victorandyuriofice

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This man Suhyeon stayed all day until the night, smoking cigarettes outside just waiting for Daon to come to his apartment ...

A MAD MAN!!

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secret relationships as - silly text posts

part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4 - part 5 - part 6 - part 7 - part 8 - part 9 - part 10 - part 11

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SECRET RELATIONSHIPS EP 7: UNTIL WE ALL DIE NATURALLY OR I KILL YOU

First things first: I HAVE TO believe Jaemin was the one who kidnapped Daon. I refuse to entertain any other possibility. And honestly, WHAT IS EVEN GOING ON? An ACTUAL kidnapping with chloroform, tying him to a chair, the whole dramatic ordeal? It’s just a bit too much. Not in a “ooh, I’m traumatized” way, but in a “this is a tad un-fucking-realistic, don’t you think?” kinda way. But FINE. It’s GOTTA BE Jaemin. We’ve seen the worst of Suhyeon (ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME, EPISODE?) but there is NO WAY Jaemin would just give up on Daon that easily. The show HAS TO prove that Jaemin is THE WORST OF THEM. Of course he is. Of course. OF COURSE. Oh, GOD. THIS SHOW IS KILLING ME.

Ah, Suhyeon. Suhyeon. Suhyeon. I don’t even know what to say anymore. And I’m sorry, but - is this delusion? Because WHEN WERE YOU EVER IN CONTROL?

Sure, maybe when he was abroad, he kept tabs on Daon. And yes, I get that he now sees Daon slipping away, that Seonghyeon is the worst (read: best for us) possible suitor to enter Daon’s life. BUT YOU WERE NEVER THE ONE IN CONTROL. That’s always been Jaemin, you stupid asshole. And how do you go from “I’ll protect Daon from now on” to “Let’s work together”??? I’ve always been able to understand Suhyeon’s motives, his lashing out, his self-destruction, but now? I can’t rationalize ANYTHING. I’m DONE WITH YOU😭🥲

Just look at the state of you. UGH. You’re just irredeemable.

And listen, I do love Seonghyeon, but he is A LOT at the absolute worst times. Dude, you can see that Daon is pretty fucked up, that he’s struggling, that he is CLEARLY NOT HAVING THE HAPPIEST TIME OF HIS LIFE. Either back off or be there for him. You’re giving me whiplash. One minute, it’s “I’ll wait for you” and the next, “I regret it.” I’m not saying he’s responsible for Daon’s inability to think for himself, but he’s definitely pushing his own feelings onto Daon, too. It’s frustrating.

But, of course, he’s clocked that Daon is always running away. I mean, Daon could have just explained what happened - but the moment Seonghyeon got angry, he backed off. Yes, he wants to follow his heart, but honestly? He lacks the courage.

Seonghyeon has swallowed his pride countless times. He’s put himself out there over and over again. And Daon shows up once just to stay silent? That’s on Daon, and no one else.

BUT. BUT.

Finally, FINALLY, we see Daon actively thinking about Seonghyeon, not just using him as a safety net. The way their relationship progresses - the constant interactions at work, the push-and-pull, the fact that neither of them are fully committed but can’t seem to let go? Now, I can actually believe in their connection. Now, Daon isn’t just falling into Seonghyeon’s arms because it’s convenient. He’s choosing him. And that makes me root for these two stupid, beautiful boys.

And then. The final scene.

Jesus. Fucking. Christ.

They’re treating Daon like some kind of emotionally battered stray they picked up, like they adopted Daon but they also want to have sex with him? And it’s so messed up. Daon being a silent observer in his own life ANGERS me. Him sitting there, playing house with Jaemin and Suhyeon like everything isn’t absolutely fucked? I’m furious. This scene encapsulates everything this show is about.

Because let’s be clear: NO ONE is innocent here.

Jaemin is a psychopath.

Suhyeon is drowning in his own insecurities and has now lost the plot.

And Daon? He lacks pride. He lacks courage. And most of all? He lacks some fucking COMMON SENSE because WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING IN THAT COTTAGE? I am this close to victim-blaming you. Seriously.

And who wrote “Please let us be together UNTIL THE DAY WE DIE”? Because, HOLY FUCK!! I’m assuming it’s Jaemin - hence the kidnapper. Poor Suhyeon and Daon is all smiles and still somewhat pure and Jaemin is there, like, “UNTIL WE DIE NATURALLY OR I KILL YOU”. Lol.

