beta
I stumbled upon a question from someone who is, IMO, completely unhinged just like most of the people wishing death on Mok and refusing to accept that making mistakes is literally basic human nature... They blindly root for one side without ever admitting that ALL THREE characters in this manhwa have flaws and made mistakes they paid for during or after the relationship itself!
Hyper-moralism and playing the saintly virtue-signaler is the absolute peak of narcissism to me. Coming after anyone who shows empathy, acting all trashy and throwing around foul language, literally screams mental illness itself. Pretending to hold the moral high ground here is honestly just embarrassing and pitiful.
Someone actually said, "Mok will get over it and Nanjo will start chasing him" and I want to address this in a separate comment. I refuse to give that person direct attention because on top of being unhinged, they’re a professional attention seeker…so this reply goes out to anyone who actually thinks that way.
As a sane, mature reader, I genuinely hope that doesn't happen. And judging by the author’s work so far, she seems super mature. She depicted mental illness, the trauma that comes with it, how it shapes people's awareness and choices, and how it dictates their response to love and their obsession with relationships that feel like a safe haven…all in such a masterclass, intellectually mature way.
I don’t think there’s gonna be a literal "chase" arc. IMO, the manhwa has two main routes it could go down right now:
Either Mok resorts to self-harm, which will bring his friend Sunhwa back into the picture and help them reset their dynamic (and Sunhwa himself could end up being the bridge between Mok and Nanjo down the line).
OR, after a self-harm attempt, someone helps him out (like that art therapist he met back in his teens), he actually heals, we get a time skip, and Mok and Nanjo cross paths again under better circumstances with way more maturity, leading to a healthy dynamic and a happy ending.
So yeah, I do think Nanjo will find his way back into Mok’s orbit somehow, but NOT because Nanjo is gonna lose his mind and start chasing him to flip the roles!
The only actually well written, mature chase arc I've read so far is seasons 2+3 of Banana Scandal. This story here is also mature and heavy whilst touching on early relational trauma, disordered attachment and indeed, the messiness of three flawed people entangled in extremes of a spectrum of attachment, motives and feelings, but you're absolutely right, a chase arc wouldn't fit such a mature story with that particular constellation of people, and their respective characters. It would cheapen it somehow and it would be out of character for Nanjo to do it. I can imagine Mok-yeon chasing, but at his state of mind, I don't think he would and he probably would realize that would make everything worse and push Nanjo away even more. I'm also guessing Mok-yeon will go though a massive development by hitting rock bottom and starting to unpack his trauma or he might go the unhealthiest route and just use his mental breakdown as leverage (which I hope he doesn't do, but bdp types can do that). After all, it's not malicious, it's just pure abandonment fear and that's a very deep seated trauma for people like Mok-yeon. The story has a lot of potential and I hope the author truly makes the best out of it. The complexity and painful constellation in how Mok-yeon and Nanjo became closer through a toxic threesome dynamic is something I haven't seen yet, at least not executed in such a compelling way.
Your comment was so good, I loved reading it! You’re 100% right this manhwa is leaning into a deeply psychological, mature, and unique narrative direction. I really hope the author leverages this incredible storytelling and fresh plot to create something unforgettable…a story that can actually act as a therapeutic guide for anyone struggling with these negative psychological patterns, offering real help and useful insights at the same time.
I genuinely pray Mok doesn’t turn his suicide attempt into some manipulative tactic to get Nanjo’s attention back or use it as emotional leverage, like you mentioned. That would be so disappointing and honestly terrible... From this point on, I want their connection to restart with real personal growth, mental healing, genuine accountability, and both of them taking ownership of what happened before.
I want to give them the space to build a truly healthy dynamic. I really don't want us going in circles throughout S2 with a brand-new toxic pattern, only to need a S3 just to get things back on track! But I’m pretty sure the author is wrapping it up in two seasons? So this season is literally their only shot to fix things.
I really hope Mok uses his self-harm attempt as a wake-up call to finally face reality and break free from his toxic obsession with Nanjo. That in itself could lead him down a path of taking accountability, admitting his mistakes, and realizing he’s not currently worthy of Nanjo..pushing him to actually grow so he can earn his acceptance one day, if Nanjo even wants that! I really want them to embrace that whole "if you love something, set it free; if it comes back, it was meant to be, and if it doesn't, it never was'" mindset.
