¯_(ツ)_/¯'s Topics (85)

His aunt seems so sweet though and San didn’t wanna leave Eunjae bless ╥﹏╥ breaking my heart

Right? I feel like this was kinda an anticlimactic ending for ss2. I hope it's the author purpose to end it like that and not because they're burned out/unsure how to untangle all the crisscross mess that they've been setting up for our 4 main characters. Anw it's a bless to have you hear with us this season of this manhwa, your translation helps non korean speaker like me to understand the story better and it's always fun to read your side comments! I hope I'll get to read your comments again when ss3 starts!

Really hope so either we need closure on everything that has happened to all the characters TT And yes see you all again when season 3 starts, looking forward to reading your summaries again ^^

I am bracing myself

We really gotta wait for s3 ╥﹏╥

Thank you, dear! It has confirmed many of our long-harbouring suspicions and hopes! Bottoms up

Thanks for this every time <3
I wonder if the deal is to return 704 memories or something Feeling sad that next chapter will be the last one for this season and then its a long wait qwq

Btw, one moment is still kinda unclear to me. 704's reference to GM's memory that killed him in the past. "Him" is a reference to GM, right? Given that, what does it mean? Is 704 talking about the time when GM didn't want to live after losing everything? But does he know about this? Or is "killed" just a metaphor to "the most painful memories"?

Yes! “Him” is referring to GM here. He overhears GM instruct San about reliving his most painful memory and then when GM gets off the phone 704 asks him (paraphrasing here) ~ “How about you? You must have a memory like that having lived for so long. The type of memory that kills you to even think about. Can you handle it? Are you confident you’ll survive confronting a memory that once killed you (Geumsun)?”

Since their relationship is almost all pure speculation still, my brain automatically supplied that memory as 704 being killed but 704 isn’t talking about himself here. He may have guessed it involves that “human” but he’s not being specific either. He’s just asking GS in the general sense. Though I’d love for him to try to dig deeper next chapter and ask GS more about it. Imagine the source of GM’s trauma unknowingly trying to help him overcome the source of his trauma.

Everything about GS killed me this chapter. 704 is so concerned about him and it’s the last thing he needs right now. Poor guy.

Another thing I forgot to mention: we were right on about the bow tying in with the “whoever holds the weapon chooses who is sacrificed” line! The line about it in this chapter is ~”whoever uses the bow sacrifices their life/body to bring an end to the calamity”. So literally using it is a sacrifice itself, I guess??? And it’s 704’s bow which makes me wonder how could he ever have memory of ever using it or know it’s his? Didn’t Chung use it already? Does something else need to happen with the bow for that “sacrifice”?

More importantly, was Yama ever serious about needing Chung to use the bow in the sacrificial sense against Hwan? Or was he always meant just as bait for 704? Because yikes, poor Chung. My ship is never leaving the dock.

Oh! Another theory! Re: never shirtless Geumsun. Perhaps a scar or mark on his back that might trigger 704’s memory? Maybe a stretch but Yama has brainwashed me into believing there are no such thing as coincidence lol

You’re welcome! That wait is gonna suckkkk.

       Thank you for the clarification! Oh, that scene struck me as sadly ironic as well. Let like be cured by like, so to speak! GM's facial expression was speaking for itself. No need for words. 704's question clearly took him by surprise! I still believe that we are right, and the plot's flow will eventually drift to "that human". 704 already knows that this person must mean a lot to GM, and perhaps it will click in his head that he (this person) is the most painful memory.
      All this time 704 has been pressing GM about things, and GM slowly and unwilingly has been giving in!
      As for the bow of fate: yes, yes! No other way around. I guess Chung just conveniently happened to have it. It wouldn't have made a shred of difference if it had been someone else. Chung is just another Yama's pawn on his chess board to catch Hwan. So I am sort of glad that this ship is not going to leave the dock.Chung deserves so much better!
     Maybe "activation" of the bow depends on the intention. When Yama gave it to Chung, he didn't have anything sacrificial on his mind. But when 704 stole it, it was clearly Yama's intention to get 704 involved in capturing Hwan so that he could sacrifice himself if need be. (Like Yama chose 704 to sacrifice)  And maybe it depends on the desire to sacrifice yourself for the cause as well! When Chung used it to save San, it wasn't like he was sacrificing himself.
     Oh, remember in chapter 35  704 mentions that the bow used to be his, wondering why Chung has it now. To which Chung says 704 lost the authority to own such things long time ago. He was punished for this "incident" with San I presume. So the bow was 704's initially, but I still believe it belonged to him before becoming a reaper.
     Your guess about GM having a mark/scar is very good! Never crossed my mind. Haha, also a stretch, but what if it somehow has to do with 704's brow scar? Because there is no such thing as a coincidence indeed!
     You have been right about GM, striking a deal from the very start!! However, its exact nature is another big unknown
     PS: on the face of only one chapter being left, which one will you prefer: hibernation or cryo chamber?
    


