Well damn what do you want at this point ? I would say stop reading it
Bro that uke needs to suffer more :/
Tbh the initial intensity of JK suffering felt a little out of character for me as a person who lives with people with the same kind of temperament. It just doesn't line with how they work irl really but I do understand what you mean, the people yearn for visible misery and suffering from him but he is just not that type of person really
Agreed, im delusional in thinking hes maturing rn but the second he ACTUALLY tried to pursue (or confess) to Dan hes gonna get another awakening, but its gonna hit different (more painful for him) coz he'll realize that even changed his past is still there and he'll have to watch Dan heal 1st (which will add to he's pain, knowing he caused said pain)
BUT HONESTLY, based on this chapter I wouldn't be surprised if Dan gives in easily OR worse, goes through a "im not good enough for him" phase (tho if it is that route, that can be painful for JK too, but I wouldn't prefer it since i just want the best for Dan.... and for JK to suffer for a while haha)
That’s a really interesting take, and I get where you’re coming from. You’re right Jaekyung’s personality type wouldn’t express suffering in a dramatic, visible way. His restraint and emotional detachment are very in character.
But I think what many readers (myself included) feel isn’t that we need him to act out his pain, but that the story itself isn’t making us feel it. Realism is one thing, but emotional storytelling is another, and the balance between the two seems off right now.
I don't think you're delusional cuz in the end progress is progress even if it's tiny. I super agree with your theory on jk in the first half.
To be fair, I just wished Dan had one or two cunning bone in his body, he really has the means to it but doesn't realize it or doesn't want to???( in my country we would say Dan could lead him by the beak)but I guess he isn't like that lol
Yes! There’s something unbearably sad about realizing your love can’t fix what your hands once broke. What I really want is for Dan’s healing to come first, and for Jaekyung to sit with that guilt forever! to realize that love doesn’t erase damage.
HAHAHA real, I can see Dan doing that unintentionally, like him just living his life and JK is reading into everything he does to try to make him happy
Btw, I meant delusional in the sense that im still hoping for an agony arc, we just have to finish JK's maturing arc 1st (in my hopefully brain haha)
Progress is progress, no matter how small, I just hope I feel that progress by the end. And omg yes, Dan could totally have Jaekyung wrapped around his finger if he wanted, the man would crumble lol. But he’s too pure for that. He’s gentle even when he’s the one who could finally take control, and that’s what makes him both frustrating and endearing.
I get you. So far, there hasn't been an official confession so he hasn't experienced rejection coupled with the newly found enlightenment from his reflection yet. Thus, we've yet to witness explicit emotional pain from his side. I'm assuming right now, we're seeing the process of him realising more of his feelings for Dan and just being aware. Literally, just being more self-aware, which is only step 1.
I feel like we have yet to see him actually understand what he made Dan feel. I think there would be balance if he experience it himself. There's this lack of empathy for me. Jaekyung doesn't seem like a very emotionally intelligent character so I don't know how he is going to empathise and feel guilt that is proportionate to the impact of his actions without experiencing it himself. Right now, it just seems like he knows he is wrong but he doesn't quite fully realise the magnitude of it.
And Dan is still very much within his reach so even though he now knows he can't be without Dan, he hasn't experienced helplessness and loss. He is still very much in control, doing whatever to convince Dan to be around, partaking in Dan's physical recovery. It comes down to whether Dan will actually reject and separate from him. It's unlikely Dan would reject Jaekyung the exact same way he did. I suppose it's building up to that redemption arc by first going through a self-discovery arc or whatever this is. I hope this is only the start of Jaekyung's change and Dan's as well since I feel like Dan is still blaming himself for a lot of things and it would be nice to see that moment of Dan standing up for himself and make that break. Maybe his sleepwalking will go away then.
im hoping were gonna get that true “redemption” when dans contract ends a bit more or maybe ALL the redemption that minhwa was going for was the alcoholism and regret we saw at the beginning of this season (?) I cant tell where shes going for with this. But for sure jaekyung is gonna suffer later also with the guy from his childhood, totally forgot his name.
You explained it perfectly. I think you’re right — this is probably just the first step for him. He’s realizing things, but only when Jaekyung truly loses Dan, seeing him with someone who treats him kindly and gives him the care he deserves, will he understand the real weight of what he did. That kind of pain would finally put him in the same emotional place of vulnerability Dan once was and only then would his redemption feel balanced and deserved.
Exactly, There are still so many loose threads in the story, I really hope Mingwa ties them all together by the end. The childhood friend arc especially needs proper closure; it feels like there’s something important there that could deepen Jaekyung’s character and make his redemption more meaningful.
No, but this option doesn't exist :// it's easier to bark...
Idk if I had that mean complaints I would just stop. I guess people just love to read stuff to have something to write about. Im trying to tussle I just don’t see their reasoning to keep on reading this but it maybe as you said.
HAHAHA thats so real
The main issue isn’t just that Jaekyung is changing, it’s that I don’t feel it. I think this is where the story lost its emotional balance. Readers went through everything Kim Dan suffered, and that pain was shown in brutal, intimate detail. We needed to see Jaekyung truly break, regret, and suffer too. His redemption should’ve matched the weight of the pain he caused. Right now, it feels like emotional justice is missing.
Jaekyung’s side feels muted in comparison. The author seems to be focusing on internal change, Jaekyung realizing he can’t control or fix things through force anymore. It’s a different kind of redemption arc, maybe more realistic than the classic “begging for forgiveness” trope. Instead of huge angsty breakdowns, we’re seeing him try to be gentle, patient, and actually think before acting, which is huge for someone like him. Maybe this slow, awkward softness is his version of punishment. It’s painful in a quieter way, not loud pain, but the “realizing you’re in love and can’t undo what you did” kind of pain.
But the problem is that she broke her own narrative continuity. The emotional tension from the early chapters is missing; it used to hit harder. For redemption to feel deserved, the audience needs to witness that emotional punishment. Without it, the change feels like an unfortunate narrative shortcut, like we’re being asked to forgive before we’ve seen him actually atone.