Room's Favorite

Imagine being born and your name is "Misuzu Aoha" MAN YOU ALREADY WINNING IN LIFE

美澄青羽 DAMNNNN EVEN THE KANJI IS PRETTY I'M NOT EVEN JOKING THE FAMILY NAME OF HIS KANJI LITERALLY MEANS PRETTY XHSJHSHSNS (if you guys maybe familiar with mandarin, it would help you with kanji too cause the root of this language is basically pretty similar)

美 you often find this as a hanzi too (in pinyin you pronounce it as měi) in mandarin dialogue, could be translated as "beauty"/"beautiful" you often find this kanji in a word (that you probably hear it so much if you watch anime) "utsukushii" which also has the "美" kanji in it.

澄 "clear" or if it's in sentence it's probably like "to purify/to clarify" (some chinese people have this character as their surname or their family name, it's not really a common one i think, please do cmiiw)

青 "blue-green" like "blue" for sky or "green" for mountain, grass, etc. (which is what you expect when you heard someone named "ao" in Japan, the first thing you would think is blue sky, but often the kanji for "ao" it's different too. In this case "青" could also mean young/youthful/unripe). But in Cantonese (please do cmiiw) it could also mean "black" like "black hair" "black cloth", etc.

羽 "feather/wing (like for birds, etc)". You can also find this kanji/hanzi in "badminton" or "yǔmáoqiú". You know what shuttlecocks are made of, right? Yes, exactly haha the literal meaning of "yǔmáoqiú" would be something similar to, "feather ball"(?) bdjxbxjsnsj (the more you know....)

Enzo's face going dark each time he was trying to repress his urges 'n' impulses would never not be funny to me xDD
I saw this coming but I still felt bad and uncomfortable about the v*miting and violent spanking (×﹏×) So I guess it's even more shocking and painful to read for the ones who were not expecting it....

But really, none of them was considering romantically the other one from the very beginning and untill now— Uno obsessing about nothing more than bedding Enzo and Enzo being interested in Uno in a twisted special plaything fantasy kind of way, so despite the playfulness they both showcased and the "Catch-me-or-I'll-catch-you" game they were playing, the type of relationship they have was screaming Toxic ! They got sooo much tension going on and chemistry was boiling up but it was all s*xual, no romance displayed ~
So when people complain about the fact that they can be labelled walking red flags without it leading to ass*ult and expect them to care for each other somehow......it just doesn't add up— why would they be mindful of each other when none of them has to ! They still haven't reached the point where they're falling in love to not want to harm the other yet, they are enemies trying to overpower each other, be it in business or in bed !
It was already written black on white that one of them was gonna get caught in the web they were both spinning, and that it was not going to be pleasant at all....
Then again, back to the first statement about Enzo's expressions, but he gazed at Uno bestially like he was a prey and not a potential lover more than once (beside all the other psycho things he has done) for us not to realiaze that, at any given opportunity, he was soooo gonna just disregard his feelings and devour him !!

So yeah, I'm definitely more hyped than ever to see where things are going from now on (and looking forward Uno making Enzo miserable next !)

i read some of this a while ago, back when it only had 2-3 chapters but anyways now that im back to it, here are some things i jotted down while reading : (minor spoiler warning ig)(also this is really long for no reason lmfao)

1. ima start by ripping the bandaid off, i thought it was weird that he had dibs on MC since he was an unborn child, like hes not an object and its lowkey giving pedo vibes, but then its stated that the reaper/ML eats yang energy wayyyy more than other reapers & is just going to use MC as a vessel to absorb yang energy, which is done through sex (this is a yaoi so...) I can see this being a hard no for some readers due to many factors, and I certainly grappled with my inner moral compass when reaching the conclusion to continue reading rather than dropping the manhua early. I guess I'm okay with black-flag tops more than I thought ƪ(￣∇￣)ʃ Ultimately what made me go ahead was the fact that the reaper/ML did not know MC enough that it felt like grooming. As in, the reaper showed up, blessed the kid and dipped. Apart from that interaction, they were completely separated from each other until of course MC (adult) ended up in the accident & ML showed up. Now like I said earlier, this type of justification may not fly with some readers but its fine if this is not your cup of tea! And if youre okay with it then go ahead and read ig lolol.