     
  

Ohhhhh wow, that makes so much more sense about the revoked authority over 704’s bow being San related and not past life related lol. The intention part of it also makes sense! for some reason I couldn’t shake the thought of the bow being taken away from 704 to prevent him from going on another self sacrificing rampage. although I guess that also make sense bc he really just can’t help himself

I really hate that you’re right about Chung deserving better lol. I’m so conditioned to excusing toxic characters in BL that just bc Yama hasn’t outright thrown him into the pits of hell my brain is doing that butterfly meme of is “is this true love?” haha

Can we quickly talk about just how bored 704 looks when Geumsun is talking about Eunjae and San? It feels a little like he went from questioning “do I actually care about San?” to “who’s San?” overnight lol. He never asks directly about San even though he knows the plan clearly involves using San as bait and San’s currently who knows where. Which ok, maybe he was just too anxious to get his horny emotional scientific experiment over with when he arrived but to not really press for more details even now or try to talk to San when he called, and keep steering the conversation back to GS and this human maybe goes to show just how wrapped up in GS he currently is and I’m HERE FOR IT but also...kinda odd? But also hilarious.

I noticed I ping ponged abbreviations for Geumsun as both GS and GM an obscene amount so thanks for rolling with it lol.

lmao which one are you choosing? hibernation and cryo chamber both sound way better than what I had planned which is finally finishing my Transmigration Through the Six Realms response LOL. gotta reframe my hypothesis around confirmed Yama deal which may be just what I had to wait on to not sound like a complete crazy person. also should maybe finish my War and Peace length ode to the tenderness of last chapter, brb

Btw, done fully translating 72 for fun. New link can be found from same link for 70&71.

Can you share the link with me?

     Waaaa, you did notice! Like the face 704 made when GM got on the phone in the middle of the moment. As though it was saying " Really? Am I just a joke to you?! Is some damn phone call more important than I AM RIGHT NOW? And when he is asking about San, it sounds as if he is doing this out of formality. Like "How has auntie Betsy been lately?" And when GM starts going too deep into "auntie Betsy's health-related issues", yes, 704 is clearly out of this and impatient to get the conversation back on track. But you did notice as well, right?! When 704 addresses the same question to GM, he is genuinely concerned! When he arrived, he was mostly angry at GM and angry at himself for being angry at GM! But now the anger is gone, being replaced with concern and some more gentle and subtle feeling. His horny emotional scientific experiment has gone far beyond just "self-actualization"
    But you know I can't even get mad at San for interfering in "the kiss that never happened". He is such a sweet boy! Especially considering what he is about to experience
    Well, my initial impression was that Yama wanted to get 704 out of the way, and chapter 60 confirmed it in a way. Besides, Yama was the one who ordered GM to send 704 to the Underworld. But remember when you mentioned that Yama played nice to 704 only in front of GM. Now it perfectly fits in the deal between Yama and GM (Part of which is obviously to keep 704 alive). So maybe Yama staged the whole "this is my reaper and I want to keep my reaper safe" act to trick GM into believing that 704's life is not in danger while having "evil plans" in mind. Haha, yes, probably 704 is just having one of these sacrificial spree days again!
    Btw, I has finally debunked the mystery why reapers are overflowing with yung energy as it used to make zero sense to me. Since they have no memories/emotions, they don't have to carry the burden of their past mistakes and overanalyze themselves: basically "animal realm" - satisfaction of the base of Maslow's pyramid. It stands to reason to believe if all you have to do is just eat, sleep, fuck and work, you will be crammed with positive energy. While goblins, who are burdened with eternal memory, are full of yin. Having too much self-awareness may be indeed frustrating!
    Then I am choosing your essays as a much more productive alternative!At least by the end of hiatus I will still preserve reading, writing and reasoning skills. Hibernation is not an option since the practice shows we clearly can't hibernate.

LMAO “Aunt Betsy” could not be a better analogy for 704’s attitude towards San right now. I definitely noticed and I could not possibly love this new lovestruck development happening to 704 more. 704 is done hiding his feelings for Geumsun behind concerns for San and he’s exasperated trying to convey as such while Geumsun still can’t fathom why 704 would care for anything other than San. It’s hilarious. Ironically, depressingly, hilarious.

I don’t think 704 has reached a conscious conclusion to his scientific experiment yet but I think he’s sort of given up trying to find a logical explanation for his feelings right now because well...he’s too busy feeling? Concern for Geumsun really has taken priority - concern for someone who he thinks hates him, by the way, or “plainly dislikes” him and last he checked he had felt incomprehensible anger towards for not “seeing” him.

