Random Go Yeongeun theory: Yeongeun is a named character, not in Daydream, but the Bureau. That's why KSE didn't recognize her, because in the Bureau she went by a different name.
Maybe she somehow got the wish ticket in the og timeline too and was free to work at the Bureau. Maybe she gave up or found an alternative to the wish ticket and tried to expose herself in a roundabout way and the Bureau caught on. Maybe she was found out and something similar to KSE happened to her minus all the gay angst. The Bureau's surprisingly kind to spies that're good people after all. So long as you give them the info, that is.
Then, to (try to at least) prevent Ho from finding out, they put her under a new agent name.
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Guys, I just realized. When Director Ho gave him that security team uniform, he totally knew about Soleum's true form and was being all sly and teasing about it, the little shit. Oh my god I love him.
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(Well actually I'm only writing down the three main ones that stick out to me the most but shh)
SPOILERS FOR CHAPTERS 192+
1. His family
Let's take a moment to put ourselves in Soleum's shoes: imagine being transported to a world where eldritch, ungodly horrors are real, where everyone dies faster than your phone battery does when you actually need it, where contact of your friends somehow still remain, but your family, who - according to the fact that you mentioned somewhere in the novel that they've warned you against entering finance - you should still have contact with in your world, is apparently wiped out, wouldn't you at least take a moment to find out what's happened to them? Or at least mention that fact beyond a single, quickly brushed-off sentence in the beginning, even if you're (maybe) trying not to think about it?
There's no way a guy like Soleum wouldn't pay attention to these things just because this isn't the 'real' world and they're not his 'real' parents. He still tries to save everyone he can even though they're just 'characters' after all. Nor would he be the type to disregard them even if they have a bad relationship with him (see: all the times he's (sometimes however unwillingly) saved Baek Saheon).
Yet, for some reason, he does. He has no reaction to their disappearance at all. He was more concerned about not having a house - and this is the guy who's sentimental as hell.
2. His strength
Bro, you are not telling me that some random office worker, who probably hasn't lifted anything but the weight of his own body to get up for another miserable day at work, can lift a grown ass man like Baek Saheon, push away a manhole cover, and subdue an incredibly trained close combat agent with the agent unable to overpower him through physical force.
Even if Soleum worked out Choi should be able to beat him easily. But it's not just that. He never, ever mentions any form of physical activity to be a hobby of his. Nor does he does he mention doing anything to maintain his physique. Sure, you could argue that running around in ghost stories is a form of exercise in and of itself (Soleum would very much agree) but then that brings us back to point one: where would a supposedly normal guy get this kind of strength?
3. His status in the Dark Exploration Records wiki and his ghost story
Here's what we know so far:
β’ Based on how kse's contributed to the technical school's exploration record and how he casually mentions wanting to add the way he solved the Red Dress at Exit 4 disaster to the wiki but deciding otherwise because it didn't really fit his style (ch.168), aside from lurking and reading, it seems to imply that he's a frequent contributor to the wiki.
β’ He also mentions having made a ghost story, but never elaborates on what story it is.
β’ It seems like the way you submit or edit a darkness operates in nearly the same vein as submitting an SCP in the SCP wiki does, so he'd have to be greenlit by two experienced authors before he could've gotten his ghost story published.
From this, I think it's safe to infer that Soleum might be a known, if not prominent figure as a wiki user.
What's the ghost story that he wrote, exactly? Like his parents, it's something he quickly brushes off and never really mentions, if I remember correctly, beyond chapter 1. This one can be easily answered though: maybe kse's trying not to think about it because this ghost story he made is suddenly very much real and he now has blood on his hands because of it. But, as with everything in this novel, there's that itching feeling that there must be a special reason why.
chapter 204 gave potential to yearner and chaser ml agent choi. and you know i just had to draw him meeting soleum again by chance in the future, still remembering the veins on soleum's wrist so his disguise would be for naught as agent choi will always recognize him.
Isn't it odd how fixated he's on getting that ticket?
Kim Soleum's approach to solving ghost stories so far has always been rational, he's always looking for alternative solutions whenever he gets thrown into one. His solutions always end up being kinder and or safer than the intended answer.
And he's pretty good at it, his unconventional approaches are what got him Brown's attention after all.
So why is it that with the one thing he wants oh so desperately, it's the thing he's been approaching most sloppily compared to his other methods?
He's so adamant that the ONLY way of getting out of this ghost story-filled world is by getting Daydream's wish ticket, and hasn't considered an alternative for a moment. He wasn't even completely sure the potion would work before heading into Daydream's chicken race, mind you.
