@愛 thats what i thought too. if he cared so much abt haesoo like readers claim, would he have tried to use his sex tape to guilt haesoo into a relationship in the first place??? or said those words to hs during their breakup?? just my perspective though, ppl can disagree.
you wanna be my english tutor likei fr need you in my life
this was too perfect
well i do part time tutor high schoolers for english soooo :) hahaha
yeah exactly.
honestly joowon/haesoo's relationship starting out in the series was NEVER normalized by the fandom and treated as unhealthy and everyone thought they needed fixing if they were ever going to work. but it appalls me how many people think taku/haesoo's relationship IS desirable and how normalized their toxicity is. pressuring someone to go out with you despite multiple rejections, a guilt tripping ploy, and literally trying to use each other isn't "healthy" or something to cheer for. it's only when joowon gets a lot of development and haesoo follows suit and has important realizations himself, that I fully supported Joohae.
I honestly think Taku was underdeveloped, though obviously he did have some growth. But a big part of his development might have actually happened off screen because he's seen happy and probably in a relationship with a "mystery person". So like... if we later see that taku's new r/s is pretty genuine, it may show how he has changed post breakup with haesoo, leaving his manipulative tactics behind and all.
gad bless u for this. so good and so worth reading. this is why ive been not bothering with this comment section. the bizarre way people paint Joowon as toxic. (he's not, but he is flawed, as is haesoo!) and Taku as a poor neglected Nice Boy and like he's...not nice? he's not a bad person imo but he is a Selfish and very self motivated person. its like his whole THING? being the cool detached artist, who will use people and toss aside relationship all for his Art~ but haesoo was Different and thats p much cause Haesoo was never as invested in Taku as he was in Haesoo and THATS why imo Taku latched onto him so hard. if Haesoo had been alot more devoted and invested with Taku i bet my left boob he woulda got bored of him and broke it off all on his own. Taku needs to grow and change or he wont be able to have actual healthy long term relationships. it will always be flings. like i totally saw why Haesoo did try to have a thing with Taku and Taku was esp early on very sexy and mysterious but then his childish side started to show more and more. all while joowon was becoming more mature, more thoughtful, more considerate of haesoo and also like in General. imo it was always clear that this breakup was so both haesoo and joowon could grow more as people and realize what they REALLY want and then return to each other again. cause they'd gotten stuck in a kind of co-dependant rut with each other. and haesoo saw that for what it was and broke it off. it was never rly about taku at all, taku's presence in their lives just expedited the process of their breakup which imo was always going to happen. taku wasnt wronged AT ALL. and even if he was the Perfect Boyfriend he still isnt OWED anything by Haesoo. no one is OWED affection from someone who is not interested in them romantically just because they tried RLY hard to be romantically available and affectionate to that person. in the end Haesoo needs to do whats best for Himself and he realized this thing with Taku wasnt working and imo it was never going to work long term even if haesoo never got back together with Joowon cause Taku is just in a diff place in his life from Haesoo and he never loved Haesoo half as much as he thought he did tbh. and thats that on that!
they dont even care about SJ they just want to make their OPINIONS seem more valid by coopting the language of social justice activists. which is gross and i HATE IT but is pretty common across all kinds of fandoms with predominantly young people. they know the words but they dont know what they really are for. ship wars are as old as fandom itself. i think part of the tropes of BL genre are also to blame. when there's a third wheel he's always the Nice Sweet Safe alternative to the Cold Aggressive Domineering main love interest for the cutesy bottom so that there is some tension in the story except there's no tension cause they make sure to make the nice one bland and give the cold one more page time and characterization so u can Sympathize with him more or just draw him as alot hotter and thats enough lol. so yeah those Boxes dont exist in this story. Haesoo can be quite cold, jaded, aloof and melancholic. Taku is neither very nice or very cruel. Joowon isnt an aggressive domineering asshole all the time or even most of the time. but they all have good traits too. its easy to see why Haesoo and Joowon were attached to hip for so long and why Taku felt like a good detour from the unhealthy cycle that Joowon/Haesoo were trapped in at the time. but one person (Joowon) decided to learn from this heartbreak and be better and the other one when faced with a breakup (taku) just threw a full on temper tantrum. joowon didnt throw a fit when he didnt get what he wanted, he self reflected. taku didnt. maybe he will down the road but it's not His story. its Haesoo and Joowon's. and always was. idk what fans were expecting here. and i do wonder how many people actually READ all the dialogue and thought bubbles and think about them vs just skim thru the images to see who haesoo is kissing this week or w/e. smh.