San says that 704 does not seem like the caring type at one point (jk it’s ch 19 lol idk how I feel about having parts of this thing memorized yet) and his character profile in chapter 54.5 straight up confirms that. He’s described as “uncaring” and - it definitely feels that way towards Aunt Betsy San right now lol - but what we’re seeing from 704 right now is…perhaps unbridled care?

If our theory about 704’s secret sacrificial suicide and Geunsum’s “arrogance” is correct then I hope Geumsun can find some solace in witnessing the chaos that is 704 happening before him right now because it seems like 704 doesn’t have much of a choice either. Protective lover is just how he operates on pure instinct.

He really just stopped trying to understand and is ready to go. I really want to make a comment about how 704 is such a great “ride or die” but well…

Relatedly, I can’t say what I think Geumsun’s deal with Yama is quite yet but I can say for sure that I don’t think it’s about 704’s memories. It’s a solid guess but I think it has to be a little more than that.

We’ve seen San’s memories returned to him already and now Eunjae’s memories are taken away to presumably be given back one day as well. So it feels like lowered stakes at this point in the story if the deal was about 704’s memories alone.

Especially seeing how invested 704 already is without past memories, I don’t think they’ll add much more emotional weight to his current investment (because it’s already a lot). I do think he will get them back but they’re not like Eunjae’s memories who’s forgotten San completely. 704 has 20+ years of attachment already without his memories so it’s not really like they’re absolutely necessary for his relationship with GS to develop.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Geumsun actually already has 704’s memories in his possession as that would make what Chung alluded to make sense (implying he’s done this before), why he took Eunjae’s if he really feels as if memories are safer with him, and perhaps why withholding memories that belong to the underworld would make him uncooperative and therefore unregistered.

I think the deal has to do with 704’s reaper fate. I keep digging and digging but it’s still unclear to me whether or not Goblins are a part of Samsara, how cultivation works for Koreon folklore that’s more rooted in Confucianism than Taosim, and what other immortal options are there if not reaper. I also have yet to determine whether this is closer to xianxia or xuanhuan in genre so the rest of this thought is bookmarked and will be returned to in response to the 6 Realms essay (lol I’m sorry!!).

Sidenote- preemptively taking Eunjae’s memories of San, why is this necessary? Who asked for this? Am I wrong in thinking this may be all Yama being pissed enough to taunt San about being eventually forgotten by Eunjae anyway and then going out and MAKING THAT HAPPEN ASAP? He definitely feels like a mean girl who would follow through on cheapshot angry threats to get back at someone.

The whole Yama leveraging 704’s safety to make Geumsun fall in line is only more terrifying when you think about how at the end of chapter 67 Geumsun asks if Yama will send him a reaper and anxious-to-get-this-over-with/we-need-to-plan Yama is kinda vague about needing to send someone to the site in advance. Was he counting it on being 704? Is this what he means by “at the site in advance”? Will Geumsun realize that there’s no other reaper coming? Do you think Yama would call with bad news? Or is Geumsun supposed to figure out 704 is all he’s getting on his own?

“The kiss that never happened!!” We didn’t get the reunion we were hoping for because it’s not quite time yet but it’s insane how even this faux reunion is already so, so satisfying. So. Much. Tenderness. It’s going to be insane when they reunite for real. The anticipation is almost too much.

Your yang energy theory makes a lot of sense! Plays right into the 6 realms archetype theory! Look at us weaving all these threads together! Still a bit of a mess but slowly and surely taking shape. I originally thought it was more of what San said to Eunjae in chapter 17 about creating something new together since there’s nothing to draw out. It made sense but I thought it lessened their development a little bit because who WOULDN’T fall for 20 years of the only pleasure they’ve known.

It does make it feel a bit better for me if 704 already had yang for Geumsun to draw from. “Blessed are the forgetful” and whatnot. “To seek is to suffer. To seek nothing is bliss.” also applies.

As we reach the finale of season 2 shortly here and 704 just out of reach of trasmigating to fully human I realize there’s nothing I’d like more than maybe seeing 704 cry?


You likened witnessing 704’s emotional growth as a mom once and I feel the same way but at this point I have to wonder if my child is kind of an asshole while realizing that I love him all the same. But I also really wouldn’t mind if maybe someone made him cry so he can stop tip-toeing around the dread of existence and just dive right in.

Oh, btw! Do you have any name predictions? I shudder to think it’s Shui bi KKR Geng Sha like you’ve suggested LOL. The author did say in the Youtube Lehzin interview that she picked 704 because it sounded like numbers that would sound pretty in multiple languages so I have hope yet for his real name.

I’m going to guess Kim. Because I think it’s a joke that every Korean is named Kim but also Geumsun’s alias to Eunjae was Kim Sun and taking your dead lover’s name feels like it hurts just right. Also, perhaps….Jeong?

