I was rereading and I just noticed the only other time dohun gives that lopsided smile tha...

It's partly true, though. I can't say all- since, even in the current chapter of the raws, everything is still cryptic. But Duhoon strongly believes that he can protect Yuwon always. (Since he is sure, Yuwon needs protection.) for him, he knows Yuwon is kind, too kind for his own good, that he often ends up in such a position. In fact, for the smile, he is just happy that Yuwon needs him. But what also brings out that smile of his is that, even after going through everything, Yuwon never really changed, you could say, Duhoon, himself, is intrigued by Yuwon sometimes genuinely.

yes that's exactly what I was theorizing. I'm reading the raws too and I can't wait for us to get to adult era so we can know what dohun was really thinking during all that. that one scene in the beach made dohun fascination with yuwon more understandable, it's genuine adoration there, even if dohun doesn't 100% believe in what yuwon says, he still can genuinely admire yuwon's world and his kindness. I think his fascination with yuwon's nature is also kinda what doomed them

for now I'm just guessing based on what he has already said.

it's significant to me that during the very first meeting, baby dohun was euphoric because yuwon was both blaming him and being visibly miserable after helping him. for him I think that's when yuwon looks most like himself. being both a hero and a victim.

there's this line in s3 that is "every bone in my body vibrated with the beats of my heart, and the corner of my lips, as if caught by a chain, remained lifted, beyond my control" that gets repeated in different ways but lacking something, because at the time, dohun couldn't recognize yuwon as himself yet

"but for some reason even though my bones shook, the corners of my lips didnt lift" in their highschool introduction, and "every bone in my body vibrated with the beats of my heart" during the warehouse thing. I haven't noticed any narrative mention of his smile yet but I think it will show up in s3 eventually

so when I see that lopsided smile of his in their adult years it makes me think that at just a glance dohun could tell that yuwon was still the same. it happens again when he gets strangled, but I think maybe it's also lacking something back then. by yuwon remaining the same this means that dohun is still needed by him. I think that's the logic

Yeah, the fact that, at the end, it was Yuwon's kindness that brought them together in the first place. It wasn't their destiny at first, but Duhoon shaped it in a way that neither of them can be without the other, even though both of them are suffering, and unknowingly, Yuwon's habit and personality brought each of them closer. From what i think, a single help which changed both of their lives, gave Duhoon a reason to survive, and changed him, didn't even matter to Yuwon. Even if Duhoon tried significantly to make a difference in yuwon's life, but doing whatever he could (Just like Yuwon did to him), he failed not once, but multiple times- yuwon never changed even after going through such a bad mental state, and i feel like, that made Duhoon more obsessed with him. For Yuwon, it didn't have to be Duhoon; if anyone, just anyone, needed help or was bullied, Yuwon would always step in for him. i believed, this thing bugged Duhoon, that Yuwon was ready to suffer for anyone and not just him, and thats why- in S1, he began isolating yuwon- but still at the end of S1, even after all that, Yuwon didn't change- so the duhoon could, to make yuwon his and only his, was to engrave each other's name on skin and force Yuwon to remember, how much he really and only needed duhoon and not just anyone. how the only face he can clearly remember is duhoon's only? i feel like, at the end- it wasn't Yuwon's desperation but Duhoon's desperation to be the one and only for Yuwon.


wow, i talked a lot- cant help it, thats how much i like this story.

I thought I left a reply but it’s interesting you say Dohoon sees yuwon choking him as him needing him and while it does help Yuwon relieve stress to a degree he says it’s suffocating around him he still needs Seungmin as he states in chapter 31. It’s also mentioned twice already how Yuwon has stood up for others too Seungmin and some bully victim in school so yes it doesn’t have to be Dohoon.

when I say that dohun sees the choking thing as yuwon needing I mean more that this is purely dohuns perspective lol we know how yuwon feels but dohun specifically wants to desperately make yuwon happy and he will do it through any means possible. so when he sees yuwon stressed out, he thinks that choking is a form of stress relief. it's kinda like the blaming thing as well. yuwon doesn't want to blame dohun, and dohun doesn't to see yuwon blame himself, but dohun wants to yuwon to be happy so he will gladly take the blame if it relieves yuwon's stress even by a little. by relieving the stress dohun feels needed. for dohun needed = love, bc of his mother dohun just has internalized this very deeply.

also dohun admits it himself that he sees yuwon most like himself when he's choking and blaming him. since their first meeting, dohun has wanted to relieve yuwon's burdens by taking it all to himself, bc he is numb to it all. but yuwon doesn't let him, which forces dohun to see yuwon be miserable by himself. dohun just has a blind spot when it comes to these things, bc his single minded focus on doing what he Thinks he needs to, rather than listening to yuwon, since yuwon himself is not honest abt what he wants

wow that last line "it wasn't Yuwon's desperation but Duhoon's desperation to be the one and only for Yuwon." I definitely agree!! yuwon is just naturally someone who will stand up for others, bc he was raised to be a kind person, but due to his own trauma he already has kinda accepted that people will abandon him and abuse him, so even dohun is someone he can live without. sure yuwon is miserable, but he can live with it. dohun also kinda ruined their rship himself by killing others for him, even though yuwon still loves dohun, that act just makes yuwon forever uneasy and guilty in the relationship

I do disagree with the fact that dohun has tried to change yuwon. to me, it seems more like dohun is in love with that unchanging nature of his. if yuwon remains the same then dohun can keep loving him just like he is. and yuwon's love for him will ofc remain the same. dohun is also himself unchanged from the very beginning.

