Responses
Yesss. And the way he's always pulling the "well i got you here, so you have to listen to me since i know what's best." It really mimics what parents say to their kids about raising them. In a way he's guilting Garam with how much he helped Garam's growth
Please dont take this in the incest kind of way, but heejae saying "do you also treat your parents like this" to garam is definitely a deliberate choice by the author. Because heejae sees himself as garam's parent too, which he kinda is, he's garam's mentor first and foremost, and he's responsible for garam's life and career in america. That's why he never apologizes, and that's also why garam always tries to smooth things over even when he's not at fault. If you're asian and have strict parents you'll probably understand why their dynamic is like that. Because before they see themselves as lovers, they see themselves as "parent" and "child", and it's going to take a tremendous effort before they can feel like equals.