I like your analysis. I also figured we aren't going to get that illusive chasing arc
My thoughts on his character are very similar. You worded this so perfectly
ahhh thank you it's so late for me, I was worried it would come off wrong
thank you !!
But fr, Jaekyung does not value others & also himself. That point was staring right at my face & I was unable to pinpoint it down until u commented so. I think we need to see some background context
this story is so hard to read because it's not finished. the author definitely intended jaekyung to be a piece of shit and hes living up to the expectation. I do see, though, bits and pieces of what *i* read as guilt laced in his actions, but he writes it off as him helping himself - not kim dan. I think jaekyung is a very interesting character actually. very selfish, literally doesn't care about anyone, including himself. he treats his body with no care in the world, drinking and such. I means he's literally a MMA fighter, they notoriously break their bodies by going over board. (I can semi understand the though process behind his character. do I agree, LMFDAO no, I can just definitely see he was intentionally written like this.) the moment we see him start what he would probably consider caring about Dan, he excuses it as what? being mad he ran away? losing his sex partner? fucking idiot hate this guy
also don't know how much of a "chasing arc" we will get considering i thought the chasing arc already started, but I am really curious to see how jaekyung will act when he realizes he's (possibly) in love with dan. unsure if he even is, though I think he does care in his own sick and twisted way, does he even have the capacity to care at this time in the novel?
just thinking outloud, I'm a literature major and sometimes put it on the most brainrot shit imaginable. I would love to hear more character breakdowns in the comments. also save kim dan, he does NOTT need to get this shit from jaekyung with the amount of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion he's going through.
fuck jaekyung me and all my homies hate jaekyung