jimoongi's Favorite

As an introduction, I would like to explain a little why I choose these two animals. It is well known that animals symbolize certain attributes, like f. ex. the turtle is associated to wisdom and longevity. The snake symbolizes seduction, treachery but also dangerousness due to its poison, whereas the peacock embodies the characteristics of nobility, beauty but also vanity, jealousy, pride and arrogance. During this analysis, I will try to answer that question in order to illustrate Jung In Hun’s personality.

First, let me present this character. The teacher Jung In Hun (JIH) is a noble from the low nobility who met the painter Baek Na Kyum (BNK), while the latter wanted to learn to read and write. However, the character is first mentioned with a poem that the noble Yoon Seungho (YSH) found in the belongings of Baek Na Kyum.
http://www.mangago.zone/home/photo/5815486/

episode 4: Seungho is reading the poem
In this scene, we already get a glimpse of Jung In Hun through two different perspectives: the one from the lord and the other from BNK. While Seungho notices that the poem contains some poor resemblance to a poem written by the famous poet Wang Bang Yeon therefore he makes fun of the author by criticizing the poor quality of the work, BNK immediately reacts to his words and denies the critics by yelling at the lord: “This is not true.” Then he adds:

“This poem was written by a great man… who could never be judged by someone such as yourself. Someone who is consumed by lust.”

Although BNK is crying as he has been hurt by Seungho’s mockery, he is actually very bold. This outburst catches the noble by surprise. He is not used to see such a behavior as he is more feared by people. But this is not the end of BNK’s boldness, like we will see in the next moment. The noble, amazed by this crude attitude towards him, shows no anger on the other hand. In reality, this makes him want to tease the painter, when the painter asks him to give his treasure back.
http://www.mangago.zone/home/photo/5815546/

episode 4: Seungho refuses to give the poem back.
Since the lord ignores his request, BNK approaches him and tries to take the paper from his hands. It goes so far, that he touches Seungho’s hat. BNK here is daring and quite insolent. This has never happened before to Seungho. A low-born shows no fear and no respect towards him. This unusual behavior doesn’t truly infuriate the noble, he just pushes the painter away and keeps the poem with him. Although the teacher Jung In Hun is not present, he already has a deep impact in the relationship between the two protagonists. Seungho witnesses BNK’s admiration for his teacher. Not only Seungho could hear that the painter considered JIH as a better man than him but he was ridiculed at the same time. The teacher inspired so much courage and audacity from the painter which Yoon Seungho never expected from BNK. That’s how the lord realizes that Jung In Hun occupies a special place in BNK’s heart. He also wonders what kind of man Jung In Hun is as he was able to decipher that the JIH somehow attempted to copy the poetry of a famous author but failed miserably. This scene is quite important as it foreshadowed the future events in the story. The shadow of Jung In Hun will always affect the relationship between Seungho and Baek Na Kyum.

Furthermore, the indirect introduction serves another purpose: the two perspectives about the teacher are already insinuating the duplicity and the hypocrisy of Jung In Hun. Since BNK is not so educated like the rich and powerful lord, he is not able to judge the poem properly. After this audacious behavior from BNK, Seungho decides to investigate the teacher as it intrigues him how this man could evoke such genuine and deep emotions. That’s the reason why Seungho meets Jung In Hun a few days later.

However, the readers get a first impression of Jung In Hun, even before he meets the young lord. A young girl, a child from the low social class, offers a leaf to the teacher.
http://www.mangago.zone/home/photo/5815490/
http://www.mangago.zone/home/photo/5815569/
http://www.mangago.zone/home/photo/5815576/
While Jung In Hun accepts the gift from the child with a huge smile, he drops the leaf as soon as the child has left his side. Here, you can see the dishonesty, deception and contempt from JIH which are in fact important features of this character. The incident with the poem already alluded this but now the event with the leaf confirms it. But this doesn’t end here with JIH’s flaws. The meeting with the lord reveals other aspects from JIH’s mentality. Striking is that during his meeting with Yoon Seungho, Jung In Hun has no problem to show his true thoughts in front of the young lord. He describes his house as “shabby dwelling” and calls his occupation as teacher a diversion. The reason why he doesn’t take his duty seriously is the following:
http://www.mangago.zone/home/photo/5815497/
He even adds: “Would it not be more beneficial for them to play in the dirt and the mountains from early on?”. The commoners are destined to remain as such commoners.
With these words, it becomes clear that JIH doesn’t teach them at all. He lets them play outside which appears to be a nice gesture for the children, while in reality he despises them. He considers the commoners as dirt and views himself superior to them in every possible way. Furthermore the expression “shabby dwelling” outlines his frustration and greed. He wished, he could live in a better place since as a noble he deserves something better. His words also outshine his ambition: he wants to get a higher position. But why is Jung In Hun so truly honest in front of our seme? The cause for his frankness is quite simple. Since Yoon Seungho is a noble too, he assumes that Yoon Seungho thinks like him. He believes that Yoon Seungho must look down on low-born too.

