I absolutely loved this so much but I'm devastated at not getting any sides for Cassian. I know Rael is happy now, so I am not bothered at the lack of Rael side stories (tho I would've been happy for one at least) but Cassian suffered so much. Did he make a mistake? Yeah, but it wasn't put of selfishness or greed or vile intentions, he really didn't know any better method. He had to learn in the hardest and worst way what happens to anything he cherished, and he feared the same fate reaching Rael badly enough for him to pull such a scheme. I am surprised that this bit is the only bit I cried and in this story, considering the worst shit there. I feel truly bad for him because whole Rael is now happy, he isn't. He is content that she's happy even if it's away from him, but I don't think Cassian had his happy ending and that leaves a spur taste in my mouth
These new turn of events, while not shocking, were a ride.
I wouldn't call Guwon a green nor a red flag. It's more complicated than that, because I don't think Guwon is sane in the sense of a mature person capable of normal thinking with a normal set or morality/moral compass. And it has nothing to do with him being good or bad, it's because I genuinely believe he was created, physically. I think he's some sort of Frankenstein, with all those stitching marks. He is incapable of rational thinking, and he's just yearning to be a savior.
Now, to analyse (please bear with my ranting, or abandon this comment since it'll be a yapping session):
Guwon is deadset on being Sisyphus, the boulder being this town's peace, and he doesn't know anything else beyond that. This could be a thought ingrained in him as a purpose for existence, or a desire that bloomed out of desperation for being tormented by death earlier. If we go with the Frankenstein theory, and that the undead were an experiment gone awry, then it could be that Guwon escaped and now longs to stop the same fate reaching others, though due to the torture and instilled fear he faced he knows not how to get to others otherwise.
We've seen that Guwon actually mimics other humans a lot, he learns through their behavior then repeats what he learns, and despite all his attempts to fit in, he still inspires fear and horror in other humans when they witness his violence causing them to go to the safe haven he creates for them without any hassle, which to Guwon proves to be a solid fool-proof method. He doesn't need to think on right or wrong, as long as his intention is to keep them safe.
He longs to fit in so bad with others that he's at war between being feared so they can follow him and stay safe, or being loved and accepted but causing that seal tight foundation be shaken. That's why he yelled at teach asking if he's wrong, a twisted desire to see the same reaction others have given him: fear, submission, detachment. But he was challenged, he was called out and reprimanded and scolded like the kids, like humans fighting each other, like family members arguing,,, like normal. And that's why he caved in easily. He realized he doesn't actually like being feared, despite knowing that fear is the "only" way to keep the people safe.
That's why teach is not like the others. He's not selfish in his fear, and he's not a coward despite what teach thinks of himself. He even thought he's willing to be trialled for standing up for the people's well-being, and to Guwon that's a sentiment he too can understand, because that's ultimately his aim too. In Guwon's eyes, teach is selfless, loved, not feared by others, the kids follow him, the people are willing to ask him for him, and he embraced Guwon from the beginning, teaching him all of the things that made him feel closer to a human than he ever felt. And to top it off, he isn't afraid of slapping him, yelling at him, reprimanding him, or telling him he's wrong. This is why we see Guwon now acting so giddy and happy despite the obvious chillness that exists for everyone else, he truly is unaware and not in a "oh no my boy will be affected once he becomes aware" no I mean he's mentally unaware of anything because he's not exactly the sane we consider on our sanity metric.
Bottom line is, I don't think Guwon is actually a bad person, nor a red flag. Teach has every right to be rattled, and it's not his responsibility to teach or fix Guwon at all, but I do hope he calms down and start seeing the deeper facets to Guwon's personality and character, and not hold him in such a fearsome and disgusting light.
This story has been very interesting so far, so I have high hopes for the author continuing this in such a complex way!
If you've read so far, thanks and sorry I am high on multiple sugar packed cookies rn
Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying her dominant nature and the dynamics in general, but can I just say that I'll be very disappointed if this continues down that route of just being porn without any positive development? Because I don't think Courtney is actually a good master/dom given how she's not even thinking of Richard in most situations specifically recently and this last chapter, it's more about her and her curiosity and now her venting anger. Like she just thought "isn't he the best subject to vent anger at?" While wondering if she should do a scene this night, and I find it incredibly disappointing to her character development that that's how she thinks instead of actually caring about Richard. They didn't even discuss safewords or limits, she just immediately assumed Richard is gonna take whatever she gives, and it has reached the current train of thought that has her think she can vent her OWN anger and frustrations out on him like a stressball and that he'll probably be happy and enjoy it. Idk if he will, maybe he might, but that mindset for a dom is incredibly unhealthy and dangerous.
