While Geun-soo has, up until this point, seemed like an aimless puppy – sweetly head-over-heels for a girl who has her own issues (not to mention her own growing up to do), I wonder if he’s only just been a blank slate.

He’s never really had any expectations set for him – either by a parent or himself. I feel like his first taste at discovering something to strive for is how he feels about Yi-seo, yet he’s obviously ill-equipped to pursue her effectively even by normal standards. I think the second taste he gets is joining the DanBam family – specifically getting some brotherly affection from SRY. Pair this with how his father treats basically everyone, and you’d think Geun-soo would pick up on the decent way to be.

Except…

He seems to be a mirror of some of the other characters. He mirrors Yi-seo in going after whom he wants by any means necessary – she, after all, gives up school to work for SRY for the sake of love. He also mirrors SRY slightly in this respect – SRY has lots of motivations for his actions, but it’s hard to discount his “get rich” plan isn’t a little bit because of Soo-ah.

I think he’s also noticed, at this point, that as much as SRY pulls ahead – Chairman Jang has been able to knock him back at every turn. Geun-soo, the man on whom nothing and no one really relies on, may know that being nice is nice – it gets you friends and smiles and fleeting happy moments – but it doesn’t give you wins. He knows this because of Yi-seo’s words and he’s seeing it because of SRY. So… why not give the dark side a go? He doesn’t really have much to lose if he ends up “successful” in the end, right?

Maybe I’m reading too much into a character that comes from a webtoon. Or maybe he’s actually a secret genius who’s working the inside to ultimately help SRY win in the end. Only time will tell I guess.