During his conversation with In Hun, Yoon Seungho gets aware that using In Hun will help him to get new paintings from the young painter as he discovers that the teacher was the reason why BNK stopped painting. If he supports the ambitious teacher in his career, BNK has to paint for him. JIH mentions the paintings from Baek Na Kyum as vulgar and bizarre without revealing exactly why. Notwithstanding what Seungho failed to realize is the real power In Hun had over BNK at the same time which is going to bite him later. Actually, Seungho made a terrible mistake in the chapter 7. He told the painter that the teacher was here because the latter wanted to see him… while in reality, Seungho had planned to use In Hun as a pawn. The painter, full of innocence, took his words as face-value and told the teacher that he was glad that In Hun wanted to see him. This reinforced the love he had for the teacher which even Seungho could catch immediately. Moreover, it increased the idea that Jung In Hun cared for him. All this will make it more difficult for Seungho to replace JIH in BNK’s heart. While he thought, the deal and the lies were helping him, in the long run it actually created much more distance between Yoon Seungho and Baek Na Kyum. At the same time, BNK’s words make In Hun realize that Seungho has told nothing about the deal. He will help him to advance in his career.

Another important factor is that In Hun truly believed Seungho’s words in the chapter 6:
– “I chanced upon a poem that you wrote” […]”I could not help myself from exclaiming at its excellence”[…] “you raised a good point! […]”you are truly a man of great character”
http://www.mangago.zone/home/photo/5815604/

Actually during the whole conversation, Seungho was mocking the teacher, his words were so ironic, yet the learned sir failed to notice the sarcasm. And this shows his vanity and stupidity. In the chapter 6, Jung In Hun’s attitude reminds me of the peacock who thinks of himself noble, intelligent and beautiful, whereas he is quite stupid in reality, since he is not able to discern the irony in Yoon Seungho’s words. He is actually too blinded by his own social status. He truly believes that every noble must think like him: entitled and superior to others. His lack of discernment is actually confirmed in two episodes, the episode 19 and 22. In the episode 19, Jung In Hun discovers the real reason why Yoon Seungho is supporting him which means that the lord would have never been interested in him, if he had never met BNK. The powerful noble never considered him as a man with many qualities: his title and his education meant nothing compared to the talent of Baek Na Kyum which represents a huge blow to the teacher. How can a low-born be compared to a noble?

Furthermore, before the deal is unveiled, Jung In Hun is seen strolling through Yoon’s property, where he shows his envy and greed

“He has everything that I do not have. How could such a filthy fiend…”

While with these words the reader can observe Jung In Hun’s despise for the seme. He knows that the lord is a homosexual but he doesn’t care as long as he can benefit from it. This shows his selfishness and his duplicity. He is an opportunist who could betray Yoon Seungho at any moment. But his opportunistic nature was already visible in the chapter 6. He had told the lord that he was waiting for the right time in order to change his situation. Waiting for the right time is a synonym for opportunism. So since he got closer to wealth and power, he starts wishing for more nonetheless his dream is crushed, when he witnesses Seungho touching BNK’s cheek. He never thought that BNK’s paintings could be the trigger for the lord to approach him. He always thought that he deserved to be recognized.

Then in the chapter 22 Jung In Hun confronts the powerful lord during the hunt about his lies. While Yoon Seungho keeps praising him about his hunting skills, Jung In Hun asks him if he truly means what he says. Thus he mentions the deal: BNK should paint for him in exchange for Jung In Hun’s career. In that moment, Yoon Seungho no longer hides his true thoughts but he also gives a harsh and honest judgement about Jung In Hun’s skills:
http://www.mangago.zone/home/photo/5815586/