in s1 I think his intentional isolation was caused more by the fact that yuwon doesn't let him help. since highschool, yuwon has hidden his bullying from dohun, so when he does the same at work, dohun feels like he needs to take matters into his own hands. the repeated pattern of yuwon being bullied only serves to justify dohuns view on the world: only place that will make yuwon absolutely happy and safe is by his side. that's why he isolates him and does a whole bunch of other things that he thinks will make yuwon happy. but what dohun absolutely cannot accept is that yuwon thinks their love is not real and that everything he has done makes yuwon unhappy. it's like basically denying dohuns whole existence right there. to dohun they're soulmates for good or bad. they belong to each other and thus need each other to survive, that's why he branded yuwon and forced him to remember so he never forgets their love again

You can say that about the isolation
Part . And ofcourse even I am not sure. But I don't think duhoon is that emotionally absent. I feel like he knows what he is doing and isnt 'just' protecting yuwon by the isolation. I feel like he wants yuwon to see just him just like he only sees yuwon. And I do think a little bit on him trying to change yuwon. Atleast wanting to try even though it's not possible. I may be wrong and since it's still on going and incomplete. I tend to think too deep.

I agree with you I see where I worded things poorly before! I was more so pointing out how ironic it is Dohoon sees Yuwon choking and blaming him as a way to feel needed by him but it backfires on him bc yes it does help him a little bit it causes Yuwon to draw back. Their toxic dynamic makes Yuwon feel suffocated pushing him to seek out Seungmin bc he “needs him”. I just found the whole situation crazy like an insane game of tug of war. Honestly in no way was I disagreeing with you. You’ve covered so much like the point about his mother and how it shaped his view on love I found very insightful! I also liked the point made by someone else earlier how it didn’t need to be dohoon to yuwon he would step in.

I don't get what u mean by emotionally absent? I agree with ur point Abt him wanting to yuwon to only see him tho. it reminds me of the car scene where he almost let it slip that he wouldn't mind yuwon being unhappy as long as they're together

we'll see if he actually wants to change yuwon and don't worry we're all just theorizing here. I'm also not sure Abt my perspective but I wanted to discuss it. I think the best part of unchanged man is that the author surprises u with new info Abt the characters all the time. i got excited rambling and didn't realize how my tone came across. sorry!

ah I see. it's very ironic indeed haha the more dohun does for yuwon the more yuwon feels unhappy. you described the dynamic well thank u

also sorry I misunderstood u in the first reply lol I wasn't unhappy w it but more excited to discuss. English isnt my first language and my tone doesn't come across in text. I was very happy to ramble I forgot to think Abt how I was saying it.

oh by emotionally absent, i mean- like a psychopath who can't understand others' feelings. And what i meant is like Duhoon can understand others' feelings, even though he looks like he doesn't understand or care. He knows that isolating Yuwon won't make Yuwon happy; in fact, it makes him more vulnerable. For him, it doesn't matter if Yuwon suffers or feels unhappy, as long as they are together cuz they are destined, it's just- it can't be anyone else, Duhoon can't accept it if someone else makes Yuwon either happy or unhappy, it has to be him and him only. Isolating Yuwon, I feel like it's less likely to protect him, and more to make sure that Yuwon's world only revolves around Duhoon and that Duhoon is the only one who can "protect" him and be with him at worst(not to mention, he orchestrates the worst situation so that Yuwon comes to him at the end). It's all twisted, and what makes it more interesting is that such a twisted feeling could be developed by reading a children's story book, if not a million times, in a dark basement.


i am also rambling a lot. But it feels good to discuss with people who understand this story's potential instead of just reducing it to rape and red flag seme.

oh I totally get that! tbh I don't think dohun is a psychopath or anything like that. I hate that term especially when it can be so easily explained why dohun is the way he is. but I do think his lack of socialization for years has made him incompetent in certain social aspects. j think dohun is honestly very good at reading people, he had to be because of his mother's and brother's mood swings, but when it comes to yuwon he often comes to the wrong conclusion Abt what he wants (which is honestly just to have someone by his side). I believe empathy is taught and dohun clearly wasn't, when he says he doesn't feel pain it makes me think he kept himself numb in this way like emotional blunting or disassociation. but that's my take on kid/highschool dohun, who would rather disappear from earth if yuwon didnt want him around. in ch 74 he admits himself that he doesnt think people other than himself can make yuwon happy, and if that isn't possible then he will just get rid of them. I think he was speaking earnestly in that scene, so I do think he genuinely believes he was doing what was right for yuwon back then (not that he's innocent or incapable of understanding his actions btw)

but I will admit that might not apply to adult Dohun. I'm basing my perspective completely on highschool, and dohun seems more emotionally mature in his adult years. so I can totally see your point if I think of it that way. his "nobody but me can make yuwon happy" takes a more meaningful turn when he actually has more power about what happens to yuwon. dohun is like a snake ensnaring his prey. his love might have been innocent once, born from a desire to not be alone, but it has long turned sordid and venomous.

"it can't be anyone else, Duhoon can't accept it if someone else makes Yuwon either happy or unhappy, it has to be him and him only" this i totally agree with. u spoke really well. thanks for being open to discussion. this story is honestly so more interesting than the usual so I'd hope ppl gave it a chance to analyze it more deeply. I'm not sure I'm right about anything but part of the fun is being wrong sometimes