It is a really great detail to me that NS, force of destruction, once again never dreams that he could threaten his literal employee with dismissal. No, in NS’s head they are a team and of course YH is going to be showered in luxuries. Which is what YH wants, right? Probably why he’s around, NS must think? Even YH was unsure whether he was swayed by the luxuries earlier, and NS wasn’t around for YH’s epiphany, plus is uh, homicidally insecure.
It’s super sad that NS clearly loves YH the best way he knows how–offering material goods, which are the only thing he’s been taught to value about himself, and willingness to be hurt, as he and YH are both used to being hurt against their will–and that way is terrible and unacceptable.
On one hand I am convinced they both know they love each other. But you’re right, Shin doesn’t know how to offer anything besides material wealth or believe he has anything else to offer besides his wealth.
What got me in this scene was how clearly starved for physical contact Shin is. We rarely see him being touched or touching someone else. But here he accepts, invites it, because he trusts whatever Young-hoon would communicate by touch.
I swing between wanting to set Shin on fire and wanting to wrap him in cotton wool.
I mean, I think NS knows there’s something there–some honesty and genuine warmth that made him cotton onto YH in the first place. (I guess who knows! Maybe he just got a crush on his hot tutor, as who can blame him, and then his grandpa hijacked his hot tutor’s whole life. Dammit, grandpa.) And we see in the ep NS really wants to trust in YH’s affection–that he came back for him, even though Seo is rightly skeptical. But NS obviously has a super hard time trusting anyone, and explicitly says in this scene that his wealth and power are what will stop him being hurt.
The saying YH could hit him was so sad. Grandpa framed hitting YH as an act of care for NS: it wasn’t one, and NS didn’t think it was one, but NS has such a messed up relationship with violence and currently just wants to be focused on and cared for. So he’s like ‘Okay, hit me, hit me all you like: since it’s you, I trust that it IS a demonstration of affection.’ Ohhhh dear.
It is the way he keeps using “us”, as he did when the grandfather hit Young-hoon. This understanding that they’re a unit. But I don’t know how much of that phrasing is down to translation rather than reflecting something specific about their relationship. And also when YH threatened to never see him again, it was framed as such an unprecedented and significant event. I was like “You both know, right? This is literally the love that dare not speak its name.” BUT, I agree, it is all so unspoken that it may not be mutually recognised and understood.
Yup. He is a damaged, hurting, bitey puppy. Who had better sort his shit out soon. I do not even know how So-bong can tolerate helping YH to help him. I love her.
She is so great. I really want to see a little more interiority for her, and am super psyched she’s getting a birthday–I know there will be angst too, but she longs to be cherished and NS 3 longs to cherish her, so let’s see some of that! I think she is abetting the helping because she can see that NS 3 wants to do it, and she wants him to be true to himself and unafraid. There are so many acts of love in this show!
And one is that NS and YH actually did repurpose Grandpa’s framing of them as a unit (he’ll hurt one to hurt the other) in a way that–while still warped by the pressure of their situation–meant they were offering each other good things. Like each bringing something to ease the other’s pain, in the flashback: NS is trying to still do this by offering YH the stuff ‘we’ will have, but getting it so wrong when what would work is him keeping his promise not to hurt people.
I almost thought it was a mistranslation when I watched it. I couldn’t even react because it was so clearly a declaration of “I love you” that there is no longer doubt. (Not that any of us have had it for weeks).
Bean Ní Rírá | feminist killjoy 😡
July 31, 2018 at 2:22 PM
RUN AWAY WITH ME, YOUNG-HOON … is not the subtext of the scene. It’s simply the text. Also, hands up who’s unsurprised by Shin’s masochistic streak?
MaryBee
July 31, 2018 at 3:22 PM
It is a really great detail to me that NS, force of destruction, once again never dreams that he could threaten his literal employee with dismissal. No, in NS’s head they are a team and of course YH is going to be showered in luxuries. Which is what YH wants, right? Probably why he’s around, NS must think? Even YH was unsure whether he was swayed by the luxuries earlier, and NS wasn’t around for YH’s epiphany, plus is uh, homicidally insecure.
