#second why are they so obsessed with Daon?

[scarefox]

[delesaria-blog]

So, it's confirmed that Sunghyun has a hero complex. He was perfectly capable of ignoring Daon without an explanation until he saw that Daon was hurt, at which point he folded.

They cast Sunghyun's character so well because the amount of pushiness he exhibits would usually annoy me but his expression is so freaking puppy-like I can see why Daon can't resist him.

In another drama, Sunghyun might have been the clueless, persistent second lead, but here his competition is a cold, manipulative sociopath and a violent, domineering boss with the emotional regulation of a toddler. So he really comes across as the sweetest puppy. Daon seems to think so too.

Everyone in Daon's world seems to be a total scumbag (except for his little sis and Sunghyun). I really wanted to throw this so-called friend out the window.

What's interesting about this though is that everyone associated with Jaemin seems to look down upon Daon (this guy, the man who tried to assault Daon while he was passed out, and even Soo Hyun treats Daon as inferior.) I wonder if this is a class issue or if Jaemin's habit of viewing Daon as his dog actually affects the opinions of everyone around him.

Also, everyone in this show should reflect on this statement: No matter how close you are, you can't cross the line.

Our resident red flags are once again acting more obsessed with each other than Daon.

Both of you are equally stupid. Now stop fighting and make out. Or do both at the same time; either way I think you guys are perfectly matched.

Wow, Soohyun you're not self-aware at all if you're dropping this line:

Be careful who you say this kind of thing to, Daon. If you said this to anyone else in this show, you'd be cooked:

Thankfully Sunghyun just wants to drop honorifics. Linguistic flirting, my beloved. More of this please.

Ok, so the deal Jaemin struck back then with Soohyun was probably because he knew that Daon liked Soohyun. I'm so glad that Jaemin did that though, because he saved Daon from a partner who really doesn't respect him. Even back then, when Daon was assaulted, Soohyun let his temper control him and shoved Daon to the ground when he tried to interfere with his revenge. Sure, Soohyun will act sweet with Daon when things are going his way, but the moment Daon steps out of line, Soohyun uses violence against him. He's similar to Jaemin that way, except Soohyun uses blunt force and Jaemin wields his manipulation. I know it probably won't happen but Jaemin and Soohyun have so much chemistry I feel like they should at least have a fling to work out some of that crazy tension.

[theheightofdishonor]

I watched Secret relationships and had a blast. It's so unhinged, and gave me all the toxicity and messiness that i've been missing in dramas lately. And I liked the way they'd frame a situation a certain way only to then reveal like further details. It was really well done at the beginning. Near the end, it wasn't as clever but still not too bad ig.

That being said I was left with so many questions. I even ended up rewatching the entire show just because the timeline in their university days didn't really make sense to me. Timeline and all my questions below lmao because this got hella long

Timeline

1. Jaemin "meets" Daon

2. Daon meets Su Hyeon

3. the ring convo has to happen here, there's no way that happened after Jaemin and Su Hyeon start 'dating'.

4. This is the catalyst supposedly for Jaemin to convince Daon to stay distant from Su hyeon

5. Church conversation where Jaemin and Su Hyeon meet for the first time? and Jaemin convinces Su Hyeon to 'date' him

6. Daon finds out they're dating

7. Su Hyeon flirts w Daon while still in a 'relationship' w Jaemin (the scene on the field)

8. Christmas

9. Despite the earlier coldness towards Su hyeon in moment 7, they still are or become close again enough for Su Hyeon to be the person that Daon calls when hes drunk - and for Jaemin to know that Daon would call Su Hyeon

7. Jaemin arranges for Daon to be assaulted and for Su Hyeon to go abroad.

This still leaves so many questions.

Like Daon kissed Su Hyeon back in ep 6. But in a way that atleast to me suggested that they've kissed before. But based on the way they act, it couldn't have been prior to Su Hyeon and Jaemin 'dating'. And it should definitely have been brought up if it was during the 'dating' period? I guess it could've just been like a second of residual feelings but it'd be so much more fun if they had previously issued.

How did Su Hyeon and Daon actually meet? I wanna knoww

Its weird that Daon says Su Hyeon left him when he needed him the most. Like in the context of having been sexually assaulted, yes it makes some sense that he'd want someone who's close to him at his side. At the same time though, everything we've seen of present day! Daon's feelings about this situation shows that this situation had left him scared of Su Hyeon. Not to mention the stuff about Su Hyeon 'tormenting' Daon by flirting with him when he was in a 'relationship' and how other things must've happened for Daon to be so sure that Su Hyeon will show up at his house that first day when he rejects Su Hueon at work.

