Honestly I like to believe this is intentional.. and as the story will progress, perhaps he will learn to regulate his emotions and actions... (=・ω・=)
I really disagree. I think Gyeol is the perfect juxtaposition to Yeseung and their dynamic is what makes the story work for me.
Gyeol is written as a short-tempered idiot with a heart of gold and a bit of a savior complex. He comes across as passionate, yes, but the author is not trying to portray that as a good thing, I think. Gyeol just completely smitten by Yeseung and he makes no attempt to hide it.
That's why he gets upset with Yeseung. It's not because Yeseung doesn't read his mind nor because he doesn't care about the situation Yeseung is in, it's because Gyeol doesn't understand why Yeseung is not being honest.
Now, Yeseung tends to hide what's he's thinking. When he's pressed, his first instinct is to lie, much unlike Gyeol. He's not 100% aware of the situation he's in. He's conflicted with his feelings of loyalty and devotion towards Mr. Kim and how much he longs for Gyeol. He can't really bring himself to stay away from Gyeol, but he can't make Gyeol fit into his current life either, so the lines get blurred.
Only a straightforward hothead like Gyeol would be willing to dive into that mess to pull Yeseung out, because, let's be honest, any self respecting person would bail after being ghosted the first time.
Also, it's the character's personality types that really sell the intensity of their attraction: we believe Gyeol would go to ridiculous lengths for Yeseung because he wears his heart on his sleeve. And we believe Yeseung would keep coming back to Gyeol because he craves the warmth and safety of someone who so openly cares for him.
So yeah... TLDR, I fucking love these two.
YESSSSS!!!! Exactly thisss
I get that you see him as passionate or straightforward, but the issue for me is that what’s framed as care often plays out as straight up toxic. Like, when Yeseung set boundaries during sex and Gyeol ignored them out of frustration, that’s not ''heart on his sleeve'' that’s harmful. And when Yeseung broke down and asked for reassurance, Gyeol gave him nothing, yet later (Ch.23) Yeseung is the one apologizing while he’s literally going through withdrawals. That power imbalance makes it really hard for me to see Gyeol’s behavior as romantic or justified. Sorry...
Yes, Yeseung hides things, but Gyeol also knows about the druggings, the fights, and even suspects exploitation, and still chooses to lash out at him instead of offering support. To me, that’s less ''hotheaded saviour'' and more hypocrisy. I think that’s why the dynamic doesn’t land for Me the way it does for You.
I've written out a lengthier critique on my profile, if you're interested in my further perspective.
You explained this so well
Honestly I think you're both right to some degree, bottom of the line is they both have some serious issues
Well, I really don't think Gyeol is being portrayed as romantic at all. When I say "passionate" I mean "moved by strong feelings", not really amorous. And I think the author goes out of their way to showcase how dysfunctional Gyeol's behavior can be, given the interactions he has with characters like his Hyung, the police officers and even Ha Taegeon, so it's not being glorified... I mean, the comments are full of people hating on Gyeol for a reason.
About the first time Gyeol and Yeseung slept together, yeah. That whole situation was just messed up, but it tracks with Gyeol's tendencies to get angry when Yeseung is lying to him. If you reread the chapters, you'll see Gyeol was willing to follow Yeseung's rules until he realized that Yeseung was trying to trick Gyeol into acting like Mr. Kim, which was pretty shitty of Yeseung. Two wrongs don't make a right, of course, and that's why I think the situation was messed up, albeit very layered.
Also... I don't think Gyeol left Yeseung there crying after doing him. He was just dumbfounded at first.There's a big time skip between chapters, but in chapter 22 Yeseung says he left without saying a word which makes me think that they interacted after that last panel and Gyeol tried to talk, but Yeseung left without opening up about what happened. Which is very Yeseung-like, if you ask me.
I don't really see a power imbalance either. It's Yeseung who calls the shots on when they meet, what Gyeol knows about him and what they do (with the notable exception of Gyeol putting his D all the way in and making Yeseung cum without giving him permission). Even when Gyeol gets mad, Yeseung can bring him to his knees with just a few words. That is why Gyeol's Hyung thinks Yeseung is piece of shit toying with Gyeol's emotions.