Episode 22: Jung In Hun’s poem is mediocre.
For the lord, the learned sir Jung In Hun is shameless. Hurt by this judgment, the former teacher wants to hurt the lord’s pride as well by alluding the rumors about his bad reputation as sodomite. But unlike the teacher, Yoon Seungho is not bothered at all, he even touches Jung In Hun’s shoulder in order to force him to kneel down in front of him. At the end, Yoon Seungho destroys JIH’s delusion by announcing this:
http://www.mangago.zone/home/photo/5815593/

Imagine how humiliated Jung In Hun must feel. He, a noble, is forced to kneel down and he is criticized for his poor skills. The learned sir is so infuriated that he will want revenge for this affront therefore he will betray the powerful sodomite. Hence he could become a snake, ready to double-cross SH. As conclusion, until the episode 19, the teacher acted as a peacock because he believed everything the lord had said and thought that he had been recognized for his talent. But in the episode 22, he thought and acted like a snake with his poisonous words and thoughts.

But Jung In Hun is not just jealous of the influential noble, he shows some jealousy towards the painter Baek Na Kyum too. This envy even turns into resent and hatred as the story evolves. Let us not forget that for a low-born, BNK was actually successful as a painter. He had published a few books with his paintings which means his talent was recognized. Furthermore, the books reached Yoon’s home indicating that his work was popular among the nobles. Then we can assume that BNK could live from his publications for a while as in the beginning, it is said that BNK lives as a drunk. In order to drink, you need some money. So he was able to survive without publishing anything new for a while. First, I thought that In Hun stopped him from painting due to the content but remember that In Hun’s words shouldn’t be taken for face value. What if in reality In Hun was jealous of BNK as he was able to find some indirect recognition from the nobility who bought his works, while he as a noble was not able to get connections? In Hun is arrogant and thinks, because he is noble, he is entitled to a better treatment. That’s why In Hun beat BNK and forced him to stop painting. That way BNK could no longer live above him and would go back to his “social status”, a low-born with no connection and no recognition. Yet, it didn’t work out, since BNK caught Seungho’s interest.

When he met BNK in the chapter 7, he faked happiness as he knew that BNK was not aware of the deal. Yoon Seungho had offered him the opportunity to support his career. Notwithstanding, he didn’t see that Seungho was using him in order to pressure BNK. Besides, I think that In Hun got jealous and started seeing the painter as a rival very early. Let us not forget that In Hun could get jealous because he could only get some connection with a high noble thanks to BNK. Moreover, he sees how SH treats BNK. The latter is able to receive some expensive treatment, he gets the right to spend so much time in Yoon’s chamber, he is there, when Yoon speaks to his brother, he even gets expensive clothes… and what did In Hun receive from Yoon, although he is a noble? Free lodging and access to the library and the possibility to hunt but that’s it. In Hun has to rely on his own skills in order to succeed. Yoon is showing no real support. He didn’t want to spend time with In Hun, he didn’t give any new expensive cloth … But he is a noble, whereas BNK is a low-born. Imagine that all this is humiliating for In Hun.

This rivalry and jealousy is already palpable in the chapter 10. Here BNK and IH have a conversation, where the teacher asks him not to paint, although he sees that BNK’s fingers has black painting. The worst is that In Hun uses a rhetorical question in order to increase the pressure on the painter:
http://www.mangago.zone/home/photo/5815642/

He knew that BNK was painting due to the hands http://www.mangago.zone/home/photo/5815500/
but asked as if he didn’t know… at the end, he adds that the painter doesn’t do things that the teacher dislikes. As you can see, In Hun is forcing BNK to stop painting in order to make BNK quit his job. He doesn’t want to be put on the same level than that low-born. In Hun believes that by doing so, he can get more advantages but nothing happens as the incident with the image happens.

As you can see, BNK was caught between a rock and a hard place. Seungho schemed in order to get images, while In Hun wanted to get more than an access to the study with a free lodging. He really believed that he had finally caught the eye of an influential noble.

On the other hand, In Hun witnesses something shocking later. While strolling through the property and envying Seungho, he sees how Seungho touches BNK’s face with a certain care. His facial expression gives away his own feelings: angry, shocked and jealous. BNK, the low-born painter, has been able to get so close to Seungho, while the other can not enjoy anything more than study and free lodging. He can not imagine that such paintings have more value in the noble’s eyes than his skills in poetry or writing.