AND that shit where Daon says he'll never take Su Hyeon asck def implies they was something more happening unless it was a mistranslation.

What did Daon mean about leaving a person the second he loves someone else? Like is it about developing feelings for Su Hyeon when he liked Jaemin? Or liking Seong Hyeon when he again had feelings for Jaemin? There's also the realistic possibility that there were other people he was involved with (the multiple people talking ab how Daon opens his heart too easily to others) though idk how much considering Jaemin's interference.

Why and how is Jaemin so close to Su Hyeon's mom. And what's a relatively short period of time. Like between them 'dating' and Jaemin conspiring w/ Su Hyeon's mom to send him abroad, it was maybe a couple months, definitely less than a year. And Jaemin still calls her up and refers to her familiarly 7 years later.

I also just want to know why either Jaemin or Su Hyeon like Daon. I don't really understand the initial attraction or the intensity of obsession in either case, honestly.

Jaemin's initial rejection of Daon made so little sense to me, even at the end. The two possibilities I came up with were that a) he still didn't want to date Daon for the same reasons as before or b) he wanted to preserve the bet to keep Su Hyeon away from Daon from fear that they might get close again. However, if it was a, then there still wasn't a need to let him down so harshly. And I don't know how valid that fear of losing Daon is because I think if Daon know Jaemin reciprocated his feelings, then the chances of him developing feelings for another guy is far far lower. Jaemin could've easily began to date Daon at this point considering how close they are and how long they've known each other for and it would've been easier than ever to keep Daon at his side. If it's option B, that's still stupid considering Daon's present day attitude towards Su Hyeon and also the fact that he's far closer to Jaemin and if Jaemin and him were dating, he would most likely choose to believe Jaemin over Su Hyeon as Jaemin himself points out. Like, you could've easily won here, my guy.

[patandpran]

The Taekyung Effect

Summary: A character study from Shinwoo's perspective on how his feelings developed for Taekyung and his internal conflict about whether to reveal his feelings or not.

How could Shinwoo find this awkward, overly blunt and honest, try-hard so hard to ignore?

But that was just it. It was as if Shinwoo’s mind had already made up his opinion of Taekyung before he could even rationalize the thought. His pull toward Taekyung was so immediate that it turned him into a bumbling idiot from their very first (rather unfortunate) interaction.

When Taekyung had showed up in the student council room, Shinwoo wondered for a moment if had slept past his alarm that morning and was still fast asleep in bed. It just felt so implausible. And yet, there Taekyung was.

Shinwoo had barely participated in a full conversation with Taekyung and he already wanted to know everything about him, despite the act he put on. The resistance and wall that Shinwoo threw up between them was for both of their sakes. He didn’t know Taekyung well enough to trust him yet and Shinwoo sure didn’t trust himself not to let his guard down considering the feelings that were already brewing inside him.

Whenever his eyes landed on Taekyung, it was like his chest caught on fire and he had a hard time catching his breath. The effect was so immediate it was almost blinding so Shinwoo had to rely on his defense mechanism to keep Taekyung at arms length.

But that didn’t even keep Taekyung away.

The more resistance that Shinwoo put up, the more that Taekyung tried to break down his walls. The fascinating thing about Taekyung was that he clearly had a difficult time navigating social cues and dealing with lack of clarity so he couldn’t help but push and push and push to build sense into his every interaction. 

….So by trying to push Taekyung away, Shinwoo was really pulling him even closer.

Every time that Shinwoo was faced with Taekyung, he was surprised by how unpredictable Taekyung was. It was part of why Shinwoo was so drawn to him. There was no fakeness about Taekyung, he was meaningfully authentic. Every thought, worry, idea that passed through Taekyung’s mind was shared if it seemed relevant enough. No question remained unanswered and even though that didn’t always work out in Shinwoo’s favor, he found that quality in Taekyung incredibly refreshing.

It brought a sense of balance to their group. Daon was the president and people pleaser who would rather say ‘yes’ to everything than disappoint even one person. Shiwoon was the class clown who could bring positivity into the most tense situations while knowing everything about everyone. And finally, there was Shinwoo, the quiet one who made the hard decisions, made sure everyone stayed on track with their tasks and didn’t take ‘no’ for an answer (all while hiding how he actually feels under the surface). 

Enter Taekyung and everything felt different.