2. Anyhoo back to the manhwa...the ML is kind of an ass icl... hes not even that hot to b acting like that— at least, i find him hotter in the traditional clothing lol— but hes quite crass/foul mouthed like pipe down and shut yo ass up pls (ill give him props for having aura while killing those malevolent spirits tho) but yh bro bestows his blessings onto a random fetus & gets mad that the babys a boy like bruh js go bless a girl then if youre that bothered ffs. He gets over it quite fast but brolio was hella annoying in the beginning im warming up to him as the chapters go on however, and i am interested if his and MCs relationship will improve as the plot progresses—theres inklings of hope in the latest chap (18) & while yes he did say '"it" was exhausting' at the end of the chap, im interpreting that line as him finding MCs demands exhausting or sum... So far curiosity has killed the cat, but will satisfaction bring it back? stay tuned! (Aka ima marinate this for a bit, come back and update after things unfold a bit more haha)

3. Also I feel really bad for MC. all those spirits keep possessing him to do violent acts, and he was forced into debt trying to stop the possessions. Eventually his mom dies, i assume due to illness and/or stress related issues. and then the whole reaper sitch. honestly i just wish he gets free from all these spirits and reapers and the shamanic landlords fat son coming after him, homeboy needs a break from all this bs I like him tho, some ppl say hes stupid or annoying, but i like his pretty feisty personality and applaud him for consistently standing his ground against ML. like hell yeah go after MLs pockets since hes forcing you to have sex w him to restore his yin-yang balance! it made me laugh tho, him negotiating w ML so passionately; he was like "ok if i give my body to you, you need to give me something in return ho i aint gonna do ts for free!" which honestly, slay & I dont blame him for acting "dumb" or "slow" bc I know for sure if a random ahh man came up to me and started waffling abt being the grim reaper & that i was dead but he delayed my death js to fuck me & he needed to fuck me to survive id honestly be hella confused & scared asw and try and run tf away bc WHAT THE HELLY ARE TALKING ABOUT MR SIR???) so yh I dont blame him for acting the way he did.

thats all for now, ill prolly come back in the future to give an update/follow up to this comment when more chaps come out. its too early to give a rating, but ima say with confidence I will be keeping an eye on this manhua~ have a good day/night folks! (^з^)-☆

I have a different take on this for this book. I know a lot might be expecting a chasing arc to happen, so

SPOILERS AND LONG POST






Personally, I don’t think Ebony Castle ever needed a “chasing arc” in the usual tropey sense. You know, those long, drawn-out stretches where the ML spends chapters groveling and suffering to win their love interest back. This story simply isn’t built that way.

I can understand why some readers, especially early on, might feel frustrated with Tristan. At first, he doesn’t come across as enthusiastic about helping Eden at all, and it’s true, he isn’t. He’s a stranger to Eden, he’s straight, and he’s still recovering from years of accumulated stress and medical issues tied to his noble heritage. He’s sick of everything, burned out to the core, and has chosen isolation as his only escape. This context isn’t fully revealed right away, so in the early chapters, it’s easy for readers to see only Eden’s pain and conclude Tristan should “do more.” I think that’s partly why some people crave a chasing arc. Because without Tristan’s backstory upfront, it’s harder to grasp the weight he’s already carrying.

But even without knowing all that, imagine suddenly becoming the key to a stranger’s survival, knowing you’ll have to commit to helping them for a lifetime, with sexual intimacy involved when you’ve never been attracted to men before. That’s not an easy switch to flip.

But fom the moment Tristan realized he had feelings for Eden, back in the mansion, dating in London, even before the breakup, he’d already given up everything for him. Yes, part of it was for Eden’s treatment, but even without that, Tristan was already selflessly in love. He sacrificed his desire to stay off the grid, stepped back into the public eye, and took on the weight of his noble title and CEO responsibilities, the very things that had exhausted and sickened him long before Chapter 1. All because he chose Eden. So he could be close enough for Eden to reach him when needed. So he could fully support Eden’s piano career. So he could be there for him and really be a part of his life. From the moment he fell in love, Eden was his reason to live.

After the breakup and a two-year time skip, Tristan’s feelings hadn’t faded. But by then, they’d each found their place, Eden thriving as a pianist, free of treatment, and Tristan finally living somewhere no one knows, with the peace he’d wanted since the beginning. He didn’t “chase” Eden at that point because he believed Eden belonged in the spotlight, a world Tristan could never step into without disrupting it, and he was happy just hearing of Eden making a name for himself with his piano. It’s how they met in the first place: Eden determined to heal so he could take on the classical music world, and Tristan really did everything to make that happen.

So Tristan goes on with the peace and quiet he'd finally found. He did not chase Eden further not because he’d stopped loving him, but because he knew his own presence, bound to a chaotic, burdensome world, could only hold Eden back. And yet, he couldn’t completely let go either. He left small clues to his whereabouts, something Eden could follow if he ever wished to. In the end, Eden did. And that I could say is another thing he's given again to Eden: giving the choice for their future.

To me, that’s not lack of effort at all, it’s maturity. Life isn’t always glitter and grand gestures. Sometimes love is in the quiet choices, the sacrifices that don’t need an audience. If you look closely, both of them really did sacrificed a lot for each other. There are moments where you can almost feel the exhaustion in them, worn down by the extent of what they were willing to do for the other.

I’m glad the author didn’t put them through more suffering by forcing in the typical chasing arc you'd often expect. I was honestly satisfied without it. Ebony Castle isn’t just about that genre at all! It’s about two people who truly loved each other, but also had their own struggles, goals, and reasons to walk separate paths for a time. Eventually in the Epilogue, they still chose each other, and for me, that's like a cherry on top of an already great narrative.

