#ju mirye

[kyungraeist]

so. well. uhm.

[aenie]

MIRYE & KYUNGBIN (MERRY MARBLING) MATCHING ICONS

credits for iiPengkii (twt)

[fraisaa]

when the fandom is so small there's only one fic and it's in Russian

[kyungraeist]

drew mirye as /that/ pose

[kyungraeist]

he uses tumblr

[kyungraeist]

merry marbling ch 87 spoilers //

i really REALLY need to talk about their argument they had because oh my god the fucking BACKSTORY

when mirye found out that kyungbin had gotten hurt by his sunbaes on the taekwondo team (because of their anger at being reported), he came to the conclusion that kyungbin liked him simply because of the good deed he had done for him. and his whole dilemma around that is he believes that it wasn't something he had done "authentically". he's worried kyungbin is in love with the "illusion" of mirye, and doesn't want to disappoint those expectations. in fact, he had never brought it up to kyungbin, probably due to his fear that kyungbin would think that was a true version of himself, when it was really something he had done due to ian's influence (more on this later...) in general, mirye feels insecure and afraid kyungbin won't like him anymore because he believes kyungbin only likes him for something he did due to the influence of someone else.

and kyungbin basically tells him "i wouldn't have asked you out simply because im grateful for something you did in middle school". rather, what mirye did ended up putting his existence on kyungbin's radar. obviously, we don't know the exact progression of his feelings, but he does say that he became "interested" in him during middle school. after all, he literally had been talking to joong about him for YEARS. he couldn't have been repeating the same "im so grateful" for years. he found other things he liked about mirye, and that's what his feelings are now. although they hadn't talked to each other until their second year of high school, kyungbin had been exposed to the "real" mirye before he realized that he liked him and asked him out. when he talked to him, he had genuine conversations, and still likes him.

he didn't immediately fall for him just because of that one incident. he himself isn't sure when his feelings started, but knows for sure that he likes mirye now. so yeah, he's upset that mirye is so worried and is basically kind of pissed that mirye would think that he would ask him out without properly knowing how he felt. it feels like mirye is underestimating his ability to tell his own feelings apart.

back to "ian's influence" on mirye, though... ian also didn't report the money mirye's dad had lost due to his own "sense of justice", he just did it because he was worried he would get in trouble for picking up the money. but it's not like mirye would feel any less grateful that ian was able to get HEAPS of money back to his family?

kyungbin even asks him if he ever developed romantic feelings for ian due to the good deed he had done for mirye's family, which mirye vehemently denies. he's denied it multiple times, too. he appreciates ian, but he doesn't just care about ian because of some good deed he did, he cares about ian because they're friends and because he knows ian better than most people, and understands the him that's underneath his facade. this situation is so... like… mirye is solving his own worries without even realizing it. these are such symmetrical situations, but they don't even realize it. both mirye and kyungbin have received help from someone they now know well, and they don't just like that person because of that one thing they had done for them all those years ago.

both ian and mirye worry that what they did wasn't something they did "authentically", but it's not like ian and mirye are terrible people who just happened to do one nice thing, they both show that they do have some "sense of justice", even if it isnt apparent to themselves. i think for ian, it's obvious that he's a people pleaser but he also genuinely looks out for his friends (particularly yugun), and mirye genuinely looks out for kyungbin. in ch 77, he literally talks about how kyungbin should report his dorm monitor for his inappropriate behavior, and kyungbin literally points it out lmao?

as for how i think this situation will affect the future chapters:

i suppose i'm kind of curious how mirye will deal with the fact that kyungbin is actually angry at him this time. the last time he thought kyungbin was angry (when he wasn't even actually mad), he was super depressed. so i'm not sure how long this will go on for, but we can already see at the end of the chapter that mirye regrets arguing with him, so god knows how he's gonna be for the next few chapters.

i'm also hoping we'll see how kyungbin explains why he likes mirye, regardless of how "embarrassing" it might be. because otherwise, mirye is going to continue thinking kyungbin likes a false version of himself, and that he can't live up to his expectations. within the chapter, kyungbin says he isnt sure why he likes mirye because he's never thought about it, but i do believe that he does have a reason he likes mirye. mirye has said before that he wants to be someone kyungbin can rely on, so perhaps that has something to do with it? but these are just inferences.

that should be all? but i'd like to know what anyone else thinks

id love to dissect this entire chapter but i fear that will be way too boring, and i'd rather wait until the translation comes out

[kyungraeist]

ok so imo "the moment" when mirye started liking kyungbin is kinda fuzzy since i think both kyungbin and mirye developed feelings for each other without properly realizing it?

