Lee Hakhyun is a side character in Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, and the main character of its side story beginning in chapter 553. He is a webnovel author, who was given the idea to write ORV in his world by Yoo Joonghyuk and Han Sooyoung.
Appearance[]
Personality[]
Lee Hakhyun, at his core, is a good man. He loves the characters that he wrote, and he loves his readers. He understands that there’s no right way to navigate through difficult situations, and he may not know things as well as he thought, but he is willing to learn.
Even when being bullied (ie. classmates saying his writing isn't good enough), Lee Hakhyun believes "people do it because they love stories. So they want drama, and fill things in when there's no story". [1] Lee Hakhyun is a man who is full of love, even for people who don't deserve it. He’s actually very emotionally healthy; he just suffers from feeling like he doesn’t have a concrete sense of self, and has some memory issues.
History[]
His father gave him the name Lee Hakhyun (李鶴翾), in the hopes that he would live like the soaring noble crane, for which he paid a handsome sum of 300,000 won at the Psychic and Astrology Center. "Hak" for "crane" (鶴), and "Hyun" for "flying" (翾).
The Psychic and Astrology Center that created his name went out of business sometime later, and it wasn't until then that his father discovered the hidden meaning in front of the entry of Hyun (翾) for "flying". "Hyun" - (Slightly) Flying (翾).[2][3]
As a child, Lee Hakhyun read many novels. He read books, and wrote stories. Fantasy was one of the genres he read - worlds of light and darkness, dominated by dragons, swords, and magic. His parents were supportive of him becoming a writer. They suggested things that got him into reading and writing, like his mother telling him that reading brings "world peace".[1]
When he was a kid, his teacher told the class to draw their family. But Lee Hakhyun can’t imagine faces properly, so he drew himself under a starry sky. When asked why he drew himself alone, he said “I drew my parents”. He describes ‘a deep, warm night sky with a few stars shining’, and then ‘a cosy darkness that will embrace me no matter what I do.’[1]
In university, Lee Hakhyun majored in Creative Writing. The name of the first class he took was called, "What is literature?". At the age of 23, he won a newcomer contest organized by a literary magazine (the Short Story Newcomers Division - Rookie of the Year), and became the first writer among his peers to be published. Eventually, he switched from writing traditional print literature novels, to webnovels, after attending an event, the Web Novel Briefing for Literary Writers. Lee Hakhyun was introduced to Dragon Management for the first time.[4]
The three physical books that he wrote were a trilogy - the Origin of Memory, the Origin of Faith, and the Origin of Lies. The Origin of Memory was the winning work that got him published. The Origin of Memory was about the protagonist, who lied about his past. He became famous, but thereafter, his lies were exposed on the internet. What's interesting is the protagonist's reaction: "Nobody suffers from the past". Is it really a lie? The protagonist is the only one who recalls a story that no one remembers - so the only person who deserves the origin of memory is them.[5]
Synopsis[]
Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint[]
Lee Hakhyun first appeared in Chapter 549 of ORV. He was a university student and also a struggling webnovel writer. He was busy writing up his manuscript inside a one-room flat for students.
Then, his editor called him and asked what he's planning to write this time, along with the title of the novel. He answered that his novel is called "The Me-sword Master". He continued to describe his novel's setting along the lines of, "The protagonist is a method actor in a fantasy world, and he eventually masters his acting skills and also becomes a swordmaster…"
Eventually, Lee Hakhyun's editor cuts him off, as his expression becomes gloomier and gloomier.
His editor told him not to forget the incident with his debut novel, ⸢Orc Philosopher⸥, which was completely tanked – and his novel’s paywalled chapters were bought only by his best friend and no one else.
Plus the follow-up that he wrote, ⸢How to Become a Star Writer⸥ was also tanked because, well, he was not a famous author to begin with.
Just like that, this was his third try to write a novel. Lee Hakhyun is three months behind on his rent, and with what little money he had on him, it’d be difficult to even buy dinner. Lee Hakhyun then laments that those who will succeed, will succeed. While those who won’t, simply won’t. After staring at his empty screen, he heads up to the rooftop of the building, and looks at the ground below.