Of course people will always have different opinions, but this is my two cents. My fingers are tired, and I'm gonna go shut up now

@Jake Gillan: The author (or someone) wrote that the manhwa was based of the bible (tod- wolf and dennis-sheep) the owner of the sheep said not to trust anyone bcuz he knew that there was something lurking and seducing men and later on taking there sheep from them, in conclution dennis was seduced and only after losing the sheep found out he wasn’t loved by tod, after he found out he commited, the name “the fallen lamb” is also based on the bible, a lamb/sheep is symbolised as pure and innocent and after being tricked by the dev:l it killed itself (idk how to explain it) just like dennis commited after being fooled, he also commited because he no longer knew what to do with all the love tod gave him… sorry for the bad and useless explination

This story is so, utterly lovely that I kinda feel emotional omg. Misuzu and Kitahara's relationship is so warm, soft, gentle, and sweet, looking at them makes me think that, ah, that must be what (romantic) love looks like, a love that uplifts, that appreciates, that cares, that grows, that shows itself in smiles and laughter and empathy and affirmative words and loud gestures and unspoken understanding and spoken communication, a love that is so /theirs/ to cherish and kindle, a love that waits and is patient, a love that thinks for and of the other, a love that fuels strength and grants courage, a love that is easy as breathing and grander than the earth and constant like the sun, a love so, so beautiful. This is one the best bls I have read in a long while.

The author's storytelling is incredible. It is both intuitively easy and poetically subtle how the characters' expressions convey their feelings, allude to their concerns. The use of the differing light in their eyes is amazing. I especially fucking love how beautiful and pretty the author draws misuzu omg he is GORGEOUS. I can sense the horny clenching and cuteness aggression kitahara must feel seeing THOSE expressions ( yall know which ones:^)) on his babygirl's face lmaoo ⁄(⁄ ⁄·⁄ω⁄·⁄ ⁄)⁄ The art style is sooooooo delicious and fantastic and panels are always arranged so well.

I enjoy the fact that as a reader, we see why these two fall for each other, it feels so real in terms of the maturity of this relationship and yet so unreal in how such a love must be hard to find irl. I know in this setting they're just schoolboys so I might sound too intense but the way the author tackled the depiction of their personalities, the way they complement each other, the way they're so good for each other, the way we see them fall deeper and deeper, the compatibility and emotional depth from them both - this is nothing short of a masterpiece.

I love MCs who are utterly lovable and mistakenly think they're utterly unlovable. I love MLs who want them to know just how wonderful the MC is, who let the MC be the little spoon, who stand as the pillar of comfort and strength for an MC who is tired of the fight and struggle, MLs who see in MC what others are blind to, who look at MC like the MC is the greatest, most loveliest creation of the universe. I love MCs who have been hurt but bravely try again, fall again, and stand up again, to achieve happiness again, by an ML who stays and watches and encourages all along, by an ML who continues to be astounded by the beauty of MC's character. And this dynamic is exactly what I get from our MC misuzu and ML Kitahara.

Their interactions are soooo adorbs, they're soooo perfect for each other, they like each other soooooo much, and they're each other's safe space and happy place. I adore ML's affectionate firm actions and affirmative words of love, I love his intelligence in deciphering MC's selfless actions and intentions, letting MC drive the pace of their relationship, with so much empathy and kindness and fondness through it all. I love that we simultaneously see him holding back, see hints of the sheer capacity of love and desire and /want/ he feels for MC that he consciously holds back, his considerate mature nature is amazing.

And of course I fucking love MC. He is so kind, so misunderstood, and so lonely when we meet him. The way he constantly pushes away others for their sake despite his crushing loneliness, the way he would rather harm reach him than any other, the way he braves a bond with the ML despite his past scars, the way he carefully observes and appreciates ML's considerate actions and always yearns to repay it tenfold, the way he is starved for love yet hesitant to seek affection YET tries his best to communicate his wants despite massive shyness and embarrassment as the trust between him and ML grows, the way he cares for those around him, strangers or past friends, the way he is so touched and grateful for the smallest of kindnesses, the way he only gives but knows not how to take or ask, the way he is so independent and simultaneously the way he melts into a more vulnerable self in the warmth of ML's constant love, the way he strives to go to any lengths to make the people he loves happy, the way he is always matching the ML in this relationship they navigate together - he is such a lovable MC. Love that he can kick ass if he wants - fuck yea - but simply doesn't want to - never wished to.

My fav character in the entire manga is MC for sure. I ain't doing him justice even with this obsessive rant lol. Also he is soooooooo beautiful and I fucking loveeeee his flushed shy faces every chapter omggg those are the HIGHLIGHT and I could stare at him for hourssss because he is so pretty and I loveee his fashion too omg we love to see a shy pretty girlboss baddie and his simping unapologetically in-love handsome smart boyfriend!!!

