Imagine kink shaming a "friend" so hard that you help commit a b&e and vandalism against them. Just let them have consensual fun and match each other's freak, my guy. It hurts you literally 0% to let your friends do what makes them happy in their consenting adult relationships
I mean, part of me says all that with levity but I also know the crap that the kink, queer, and kinky queer communities have had to deal with irl for decades so....smh.
I'm looking forward to Hoseob helping to get the shitty ex arrested though, that'll be satisfying.
Chap 16 definitely got skipped, right?
And this is seriously hard because the sub definitely was betraying the dom's trust and trying to make the Dom upset on purpose. The sub clearly never wanted to go so far as to cheat, he clearly doesn't want to actually betray him or damage their bond. He only pushes on the things he knows he'll be forgiven for. But in his attempt to tease and goad with the express desire of hurting his bf like he felt hurt, something awful happened to him. Like, I can't even imagine how awful the sub feels right now. My heart breaks for him. But, at the same time, if the Dom gets upset due to his trust being broken, it would make sense. Even though the assault was absolutely NOT the sub's fault at all in any way, the dom's trust was still being broken before the sub blacked out. It would make sense if he doesn't trust anything the sub says after that and then reacts the way he usually does when the sub pushes him.
I mean, that's the dynamic that the sub kept building between them. That's the pattern. Sub pushes Dom by lying/ threatening to cheat/ going out without communicating/ ignoring him/ preying on his insecurities, the Dom catches him in some situation of the sub skating the line or crossing a boundary, the sub is cocky/ doesn't express remorse, the Dom "takes the bait" and punishes the sub just like the sub wanted him to, and then rinse and repeat.
And they've both fallen into a pattern where they don't really communicate healthily or vulnerably so if they don't actually talk or don't hear each other, it makes sense. It sucks but it actually makes sense compared to other similar series. It's a complicated and difficult situation. But I know this author. They don't write lighthearted comedy stuff. They write real, complicated, raw, contradictory emotions and situations that hurt in very human ways because they take their characters seriously. They write stories where people hurt each other and make the wrong choices on purpose because of fear and trauma and hubris. I have no doubt that this is gonna be a tough read moving forward but, if it's anything like their other work, it's gonna lead to a lot of growth and healing for these characters.
Fxk this is what my mind is crying about cause Ik fully well this what u said is true and it actually hurts
To me that's a sign of a good story. If we feel the sorrow and pain just as much as we feel the joy and relief that the characters do, then that means someone wrote something that felt real. Of course we don't entirely know how it's gonna unfold yet but if it's anything like A Terrible Romance it's gonna be a difficult but truly a satisfying story with a happy end.
Couldn't agree More
Girl this whole thing is exactly what I been saying in my head, like I think me and ur brain is linking rnn(づ￣ ³￣)づ
SPOILERS:
to spoilers the dom will rape him too and then get him out of the house
Brain link let's gooooo that said, my heart goes out to all the readers who didn't read this author's other stuff and are about to get shocked at the tone shift that's about to happen. There's gonna be a lot of unfair yelling in the comments that's for sure.
We'll get through it and (hopefully) we'll be sobbing at the end about how arduous yet beautiful their journeys have been as characters and as a couple.
Not really sure about that… ive read some of her works and they are lowkey fake deep
She builds all of them around cheating… but not just cheating. It gotta specifically be the bottom for some reason? And in return the seme gotta rape him again out of spite????
Thats lowkey a fetish, not even good writing
Lmfao y'all yeah I'm high the f you mean top will rape him too . （/TДT)/
I do want to say that though the sub in this story often threatened to cheat, he did not cheat in this situation. He was using the threat of cheating as a tool to provoke his partner, yes, but he had no actual desire or plan to cheat. He was assaulted.
And I never felt she was fetishizing the cheating or any assault that she wrote. Everything always felt appropriately heavy and respected as the situations they were. I just think it's a theme she likes to explore in different ways.
The bottom in A Terrible Romance was deeply insecure and traumatized and regressed back to his old partner out of fear and self-sabotage. The bottom in this is cocky, proud, and never thought anything bad he didn't consent to would happen to him because he was effectively playing a game. He pulled an Icarus and wound up tragically getting assaulted (the assault is not his fault, btw, but it is important to note that he thought he wouldn't face consequences for his behavior or boundary pushing and then very much did). Both of these characters feel guilt but they're gonna feel it in very different ways. And the top in this story has every reason to react violently after he finds out about what happened, simply because that's what the sub trained him to do for their kink dynamic. The top in A Terrible Romance assaults the bottom because he purposefully makes a bad choice to act on his anger and grief, hating himself the whole time and after. It's awful and sad but it's not at all fetishizing or romanticizing sexual assault, imo. And even if she WAS, a fictional story with cartoon characters is a very safe place to explore that type of fetishization.