There was also an issue of someone getting stabbed, no? From the previews? I thought it was happening in this episode? AHHHHHH what is Suhyeon’s plan? Did he help Jaemin kidnap Daon? IS HE GOING TO STAB Seonghyeon??

THIS SHOW IS THE BEST THING THAT’S EVER HAPPENED TO ME, AND I DON’T WANT IT TO END TOMORROW.

Thank you for all the mess, show. I love you.

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I'm sorry but does Jaemin think we're suppose to believe he's just done and going to leave Daon alone after this scene?!!

ALSO - we see him packing a picture of him and Daon ...

In this scene we also see his suitcase ...

And the house Daon is taken to is the same house/cabin in the flashback with all three of them as we see the christmas tree covered

All arrows point to that psycho JAEMIN!! LIKE CAN HE LEAVE MY SON ALONE!!

ENOUGH PLEASE!

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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.

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Jaemin knows that there's something broken inside him. Like he just knew he wouldn't be able to be in a healthy relationship with Daon if he had to be himself and not this benevolently gentle persona he cultivates, and decided that it would spelled separation somewhen in the future and he couldn't accept that. He wanted Daon to be in his life always, to look up to him for affection, safety, and stability. To make matters worst, Jaemin also can't stand the idea of Daon being with someone else romantically. So, narratively, I kinda see where he came from to be able to initiate and manipulate that batshit contract with Suhyeon.

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more Soohyun thoughts

the king of entering a scene BY YELLING A LINE and then saying the next sentence in a calmer, yet still threatening tone. Marching into the workplace? YELL at the employee standing there quietly on his phone. Bring his car to a screeching stop at a cross walk to stop that same employee from walking home? Exit the vehicle YELLING and then continue normally (but angry). Same poor guy not wanting to go to lunch with him later? Demand he quit his current role and when he is not happy about that YELL at him. Follow same dude when he flees the vehicle. YELL some more and scratch his face (unintentionally) (but evidence that Soohyun is in fact a wet cat in a human body).

Manhwa Soohyun wasn't much for yelling. He did pull the "lurk outside of Daon's place every single day and make him spend the night with me" card. And he was so committed to getting to Daon once he was back that Jaemin made Daon move to his vacation house to keep him away.

Did anyone else start quietly cheering for Soohyun at the scene where he is sitting at his desk holding the ointment/bandages? Like, yes king, look at you reflecting on the unintended consequences of your actions and experiencing some genuine remorse for the damage you wrought- and oh, never mind, he almost immediately tosses them aside and starts angrily scheming to ruin Daon's work. Way to reflect, look at and acknowledge the responsible option, and deliberately choose not to improve. I couldn't help but laugh.

ALSO! In the scenario where there is no Seonghyun (in the show): Would Soohyun get his way? No Seong to enter the scene doesn't change Soohyun coming back, but without Seong's support Daon is in a significantly -weaker?- position to rebuff Soo's advances. That actually goes for both Soohyun and Jaemin, but in my definitely not biased at all opinion no sir not me, I think Soohyun would pull ahead in the end. He is just more upfront aggressive + has more access through the workplace.

I imagine it would get to the work dinner scene where Soohyun finds out Jaemin orchestrated that one guy undressing Daon & taking pics to really light the fuse. That leads to Soo outright telling Daon about Jaemin's machinations, Daon denies, but doubt is already sown through his sister's remarks just like we saw, confrontation with Jaemin - here's where I can't decide if that would go down the same with a Daon who hasn't had a peek at what authentic affection (too early to say love?) looks like thanks to Seong. But let's say Daon stays strong, doesn't stick around Jaemin. Then... yup, Soohyun's there and just keeps at it until Daon cracks.

Wait! The ring confession scene happened before the Jaemin confrontation scene... okay, I stand by the same conclusion - with even more gusto now because it was Seonghyun's words that Daon recalled during Soo asking to start over. Without that, Daon would be 1. already rejected earlier by Jaemin, and 2. Facing his first crush and just given The Ring of Too Big Feelings. I think Daon would crack right there. Nostalgia, or just an exhaustion of having to continuously rebuff this -raging lunatic- who also happens to be his boss's Boss. Who among us would hold out??

