This whole manhwa already feels like a fever dream but this chapter in particular feels weird. Like the npc hiding in the bush is unsettling, them making out right after Doha killed JS (although not surprise about this) , Bada accepting the truth just like that. Also player-JS only lasted for 1 round, which was cut short bc Doha killed him.
The bush NPC was very bizarre, especially after Bada passed him it looked like he was going to follow him? His posture was super creepy. Bada has been so blah about everything this session. Other than making out over a corpse, how did he just get over finding out he's an NPC?
I'm living for these comments cheering for our smart independent queen LIKE YESS GO GIRL SHOW HIM HE CANT OWN YOU!!
Posting this here because I had a mini light bulb moment while responding in the comments:
DOHA IS NOT COMPLETELY AGAINST BADA KNOWING THAT HE IS AN NPC
In the previous chapter, he didnt stop Bada from inserting the tape. If he truly wanted to prevent it, he couldve just easily just killed Bada and removed his tape so he'd forget that whole round, But Suujin why is he pretending he doesn’t know Bada, and why is he stopping Bada from talking to others? Thats because he knows Bada is smart and naturally inquisitive, like he could start questioning things, piece them together, and then eventually rediscover that he's an npc. And Doha doesnt fully trust how the current Bada would handle that revelation. That's why he's withholding information and keeping this Bada isolated. He trusts the previous Bada more bc that version of Bada knows Doha best and has bonded with him longer and on a deeper level. which is why, again, in the previous chapter, he wasn’t actually against Bada remembering he was an npc if that tape truly belonged to him.
ETA: i just remembered that the previous Bada's tape was already taken out before the round started, so that would mean he wont remember anything from that round. he wont remember all of the things that seongchan said and that he was an npc. HE WONT EVEN REMEMBER HE SAID I LOVE YOU TO DOHA!!! WTH this is rekindling my hate for seongchan so frustratingggg (╯°Д °)╯╧╧
but besides all that ig its still safe to say Doha is not against Bada learning that he is an npc. bc come to think of it, if we recover the previous Bada's memories he would definitely ask what happened after. obv Doha can lie again but he still cant avoid that Bada will eventually realize the loopholes in his lies and piece everything together. he can easily avoid all of that by just making the current Bada forget they ever found a tape but he didnt. Doha ngl youre still sketchy most of the time but I trust you with this
"I shouldve known since he began harassing his cousin to relieve his rage. I know he's just an npc, but-"
What Jeoseob said really stands out to me bc harassing Bada how? and rage from what? this also adds to why he removed bada's tape. it wasnt just to mess with doha but also a form of his "harassment to relieve his rage". but again, rage from what? YT also mentioned before that Doha and SC had some tension between them but he didnt go much into detail bc it was also unclear to him. maybe this has some connection with what JS said
DOHA AND SEONGCHAN DEFINITELY KNOW MORE ABOUT THE GAME THAN EVERYONE ELSE
we know from earlier chapters that Doha and SC constantly clashed and they had a falling out right? If we recall YT's and SC's revelations on the early gameplay, it goes like this:
- HS and JS removed their tapes because they couldn’t handle the endless deaths
- Doha, SC, and YT continued playing
- YT also eventually decided to remove his tape (the white one)
- Doha came up with the idea to make Bada insert a tape
- Doha and SC pretended to be npcs
- SC used Bada to convince YT to insert a tape (black tape)
- as they approached the true ending, SC feared only one player could escape the game so he removed Doha's tape to secure his survival. It can also be assumed that SC stopped YT's black tape.
now here's the part that doesnt add up: If JS is right that SC was the one who removed his tape… then why didn’t SC remove Doha’s tape earlier? Why target JS (and probably HS and YT) but not Doha? One of the commenters here suggested that JS mustve found out SC's real motives and took him out before he could alert others. But if that was his concern, why was Doha's tape also not ejected? If we were to compare them all, wouldnt it be Doha who's the sharpest and most capable person to stop SC with his motive?
this is also why i find it weird. if they did indeed constantly clash, why was SC putting up with Doha so much so that he didnt remove his tape? (also vice versa, why didnt Doha remove SC's tape). the only time SC decided to remove Doha's tape was when he "needed to secure his own survival". Wouldnt that mean that, up to that point, they needed each other? Badly enough to overlook their conflicting personalities and work together despite all the tension. But why do they need each other? For info? What kind of info tho?