But it was for the better. After Taekyung commented on how Daon seemed to be overscheduling himself because he couldn’t refuse people’s requests, Daon actually started to turn people down. When Taekyung asked why Shiwoon always needed to be on his phone when they were supposed to be accomplishing things for the council, Shiwoon started to pocket his cell as soon as he walked into the council room. Taekyung’s obsessive inquiry into why Shinwoo ‘hated’ him slowly made Shinwoo more and more comfortable with letting Taekyung into his world. 

The dinner with Mr. Seo really solidified that in Shinwoo’s eyes. He felt himself smiling and relaxing for the first time in weeks and he couldn’t help but attribute that to Taekyung’s influence and presence. 

Even if things weren’t entirely clear between them. Even if Daon and Taekyung’s closeness ignited jealousy in Shinwoo that made him wish he was as brave as Taekyung to ask him how he felt about Daon… There was still a sense of completeness between the four of them that had arrived when Taekyung arrived in the council room.

The thing between Daon and Taekyung didn’t shock Shinwoo but he wasn’t exactly a fan of it either. It wasn’t Daon’s fault that he oozed charm and was the epitome of kindness. Nobody could seem to be strong enough to escape the pull of Daon and, for some reason, Daon seemed to like having Taekyung tucked close under his wing. Shinwoo figured it was because, 1: Daon loved how honest Taekyung was, and, 2: Taekyung was undeniably adorable.

The latter reason was a recent discovery of Shinwoo’s.

Because their interactions had been so hostile up until recently, and because Shinwoo was always on high alert when Taekyung was within a close vicinity, Shinwoo had not allowed himself to really examine Taekyung closely or question what was so different and distinct about him.

Taekyung had an inquisitive stare that was hard to decipher. Shinwoo wondered if he intentionally masked his emotions or had learned over time to read people and gather the ‘appropriate’ reaction before displaying how he felt physically. Shinwoo had an innate sense that social situations made Taekyung overwhelmed and often just left him confused. But Taekyung also had the tools, if he wanted to put in the effort, to be able to focus enough to engage in social interactions. 

Shinwoo figured this must be an exhausting endeavor for Taekyung, though, which is why he had isolated himself for so long. Shinwoo could relate to this as he was an introvert himself. If he was around too many people for too long, he often needed to distance himself from the situation to re-charge or feel like himself again. He sometimes found it difficult to be in the student council room when Daon and Shiwoon were blabbing away loudly so he was thankful that Taekyung seemed to be drained by socialization as well.

But the side of Taekyung that Shinwoo savoured the most was his soft smile. Taekyung’s smile never showed his lips, it appeared slowly and surely, tugging at the edges of his mouth until it formed into a recognizable grin. It was never forced and, because of his innate honesty, his smiles were always authentic. Their appearance brought something to the surface that both terrified and comforted Shinwoo.

There was also something undeniably otherworldly about the way that Taekyung looked, as if he had stepped out of the pages of a fairy tale or came from a land far away. Shinwoo knew it was a ridiculous thought but he couldn’t help but wonder where Taekyung had appeared from, as if he was a figment of someone’s vivid imagination.

And yet, that was the best part. Taekyung was real and tangible.

Although there was a part of Shinwoo worried that their friendship was so fragile, as if it could slip between his fingers and shatter into a million precious pieces. He would try desperately to gather them all up despite the pain and crimson that would spring from his fingertips to save whatever shreds he could. 

But the truth of how Taekyung made Shinwoo feel would do just that: ruin everything.

So, Shinwoo had to stay silent. 

Not only for his sake, but for the sake of the group. He knew what it was like to be ostracized for being different. History seemed to be repeating itself as feelings that reminded him of middle school were bubbling to the surface.

Shinwoo had been able to muffle that part of himself for so long, refusing to let himself feel anything other than platonic friendship for anyone. He had boxed that part of him away into a dark and shadowy corner of his mind and besides his middle school friends showing up out of the blue to harass him the other day, he had refused to acknowledge that part of him even existed.

But, of course, Taekyung yanked this part of Shinwoo to the forefront. The effect was visceral and undeniable. Shinwoo couldn’t ignore his attraction and feelings for Taekyung even if he wanted to. The panic that surged through him, which slowly settled into a warm sense of rightness whenever he was around Taekyung confirmed Shinwoo’s worst fears.

He had fought so long and so hard to silence this part of himself, to bury it and pretend it didn’t exist… and yet, somehow, being around Taekyung made a part of Shinwoo wonder if he should take a risk and be brave and honest for once about how he felt. Taekyung was the epitome of honesty and every song that Shinwoo spent with him convinced him that honesty was a much healthier way to live your life than suffocating a part of himself.

