Ever since my fandom days, I’ve had a specific habit of releasing a doujinshi close to my birthday in April, so I thought I should continue that tradition for TAWB/TDWW too. So, yes, finally, TAWB/TDWW Book 1 Kyrie is done! It consists of chapter 1 through 3, with chapter 0 included as omake, totaling rougly 120 comic pages. This marks my third doujinshi, my 350th-plus completed comic page, and my very first original book. The first proper chapter featuring Mathias and Lucius was posted in June 2025, and I finished editing everything in April 2026. Ten months of absolute suffering.

For specific reasons, the book was only available via a limited pre-order, and it seems everyone has received their copy! I truly hope the readers enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed creating it.

Copying the Afterword part from the book:

This story began as a three-page comic about a choirmaster meeting a doctor who naps on church pews. That’s it. That was the whole plan.

And then it… escalated.

I am not joking. This was also the first time I actually wrote a proper script for my comic. I survived over 200 pages of Saiyuki doujinshi without a single script — don’t ask me how. Initially, I just wanted to make my own “old man yaoi” (they aren’t quite old men yet, but let’s use that for simplicity). However, after drawing a few illustrations of them back in late 2024, I got stuck. What should I draw next? What is the underlying theme of their relationship that could inspire more illustrations, but this time with deeper feeling? Why did I even name them Mathias and Lucius in the first place?

I’m not going to spill the fun, but I believe people already see the actual reference is hidden in plain sight, Mathias and Lucius is a part from bigger lore that I am still refining to this day. I decided to focus on Mathias and Lucius first just to test myself, to see how far I could stretch a slow-burn romance… and make it burn properly, slowly. It turns out I am very good at expanding minor ideas into major commitments.

If you read closely, there is a noticeable bridge that I drew after finishing all the pages. One day, while I was storyboarding Chapter 3, I was approached by a translator-publisher hybrid asking if I wanted to submit my work so it could be read by Japanese audiences. I didn’t think much of it, but it felt like a good opportunity since they offered a review by a professional mangaka from Japan, so I submitted it.

The review I received was generally positive regarding the artwork and character designs within the BL genre. However, I had a glaring fault in the story: it lacked a clear premise and felt confusing when evaluated as either a “commercial BL” or a “slice of life with BL elements.” In the end, my work wasn’t accepted, but their feedback was invaluable.

During development, I was terrified to explicitly name the real antagonist between Mathias and Lucius. It touches on very sensitive nuances and cultural sensibilities here in Indonesia. So, I hid it. But after reading that professional review, the issue became clear. I fully realized that this story will be read by real people, and I respect my readers too much to compromise: I must name the antagonist sitting between Mathias and Lucius right away. No story fits everyone, but I’m sure my story will strike a specific chord; and that is perfectly fine. That realization was my great leap of faith.

The full outline for Mathias and Lucius’s story is complete, and I hope to release one book per year.

Thank you so much for your support! 💖

Trivia

Mathias was originally created to be an infuriatingly toxic alpha top (ooh, you know the trope), but after I named my own real-life violin Mathias… well, the toxic alpha vibe just didn’t feel right anymore. My violin sounds incredibly warm and sweet 😭. And so, behold: the real Mathias, a gentle giant who can actually sing!

(Fun fact: I taught myself the violin for about six months before fully focusing on TAWB/TDWW. I really hope I can take proper violin lessons once this whole story is finished!)

Synopsis

Mathias, a married man who recently relocated to a new town, reluctantly agrees to serve as a volunteer choirmaster. On his first day, he meets with Lucius, a surgeon who sleeps in the back pew, like something quietly permitted there. In the quietude of small chapel, love does not arrive loudly. As his feelings grow, Mathias must unlearn the old fears he carried from years of sitting in church pews.

🪽 Mathias Wu

An Angel Hidden in Shadows

40 | 190cm / 94kg | Chairman of Providence Healthcare, volunteer choirmaster at Saint Raphael Hospital's Chapel

A former "city boy" and a devout soul who left the high-pressure Capital to find room to breathe in Isidore Hills. As the non-medical chairman of Providence Healthcare, he’s a professional by day, but his true heart lies in music. Though he’s been "called" from his desk to lead the choir as their choirmaster, his voice alone is so heavenly it feels like a gift from above. He is a man looking for a life where he can finally be himself without having to perform a role that doesn't fit.

🐍 Lucius Liu

A Devil With Gentle Hands

39 | 183cm / 77kg | General surgeon at Saint Raphael Hospital, Consultant CV Surgeon at Gilead Heart Institute

The resident "napper" of the hospital chapel and a chronically sleep-deprived chaotic surgeon. While he’s a highly demanded heart surgeon in the Capital, he spends most of his time at Saint Raphael, meticulously caring for the sick and the poor. He is as stubborn as an ox when it comes to saving lives— his Acts of occassionaly doing surgeries for free. He doesn’t just fix bodies; he tracks the stories of everyone he heals.

💎 Petra Patricia

A Pillar to Lean On

41 | Program curator at philantrophist foundation

Mathias’ childhood friend and his "rock." To the outside world, she is his wife, but in reality, she is the loyal foundation that protects his true identity. As a social program curator, she is the one who connected Mathias back to the Parish. Tough, dependable, and honest to a fault, she provides the stable ground Mathias needs to stand on when the world feels too shaky. She is the first to support him and the last to leave his side.

🦅 Johanan Tjan

An Observer of Events

66 | Saint John the Beloved's Parish Pastor

The wise and gentle Pastor of Saint John the Beloved Parish. He has known Mathias since the very beginning, having baptized him as a baby, and now serves as his spiritual mentor. There is something deeply mystic and soaring about him; Lucius often feels like Johanan is an observer watching from a great height, seeing truths that others miss. He doesn't just preach; he sees into the very soul of the town.