that's why he's tried so hard to to "compartmentalize" minwoo and separate him from all of the uglier aspects of his life and tbh his personality! we know cheoljin is ruthless towards others (but also himself) -- don't know if he's prostituting himself directly but clearly he uses his body and charm for gain. (again, in the past it was him flirting with noonas to get textbooks for his siblings, now it's seems even more intense -- no doubt he's gotten into all kinds of shady environments in the entertainment industry). for cheoljin all of these steps are necessary for him to achieve some goal (financial independence? success?). that's why in his head he's like "I need to do all of this dirty stuff, minwoo just needs to wait for me and he never has to know"
cheoljin doesn't care about using others but he DOES care so much about what minwoo thinks of him! even if he started off with the intention of using minwoo, it's clear that somewhere along the way he started feeling bad and ashamed -- to the point where in order to discourage minwoo from helping him/buying him things, he won't ask minwoo for any help or tell him any of his troubles. the only time he broke was when eh was LITERALLY stabbed and had no where else to go -- and even then he kept trying to leave and smiled his way through even when he started bleeding.
I think cheoljin has a lot of disgust and shame towards himself and what he does (hence his weird relation to sex where he's often literally feeling sick about it) and he thinks minwoo won't like him if he shows him all of his ugly parts. what's interesting is minwoo admitting that he knew way more about cheoljin this whole time!! but he acted blind on purpose because he DIDN'T want to see it!! hence minwoo never asking him about what's going on directly because he actually doesn't want to know! ("how was I supposed to look at you knowing all of that?")
back to the animal motifs in this story, young minwoo only wanted to see young cheoljin as an idealized rabbit (innocent, sweet); older minwoo thinks cheoljin is a fox and refuses to hear cheoljin's side of things because now he thinks cheoljin is straight up evil. but cheoljin is somewhere in between, and minwoo learning to see cheoljin as a whole person instead of as a fantasy/the devil will be so key to them being together in the future.
(also again, the past chapter when cheoljin was at minwoo's house --- the cartoon was of a cat trying to get a mouse out of his hiding hole. minwoo = cat; cheoljin = mouse -- cheoljin probably sees himself more like a mouse -- he's actually really scared of not protecting himself!)
anyways, cheoljin is clearly manipulative but in these chapters (present time) he's definitely less manipulative and just super desperate!! (why do I feel like things are going to come to a tipping point when cheoljin cries lol)
that's why he's tried so hard to to "compartmentalize" minwoo and separate him from all of the uglier aspects of his life and tbh his personality! we know cheoljin is ruthless towards others (but also himself) -- don't know if he's prostituting himself directly but clearly he uses his body and charm for gain. (again, in the past it was him flirting with noonas to get textbooks for his siblings, now it's seems even more intense -- no doubt he's gotten into all kinds of shady environments in the entertainment industry). for cheoljin all of these steps are necessary for him to achieve some goal (financial independence? success?). that's why in his head he's like "I need to do all of this dirty stuff, minwoo just needs to wait for me and he never has to know"
cheoljin doesn't care about using others but he DOES care so much about what minwoo thinks of him! even if he started off with the intention of using minwoo, it's clear that somewhere along the way he started feeling bad and ashamed -- to the point where in order to discourage minwoo from helping him/buying him things, he won't ask minwoo for any help or tell him any of his troubles. the only time he broke was when eh was LITERALLY stabbed and had no where else to go -- and even then he kept trying to leave and smiled his way through even when he started bleeding.
I think cheoljin has a lot of disgust and shame towards himself and what he does (hence his weird relation to sex where he's often literally feeling sick about it) and he thinks minwoo won't like him if he shows him all of his ugly parts. what's interesting is minwoo admitting that he knew way more about cheoljin this whole time!! but he acted blind on purpose because he DIDN'T want to see it!! hence minwoo never asking him about what's going on directly because he actually doesn't want to know! ("how was I supposed to look at you knowing all of that?")
back to the animal motifs in this story, young minwoo only wanted to see young cheoljin as an idealized rabbit (innocent, sweet); older minwoo thinks cheoljin is a fox and refuses to hear cheoljin's side of things because now he thinks cheoljin is straight up evil. but cheoljin is somewhere in between, and minwoo learning to see cheoljin as a whole person instead of as a fantasy/the devil will be so key to them being together in the future.
(also again, the past chapter when cheoljin was at minwoo's house --- the cartoon was of a cat trying to get a mouse out of his hiding hole. minwoo = cat; cheoljin = mouse -- cheoljin probably sees himself more like a mouse -- he's actually really scared of not protecting himself!)
anyways, cheoljin is clearly manipulative but in these chapters (present time) he's definitely less manipulative and just super desperate!! (why do I feel like things are going to come to a tipping point when cheoljin cries lol)