Then to hammer in the nail, Soohyun could go on and still reveal what Jaemin did, and then for funsies he goes with Daon to confront Jaemin. Then we could either say:

Let the Poly Flag Fly - something something and then the three of them reignite their toxic throuple-adjacent bubble of their uni days but for real this time. Like an 80% chance Daon ends up atticwife-d. No one goes to therapy.

Catfight: Soohyun physically attacks Jaemin / Jaemin physically attacks Soohyun. Bonus points for this happening if Soo doesn't reveal he is there initially until Jaemin's facade cracks and he tries to move in on Daon. Then Soo charges in. by the laws of drama convenience, no one goes to jail and Soohyun gets what he wants and no one goes to therapy.

Is it exactly a happy ending for Daon - eh, Soohyun's temper is going to be a forever problem stemming from his family issues, so no? Show Soo at least never choked Daon out like in the webcomic so yay for that way to hit the bare minimum babe. Soohyun would probably also still stop the whole going to the overseas branch project because why would he let Daon go away from him. But damn, did the Soohyun x Daon ship of their school days get royally screwed over by Jaemin.

Smarter than me writers could make this work, dang it.

by this i mean the evil polycule

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Show vs Manhwa scenes

I actually enjoyed the Hallway Confrontation Soohyun vs Seonghyeon scene from the show over the manhwa's version, but it's definitely biased since the actors did such a good job. One thing is that Soohyun as a character is much more outwardly expressive in the show, which leads to high tension to more easily grip the viewers. I also really liked how Seong reacted (he actually accidently hurts Daon's wrist in the webcomic, immediately apologizes tho) - his begging Daon to not go was heartbreaking. He does stick around in the manhwa, right up against the door and listening in on Soohyun moving in on Daon (who does resist but gets overruled, and then the "from now on in front of me don't look at him with those eyes" exchange is a less volatile "don't say someone else's name when you're with me" from Soohyun - then flashbacks happen- then both Soohyun & Daon are seated on the ground since Daon won't stop crying and Soo doesn't know how to comfort him - then eventually Daon internally acknowledges that Soo has an unpredictable temper but has been gentle with Daon previously - which leads to Daon accepting Soo reaching out to him presently and they bang.) I think Seong had left by that point? Not sure, but he punched the door/wall earlier in the exchange which Soo laughed at.

That whole scene is taking free real estate in my brain. With the changes the show made, I am dying to know if Show Soo & Daon already had an established past of hooking up with each other - I am leaning towards no? as it looks like they did not go further afterwards since Daon slept on the couch. And since there was about 5 seconds of them walking into Daon's apartment before Soo immediately dives in, I doubt there were any confessions happening so does that mean that for Daon, this is the first concrete happening of Soohyun's interest beyond the flirting during college? When all previous exchanges since Soo returned was him using 'Jaemin's my Ex but maybe I want to get back together with him' as manipulation? What a ride for Daon. No wonder dude looks so mentally done. He's kissing back, tho. Guess the show can just purposefully keep it all ambiguous and let us chew on it forever.

I'm glad we got Director Soohyun (even tho he sucked at the job)! because it gave us the baseball/vase scene which I do not believe the manhwa had an equivalent of. Some of the dialogue was taken from different parts of the webcomic tho, which honestly I'm impressed with. The show had good directing! The whole scene is another point in Show Soohyun's favor - in that it makes it easier for the narrative to grip you and move forward when one character, for better or worse, expresses himself so forwardly. Now if only he had just had a single honest to god conversation about feelings years back he would have gotten his man dang it (but not really with Jaemin still around he would have ruined it one way or another) and also not agreed to the world's dumbest plan to fake date someone he loathed. Manhwa Soohyun comes across as... um smarter? lol less impulsive, rather, then Show Soohyun, so if you judged Soo for agreeing to that plan in the show then you'll side eye him harder in the webcomic. Come on, dude.

We also got the conference room team meeting scene which was a treat (in how much an objectively bad Director Soo was lol). No equivalent in the manhwa since he wasn't involved in Daon's workplace at all. There also wasn't an equivalent scene of the Daon x Seong coffee time at work where Soohyun angrily marches up, confronts Daon on spending equal time with team members, gives the world's Best Stink Eye to Seong, then goes to his office and calls Daon while trembling in rage to demand equal Coffee Time. So we were #blessed by the show for these additions.

oh oh and there was no equivalent of Soo accidentally harming Daon's face, unless you count the flashback slap or present time choking - but those two events were 1. Intentional, and 2. did not lead to a follow up where Seong responds to the whole thing. I don't believe Seong ever becomes aware of either of these events in the webcomic, but could be wrong. Point is, we got face-scratch in the show which led to the appearance of the Almighty and Very Medically Necessary Q-Tip/Bandaid Combo as Applied By Main Love Interest of Every Single BL Drama Ever. Thank goodness.

