beta
I feel like some people completely miss the fact that Nanjo choosing Sunhwa over Mok (setting aside that he was already with Sunhwa first and genuinely satisfied, working hard to make things work despite Sunhwa’s weird demands like a 3some, BDSM, etc.) might actually stem from Nanjo being straight his entire life, never even entertaining the idea of being in a queer relationship. A straight guy usually sees a woman as a reflection of his own masculinity…she relies on him financially, craves pampering and gifts, and needs his protection, care, and affection. Plus, there’s that physical contrast in their builds, which feeds right into his testosterone and natural alpha-provider mindset. When he entered that dynamic with Sunhwa, Sunhwa basically gave him the closest thing to a heteronormative dynamic in a MLM relationship he checked all those boxes for Nanjo.
Mok, on the other hand? Mok is an absolute equal to him; same physical build, same level of dominance and power. He’s financially stable (even if Nanjo assumed Mok was unemployed, Mok never needed him for money), and on top of all that, Mok is the dominant partner in the bedroom. That alone is a massive psychological mindfuck for a straight guy who didn't even enter this dynamic out of love or acceptance, but through emotional pressure and blackmail. Even though Mok gave him the option to back out and think about it early on, and Nanjo ultimately agreed of his own free will (though emotional manipulation was still very much on the table) being forced into that position with an alpha, dominant male, who also happens to be (in his eyes) an abusive friend of the guy he's dating... that was straight-up traumatic.
Honestly, I feel so bad for Nanjo, but I also feel heavy empathy for Mok as he deals with the crushing consequences of his own actions now. The whole thing is just so painful to read.
You hit the nail right on the head here.
Thx girly ╮(￣▽￣)╭
BTW i’m a total sucker for Guwon the alpha of all alphas
I love this break down..
I feel like it really shows what could be going on in nanjos head n that u still feel like a lily some for mok
ABSOLUTELY COOKED
10/10 analysis ٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶
well said. Totally agree. It's so sad.
Thx! I lowkey feel for both of them, but since we’ve been following Mok’s POV this whole time and seeing his past trauma firsthand, it’s so much easier to understand his struggles and actually sympathize with him.
While Nanjo, on the other hand, is still a total mystery to us. We don't know his backstory or the reasoning behind his choices, so while the empathy for him is definitely there, it feels kinda restricted. We haven't actually seen what Nanjo really lost from this whole relationship..we've only witnessed what Mok lost when it all blew up.
this was fantastic to read
Although I do agree with the whole alpha-alpha and Sunhwa being the replacement of a woman, it was clear as day by the end of S1 that instead of being traumatized or manipulated as u all say, Nanjo was instead addicted to Mok(sexually and maybe on some level emotionally) as he couldn't even get it up with Sunhwa and ready to let go of that relationship and maybe start something with Mok...not much of a straight alpha male energy to me. I wish readers would at least try to understand Mok's circumstances and overall traits and personality. Metaphorically put, he was like an abandoned stray aggressive pup who bit before being hurt and who finally found someone who gave him the sense of warmth and security he never felt before. Obviously he didn't know how to treat Nanjo properly since he never learned how to and is now aware of all that. Like he said, he wanted Nanjo's attention and smiles all for himself, the first thing in his life that he ever wanted. Ppl irl dismissing childhood trauma are the reason why adults turn so fcked up, there's a reason every psychologist out there is digging up ur past childhood when going for therapy
This is so spot on! Honestly, your take is amazing and I agree with it 100%. I just wanted to clarify that I wrote this to help some people understand why this relationship started with a lack of full consent, why it’s such a mental toll on Nanjo, and why what Mok did was a total disaster on all levels…one he's paying the price for right now.
Even though our perspective on Nanjo's inner thoughts, feelings, and mindset is super limited, most readers can pick up on how the dynamic between them started shifting as the relationship went on. Nanjo lowkey started falling for this setup and grew attached to it in his own way, but he’s in deep, heavy denial (mostly because of all the reasons that made him pick someone like Sunhwa to experiment with queer relationships in the first place). Also, let's not forget that Mok's constant pressure was the main reason behind his anxiety and his total repulsion toward keeping those 3some hangouts going. Plus, the guilt -and, well, the physical arousal- is literally why he was dodging Sunhwa.