This reminds me, Teach saw Geyongha in the storage room a few chapters ago, where she threatened him not to speak a word about seeing her there, and that she'd kill him if he did.
The father wasn't the only person doing small rebellions in a town with unfair laws that are too harsh for its citizens in favor of the hounds. Each person there is doing something hush hush, and whenever someone's caught, fear is the only drive for them to condemn the traitor to death. If one person sells out someone, they'll all fall like beads on a rosary. This town is scarier than it seems.
I wonder where and who decided on the rules of it, since I doubt Guwon did, and I doubt he's the REAL mastermind, if he's Sisyphus, then he's just the protector and overseer.
Liking the sides but I will go feral if we're not shown youngchae and yeonji's side story like this is female version of the main couple and I am here for it give me that wuh luh wuh please thank you.
It's okay guys he might just have ocd or be humanphobic :(
Okay I need to arrange my thoughts and theories on this. I just reread it all again to gather proof and find anything of notice so here they are: (they'll be a lot, so scroll past if you don't want lengthy comments TuT)
1) the first thing that caught my attention is the time teach attacked Guwon when he was sleeping, towering over him and holding a knife down his way. According to their positions, it's either Guwon was caught off guard enough to land beneath a weaker and injured person, or he willingly allowed that position for god knows why. But also,,, where did the knife come from? The earlier panels showed how he just arrived to that house, sat on the sofa then fell asleep. Why was there a knife? (My mind keeps providing the thought that Guwon was there with the knife and allowed this as a test but idk. Was he checking if teach would hurt him?)
2)Gunwon's eyes are the same as maggots, silver.
3) Guwon's tattoos are a little odd. Like aside from the blackout sleeves, you can see the neck stitching as well as that same pattern on his ankles. His wrists don't have them, but his arms are littered with stab/slash wounds, and so is his eye. Arguably these are not wounds you get from maggots, they're like walking dolls, they can't handle knives, and those definitely don't look like haphazard wounds from fighting a doll (you think other humans hurt him?). If you also go to the community dinner chapter, the angry girl Gyeongha mentioned how people would cut off maggots' heads to finally stop them from moving.
4) going by 2 and 3, it'd point that Guwon is a maggot, and idk how his limbs were stitched back up to his body if those stitching tattoos are real stitch scars (was he an experiment? Were they trying to figure out maggot mortality and behavior?), but if we believe that theory it'd make sense why he doesn't remember his past, and why he behaves like a child. Which brings us to 5
5) The only people who truly get along with Guwon are the kids. It's said kids can sense someone's bad/good intentions and have good base instincts (and we all know Guwon actually means well, even if he's a maggot. He's not scary because of what he does, but what he is) and perhaps because he also has the mentality of one that they all get along well. Perhaps the rest of the town actually know that Guwon isn't normal, that he's undead, and that's why they're all afraid of him. He never actually did anything warranting fear, he was even kind enough to mc first meeting when he didn't have to be. This explains why he cried like a child when he thought MC feared him, saying "are you afraid of me too?" Which means everyone else is. The reason he only visits mc's house is because mc is the only one who treats him normally enough to "backtalk and challenge him" like how Guwon put it as if he's a normal person worthy of backtalk without fear.
6)I think the sex was a dream. If you notice, mc's pants would suddenly disappear then reappear, which makes no sense. But also I do think he kissed Guwon for real. I don't think Guwon knows innuendos, which was proven in the "wanna touch my muscles?" Scene where he had no idea he was coming onto mc. Idk if he knows what sex is or what it feels like to be touched intimately, if he lost his memory and is treated with fear and avoidance, so he probably doesn't realize what's happening lol. He had no qualms about "mouth to mouth breathing" in early chapters so he might truly not even realize the meaning behind mc's kiss if mc truly kissed him, which is why he brushed it off next day.
Anyway, food for the brain.
I got distracted from my anger at the lack of face reveal at that huge bakery he has. Damn
The armpit rutting (and sucking in earlier chapters) and sniffing...
Jay has some very interesting kinks
Mc, most probably: mark me down as both turned on and super scared
I read kiss me liar manhwa like two years or so ago and I barely remember it, but looking at the comments where people talk about details like it's a whole universe with interwebbing characters and places and cameos I feel so lost
"I almost fell for that face again" well you're stronger than me Hilda because the moment he did that face I folded like origami without a fight
I understand how everyone's bothered by this and I'll start my comment by establishing that I am in fact part of the Jaekyung hate club and screamed in the comment section multtiple times before, so it's not that I'm defending, jic.