Shout out to that one rando in the manhwa that saw Daon at uni after knowing him during previous school years where he committed the Cardinal Sin of being friendly towards Daon in Soohyun's presence, causing Soohyun to manhandle and threaten rando. He's the only character in the webcomic to look at the Jaemin + Daon + Soohyun bubble and state that all three are weirdos. And they are, as poor dude has to hide rather than be caught by the three for just looking at them. You get Jaemin and Soohyun being extremely closed off for anyone looking at Daon, but even Daon in that scene doesn't want anyone to pop the bubble.

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Secret Relationships Colors

There is a lot of black in this show since everyone is holding onto secrets, so when the posters for this show were initially released, I questioned why they were PowerPuff Girls' colors, but as the show's twists and turns have been revealed, it all started to make pefect sense.

Blue - Seong Hyeon

Seong Hyeon is a loyal and intelligent man which are key traits of a Blue Boy.

The first time he rescued Daon, he was wearing blue, and he was brought to the team because he was a superstar in his previous department.

He is honest about his feelings and constantly makes sure that Daon knows how he feels even if he isn't physically there.

However, Blue Boys are prone to sadness as well, but they tend to bounce back with a little push from the right people.

And what's strange is Su Hyeon could've been a Blue Boy too, especially because their romanized names look so similar.

So just like Seong Hyeon, Su Hyeon could've been just as loyal to Daon in his blue.

But there is always something lingering around him, something boiling underneath the surface, something festering just beneath his casual exterior.

And when it's finally unleashed, it becomes a vicious monster.

Green - Su Hyeon

Green Guys, when at their best, are chill and peaceful, but at their worst, they are easily prone to jealously, they are envious, and they are rotten to the core.

Su Hyeon can act the part of a chill guy, but the moment he is provoked, the beast inside comes out just like when he was at the dinner and saw the man who assaulted Daon.

Or like when he dragged Daon inside his apartment and told him to never look at Seong Hyeon like that again.

And although I believed Su Hyeon didn't turn green until the night of the assault when he used the green bottle to attack the man in the green room, it actually started before then.

The gift Daon got Su Hyeon was green, so he must have known some small aspect of Su Hyeon's true color, right?

And he also had Su Hyeon in his phone under a green-colored contact card.

Which is ironic since Su Hyeon also has someone in his phone who lights up his screen in a decaying green color.

After all, he learned how to turn into a green monster from his father.

But the real monster in this story is the sneaky devil Su Hyeon made a deal with all those years ago.

Pink - Jaemin

Pink People are normally compassionate and friendly, but when they don't get their way, they can become overemotional and childish.

Much like Su Hyeon, Jaemin hides his true color well, but it's always been there, slowly suffocating him around his neck every time he felt his grip on Daon slipping.

And just like Su Hyeon, Daon was aware in some small way of Jaemin's true color because not only did Jaemin offer him pink coffee cups when they met in the first episode and pink plates to eat off of at his apartment, but just like Su Hyeon, Daon wanted to gift Jaemin the perfect color-coded gift.

The worst part of all of this is Jaemin really does love Daon, but pink is simply a tint of red, and we all know what Red Rascals are capable of when they lose control.

And perhaps Jaemin knows he has already lost because no matter how tight-lipped Daon may be, he always gives away who has his heart through his color, and I'm not referring to the color-coded gifts.

Daon

Daon wore a green jacket when he liked Su Hyeon, and Su Hyeon now wants to give him his ring. Daon has lived in an apartment with a pink exterior since he has become closer to Jaemin over the past seven years, and Jaemin gives him a scarf to wear. But now there is a new (blue) boy in town who wipes Daon's face with a blue cloth and reminds Daon of himself.

And not only did that Blue Boy color-coordinate outfits with Daon for work, but he came prepared to love Daon.

In all the exact ways he needs.

So let's see if Daon gives his Blue Boy the perfect color-coded gift or will this love allow Daon to finally embrace his own color instead of conforming to what everyone else wants (which I think is yellow since Jaemin has a yellow pillow, Daon was lit by yellow when Su Hyeon rescued him, and he has warm lighting when wearing blue plus countless other instances!).