Unfortunately, Mok is someone who has zero experience with actual love or true intimacy; whether mentally, sexually, physically, or emotionally. His past was just one-night stands and casual hookups purely to blow off physical steam. He never experienced liking someone so much that they live in his head 24/7 and become the center of his whole world.
His childhood -packed with abandonment, exploitation, bullying, and rejection- forced him to build up total emotional numbness and a lack of empathy just to shield his mind from the cruel world outside. He chose that survival mode as an adult who tasted hell way too early. But that outer shell started cracking because of the human connection he shared with Nanjo. Since Mok is so emotionally starved and constantly looking for a safe haven, he treated the smallest breadcrumbs of affection from Nanjo -a smile, a chat, sharing mundane daily stuff- like a rare treasure he had to keep all to himself and never share (all because he’s so desperately starved for love and acceptance).
I never downplay childhood trauma. It literally builds the blueprint for a person's entire life..every detail of their relationships, choices, successes, and failures stems deeply from their childhood.
Sorry if I talked too much
Mok’s real problem was that he played his cards way too early and banked on his status with Nanjo before he even secured it! He blew everything up before building a solid foundation or having enough normal, everyday moments together like that one day they spent together right before the finale. He had zero leverage built up and just gambled everything on a total impulse! Especially since what brought them together was fucked up from the very start.
Fellow Guwon lover located
Someone who understands… I feel like most readers just scroll through the panels without actually taking the time to understand Mok’s actions and why he reacts the way he does
Beautifully said... I'm just so tired of seeing readers on here or bird app criticizing and calling everything between Mok and Nanjo r*pe and not even trying to understand Mok-Yeon. Their relationship is not that simple and both of them, as u said, are strong well-off men, it's not a power imbalance and it never really was manipulation since Nanjo was clearly in the known about Sunhwa's intentions as per the last chapter. Nanjo could've just as well played Mok off, let him think he's got the upper hand when in fact Nanjo himself wanted to see what Mok is capable off. We know nothing of how Nanjo feels so why paint him like some naive innocent victim
Exactly, they saw Nanjo say stop and Mok not stopping, called it r*pe and labeled the story as the usual r***st seme and forced and manipulated poor victim uke (Nanjo)
Whether everyone deny it or not, Nanjo literally held all the cards here! He had the upper hand the whole time! He could’ve easily been the one threatening and blackmailing Mok-yeon to back off from Sunhwa…given his filthy rich status, his heavy connections, and high social standing. Heck, even beating Mok-yeon to a pulp was always on the table! He could’ve just told Sunhwa to cut ties with Mok-yeon completely, or, like Mok-yeon literally told him from day one, he could’ve pulled the problem out by its roots by just distancing himself from Sunhwa altogether!
Instead, bro tossed all those options out the window and chose to submit to every single one of Mok-yeon’s threats, turning himself into a victim of an abuser under the pathetic excuse of “protecting” his fragile twink boyfriend!
Even so, that might not be entirely true or fair. At the end of the day, we don't actually know Nanjo's true perspective, why he put up with all of this, or why he's so desperately clinging to saving Sunhwa... So I'm just throwing out a few solutions that I personally see from a third-party POV, but they're not necessarily the absolute truth or fact.
Amazing take! I would add the shock factor that Nanjo went through too, as in having mixed emotions (denial) about enjoying being with Mok even with Sunhwa right there, Sunhwa seeing him in that vulnerable state when he's supposed to be a model of a man.. Then finding out in such short time that Mok did that bc he has feelings for him (when Mok never demonstrated or said anything about said feelings). I also think it correlates to how he reacts when Mok tells him about Sunhwa's true intentions and the way Nanjo reacts to it, at that point it didn't even matter to him that Sunhwa was using him, it was a matter of his wounded pride, getting Sunhwa to continue dating him as to reaffirm to himself that Sunhwa was the sole reason he gave in to Mok's taunting and not admit to himself he actually enjoyed Mok's presence (not just intimately but as actually connecting with him) and was into something that didn't fit his mold. On the other hand Mok was desperately fighting a one-man battle and started resenting Sunhwa, getting paranoid too, and he probably thought that if he couldn't get Nanjo to stop dating Sunhwa then he would one-up Sunhwa for Nanjo (terribly backfired tho)
(Just my personal POV and theories on what’s going down..not necessarily the absolute truth or 100% facts! I could be totally wrong, but we’re all here to have fun theorizing and see how well we actually read these characters)
Nanjo deep down, his subconscious wanted to explore those hidden sides of himself and his true desires. He was in deep denial about actually enjoying submitting to Mok. He allowed Sunhwa into his life at first just because it was a new experience, then because of his unconscious attraction to Mok, and finally, he accepted being submissive to Mok under the fake excuse of “protecting Sunhwa” who, by the way, never needed protecting in the first place! He stayed out of guilt and the need to keep a valid excuse to remain attached to Mok. So when everything imploded, the delusion he fed himself broke, leaving him with no reason to stay, so he panicked and ran away.