But what if the same thing happened as the first time? What if Shinwoo convinced himself that someone felt the same way and that he could trust that person with the truth? What if he went out on a limb and exposed his feelings, only to be violently rejected, mocked and shunned by the entire student body? What if the bullying got so bad that he didn’t want to go to school anymore and begged his parents to send him to a new one? 

What if… what if… what if…

The ‘what ifs’ were what kept Shinwoo silent and as much as he wanted to think Taekyung and the other members of the student council were different, the reality was that Shinwoo would rather keep things hidden to keep their foursome together. He couldn’t lose his friends, not for a stupid crush.

But Shinwoo knew his feelings for Taekyung ran deeper than that.

It was as if Taekyung had infiltrated Shinwoo’s every breath and thought. Whenever Taekyung wasn’t around, Shinwoo was wondering what he was doing and what their next interaction might look like. Would Taekyung smile around him again? What did Shinwoo have to do to make sure that happened? Because there wasn’t anything better than Taekyung’s smile.

And this was where he was left; Shinwoo was at a crossroads with no sure path to take. He was helpless to his feelings and the effect that Taekyung had on him, as much as he tried to keep them at bay. He knew it would be better for them to be friends but every second they spent together just convinced Shinwoo of how special Taekyung was and made him fall harder. 

But he couldn’t surrender to his feelings or let them be seen by anyone. He could be the victim in secret but he couldn’t reveal how he felt about Taekyung. To make sure of this, Taekyung made sure that the two of them were ever alone and always made a point of pretending to be involved in his work or on his phone whenever he had to witness Daon and Taekyung interact.

Because Shinwoo knew he had no right to be jealous. He had no claim over Taekyung and he had no right to control the nature of their friendship or whatever else might develop between Taekyung and Daon. If anything did, he would have to swallow the pain and shower them with all the support in the world, swallowing any sense of regret and putting it in the same place with his quieted feelings.

Being close to Taekyung was enough. Being Taekyung’s friend was enough. It had to be.

….No matter the effect that Taekyung had on Shinwoo.

[vaturivn]

again, i swear the graphics and aesthetics looked much more peachy on my phone, Sigh. why is this my life. we never get to truly spend our special days together but as i said before, even if our voices were hushed and our moments together were fleeting, i’d still be happy. 

how about a little story time, my son? Kidding, you’re my baby, not my son. No, i don’t have a mommy kink, don’t make any comments... anywho. i’m gonna be a little honest about some things. they’re not necessarily bad things, but i just wanted to... come clean? yeah. 

before you were mine, i was involved with this person who had a reputation for basically fucking with a lot of people. Not like, in that way, but like fucking them over. he was jaehyun (so i’ll just call him jaehyun) and i was doyoung; i met him in an agency that i joined for fun and we never became official, but i remember truly adoring him. i took a break from the rpw and fl for about a year prior to this and when i came back, boy, was i whipped. he was persistent so i flirted with him (like how i do with everyone else, ah...) and eventually, i got attached. amid all of this, i still thought of you from time to time. i wasn’t obsessed... i just wondered how life was for you and if someone out there was treating you well. i was happy, but that never lasts, does it... daon told me that he found jaehyun extremely familiar. i find a lot of people familiar though, so i brushed it off at first but once daon started to list the similarities, Well, you can guess what happened. i’m not proud of it, but i ran away from him. without a word and all because what would i even say? “hey heard that you screw people over so i’m outtie.” jesus. i had one of the toughest weeks of my life, and i Almost went back to him because i liked him that much. but like daon said, he’d eventually hurt me in the future, and so i let go of him. i moped around for an entire week and woke up with nothing but the thought of him. i mean it wasn’t like he left me, because it was the other way around but i knew that it was for the best. with that back story in mind, and back to the present... he had found me again through a mutual friend. this was about... two weeks ago? or even three? he wanted an explanation as to why i left him and i couldn’t give him the honest truth, unfortunately. i didn’t know what to say. i no longer had feelings for him because you were all that i wanted. after talking to him again, i’d realized that my heart no longer quivered as it did before for him. i no longer smiled when he replied to me. it was as if i never liked him. i knew then, the reason why everything had changed. it wasn’t just because i had you, or because i liked you. no, it was because i was in love with you. it was because i love you. i love the silly and dorky things that you say or do. i love the smiles and the attention you direct towards me. i love that you care about me, and that you’re always there for me. i love you as a whole. now, don’t get scared because of this, ah. i just wanted to say it, because it’s been bugging me for a while and if i don’t get it out i might Die. you don’t have to say it back. we all go at our own paces. i just wanted you to know how i truly feel, dearest.  i’m sweating. Ah... anywho, happy second month, gorgeous. i adore you most.