This should be required reading for LOH 101.
omg the way i was just rapidly nodding at every single thing you stated!! IT'S TRUE IT'S TRUE. Also, bet your left boob ahsdhshsdh. I never bring it up since it's just speculation, but everything you said about how Taku probably wouldn't care so much about Haesoo initially, if Haesoo was actually invested in him in the first place !!! I ALWAYS THOUGHT THIS TOO!
I think Taku liked Haesoo so much, because Haesoo literally loved another man. Which sounds strange, but I mean why else would he automatically want to get into the middle of Joohae's mess after reading HS's story about Joowon? I was always confused by it,, like: you're trying to go after a guy that loves someone else because... ??? Basically I think he was so intrigued and captivated by the way Haesoo wrote about Joowon: hence the whole "I want to see the kind of story he writes when I'm gone." --he wanted Haesoo to write about HIM in the same way. And he's also competitive and viewed Haesoo as a prize of some sort. Like that quote of him saying he wants to win against Joowon. Or him having to consistently work for Haesoo's affection and attention was probably quite exciting and new to him, and it made him feel "special" if he did accomplish what he wanted. Or when these two slept together very early on, and he got weirdly possessive going like "don't sleep with other guys", again showing that competitive nature. Like dude, you knew this man for a WEEK why are you saying that to him?? lol. jw/hs had 10 years of actual history and repressed feelings for THEIR jealousy to make somewhat sense, even if it's a bit toxic... at least it aint flat out weird.
Overall, I think Taku was just way too deep into the fact that Haesoo loved Joowon so much, and wanted that for himself. He wanted the writing, and all those emotions Haesoo had, directed to him. It would explain the whole quote "Haesoo only ever had eyes for one person. Maybe it was your unwavering eyes that I loved the most". Yep that's my take lol
seeing some ppl in the comments and social media... honestly maybe it should.
i wholeheartedly agree and i think this work is so good cause the writer gives us plenty of evidence of this read on Taku's infatuation without saying it directly like she's letting us come to this conclusion and i think it is the most right interpretation of Taku's actions but im sure plenty will disagree. i never hated Taku but his "love" for haesoo was very diff from the love joowon and haesoo had for each other. taku was def infatuated with the Idea of haesoo and the romanticism he built up of their relationship in his own mind. i never felt like he was invested in haesoo as a person as much as he was seeing haesoo as a muse and a goal to chase. a prize like u said. first seeing this chic dressed ice prince and fellow creative who is hard to reach, but also madly in love with another person, that was def sexy and exciting for him and he was like "i can seduce this man and make him adore ME" and if he had succeeded in that goal would he have stayed with haesoo longterm? i doubt it tbh. taku's heart being broken also feels like an important lesson for a guy who sounds like he regularly manipulated people's affections to his benefit and then cast them aside when he was bored. we dont know the full details of that, i doubt it was some kind of sociopath, im sure he can form real bonds if he Wants to. but he also prefers things to be convenient for him. haesoo was special cause he made taku want to Try and i have no doubt that specialness is more about haesoo's connection to joowon and their strange backstory than it even had to do with haesoo. i didnt think this at first. and i do think he was genuinely attracted to haesoo and would be without the joowon factor but not to the point that he became as attached to HS as he did. anyway taku worked cause he was an interesting contrast to joowon. he was more composed and artistic~ but i think he had an even more carefully cultivated image of himself than joowon the famous actor did. he creative his own narrative for him and haesoo without haesoo's input at all. its a shame. i do hope taku learned a lesson and finds love but even if takes him a few more heartbreaks well thats ok cause he's like...only 24 lol. people need to understand how young 24 is but i guess its hard to realize that if the person themselves is like 17. (as a 30 yr old im like OMG I WAS A FOOL AT 24 WUT like...oml)
It would be great if everyone could read this and be educated about taku and his toxicness.
the way you described haesoo from taku's eyes seems spot on. his love/attachement/liking (whatever you want to call it) for haesoo was indeed very different. I know ppl have many different ideas for whether he actually truly loved haesoo in the end, and i can't fully say myself as it seems open to interpretation. but it's undeniable that it's NOT the same as Joowon's love for Haesoo.