Great points! I too think there's more to what Jaeseob said than what we already know from what SC told us during S2 finale. SC is giving "I told you about everything you know, not everything I know." and this could be why Doha wants to gets his hands on his older tapes because if Doha and SC were essentially archnemeses, then the data and info on there might be important to either keep SC under his boot, or beat the game itself (while keeping Bada around). Do you think it's simply because they fought over (what to do with) Bada? Because they were both in on using the 'harbinger npc' to solve the game's puzzles initially, but they had a falling out cause the older Doha had started to get attached to Bada and started to see him more than a tool while SC just wanted out of the game by hook or by crook? And maybe seeing things change in that direction pissed SC off enough to walk down the bad guy of the week path.
And how much do the others know about the Bada situation really? I think if they all awakened they'd have much better chances against SC. Having Jaeseob's perspective is truly refreshing. I know Bada removed his tape again for now but I hope he sticks around for a longer time. It'd be great if he brought back HS and Yongtaek while he's at it too. I need a regroup and planning sesh with everyone por favor.
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Edited to add my third mini light bulb moment
You’re forgetting an important detail: when YT’s memory (the black cassette) is played again,’ he mentions that during the time he was playing with Bada and SC, Bada used to have ‘memory problems’ or something like that. So what would that mean?
My theory is that whenever Bada got close to a truth that wasn’t convenient for SC, SC would tamper with his cassette so he would forget that match — or on the other hand that was a lie that he told YT to explain why Bada didn’t have a clearer or more extensive memory.
But here comes my next question: did SC take Bada’s cassette again so that Bada would think he was playing alone, allowing SC and Doha to pretend to be NPCs to see how far Bada could go and take advantage of it?
Or did something actually happen — did Bada get close to a revelation that wasn’t convenient for SC — and that’s why Bada no longer has the same cassette he used when YT, SC, and Doha were ‘awake’?
(English isn’t my first language, but I tried to express myself as clearly as I could. If there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to ask me. And if needed, I use ChatGPT to translate so the message can be understood)
It was mentioned in ch 51 and 53 that they made Bada believe that he is one of the players. But he's sharp and would become aware of inconsistencies and start questioning things. They had to tamper with his tape and erase his memories everytime that happened.
LMAOOO THIS IS SO HILARIOUS
But fr tho wouldn't all that leave tons of physical evidence?
Ohhhhh wait nvm I just remember they partnered with that person who has ties with the police in that area
Yep if they are not around like rn. When you play a tricklike this, it's goodif you are the one doing it. So that you can clean the place, you cna take all evidence,.tampered the cctv around the area. Plus, most of the time the pokice only investigates the things they see not the whole area.
Police
WHY ARE YALL SHIPING THE LAWYER AND MC???? He's doesn't like her romantically. He only likes her when she's at her lowest like when she breaks down and turns to him for everything. Its not even like LIKE as in emotions for him. It's about how she fits into his need for possession and control. In his twisted worldview, he obsesses and fixates on things that arent easily his. Like the harmonica, the ring, wrist watch, and his sister's pen... The more precious it is to the original owner, the more he fixates on it. And IMO it's not really about the object but about having the power to claim it. That's why when it comes to MC, it's the same pattern. Her vulnerability and dependence make her "claimable" in his eyes. She "shines" the most (aka becomes more valuable in his terms) when she's at her lowest. That's why he's orchestrating things to make her more dependent on him to add her to his collection.
And remember the bug/flower thing that was preluded? Inseop killed the bug simply bc it had the thing it wants, which is the flower. PLUS the thing I said "he obsesses and fixates on things that arent easily his. The more precious it is to the original owner, the more he fixates on it". So now with the MC, he has a literal checklist of the "bugs", that "own" the MC, which he needs to kill.
Eversince reading that comment (can't find it anymore) I can't unread theone as The One
AHHHH OUR MOM GESTELLA IS WEARING DAD'S SHIRT!!!
Im so ashamed to accidentally downvote this. My heart was too amped
no worries youre all good (づ￣ ³￣)づ
just a minor detail i realized in the latest chapter, getting rid of the "bugs" doesnt necessarily mean to kill them. like for example, Inseop crossed out the aunt from the list even if she didnt die. its enough for him if the relationship is destroyed and the MC will cut ties with the person
He was seeing them as bugs, was he? Or did I miss that chapter? He doesn’t actually see everyone as a bug.