It’s super sad that NS clearly loves YH the best way he knows how–offering material goods, which are the only thing he’s been taught to value about himself, and willingness to be hurt, as he and YH are both used to being hurt against their will–and that way is terrible and unacceptable.
Bean Ní Rírá | feminist killjoy 😡
July 31, 2018 at 11:59 PM
On one hand I am convinced they both know they love each other. But you’re right, Shin doesn’t know how to offer anything besides material wealth or believe he has anything else to offer besides his wealth.
What got me in this scene was how clearly starved for physical contact Shin is. We rarely see him being touched or touching someone else. But here he accepts, invites it, because he trusts whatever Young-hoon would communicate by touch.
I swing between wanting to set Shin on fire and wanting to wrap him in cotton wool.
Cloggie
August 1, 2018 at 1:32 AM
Cotton wool can be highly flammable. Just warning against that combination.
MaryBee
August 1, 2018 at 6:01 AM
I mean, I think NS knows there’s something there–some honesty and genuine warmth that made him cotton onto YH in the first place. (I guess who knows! Maybe he just got a crush on his hot tutor, as who can blame him, and then his grandpa hijacked his hot tutor’s whole life. Dammit, grandpa.) And we see in the ep NS really wants to trust in YH’s affection–that he came back for him, even though Seo is rightly skeptical. But NS obviously has a super hard time trusting anyone, and explicitly says in this scene that his wealth and power are what will stop him being hurt.
The saying YH could hit him was so sad. Grandpa framed hitting YH as an act of care for NS: it wasn’t one, and NS didn’t think it was one, but NS has such a messed up relationship with violence and currently just wants to be focused on and cared for. So he’s like ‘Okay, hit me, hit me all you like: since it’s you, I trust that it IS a demonstration of affection.’ Ohhhh dear.
Bean Ní Rírá | feminist killjoy 😡
August 1, 2018 at 6:12 AM
It is the way he keeps using “us”, as he did when the grandfather hit Young-hoon. This understanding that they’re a unit. But I don’t know how much of that phrasing is down to translation rather than reflecting something specific about their relationship. And also when YH threatened to never see him again, it was framed as such an unprecedented and significant event. I was like “You both know, right? This is literally the love that dare not speak its name.” BUT, I agree, it is all so unspoken that it may not be mutually recognised and understood.
Yup. He is a damaged, hurting, bitey puppy. Who had better sort his shit out soon. I do not even know how So-bong can tolerate helping YH to help him. I love her.
MaryBee
August 1, 2018 at 6:30 AM
She is so great. I really want to see a little more interiority for her, and am super psyched she’s getting a birthday–I know there will be angst too, but she longs to be cherished and NS 3 longs to cherish her, so let’s see some of that! I think she is abetting the helping because she can see that NS 3 wants to do it, and she wants him to be true to himself and unafraid. There are so many acts of love in this show!
And one is that NS and YH actually did repurpose Grandpa’s framing of them as a unit (he’ll hurt one to hurt the other) in a way that–while still warped by the pressure of their situation–meant they were offering each other good things. Like each bringing something to ease the other’s pain, in the flashback: NS is trying to still do this by offering YH the stuff ‘we’ will have, but getting it so wrong when what would work is him keeping his promise not to hurt people.
Nam Joo-hyuk is Tall
July 31, 2018 at 5:52 PM
I almost thought it was a mistranslation when I watched it. I couldn’t even react because it was so clearly a declaration of “I love you” that there is no longer doubt. (Not that any of us have had it for weeks).
Bean Ní Rírá | feminist killjoy 😡
August 1, 2018 at 12:04 AM
I searched it almost immediately to make sure I hadn’t inserted some of the dialogue myself.
Bean Ní Rírá | feminist killjoy 😡
August 1, 2018 at 6:04 AM
*rewatched not searched.