If this type of storytelling isn't your thing, totally get it. But just because someone returns to difficult or complicated themes doesn't mean they're doing it to sexualize those things. It might just mean they're exploring it differently this time around.
i know he is a brat as the author intended so, but i wouldn’t wish that happen to him as a lesson at all. So i not sure how author write the next move. Plus, I hope his Top would sexually punish him for that either, that is just not right.
I’m about to read author other wirks to understand more of their signature writings
Yeah, I agree that the top going through their normal routine as "punishment" would be really not okay. But I also get why he would. It's one of those "it's an explanation, not an excuse" situations.
I think the next move is gonna be a lot of the characters being hurt because of the situation and each one of their reactions to the situation. I think the Dom is gonna think that the sub did it intentionally to get "super punished", even if the sub tries to explain or hide it. I think the sub may even try to play it off because he may not know how to handle his own pain and regret, which will make the Dom truly think the sub did it on purpose to continue the pattern of bratting and punishment they have.
I think both of them are going to be hurt and hate that they hurt the other. I think the Dom is going to try to convince himself the sub never loved him and only wanted him for his body/ their kink relationship. Or that the sub was finally tired of him and wanted to get rid of him in one final explosive scene. And I think he's gonna be conflicted about the sexual violence he inflicted on the sub, part of him knowing it was horrible and hating that he did that to someone he loved and part of him saying "he got what he always wanted from me, it probably wasn't even good enough which is why he got tired of me in the first place". I think the sub is gonna be grappling with a lot of sorrow and shame and grief, finally having to face the reality that he isn't invincible or able to "get away with everything" just because his intention was bratting and having fun. Or he could be trying to convince everyone that everything is fine because he doesn't know how to be vulnerable with himself or others. I think they're both gonna want to see each other but feel like they can't/ shouldn't.
Is this mostly speculation? Yeah. But I'm also a writer so I figured I'd go ham and have fun with guessing
wrong typo ‘I hope his Top WOULD NOT sexually punish him for that either, that is just not right.’
But thank you for your comment. Love chat with you as the story continue if that’s comfortable for you! It is hard to find chat buddy who invest in the sane story, especially with a writer too. I m bad at translating my thoughts into words, so most came out opposed with what i mean.
I'm always happy to chat in the comments! If you continue reading this story, always feel free to reply to a comment of mine. And if you decide this story isn't for you, I'm sure we'll meet in the comments of something else and can chat there!
And I totally understood everything you wrote so no worries. And if I'm ever unsure, I'll ask so I can make sure I don't misunderstand. You're also always welcome to clarify what you meant or fix any typos if you feel you need to. My stepmom has English as a second language and I have ADHD so I get that sometimes our brains don't always phrase things the way we actually want to communicate them, for many different reasons. Sometimes you gotta rewind and correct yourself or go to Google to make sure you're using the right word, y'know?
I hope you check out the author's other work and share if you like it or not. Do you have any personal recommendations of other series or authors you like to read outside of this one?
They love each other so much it's stupid. Like, look how cute and dumb they are (and totally ignore the emotional damage we all see rapidly approaching)
My fantasy brain really enjoys this series. There's enough legit BDSM info, explicitly shown enthusiastic consent, and realistic practices to keep me turned on and engaged but not so much that it becomes boring/ clinical. The kink/ smut is hot, I like the characters, and I think this series has a lot of potential. I thought the last chapter was hot af.
My reality brain also still enjoys it overall but I, much like many other irl kinksters, I could write an essay (and pretty much have across multiple comment threads) on where there are problems, where things are nuanced, where things are totally fine, and where readers are projecting all over a fictional couple engaging in not real BDSM. I would genuinely love a story where flawed people are shown engaging in BDSM and how they mess up, miscommunicate, have fun, learn their limits, process their feelings, and grow. That's the most realistic and healthy depiction of kink to me, tbh. Let it be flawed and use that as a way to help the characters grow as well as educate the readers.
