I’ve been reading this manhwa since day one back in S1, stayed all through it and into early season 2, and honestly… it left such a deep scar on my brain that I never really got over it. I had to fight myself so hard just to finish it despite how obsessed I was, to the point where it took me over a year to finally come back and wrap it up. I’ve read it twice now, and both times it pulled me through this insane roller coaster of emotions (fear mixed with relief, despair with peace,…) just complete emotional chaos. But for me, Cirrus’s trauma hit way deeper and felt so much worse because it happened at such a young age, and he had zero emotional support or love. His scars were never healed; they were just left to rot and fester. I wanted to drop a few key points I absolutely loved about the manhwa (not sure if I’ll write a full character/trauma breakdown review later, but still):
- I love how the author didn't give us some fairy-tale ending where they’re suddenly 100% healed and love/friendship magically fixes years of deep trauma. Instead, she showed them continuing their slow-burn healing process surrounded by actual support. That support lightens the load, makes surviving easier, and brings back genuine smiles, but it only cages the monsters haunting you…slaying them for good is entirely on you.
- Cirrus’s relationship with his childhood friend Ri-in ended on such a realistic note. It wasn’t some dramatic reunion, just a polite closure..sending chocolates and wishing her luck on her college entrance exams. Whether they ever become close again stays up in the air (especially with Cirrus being tight with her boyfriend), but the realness here is top tier: an apology doesn't mean things automatically go back to how they were. Not everyone forgives you, but apologizing at least lets you end things like adults and leave behind the good memories instead of the bad ones.
- The Irreparable Father-Son Dynamic. The fact that Cirrus and his dad never fixed their relationship was a masterclass in writing. Some bonds are just broken beyond repair, no matter how much you want it. They ended up total strangers despite sharing the most fundamental human connection. His dad didn't just fail to be present; he permanently ruined Cirrus. As Cirrus moves on to college and adult life, his dad will just naturally fade into background noise. And the dad truly resenting and abandoning his kid without a shred of guilt showed he genuinely didn't care it wasn't just him "suppressing" fatherly instincts or running away.
- I loved how the author proved that not all parents deserve the title. Cirrus’s dad lost that privilege, but to balance the scales, we got Skylar’s mom…a total warrior who would move mountains, drop her entire life, and shield her son from his worst anxieties just to give him a healthy, decent life. But even then, parents can’t be the main driver of your healing. Wrapping a kid in a bubble isn't always the answer; sometimes letting them step into the world without restrictions is what actually heals them. (tbh, the author showed the dark and light side of everything: friendship, love, parenthood, school, home, and even teachers).
- Both leads (especially Cirrus) show us that no matter how fucked up your life has been, there’s always a bright side waiting. You just can’t lock yourself away and view the future through pitch-black glasses.
- Minwoo never showing up again and Skylar not dwelling on him was chef’s kiss. Some people enter your life, ruin it, and vanish. Their ghost haunts the shadows, but that’s where it stays…it gets no extra space. Even in the S1 epilogue, when Minwoo briefly remembered Skylar after seeing two friends laughing after school, there was no dramatic regret or instant karma. And that is peak realism. People who ruin you don't always rot with guilt, and you won't always get to watch karma hit them. You don't get closure from everyone who hurt you; saving yourself is strictly your own responsibility at the end of the day.
- The slice-of-life school days, the genuine laughs, and the wholesome friendships were absolute perfection. The author didn't rely on pure edge and doom-posting to drag us through 131 chapters of constant anxiety and tears. The comedy hit so hard and gave the story so much light! - The story was complete without a single smut scene. It was a refreshing reminder that you don't need explicit scenes to convey deep love and intimacy. Even when Skylar got drunk and things leaned physical, it cut off the second he passed out. Their intimacy needs to come from mutual consent, awareness, and maturity to heal their past sexual trauma…and that shows insane emotional intelligence from the author.
At the end of the day, boxing this work into just 'romance' or 'BL' totally undermines it; those tags are just the surface layer of a much deeper journey. We’re looking at a full psychological study on self-restoration and teenage growth, where two broken kids try to heal through each other, creating a complex bond born straight out of trauma and psychological scarring. It takes you back and forth between heaven and hell, showing how love can turn into a sharp weapon when it comes from unhealed souls. Their codependency, fluctuating between toxic attachment and a unique mutual understanding, is what makes them the only ones capable of saving each other... or completely destroying each other.