BNK is shocked to see In Hun’s reaction that he tries to tell about the deal he had with Seungho. He painted because of the teacher… In Hun’s arrogance is the reason why he can not believe BNK’s words. As you can see, the teacher is such a stupid fool believing that his status as noble has entitled him to get higher. But the teacher is really different from BNK in many ways. While BNK painted in order to survive (chapter 2) and got successful, our learned sir did nothing at all, not even teaching as he saw it as below himself. He called teaching a diversion, and not a duty… furthermore he admitted to Seungho that he waited for the right time. As if opportunity happens like that… while showing no effort in order to demonstrate his talent. His pride turned him into a passive and stupid person, a peacock seeking for attention and admiration. This conversation in the episode 19 between BNK and Jung In Hun served as a wake up call for the teacher. He not only discovers that Seungho used him as pawn in order to get images from the painter, but Seungho never saw any talent in him in reality which means that he could never achieve any success without Yoon Seungho’s help. That was a huge fall for our prideful teacher!!

Since the attempt to get more advantages failed, then he thought, he could use BNK directly as spy since the painter adores him so much.

One flaw among many others the learned sir has is his hypocrisy. He acts as if he likes BNK and supports him, yet behind his back he refused to teach him properly and never wanted to let BNK to change his social status. He is a low-born and he should remain as one.
Furthermore, he criticized Baek Na-Kyum for his homosexuality saying that this was something filthy and vulgar, yet in the chapter 24, Jung In Hun asked from BNK to “prostitute” himself in order to help him. He knows that BNk spends nights in the lord’s chamber and he knows that Yoon Seungho is a sodomite, hence he is very well aware that such a person would try to taste the painter. In his eyes, the paintings are just an excuse as he doesn’t see and recognize BNK’s talent. This favor the teacher asked happened in the chapter 24. What caught my attention in this chapter is that the teacher shows a bad behavior towards the painter in many different ways.

First of all, he is violent and not just once. He grabs BNK by the wrist and pushed him very hard against the wall.
http://www.mangago.zone/home/photo/5815697/
Notice how violent he is due to his yelling
He is not different from Seungho, however Seungho’s violence caught much more attention than In Hun’s. Striking is that he even grabbed BNK by the shoulder and used some strength which is quite painful.
And this gesture is interesting as it was the same that Seungho did in an earlier episode (hunt scene) where Seungho humiliated him. So as you can see, he is venting his anger onto BNK… he wants to show and feel that he is powerful in order to forget the humiliation where he felt so powerless for the first time. As a noble, he thought that he was powerful (physically and mentally), nonetheless Seungho taught him a bitter lesson that he is just a small fish in reality. So his violence against BNK is not just caused by his anger but also by his belief that he is somehow powerful… Since BNK is a low-born, he can show his power.
Nevertheless, the most repulsive gesture in this chapter is how In Hun puts his head on the painter’s shoulder, then grabs BNK’s hands and even kisses his hands while looking at BNK’s eyes. He is seducing BNK with his gestures, just like a snake.
http://www.mangago.zone/home/photo/5815710/

Here, the reader witnesses In Hun’s bad faith the best. All his gestures show that he knows that BNK loves him and he acts as if he was seducing him… he is definitely giving BNK’s hope. He gets aware that his sudden outburst could have endangered his position. He knows that he needs BNK hence he wants to bring him to his side by giving him hope.

He, who despises sodomy, is even willing to act as a seductive man… the warm and nice gesture can only move BNK’s heart. Our painter is so surprised by the sudden change that he forgets the violent and rude behavior from earlier. This shows that In Hun had known all along that BNK pined for him and he enjoyed this very much as he could feel powerful. He is definitely a sadist in reality… he enjoyed his position as he had the upper hand in this strange relationship.

Baek Na Kyum had a pure love for him hence he never confessed his love for him and even obeyed his request to stop painting. He admired the noble for his education, too naive and too ignorant to realize his dishonesty. He thought that JIH’s gestures (like f. ex. letting stay outside instead of forcing to read and write) showed kindness but it was not true. He had been deceived, just like the little girl in the chapter 6. Furthermore, he was beaten by the learned sir, just like a father would act if a son had done something terrible. Let us not forget that physical punishment was a common method to educate children back then. All these actions led the painter think that the former teacher showed concern for him and cared for him. Finally, we have to remember the behavior the learned sir showed in the chapter 6: nice words with a smile hence the child misjudged the true personality of the teacher.