My advice is to read this with an open mind and grain of salt and if you still don't like it, that's totally fine. You're valid and you shouldn't read stuff you don't like. But at the same time, maybe refrain from saying this series is toxic/ unhealthy as if it's irredeemable or that people enjoying this overall decent kink series means they're enabling toxic behavior or don't know how healthy BDSM works. And if you're gonna get angry at fictional characters for not practicing BDSM to an unrealistically perfect standard, either do some research/ talk to people who DO engage in kink IRL or write the story you want to see.
FINALLY. I'm so here for JH actually realizing how and why his behavior during all this drama wasn't cool, that he's giving Garam the space he asked for, that he's admitting and remorse-ing for how he was wrong/hurtful, and letting that coexist with his love for Garam without PUTTING his expectations or hurt feelings on Garam. That shit isn't easy but it's the growth that I've been wanting sooooo bad this whole time he was being a dick. Give that entitled rich boy with straight privilege his reality check and character growth so that he can love Garam how he deserves to be loved, it's everything I wanna read.
And i'm all for Garam going to see JH after he had the time to process and feel what he needed to feel. They needed that balance and I wanted to see Garam admit and face the things he wants instead of settling for "good enough". I just really hope that they've both learned from this and are able to take a step forward together as people.
I stg, you can tell this author is a really good writer and that I love these characters because I get SO frustrated when they're being idiots or immature jerks. It's like when you have real life friends who keep making the worst choices for themselves, despite KNOWING who they are and what they're capable of, and you know those bad choices won't solve their problems AND that they won't listen to your advice so you just have to sit there because you want to support and celebrate with them when they're through it all and better on the other side. But it doesn't change how much you want to shake them by their shoulders yelling "what the fuck are you actually doing my dude???" the entire time they're going through the frustrating phase of the "climbing out of rock bottom" cycle.
I'm waiting with bated breath for the next chapter, I think it's gonna be messy but worth it.
I still think this is a pretty good bdsm/ kink series all things considered but any real life dom who knowingly brings personal negative feelings into a scene to "take it out" on someone without the submissive's consent is bad heckin news. If they bring those feelings in by accident (we're all human, sometimes emotions get tangled up or come out in ways we don't expect) that's one thing. But knowing you feel genuinely angry/ hurt and using that anger/ hurt against your partner without them actively consenting to that type of dynamic? That clashes with a lot of consent forward mentalities that are super important in the kink scene and in relationships, especially BDSM ones.
It's happened twice so far in this series but the first time it felt more accidental/ unintentional and he owned up to it. But this second time it's super intentional and feels manipulative in a way that isn't kinky consenting fun.
I'm definitely still hopeful for this series and can forgive this if it's addressed and handled.
*Edit: After sitting on it, I think I'm less concerned than I was before. Not because any of that stuff is cool irl but because I think it makes for an interesting story to see a flawed Dom struggling to heal after a traumatic experience and reapproaching kink with someone he's in a genuine relationship with.
Navigating BDSM is complicated irl too sometimes. We're all flawed people and we're all learning. I think this story has the potential to tell a story with layers like that super well. And if this series isn't gonna tell that type of story and is just a kinky smutty fun time, I still think this is a pretty good read. It's a lot lot better for kinky smutty fun time than a decent amoung of BDSM manga/manwha because they're both genuinely having fun and care about each other.
I totally get if some people get turned off if bdsm/kink in media isn't well represented when they were really wanting and expecting it to be. That's super valid and there are times I feel that way with certain stories/ shows. That said, I'm always happy to have discussions about real life kink/ bdsm and help educate people about what is and isn't cool while also enjoying the fun unrealistic fantasy in a fictional series like this one.
I haven't really commented the last few chapters because I've just been annoyed and frustrated by JH and his really selfish/ inconsiderate behavior and I was tired of saying the same stuff over and over. And JH was definitely acting immaturely through all his banging and slamming the car door and internally making Garam's health issues about him (which they probably were but I'm tired of his entitled straight boy self-flagellation crap). BUT the fact that it seems like something clicked for him in a way that he finally heard what Garam has been trying to talk to him about for over a month AND respected Garam's request and boundaries (again, finally after a month) on his own is a good sign to me.
It's similar to when he realized he had feelings for Garam but that he was pushing and hurting Garam in the process of trying to show him he wanted to be with him genuinely. He didn't learn a ton from that because he eventually got what he wanted but it is a situation that he understood and felt remorse for when he saw how much he was hurting someone he cared about. To me, someone coming to a realization or understanding someone else's feelings on their own and choosing to act differently because of it, is a step in the right direction. And while JH keeps taking things too far because of his rich straight boy entitlement, I hope that this situation is finally gonna help him get his shit together.
