HUGE SPOILER: for those who don't want to sludge through it but still want to know how it ...

HUGE SPOILER: for those who don't want to sludge through it but still want to know how it ends; it ends in the worst way imaginable.

"Haewon still ends up with Haeyoung (His crush and the one who always abuses him!) Haewon escapes a lot of times but still end up getting caught. Haewon's greatest escape is when he tries to kill himself... (Not sure, I think he jumps on the clip) Taegyeom and Hyunwoo (the other guys) thought that Hyunwoo died and then Haeyoung won't accept it.

But Haewon is alive and was saved on the countryside. Kitae is the one who helps him. Kitae wants Haewon to be treated in Hospital but Haewon refuses. Time by time Haewon's injuries and wounds are healing. I guess he hides in the countryside for more than a year.

But well... Haeyoung still found him... He pays people to find Haewon... In that arc, I guess Haeyoung became a drug user.. not sure because I only read MTL..

Then he caught Haewon and still repeated the cycle of abusing and raping him until his healing body was severely injured again. Haewon's eyesight and hearing became so bad that he needed to use hearing aid because he couldn't hear properly anymore.

Haewon with Haeyoung's side, made him so depressed, meanwhile, the other two, Taegyeom and Hyunwoo were out of the pictures...

In this arc... It was mainly focused on Haeyoung and Haewon.

Haewon tried to kill himself because of depression. He lost his appetite, he vomited blood and he had a lot of wounds and bruises... And yes of course I think Haeyoung was finally having a knock on his mind that Haewon finally needs to be saved.

Duhhh... Haeyoung realizes that Haewon needs treatment because it is obvious that he is dying of abuse and depression, but by the way, he stopped hurting him at that time.

He treated Haewon, they sought a psychiatrist to help Haewon with his depression. (but I also want Haeyoung to try having one because he also needs it but it didn't happen tho.)

It was a very long time of treatment for Haewon because he is always having a seizure about the abuse he experienced and Haeyoung stays by his side all the time because he is an obsessive freak.

Haewon wants to forget and escape away from Haeyoung but Haeyoung won't let him... He is obsessed!

Timeskip... Haeyoung became a professor and Haewon recovered but still has this feeling of terror. Of course, they were living under one roof and declared themselves as a lover, and Haewon didn't have a choice about that, because he was still dependent on Hae-young. Haeyoung made him like that.

Although the abuse like hurting Haewon is not present anymore in their lovey-dovey as a lover arc, Haewon still feels the terror. Of course, it's difficult to forget the past.

Yes, Haeyoung changed: he doesn't hurt Haewon physically anymore, he treats him better now and he controls himself now when he gets jealous but you know what, he is a manipulator because Haewon never had a chance to escape and forget him.

In the end, they end up together. For me it was obvious that Haewon developed Stockholm Syndrome.. although he can live on his own his mind and his heart are not independent, he was owned by Haeyoung until the end.

Haewon can't never forget his past, he just accepted his destiny, because no matter how hard he escapes, Haeyoung will find him.

In the final arc, Haeyoung doesn't abuse Haewon anymore because he wants to redeem himself and live with him forever."

- written by user GirlIntheCorner from https://www.novelupdatesforum.com/threads/non-zero-sum-manhwa.166533/page-3

Summaries can also be found on that site from pages 1 to 3, written by brundithatgirl and Cookie Crown, if you're still interested to know the play-by-play of how their very own circle of hell was created bye