My explanation is I spent MONTHS trying to find the 3d background models of this webtoon so I could decipher what artwork within the artwork was deliberate and what was coincidental. I FINALLY found my answer today and narrowed it down to 3 Joseon era artwork placed there on purpose and not just included in the 3d model . Joseon era past, confirmed?

Anyway, here’s album of the curated selection: https://www.mangago.zone/home/album/222093/ lol

From chapter 4 in 704’s apartment, above his bed is “Inwangjesaekdo”, a famous Joseon painting by Jeong Seon, above his couch in the same chapter (in which we only see a corner and was absolute hell to find) is a bamboo painting by Joseon painter Yu Deok Jang ("편우령환첩-묵죽도" by 유덕장), and super skewed in the corner of 704’s old room and just in the edge of frame in chapter 59 right after they bang for yang the first time is Joseon calligraphy “Hogo Yeongyeong”by Gim Jeong-hui. Perhaps name hints for 704?

Speaking of names, learning more about Gim Jeong-hui taught me about Neo-Confucianism in Korea and something called the Four-Seven Debate. A famous debate in Korean Confucianism about the four basic human feelings (compassion, shame, respect, and the sense of right and wrong) vs seven emotions (desire, hate, love, fear, grief, anger, and joy). Feels a little too on the nose for 704’s reaper inner turmoil so perhaps they were lying when they said 704 just sounded pretty. If so, this definitely weaves into whatever we’ve got going on about 704 consciously entering the human realm.

One hour!!!!

lmaooo seems like it, but i dont mind

Thank you queen for the summary!!

Also my thoughts on the secret human thing, maybe geumsun is just saying that because reapers were all humans that sinned in their previous lives? Hoping geumsun reveals his past relationship with 704 to 704 soon ;-; and maybe give him his memories back or smth

oh he says 704 is acting LIKE a real human. my brain just couldn't register prepositions i guess lol

Oh but yes! It’s interesting because 944 asks what happened to Eunjae’s memories and Chung says he’s just guessing but who else could take memories from someone like that but “him”? And next panel is huge on Geumsun, so either all goblins can take memories but Geumsun is the obvious guess or there’s some further meaning beyond Chung’s guess and Geumsun has history with this skill. Hopefully that means he can return 704’s past human life memories someday. But probably not a priority of his anytime soon. He’s got a lot in his plate.