But either way, I'll be delighted.

[victorandyuriofice]

Jaemin loved Da On. He might even think he loves him. But he loves him in a twisted way that says the only way to love someone is to keep him forever, keep until he's sure they're so tangled he cannot ever go and he will do anything to make that come true and it doesn't matter if Da On loves him if the love might be temporary. Nothing counts unless it's forever.

Suhyeon loved Da On. He was always pushy but his pushiness turned into abuse in seven years apart and now all the things he used to do that showed how much he cared are just hurting Da On again and again. His love has twisted in their time apart, turned inside himself until what was left is only hurting him and he can't even see that.

Sunghyun loves Da On. He isn't perfect but he loves him for exactly who he is and cares for him and worries about him and tries to help him. He heals the wounds Suhyeon has left on his skin and to comfort the wounds Jaemin has left on his soul. He takes care of him out of kindness and worry and care and willingly makes himself pitiful and hurts his own heart out of hope and this want to love and be loved.

Da On has loved all of them in his time. He has loved and he has stopped loving and he has let his heart break again and again and he has pulled away again and again to protect himself, to protect them, to try and find someone that will love him. He is almost unprotected thanks to his abusive childhood and lack of healthy relationship knowledge... but he has spent a lifetime learning.

Secret Relationships is a story about what happens when love is desperately wanted but unsafe, when love hurts and when love breaks and when love is wrong and how to find your way to something better when all you know is the way love hurts and love breaks and love shatters.

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I WAS GONNA SAY!

Su Hyeon just got back to Korea and he knows a hell of a lot more about who is around Da On than you, Jae Min. You're dropping the ball.

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Da On must got that omegaverse pheromone thingy bc he cant talk to a man for more than 2 secs without causing him to be bewitched by a love-induced madness

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He kept it. He kept Da On's stocking for SEVEN! YEARS! In any other situation that would be touching and sweet but here? Oh baby, you are soooooo stuck in the past.

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Now it's finally the time to talk about the latest episode of Secret Relationships, episode 7. As always, this episode is packed with so many things and I'm still enjoying it a lot. You can never get bored because there is always a crazy twist that is happening. Poor Daon, his life was never dull and I bet he wishes he has a more ordinary life. Unfortunately, he isn't that lucky.

I don't know if it's in the source material or not, but the story is really doing a lot of work to keep the mysteries hidden until the very last minute. It makes you want to get another episode to get the answers. Sometimes it can be frustrating, but overall I think they are doing a decent job of making you to anticipate the big reveal. We know more from the past, but every time they give you another flashback, you are discovering something you didn't imagine and that's quite compelling.

So, Seong Hyeon has been waiting for Daon, but unfortunately poor Daon was held back by what Jaemin did and he arrived late. A series of misunderstandings happened because of what Jaemin did and Seong Hyeon thought he had no chance left with Daon. Despite rejecting Daon and telling him he would stop pursuing him, Seong Hyeon still has feelings for him and still care for him. They find a sort of truce when Daon is falsely accused of "nepotism" (because he knew SuHyeon from uni and some people think he was hired in the company because of that). Even if Seong Hyeon experienced heartbreak, he wants the best for Daon and cheer him up so he doesn't give up.

I admit I think the misunderstanding would have been avoided if Seong Hyeon let Daon explained what happened or at least gave him time to explain. He just rushed to assume the worst because of the bite mark on his neck. I mean it didn't look like a love bite at all and Daon didn't look like someone who had fun before, but let's admit that Seong Hyeon was assuming the worst because he had to wait for a while and he has a fertile imagination. Daon never got the chance to explain what happened. Even when he came to Seong Hyeon's house when he heard he was sick, he tried to say something, but was cut short. I was frustrated at that point because we were shown that Daon isn't a doormat and can express his feelings well when he's talking to SuHyeon or Jaemin (at least now). I guess he was taken aback and hurt when he heard about Seong Hyeon's "rejection". That's the only explanation I can truly accept.

Seong Hyeon is really shown in this episode, as the best option as a "suitor" for Daon because he is ready to support Daon's dream even after experiencing the heartbreak. It matters more to him to help Daon than to end up with him which set him apart from the two other Daon's "suitors". That's saying something because the two others have different shades of craziness to offer.