"i doubt he was some kind of sociopath, im sure he can form real bonds if he Wants to. but he also prefers things to be convenient for him"
-- yeah i thought this too. I mean I INITIALLY thought he showed some sociopathic tendencies from the way the author described him as being so apathetic to his relationships. But when I went to go write an analysis on Taku, I realized maybe not exactly??? I mean the way he talks about candy and how he only likes to taste the sweet things, and likes whats convenient and simple for him: I managed to think it was a more of a self imposed choice on his part. To avoid the meaningful and deeper stuff in relationships, to avoid the complications and burdens of heartbreak... he probably just does it on purpose, rather than being incapable of feeling anything real at all (might have to do with his past and upbringing and all that)-- as we saw with Haesoo when he finally opened himself to the bitterness of life/relationships.
Anyway yeah, I think Taku can take a lot away from his relationship with Haesoo. Him being happy with this new mystery person seems to imply that he did in fact learn a lot from being with Haesoo and whatnot. It's just that... Yeongha didn't choose to focus on it or expand on that (for now at least) probably because the main couple has been kind of neglected lol
same like its there but its not
not to sound rude but i just want to ask you what do you think about joowon ? because i’m a bit confused on how to feel about his character because of the whole abuse thing
Nah, haesoo's development is very much there.
He was extremely insecure about himself, thought of himself as a burden (due to that being how his mom treated him), and thought of his career as kind of a failure in comparison to joowon... so he wanted joowon to suffer too or stumble a little in his career, because he felt he was the only one suffering while joowon was out here living a perfect and successful life. Well he realized how vindictive and wrong he'd been for thinking that. he apologizes for it all too. And in this very latest chapter he asks joowon if he regrets anything, because he never truly wanted joowon to lose things for his sake. He silently wished it due to the nature of their relationship and how his "heart became twisted' (said in chapter 94. his whole monologue in that chapter is pretty revealing), but he felt horrible for it because he did truly care about joowon and hated seeing joowon *actually* get hurt or slip in his career.
Also there's the monologue after haesoo & joowon meet up at his company and joowon says "no hard feelings". haesoo admits he was immature and wrong for manipulating joowon's emotions so he could feel "loved". Also: him choosing to go abroad instead of jumping into a r/s with joowon right after breaking up with taku. this is him realizing he can't just keep hopping around relationships and probably knew he needed time for himself to grow, further his studies/career and really be his own person-- it speaks to how he's become more mature and mindful of himself and his own feelings. i really wish the author elaborated on his decision to go abroad more in the upcoming chapters.
Anyway, i write a bit more about haesoo's change/growth/realizations here: http://www.mangago.me/home/mangatopic/9496997/ and
what abuse thing???
anyway before you answer me, this is how i feel about joowon: http://www.mangago.me/home/mangatopic/10526356/ -- hopefully it answers whatever you're saying.
There was so such thing as 'abuse' related to joowon :)
yeah. it was a two-way street for joowon and haesoo and always had been. everything they chose for their relationship was a mutual agreement (OTHER than the breakup), and whatever hurt they felt, they both felt it. Their open relationship was self-imposed choice that they decided was "for the best" so they dont cause problems for their parents-- there's a multitude of quotes said by both haesoo and joowon to prove this. their push/pull and jealousy/possessiveness cycles were a game they BOTH played too... not just joowon "abusing" or making things uncomfortable for haesoo, not when haesoo had a hand in them and even orchestrated them most of the time. Haesoo's insecurities (the stem from his mother's actions/words) were what made things seem more one sided than they really was. Like how haesoo thought he was "the only one suffering" and "joowon didnt care" when it honestly wasnt true (as joowon literally reveals later on how he "was always on edge cause of haesoo")
I honestly can appreciate Taku as a fictional character because I do find him interesting and layered. But I am TIRED of ppl claiming he was incredibly sincere and cared about Haesoo so much. Idk if some of y’all skipped these parts, or chose to ignore it... but pls do see the following examples of Taku's manipulative and selfish behavior, and taking advantage of Haesoo:
Exhibit 1 - He wanted to use his sex tape to guilt trip Haesoo in their relationship. He said: “I hoped that guilt would bring you to me”. It only didn't happen cause Haesoo turned down publishing the sex tape. It was not that Taku backed away and stopped himself because he realized how fcked up his actions were. It made Haesoo uncomfortable and weirded out too,, pretty sure this can count as sexual/workplace harassment lmao
Exhibit 2 - In chapter 96’s flashback Taku says "i just want to read the story he writes about me when i'm gone” (his friend calls him an asshole too lol). This is a throwback to Leo telling Joowon over the phone about how Taku uses his models for his work, and then tosses them aside with little regard. He was planning the same with Haesoo, until he later got “attached”. that’s karma ig~
Exhibit 3 - Haesoo expressed that he was unsure/not ready for a relationship. Yet literally RIGHT AFTER his quasi breakup with Joowon, Taku is pressuring him like, "I'm still waiting for an answer". It's weird cause Haesoo's wounds are fresh from his breakup, and Taku is NOT stupid. He knew this and persisted. Haesoo shouldn't have agreed and that's his own fault (HS is not entirely a victim here lets make that clear). Meanwhile Taku? He was flat out taking advantage of Haesoo's broken emotions.