The more time passes on, the more Jung In Hun is unable to conceal his desdain for the painter. All this explains why BNK starts lying to the learned sir. In the end, he even rejects JIH’s request to become his spy. Simultaneously, Yoon Seungho is also affecting BNK’s perception about Jung In Hun. In the chapter 40, Yoon Seungho claims that he will assume his responsibility for BNK, while at the same time he points out to the painter the problem with the deal:
http://www.mangago.zone/home/photo/5815611/

By putting a red point on BNK’s forehead, it was as if Seungho was claiming the painter as his bride. Nevertheless, with his question, he wants BNK to think again about the nature of the deal. What will happen to the painter, once the learned sir obtains a high position? This triggers BNK to visit the former teacher whom he still admires despite having hurt physically and mentally by his words and behavior. There he inquires:
http://www.mangago.zone/home/photo/5815513/

He states that he has known all along that BNK was sleeping with the lord. Then he adds that BNK did it because he wanted to have sex with the noble but refuses the excuse that he did it for the teacher’s sake.
http://www.mangago.zone/home/photo/5815618/

Jung In Hun doesn’t want to take any responsibility, since he claims that BNK was born to be a prostitute. At the same time, Jung In Hun finally reveals his true thoughts about the painter. For him, BNK was a whore, especially since he came from a gisaeng house. Look at the painter’s reaction:
http://www.mangago.zone/home/photo/5815625/

BNK is shocked and devastated. He, who admired the teacher so much hence called him a learned sir, never thought that Jung In Hun had such contempt for him. Finally, he is able to see the person behind his glasses. I don’t think that it is a coincidence that our villain here is wearing glasses. These symbolize his duplicity and his disguise. For him, JIH was a father figure hence he always obeyed and listened to each words the teacher said. This chapter marks a pivotal moment in BNK’s life: BNK is no longer a child but an adult. His oedipal relationship with the learned sir comes to an end.

In my opinion, the chapter 40 confirmed one more time that In Hun had never realized BNK’s true talent as a painter, too blinded by his own belief that as a noble he is far superior to BNK. Furthermore, in the chapter 40, In Hun is even more violent compared to the chapter 24, although he is not abusing BNk physically. Yet he knows that words can kill and he definitely wanted to destroy BNK for real as he knows his influence over the painter, like the chapter 24 revealed it. His words are deadly poisonous like a snake.

These terrible words underline his resent and jealousy. A low-born could obtain much more than him, a noble, that’s why he wants to hurt the painter so deeply. He witnessed how the painter was receiving more and more attention. First, it was the caress on the cheek, then he spent nights in the lord’s chamber, got expensive medicine and finally even tailored clothes which the learned sir is not able to afford. In the chapter 40, In Hun’s harsh words shows that he is so emotional and so jealous that he is not capable to think in the long term. He has never realized that he could get killed by Seungho. He thought, he was even on the same level than our seme because he touched the lord’s shoulder. He never caught the dangerous gaze of Seungho, when he did that. His pride is the cause of his own shortcomings. He is blinded by his arrogance which makes him quite stupid in reality. Besides, he doesn’t get aware that BNK is Seungho’s weakness until the finale chapter of the season.
http://www.mangago.zone/home/photo/5815508/

He always thought that Seungho was a sodomite only consumed by lust, therefore he believed that the lord considered BNK as a plaything and as such was just a prostitute. Now, he realizes that Yoon has deep feelings for the painter and represents a tool for him. The former teacher still thinks that he can use BNK like before despite the harsh treatment in the chapter 40. However, since he walked away from the painter and hurt him deeply, JIH has already lost his influence which he doesn’t realize yet. Since the painter always overlooked his harsh words and even his violent treatment (the beating or pushing BNK against the wall), he leaves believing that BNK will overlook all these actions and still admires him. However, BNK has already a change of heart: he demands the servant to destroy the beautiful picture, since JIH left the mansion without saying goodbye. Notice that BNK doesn’t even burn the painting himself, he asks the servant Kim to do it which shows that he has no longer feelings and admiration for JIH. Out of respect, BNK waited for him but that was it. Since JIH never came to see him, he could perceive that he meant nothing to the learned sir. At the end, I am now wondering if he is really a snake as Seungho was able to see through him so that Jung In Hun was never able to scheme against him. He can sometimes be poisonous to the painter but in front of Seungho, he is more a peacock due to his vanity, jealousy and arrogance. A peacock is quite useless as it serves more to be admired. Besides, we have to wonder about Jung In Hun's attitude towards work, if he will be dedicated to his duty as an official. On the other hand, we shouldn't underestimate his dangerousness because once he reached a high position, he could go after Yoon Seungho.
Feel free to comment.

