Eh, but the ml is definitely socially awkward, remember how in chapter 13 the mc remembers how in their university days, the ml would make fellow students angry by casually calling their designs "trash" to their facet and not seeming to care about their anger because he was an "outsider"? I did think that meant the ml was socially inept despite being a talented genius, and I thought the comments he made during the bike ride in chapter 21, about the "grape" he had failed to get, were obviously about the mc... So, the ml IS a complete jerk and a bit of a childish bully (enough to be irritating, but not so much that it's unbearable), but that is precisely what makes him a complete social inept in my book. He needs to outgrow that ridiculously childish side of him.
You certainly do have a point about the “sour grapes” comment and how this subtly hints at an interest and I agree, he is socially inept in regards to the MC and the faceless students from University times. But honestly if I see someone who goes out of his way to confront other people about how their designs suck, that’s just being an asshole and not someone who is merely blunt and truthful. So I can’t really sympathize with these messed up “flirting” attempts because I don’t see his behavior towards the MC coming from a place of weakness (social awkwardness) but from a place of something akin to sadistic enjoyment.
I wouldn’t be surprised if in the end it would come out the ML was really awkward and somehow in love with the MC but from what I’ve seen, it just doesn’t look that way.
Don’t get me wrong, the ML being a prick to the MC without actually sexually harassing him is something I enjoy. Because too may webtoons/mangas have the theme of some guy going all out with treating an MC like crap and at the same time feeling him up non consensually. So it’s a breath of fresh air for the ML to not go this route.
He’s still an asshole though and I don’t know how he was able to be in a longterm relationship with that woman the MC mentioned. Unless the ML didn’t behave this way towards her. And if so, him making the MC jump through hoops is a conscious decision.
And that makes me wonder if he sees the MC as someone who is below him. As someone who is pathetic and doesn’t deserve respect.
And if so I’m wondering if this and the fact that he’s sexually interested in the MC (speculation) is leading to some hang ups and that’s why he treats him like this.
And honestly the MC was in a relationship where he acted pathetically submissive. And the ML probably knew this as well.
Maybe he was disgusted with such behavior?
I know that the ML is portrayed as being “blunt” and I would understand him being angry after being accused of being the culprit. But honestly him telling the MC to take the shunning of society and future dim job prospects as life experience betrays a level of indifferent malice I’m not comfortable with.
He has to proof himself and I’m slowly getting the vibe that this may not happen. What i suspect is that the MC will find out things about the ML that make it clear he wasn’t the culprit and then he will feel guilty while the ML can just continue to sit on his high horse. I hope I’m wrong though (〜￣△￣)〜
I agree with you, but just a quick comment. The way the Yeo Won told Seok Yeon that his mouth was cute (verbally) wasn't actually the same meaning as in English. In Korea, it's a very sarcastic way of telling someone they are being too mouthy.
Thanks for the clarification on this. Him telling the MC what he spouts is cute came out of nowhere to me because anything else he did and said didn’t really hint at any kind of romantic interest. It felt especially off putting after he rebuffed the MC with his “are you on drugs” comment about asking him if he thought the MC was cute. So I suppose the real translation would be that he thinks the MC is cheeky. But what did the ML say about his feet then? Did he even mention his feet at all? In the translation he said his feet are as cute as his mouth. So what did he actually say? Sorry to bother you about this but I would really like to know (⌒▽⌒)
I wouldn't be able to tell you if Yeo Wong actually mentioned Seok Yeon's feet at all since I haven't read the raws. But even if he did say exactly what the translation said he said, it's not as strange as it sounds.
Also, the "Are you doing drugs?" part can also sound super rude and super harsh. I can't explain it that well, and he technically did rebuff Seok Yeon, but at the same time it was a sort of sarcastic and not cruel. Sorry I can't explain it any better.
I think it's related to that previous chapter when the mc's boyish coworker noticed his feet and made him try on some female shoe samples, which the mc forgot to take off when he went to the ML's office. The ML noticed and stopped him from unwittingly wearing those out of the building and to the branch store... I guess the mc might've told him then about his coworker's fixation with his "cute" feet..
I think it was Seok Yeon who first asked him that in a bout of sarcasm, it was in that chapter where the mc woke up with an IV after he got sick and accused the ML of conducting an "illegal medical practice". (≧∀≦)
I’m not annoyed with the ml not much giving a fig about the MC. He basically was just a boyfriend of a friend of his who then accused him of spreading rumors about his sexuality. I would be miffed about this as well.
So I can’t fault him for that.
But honestly he is an a-hole with all these extra demands he expects from the MC. And the MC was right about the bike’s theft should be the responsibility of the company. I feel like the ML is not really expecting him to pay anything back but the constant teasing is starting to annoy me. It doesn’t even seem like it’s benign teasing either because it always puts the MC in an uncomfortable situation. Like the last chapter where the ML wanted MC to come out in the middle of the night to ride on a bike with him. The hell?
And then he just rode himself home, leaving MC to fend for himself, having to shell out money for a taxi.
The thing is the ML is chill about everything that’s why it might be easy to overlook how malignant he actually comes across in regards to his treatment of MC. This guy goes out of his way to belittle and inconvenience him.
Don’t get me wrong MC comes across as a little aggravating from time to time. Like the half assed confrontation after finding out the ML is his superior at work. Or even his preconceived notions about the ML.
But the uneven power balance here where the MC has to swallow the ML’s bs because he can’t afford to lose his job leaves a nasty taste in my mouth.
And the ML also seems manipulative in a way. An example is the “cute” comment. The MC asks him if he thinks he is cute, which was an uncalled for question and rather embarrassing. So the ML asking him if he is on drugs doesn’t come out of nowhere. But honestly what is the MC supposed to think to constantly have to endure what looks like some juvenile “pulling pigtails” regime by the ML?
And why, after commenting about how the MC must be on drugs to ask if he thinks he is cute, would this guy later turn around and tell him that not just his feet are cute but his mouth (verbally) is cute as well?
It’s like he wants to put the MC off balance here.
This douchebag more or less Harasses the MC with his “ after work” demands and when confronted as to why, insults the MC. And then he turns around and tells him he’s cute.
In a way this reminds me a little of people who enjoy playing mind games to shake the self confidence of their targets. And when it’s on the bottom they sweep in to pick up the pieces.
I don’t trust the ML and don’t get the goal he is trying to accomplish with the MC here. It doesn’t feel like he likes him and is simply socially awkward, so acts like a bully or something. He seems bored and the MC an amusing distraction from whatever goes on in his personal life.
I enjoy this so far but I want to know what the ML’s deal is here.
MC’s ex bf is (was?) the ML’s friend, so I wonder if the ex told him lies about the MC?