Also fucking loved ML threatening Sanada lol that was HAWT. that said I think Sarada is a very interesting character and I like the multiple dimensions written for not just MC and ML but also Sanada!

Speaking of HAWT, I think the ML's slightly broader and taller frame compared to MC is also super h o t (don't @ me I have my basic kinks yall have yours) I love me some height difference I love the way the ML engulfs the MC sometimes i love how MC is sooo flustered and soft and blushy with this man and ML is so unwavering in his interest in MC aaaa >w< kitahara's firm tenderness towards misuzu during the latter's defensive mechanisms, and misuzu's soft vulnerable honest self elicited in response do things to me that I cannot legally explain omggg

Also MC is my sweet babyyyy (and the ML's babe ofc lol)

If someone asked for my fav panels I would have to put the whole manga in there cause each page each panel each scene each line is P E A K. So good. Goshhhhh I spoke so much and yet I could go on lol imma brb gonna go reread this amazing work ٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶ I still have many thoughts so I might add more teehee(crazy, I know)

Considering the death rate in the ancient times this manga is historically accurate. In modern view its immoral but it was normal on that era.

Yes! I've seen most of the comsec badmouthing the Uke, all because he supposedly betrayed the Seme!

I seriously thought of putting this out of list, but then, I tried to give it a read!

And yes! I was right! None of you badmouthing the Uke has any sense about what a sexual assault, as well as losing the only family can do to your mind, if you're already very fragile.

For me, The Seme is nice but, at first wanted to kiss him, looking at his pretty appearance, but he stopped himself. Okay, first of all, if u like a person, you shouldn't ever think about forcing your feelings onto them. However, we see it till the time, they started living together, that SAYSA WASN'T IN THE RIGHT MIND! BRO WENT THROUGH SO MUCH, YET INSTEAD OF EMPATHIZING HIM, YOU'RE ALL JUST CALLING HIM SHET? No! He's selfish for doing that to Karel, but Karel also secluded themselves in a Faraway house, where Say, just need to stay not do anything.

For a dedicated Dancer like him, it was too much. The only thing he loved was dancing. But Karel taught him Love. However, Say, couldn't understand it, he continues to ask what is love, what is sacrifice, what is what. He's very slow in the head! It's not his fault!! Please!! Understand, I'm not defending him, but I'm asking you to understand his condition. Read it again, if you want. Julien, who knew he was mentally unstable, regretted saying such harsh things to him. Also Karel, got swept away in the rumours that Say got his position as the principal dancer through Selling his body.

If Karel loved him, why couldn't he confirm that the rumours were just some BS by others who lusted ir jealous of him!? Okay, Karel, did love him, too much, that's why he needs to push the already mentally unstable person away to protect him. It's a good thing right!?

I'm not questioning his Loyalty or Love, but if he already knew (which he himself confessed he didn't know much about Say), that Say had PTSD, and relapses any moment, he has severe Anxiety and Accute depression, where the first thing he happily thinks is his death. WHERE IN WORLD A FULLY FUNCTIONAL BEING THINK OF HIS OWN DEATH AS A HAPPY THING!??? HUH!?

You...did you see the level of panic Gudin, (Secretary of Karel) had!? He had it, coz he knew, that if He left Say for one second, next second he'll die or commit suicide maybe. I'll say, Say is strong in his own way to keep holding on, after being desired, left alone, then again mistaken, misunderstood. He sold his body to that damn old bag was coz, it's the only way for him to stay in the top position...as he was brainwashed by Michael. He already lost everything, his mother, his pride, his lover (past Karel)..what else did he have? Only his ballet. He has sleeping problems, and just so you know, Sleeping problems can cause severe brain damage. So for an unwell person like him, who was already disabled in the brain, was exploited like that. Do you think he'll have rational thinking?

Once he saw Karel, he cried, all his emotions bare, his lover was not dead, only to be pushed away, since his lover believed him to have become a Prostitute. No seriously, the time, Karel said, he should be hated, I got it why he said it. Although he always loved and protected Say, he couldn't give him the confirmation. He himself didn't know how to handle him, yet he tried his best, but not utmost. I love both of them, but in here, both of them are equally at fault, I'd rather they started as friends, then it developed into a romantic way.

Many of you might find my comment offensive, but idrc, if you don't have the guts to accept others views, you're not eligible to be a critique.

Also, yeah, It's a Happy Ending. The kid grows up, it's beautiful

Read chapters 1-37.5 here and then jump over to the Triple Crown comic and start reading at chapter 1 there to the end.

King's Maker is non-R and comprises 1 season, chapters 1-37.5.

King's Maker Triple Crown is the R-rated follow-up and comprises 3 seasons, 1-3. I don't know why they're labeled 2, 2, and 3 here. Anyway, don't read Triple Crown seasons 1-3 here; instead, after reading chapters 1-37.5 here, then switch to the other comic page for Triple Crown and start at chapter 1 there (it picks up after ch37). The mature scenes will be intact on that page.

