company called Mino Soft to sign a new contract.