Suddenly, a black coat-wearing man, with a fluffy thing on his shoulder, appears out of thin air. The man asked him if he is a webnovel author, to which Lee Hakhyun answered affirmatively. Lee Hakhyun believes that the man is here to take him away, and gradually grows excited at the prospect.
However, he is hit on the back of his head, and loses consciousness. It turns out to be Yoo Joonghyuk and Biyoo. Yoo Joonghyuk knocked him out because he was annoyed by his behavior. Biyoo is affronted by this, scolding Yoo Joonghyuk for his careless actions. They had come this far to find an author to serialize their novel.
Biyoo then creates "Inspiration Sharing", to synchronize Lee Hakhyun's consciousness with Han Sooyoung's Cloud System. Later, Lee Hakhyun wakes up in his room at his desk. He finds that he now has an inspiration for a new story.[7]
Side Story[]
Prologue. This Is Not An Announcement.
Lee Hakhyun is now a (slightly) successful webnovel author. His only major hit is Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint. For the past three years after the end of his novel, he has been trying to write side stories. However, Lee Hakhyun hasn't been able to.
This time, he tries to write an announcement to his readers but hits backspace almost immediately every time. After three failed tries, he suddenly got a call from his editor, Ji Eunyu.
She asked if he's working on the side story. Lee Hakhyun bitterly denied it.
After a sigh, Ji Eunyu asked about what he wants to write instead, but Lee Hakhyun just said "I don't know how to write."
They then bantered back and forth about his next plans. Ji Eunyu mentioned his idea of making crossovers with his previous novels but Lee Hakhyun is convinced that none of them could be used to make a crossover.
Gradually, their conversation developed to the topic of Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, Lee Hakhyun's one and only bestseller three years ago. Ji Eunyu said that many readers are waiting for his next story, but Lee Hakhyun doesn't believe it. After all, it had been three long years. He hung up the phone.
Later on, after taking a small break to the convenience store, Lee Hakhyun looks at the messages he's received from the readers over the years, and is surprised to find one from "Representative Kim Dokja" just recently. They told him that there will be an ORV fan event, and said that it was a gift for him, the writer. They even joked that he needs to pay for his own ticket, however, as they need to make a living too.
Episode 1. The World After Completion (1)
At the fan event, called <Kim Dokja's Banquet>, which Lee Hakhyun's editor dragged him to, was at Chungmuro, a place that was once used in ORV.
As they entered the venue, Lee Hakhyun noticed the cardboard cutouts of the characters in ORV and appreciated it. Ji Eunyu even added that it was better than what they had made.
Lee Hakhyun agreed by saying that he would believe it if they said it was drawn by the real webtoon artists. Ji Eunyu thought that they had drawn it for real, but Lee Hakhyun just said that there was no way they could have after all that have happened.
At one point, Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint was made into a webtoon. It started off well because amazing writers and artists were handling the art and organizing the adaptation. Unfortunately, before Episode 10 was released, the studio was struck by lightning and a huge fire broke out. Unable to cope with the aftermath, the company went out of business. Coupled with the management's financial difficulties, the webtoon of Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint reached the completion of its 11th episode then disappeared from the world.
Ji Eunyu wasn't at all down with his words and even said that they might start the webtoon again if the novel does well. Lee Hakhyun replied to her that he had long since stopped expecting to be able to 'revive' the novel, and was surprised to know that she was still so optimistic after all this time. He then looks back to the cardboard cutouts and noticed an unfamiliar character at the end of the line. He was confused, but being embarrassed with himself however, he didn't ask Ji Eunyu about this, retaining his pride as the author.
They entered the theater of Chungmuro after being given nametags and wrote down their nicknames. Ji Eunyu told him that there was an approximate number of 30 readers in the venue from what she counted. Lee Hakhyun was surprised and touched that so many people are still thinking of ORV. He was even more touched when he heard that this was the 12th time they hold this event, and there were even more people before.
After sitting down, a particularly well-built man nicknamed "Judge Heewon" approached him and sat beside him. The man is a fan of Jung Heewon. They bond over their shared love of the characters, except for Cheon Inho.
Then, the MC of the banquet came out. He looked very similar to Kim Dokja, wearing a black suit underneath his signature white coat, with the addition of sunglasses.