They are getting close to the final chapter on the Triple Crown mature page (TC 141 = censored 123, so we have something around 4-10 chapters to go for the mature version end of main TC season 3 story, depending on how much sex scene chapters were cut for the finale of TC s3)

Somewhat rough spoilers, because it's needed. Beware.

The overall story setup and art are great, Nekota has a talent for making situations good with expressions, cute and serious alike, very talented in making sensual smut scenes that are often creative in terms of angles and whatnot. The comedy, adorable scenes and sexual moments are done incredibly well and with great detail. It's definitely a joy to look at and read. Especially since the dialogue is well written as well. Which makes reading just for the story/romance interesting enough and worth it in and of itself.

But the one thing I think is the detriment of this story is the initial encounter/treatment before we get to the actual romance part of the story. It's incredibly bothersome how the MC is treated and his justifiable fear and hate is invalidated. To top it off, the typical nonsensical and straight up idiotic 'you have to be a doormat no matter what people do to you' ideaology of the asians being thrown into it all as well is making it really nasty tbh.
And it's odd, because I find myself agreeing with the openly homophobic MC more than any of the other characters. The gay characters were the ones needing more reprimanding than the MC most of the time. Yet the story pretends only he is at fault for anything. Sure, he calls people faggot, but that is NOTHING compared to sexual harrassment and invalidating said harrassment!
I mean, really?: Being randomly grabbed? Your fault for being scared. Being literally sexually harrassed? Better go apologize to the guy so he doesn't cause problems for the company!
Just, no. He was in his full right to lash out. Especially with the company client incident. WTF was that??

Don't get me wrong, the story is still good! It's just this aspect of it that is really shittily done and you need to be able to shrug it off to enjoy it.

Granted, it being somewhat unrealistic/comedy focused and having the typical comic 'they WILL screw, no matter what!' idea attached to it, make it end up as a somehwhat cute love story (if you ignore the afore mentioned), but the mistreatment and invalidation of problems really, REALLY irks me and leaves just a bad taste in my mouth since it is so badly done. Has back then when this came out and nowadays. People need to take serious problems, well, serious. Working them out with care is important. :'D

If Nekota had put in effort of making a therapeutic arc or such in which the MC looses his fear gradually rather than just the typical smut trope of 'I feel good after being touched, therefore my problems are nullified', then it could have redeemed itself for the issues. But it wasn't so it definitely can be that some readers will not enjoy it. If you CAN shrug off issues in a plot, then you can still have a good time. As I said, the overall plot idea is great as a setup and the art amazing.

Worth a read but depends on taste and ability to read fiction even if it's unpleasant. I suppose reading 'for the endgame' applies here rather well.

lmao you guys suck ass. Blaming a victim of childhood abuse and sexual abuse is acc insane. It’s easier to sit on the side of the screen and say “I would've done this this and that” but that’s because it’s not happening to you. Let’s not forget that victims deal with their emotions and how they cope are vastly different from each other. Stop shaming victims and stop acting like dicks. Have some empathy Jesus Christ

I feel sad this manga has such a low rating. Im not sure you realise that this is a good story of moving on. Azuma isnt plan B. In fact, Mahoro may have not been inlove with Ren. It was probably the fated pair instinct that kept him longing for Ren. He may have not realised it of course he was only focused on Ren. Azuma's presence gave him a different view, the first time he felt he needed to step forward for his life. He's becoming curious if Azuma has already moved on from her sis in law and started to become worried what will happen to them after he found Ren. Azuma has already occupied his heart without him knowing.

When Mahiro realised that fate doesnt equal to love when Azuma was gone. What's funny is it took Azuma just a few months to find Ren all because he wanted to give happiness to Mahoro, but Ren, despite being able (unlike Mahoro who is unlucky and financially incapable) did not even once searched for him.

You may say that Mahoro is lucky to have Azuma but Azuma is also lucky to have experienced a fated encounter with Mahoro who overcame the stigma of fated pair and chose to be with him.

Orca pods (alongside most other cetaitions) have complex social hierarchy and language structures. Calfs are given names and raised to maturity with only the males being kicked out.

Different pods have different accents and the further two pods are away from each other, the less they can understand each other! Their language is so complex they've essentially developed multiple mutually unintelligible languages!