as mirye said during ch 48, he brushed aside a lot of the things kyungbin did because they were "just classmates" and he thought kyungbin was just "like that", but they obviously still had an effect on him.

thats why, personally, i think mirye was attracted to kyungbin beforehand (potentially even from the start) but didn't start to develop feelings for him until after the bet?

in ch 26 (which is also when they made their bet), mirye has... this moment which is sus but also probably comes from the fact that kyungbin is handsome. and im not just saying that, he is canonically a handsome guy. but it was just kinda an Oh! moment but probably not when he liked him, but simply him reacting to some sort of attraction he might feel for him?

however, in ch 30, he has a real emotional reaction to... literally being punched. and its very much implied that it was not fear but rather his heart racing cus? he's a freak his already stated attraction for him sort of developed? into a new feeling. i don't think this is an uncommon opinion but just for "support", in pengki's other work robber x lover, ji ho also has a "reaction" to dojin showing a strong emotion (albeit his "response" is a bit.... different lol).

but afterwards, when mirye confronts kyungbin abt why he's mad at him, kyungbin says he's probably like that when he competes, too. which makes mirye consider going. when kyungbin starts trying to explain taekwondo stuff mirye starts to say "i'm not going for the taekwondo" and then catches himself, resulting in him having a mental battle with himself 😭

basically, although mirye never says out loud and it's never explicitly stated when he started liking kyungbin, it's pretty much implied that he starts developing a stronger attraction to him/feelings for him.

but honestly this development is so mirye, because throughout this whole thing he tries to deny these kinds of emotions he's feeling, which is similar to how, after he starts dating kyungbin, he has a hard time outright saying that he likes him. he makes up so many excuses for his reactions. going back to ch 30, after he he reflects on the situation, he chalks up his heart beating to "being scared out of his mind", and (in ch 36) when kyungbin offers to cancel the bet if he's uncomfortable with it, he thinks about a response, starting with "then i would definitely..." but stops himself and says "not ending a bet fair and square would also hurt my feelings".

ch 30

ch 36

i can't add any more images but trust i have more proof

[kyungraeist]

i think that mirye's want for kyungbin to be able to rely on him also plays into the "jealousy" he experiences (particularly showcased in ch 53).

throughout the manhwa mirye is characterized (imo) as someone who likes when he can be reliable for those closest to him, for ex: him making the club so that ian has a place to escape to away from everyone else and in ch 77 when he explicitly states that he wants kyungbin to be able to lean on him.

therefore, i feel like mirye's "jealousy" he experiences also has to do with his want to be a reliable person. in ch 53 he says that it makes him upset to have to hear abt what kyungbin is doing from other people, and he doesnt want to just "stand by and watch" kyungbin receive affection from other people.

and obviously regular degular ass jealousy is a thing and im sure that he also feels jealous the way any bf would but due to mirye's personality it really adds another element to it. if he wants kyungbin to rely on him, he wants to be able to make him happy, etc. he worried when (he thought) kyungbin was upset at him, and when (he thought) kyungbin was sad. (this "overthinking" might be for another discussion)

its not necessarily that he wants to be in control of kyungbin's emotions (obviously he's not a piece of shit like that), but he wants to be someone that kyungbin can turn to for just about anything. kyungbin obviously doesn't come off as someone who's self-reliable (altho... i mean he lived on his own for 5 years), so mirye wants to be there for him instead. so kyungbin receiving affection from others would make him upset because he feels that it's "his job" to make kyungbin happy, or that other people aren't as reliable as him? (sort of like when he refers to ian, namsaeng, and yugun as "two softies & one weakling" in ch 77)

tbh, ch 77 is similar to ch 57 (lol they both end in 7) because it shows mirye going out of his way to (try to) make kyungbin feel better or act as someone he can rely on. this is basically me saying "mirye's love language is acts of service" but it's true? he doesn't like/its hard for him to say out loud that he likes him, but instead would rather go out of his way to make kyungbin happy through being a pillar he can lean on. he's best able to express his feelings towards kyungbin by showing him, so when other people "show" kyungbin affection, it's obviously irritating lol.

uhhh there's more i could add but that's it for now?

[aenie]

IAN, YOOGUN, MIRYE, KYUNGBIN (MERRY MARBLING) ICONS

credits for iiPengkii (twt)

[kyungraeist]

forgot to post abt this fic wow but i wrote this... over 2 months ago

[kyungraeist]

i hope hes having a terrible day