Responses
Ugh this story is so depressing. I hope he gets to kill his uncle and all his past actions come to light, but I’m worried the author will take a more realistic approach… influential abusers rarely get the punishment they deserve
This chapter picks off at Myeongil questioning why Jingi thinks he'll be dead after prison -- this leads to a deep dive into Jingi's past and what he experienced growing up with the uncle. To summarize:
1) As we inferred from ch 67 (door metaphor) Jingi's hair and was dyed and we see the aftermath of one of his SA encounters with the uncle. He regularly meets up with the blind noona we met in S1 and she helps him develop photos, not knowing that they're CSA because she's blind and Jingi never told her anything. He's fond of her because she reminds him of his mom.
2) He didn't go to school growing up, instead he got his GED and went straight to work for the uncle. He rarely gets to visit his mom or see Heonjae due his uncle actively preventing it.
3) During Heonjae's arrest for attacking the coach, Jingi is in the crowd, watching on along with the uncle while internally seething with anger at the latter.
4) We see Jingi being sent to prison for the first time due to the uncle framing him. During his sentence he attempts suicide by slicing open his stomach to bleed to death. When he falls unconscious he wakes up in a hospital bed. The uncle is there and feigns concern. He assures Jingi that he'll give him a comfortable life in prison. Jingi knows he can't die before he kills the uncle so he plays along and tells his uncle that he's OK.
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DAMN what a chapter. Like we already knew small bits and pieces of Jingi's past but to see it fleshed out like this in chronological order is depressing. The fact that his noona is blind and ignorant to the content within the photos she develop is also tragic. And yes Heonjae had it rough too but I'm not going to compare trauma between the brothers.
Jingi's resolve is clear -- either the uncle kills him or he plans to die after killing his uncle. However with Myeongil thrown into the mix I have a feeling he'll find a new reason to live and make a life for himself post-prison.