ML's mother would have definitely given him a specialized click that would be his name. Unless he was orphned so young he never learned it. But that doesn't seem to be the case given how he speaks of the ocean.

who is he, Rumpelstiltskin?

just in case yall are confused.
So, the four rivers of the garden of eden in the bible are: Pishon, Gihon, Tigris, and Euphrates
Right now we can assume these 4 people are important figures of "the garden of eden" aka the rebel group
Now in chapter 56, it revealed the names of the 4 rivers
Pishon is Kwak Jaewon (which means he's def related to Major Kwak)
Gihon is Kang Soneun
hiddekel/Tigris is Wonho (Dr.Oh's colleague that got executed for being a rebel)
Euphrates is Oh YangSeok (Or Dr.Oh, Dr.seok's mentor that died)
Now Dr.seok's mom mentioned she was Euphrates meaning she was an important figure of the garden of eden before Dr.Oh
In the beginning when she was talking with Dr.Oh, She talks about not wanting to give up Dr.Seok to be a lab rat for Rainbow city, that should raise red flags about the city.
She then talks about her Colleagues Kwak and Kang doing what they did, so you can assume relatives of Major Kwak did some sort of sacrifice for the city (another red flag). I don't know if it was revealed what Kwak Jaewon's relationship to Major kwak was, but from what we know, Major kwak's parents had him without the city's permission and they were once researchers. Now if we were to say Kwak Jaewon is Major Kwak dad, then you can assume he did something to major kwak if you follow the words of Dr.Seok's mom.
Bottomline is, she basically reveals to us the deeper mysteries behind the city and its use of researchers and children in order to find "eve" or in other words a cure for the adam virus. And tells Dr.Seok to not trust humans.
NOW, if you link that to rainbow city's "mutants"
recap, The immortal regiment (aka, Major kwak, Major lee and Major yang) they are all mutants, which are children allegedly born with superhuman bodies but have defects in other places, born as a result of evolution to counter the adam virus. Connecting that to the city wanting to counter the adam virus + children + researchers......If you see where im going at...

Everybody getting all mad at Tristan has to understand Eden barged into his tranquil and quiet life. Eden is nothing more than a stranger to him. The fact Tristan was willing to pay for his medical treatment and make sure he'll be in want of nothing speaks a lot about Tristan's sense of responsibility.

So I read the novel and got to the part where they returned to London, and then skipped to the end. I skipped not because it's boring or bad, but I'm getting to the part of the novel where they're dropping hints and foreshadowing something bad is gonna happen, and I'm just dreading it. I didn't want to read the angst lol.

Anyway, Tristan falls for Eden first, but because the novel is told from Eden's POV, we don't really see when, how, and why Tristan falls for Eden. There was only one chapter from Tristan's POV, and it's towards the first half of the novel.

This whole having sex as a form of treatment for Eden? Tristan becomes obsessed with it. Eden actually recovers enough that he goes back to London for physical therapy and in hopes of restarting his career. So he goes between London and Scotland every 10 days. When Eden is back in Scotland, the first thing Tristan does is drag Eden to bed and have sex with him. At one point, the chef and maid don't see Eden for an entire week because Tristan kept him in bed with him for that long. The sex is also no longer painful btw. It's definitely pleasurable for the both of them now, especially for Tristan (more on about this later).

At one point, Eden delays going back to Scotland due to his interview with his company getting pushed back + snowstorm canceling his flight. Out of desperation, he takes the train from England to Scotland. In the middle of it, though, his seizure comes back. He hasn't seen or been treated by Tristan for 14 days at this point, so his symptoms of separation comes back. When Tristan hears Eden going into seizure, he goes batshit crazy. The secretary and chef try to stop Tristan from driving out into the snowstorm, but he fights both of them. He knocks both of them down and is about to drive into the storm when the chef yells, "If you die, Eden will die with you!" Hearing that, Tristan immediately calms down.

Something that I should mention at this point, it's heavily implied in the novel Tristan values very little about his own life. He's tired and weary of it. The reason he gave up his company and secluded himself in the castle is because he wants to get away from it all. Just disappear. If he dies...then oh well. Though we barely get any POV from Tristan, in the novel, we do see how Tristan acts and talks to Eden when they're in bed together. Tristan even says at one point that his entire life, from everything he does, it's out in the open. Everything single part of his life is scrutinized and posted on tabloids for ppl to gossip. All except Eden. Only Eden is his secret to keep. Only Eden is fully his. Eden is his own patch of peace. (And it's around here that I stopped reading bc oh man, the foreshadowing).

I can't recall it word for word, but at one point, Tristan says something along the lines of if it weren't for his name on Eden's body and the obligation he had to keep Eden alive, he would've disappeared from the world a long time ago.

Anyway, after Eden's seizure incident, Tristan decided to reintegrate himself back with society. We as reader know why Tristan decide to go back to London, but Eden doesn't find out until later in the story. Tristan goes back to London so that he can be with Eden. Eden can get both his physical therapy done and still receive "treatment" from Tristan.

EDIT: I should add, before Tristan moves back to London for Eden, he at first asks Eden to move in to live with him. He will pay Eden to be his personal pianist. Eden can continue to play the piano just as he wishes. He can play whatever he wants, and Tristan won't judge or demand much from him. He just wants Eden to enjoy and play the piano. The two of them can live out the rest of their lives together, just the two of them here, with no one to bother them. However, Eden later rejects the offer. While it is tempting, and Eden almost took Tristan up on it, it's not just about playing the piano. It's about being recognized as a pianist. Eden threw himself into the piano, staked his life to make it as a professional pianist. If he doesn't recognized for it by his peers, then it makes his life meaningless. Although he appreciates Tristan's offer, if he chose it, he might as well be dead. No one will remember him. No one will even know he existed. And so because Eden rejected Tristan's offer to stay in Scotland, Tristan decided to go back to London for Eden.