I hope JH is able to respect Garam's space, let Garam come to him (like Garam said he would and wanted to), actually have those convos Garam wants to have with him and finally listen to what Garam is actually telling him. And also not put Garam on the spot with ultimatums or put his selfish expectations on Garam to have the relationship JH thinks they should have.
And oh man, please let Garam figure his shit out too. He needs to figure out how to let someone love him even if it's scary and trust JH with his heart. His boundaries about not wanting to come out are super valid, I totally get it. And JH has to rebuild a lot of trust he lost through pushing boundaries over and over. But there are definitely aspects of their relationship where Garam is the one holding himself back because he's scared and doesn't believe in JH's feelings. I do think they have a lot of potential and I do think they can balance each other but they have a lot of work to do, especially JH. After the end of this chapter I actually have a little hope for that.
This series is really really great so far. You can tell the artist really studied the rope ties (especially for the suspension) and the safety/ knowledge that's required in rope bondage. And the way that they talk about dynamics and fluidity within the BDSM scene was really great.
I love that conversation between the dominatrix and the mc in chapter 4. I'm friends with multiple pro-femdoms and almost all of them have been done scenes or have relationships outside of their work where they've been in the submissive/ receiving role. It's such a common part of the community to ebb and flow with roles between certain people or certain types of play (for example, I'm a submissive and a masochist but I REALLY want to learn to be a top for wax play bc I think it's pretty and most femdoms I know love being domme'd by women just as much as they love domming men). I'm just happy to see a series that's honest about the fact that people are multifaceted, can have different dynamics with different people, and aren't stuck in one position of top/bottom/sub/dom/etc at a time.
While there were a few things dramatized for the sake of the fantasy (like the rope artist touching the mc while he was tied up without pre-negotiating or consent, that's a huge no-no irl obviously and no actual professional in the scene would do that ever), this series is one of the most realistic portrayals of being/ working in the kink scene and of rope bondage I've ever seen. Like the rope bottom models being married and having a non-sexual relationship with the rope artist is so accurate to real life but I NEVER thought I'd see that in a manga. I'm super excited for the rest of this.
You said everything I thought too! I had to share when I couldn't find it uploaded. (⌒▽⌒)
Love that the photographer was like "ummm, what the fuck dude this behavior is seriously not okay? You can't keep acting this way, what's even your goal?" to JH. He needs a fucking reality check like that.
I hope that's a sign that JH is gonna get even more incredibly rough, incredibly real reality checks with this whole situation so he can finally understand what Garam is feeling and have some fucking empathy and stop being an entitled, selfish ass-hole in denial of the true experiences and struggles of queer people. That's the only way I think Garam will finally be able to be honest about his feelings, once he KNOWS that JH is actually listening and caring about Garam's feelings, wants, and needs and won't act maliciously or retaliate if he doesn't get what he wants.
I'm probably in the minority here but I actually really like how this story is going. A service top who only got started domming for the person he likes and a brat who doesn't realize that he's using his bratty behavior as armor to protect himself who are both in their young 20's, figuring things out in incredibly messy ways, is so compelling to me. It hurts and it's not easy to read but I really like reading flawed characters reacting poorly and miscommunicating in realistic ways. ESPECIALLY when there are facets of their relationship that are very grey, personal, and nuanced like a BDSM/ kink dynamic.
My heart breaks for both of them rn. The fact that the sub lied bc he was afraid the truth would hurt his bf/ didn't want to face what really happened is a very common trauma response for people who were sexually assaulted. The fact that the Dom didn't trust him and reacted so angrily and coldly in the way that the bratty sub "trained" him to makes sense. The fact that the sub broke down because he saw how much he actually hurt his bf and got dropped into the stages of grief head first absolutely makes sense. The fact that the Dom kicked the sub out because he felt betrayed and was lied to which made him decide he couldn't handle being "toyed" with by the sub anymore absolutely makes sense. I don't blame either of them. This is all so messy but not in any way that's malicious. They're both hurting and acting in accordance to their own pain, trauma, established role in the relationship, and the knowledge they have at the time. It's really heavy but it's also really real. I don't say any of that to defend any of their actions, just to say I understand them.
