SpoilerWoman

I just realized that Chapter 9 was cut, and all this time, I didn’t know she also worked at a motel. At the end of Chapter 9, there’s a scene where Taeha pays for all the motel rooms just so Haesoo can go home early and rest. I can’t believe I only found out about this today. For anyone interested, here’s the link:
https://templetoons.com/comic/tears-on-a-withered-flower/chapter-9

For those who didn’t notice, Taeha confirmed that he’s serious about Haesoo.

Let’s compare Mincheol’s scene in Chapter 7 to Taeha’s scene in Chapter 31.
In Chapter 7, Mincheol wanted to take Ari home (she was drunk). However, midway, she confessed that she had feelings for him, and they ended up going to a motel and sleeping together. In Taeha’s case, something similar happened: Haesoo kissed him and confessed that, when she was with him, she couldn’t think straight (which already confirms that even if it’s not love, she feels a strong attraction). If Taeha wasn’t serious about her or was the type of person who wanted to take advantage of Haesoo’s vulnerability, he could have slept with her that night, knowing she wouldn’t be upset about it.

We can see this in the moment she wakes up—she checks if she’s still wearing underwear to see if they slept together, but she doesn’t look scared or upset. She seems more embarrassed than anything else.

Given that, Taeha used the movie reference to explain himself. Many people, after drinking, end up having a one-night stand just because, but he didn’t want that. He wants something serious with her, so he doesn’t want to ruin the small bit of good reputation he’s managed to build to be with her.

Because of Chapter 36, we now have a clearer idea that Taeha, despite seeming like someone experienced in everything, is actually having all of his “firsts” with Haesoo. That’s why their beginning is a bit chaotic on both sides: Haesoo has gone through so much in just a month (maybe two months), and in Taeha’s case, someone who lived his life without loving or being loved is, for the first time, noticing that what he feels for Haesoo is different from what he’s felt for anyone else he’s met so far.

For someone like Taeha, who grew up with all the money in the world but completely neglected by his family, we can see that he’s exploring this emotional territory (affection) for the first time. Honestly, I’m just happy that Taeha’s perception of affection is on the right track.

What usually happens with people like him is that they tend to express love through brute force (or just being toxic). However, the fact that Taeha saw that scene in the movie when he was younger made it possible for him to build a different understanding of what love could be (which is definitely not being forceful or promiscuous in situations where your “special one” is at their worst).