In order to understand why I am comparing both main leads, I have to say that this analysis is based on my theory about Yoon’s suffering from the past. See for more explanations with this analysis.
http://www.mangago.zone/home/mangatopic/5596560/

Our protagonist is the eldest son of an influential noble family who was dragged by the topknot by his own father before cutting it off. This must have traumatized our seme, since in the first season he grabbed two nobles, Jihwa and another sex partner, by the topknot and threw them in the courtyard. Because of the father’s gesture, Seungho’s reputation was ruined as he was declared a sodomite in front of the servants. As results, the gossip started. Out of resent and hatred, Seungho decided not only to turn this rumor into a reality but also decided to become the biggest sodomite ever. So living in debauchery in order to hurt his father the most… ensure that the latter wouldn’t be able to make a comeback so soon or to help his younger brother as his own father had betrayed him.

This led to the following situation. This unwilling homosexual had problems with his sexuality hence he needed replenishing medicine and help from the ukes in order to get aroused… until he saw Baek Na-Kyum’s paintings. Notice that in the paintings, we see one lover trying to look to his partner. The gaze is rather vivid compared to the drawing Jihwa had. Furthermore, BNK’s paintings about sodomy ooze warmth and love. They all look so natural, there is no shame or pain connected to sodomy. That’s why I came to realize that what Seungho affects the most is what he sees. This explains why the author drew many pictures of Seungho’s gaze.

Therefore in my opinion, the problem Seungho had was the gaze he received from people. As you know, the eyes are considered as a sort of mirror, people can see themselves in the eyes of the other party. From my point of view, although Seungho doesn’t care about the rumors, he saw himself judged, he saw their repulsion but more importantly he saw himself as disgusting and repulsive. He took their judgement as face value. He believed that their eyes did give a true reflection of himself: repulsive.

You are wondering now why I came to this idea that Seungho couldn’t bear the gaze from others but on the other hand, showed no concern to rumors and gossip. It is because first, the rumor of his homosexuality was created by gossip and he knew that the gossip never reflected the reality. Secondly gossip and rumors are linked to the ear and not to the eyes. There is no reflection at all.

There is a scene which reveals the importance of the eye and gaze in Seungho’s mind. This happens in the pavilion, where he has sex with Jihwa. He came to visit his sex partner, although he already had sex with him the night before. The reason for his visit was the first painting that Baek Na Kyum had created had aroused him immensely.
http://www.mangago.zone/home/photo/5833993/
http://www.mangago.zone/home/photo/5833999/
episode 3
Notice that although Seungho is having sex with Jihwa, he doesn’t look at him. His eyes are not directed towards his partner but they are focused on his mind, on the painting he discovered that morning. It was as if he was blind… he only sees the picture of Baek Na Kyum. The reason for this strong reaction is that he observed his own gaze caught by the painter.



The lord’s gaze not only was directed to the painter, but it also showed desire and attraction. There is nothing ugly and disgusting in this gaze. That’s why he is so obsessed with the picture, when he has sex with Jihwa. This scene outlines that Seungho cares a lot about what he sees. He saw in the painting a different reflection of himself. This explains why after this first painting, Seungho is often starring at Baek Na-Kyum while having sex with others. Seungho keeps looking into the painter’s eyes. He is fascinated by the gaze he is receiving from Baek Na Kyum who is unaware that his eyes are betraying him. That’s why there is this quote: “The eyes are the mirror of the soul”.

http://www.mangago.zone/home/photo/5834031/
here episode 14
In other words, through the first painting, Seungho saw a different reflection of himself and realized his own attraction. This freed him from the disgust he felt for himself. He could finally accept himself and even his “forced homosexuality”. But since he realized that the painter had painted him in such a positive way, he couldn’t help himself looking at the painter. He became interested in him, even attracted to him, since the latter revealed a certain desire.

However, there is one scene where Baek Na-Kyum show a certain repulsion in front of Seungho… it is the moment when Seungho tries to make a move on the painter.
episode 2
Striking is that he is even using his own gaze in order to seduce the painter. But at the same time, he also warns the painter if he disobeys him, he will be punished.
However, since the painter has been brainwashed by Jung In-Hun, the former shows disgust for one minute which upsets the lord. Simultaneously, Baek na Kyum’s reaction is also triggered by the subtle thread. His facial expression shows disgust as fear too.

