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Easily startled by sounds, Hyeok-woo fears for himself. No one can deny the the amount of terror in his eyes as if his father's action just the night before replays in front of him.

Upon realizing that it was only So Mun, a split second before this dialogue pops up, his eyes are relaxed and his body language relieved which is reflected throughout this whole scene.

Hyeok-woo, since the beginning used violence and his presence to swat everyone away from his way. It was the only method he knew to protect himself. At this moment, though, he does it not for himself but for So Mun.

Hearing So Mun's determined tone, he scoffs off seemingly running off of other options to keep him away from this situation.

But he continues with his facade.

He still goes on but So Mun is losing his patience, completely not buying his act.

He continues still, pushing every bit of comeback and retort.

This was supposed to be his last say. The one and final blow, expecting So Mun to just back out of everything else as he knows just how dangerous his father is.

"Just get lost." is his own way of saying "Everywhere else is safer than here" / "I don't want you to get hurt."

So Mun grew up in an environment where he is loved and taken care of by the people around him. Despite having to lose his parents at such a young age, they were able to show him all that too. While Hyeok-woo had to grow up in an environment where instead of love, there is punishment. Instead of attention, there is neglect.

So Mun doesn't have to look for anything and he is given everything. Hyeok-woo had to plead, beg on his knees for anything and still ended up with nothing.

Hyeok-woo had friends who were only there for power and once he lose that, all of them turned their backs and he is now a victim to their abuses. So Mun lose his family but his friends (blessed them) were there for him, would even run to him in just a call.

Their difference is simply too big...

But, there is one thing that they have in common which was a lack of control to their own emotions (which i do not blame them for! they are young and teens, still navigating the world and themselves) and that's when the parallel lines meet, a connection that leads both boys to open themselves to the world and themselves.

"We are still young, we can still change." (So Mun to Hyeok-woo, nonverbatim) [mirrors then how So Mun can see himself in him]

With such words, it isn't a wonder why Hyeok-woo would be found later on sleeping just outside of So Mun's house and why it shouldn't be a surprise that So Mun would let him in and even lay him on his bed.

At the same time, this is the reason why So Mun reading onto Hyeok-woo's memory is so important and symbolic. It gives him a chance to be open by showing that someone, who has the same age, same year as him, has a trauma too and somehow, though may be out-of-the-blue, that he isn't alone.

"You must have a lot of things you want to forget too." (So Mun to Hyeok-woo after looking into his memory, nonverbatim)

After, with him already knowing Hyeok-woo's past, he became gentle and even more so understanding WHICH also affected Hyeok-woo thus his apology later on.

Seeing how both of them exhibited rawness and vulnerability to each other that were even caused by one another is so incredibly healing!!

During the very first time that I watched Uncanny Counter, I had always wondered the significance of the second GIF. It seems to add nothing to the plot and seems to be out-of-the-blue. However, after realizing that one of hyeok-woo's trauma revolves around the memory of his father threatening him inside their car, I finally get the sense of the second GIF.