And I 100% agree with this! I also thought that the real reason behind Nanjo’s extreme anger (though built-up tension was definitely a big part of it) was that his pride got completely wrecked in front of Sunhwa. He did all of this in secret, far away from Sunhwa’s eyes, because he desperately wanted to remain the dominant alpha, the ideal partner, and the leader in Sunhwa’s eyes since Sunhwa was his ONLY real connection to his past as a top. When Mok shattered that ideal image Nanjo worked so hard to protect in such a brutal, embarrassing way (making him look not just like a sub, but a cheat too), it completely broke the flimsy, confusing bond he had with Mok.
As for Mok, he was literally playing a losing game and fighting a finished battle from the very start. But he still chose to fight it till the end because he gambled on the chance that Nanjo felt something for him that they could actually work through together... and now, here he is, having lost the battle and everything along with it.
At this rate , just tell me are you majoring in psychology perhaps ?
No, I’m actually majoring in CE, but honestly ever since I was a kid, I’ve been super into psychology and lowkey wished I specialized in it instead... But I read up on it a lot and try to read and analyze people based on that, which makes it so much easier for me to figure out how to react to them. At the end of the day, I'm just someone who’s always trying to see the full picture and read between the lines.
To the people who keep regurgitating the point that what Mok is going through right now is just the consequences of his own actions and what he deserves... and that someone's suffering doesn't automatically mean atonement for their sins…!!
Literally go to hell! We ALL know he’s paying the price for his mistakes (and that he hasn't taken accountability or explicitly admitted to fucking things up, so he's not in some redemption arc..he's in a severe mental crisis because of his own choices). But right now, as normal, decent human beings, it is ONLY natural to empathize with someone going through such a miserable breakdown mentally, psychologically, and on every single level.
And let me emphasize decent, because some of you seem completely unhinged with zero capacity for mercy! You honestly need therapy way more than Mok does. Because while Mok is a fictional character going through a massive mental crisis, you are a real-life flesh-and-blood human blaming a suicidal, mentally ill person -who has zero love or support- for not “taking accountability for his actions'”! Meanwhile, all he's thinking about is ending his suffering because it’s crushing him, to the point where even breathing hurts. Mok here is representing a human who made mistakes against himself and others, but he’s not some psychotic murderer for us to wish this endless mental torture on him to the point of despair and attempting to end his own life!!!
Please understand that what the author is showing us right now is a raw human mental crisis that calls for empathy, concern, and anxiety NOT judgment, blame, or gloating! Once this critical period passes, we can ALL go back to attacking Mok's actions and demanding he own up to the fact that he fucked everything and everyone up! But right now is NOT the time.
Let’s detach our minds from pre-existing biases toward the characters and actually activate our human empathy for once!
Free block list ongoing in comments. I literally saw people criticizing commenters who are saying mokyeon to stop . Its sooo mind boggling to see a human being can be sooo mentally incapable feeling sympathy and empathy . They are literally fine with the self harm even promoting it . Feel free to block those wretched human beings .
You’re totally RIGHT! It’s literally not even about a fictional manhwa anymore! These people are just projecting their own twisted mindsets onto these characters! I honestly can't believe so many people are still attacking anyone who shows human empathy for Mok as a person. And I especially can't believe there are people out there literally wishing for his death and torture just because their 32-year-old precious fave willingly dragged himself into a toxic relationship!!! Like, just because Mok made him cry! How ridiculous is that?! My God, how can some people sink to such a low level over blind love for characters whose flaws and mistakes they can't even accept?!