Everyone then is shown exhibitions, arts, and other things that fans of ORV have made. A few are embarrassed when seeing the comments that they have posted. After that, the MC announced that the author of ORV is here, making Lee Hakhyun and his editor were shocked. They believed that this was referring to him.
However, everyone was surprised when they see a familiar woman with dark hair and a beauty mark underneath her eye on the screen. [8][9]
Episode 1. The World After Completion (2)
The woman in the video looked very identical to the 'real' author of ORV: Han Sooyoung. As she spoke, Lee Hakhyun was shocked that even her personality was very accurate, noting down on her signature 'asshole' remarks.
She then asked them if they had already gotten the side story she had posted. At this, Lee Hakhyun was dumbfounded, as he didn't even write anything and hadn't gotten any manuscript in his 'mind'.
She continued to speak of the side story casually before allowing them to ask her a one last question. At first Lee Hakhyun thought it was just a very realistic video pre-recorded, so he thought that she obviously couldn't answer it.
However, when a little girl asked a long-awaited question, she actually replied back.
The girl asked her if Kim Dokja came back alive.
Before she could answer it however, the video abruptly ended with a spark, and the MC leisurely said it was unfortunate that the signal was cut off so suddenly.
What followed was the end of the banquet and a quiz for them. There were several questions that Lee Hakhyun doesn't know the answer to, and he was surprised to see the fans answer the difficult questions about ORV.
All those who answered their question went behind the curtain on the stage to pick up their prize. Finally, Lee Hakhyun became the last person to remain at the end.
The moment when he finally managed to answer his question and went backstage, the host suddenly asked, “Are you really going to end it like that?”
“What about the rest of the people if you finish it on your own like that?”
As soon as Lee Hakhyun was surprised, strange sparks hit him and made him feel very dizzy. The voice continued lightly.
“So please take good care of that story.”
When he opened his eyes, it was in a subway station.Episode 2. Rewrite (1)
Lee Hakhyun looked at his own reflection in the subway's mirror, and realized that he's possessing the body of the unfamiliar character that he saw at the entrance of the fan event.
At first he was panicked and contemplated whether it was Han Sooyoung who had put him in this current situation. He even guessed that it was Yoo Joonghyuk since he wrote him such a horrible backstory. Or maybe even Kim Dokja, just because of his naturally bad personality.
Snapping out of his mind, he focuses on his current situation and noticed that he was in Geumho Station. It instantly reminded him of the scenario to catch the flag, and he was glad that he didn't land in such a scenario at the first place.
Then, he heard an unfamiliar voice and saw a sight never seen before in his life. But he immediately knew it. The Dokkaebi in charge of his area, Bihyung had appeared and the main scenario was already beginning. Trying to calm down, Lee Hakhyun tried to open his status window but due to system error, he couldn't.
He thought that he had the Fourth Wall, but that doesn't seem to be the case. He then thought that, maybe, because he's a writer, he'd have the same skills as Han Sooyoung. He tried activating <Avatar> but nothing happened.
People in the subway station decided to push against the transparent wall surrounding them in the subway station.
Suddenly, Lee Hakhyun received a text from "Representative Kim Dokja".
Episode 2. Rewrite (2)
Abilities[]
Personal Attributes[]
Personal Skills[]
Similar to Kim Dokja, as an outside existence of the novel, he can use Character List to look at the attribute windows of others. For readers of ORV who are possessing characters, Character List will tell him that this person is a character, but not a "character".
Also, Lee Hakhyun can use his skill, [Reader's Comment List] to see comments that the reader left on his novel. The first couple are free, then he has to spend coins to view reader comments. The potentially most powerful of his skills is the [■■■]. This is a skill that transports Lee Hakhyun to a snowfield, wherein he is given a limited amount of time to write what happens to another character, in a limited amount of words.
This skill only activates when that character is about to do something unexpected, or when their attributes are about to blossom. Dictating the actions of the character consumes probability; Lee Hakhyun is only successful if he has a high enough plausibility. If a character's actions are not likely, based on their personality, it will fail. It needs to be consistent with who they are.