On one hand, we have Jaemin. He stabbed himself in front of Daon and for what?! To force him to choose him? It didn't work because Daon isn't going to be swayed anymore by Jaemin's actions. I was pretty impressed by him. We've seen how in the past he could easily be manipulated by Jaemin, but this time he wasn't and he stood his ground. He brought him to the hospital to be treated, but he didn't stay because he has someone else, more important to him at the moment, to see. He did the best he could and frankly he was too nice to Jaemin (especially after knowing everything he did to him). Of course, knowing his personality he would never have let him die, so I believe he made the right decision. However, I was very surprised by Jaemin's reaction. I couldn't believe he just accepted Daon's decision without doing anything. He was crazy enough to stab himself, but a small piece of paper written by Daon would have convinced him to give up?! Impossible! When SuHyeon offered to team up with him, I also thought Jaemin would accept. After all, they kind of already did it before. Again, I was surprised when he said no. He then said he would go abroad and move on. Don't lie to us Jaemin! You didn't spend more than 7 years manipulating everyone around Daon just to give up like that. It doesn't add up and I feel like the story keeps making us doubt him on purpose.

On the other hand, we still have SuHyeon who seem to never learn anything. It doesn’t matter how many time Daon tells him he doesn’t want him, he can’t accept the truth. He is still scheming in his own “style” to get to have Daon for himself. The story shows us that he has something ready for the presentation day on the project Daon is working on, but the mystery remains and you want to know what is his plan. I have less things to say about SuHyeon in this episode, because he is acting just the way you expect him to do. He is still quite violent in his way of handling anything. If things won’t go his way in the last episode, I wonder if his father will do something. After all, SuHyeon is putting his obsession for being with Daon over the company and his work. Nothing really matters than being with the one he never got the chance to be with. I wonder if SuHyeon isn’t living in the fantasy of what could have happened. He doesn’t seem to see that Daon has changed and things would never be the same. Even if by miracle, Daon ended up with him, he would get frustrated because he could never go back to the past and the present Daon would never act the way he imagined things would be between them. It’s just my guess, maybe I’m wrong.

Of course, the episode ends with a cliffhanger. Jaemin asked to see Daon one last time, SuHyeon has something ready, but we know nothing and Daon wanted to talk to Seong Hyeon (probably telling him about his feelings). So Daon went to the “underground car park” (?) and he was drugged and dragged to an unknown place. Someone is coming and as the viewer you have to decide if it's Jaemin or SuHyeon. It makes me want to be tomorrow already to get the answer. I guess it depends on whom you think would be crazy enough to do this. My bet is on Jaemin because I can't accept that he just wanted to leave like that after everything he has done. My most unhinged theory is that Jaemin and SuHyeon did, in fact, teamed up and brought Daon to this place. The last flashback brought us back seven years ago in the unknown place, when they were still talking and in good terms. They are celebrating Christmas. We end the story with a wish they made and the last one is quite ominous: “May we be together until the moment we left this world”. I'm a bit afraid that the person who kidnapped Daon has decided that if he can't have him, no one should have him and death is the only option…

[victorandyuriofice]

Going Crazy with Colors

The color of the duct tape tells me this kidnapping is the doing of our resident green monster.

Hello, sir.

However, is anyone else seeing pink on the right?

The green is obvious on the left, but am I seeing pink on the right?

Because the obvious culprit is the Green Guy since he set his plan in motion once Daon rejected him.

And he is the only one who consistently dresses is all black.

But the forum post came at the perfect time to destroy both Daon AND Su Hyeon, and Su Hyeon was being a regular blue prior to Daon disappearing, so when he appears to have no idea about the forum, it feels legit.

Like the green is always there, but the point is that his color will give him away because he doesn't try to hide his true color.

Unlike this one!

And although there is a hint of green in this scene, there is so much red when Daon entered the parking garage that we all knew he was in trouble, but who sent him there?!

Jaemin!

Like I wrote before, pink is simply a subdued red.

Su Hyeon was turning redder as Daon rejected him, but he doesn't need to win. He just wants Seong Hyeon to lose. This is why he entered into the deal with Jaemin in the first place. Nobody won.

But that's never been Jaemin's objective. It's always been him against the others hence the barrier.

And they all made wishes on that Christmas tree to stay together, but if we are going in order of how they were standing with Su Hyeon on the right, Daon in the middle, and Jaemin on the left,

Then that means the last wish about being together UNTIL DEATH DO THEM PART we see is Jaemin's, right? Or was it actually Daon's?

