When they said reverse I had guessed the switch between status of noble and lowborn but I imagined a mean, bratty noble Nakyum and a docile, submissive servant Seungho
I guess it doesn't matter the universe, Nakyum will always be an angel and Seungho the lascivious devil who seduces him, lol.
This is my new fav.
I need to check the other works from this author.
Restless is really good!
Thank you, going to check it out!
I think the way the author placed the image of Seungho in dimmed light, in the scene where Nakyum was thinking about the people in his life is really symbolic.
NK thinks he is about to die and he is recollecting people who are closest things to family to him. His noona, Inhun ... and he doesn't think Seungho but name but he thinks of him and the way Seungho is shown matches how he is already seeping into NK's heart but NK is still not clear yet what he feels for him. It's blurred still. Also, out of all the images of Seungho, it seems the scene with a sad smiling Seungho at the gate is one who stuck in his memory. Maybe because it was one of the first time Seungho let his care and softness to be seen.
Then the fact that NK is calling out for Seungho to save him. He knows Seungho can't hear him so this is only by instinct like we may call for the closest person we have when we are in despair. Nakyum may not know exactly what he feels for Seungho but instinctively he knows Seungho is his safety, his protection.
One last thing about NK calling out for Seungho to save him, it is that it shows their bond. NK wouldn't call for help for someone he thought it didn't listen or care so there is an acknowledgement there that NK is calling out for Seungho because he knows he is cherished and I think that is why the author showed Jihwa's reaction to this. If Jihwa had any illusions that Seungho and Nakyum were nothing but sexual buddies, his illusions are being shattered by this show of connection that NK is calling out. Jihwa is having to face that he is not the one who is destined to be with Seungho, he is just someone who is keeping the lovers who long for each other apart.
Hoping the revelation makes Jihwa to wake up and back up instead of making him even more insane and lash out at Nakyum.
I love your interpretation. That scene is crucial.
What we learn from this chapter:
- Jihwa is definitely not the sharpest tool in any box. The man was born to be fucked and nothing else. He and Tarzan will make a great couple, once Jihwa gets used to live in the hobo's shack.
- Tarzan probably already knows that Jihwa is full of bullshit with this assassination shit and the best for both of them is to convince Jihwa not to kill anyone ... by trying to make him piss on his pants when he has to actually give the order.
- What to say about Tarzan? It's just a character that could have any face and body as long as it was hot and the contribution would be the same. The plot would be ten times scarier if we didn't already knew he will get away with it because he came to fan service with his hotness.
- Tarzan probably got an eyeful or an earful of Seungho x Nakyum fucking since he was waiting outside for a chance to catch little Nakyum. Peeping Tom, hun.
- Some readers are upset that Nakyum thought of Inhun. I want to post about this in another topic but I don't think this has to do with lingering romantic feelings but really showing how lonely and empty of connections NK life has been... he is going over all the people in his past and all he knew of people around him was his noonas and his teacher, that we know doesn't really care for him. It's a truly lonely life until now...
- Nakyum may not know exactly what he feels for Seungho but he knows Seungho is his protector, his safest place to run to and by now he is fully aware that he is cherished by his lord. That's why he can only think of calling for him to save him even though he knows he can't hear him.
- We can clearly see footprints in the scene with Seungho so ... Tarzan doesn't look that sharp either for a trained assassin. Couldn't he thought of a way to disguise the footprints? If that turns out what tips Seungho, I say Jihwa and Tarzan made a good pair of dumbasses.
- Seungho is coming for you, bitches!
I think it was implied that the assassin left the footprints on purpose to make it seem like NK ran away like in the shining in the end
i agree with everything u said but the footprints are most likely misleading. he's a assasin after all
I really liked everything you said! Thank you for taking the time to share all of your thoughts hehe
My thought is maybe he thinks Seungho will not check the footprints but.... we all know he will check lol —but if he doesn’t
The problem I would have with that is that the scene shows one pair of footprints in a clear path .... snow is not something you can disturb and not show.
- If the footprints are not of the size of Nakyum's feet, Seungho won't be fooled by it.
- If the footprints are not of the assassin, how would he manage to make to leave only Nakyum's footprints unless the assassin was floating by his side? Or how a guy being kidnapped would leave normal, not distressed footprints that is supposedly the status in what Nakyum was?
- Nakyum was blindfolded, what probably happened in the first minutes of the kidnapping so he wouldn't know what is going on but then how would he walk in the snow and leave clean footprints?
The most possible scenario is Nakyum being carried over the shoulders of the assassin. This would make one set of footprints but still won't solve the size issue. Unless we imagine the assassin awkwardly walking in shoes that are almost half his size in order to make the footprints smaller. It's possible but looks a funny solution, beside the fact that footprints lead to somewhere...
I hope that if the footprints are misleading, that there is a good explanation on how he did it. Please see my reply to the previous poster. ... How to make his own footprints disappear and on top of it make the size to be Nakyum? Unless the assassin put NK on his shoulders and then wore his shoes that were much smaller.