     Your recap is already great as it is! But if there is a chance of a prolonged version, it is even better.
     Indeed, this chapter was full of sad tenderness!
     I just can't help mentioning Chung. I kinda take back my words on him being a just foolish bragger since he really let his inner self shine (he is much more emotionally intelligent than I thought) in this chapter! Also, I didn't expect that Yama had revealed that much information to him as the previous chapters gave me the impression that he was mostly kept in the dark about "the plan". Obviously Yama realized that by keeping Chung "too much" in the dark, he may put the whole "Mission: Impossible" in jeopardy bc in his fervour to please him Chung could overexert himself and just fuck everything up! (More like a lovefoolproof tactic, hehe) Hence, I would like to attribute his douchebag attutide to 704, childish grudge against GM and general petulance to infatuation with "narcissistic psychopath", unrequired love and inability to have a good heart-to-heart talk (499 was heartbreakingly unimpressed!) - the "love is blind" trap, not only people but also goblins as it turned out may fall the victim of. And Yama here represents a textbook example of "5 signs you are dating a psychopath".
      My goodness, I guess I share your immense love to 704! Watching him becoming more and more self-aware brings the tears to my eyes. (I feel like a proud mom lol). Isn't his insistance to make his own decisions and judgements a direct confirmation of being if not a human but someone on the point of becoming one? And it is so different from let's say the scene where he accepts the responsibility of taking care of San without thinking twice. Haha, I believe we kinda rushed the events by assuming that the next step to "human realm" is love. It is more like the ability to be in charge of your own life whereas love logically stems from it, and is the final stage. But again 704 wants the exceptance and confirmation of his existence only from GM, which says a lot about his attachment. He clearly didn't care much of Chung's opinion. Yes, 704 was annoyed by him, but only because he didn't want to have heart-to-heart talks with Chung in the first place and was irritated by the imprisonment in general. It is heartbreaking to see how desperately he is trying to reach GM (who is playing a cross between Snow Queen and Kai), who is still in the stage of denial. 704 must really have taken the precedence as the concept of an emotionally intelligent reaper sounds to GM as outlandish as me, being able to keep my damn "dissertations" concise and to the point! If he (GM) in fact believes that he would be able to get rid of 704 so easily, he will be bitterly disappointed As far as I understand GM presumes his revelation about being an accomplice (against his own will) in Yama's dirty deads will turn 704 off. Like I am rejecting you bc you are too good for me Not this time, honey, 704 will remain by your side! This panel where 704 is sitting on the bed, hugging the blanket, shuttered my heart to pieces This scene was screaming to my face like "Go hug me! I don't want this freaking blanket to console myself!" And you did notice this striking contract between 704 and 499, right?! It must have been done on purpose.
       Btw, have you ever speculated on 704's real name? Quite worth being put on the question board! But what if it is something like Shui bi KKR Geng Sha?!  I am afraid 704 himself will find it too much to bear! Or possibly it will coincide with revelation about the actual number of nipples goblins have (what if more than two?!).
      My gosh, this glimpse of San made me realize how much I miss him If I didn't know about him going on "Mission: Impossible", I would just decide he was just going on hike. Stepping into the treacherous territory of further speculations on San, I assume he may have some sort of supernatural weapon and a change of clothes (not pink ones as GM had laid his hands on everything even remotely pinkish in San's wardrobe) and maybe a capsule with the most painful memories (I am not sure what GM actually meant by "digging up the most painful". My guess is that GM extracted them from San and locked into a capsule) in his backpack.
I really hoped that GM had kept EJ's memories! Since at least this way it would keep my imagination leashed It seems GM made a great career as a chief memory eraser in the past, which now has expanded to a chief memory storage vessel. In the light of which one theory rushed through my mind, but was immediately ruled out as wildly insane. But when you mentioned that maybe one day GM would return 704's memories, it threw me back on the track. What if he indeed keeps 704's memories? I have no clue how it is even possible, though. Getting further away from the guiding light of "sane" theories (since why not?!), what if Yama has a secret storage room full of neatly labelled vials with reapers' memories? At this point my imagination pictured a scene where 704 is distracting Yama while GM is sneaking into the room to steal the precious vial. Then both of them go west: closing credits! Or when the memories are erased, they are no longer subjected to recovery? Or recovering emotions creates a domino effect and eventually leads to memories?
     Your "Underworld human witness protection programm" theory made my day! Yes, yes, alcohol/ sleep deprivation combo works in mysterious ways. But this time it may well become another great plot!
      Btw, I have always presumed that scene with 020 was shown to rationalize GM's disdain and hatred towards reapers. Since in chapter 45 he is alleging that all reapers are criminals (the metaphor on 020, choking him), who tend to be promiscuous. Maybe before meeting 704, GM tried to "use" reapers as a yang energy source. But since he was looking for emotional attachment not just sex, it didn't work. Remember that scene in chapter 58 GM thinks "Useless feelings, useless acts. All I want are useless things". 704 was not into it. At that time he didn't understand things like tenderness, affection and so on, downgrading the sexual intercourse to just "pounding away" So perhaps, something like this happened between him and 020, though, 020 was physically violent as well. That is why GM is still hesitant to accept 704. It may be my personal biases (haha, we all have them), and I just don't want 020 and 704 were the same person. And yes, yes, I remember you are working on a theory about reincarnation vs immortality/eternal loops in relation to the concept that life is eternal. Can't wait for it!
   
    

Gosh, 944 - like when your maths really sucks!

Thankyou. This helps me understand it better lmao but can I have the raw link??

     Thank u for taking all the trouble! I have been wondering about San as well. He went off the radar a bit too unexpected! What if he just left for his aunt's place provided no one still lives there? In a way it makes sense since he is bound to experience the most painful memories. Isn't  the place where your beloved one committed suicide the best setting? Besides, it would double as a place, which proved to be suitable for "capturing" Hwan in the past.
      704, taking the matter into his own hands and pushing his way through, ultimately unfazed is the whole freaking new level of art! Illegally adorable. Still hope for some revelation talk before the 2s finale though the chances are slim since your suggestion about Hwan, being a spiteful big mouth, would fit perfectly into the storyline, bringing in the right intensity of foreshadowing. (I guess the actual capture will take place not until s3)
       Haha, love your comment about GM's nipples and past, shrouded in mystery. Also, expected to see him shirtless, but obviously the author is of a different opinion, leaving both past and nipples to the reader's imagination. BUT the current emotional dynamics between these two is a huuuge leap forward I agree. Honestly, 704, being emotionally sex-invested, creates dangerously sparking chemistry. So one step at a time. Maybe the next one is going to be his shirt. lol.
      The whole 5 more episodes are like the cure for my already aching heart, however, it is more like a respite before the inevitable (I am virtually bawling at this point)
       Haha, 704's never-ending supply of clothes are his deliberate and meticulously-planned tactic to eventually occupy GM's place. It all starts from cramming the wardrobe as we all perfectly know. On a more serious note, him, going to such great lengths to find out how he actually feels about GM and his "unreasonable" (quite reasonable if you ask me) anger kinda confirms our theory about his being a truth seeker, transitioning smoothly into a full-fledged human being (human realm). And it also seems like the past events are repeating themselves but on a much more positive note. Emotional sex vs emotionally-disconnected one. And more benign "sex aftermath" you brought up vs hateful altercation. Again, big thank you. Can't describe my gratitude.
     