Jaemin was planning on leaving and tells everyone he doesn't plan to return,

But we also see snow when he is exiting his apartment.

Which, of course, is a reminder of the cabin.

Jaemin does not wear his color once in this episode.

But even our Blue Boy, with his misplaced anger, is still blue.

Once Jaemin's true color was revealed, the competition for Daon's heart was just down to two competitors — a Green Guy and a Blue Boy.

So how can Jaemin win the game for his Yellow Yal's heart when he can't even play?

Well, he can take the place of his opponents when they least expect it.

Or he can simply just end the game.

I could be clownin' and Su Hyeon could be the kidnapper which was quickly told through the green duct tape. Easy! But no matter how this goes down in the finale, the people behind the scenes of this show deserve a raise because even in that Christmas scene, Su Hyeon's pillow was pink, and Jaemin's was green.

And Christmas is the time for reds and greens, so although it's been Su Hyeon who has been living in the past, I don't think he has been the only one.

So much so, that he'd be willing to give up a future.

Jaemin, don't disappoint me. Be as crazy as the colors tell me you are.

@babyangelsky, we ride at dawn!

[victorandyuriofice]

I can't remember who it was, but someone in the tag posted a poll asking whether or not Su Hyeon's violent and possessive side would've eventually come out in a world where he and Da On did get to date.

So now I wondering whether this side of Jae Min that is so profoundly insecure and mistrusting of Da On's feelings for him and that is so unable to let go of the feelings Da On once had for Su Hyeon, would ever really be at peace if they were together. And I don't think it would. I think that it would haunt him forever and he'd never be satisfied.

[victorandyuriofice]

BL Review: Secret Relationships 🇰🇷

From the same studio that brought you Semantic Error and The New Employee here comes what is possibly the hottest telenovela mess in recent KBL history. This joint has everything: a love quadrangle, pretty psychopaths, emotional manipulation, complete disregard for ethics, total lack of personal boundaries, no workplace etiquette, the most stupid bitches you have ever seen, all of that and I'm barely scratching the surface.

At first glance all major players seem like you basic tropes: doe-eyed innocent protagonist with a complicated past, the senior who is the long unrequited love, newcomer who after some silly misunderstandings is going to show what real love really is.

It's all pretty basic until it isn't, courtesy of Soohyun, the third suitor for Daon's heart and another one of his seniors with a long story between them, he shows up kicking the door and unleashing mayhem.

One of the main gimmicks of the series lies in the storytelling structure: the show skips certain events in order to cause doubt and suspense, only for it to show us what happened in a flashback usually a few minutes later. It's quite effective at first, but by the midway point it does get worn out and (probably) due time constraints the show glosses over important aspects of the backstory of the characters and the audience has to fill-in the gaps themselves.

Each episode sheds light in a different dynamic happening on-screen, some more interesting than others. While Daon and Jaemin are the first and seemingly most important people in each other's lives, once Soohyun and Seonghyon enter the picture the pink-sweater menace falls to the background, we find more about him through the consequence of his actions than actually spending time with him.

Jaemin and Soohyun relationship is also quite interesting, the show peeling a new layer with each episode, and it's always fun to see two crazy characters out crazing each other. Interestingly enough Jaemin and Seonghyeon don't share the screen in a significant way through out the show, a missed opportunity for some drama.

From all the leads is Soohyun who stands as the most interesting, the more complex of the four. The few moments the show dedicates to his backstory paint a tragic picture: ostracized by his father, treated as mere commodity by his mother and pressured into a life he did not chose for himself, he sees in Daon the chance for happiness. Both characters survivors of hostile family environments, which probably bonds them to begin with and the show takes it's time to build their relationship, eluding the viewers until we almost get a full grasp of what is really happening with these two. And when it does, it hits, because it's clear that nothing good is going to come out of it, but at one point it could.

As for Seonghyon? He operates in a different reality. It almost feels like he is a tourist from another world, and while the show makes an effort to present him as the "good guy" his actions say otherwise, he is a master in emotional manipulation preying early on Daon's emotional distress and masterfully so. Considering that we are dealing with a south korean production is to be expected that the "prince charming" would be nothing if not a walking red flag.

And while it's hot to smack-talk the suitors, Daon is no flower either, as I said he is an enabler who simply can't set personal boundaries with any of the men in his life. 90% of the show wouldn't have happened if he imposed limits or was able to speak his mind, annoying sure, but thanks to the other three leads dominating the narrative is not much of a problem, although by the end it gets ridiculous how much he lacks a sense of preservation, him running to meet Jaemin at the parking lot after everything that happened was beyond salvation.

