lele

Cause I've done some things that I can't speak And I've tried to wash you away, but you just won't leave So won't you take a breath and dive in deep? Cause I came here so you'd come for me I'm begging you to keep on haunting

Ticket to heaven x Haunting by Halsey

I think that the reason Augur brings it up, to help Ko figure his shit out (or to force him to face his shit ig), has a sense of youthful soberness. Augur wasn't hiding it per se but just never saw value in telling Ko because he didn't have an interest in pursuing his crush and later was able to just move on.

It's also played of as just having been a fun moment. Which is really nice because crushes can be fun and they can be the start or even just a part of a friendship. Relationships and feelings are gonna change, but that doesn't always have to mean something.

The difference in how Ko Song & Ko Neung navigated their awkward phase is so fascinating to me because it perfectly captures their “push-pull” dynamic. When faced with conflict, one tends to be avoidant while the other jumps straight to confrontation.

When Ko Song was becoming more aware of how he really felt about Ko Neung, it caused him to shrink back into the reserved person he was when they first met and attempt to avoid him in every way possible. His method of dealing with the situation was to remove himself completely and avoid any further inconvenience.

In his mind, he ruined the friendship by miscalculating and making the first move. So why bother trying to repair it and risk making things worse?

Ko Neung, alternatively, knew he was beginning to feel “off” around Ko Song even before things took place, but wasn’t sure why. He only saw him pulling back and assumed it was solely due to him feeling guilty about the kiss.

Being the extroverted and confrontational person that he is, Ko Neung believed that the correct thing to do was to reassure Ko Song and mend their friendship, while the latter thought it would be best to isolate himself and cope with his emotions on his own.

The interactions between Kongdech and Tanrak are painful to witness because it’s hard for me to not feel sympathy for both sides.

For starters, there were multiple instances throughout the episodes where Kongdech was noticeably suspicious of the two, yet he still ended up going to Tanrak with hopes that he’d tell the truth.

He fully trusted their friendship and figured that Tanrak would tell him anything, only to be met with the same “it’s nothing” response that he gave everyone.

As the viewers, we are aware that the reason behind Tanrak not being truthful was due to him feeling torn between his faith and his desire. Involving Kongdech would’ve further complicated the situation, and put them at risk of being caught by their peers and Father. Kongdech took this avoidance as betrayal, while Tanrak saw it as essential.

On the other hand, Tanrak has already been going through his own inner conflicts as he tries navigating longing to reunite with his parents in heaven, and his feelings for Barth. To add on to that, he now has deal with the additional guilt of unintentionally hurting his childhood friend.

He thought he was doing the right thing by keeping him in the dark about the details of their relationship, only for it to backfire and make it appear as if their years of friendship were insignificant to him.

What we saw in this episode was just a confirmation of what we’ve already known. Kongdech planned his future around having Tanrak alongside him, and now feels frustrated because everything that was once so certain is completely changing in front of him. Tanrak doesn’t know if the love he’s feeling is worth the sacrifice of everything he’s ever known; including his relationships.

Something worth noting is that the pool is where their relationship really “blossomed.” In the first episode, the pool was where we got to see them really bond and even have their first deep conversation in the entire show. We learned the basis of their characters, and a little about their actual feelings towards faith/religion. It can basically be counted as the beginning of their relationship.

but at what cost? 😭

Almond and Progress, please take a bow.

The build up leading to the confession scene was truly stunning. The tension, yearning, and eventual breaking point was all so well executed.

The way Ko Song chose to isolate himself from everyone because he figured it would be easier than confronting his feelings directly and dealing with the growing frustration of Ko Neung was so heart-rending.

Then the confession scene in the rain… my goodness. I could feel the exasperation in every word Ko Neung spoke and how much it was affecting Ko Song until he eventually told him the truth.