beta
I'm far too familiar with that kind of loneliness. The kind that makes you want to cling to the first person who so much as looks your way, just to feel a little bit of affection, to feel wanted, even if only for a moment. I feel for Garam so deeply. That panel of him feeling the absence of love in his very own skin is so painfully palpable, so devastatingly human. I've been there more times than I'd like to admit, and seeing that kind of loneliness portrayed so intimately just hurts.
What makes it even more heartbreaking is knowing that Garam won't end up with Youngjo. We already know Hejae is endgame, but that doesn't make what's happening any less painful. Youngjo is going to get hurt, and honestly, no one deserves to be nothing more than a stepping stone on someone else's journey to love. He deserves to be someone's choice, not just someone who happened to be there when they needed to feel less alone.
And yet, I can't bring myself to blame Garam, either. How could I, when I understand him so painfully well? I know what it's like to be so starved for affection that even the smallest gesture of tenderness feels like something worth holding on to, even when you know, deep down, that it might not be enough.