Thanks so much. I read it entirely.

I love them having smex but i wish more of the pages were them talking instead

Thanks for your translations every week, always looking forward to it ^^

Holy, you are incredible!! Thank you!!!

Minor note.
I’m glad someone finally mentioned the shower sex thing
I’ve noticed in bl whenever I’m reading a scene I’ll just go “dicks don’t do that??” How are you gonna come 5 times in a row.... not even a break in between!!
And in the shower you always know one person is getting drowned while the other is freezing cold. Then he lifted 704 up. Sir you are going to slip and die but props to him I guess because 704 is like 6ft tall so the fact he just picked him up is impressive lmao.

Also I love 704 but how are you gonna fuck the same man almost everyday for 20 years and still be shitty at sucking him off. 10/10 on Confidence though

Just realised I spelt cum like come oopz

Hahaha I’m convinced every seme is just popping Viagra non stop. Geumsun’s upper body strength is seriously impressive. 704 is BUILT. Which is also confusing because where does he find the time to work out when he never has time to even sleep? How does someone who never eats or sleep get so cut? Are reapers naturally fit? Or do they retain the same body mass they died with? Does carrying the burden of responsibility have physical repercussions as well? I have so many questions.

Ahhhh that’s such a good guess about San’s whereabouts! I hadn’t even thought of that but it seems like most likely the case. My best guess was maybe he went to visit his mom assuming she’s still alive. But bringing in another character and emotion hurdle for San at this point seems too much with everything else going on.

Omg I’m so bad at math! Thank you for reminding me it’s actually 5 more episodes! It does seem like he’s been leaving clothes behind though because he did seem rather familiar with Geumsun’s laundry room at one point. I’ve always thought they were like co-dependent exes raising San.

Truth seeker is also such a great descriptor. It’s beautiful watching 704 level up to being a full fledged human. I hope the next truth he uncovers is that the unfamiliar feeling is love. And of course, what the hell does Geumsun look like shirtless? Of the never ending list of questions I have on my theory board I can’t believe I had to add “do goblins have nipples???” on there.

      I guess I am gonna throw a couple of more speculative questions into the mix. Lol. Aahh, yes! Love! Since in order to fully evolve to a human being, I presume, one must experience genuine affection/attachment to another human being. Hence, I tend to believe that 704 was referring to himself in the last panel, speaking about anger. It is not like he is unfamiliar with this feeling as that is basically the way GM has made him feel so far with his "cocky bastard" attitude. That is why feeling of irritation under such circumstances is the most natural response. However, feeling angry at someone in the context of not being properly "seen" is another matter, considering reapers are not supposed to be concerned with such trivialities and the fact goblins have always treated them this way. As I see it, he must have subconsciously developed a deep emotional attachment to GM (which he is about to discover), and cold, nonchalant behaviour of the latter towards him offends and angers him (remember he was pissed off as hell after Chugin's remark that GM just "bangs him for yang"(I just can't get enough of this phrase, I swear!) for no good reason since it was the initial plan). And being treated as a stand became the final straw, so to speak. He himself finds his own anger unreasonable, and he is buffled by experiencing it in such a context that is why he makes a remark about this being funny.
   And another thing I would like to bring up. At this point I am kinda concerned about it. (Like I am not concerned about almost everything, happening in this story haha). If 704 is turned back into a human( here I mean his physical not emotional state), it still won't be a happy ending for him and GM since human life span is devastatingly short, compared to goblins'. So it will make much more sense to retain him in reaper's guise. But again, what about emotions? Will he be able to juggle reaper's job and the burden of emotions? In fact, he has been able to manage it pretty well so far as he has developed some sort of attachment to San while taking care of him without condemning himself to Hell. (GM will help to cope in the future/ Yama will loosen the restrictions/ 704 will become a happy anomaly?!). That is something I am rather curious about as well!
Aha, so in the future we can expect to see "exes' reunion", followed by moving in together (since most of 704' clothes are already there anyway).
      Regardless, the most burning and mind-boggling issue is whether goblins indeed have nipples! Take your bets since they may turn out to be weird second cousins of angels, who, according to many sources, don't have penises, and considering their same sacred status may in fact lack in some vital body part as well.

I just want to say that I live for your guys' theories and analogies!! I'm not active here now myself, as the life has gotten way too busy, but I'm reading it all with great pleasure!!
I agree with you all, I second the questions and I hope GM has nipples. I can't stand the thought he may not... The greatest mystery!!