If y'all want a fluffy and smutty bdsm story with little to no conflict, that's so valid. I also would love more stories like that. But just because this story has complex conflict AND has BDSM/ kink as a big factor in the narrative, it doesn't mean this is a bad BDSM story OR a bad representation of BDSM/ kink. I honestly think this is quite a good representation of kink within the context of the story. Like, showing people how kink can clash with hurt personal feelings is so valuable. I can't tell you how many times I've consented to something in a scene because I thought I was okay with it when we negotiated, felt not great about it during the scene but powered through because of my own internal stuff and then realized afterwards how much that thing hurt me. But that hurt wasn't my domme's fault, not at all. It wasn't my fault either. It was just something that happened, because me and my domme are both people with flaws and many emotions who are just doing our best. But this is where things like RACK and PRICK come into play. And the FRIES acronym for consent. This is also where consent purity culture can become really harmful, when people start trying to blame or judge or project all over someone else's dynamic.
There's so much more I want to talk about here because people who practice BDSM are flawed and have trauma and miscommunicate and make mistakes and take things personally, like every other human on this planet. There is no way for anyone to perfectly engage in kink, that's literally impossible. But seeing two characters practice the kink acts themselves in fairly accurate and safely depicted ways while having problems with their dynamic/ communication/ internal emotional pain is something I'm glad to see. I hope the author is aiming for a "A Terrible Romance" kind of arc because I think this will be a masterpiece if so.
I feel people who really dont know how BDSM really works.
Me and my partner are in a d/s relationship for 4 years, and just a few months ago there was a conflict that nearly put our relationship in jeopardy until we set formal boundaries. And we also tried a lot of new things.
We talked it out and told what we wanted. A lot of trust plus communication and boundaries.
Not only that, not every bdsm story or relationship its going to be sunshine and rainbows. Theres going to be a lot of ups and downs.
Ur absolutely right. specially im the beginning stages where u dont know each other limits very well, or even preferences, sexual and non-sexual. Communication in this relationships is the most important thing. Its very rare to even find manhwa that actually portrait a D/S or S/M accurately. It is not sunshine and rainbows but its also not abuse. Also from what the manhwa said, the sub did not say he raped. He stayed silent. No wonder the dom thought he cheated. Was it a good reaction? No. Do i understand the anger? Absolutely. At this point idk wat ppl expected from the dom when he was literaly "taught" by the sub to be this explosive. Ima stick until the end but i think ik wat will happend
Yeah, the manhwa or shows never really show how those things work, so people get influenced by it and think that's how it is.
I really appreciate your comment! And I'm also glad that you and your partner were able to get through that rough spot together and come out with more trust and support on the other side.
I agree that a lot of people here on this site don't really know what a BDSM dynamic or relationships in the kink scene entail in the real world. Like I've seen some of the most toxic couples who practiced BDSM/kink perfectly on paper and I've seen some very healthy bonds do some very unsafe things as they were learning.
I spoke on a panel last year talking about long-time life in the scene and the thing that people were struggling the most to wrap their heads around was negotiation and consent. Negotiation and consent ARE complicated and they require both trust and understanding risk. They also require understanding that not everyone does the most right or healthiest or most consent-forward thing all of the time every single scene.
I did a scene two weekends ago with a very close friend of mine where we didn't negotiate details at all beforehand. We've played before so she knows my likes and limits, we've been friends for years, and we did do a small check in about physical and mental space before we started but I basically put all my trust in her with very little communication on the details of the scene. She's someone who I often risk pushing my boundaries for to get her approval/ praise, it's literally been a part of our relationship that I've been working to unlearn because I know it's a me thing. So not negotiating before a scene put me at risk of letting her push me too far. But she also trusts me, too. She trusts me to take care of myself, she trusts me to hold her accountable, and she trusts me to let myself let go when I know I'm safe. And I did. I knew how to advocate for myself and called yellow when I needed to. I let myself let go and feel safe within my lack of control. And I DID push my limits because I wanted her to be proud of me and I also let aftercare get cut short because of our conflicting needs. But that was on me, not her.
Idk...it just feels like consent purity culture really wants to shame people for simple human complications. But that does nothing to help people learn how to navigate consent discussions because then they're just spending so much time stressing out wondering if they didn't do it right or don't feel like they can forget something or make a mistake or spiral if they unintentionally crossed a line they didn't know about. It's not all sunshine and rainbows, for sure. People deserve to know that they don't need to do everything perfectly to practice safe and consensual bdsm/ kink. They just need to do their best and let others do the same, without judgment, while they're learning.