Stefania

This is a great observation. Ayan attracts so much attention with the mystery that surrounds him that I forgot to pay attention to Akk’s motivations. Now that I think about it, Akk’s transition from targeting Ayan to comforting him happened a little quick and might indeed not make much sense. However, this is kind of the whole point. Akk is confused as hell. His behavior is not supposed to make sense. This is how I see it:

He is feeling an attraction toward Ayan that is so strong that it is impossible for him to fight it, and he is still clinging to his prefect duties for protection against this dangerous attraction. Akk is a good person, though. When he reported Ayan to Chadok, he was trying not as much to discipline Ayan as to protect himself from someone who might send his facade of a perfect, straight Prefect Club president crumbling down, so when Ayan actually got targeted by the teachers, which Akk might have never actually wanted to happen, Akk felt guilty because he subconsciously realizes that the problem is not Ayan, who has done little more than not wearing a uniform and speaking back to the teacher – the problem are Akk’s own feelings.

I think that his decision to follow Ayan outside of school actually has little to do with trying to expel him. Akk is, as Khan and Wat pointed out, obsessed with Ayan. He is stalking Ayan because he wants to know more about him. Ayan is a charming enigma. However, Akk is still in denial about his attraction, and Khan, his close friend, does not like Ayan. [I laughed at your “pot, meet kettle.” It was on-point. xD] This is why he has to somehow justify his stalking. Naturally, he says that he is doing it for the school’s good.

I hope that I make sense. :)

I also thought of this, but I am not sure that it is so.

I feel you. I had a similar experience, although mine was a little better. I went to an ordinary elementary and middle school, and there the teachers were less stuck-up and kinder. Then I got into the elite high school, and everything changed for the worse.

Hahahah, for real. There was nothing left for this series. :)

For real! How is this even a BL series when there is no Oishi and snacks, and skin care products?

Congratulations on getting a new job! :) I am sorry that you are dropping this series for now, but I understand your priorities. We will keep you updated on how it is progressing. Good luck at your new workplace.

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.