
chapter 2 just screams that hyung /already/ knows that geon is in love with him. and is probably waiting for him to confess even if he can’t reciprocate geon. the “this time” indicating geon has caused another article of clothing to go temporarily missing/unable to be returned aka he masturbated using that shit lmfao, as well as the acting weird comment AND that look. that meaningful slightly tired look when geon left was like he did it unconsciously while contemplating whether geon himself knows his hyung knew about his crush all along. www can’t explain it well but it screams that hyung is all knowing (⌒▽⌒)

to everyone who thinks bleeding = period = women for kashiwase at the start, do note that having a vagina ≠ woman. you could be either intersex or trans. and please, please believe that people are what they say they are, assuming they are pretending and are actually a gender they aren’t makes a breeding ground for hurt to spawn. (just wanted to say this because the girl/boy tag pisses me the fuck off)

so instead of comforting tou and prioritising his well-being shizuka uses the situation where tou is most vulnerable (trauma flashbacks + aftermath of being nearly assaulted), centering himself and making the situation all about him even having the audacity to ask him out at that very moment? not asking are you okay or even respecting what tou asks by moving away and not touching tou…

this was really well done!! i think the point of the story and where it ended was all because of the fact that this story is basically telling us how they (esp shenqing) fell in love. or, at least, their feelings from being wary of each other to blossoming romantic feelings. and also of teaching us using spirits as metaphors about humans’ relationship with nature. while i’m still eager to read more, the author really did character development in the truest sense as well as showing the different ways in which people care for each other. it was really interesting to see how shen qing feels about zhang quan’s actions since he does it partially out of guilt that he can’t do more but mostly because he cares for shen wong’s well-being.
ahaha long rang but i’m really satisfied with this story. seriously.

hm i would say this is very well done though? the metaphors with the fish—a pet used to satisfy us and barely remembered when died—and the fish tank, the last shot of both of them seen through the tank signifying them deluding themselves that instead of murky water they’re looking through rose-coloured lenses to cover up how filthy the relationship is. and the child, mirai whose name sounds like future in japanese, who had no future living in that dark room, who had no future relationships to look forward to, who had no past that comforted him, has now a future living with his rapist. a future of constantly tricking himself to feel that he is wanted and loved.
if a translation is butchering the story then it’s a disservice to the author and story itself so…