Glad that you like itthat is the only way to cope with heartwrenching waiting from chapter to chapter

Oops, I replied in the place. Glad that you like it that is the only way to cope with heartwrenching waiting from chapter to chapter

Mystery solved! Geumsun never takes his shirt off but it IS unbuttoned just enough in the very last panel of chapter 13 to confirm that goblins have, at the very least, one nipple.

I think you’re right about 704 referring to himself. Writing off any of the situation as “funny” is very obvious self-deprecating irony. Sarcasm doesn’t translate well though (especially in a language that doesn’t always specify the subject!) so the last two lines and mocking smile from the last panel really threw me. All that ridicule masked in detached and cocky arrogance being directed entirely at himself feels too heartbreaking.

But yes! He is so attached! He can’t even deny it anymore! Did you notice that he’s stopped using San as his excuse for his interest in and involvement with Geumsun? Geumsun automatically assumes the only reason why 704 is there is because of San and tells him he went through all that trouble for nothing because San isn’t even there. 704 knows the plan is to use San as bait at this point and that San is currently MIA yet somehow he seems less concerned about San’s whereabouts than even we are lol.

704 has only one thing on his mind through chapters 69 and 70 and it definitely isn’t San. It puts his previous inner thoughts in question about how much of it is because of San and how much because of Geumsun. Pouting face from Ch. 26: “Why does he (Geumsun) have to go out all the time and leave this guy (San) alone?” Pouting face from Ch. 29: “…Of course. He’s (Geumsun) been meeting up with Yama this whole time.”

As far as the pink 704 keeps getting clothed in, from the author’s Twitter after episode 46: “The pink shirt worn by 704 is San’s. Geumsun’s house has a laundry room, but they do not clearly separate each other's wardrobe, so they sometimes mix.” Unclear about the new pink & white sweatshirt but probably San’s as well since Geumsun looks a size larger? I really love the idea of Geumsun going to pick something out to dress 704 in and every time just thinking he’d look good in pink. Can we also talk about the tea he brings him post shower? Basically boyfriends.

I really don’t know where the conversation will go now that 704 has used sex to force Geumsun to see him and admitted to being angry at the thought that Geumsun hasn’t. I’d really love to see post-coital cuddles and more conversation (honestly - how hilarious would it be if 704 asked Geumsun to tell him about the person he reminds him of?) but also maybe time to move the plot along and for 704 to remember San? Because poor San, forgotten by the people he cares most about by force AND by choice lol.

I have a lot of thoughts regarding your concerns about what the future holds for 704 continuing his reaper duties and balancing human emotions and it’s all wrapped up in the a very lengthy theory about reincarnation vs immortality all brought on by the rabbit hole I feel into when you reminded me of Eunjae’s webtoon title. lol I’m STILL working on it so let me get back to you on that. but ngl I’m really into the idea of eternal loops right now so, honestly, thank you for that! I can’t believe the first time I’m genuinely interested in Buddhism is because of a webtoon. My parents would be so proud. Or maybe disappointed, I’m not entirely sure lol.

Meji and I probably deserve PhDs in this Webtoon by now since we’ve analyzed entire dissertations worth of essays at this point lol. I’m really glad you enjoy them!

One more thing! When you mentioned “bow of fate” in response to my last chapter recap it made me think of chapter 54 when Hwan taunts Geumsun by saying, “Those who hold the weapons get to choose who is sacrificed. Those without such weapons merely become the victims.” that 704’s bow is literally such weapon and backs up our theory that 704’s sin is suicide by way of self-sacrifice. There’s also maybe something there with involving fate with 704’s left eyebrow scar and San shooting Hwan straight through the left eye.