Script wise this is a royal mess. It's all-over the place, going back and forth in order to instigate drama, never really fleshing out what is proposing and going all in for shock value and nothing else — Jaemin's suicide attempt to get Daon's attention is simply brushed aside because Daon had a prior commitment with Ju, and you know... Jaemin was just being silly I guess.

Another point of contention is how, and this is a wider problem really, the show paints certain actions as chivalrous while they most certainly are not. This is more present in Ju and Soohyun, no wonder part of the audience was asking for Daon to just ditch all of them and go to therapy.

Problematic aside, this show goes full-throttle on the drama and it shares a lot of DNA with latin telenovelas, with crazy behavior and even wackier development, all in order for some good ol' entertainment, and on that front is mightily successful even if it had to sacrifice some logic for it. All of that wouldn't be effective if the cast was not up for the task and I'll single out Kim Ho Young and Cha Jung Woo as Jaemin and Soohyun, they were by far (and up close) the best here, bringing a manic energy that is so unhinged that you never know when they are going to snap but at the same time constantly reminding us how sad and tragic both characters are — no wonder even doing the most heinous shenanigans they still managed to capture part of the audience with viewers rooting for them, especially Jung Woo (he is actually Daon's Junseo pick for favorite).

Secret Relationships is an all-around hot mess, but if you manage to turn off your brain and not question anything you are going to find one of the best telenovelas to ever grace the fandom, we were one Thalía song away from some real Televisa stuff here.

Top 10 most unhinged moments right after the cut!

Starting at the beginning. The moment Soohyun showed up brandishing his status as director of the company, Daon should've packed his stuff and bolted... but no, babygirl decided to throw survival instinct out of the window from the get-go.

I love you and want to control your life: the moment we saw that Jaemin had influence over every single aspect of Daon's life all alarm bells were sounding off. It took one assault, two debunkings and one timely voice over for Daon to finally catchup on what was popping.

Molesting the drunk cutie, but with puppy eyes so is not all bad: and here was when all alarm bells sounded yet again but with Seonghyon being the culprit. But apparently is fine to take advantage of someone who is completely blitzed. Hell, make him feel bad and ask for forgiveness for calling the wrong name while you are at it.

Getting what you want, but maybe not: Whatever was happening between Daon and Soohyun is never clarified. They liked each other, it was mutual, but how deep did went? I mean for a moment it seemed like it was very deep. But much like so many things that seemed important the show dropped this ball and never picked it up again.

If someone get more attention than me I'll kill myself and then you!: Jaemin's Fatal Attraction moment came at the tail end of episode 6, and it seemed like we were going to see some real shit go down. Nobody cared.

Trauma? Never heard of her: Some people suppress bad experiences in order to move forward, but none like Daon — the guy you spent years relying on and loving tries to kill himself in front of you? Oh bollocks no time for that! He has a date with the cutie who has been love bombing him!

Trauma? My best friend in the whole wide-world: If Daon seemingly moves from one traumatic event to the other like Aurora changes the color of her dress, Soohyun cannot say the same — from his dad pointing a gun at him, his mom pretty much prostituting him to the next bachelorette available and being manipulated for seven years by his rival for reasons unknown, our resident chaebol had it rough. He could've just left and taken a smitten Daon with him, but then he would have to work, and he is a one tragedy at time type of man.

Don't forget this is a K-Drama: We have kidnapping, blackmail, attempted murder, sexual abuse, moral abuse and some questionable directorial decisions but nothing beats Seonghyon and his pastel colors with fluffy cute aura whenever he shows up. It was always a guaranteed whiplash from a dark tale of abusive relationships to cute dramaland antics with puppy sound effects with him.

EVERYTHING WITH THE INTRO OF EPISODE 8: the kidnapping, the white tuxedo, the crazy x-mas wish that Deaon forgot (I was like BITCH HE WISHED TO DIE WITH YOU), the gasoline, the neighbor... it just kept going and getting crazier with each second.

The bloody presentation: As my last wish I want you to present that proposal that will guarantee you a better job — I wanted to stand up and clap because whoever wrote that shit thought it was cooking (if someone told that everyone on the writers room was eating crystal meth like rock candy I would believe).