The other reason why I am outlining the importance of the gaze and eyes is because of Sartres’ philosophy, a French writer and philosopher from the 20th century. In one of his theaterplays called “No exit”, one of the characters there says:

“hell is other people” (“L’enfer, c’est les autres”) by Jean Paul Sartres

Being surrounded by people, you will always be confronted by their eyes and their stare will reflect their own perception of the other. You will see yourself in the other’s eyes and this reflection will let you believe that this is your own reflection and your true personality.
However, eyes never reflect the reality as there is a lot of subjectivity. And our seme Seungho had been definitely living a hell due to the disgusted gaze from others. Notice that Jihwa is portrayed with closed eyes in the painting (see the third picture above), just like the other ukes… this explicates why Seungho could never see his own attraction and even the love Jihwa had for him. Jihwa tried to hide his own feelings, scared that he would frighten Seungho. Nevertheless what Seungho needed was to see himself as someone lovable, as someone attractive but Jihwa never let him see this.

Finally, the significance of the gaze is also pointed out with another scene and element: the mirror. After the rape, Baek Na Kyum tried to run away but he was stopped by his mentor, Jung In Hun, who forced him to go back to the mansion. After his return, Seungho dragged the painter to his chamber where they spent the whole day and night together. Here, Seungho even puts the painter in front of a mirror because he wants him to see his own reflection: he is affected by Seungho. He wants to acknowledge his own desire and his suppressed sexuality.
http://www.mangago.zone/home/photo/5834014/

episode 32
The painting and the gaze of Baek Na Kyum liberated the lord from his own trauma and suffering but at the same time, it inflicted a new pain: the painter was never looking at him, as his heart and mind were occupied by the hypocrite Jung In Hun which leads me to the second part: a portrait of Baek Na Kuym. With the mirror, Seungho was confronting the painter with his own reflection, simultaneously the lord wanted him to see that Seungho was his partner and not the “learned sir”. It also showed his desire for the painter.

Now that we have portrayed our seme, it is time to pay attention to our painter Baek Na-Kyum. The arc of the first season represents the loss of innocence of our uke.

Striking is that the latter’s life represents the opposite of Seungho. While the latter belongs to the influential nobility, Baek Na Kyum is an abandoned infant who was raised by the head gisaeng. His unknown origins and the fact that he was raised in a brothel reveal his low social status. But their social status is not actually the biggest contrast. Now, you are wondering what this means. Let us not forget that people kept wondering why NK painted sodomy so early and they all thought that he had seen this in the gisaeng house. However, I believe that in reality BNK chose sodomy because he recognized his own sexuality very early. He felt that he was attracted to men and thought that there was nothing disgusting at all.


Notice that the young man is painting outside and anyone can see his drawing. This underlines his lack of shame. For him, homosexuality was natural. And this picture shows his innocence as well. Although he was raised in a brothel, he remains pure. This shows that he initially accepted his own sexuality but he knew that he couldn’t live with his homosexuality so openly, because as an adult, he realized the complication. Hence he published his books under a pseudonym. Nevertheless, he connected homosexuality to love but not sex, although he had been raised in a place where there is only sex and not love. Baek Na Kyum wanted to be able to read and write on his own. He values education a lot which is also palpable in the poem from Jung In Hun he kept. At some point he met the teacher Jung In Hun who became a surrogate father to him. He literally worshiped the poor lord and always thought that the teacher was intelligent because of Jung In Hun’s tendency to paint himself as superior. Notwithstanding the teacher Jung In Hun must have discovered his books. From that moment, the teacher tried to oppress Baek Na-Kyum’s homosexuality. He started brainwashing him saying that this was something disgusting and repulsive. The gaze from In Hun must have played a huge part in it, especially because he was attracted to the teacher due to his education and good manners. The repulsive gaze from In Hun and his harsh words had a huge impact on the painter. Let us not forget that Baek Na Kyum called Seungho a person consumed by lust (episode 4) and later we hear the same expression in the mouth of the double-faced Jung In Hun. The teacher forced him to stop painting. He could no longer paint sodomy as he had been manipulated to believe that homosexuality is vulgar and bizarre. It is an abnormality where he could no longer link homosexuality with warmth and loving stare.

