There are pacing issues with this arc? Yes, obviously. The author should have ended Season 2 on chapter 43/44, but oh well, here we are. Besides that, I think the introduction of Doyeon, as a character, really does serve the narrative bc of 3 things: 1) It allows us to peek into Mr. Kang's past, not only his past romantic relationships, but also his friends and family, what kind of youth he had. Up until now, we didn't know much about him, and knowing his past humanizes him, he's less of this "idolized version" we see through Mr. Ahn's eyes, and more of a flawed man. 2) In this story, where the impossible happens (the old, successful, rich, and straight man falls for Mr. Ahn), Deyeon is kind of a reminder that love is not always reciprocated and it can be frustrating, how important closure is, and also how important communication is, especially with our family and friends. Also, the troubles of being young and figuring out your sexuality. 3) Doyeon and his approach to Mr. Ahn made Mr. Kang realize how much of a fool he was. It ignited his jealousy and made him doubt the things he said about letting go of Mr. Ahn, etc. He hadn't realized how important and impactful this new relationship was to him, and also how different it was from his past relationships. They always ended the way his older partner wanted, without much attachment. He wanted to be mature for Mr. Ahn and allow him to follow his dreams, but he didn't realize that in saying those things he was minimizing the relationship and kind of putting an expiration date to it.
Welp, that's it. If you read all that yapping, thanks a lot. I'm not writing this to criticize anybody, just bc I love this story soooo much.
There are pacing issues with this arc? Yes, obviously. The author should have ended Season 2 on chapter 43/44, but oh well, here we are. Besides that, I think the introduction of Doyeon, as a character, really does serve the narrative bc of 3 things:
1) It allows us to peek into Mr. Kang's past, not only his past romantic relationships, but also his friends and family, what kind of youth he had. Up until now, we didn't know much about him, and knowing his past humanizes him, he's less of this "idolized version" we see through Mr. Ahn's eyes, and more of a flawed man.
2) In this story, where the impossible happens (the old, successful, rich, and straight man falls for Mr. Ahn), Deyeon is kind of a reminder that love is not always reciprocated and it can be frustrating, how important closure is, and also how important communication is, especially with our family and friends. Also, the troubles of being young and figuring out your sexuality.
3) Doyeon and his approach to Mr. Ahn made Mr. Kang realize how much of a fool he was. It ignited his jealousy and made him doubt the things he said about letting go of Mr. Ahn, etc. He hadn't realized how important and impactful this new relationship was to him, and also how different it was from his past relationships. They always ended the way his older partner wanted, without much attachment. He wanted to be mature for Mr. Ahn and allow him to follow his dreams, but he didn't realize that in saying those things he was minimizing the relationship and kind of putting an expiration date to it.
Welp, that's it. If you read all that yapping, thanks a lot. I'm not writing this to criticize anybody, just bc I love this story soooo much.