Let’s be miserable together

(this will be mainly about the Side B story)

the whole series basically revolves around Byun Minho. He's a piece of shit. He's insecure and immature as fuck, he has an inferiority complex and won't measure his words when putting others down so that he can feel better about himself (spoiler alert: it doesn't make him feel better). Every single person in his life dislikes him or come to dislike him at some point. He is utterly alone, but he still brags and cusses, manipulates and lie so that he can get on top. Cool

the long story short of how everything came to be: he and Duna end up dating at some point (because she used to be insecure as hell and, naively, took his "critique" to heart - when he was just doing that out of jealousy since she [and literally everyone else] was a better writer than Minho), he shit talks her in front of others behind her back and that's it for their "love". Duna end up involved with Wookyung (who was eying her from the start and hated Minho's guts) and gets into BDSM thanks to him, yay \o/. Stuff happens and Duna ends up getting an award and, instead of feeling happy for her, Minho is sulking and crying like a baby because he lost. Wookyung sees that and flips the fuck out: that starts this 7 years long obsession of his

throughout the whole story Minho is an absolute piece of shit, who doesn't change, then it looks like he changed, but then it does it all over again. He's impulsive too and that's why he's broke, he keeps on wasting money he doesn't have, he's hoping to get a job if he keeps on buttering his boss up

enters Cha Wookyung, again. He's also a piece of shit. He's a batshit insane piece of shit. He knows Minho's strengths and weaknesses and just exactly how to strike his ego to get him. Without him knowing his involvement, he gets him to quit his job, traps him with promises of money and fame, isolate him from others and strikes. He rapes Minho once but Duna saves him. They get back together briefly, but Minho distances himself when Wookyung revealed he slept with her back when they fought. And this whole drama helped Duna to actually break free from both of them. She never felt loved and she knew she deserved better

at one point, Minho is completely screwed. He has nothing and no one to turn to, and he has no money so he would end up in the streets. Wookyung promised he would help as long as Minho reached out first, which he does

their descent into madness is steady then..

Wookyung thoroughly breaks Minho, physically and mentally. He pushes his "love" and affection as much as he could, through violence and money and more, but he couldn't have Minho's heart - at first because of Duna, but then he realizes that he never really stood a chance (Minho is straight) and he would not have him if not by force. Minho fall into a depression that drives him to attempt suicide, and Wookyung deals with feelings he couldn't understand, things that could not be quenched by power and money alone: how could he make Minho love him back, even though he thought Minho's feelings towards him didn't really matter as long as they were together?

both were deeply lonely, and there was some comfort knowing they had each other but this was not enough at all. Wookyung can't stand the thought of Minho dying (considering he had to see his body) and set him free

but it was already too late. They were already enmeshed irreversibly

there's no happy ending for them. And how they have "changed" happened in such way that would leave them in a codependent relationship with each other because they both feel isolated from their peers, and being together was better than loneliness, even if they were bad for each other

Minho doesn't love him back, but I can see Wookyung becoming someone even more important to him over time, even though he was coerced the whole time

it's likely they'll never experience this kind of twisted connection, devotion and obsession with anyone else but each other, it's likely they will never find that kind of unconditional "love" in other people, either. They can heal, for sure, but that would mean part with each other and I don't think they would want that after everything

this is a great example of two fucked up people so bad for each other but it's best that way so they don't get anyone else involved in their relationship or with themselves

...

I ran out of batteries but I really loved their characterization. Minho is a prideful arrogant dipshit who's turned into a submissive through violence and humiliation; Wookyung is a possessive sadist who people-pleases and pushes his affection forcefully onto whoever he is obsessed with

it's interesting seeing their personalities changing as the story goes on.. a lively Minho eventually stops resisting or caring, falls into addiction, eventually tries to kill himself; a confident Wookyung becomes more and more insecure and unstable, throwing his own career away, much like what he's done with Minho