Stefania

Yes, I was glad that there was no staring at each other with mouth agape for an unrealistic amount of time. This is one of the overused BL tropes that make me cringe the most.

This was so cute! Thank you for sending it to me. :)

Same here! It was well executed enough that I found it funny and cute, not cringy. I usually would have been the first one to roll my eyes at such a well-worn cliché, but in this case, FirstKhao made it work. :)

My appreciation for the way this series is handling the enemies to lovers trope continues to grow. First and Khao deliver the perfect amount of awesome chemistry and tension, while the story allows the relationship between their characters to develop without skipping any of the stages that make this trope believable. Kudos to the actors and the scriptwriters.

I agree with you. The product placements have spoiled more than one scene for me.

Hahahahahah.
The ice tea was called Oishi. I was trying to remember its name, but could not. :)

Indeed. The product placements there were so many and so annoyingly out of place.

I think that we are not talking enough about the lack of GMMTV’s infamous product placements. When Akk bought Ayan a drink, I expected with dread to see the yellow or purple ice tea that was so persistently advertised in Not Me. I breathed out a sigh of relief when it turned out to be just a drink. The production team has my respect for not turning this series into a string of advertisements.

That’s how it sounded, yes – like a subtle threat.

Thank you for your kind words, dear.

Yes, I also suspect that she is on the side of the oppressors. She definitely has some agenda of her own. I remember the scene in episode one when Teacher Sani asked her if the curse is real. Waree’s reaction disturbed me a little, although I still cannot pinpoint why.

I agree with you. When he cries, I feel it with all my heart.

Although this was a relatively light-hearted episode, it brought tears to my eyes. This series hits disturbingly close to home for me – and probably for some of you too.

I graduated from my country’s most prestigious high school this year. The teachers there were more or less copies of those in these series in terms of how they treated us students. Aunt Waree eerily reminds me of my Math teacher – she treated me the same way Waree treats Ayan. Since this was an institution that offered both middle school and high school education, the student population was divided into two groups: those who had gone there for middle school and those who have not. The majority of the teachers liked and treated well the first group, while people like me, who belonged to the second group, were considered stupid, and it was made clear to us that we do not belong in this high school, that we would always be the new students. Some, like my Math teacher, even got mad when one of us did well – just like Waree was annoyed with Ayan when he excelled in class.

In junior year of high school, I decided to go against the system. I will not get into details, but overall, I fought for my freedom of choice. I won. At what cost, though?

The teachers did to me what they were doing to Ayan in this episode. They targeted me and lowered my grades on purpose so that eventually I would not have as high a GPA as I needed for the prestigious universities that I was applying to. Furthermore, my class teacher brainwashed my classmates while I was absent into believing that I disliked them, which was a complete lie. Episode four does not explore this in that much detail, but believe me, Ayan is going through Hell. I know it because I have been there.

I also know the pain of grieving for a beloved person who is not with you anymore. I know how it feels to tell someone “He is dead” and smile and brush it off when they say that they are sorry. I know what it is like to cry alone in bed and put on a stoic facade in front of close ones who are also grieving and in front of those who want to see you break. Ayan is gorgeous in his inner strength and kindness. He is a character that touches and inspires – a rare gem.

On a side note, I feel that Aunt Waree will be an important character in the subsequent episodes. The choice of clothing for her is interesting. The other teachers are all wearing unobtrusive colors like black or blue, while she is always dressed in something bright. She and Teacher Sani are the only ones who stand out. This must mean something.

There is such a cafe in my country. It is both a cafe and an LGBTQ+ center, and they serve the most delicious drinks ever. I like spending time there so much. It is so cozy. :)

I am astonished by Ayan’s complexity. I think that he is easily one of the best written characters in BL ever. To watch his facade slowly break and his true self – kind, vulnerable, broken – reveal itself was fascinating.
Maybe it is because I experienced similar oppression in high school when I dared to go against the system and because I also lost people I love that Ayan and his struggles speak volumes to me, but I really do not remember when I was last so in love with a fictional character. Kudos to Khao and the scriptwriters. Magical.

It was so well executed that I liked it and found it funny, although I would normally roll my eyes at such a trope, hahah.

Some guys in my high school, especially seniors, looked like they were 20+ years old, so the actors here do look like high schoolers to me :)

Same!

Eat Mama Ok Carbonara Bacon, and you won’t be moody anymore!

Yes, thank you for reminding us of this detail. :) Now I remembered that Ayan took a photo of a poster that featured a photo of his uncle and the protesters. The gang might indeed know about Dika and what happened to him.

Your comments made my day xDD