Also, Tristan uses his money to launch Eden's career. Creates an entire company JUST to launch Eden. Eden is the ONLY pianist managed by the company btw. Tristan really spared no expenses. Eden has trouble finding a studio where he can practice? No problem. Buys an entire building for Eden where he can practice. Eden's original company is about to drop him? No probelm, Tristan creates a company just for him.

Because Tristan decided to come back to London after 2 years of absence, he has a lot of paperwork and catch up to do. The two of them can only meet once a week for 30 minutes at first while Tristan is busy. Eden understands and tries to accommodate the short time. At one point when Tristan apologizes, Eden says it's fine. The 30 minute is more than enough for his treatment. Tristan then looks at Eden with a frown and says while it's enough for Eden, it's nowhere enough for him. Tristan actually always goes over the 30 minute allotted time to the lament of the secretary. Tristan tries to linger, but Eden always urges him to go bc he feels bad for the secretary.

The two aren't officially lovers yet. Neither confessed or agree to go out up to this point in the story. However, Eden is well aware he's in love with Tristan right now. Especially when Tristan is so gentle and sweet to him.

Anyway, I skipped to the end. Eden was able to surgically remove Tristan's name from his body, much to Tristan's lament. After Eden wakes up from the surgery, Tristan goes to see him one time. They both know if Eden doesn't stop him, this will be the last time they'll ever see each other. Eden lets Tristan go. For 2 years, the two don't contact each other. From what I gathered, Tristan didn't want Eden to go through with the surgery, but Eden was persistent. Eden unilaterally cut off the connection they had that bound them together.

Tristan pulls away from society again. Eden's career is soaring. He's a world renowned pianist now. Fully recovered. When he returns to London, he visits the studio Tristan gave him and find a card tucked away in a book Tristan gave him. When he calls the number, hoping against all hope it will lead him to Tristan, he hears the voice of Tristan's lawyer. He finds out from the lawyer Tristan gifted him the castle in Scotland. Not just he castle, the entire land. Thinking this is a sign, Eden goes to the castle, going through every nook and cranny, hoping he'd find Tristan. At this point in the novel, you as a reader are just as anxious as Eden. Neither the reader or Eden know if Tristan is still alive...or if he decided to end things once and for all because he's THAT tired of all the noise and life. In the 2 years they've been separated, no one can find Tristan. Not even a trace.

Just as he's giving up, Eden remembers the tree house Tristan took him to. Eden realizes this is the reason Tristan gifted him the land. It's not bc of the castle, but the tree house. In the tree house, Eden finds a secret compartment with a postcard. The postcard has an address of this remote, practically unknown Italian village.

Long story short, Eden finds Tristan in the Italian village. Their reunion isn't sweet as you think. Tristan is still recovering from all the mental stress, and he tells Eden at one point that he didn't want Eden to find him. However, Eden pointed out that if Tristan didn't want him to find him, he shouldn't have hid the postcard in the tree house. Tristan admits that yes, he did hide the post card in the tree house bc he can't give up on Eden entirely. He left the post card to leave himself a bit of hope. Hope that one day Eden might find him, that if he looks out in the street, he'd see him. The hope is what kept him going.

The two are in a very difficult situation, very similar to the one that happened in London. Eden says he'll stay with Tristan, but Tristan stops him. He tells him Eden is meant to be in the spotlight, not waste away his talent in this tiny corner of the world. Eden suffered so much, but preserved through everything bc of his piano. Tristan will not be the reason Eden disappears into obscurity.

Meanwhile, Tristan suggests they move to New York together. He will move to New York to be with Eden. Eden vehemently vetos the idea. Tristan just got back his life together, but bc Eden barging into his peaceful life again, Tristan was about to give everything up for him. Eden didn't want to do that to Tristan.

So while the two love each other and want to be together, one of them will have to sacrifice either their dream or peace to be together.

The novel ends by flash forwarding 2 years into the future. Tristan and Eden come to a compromise. Eden basically works 3 months(?) out of the year, and then spends 9 months with Tristan at his villa. Also, after working for about 4-5 years now, Eden plans to take a long hiatus. He's done everything he's wanted and reached the peak of his profession. So he wants to take a long hiatus. Though it's not said explicitly, the novel ends with Eden running into Tristan's arms that his long hiatus is bc he wants to spend it with Tristan.

saying this here since it seems to be the cause of a lot of criticism regarding this story lol. certainly, it as a plot device can be hard to pull off, and it shows up very often. but it shows up so often because it’s honestly a genuinely common issue in human interaction. there’s a large difference between misunderstanding for the sake of misunderstanding for the sake of drawing a plot out unnecessarily, and misunderstanding for reason; this is very much the latter, and in this case i personally think it works.

