i just binged it too and i had the same opinion for you in the first 50 chapters or so, but then something clicked for me and i really began to like hyunsoo and youngchan as individuals!
i think hyunsoo was so… realistic. he was just the right amount of self deprecating and realistic, so when the plot dragged on, i didn’t mind it bc he was resisting happiness in a way that made sense to how he was written. he’s so stubborn lol. i’ve read quite a few office bls (always will accept recs for more tho!) and i think hyunsoo is one of the most human, and easy to admire bc of his morals. i personally liked that!
100% agree that the kidnapping plot was a not super well done. from the beginning it felt a little far fetched and i don’t love the whole antagonist being a stalker thing.
your comment made me reflect on why i personally enjoyed this so much and i think it came down to how much i get hyunsoo LOL but plot wise i agree that it’s not the most special!!
I stopped reading this at like chapter 20 because I felt like it was a lot of back and forth with no progression. So that continues until the end? I'm asking because I don't know if I should pick this up and start reading it again
Thanks for your input. I actually do like their individual characters being fleshed out, esp hyunsoo, but the togetherness of their relationship, the union of it all, being pushed back so long, could have been better.
Yes the back and forth does continue until about the end. If you dont mind minor spoilers of timeline, then
.
s4 ch91 is where youngchan confesses, verbally, that he likes hyunsoo. But hyunsoo rejects him, and it isnt until ch97 that hyunsoo verbally returns his feelings too. The rest of the story is where we see them be a normal couple.
yes it takes a while for the romance to move forward! i think it’s a stronger character study than a romance
I agree with this. I’m not typically into slow burns but I loved to see the character progression and even if it seemed a little mundane at times it’s full of interesting characters and well written plot!
i finally read this from start to finish in one go. let me recount my feelings while i was reading this.
ch 1-60s or so, i was honestly meh. the story just felt very base line and nothing really jumps out at me? i wasn't mad nor was i excited, it was a basic read and nothing about the plot felt special. at one point i thought to myself "nothing really happens huh" because it just felt lackluster.
ch 60s - 90s. the subplot about mr.park trying to kidnap hyunsoo and them taking him down was...okay? at least nobody got raped. and hyunsoo handled himself well.
ch 90s-final. it was cute, but again, still very base line, i wasn't ecstatic or anything.
i think the back and forth aspect of the plot overstayed its welcome. for a while i get it but it just wasn't very fun to read two people having a crush on each other but are also actively pretending theyre not? (at least on hyunsoo's part). and i mean hyunsoo had support. his little gay cafe friend and the ceo daughter. he had people to talk to to go over and assess his situation, i dont see why that couldn't have helped him come to realization sooner, rather than drag it all the way to the end.
i do appreciate the characters being fleshed out though.
overall, a basic office romance. nothing problematic happened but not like anything special happened either.