Lee Hakhyun can also use this skill on himself, if he is in a situation where he is about to die. In Season 2 of the side story, possibly because he is the reincarnated soul of 49% Kim Dokja, Lee Hakhyun gains a new skill "Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse", that filters him information from the novel TWSA.Sponsor[]
In chapter 565, Lee Hakhyun does not choose a constellation sponsor after the first scenario. However, most notably, among his ten options, he had the choice to choose from the Abyssal Black Flame Dragon, and "a constellation that watches as long their modifier is not revealed".
Overall Stats[]
Items[]
Stories[]
Relationships[]
Ji Eunyu[]
Ji Eunyu is Lee Hakhyun's editor. Even though she is harsh on him, this is because she only wants him to succeed. She sincerely cares for him, as even when Hakhyun thinks most of his novels are all flops because they failed commercially, Ji Eunyu has enjoyed reading all of them.
Lee Dansu[]
His life was so lucky and good that he often wondered if he was borrowing someone’s luck, and then his wife was killed by a falling meteor, and he wondered if this distant person in another universe was envious of his luck... His real name is Noh Kyung-hwan, meaning "vigilant misfortune". His father gave him such a name to live vigilantly against even the smallest of troubles. He was transported into TWSA, when he was going for a scheduled checkup at the hospital for his cancer. Kyunghwan never told Jiyoon about him having cancer. He read ORV because he wanted to understand his daughter better.
Kyung Sein[]
Killer_King[]
Literature_Girl_64[]
Ye Hyunwoo[]
Jung Jaewoo[]
Go Jangwon[]
Gallery[]
Quotes[]
- “Perhaps I'd been writing all those sentences just to see this view.” [9]
Trivia[]
- In the <Kim Dokja's Banquet>, Lee Hakhyun's nickname was [■■■].
- Lee Hakhyun lives in the planetary system Z865123. It is 17 layers of [Dark Stratum] from Kim Dokja's Earth.[7]
- Taking the year that he appeared (2020) to be the same calendar year in-text, and assuming that all ages are given according to the Korean system, Lee Hakhyun''s year of birth is 1991.
- Koreans will count their actual age on their birthdays. However, South Korea has a separate "Korean age" system - you are 1 year old on the day of your birth, and gain a year every New Year's day.
- ⸢Orc Philosopher⸥, a story with no regression, no system, and no cider.[4]
- Sweet Potato (goguma 고구마) and Cider (사이다). 고구마 is ‘sweet potato’. In Korea, sweet potato is used as an adjective or a noun to express the speaker’s frustrated or impatient feeling about a situation or a person, the feeling similar to what you may feel when you eat sweet potato without any beverage. The second term, cider. This is actually its own dedicated genre. 사이다 is from ‘cider’ and it means a soda drink such as Sprite in Korea. But it is often used as the opposite meaning to sweet potato above by Koreans. When you have sweet potato and you feel uneasy, if you drink ‘Cider’, you feel great and happy. Cider is used to express that kind of feeling.
- His other novels include『Infinite Warden』,『System Breaker』,『Mage of the World that Wouldn't Fall』, and『Method Master』[2]
- 『How to Become a Star Writer』is actually a discontinued work of Sing Shong's. It was about a writer, Lee Hakhyun who becomes a "star writer" by transmigrating into a novel. [10]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 ORV Novel Chapter 651 (read original)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Prologue. 이것은 공지가 아니다 Sing Shong on Munpia. Translated text available here, courtesy of r/mesanikr.
- ↑ ORV Novel Chapter 553 (read original)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Episode 1. 재벌집 10서클 소드마스터의 회귀 (1) Sing Shong on Munpia. Translated text available here, courtesy of @lee-hakhyun.
- ↑ ORV Novel Chapter 609 (read original)
- ↑ ORV Novel Chapter 588 (read original)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 ORV Novel Chapter 549 (read original)
- ↑ Episode 1. 완결 이후의 세계 (1) Sing Shong on Munpia. Translated text available here, courtesy of r/mesanikr.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 ORV Novel Chapter 554 (read original)
- ↑ 스타 작가 되는 법 Sing Shong on Munpia.
- ↑ Chapter 820