That's so unlike him, at least of what we've seen so far. At this point, we have to rely on the (sometimes unreliable) information that he gives us and assume that there's really no other way, at least that can be found in the wiki.
And not only the wish ticket, his behavior has been too reckless to say the least:
Spending all of his money, because he will not need it once he goes back to his own world
It doesn't matter if he promised the Blue Dragon to go back to the park eventually, or that Brown is too attached to him. It's not like once he goes back to his Og world, they can follow him, since ghost stories are not real over there.
He won't really have to think about the consequences of going into the Bureau as a spy, it's not like he meant any harm, and he'll be long gone before having to deal with the aftermath
But, if he could be pulled into this ghost story world and he can (presumably) get out by using the wish ticket, then... doesn't that mean that he can be pulled right back in after getting out?
He's slowly gaining things and bonds attaching him to this world, and nothing stops whatever dragged him in from coming back for him once he's out.
Spoilers below (I'll be bringing up stuff that happens after chapter 170)
There's this theory floating around that Soleum may originally have been the Yellow Dragon mascot from Daydream
(The Blue Dragon called him family and gave him the Socius tattoo, and KSE became associated with the color yellow/golden after becoming the resort's manager)
And isn't it interesting? We're back at chapter one again!
"You'll treasure it, right?" for the Daydream ID card, followed by "Lies."
If Director Ho is the Red Fox and Soleum is the Yellow Dragon, does that mean that Soleum ran away and Ho dragged him back in retaliation? Does he feel betrayed?
Director Ho's curse is presented as something omnipotent that you shouldn't even consider breaking, yet Agent Choi found a loophole, and the Tiger General from Mt Seorak was able to lift the curse.
There ARE ways of solving things that KSE previously thought were inescapable. Ways that he either doesn't know about or that he's simply not considering.
All I'm saying is that the Wish Ticket may not be his only way out, and that before heading out, he needs to address the reason why he was brought in in the first place.
β’ Footnote because I didn't know where to put this: But if we ever get confirmation of what KSE actually is, I hope it comes from the Aliens, since they seem to be able to see this world without being affected by ghost stories' restrictions
(and also all caps because this chapter aaaaaaa im crying)
(and also less of an analysis and just me being insane)
AGENT BRONZEEE I LOVE YOU JAEKWAN IS TRULY LIVING UP TO HIS STATUS AS MY FAVORITE CHARACTER (ASIDE FROM SOLEUM, AND RECENTLY CHOI) FROM THE VERY MOMENT THAT HE STARTED TRADING WITH HIM IN THE SALMON MARKET.
[ Personal stories are pouring into my ears. The past of a person that is not recorded on the wiki.
No, not a person.
'Bronze Agent.'
A story from an acquaintance.]
I AM SO UNWELL OVER THIS YOU DONT UNDERSTAND HAHAHDHSHIAHENDBSHAHAHHAHAAHHAHAA ASIDE FROM J3, HE'S THE SECOND PERSON HE'S REFERRED TO AS AN ACQUAINTANCE. NO LONGER A CHARACTER OR A PERSON, BUT SOMEONE WHO'S GOTTEN THROUGH ALL THE WALLS HE'S BUILT UP TO SHIELD HIMSELF FROM THE PAIN OF LEAVING SOMEONE HE CARES ABOUT BEHIND AND WHO WOULD, NO MATTER WHAT, DIE BECAUSE OF THE DAMN PROPHECY (which ill make a proper post of later because wtf soleum just casually dropped that bomb on us??????)
my man's officially the closest to kse besides jaheon and braun im so happy i always knew you'd get there eventually babygirl
hyunmoo team 1 is family and i will die on this hill
["I don't necessarily expect Agent Grape to be that certain. But I'd like you to thi nk about it."
"......."
"Can that be possible?"
I nodded very slowly.
And the glass wall reflected nothing.
truth.
A small smile of relief spread across the bronze agent'
's face.
"Okay. That concludes today's interrogat ion."
"......."
"I hope you get a good rest today."
I can't believe it either.
What are you answering now that you ar e considering it?]
SOLEUMMMMMM ππππππππππ PLEASE I BEG YOU MAKE IT COME TRUE MAKE IT COME TRUE PLEASE
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I love him but also he reads to me as conceited and arrogant. He thinks he has the leverage on his offer and can be a bit pushy in his method. He thinks if he turns out to be right then the end justifies the means.
What's even more frustating is that most of the time he was right. But this time it's about Kim Soleum. Our MC's struggle is not as clear cut as to choose which side are you on and well back you up if you choose us type of situation.
I'm sure Choi has good intentions but he needs to know that Soleum doesn't appreciate getting harsh treatment. Esp after what happens to him few chapters back?? Even in Korean side of the fandom it seems the phrase "The road to hell is paved with good intentions" is best to describe Choi's action rn hahaha.