Endless thanks to the author and the platform for publishing it! (▰˘◡˘▰)
I’ve been reading this manhwa since day one back in S1, stayed all through it and into early season 2, and honestly… it left such a deep scar on my brain that I never really got over it. I had to fight myself so hard just to finish it despite how obsessed I was, to the point where it took me over a year to finally come back and wrap it up. I’ve read it twice now, and both times it pulled me through this insane roller coaster of emotions (fear mixed with relief, despair with peace,…) just complete emotional chaos. But for me, Cirrus’s trauma hit way deeper and felt so much worse because it happened at such a young age, and he had zero emotional support or love. His scars were never healed; they were just left to rot and fester.
I wanted to drop a few key points I absolutely loved about the manhwa (not sure if I’ll write a full character/trauma breakdown review later, but still):
- I love how the author didn't give us some fairy-tale ending where they’re suddenly 100% healed and love/friendship magically fixes years of deep trauma. Instead, she showed them continuing their slow-burn healing process surrounded by actual support. That support lightens the load, makes surviving easier, and brings back genuine smiles, but it only cages the monsters haunting you…slaying them for good is entirely on you.
- Cirrus’s relationship with his childhood friend Ri-in ended on such a realistic note. It wasn’t some dramatic reunion, just a polite closure..sending chocolates and wishing her luck on her college entrance exams. Whether they ever become close again stays up in the air (especially with Cirrus being tight with her boyfriend), but the realness here is top tier: an apology doesn't mean things automatically go back to how they were. Not everyone forgives you, but apologizing at least lets you end things like adults and leave behind the good memories instead of the bad ones.
- The Irreparable Father-Son Dynamic. The fact that Cirrus and his dad never fixed their relationship was a masterclass in writing. Some bonds are just broken beyond repair, no matter how much you want it. They ended up total strangers despite sharing the most fundamental human connection. His dad didn't just fail to be present; he permanently ruined Cirrus. As Cirrus moves on to college and adult life, his dad will just naturally fade into background noise. And the dad truly resenting and abandoning his kid without a shred of guilt showed he genuinely didn't care it wasn't just him "suppressing" fatherly instincts or running away.
- I loved how the author proved that not all parents deserve the title. Cirrus’s dad lost that privilege, but to balance the scales, we got Skylar’s mom…a total warrior who would move mountains, drop her entire life, and shield her son from his worst anxieties just to give him a healthy, decent life. But even then, parents can’t be the main driver of your healing. Wrapping a kid in a bubble isn't always the answer; sometimes letting them step into the world without restrictions is what actually heals them. (tbh, the author showed the dark and light side of everything: friendship, love, parenthood, school, home, and even teachers).
- Both leads (especially Cirrus) show us that no matter how fucked up your life has been, there’s always a bright side waiting. You just can’t lock yourself away and view the future through pitch-black glasses.
- Minwoo never showing up again and Skylar not dwelling on him was chef’s kiss. Some people enter your life, ruin it, and vanish. Their ghost haunts the shadows, but that’s where it stays…it gets no extra space. Even in the S1 epilogue, when Minwoo briefly remembered Skylar after seeing two friends laughing after school, there was no dramatic regret or instant karma. And that is peak realism. People who ruin you don't always rot with guilt, and you won't always get to watch karma hit them. You don't get closure from everyone who hurt you; saving yourself is strictly your own responsibility at the end of the day.
- The slice-of-life school days, the genuine laughs, and the wholesome friendships were absolute perfection. The author didn't rely on pure edge and doom-posting to drag us through 131 chapters of constant anxiety and tears. The comedy hit so hard and gave the story so much light!
- The story was complete without a single smut scene. It was a refreshing reminder that you don't need explicit scenes to convey deep love and intimacy. Even when Skylar got drunk and things leaned physical, it cut off the second he passed out. Their intimacy needs to come from mutual consent, awareness, and maturity to heal their past sexual trauma…and that shows insane emotional intelligence from the author.
At the end of the day, boxing this work into just 'romance' or 'BL' totally undermines it; those tags are just the surface layer of a much deeper journey. We’re looking at a full psychological study on self-restoration and teenage growth, where two broken kids try to heal through each other, creating a complex bond born straight out of trauma and psychological scarring. It takes you back and forth between heaven and hell, showing how love can turn into a sharp weapon when it comes from unhealed souls. Their codependency, fluctuating between toxic attachment and a unique mutual understanding, is what makes them the only ones capable of saving each other... or completely destroying each other.
Endless thanks to the author and the platform for publishing it! (▰˘◡˘▰)