Yeah, I'm also a sucker for stories that dive deep and aren't afraid of getting messy, messy in a human way, in a way people (with baggage) in a relationship can get. This one surprised me because I didn't expect it to go that deep at first, so I'm super hooked.
I'm rooting for all of them and I'm curious to see some insight into Nanjo's mind, maybe even a bit about his, I'm guessing, sexual identity crisis. He seems like a person who hides behind a mask and performs a lot, to the point of him hiding from himself and Mok-yeon triggering that fact, making Nanjo feel both attracted to him, but also scared of what his attraction to Mok-yeon truly means for his own identity and role in society (he's a high tier financial bro in a conservative society after all). The fact Mok-yeon is attracted to someone who seems stoic and almost unapproachable like Nanjo kinda speaks for Mok's experience with early childhood attachments - not very secure, not very approachable (postpartum depressed mother; unstable foster care situation), so it almost seems like he craves Nanjo (that happens when people with relational trauma have this pattern of picking and seeking out people who actually trigger their trauma, and with whom they can relive and rewrite past traumatic attachments, which happens subconsciously btw), that's why it's so intense. Let's hope they heal. I feel like we'll be hit with a lot of angst before we get a satisfying resolution tbh.
Im genuinely praying for either of those scenarios to actually happen.
That would be so fucking great (it's a pretty strong mindset to have tbh), and it would still be bittersweet in the process, yet it leaves room for a possibly happy ending. Praying to the yaoi gods
I’m honestly so glad I read your comments! It’s so refreshing to see people who are actually psychologically mature and think rationally about the mental and emotional dynamics these characters are going through.
And sadly, that's exactly what happened..Mok built his connection with Nanjo in the exact same pattern as the one with his adoptive parents. A relationship that felt like a safe haven, a comfortable sanctuary, and a lifeline (even though it was blatantly unstable and destined to end in separation). He relived that exact same heartbreak all over again right after seeing a ray of hope for stability, pouring everything into making the impossible happen, only for it to backfire on him in the most brutal way possible.
I’ve gotten so attached to this manhwa too! I love finding stories that actually dive deep into the characters' psychological layers instead of staying surface-level. I really caught that same vibe here, just like in Lost in the Clouds and The Pizza Delivery Man and the Gold Palace.
Let’s pray hard
*praying*
I think that would be good
Your assessment is absolutely correct, very well said! He truly relived the same pattern and it sadly ended the way the pattern goes... Gosh, I can't wait for updates.
Oh yes, these two are pretty good! Seeing you like the good, deep stuff, have you read Banana Scandal (seasons 2 and 3)? I couldn't recommend it more!
I’m so hyped for the upcoming updates, but honestly, I’m terrified of what I’m gonna find. I’m so scared and heartbroken for Mok, but we just have to stick by him through the worst so we can finally reach a safe haven together.
And as for Banana Scandal, I heard about it back when it first started, but then there were updates issues, so I stopped reading. Since you recommend it so much, though, I’m definitely gonna make time to check it out! Thank you so much!
https://escans2.wixsite.com/website/manhwas
Here, you can read all 3 seasons of Banana Scandal. Have fuuuun!
I'm also kinda scared, we might need a chair circle and an anonymous support group lmao
Thankssss girl
It’s a MUST lmao
I stumbled upon a TikTok edit about chapter 35 talking about the beginning of the chapter (which is basically right after the last panel where Mok was looking at a suicide tool). It said: “when you realize this is probably right after he did it. he spent those last minutes imagining nanjo smiling at him”
and honestly, that was so painfully gut-wrenching to think about. I literally felt sick to my stomach, felt like throwing up, and teared up... I don't even know, it's just so painful to read and imagine, and I honestly don't know how I'm gonna survive the next two chapters. :( Mental health issues are just super, super sensitive for me. This manhwa is portraying a kind of suffering that you know isn't just fiction…it's real and happening to so many people around us, and that’s what makes connecting with it so much deeper, heavier, and way more intense.
I felt the same way that the beginning was actually the ending but I wonder who's gonna save him? Oh my heart
It really is i think maybe just maybe Sunhwa