However to logically dissect this, there are two points that make this sex different than the ones before and make us NOT back at square one.
1)The power dynamics here shifted. Before, Dan was forced to have sex for the payment for his grandma's hospital bills. He didn't get a say in the matter or a say in how it was done, and his mentality convinced him he can't either. On the other hand, it might not look this way rn cause Jaekyung hates not being in control so much he exudes so much false confidence (and it seems to work since y'all convinced this is square one again) but he's not the one in control in this situation, it's Dan. He's the one who needs Dan, he's the one trying (but can't wait for it to be even more desperate and pathetic) to make Dan come back, and he's the one who stands to lose in this situation. You may think Dan is overpowered again, but nah. He's the one who suggested it, and while ik someone will say "but he was forced to, to get rid of him because he's stalking and harassing him" no guys he really wasn't forced to use that method at all. Also Dan has a lot of dirt on this bitch he could've used any of them to push him away completely.
2) This is the first time we see Jaekyung taking his time with foreplay and all to give Dan pleasure instead of solely focusing on his own. He thinks he's doing this to prove a point, but with Dan"s repeated rebuttals it only proves how delulu he is and how he's just in denial at his own feelings towards Dan. He doesn't realize this, so his inner monologue seems disjointed, but he does admit Dan us different to him than the ones before. And this sex scene is not rape, I'll stand on this hill tbh.
We /are/ seeing character development in both characters, it's just not at the level everyone wants yet because it's not logical to go from 0 to 100 in so little time without triggers, too. If you go back and reread early chapters you'll see Dan was different and Jaekyung was also different than what they are now. Give it time, I'm trying to also hope that the road for Jaekyung redemption is still ongoing, and I'm glad Dan isn't giving in. I think it was intentional and metaphoric that this sex scene is from Jaekyung's pov and we are deprived of Dan's.
Ok novel readers you better assure me this will get insanely better because rn I'm actually boiling with hatred towards Chase. This bitch. Wtf? Like he's actually very fucking annoying and like for what??? Unprovoked too!!! So yea his redemption better be scrumptious but if it won't be much better let me know so I can lower my expectations or just drop cause my blood pressure can't fr
Am I crazy for actually enjoying the plot? Like don't get me wrong i fucking hate some stuff but I genuinely am invested guys I wanna know what Erik looks like fr, and what drove everyone to call him a monster. His initial vision of Chris and how he fell, why and how he lives like so beneath the opera, why he built it, and if he truly is Chris's fated pair.
I was feeling quite sad towards Ralph then his monologues threw me off. I do not doubt that he holds some sort of love towards chris, but I do think he also views Chris the same way the other asshole rapist alphas did. A weak omega, an object to be owned, helpless without him, nothing without him, must be his. He doesn't look at Chris as a person at all, despite all the love. He talks about him like one would talk about an object it's actually concerning, and while the whole Erik plot is fucked up, at least he's the only one who actually respects Chris as a person, as wel as his wishes.
Y'all i can't believe THE fucked up person is the one preaching for consent!!!
So I do agree with the people saying "why are you bashing hear abd calling her toxic and a creep and insecure. You know nothing about mental health and only support it to your convenience and when it's sad" and while I do agree to some extent, I still also think that just because she's suffering from mental illness doesn't mean it's not a toxic behavior. Yeah it's not right to feed into the stigma of calling her a creep and a loser, but she IS being toxic and her mental illness doesn't negate that and absolve it. Toxic people do toxic shit because they're unwell. If you think an asshole or a bully does bad shit because they're born evil then that's a skewed pov of the world where only the victims get to be "unwell" while the preparators get to be demons with grand intention.
It's good to be a mental awareness advocate, but that doesn't equal enabling
I pity her and the turmoil and pain she causes herself first and foremost (i truly think she'll self sabotage and cheat on him thinking hr alr did that only to realize she became the one thing she's been so scared of), but I genuinely feel uncomfortable reading this and reading the slow descent into greater depths of derangement. Idk it's not that I'm not empathizing. Having BPD makes me all too aware of fear of abandonment and going through extreme lengths like that, but something about HER and her thought process just makes me dislike her.
I can't even hate at this point, you chose the man leewon There's no way any of us can get angry when you're the one who's telling us gwenchanaa gwenchanaa