As the audience, we can see that, actually, both of them yearn for each other to a dangerous extent and that causes them to act dysfunctionally, but that is very intentional. Yeseung's and Gyeol's personalities types make us believe that they would keep crawling back to each other when logical, self-respecting people just wouldn't.
BTW, they're not done dealing with what happened in the arena. In the next two chapters, they'll finally get to talk more and the audience gets to see Gyeol's comforting side again. I agree it would have been great if the author had chosen to have them talk things out first and then do the fucking, but... It's a smut BL after all. The author knows their audience.
I'm not saying you're wrong or anything. I think your points are valid. I'm just trying to share a different perspective on Gyeol's behavior and how it enriches the story.
And I most certainly will read your full review if I manage to figure out how to find it, lol.
That’s what I think too he’s no better than the artist guy I think they are in the same boat but different toxic ways like if he was different he would threw the uke in the shower or took him to the hospital to take those drugs out of his system no he’s wants to get dickmatized and have sex in the gym
In public but want bash him and degrade him for what he’s doing when he doesn’t even know the half of it like you’re 27 years old acting like a high schooler
I'm new on Mangago, so I'm not sure how to lead you to my review, sorry!!! Anyway, here's my reply! It's been pretty fun discussing this with you. :)
I get what you mean about ''passionate'' not being romantic, but I think that’s where our readings diverge! to me, the way Gyeol’s behavior is presented ends up leaning closer to excused than condemned. Sure, the comments hate him, but inside the text itself there isn’t much accountability. He crosses boundaries, ignores Yeseung’s needs, and then the narrative just skips ahead without him ever actually apologizing or reflecting. That leaves me feeling like the author wants me to interpret him as messy but endearing rather than genuinely harmful.
On the first time they slept together! I know the argument is that Gyeol thought Yeseung was ''tricking'' him into acting like Mr. Kim, but that’s exactly the issue. Even if that was the case, it doesn’t justify pushing past boundaries. Yeseung saying “stop” or setting limits should have been enough. Gyeol’s anger and frustration being framed as the reason he did it is exactly what makes me uncomfortable, it shifts the blame back onto Yeseung instead of holding Gyeol accountable for his own choices.
On the power imbalance, I actually see it the opposite way. Yes, Yeseung is the one deciding when they meet and what Gyeol gets to know, but that’s not necessarily ''power,'' IMO it’s self preservation. He’s being drugged, exploited, maybe groomed, and is juggling loyalty to Mr. Kim alongside a desperate need for warmth/care. Gyeol knows some of this and still lashes out rather than showing care. For me, that’s not Yeseung ''toying with him,'' that’s Yeseung surviving. Meanwhile, Gyeol has comparatively little going on, his entire arc revolves around his obsession with Yeseung, and that imbalance makes it feel like Yeseung is carrying the heavier emotional and situational weight of the story. :'(
And I don’t deny that the dysfunction is intentional, but dysfunction doesn’t automatically equal compelling. If the relationship is supposed to read as toxic and self destructive, then I’d like the writing to explore that directly rather than romanticize it with the sex first, talk later dynamic. You’re right it’s smut BL, and I know the target audience plays a role here, but for me personally, that’s where the story falters.
So I don’t think you’re wrong! Your perspective makes sense, I just think we’re drawn to different aspects of the writing. You’re more willing to accept the messy passion as layered and compelling, while I can’t get past the way boundaries and emotional needs keep being dismissed or flipped against the character who’s already suffering. That difference in perspective is probably why Gyeol reads as exhausting and hypocritical to me instead of enriching, hehe...
This MC honestly feels pointless. His whole character boils down to being a hypocritical, obsessive bum who boxes, works at a gym, and sulks about the ML. He built his fixation off a single glance and smirk, then spent the rest of the story lashing out whenever the ML doesn’t magically read his mind. Meanwhile, the ML is literally being drugged, exploited, and forced into fights, yet the MC never supports him... He just projects, pushes boundaries, and makes everything about himself. He’s not just flawed, he actively drags the story down. This is likely not how the author want him to come off, they PROBABLY want him to come off as passionate or whatever, but it's genuinely not working for Me. (°ㅂ°╬)