the thing about people and feelings are that, oftentimes, they will be tumultuous, and confusing, and hard to express properly (whether with yourself or with others). readers can chant “just communicate” all they want upon stumbling into what is, to them, Just Another Misunderstanding, but communication is hard and it takes a lot of effort! it’s why misunderstandings and lack of communication exist; because clearing things up is difficult, and especially so if you’re a person who struggles understanding yourself or your situation. can it be frustrating? oh, undoubtedly. but it’s certainly very human if used appropriately, and i think it’s a little cynical as a reader to dismiss something just because it involves a lot of misunderstandings; it shows up so often as a plot device because it tends to occur so often in human interaction. even if sometimes it’s handled in a really trite, forced manner, it can be used well & i think this is one of those times because of how integral it is to the plot & how saeki and oka’s internal perspectives and individual doubts are at the forefront of each chapter.

I think people get confused sometimes, but just know that TWO THINGS or more can be true at once.

ML is not in the wrong for being a sex worker. He is, however, wrong for keeping it from MC after agreeing to date.

• NOT HIS CHOICE to be a sex worker, so don’t blame HIM for being in THAT HORRIBLE SITUATION. He was basically groomed into sex work.

• HIS CHOICE to date MC, he committed an act of lying while in a relationship. This may make him a bad partner, but NOT a bad human being.

As for the sister, she can rot. I am not interested in her life whatsoever, sorry.

Im on chap. 70 and i dont find any of their s3x scene appealing. In-Seob going to America was the perfect opportunity to make Woo-Yeon chase him but no he just lock him up and blackmailed him.

Im really conflicted to continue reading this as I dont feel Woo-Yeon will ever be genuine T^T I mean ofcouse he has mental issue but...

wait i’ve read the novel for this!! basically the top has a lowkey inferiority complex about the fact that he can’t win first place in exam scores over the bottom. at some point he secretly takes a picture of the bottom to help “motivate” him to win lmfao. anyway one day he runs into the bottom near the bottom’s cram school and they accidentally swap phones. then the top discovers that the bottom has a secret burner account where he posts nsfw videos of his naked body and of him jerking off.

we get to see both povs for the novel, and in the bottoms pov it’s revealed that the reason the bottom has this burner account is because his parents are controlling as fuck. i want to say both of them are professors (i think his dad is a law professor) and they have extremely high standards for how the bottom conducts his academic and private life. they search his room regularly, and this burner account is a way for the bottom to relieve stress. the phone that the top now has is his second secret phone, and the bottom’s plan is to just deny deny deny.

if i recall correctly, the top doesn’t originally intent to try and blackmail the bottom but seeing the bottom pretend nothing is wrong pisses him off. so he threatens him, but our bottom is no pushover. he basically goes aight bet do it you can’t prove this is me. the bottom lowkey masks his real personality, so it throws the top off guard lol.

anyway the two confront each other, even have a basketball off, and become somewhat, vaguely like friends. however everything goes to shit when the bottom’s parents find the top’s phone in his room and lose their shit. the bottom doesn’t want anyone to know about how shitty his home life is, so he tries to strike a deal with the top about just buying him a new phone. the top thinks the bottom is just playing him so he says harsh things about the bottom being a slut. once again, the bottom goes aight bet and then he starts jacking off in front of the top (previously the top made fun of him like ‘if u jack off in front of me i wont tell anyone’) and the top is angry and horny and confused LOL.

their relationship kinda crumbles after that, but the top keeps thinking about the bottom jacking off and getting all bothered. in their own way, the two reach out to each other again and enter weird ‘u make me horny and we’re not really friends and we’re still rivals but ur interesting to me’ territory. they make a bet about whoever gets first place (top says you have to let me fuck u in the ass (or smth like that) and the bottom says u have to send me a video of u jacking off too) and the bottom wins lol.

at some point they enter friends with benefit territory (think lots of jerking off, there are like two scenes where the top flicks/hits the bottom’s cock, so if ur into humiliation/pain play, it’s very lightly here) - but the top starts to develop real feelings. the bottom does too, but he’s entirely too pessimistic to think that the top could really like him. unfortunately the top decides to confess to the bottom right before exams, which makes the bottom think the top is just doing this to throw him off his game, the bottom accepts it as a way to fuck him over too.

after exams are over they confront each other, the top gets pissed off, the bottom chases after him to apologize. they start dating fr, but once again things go to shit with the bottom and his parents. the bottom and the top make plans for the summer but the bottom’s parents unilaterally decide to ship him off to boarding school. fed up, the bottom actually fights back against his parents, his father hits him, and he ends up having to leave anyway. the top goes to break him out, and in the process, realizes the bottom has a terrible home life and feels horrible because all this time, he thought the bottom had been living the high life. (i stopped reading here but i assume the rest of the novel just details them getting into college and living happily ever after as adults lol)