I also can relate to Choi in a way I didn't expect Soleum to be this shaken. Well I'm pretty sure Soleum is still holding up mentally even just barely. But starving himself?? He's not in the right mind to enjoy meal and finds any point in it. Which I would've never guessed Soleum would do from my impression of him in early chapters. Soleum is more delicate than I thought :((
I hope Choi would feel guilty and learn his lesson. Also I'm happy to see that it seems like Jaekwan is about to have spotlight finally. He's been pretty much overshadowed everywhere I kind of feel pity towards him lmao... but maybe, just maybe. Jaekwan is the closest answer to who possibly does Soleum would open up to? in this situation.
Also jokes on you Choi, you don't know anything about Kim Soleum. You only believes that you do have some kind of understanding of him because you see yourself in him (trying his best to save as many civilians as possible), and you start to project your thoughts into him. The same exact mistake Braun did lmfaoaoa. But no, ultimately when it comes to who knows who best it'll probably Kim Soleum. He literally reads your wiki entry so yeah. Yeahh, get on his level before you try anything funny hahahaha.
hey kse, what do you think about forgetting about all this and going off into the sunset with Jaekwan, J3, Jaheon, Haje (the real one, not that ho(e) of a director (affectionate)) Minseong, and Yongeun instead?
so. i just caught up to the latest chapters after rereading and. oh my god. i just. holy shit. i'm gonna try my best to make my thoughts about it as coherent as i can. [CHAPTER 201 SPOILERS] (oh hey, i finally learned how tumblr works : D)
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i am really worried how Soleum's going to take this. this guy has been in a really bad place mentally for the past few chapters, and now, just when things were starting to look up, he suddenly realizes that that wasn't the case at all and that what was happening, in his eyes, was a betrayal.
the wish ticket's practically the only thing that keeps him going. the reason why he puts up with all the blood and gore and ghost stories and horror. why he puts up with daydream inc. and the bureau, and now there's no chance he'll ever be getting it.
his life's basically been destroyed, not just once, but thrice. first in his original world, then in daydream, and now in the bureau. he has no one to turn to. the D squad's been dismantled. he can't contact lee jaheon. park minseong and j3 don't have the freedom to help him. eun haje's status is unknown. he can't trust baek saheon. jang heowoon's contaminated. go yongeun works under director ho, and, with how desperate everyone in daydream is for a wish ticket and how she didn't give up the opportunity even though she knew that helping the director might harm people, wouldn't drop everything because of this either.
braun won't be helping him home either, because that wouldn't be fun, and he's already proven that around 192/193. nor would the blue dragon, and the other ghost stories because they want to keep him here. bronze can't stop choi now. and choi's betrayed him.
sure, choi has good intentions, but soleum won't see it that way. the road to hell is paved with good intentions after all. choi wants him to fully join the bureau and help him after, or maybe turn hyunmoo team 1 into the home he (possibly) interprets soleum's wish to be, but i don't think the bureau has something like the wish ticket (if they did people would've dropped daydream in a heartbeat after all) and choi could never have imagined that soleum wasn't actually from the gsgw world.
i'm worried soleum might actually just break. and wouldn't it just be perfect for the author to have it happen while saheon can finally think about something beyond his survival and maybe even learning to be kind? they've always been each other's narrative foils after all. silver heart and casette tape, a selfless man and a selfish one.
anyway i'm not okay. and i hope i'm wrong because i want wholesome hyunmoo team 1 moments but i also hope there's quite a bit of mental anguish there because mmm, angst
does anyone else find the merch box so very suspicious? it's so weird how soleum's conveniently bought things he'd come to need in the future, and that these things are merch at all. normally items from a piece of media are very rarely made as merchandise, unless it's something iconic like jjk's prison realm and the like, and i highly doubt everything soleum's purchased would be at that level. you'd usually find merch stores selling figurines or plushies or keychains of characters.
even SCP merch, which is what the darknesses are 100% inspired by, don't really sell item merch but plushies of SCP-049, 682, 999, etc. i guess you could make the argument that soleum's trying to be discrete with his merch since he seemed very embarrassed about the fact that he's so into the dark exploration records as a fully grown man, but i have a select few 'discrete' merch as well (usually an animal version the characters of my other fandoms are likened to, i.e klein moretti as a cat with a top hat) and i find it highly doubtful he wouldn't have bought something like that too with how big of a fanboy he is.
(or maybe i'm just hyperanalyzing everything chapter 1 as i am wont to because everything in that chapter is so freaking sus and should take it at face value as plot convenience)
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