Obviously it is quite easy to brush him off as this insane psycho, who just absolutely loves violence, and finds it quite hilarious to see people trying to fight him when he is clearly the stronger fighter, like those guys Sieun overhears says he is.
And they aren’t wrong. He IS like that! The first time we see him he is surrounded by his minions, and assaulting a guy for making fun of him. And look at how much fun he is having just THINKING about annoying “Baku?” and even more so when he beats up Gotak!
But he is in all that insanity very lonely.
The first time we see some inkling of that is his confrontation with Baku:
Exhausted and for the first time seriously stating “I am tired. I am sick of this. But I guess Baekjin isn’t.
He just want them to “end your lovers’quarrel” aka stop making it everyone else’s problems, god please!!! Let him focus on other things! But just like Hyuntak, Seongje is understanding of their complicated relationship.
Also Baekjin has him as “Keum Seongje” aka his full name saved in his phone but that might just be the way he saves ppl in general.
Baekjin doesn’t tell him more than needed
When bringing in Sieun and letting him leave Seongje is confused. But Baekjin just feeds him up with a generic answer
Aka he is not beening involved in the plan more than strictly necessary
„Is it fun, being Na Baekjin minion?“
When Gotaks asks this Seongje laughs – dismissing it as a joke – not even entertaining the idea of it being a real question. Cause in his head they’re obviously friends.
He laughes at Gotak loosing it to protect Juntae, stating a sarcastic “You’re so cool.” And during the fight he laughes everytime Gotak stands back up, clearly already tired.
Sidenote in this interview mentioned here Lee Jun Young talks about how Lee Minjae’s acting as Gotak made him so angry he actually crushed his cigarette with his bare hands. I’m pretty we don’t know what the line is but I’ve seen some ppl suggest it was doubling down on his „life choices“ and „loyalties“ which would make sense.
After the fight, while the four of them all take care of each other, Seongje presumably just keeps lying there, being taken in by first the ambulance and then the police.
Lee Jun Young notes in another interview that he felt quite lonely filming this and thinks Seongje did too. Which is interesting considering he wasn’t alone on that rooftop now was he ?
And when Baekjin picks him up from the police station… he is a) surprised to see Baekjin aka it is out of character to care this much about him and 2) he IS all alone, so if they aren’t still at the station, it’s suggesting they might have ditched him. And considering we don’t really see him again I’m sure it’s true.
This is followed of course by the infamous break up, where it seems like Seongje got to eat his last meal, before he got cut off, in case he snitched. Not even being asked if he is okay or not.
So he drops this heartbreaking line:
Clearly having to come to the realisation that Gotak had been right. And he sets the boundary of not being called again. That he’ll be the one to reach out this time. Not on Baekjins whims and demands.
In the warehouse no one knows he slept there
We don’t really know if he just genuinely lives there which is unlikely considering he says that Baekjin never brings him here. So did he sleep there, hoping Baekjin would come back? Or did he just have nowhere else to go? Or was it just on a whim as well?
Anyway, when he emerges from it, he tells Juntae at first to just give up. That might at least let him survive. But Juntae is loyal and doesn’t give up, to which Seongje supports him with his infamous “romantic” line
This line stays in contrast to what we see before: Laughing at Gotak stubbornly trying to defend his friends, standing back up again when he is clearly done fighting
But now that he has been in the same situation … and not been chosen… well, now it isn’t funny at all anymore. And seeing Juntae be this courageous ? It is exactly what he wanted from Baekjin.
So when Baku and Gotak come running immediately, and Gotak carries Juntae out, not even looking at him anymore, he watched them longingly.
He tries one last time: Pointing out how courageous Sieun and Juntae are – notably NOT mentioning Gotak!
Despite Gotak throwing the first punch/kick even after being triggered just seeing him (Baekjin broke his knee but Seongje most likely was there in some way shape or form).
Despite Gotak trying to keep fighting, when already being on the ground or being held up by Seongje himself.
Despite Gotak, being known to keep on fighting no matter what.
And when he realises that Baku is humble and devoted enough to be okay with not being the strongest; that he didn’t take the leadership because he needed the power.? That he just genuinely wants to protect his friends and school ? That he can appreciate and support other’s success over his? Seongje starts questioning his “life choices” and his “loyalties” even more and more”
Despite all of this, he is the only one Baekjin officially trusts, the one he trusts most
Having the log ins to the safes and other information.
Currently feeling betrayed by Baekjin, he agrees to help. Only to end up betraying Sieun. But he doesn’t join the big fight and more importantly he is notably NOT at the funeral…
Which we find out he didn’t even know about, thinking Baekjin was just ghosting him for his betrayal. Aka.
No one told him about the funeral of the guy he considered his best friend. Despite Seongmok and Dongha being at the funeral. Despite having worked together for a years now. Despite having helped in the end anyway.
So not even their minions thought they were close enough to think he would want to know about Baekjins (perceived (he is alive trust guys) ACTUAL DEATH ?!? Sure, he was officially still out of the union. But even if you only know about someone in passing like a co-worker, you’d want to know about it?
So either they did not seem close at all, despite the official trust Baekjin had in Seongje: trusting him to go after Baku and his friends AND the unions passcodes. Or it was deliberately hidden from him.
Either way: He was completely and utterly alone in the union and STILL: He stayed loyal to Baekjin, despite being ghosted and mistrusted. Tried to reach out again and again.
The union seems to be all he has.
And Gotak was right: He was just his minion. Nothing else.
As per request by a @gisellena Seongje Version lol hope you liked it lmk
Not to shamelessly plug my own fic but I go a bit more into Seongje’s (possible) thoughts and feelings in the 2. chapters of this fic if anyone’s interested.