Exhibit 4 - Quote: “It must have been painful for him no doubt, but I still wanted to see more". This was Taku's thought during a photoshoot with Haesoo, which later made Haesoo cry at the exhibition (Chapter 92/93). Taku told Haesoo: "think about having sex with someone you love, but you can never see them again". This was RIGHT AFTER Joowon and Haesoo's big separation. To inflict emotional pain in your partner, and then say you were interested in seeing more? Bruh no… just no.
Exhibit 5 - Quotes: “Every time I saw how sad you were, it felt good.” “You were lonely. You need me because of your unhappiness.” —Chapter 58. This is from Taku's monologue of how Haesoo’s unhappiness made him feel good, because he felt depended on by Haesoo for comfort // hs get away from this man pls haha
Exhibit 6 - Another quote: “If I can’t beat him [jw] one-on-one, then I at least want you [hs] to feel bad” —Chapter 66 ...Can Taku stop wishing for Haesoo depression, like he's already sad jfc
Exhibit 7 - "I want to bury inside the void he [jw] left in you. And later I'll push him aside however I can." ...honestly this quote struck me as Taku taking advantage of Haesoo's heartbreak and being hella 'opportunistic' (btw: Taku called HIMSELF that in his interview in chapter 5 so I mean... lol). Maybe that's just me though idk.
Exhibit 8 - In Chapter 84 when Joowon's scandal broke out, notice how Taku starts texting "are you okay?" to Haesoo, then deletes it and instead tells him to stop caring about Joowon? This moment said a lot to me, because it's the fact that Taku is SO AWARE of how Haesoo must be feeling, but he purposely chooses to ignore that and cares more about winning and keeping him away from Joowon. Kinda struck me as the opposite from Joowon's phone call after Haesoo's modelling news dropped in chapter 68. JW asked Haesoo to not do the exhibition because he knew its not what HS wanted (he is right: haesoo always wanted to be known for his writing not his face, and felt crappy abt it all day). But when Haesoo said he was fine, JW told him he'll always be on Haesoo's side even as a hyung/friend. He made it so clear how he cares the most about HS simply being okay, even after Haesoo left him.
Exhibit 9 - Taku tells Haesoo he hopes he has a hard time with Joowon after their breakup (Chapter 99). It felt wrong to me cause Haesoo genuinely apologized and gently let him down in their breakup... but Taku tries to make Haesoo feel worse. I honestly understand being spiteful towards exes who mistreated you in some way. HOWEVER with this relationship: it seemed to highlight Taku’s selfishness. Taku is out here acting like Haesoo wronged him for simply not liking him back in a 1 month TRIAL relationship. As if he wasnt the one who initiated and *insisted* on their relationship. As if he was unaware of Haesoo’s feelings for Joowon. As if Taku didnt say it was better that they use each other. Him wanting to make Haesoo feel bad over this is wild considering all the conditions of their relationship and his past manipulation too.
((Also, Taku in this scene to Haesoo: “Sorry I told you I'm not a good person” … Like sir, if you know you’re not a good person, THEN FIX IT. Joowon spent almost 40 chapters self-reflecting n trying to correct the mistakes he made, when he never *intentionally* wanted to hurt Haesoo lol. Meanwhile some Taku fans: “omg he’s a good person that was wronged. haesoo never deserved him!” lmaooo))
///end of examples
Anyway I’m gonna have to start sending this to some of y’all who selectively read Taku’s character to all hell. He was really manipulative with Haesoo and had some bad intentions. And when Taku grew to stop being a robot and showed “real feelings” getting all attached to Haesoo and liking him more than he expected, he was STILL selfish and wanted Haesoo to suffer for him. He didn’t get enough development to stray away from that, but imo that’s exactly why he’s the second lead
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