Yes, I think there need to have a clue for Seungho and since the hat and scarf are not visible in that scene ( maybe fell off after), then I can only think it's the footprints and at least I couldn't think of a way the assassin erased his own unless he walked on NK shoes that are smaller than his.
I'm lost on who is with who. Who are supposed to be a couple?
Top Dog (Saitou) X Stray Dog (Yajima) it's from the description. in other words it's the chief and the mc
Ah thanks. I need to read again to pay attention to the names then.
Here's hoping that Tarzan has only muscles but not brains and that maybe he left clues behind even though he thinks he is so smooth.
Unless there was a lot of time between the kidnapping and Seungho waking up, the footprints on the snow will show only a pair of steps and in a size much bigger than Nakyum's. Maybe that's another reason the author had not one but two scenes showing Nakyum and Seungho's shoes together, so the smaller size of NK feet are so evident.
Also, Nakyum not having a winter hat and scarf (and maybe one shoe) could mean these were left behind between one point and another.
My only disappointment in all that is that probably no one will end up paying for this because Tarzan and Jihwa won't be killed or harmed since Tarzan, even though is an addition without any development, is saved by the fact of being hot and potential smut with Jihwa. Since it sounds a bit ridiculous to have all this plot without anyone being hurt, NK arch already gone through a lot of crying, I'm guessing Seungho will be the one taking the fall. He won't die of course but someone has to be bleeding out of all this and the dump pair of Clyde and Bonnie that is Tarzan and Jihwa are being prepped as a side couple and Seungho is up for some kind of torture to please the need for an atonement before he gets Nakyum's heart ... so Seungho will be the cliffhanger of the season, bleeding on the floor in an fulfillment of what Jihwa saw before in his dream but this time it's Seungho dying in Nakyum's arms. Some kind of Jihwa's redemption too. My theory.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra! (I like the theory btw.)
Edit: maybe I would add some development for Min (or whatever is his name, the guy who basically persuaded Jihwa to get Nakyum killed). Because he is the true evil imho, Jihwa is not a killer, he is just a desperate person but he does not have the heart of a killer, Min is whole different story... So theoretically he could be the one to die or be killed or something.
Love this!!!
I agree with you about Min. I think he is truly villain material because we is smart and conniving. He was one of the first ones to notice Seungho had changed and he is a master manipulator so weak minded people like Jihwa are really a puppet in his hands. And we don't know what exactly moves him. Is jealousy of Seungho's status in the group? Maybe he wants to be the alpha dog, the dominating figure. Is just pure pleasure of watching chaos and use people? Does he enjoy watching people suffer? Except for Nakyum, all of the male characters in this stories do reprehensible stuff but Jihwa and Seungho are on the side that do their bad deeds out of status entitlement that they were raised in or passion. While Inhun, Min and the assassin are more amoral .... Inhun is about pure ambition, the assassin kills and tortures for money and Min, probably just enjoys the sadistic game of manipulating people. I agree that Min probably is the one who dies, he didn't get the fanservice treatment ( not hot enough to be safe even if he doesn't get a development).
:) Thank you!!
Oh God I can already imagine how dreadful the season cliffhanger will be.
If I have to guess, I don't think Seungho will think Nakyum run away.
He may wake up and have the thought at first but I agree with some readers who are looking at the way Nakyum is shown in the scene with the Tarzan pulling his hair to show him off to the crying bitch that will soon become his nagging wife, Jihwa.
No hat and no scarf.
Also, there is snow and we hear a crunch sound when Tarzan showed up to kidnap Nakyum... so maybe Seungho will walk outside just to see clues all over that something is amiss .... Nakyum's winter hat and scarf left behind, signs of struggle in the snow and maybe a set of footprints that are bigger than Nakyum?
I can't help but think also that Seungho will immediately suspect his spurned lover Jihwa of being behind it since Jihwa once tried to get Nakyum beat up and get rid of him before and their last encounter didn't help to show Jihwa is less dramatic.
that is before the snow covers up the footprints, but I really do hopw that Seungho sees the hat and coat and go beserk.
I sometimes think that the season will end with that scene where Jihwa dreamed ...
The one where Seungho had Nakyum in blood in his arms.
Only that I think it may be the other way around... somehow Seungho tries to defend Nakyum and get's knifed by Tarzan boy and Nakyum is cradling him in his arms and Jihwa sees it. So the scene is the same just that Seungho and Nakyum are switched. I don't think Seungho dies but I think it's a cliffhanger.
I don't know, just think that we already went through an arch where NK almost dies so having him again being injured would be repetition I think ... so I am wondering if it's not Seungho who somehow gets his life threatened. This would serve also to define what Nakyum really feels for Seungho because right now Seungho is already committed but Nakyum is on the confusion stage yet and usually you need a trigger in these arches.
Just mumbling.
I try but I simply couldn't care less for the Jihwa x Tarzan. Just the thought that the story will detour to a couple who is clearly only for fanservice just deflates me.
Don't get me wrong, I don't mind side couples .... as long as the main couple and the plot moves first and then what is leftover of the short chapters can have more pointless fanservice (because no name has nothing as a character but being buff and in order to have it, the author would have to build it what means yet another detour)
Can Tarzan just kidnap Jihwa instead and they both fuck off to a shack somewhere?
