Nans

You explained this really well and this is the reason why i liked those two eps more than the last one's we're diving more deeply into their characters and their motivations. If anyone is confused definitely read this.

I agree with your point but that makes him sb with mental health issues and a gray character not a red flag. And I think he's hiding a lot too those pills he was taking were suspicious. Hyunho might have meant being with dohoi when he asked juyeong "if he could handle it". He definitely needs professional help and i don't think he's getting it. He intends to harm himself with all of his actions. I think his self-hatred and feeling of guilt is on a level we can't really understand bc he's putting on a tough front.

Why do you think he's red flag? Like he obviously is very frustrating but I don't think he's one at all

I don't think it's elitist at all dohoi bought juyeong a new wallet instead of the wallet he bought him before in the past and he dislked the café they went to bc they went to that one before he tries to forget the past completely with new materialistic goods & new places. I think the bus is also the one that belongs to dohoi's dad bc he already left work so i don't think he's driving around with the bus of his friend's taekwondo gym.

But it was explained in the middle of ep5? Did you watch the version with bad subs?

I disagree with you I think it makes a lot of sense of how dohoe is behaving like ofc not to juyeong or us viewers bc we're seeing this from juyeong's pov who's frustrated with dohoi and so are we. But if we're looking at dohoi's character solely ofc he wouldn't magically change overnight nor will juyeong's love fix him he needs to fix his own issues rn we're seeing juyeong being the one who pursues him and it feels wrong that this relationship isn't balanced but I think that's the point they're trying to show in the series clearly dohoi has some unfixed mental health issues and is hiding something so either he'll gain courage through juyeong to solve his issues or they'll separate but I think the latter is more likely bc juyeong also has issues that weren't explored yet he definitely is scared of being abandoned and that's most likely why he's always the one who clings to dohoi and the cross necklace represents his religious guilt so it could be that when they try being truly honestwith each other that they could heal each other's wounds. Maybe we'll get a Dohoi pov next where juyeong's actions are focused on and dohoi starts being more honest.

Idk the kid's mom did say she's a professor at hanseol uni and asked if he's her juinior and if they met before maybe he was expelled and didn't graduate

Dohoi is clearly taking meds for something and he changed a lot meaning a lot of things happened to him and he isn't communicating properly hyunho already asked juyeong if he's going to be able to handle it he probably meant being with dohoi bc dohoi clearly has issues. And also just the time they've spent apart changed a lot like their social status juyeong obviously feels uncomfortable of their social status differences a very understandable feeling if your partner makes more money than you and is used to going to more expensive places. I wonder if they were hinting at dohoi's work being stolen or if it was meant to signify something else is that why he became a teacher instead of pursuing an architecture career? Did he even graduate uni was it all a lie and he didn't achieve the life he dreamed of was he just pretending? There are so many questions abt why dohoi hates himself so much and why he takes so many pills. But these eps did show what hyunho and dohoi's relationship is like they were in a situationship maybe occasionally slept together but considered it a mistake but they definitely weren't together hyunho told dohoi that they didn't begin anything yet to end it.

I just want to say that I really like the episodes 5 & 6 bc they cleared up the misunderstanding they had that separated them but not everything became sunshine and rainbows because:

Dohoe was the one who called the police to get juyeong in safety he always knew jy was protecting him by letting his dohoi's dad beat him up instead of dohoi. On the day of the exam he realized it was a big confrontation when he heard noises from the gym but instead of going in he called the police so he wouldn't mess up his college exam after seeing them fighting. But quickly he realized this wasn't right and ran back home but jy was gone bc his parents came to get him so he saw himself as the one who's guilty and who chose his own happiness over juyeong he felt as if he was the reason jy got beaten & taken away & it would be better for him to disappear from his life that's why he told jy that he should cuss him out for being the"despicable" one.

I don't know which subs you watched it with but I understood it I'll explain it under spoiler it may have been a translation problem

If you read everything I wrote you'd understand that this isn't my opinion its based solely on the actions of dohoi he never resented hyunho he literally told him he respected him & that's why he didn't fight back so ofc it makes sense that he forgave him considering his character not my own opinion bc I'd never forgive sb who chose to bystand bullying unless they redeem themselves in unbelievably great ways & help victims. In all honesty the way you're taking what I said out of context is annoying.

But that just further proves @meg's point. She mentioned the violence he saw in himself as the most important reason for him leaving bc he only saw that when it came to juyeong being harmed. He didn't defend himself when he was the one enduring the abuse & bullying so it would make sense that he'd forgive hyunho who "only" harmed him but never forgive his dad who harmed juyeong and not just him. And hyunho was never on his dad's level bc he was once his friend and even when he was bystanding the bullying dohoi still told him he respected him while he always hated his dad and dohoi already told juyeong that even though he hates violence there are exceptions like him when juyeong told him how he hit the teacher to defend his friend so I doubt he ever was scared or blamed juyeong truly. Its more like he's pushing him away out of guilt.

Bae I'm not taking anything seriously it's a show like you said i just explained my point of view bc i know the directors other shows and she typically makes dramas with gray characters that's all

lmfao "more concerned abt not turning into a monster" you're saying this as if that's like an easy thing to go through & downplaying it. Trauma & coping mechanisms don't dissappear with a time period especially if they're not being treated by a professional and again you're not getting the point if jy didn't mean much to dohoi why would he change? Why would he a person who never thinks of using violence even doesn't defend himself think for a moment of harming his abuser? We're obviously going nowhere here bc you've convinced yourself that dohoe is the villain here when both of mcs are gray characters and both of them had their reasons so lets agree to disagree.

Did you watch the show? Juyeong left with his parents he wasn't under his dohoi's father's care anymore he already passed his college entrance exam but bc of the confrontation his parents came earlier to take him back. After that he willingly met up with dohoi's dad when dohoi dissapeared bc he wanted to keep a link to dohoi. The whole reason dohoi left is that he didn't want jy to have anything to do with his dad from the very beginning he was telling jy to go back to Seoul you either did not watch the show or watched it with your eyes closed. The whole reason dohoi got mad at his dad and reached for the knive was the his dad hit jy this is smth dohoi has never done before he's the opposite of selfish he let the bullies beat him up bc he thought he deserved it for having a dad who hits others and in the mirror scene before he ran away it's clearly shown that he became afraid of turning into his dad & the bts of ep3 shows that's what they intended from the scene. Two of his main characteristics are that he hates violence and that he's very selfless.

Did they end the ep with this? Haven't watched it yet that's such a cliffhanger if so

The preview is probably the beginning of ep5 bc they're still wearing the same things from the end of ep4

No bc same I'm just here rooting for them both and hoping they go to couple therapy they both need help and need to learn how to communicate with each other

Spoiler pics for eps 5/6 i guess we're getting somewhere positive in those eps
https://x.com/heavenly_pick/status/1850734234346115355?t=yVRrbwnVLmf-7oDoAtrxyg&s=19