Not the texts in the first panel being the literal fans int he comments lmaooo
The way we all said "Run!!!?"
This is actually so fcking sad! Like, we KNOW Shaia knows his fiance loves some other person that he can never live up to, and it's not like Beryl is trying to move on and WANTS to be with Shaia, he's simply doing this whole thing FOR the dead soulmate. That musty old dog set him up with someone who had a soulmate already on purpose, with hopes he'll just sleep with numerous people. What's so horribly sad to me is exactly that: Shaia only agreed to this marriage for politics and looks because he wanted to give Theo what he really wanted (a relationship with his brother without anyone meddling) because he loves him. It's so fcked that Shaia and Hugo likely fell for Theo around the same time and ages, but Theo simply fell in love with Hugo in a way he cannot for Shaia. And Shaia seems very, very aware of this.
I get he's being a bit of a turd, dare I say a troll, to Beryl -- but I argue that this isn't because Shaia is some evil brat. I think he's desperately sad and really really wants what it seems everyone else is able to have: a real relationship. His parents, grandparents, his uncles, and now his brother all get their happy ending with THEIR love of their life. His giving up on Theo is recent and probably still a fresh hurt. The side story implies Shaia started to be more independent to give Theo reason to pay him less attention. Now Shaia's love life is being dictated by someone who laughs at the idea of him never finding what his parents had, a relationship so strong you want only that person forever and you CHOOSE them, not just for fate's sake but out of love and devotion. And now he's constantly in competition with a dead soulmate (no that's not fair to Beryl, his dead soulmate, or Shaia). Like, I feel for Shaia. Hopefully the story spends time letting this develop. It's not hard at all to feel bad for Beryl, he's a sympathetic character who is easy to like because he's so sweet and all he wants is to do right by his caregiver and soulmate. But at the same time, I really hope we get Beryl opening Shaia up beyond this "Everything is fine. Life is fun!" facade he has towards his classmates. I mean, Shaia straight up said he wanted them to pretend, at school, that they are high school sweethearts and that Beryl does all these things Theo does for Hugo, because he wants the facade that he is loved the same way Hugo is loved. He's going about it terribly, but geez it only makes it sadder that he so obviously wanted exactly what he cannot have: a relationship started out of pure interest and formed into an honest love. Maybe they'll work up to that (hopefully) but rn every scene confirming that Shaia is doing his BEST to keep the peace for his family is gut wrenching.
That one guy who told him to be appreciative of everyone wanting to celebrate his birthday early is my new favorite character. He's a rare character in this work, willing to tell the ML to chill out.
I think once she knows Mr. Kwon is getting a kind strong handsome young husband and a cute little baby, the granny (and other such elders) will be supportive! Also, peep the baby calling them both dad - I cryyy!
The communication has me in a CHOKEHOLD! The way he was just like "I'm having so much fun. This is so fun." PLEASE! ME AND WHOOOO?!?!?!
Aiden is such a lil shit lol. Ash is such a DREAMBOAT OMG. Karlyle is me fr. Low-key I laughed when the horse was shook at a year estimate for a relationship milestone.
I wonder if maybe Shaia was also in love with Theo but gave it up in the face of Theo and Hugo's obvious attraction, so now he wants that same connection. It's so specific to want a school romance love story and then running away from the two that likely know him best? I speculate that Shaia was in love with Theo and if he's going to marry to satisfy the granduncle, then he wants to at least have on a surface level what his brother gets to have. It's lowkey sad if that's the case. All the other members of his family that he's ever known got to have an epic love story with the person they're destined to be with and he probably feels some type of way about feeling pressured into having to marry for politics...