Just fuck off! Bring in Inhun and the father plot because these have been built.
Now we will probably get tons of whiny Jihwa being fucked by Tarzan.
Heh.
Agree
i don't honestly see the problem with that? on the contrary, i love it. development of other characters and subplots would give the story reason to last way longer and also add a certain richness to it. as long as the main storyline doesn't get overshadowed, there really isn't much of an issue tbh.
Like I said, I wouldn't see a problem with side couple too as long as the main story and characters had their development.
The main characteristic of this story is that the chapters are really, really short and there are already other side characters, a lot of them that are floating and would be part of the plot ... Inhun, the father, etc. While the hobo assassin purpose is so clearly 99% fan service only. We can detect that by the way he was introduced in the page where the whole chapter was Tarzan shirtless and there was absolutely nothing there but the 'they're going to fuck' filler. There is not exactly a richness when a story with such short chapters, and in what the main couple is such a slow burn, there are so many side characters and unless the author pauses the main couple development to give background and some logic to the ship except Tarzan is hot so add smut here, it doesn't make sense why they would be hooking up compared to a long ass path between NK and SG and suddenly a side couple eats up precious space.
Anyway, just a pet peeve of mine when chapters with short chapters, long ass development for main characters, then about 4 or 5 side characters that could be way more interesting to delve on besides the smut gets paused only for the sake of fanservice.. and I'm sorry, that is the only, only purpose of Tarzan here. Plus, the other problem of introducing another 'alpha' is exactly because the main lead is not a likable character so readers just latch on fanservice 'alternative' and the more they want the smut, the more the author will want to please and that's how so many stories end up with plots going side ways because the author miscalculates the limelight on some side character.
My point only. I really can't stand the Tarzan just because I see him as filler character that, exactly because he didn't have 60 chapters for development nor can have it, can only stand on the fanservice allure of it and the leftover that is readers who dislike the main bad guy and need something to cling on.
Wow. It's so rare to see the point of sexual harassment in Tianshan being discussed in 19 Days.
It always amuse me that there are always the crowd who hang around Yaoi rape plot tropes screaming about 'romanticizing abuse' is wrong but they never aim their outrage in stories that are NOT 18+ like Shounen Ai which, in my opinion, are the only ones where the discussion would be valid.
To be clear, I abhor people who shame shippers in Yaoi rape plots because these are stories for adults. When people reading these stories ship 'wrong' non normative couples, the understanding is that they are adults and all the implications of it.
In my opinion, there are two types of readers who read 19 Days : adults who know very well this falls into the trope of abuse relationship, non consensual that in real life is not appropriate or excusable. It doesn't need to have rape to classify a story as a trope between a dominant seme sexually abuse and harass or bully the use until he relents and falls in love. It's the trope of such stories. These readers would never engage in a discussion where they explain He Tian behavior in terms of real life acceptable or this relationship as love. The author herself makes clear the kink and the trope. Mo Guan Shan is marked with He Tian ( he has branded his name, he wears a jewelry of ownership, he even walks around in a leash in one of the official arts. It's clearly an adult owner/pet master/servant undertone.)
The other readers are young teenagers, this is shonen ai and despite what some posters in here want to imply after the backslash, this makes this story geared and consumed mostly by young teenagers. Reading the comments, you do have the impression that many readers of this think that because they don't see a more clear sexual crime ( like rape) than this does not fall into the trope. Wrong. Rape is just the most overt form of it. Everything He Tian ever did to Mo whenever he said no was already sexual harassment in real life standard. Never mind the other things. To readers trying to say this is for adults, wrong again. The door is open like Yaoi mature wouldn't be and the fact that even the adults in the room try to put down the discussion about this being the actual situation where sexual abuse gets normalized by fiction ( that is not aimed at adults and therefore reach people who can be easily convinced or lead on) is alarming.
My point is not for the adults who know what they are reading. My point is mostly for the crowd who flock adult Yaoi rape plots ( the most popular now being POTN) lecturing about those stories normalizing non consensual relationship and then in the same breath stay silent or even defend Shounen Ai stories who have the same trope. I ask you that anyone reply with honesty: what is more harmful?
I tell you: no one ever will start thinking rape is normal after reading a Yaoi rape plot. For one, because the crime is obvious and the audience is mature. On the other hand, you can tell the effect of what 'normalizing' means by reading the audience of 19 Days young people explaining with all effort why the relationship He Tian and Mo Guan Shan is not sexual harassment or why it's excusable, etc.
It's all about the age of the audience and how they respond to it.
For all people out there who rage against 'normalize abuse', leave the ADULT YAOI RAPE PLOT' alone and park your van in here if you have the balls. If there are any normalization of things, it's not the explicit abuse and the adult audience who is your goal. It's the implicit, blurred, implied-but-never-consumed, 'soft' sexual abuse that gets eat up by the pre teens and teens who are the largest audience of 19 Days.
very well said. i hope everyone reads this and tries to understand
accidentally disliked, sorry! good post. i'm sure it will fly over some heads but whatever, at least you said it