     Oh, boy! GM's glossy nipple in chapter 13 totally slipped my mind! Thank you for reminding. Which in turn throws goblins on the darker side, making them closer to cyclops rather than angels
      Only after you mentioned 704's "self-deprecating humour" as a coping mechanism, had I actually been able to sense the full anguish and sadness of that scene. Yet, it is agonizingly beautiful!
      OMG, that is exactly what I thought. Since his "imprisonment", 704 has barely spared San a thought. Chung (who is on this occasion the epitome of a saying "the road to Hell is paved with good intentions) in his attempt to steer 704 onto the path of "the right reaper", he only fueled a seed of doubt already sowed in the latter's mind, creating ripple effects of existential crisis. At this point I feel kinda bad for Chung since here we witness a tragic story of someone who considers himself a "major player", but for totally wrong reasons. Yama inflates his ego to keep him in line by revealing precisely enough information to keep him in the dark about what is exactly going on. I presume it is more like "foolproof tactic" from Yama's side. Better safe than sorry! I also absolutely love the way 704 slowly acknowledges his interest in GM, remembering all the pecks of kindness, which GM was unable to conceal despite his best efforts. And yes, I only can imagine the extend of GM's confusion and puzzlement, who had already come to terms with 704's "reaper state", when he discovers that 704 has not in fact come to look for San but confrontation, concerning their relationship status. Haha, poor GM, it seems he was prepared for anything but this! Through the whole chapter 69 he has been trying to process this new unexpected turn, unfortunately, with no avail. And in chapter 70 he is still in disbelief that 704 could be so wrapped into his (GM) humble personality. I guess at this stage he is no longer able to ignore the obvious human shifts in 704, and I expect him to start making his five steps towards 704. It is like they both are changing under one another's influence. That is why I am on board with your speculation on 704, asking GM about "that human" as a possible plot development since now he is desperately trying to figure out why GM refuses to "see" him. And as in his mind the third party is involved (it is the best love triangle I have ever seen lol), he is inevitably going to draw a comparison to understand why it is not to his advantage. Perhaps, he will even put two and two together, realizing he is none other than "that human", which will most likely be a cliffhanger or a story how to make the readers pull out their hair and bang their heads against the wall
     I find it kinda hard to imagine how EJ is going to remain the main character, assuming GM erased his memories of San. So I am gravitating to the idea that his memories are still pretty much with him and he will be AWOL  just like 704 in search of San since we know only too well that the Northeners are "the safest".
     I am craving for cuddles or at least some hugs as well! But that shower scene where GM carefully lowers 704 onto the floor was so tender. And I also wonder whether it was GM himself who bundled 704 up into the blanket and possibly dressed since after the shower sex he didn't look like someone was fit to even stand let alone to do anything else! Not a bad start, ha? Probably hugs and post-sex tea are on the way. Haha, in all honesty, San doesn't give me an impression of someone who is really into pinky clothes so pinky outfits must be GM's meticulous choice.
   Aahh, yes, this cryptic phrase about weapons and sacrifices I had been agonizing for a painfully long time, trying to make sense of! Oh, it sounds quite reasonable since I believe 704 could even commit sacrificial suicide by means of this bow. Remember also this scene where GM is saying to 704 exact same words? As if it is his way to express all the bitterness at 704, who had a weapon and chose to sacrifice himself, making GM a victim of this choice. And now they have turned the tables in a way. 704 is a victim bc he is in the dark and GM is holding a weapon by being in the know. It seems we have a new love triangle: 704, GM and the bow vs 704, GM and sex.
     And Yama at this point reminds of a bizzare cross between Mephistopheles, who does good through committing evil deads and God, who strikes a deal with him, putting the life of Faust on the line out of sheer boredom. He saves GM (who clearly doesn't want to live), brings GM and 704 together as a self-serving act, making them both miserable at that time. A now he just wants to see "whether 704 could escape" with the bow (Is it a reality show for him or what?!). Btw, did you notice that GM follows Yama's steps in a way? Bringing San and EJ together, warning the former about the repercussions of getting to close to EJ and so on?
     I am really looking forward your theories, regarding 704's future! Haha, I have never imagined that any confession will pique my interest. But here I am, binging Buddhism-related videos. Certainly, hardly will I be ever converted or something. My interest is more hypothetical. Yet, a webtoon is one of the most unbelievable reasons to become a devoted disciple of Buddha lol. Besides, you really inspired me to get back to learning Korean again! But who could've thought that Proficiency preparation would be that time-consuming. (I am just making accuses for my lazy ass!) A couple of more dissertations like this, and I will be indeed ready to present my webtoon PhD

I think I saw in one of the authors Tweets that Geumsun and 704’s laundry sometimes get mixed up lmao.

You're this heart's savior!! I was being angsty there for a second. Thanks!!

omg finally someone said this

what will happen if it dries in the hole

pain

Well this is fantasy so of course real life physics won't be applied

     Yes, I sincerely hope they will have a "revelation" talk finally since GM no longer sees 704 as just "an empty shell" and 704 has been indeed plagued by GM's evasiveness all this time and now reached "the right condition" after a long string of self-reflections.
      As usual, I am eager to read your recap/translation/perspective!

Oh boy, I still have a lot ive been working in response to you from last update and yes, yes, working on recap rn but ahhhhhhhhhhh!!! I can’t stop rereading this chapter and grinning like an idiot. 704!!!!! I didn’t think I could love him any more than I already did. What an icon

Queen!! Patiently waiting for your summary (づ￣ ³￣)づ

Not important to the plot but 704 looks so snug

Great point! Suits him much better btw.

As usual following for summary

i got carried away and it's all over the place but just posted ch 70 recap as a new topic under a spoiler tag! happy to send you guys the translated chapter too if you want it.