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His lifeless eyes filled with tears are literally the death of me. I can’t take this level of sadness, pain, and total stagnation Mok is stuck in anymore!! When are you gonna move past what happened, babe, and get to the next stage..moving the fuck on?! How much longer are you gonna make this guy, who didn’t give a shit about you for a fucking second, the center of your universe? How much longer are you gonna humiliate yourself?! STOP apologizing and trying so fuckin’ hard, boy!! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH ! He doesn't deserve you and you don't deserve him! You need to forget him so HE’s the one coming back to orbit around you for once.
Idk if it was intentional when Mok pulled up to Nanjo’s work place, but having people around Nanjo (even if they're just NPC background employees) while he literally turns his back, while Mok is standing there all alone as usual... was the author lowkey trying to hit us with some visual symbolism? Like, showing us that Nanjo’s life is moving forward, he’s successful and constantly surrounded by people, while Mok is completely isolated, covered in physical bruises (which are basically a reflection of his broken, fragile soul), and his ENTIRE life is on pause, revolving around one single guy who's actively turning his back on him.
Also, the whole detail of Nanjo standing at the top of the stairs while Mok is at the very bottom (making Mok look so small, weak, and cast aside) while Nanjo looks down on him with his head held high and a look full of confidence and ego. The roles completely reversed! Nanjo is the dominant one with all the power and control now, when in their past dynamic, Mok was the one pulling the strings and being dominant.
Or is this just a random scene that doesn't need to be overthought, and everything I just said is total BS?
Also, I personally need to give the author their flowers for the transition between Mok's art in those two panels. First, his face is bruised and his eyes are drooping with sorrow—broken and holding the pain of a fresh wound—red and sensitive, looking up as if begging for a crumb of hope. His body still looks healthy and built (bruises aside), and his lips are pink, showing good physical health... But then in the next panel, his gaze is just hollow and dead. The eye shape becomes sharp and straight, dark circles underneath from pure exhaustion, his eyes completely dimmed from long waiting and losing all hope. His lips turned pale from neglecting his health, and his body is visibly losing weight and muscle mass.
The graduation in showing his mental decline was honestly top-tier fr!!