Chapters 37 and 38 of Killing Stalking stand out to me as the most powerful, emotionally complex, and psychologically layered parts of the entire series. These chapters offer a rare and haunting glimpse into what might have been between Sangwoo and Bum if their relationship hadn’t been built on trauma, abuse, and violence. For a brief moment, the chaos slows down, and something resembling normalcy—however artificial—takes its place. The characters go on a date, laugh together, visit a theme park, share soju, take a silly picture, and exchange a small gift. These aren’t just plot points—they’re emotionally charged contrasts to the brutality that defines the rest of the story. What makes this interlude so compelling is the fragile, confusing tenderness between the two. Bum’s joy is genuine and raw; it breaks my heart to see him smiling so innocently, because we know he’s clinging to the illusion of love. But what truly strikes me is how Sangwoo lets it happen—not to make Bum happy, but to study him. He’s not entirely unaffected. There are moments—like when he almost throws away their photo but keeps it after Bum calls his name, when he returns the frog keychain, or hesitates as Bum smiles—that reveal Sangwoo is feeling something. Something that unsettles him. And that’s what fascinates me the most: Sangwoo is scared. He’s scared of the feelings that begin to rise within him. He’s scared of warmth. Of care. Of what emotional vulnerability could mean. And in his twisted mind, vulnerability equals danger. So instead of exploring these feelings, he tries to destroy them—to remind himself that he is in control.
Chapter 38’s infamous bathtub scene is the emotional climax of this illusion. When Sangwoo sits in the tub, laughing and whispering “I win,” it’s not just a declaration of dominance—it’s a self-reassuring mantra. On the surface, Sangwoo believes he’s reclaimed control over Bum, who, despite everything—captivity, abuse, trauma—has become even more attached to him. In Sangwoo’s warped worldview, that’s the ultimate win: to break someone so thoroughly that they love you anyway. The theme park date, the soju, the haunted house, the sex—none of it was genuine for Sangwoo. It was a calculated power game to measure Bum’s dependency. When Bum smiled, laughed, blushed, and asked for closeness, Sangwoo didn’t feel joy—he felt validation. He had succeeded in breaking Bum so deeply that Bum now clung to him willingly. His words, “I win,” echo with multiple meanings. He has won control over Bum again, after watching him show signs of healing and independence. He has beaten the “better” version of Bum—the one who might’ve escaped him emotionally. He has proven that even when he feels nothing, he can still get everything: love, attention, fear, and obedience. In that moment, he believes he has triumphed over his own emptiness.
But beneath that hollow victory lies something unstable and frightened. The brief moments where Sangwoo’s mask slips—during the rollercoaster, while watching Bum light up over the frog keychain, or hesitating before discarding their photo—suggest that he is not immune. He feels something, even if he doesn’t understand it. And that confusion terrifies him. So instead of facing it, he kills it—emotionally, symbolically. Sangwoo’s “I win” isn’t about defeating Bum; it’s about defeating his own feelings before they get too strong. It’s his last defense against vulnerability, because to someone as emotionally wounded as Sangwoo, emotional connection is more dangerous than violence. It is that vulnerability, not the police, that poses the real threat to his identity. This is why his win is so hollow and tragic—because it’s not truly a win. It’s a terrified man trying to bury the last flicker of his humanity before it undoes him.
These chapters are my favorite not because they are romantic—but because they show just how tragically close these characters come to something real, only to destroy it out of fear and survival. It’s the heartbreak of what could have been that stays with me. Bum truly believed they shared something special that night. He laughed, opened up, and genuinely wanted intimacy. But Sangwoo was playing war while Bum was hoping for love. One thought they were healing; the other thought it was checkmate. Sangwoo reduced everything—Bum’s hope, affection, emotional growth—into a twisted power play. His whispered “I win” is more than cruelty. It’s a lullaby from a monster—not shouted in rage, but whispered in satisfaction. It means: “I still have you. I’ve erased the parts of you that tried to escape. You are mine—body, mind, and trauma.” That’s what makes it so horrifying. That’s what makes it unforgettable. And that’s why, despite all the disturbing parts of this series, Chapters 37 and 38 will always be the most emotionally haunting—and my favorite.
Jerry looks like Bum and Sangwoo’s secret love child and yes I’m not happy about it whatsoever ╥﹏╥
I know it might sound corny and cheesy, but Killing Stalking was one of the reasons that fueled my passion to become a psychologist—specifically, a forensic psychologist. It made me realize the lack of understanding, support, and awareness that exists around severe mental illnesses. People often downplay trauma, reducing its impact to someone being “weak,” emotionally immature, or unable to function properly in life. But they forget that these are not the only outcomes. Humans are capable of so much more—especially when shaped by the very things that have hurt them.
They are capable of killing, and even worse. Murder can sometimes be a desperate act of control. A person who has lived in extreme shackles all their life might see it as their only escape.
When I think about how someone can enter the military and only be tested for drugs or physical health—while mental health requirements are completely overlooked—it frustrates me. That’s something I hope to help change here in our country. If therapy were more accessible to everyone, situations like this could have been prevented.
I see both of the characters in Killing Stalking as evidence of how the system failed them. And the fact that this story could very well be someone’s real-life experience right now tears me apart—with guilt, sadness, and a deep sense of powerlessness.
Heyo, Im just sharing links to the Jp raws. Purchased by me; from cmoa.jp
In case anyone wanted to buy from there yourself, best way for US foreigner is Paypal, each chapter is like 2-3USD rounding up. (つ˘◡˘)づ
Anyway on the the chapters, i might update/edit this comment when newer ch. come out. Cropped to the best of my abilities and hopefully the 1st pic in each file is beg. Chapter.
Authors Social
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Twt acct: @hruyumc
Alt acct: @conikuma
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Date read as M/D/Y
Chapter 14:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OSy1CvO4R2rkRDFtld4PdWBL3rQFMAAL
Chapter 15:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1SlNnwKQFzBEPskg1G8fVeIfI9-lfIc2S
Chapter 16: TBA
File that holds all the Chapter bought/will be bought:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-sbd-V7wEOegp03FZeAizk9tg0aZWYhn
Enjoy! If this upsets anyone or a lot of ppl ill take it down but if not it shall stay! (▰˘◡˘▰)
Edit: just to say ♡Happy to share and acknowledged the thanks♡
Edit 2: Im going to remove any translated chapters to shorten the post but theyll still be available in the group link.
Can you please recommend me some stories that made you feel something…. Like anything… that makes you excited every time there’s a new update
I keep coming back to old manga’s cuz new ones are just all about sex sex sex with big dics…. I want a manga that has the same vibe as this funny but still romantic and cute
That doctor is lyyyyiiiing I feel like he knows more information than he let out to be
I love how I’m not the only one who has trust issues in this comment section (︶︿︶)
I knew them eyebags of his got something to hide… it was too good to be true to look like like a a murderer and be a murderer but at the same time a green flag
I've been studying psychology and law, but I'm rethinking my decisions or somewhat doubting them because I've been reflecting a lot lately on whether I really want to spend my life solving other people's problems. So, I was thinking about deciding to study aviation to become a pilot. I've been researching about it, and they say it's an expensive co......