As you can see, the painter’s homosexuality was oppressed, while Seungho was forced to homosexuality. However, the gaze Seungho gave to BNK had the same effect. In this gaze, he could feel the admiration from the lord
http://www.mangago.zone/home/photo/5291837/

episode 1: Seungho reveals his admiration for the painter
Seungho is actually smiling and starring warmly at BNk, until the painter denies that he is the author of the painting. However, the first painting BNK drew in the lord’s house reflects the attraction and the lust from Seungho (see the third picture above). There is no negative judgement coming from the lord… and as much as BNK’s gaze through the painting liberated Seungho from his own hell, Seungho’s gaze had the same effect on BNK, his true sexuality was coming on the surface. This is illustrated, when Baek Na Kyum paints the first picture for Seungho. While he is painting with the brush, he reminisces the sex scene and keeps thinking about the gaze Seungho gave him.
http://www.mangago.zone/home/photo/5834006/

episode 2: this gaze reveals attraction, desire and lust.
The gaze triggered the sleeping sexuality in Baek Na-Kyum. That’s why BNK had a wet dream with Seungho in the episode 6. The explanation is quite simple. The more he saw Seungho in his sexual activities, the more Seungho kept looking at the painter, the more Baek Na Kyum was affected. He could no longer oppress his sexual desires. We shouldn’t forget that although he thinks, he is in love with Jung In Hun, he dreamed about having sex with the lord and not the teacher. He has the impression that Seungho is touching him… BNK tried the whole time to fight against his own desire because he had been brainwashed by In Hun. As conclusion, the gaze played a huge part for the two main characters. It liberated them, the painter’s sexuality came alive, whereas Seungho freed himself from the judging gazes.

And now, at the end of the chapter 40, In Hun reveals his true thoughts about the painter. He is just a prostitute. Yet there is a huge difference between Seungho and the painter. While Seungho has never cared for gossip and rumor hence he felt no embarrassment, BNK has always paid attention to people’s opinion and judgement. As you can observe, Baek Na Kyum is sensitive to the ear. Striking is that we often witness the noble whispering to the painter’s ear, like in the following drawing. Or at the tailor shop… Baek Na Kyum seems to pay more attention to the ear than to the eye. That’s the reason why he is sensitive to gossip, unlike the lord. So not only he is affected by the gaze from others (see the shop owner’s gaze) but also he is definitely affected about what he hears. He believes that rumors are reflecting reality that’s why in the beginning, BNK remembered the rumors circulating about Seungho. Our uke is not so mentally strong like our seme and in my opinion, Seungho needs to realize this. He needs to understand that Na-Kyum is different from him in that matter. He has been brainwashed by the teacher, the fatherly figure. But just like Yoon Seungho, he makes the same experience: he is betrayed and abandoned by his “father”. They share a similar experience, yet Baek Na Kyum’s betrayal is new compared to the one Seungho lived. Notwithstanding, I believe that this could bring them closer.

Moreover, there is another reason why Yoon Seungho’s heart was moved and touched by Baek Na-Kyum: his tears. In the first episode, he cries after the lord tried to make him feel guilty about the death of the servant. In this scene, the noble even lowers himself to the painter and wipes away the tears. He is surprised by his emotional reaction. And the tears play a huge part why the noble will become more and more emotional. As conclusion, the eyes and tears are the most important elements which change both personalities.

From my point of view, Seungho needs to remind Na-Kyum that he is definitely a talented painter… he needs to say what he mentioned in the beginning:

“These are the talented hands”.

BNK needs to hear something positive about himself. Moreover, Seungho needs to change BNK’s reputation. The latter is always described as low-born but what Jihwa and the others forget is that BNK is a talented painter in the first place.
BNK has to find his true identity, his true self… If he is not called a low-born, then people call him with different names:
– “my boy” like in the picture from the episode 1 (see above)

– a “servant” which BNK denies
– a “ill-bred cur” or
– Even Seungho described him as “In Hun’s bride”, when he was upset
– “a prostitute”
As you can see, people forget that he is a painter… all of them (except Seungho) look down on him. Just like a teenager who detached himself from his father, Baek Na Kyum needs to find his true self, his true identity so that he is no longer defined by his status.

When we look how the relationship between Seungho and Baek Na Kyum evolved, we can clearly see that the lord had awaken his oppressed sexuality. He approached little by little the painter, however he never thought that Baek Na KYum was so innocent, since he had been raised in a gisaeng house and painted such erotic paintings. He never thought that this boy was so pure and innocent, although the sudden love confession reflected his innocence. As much as the first experience was not so painful, the discovery that he had mistaken Seungho for his teacher pained him a lot. Because of this, he was later raped and even forced to do a blow job. Baek Na KYum had such a bad experience with sex that this was a rude awakening. On the one hand, he had been freed from his oppressed homosexuality, on the other hand he discovered the violence of sex as well. He could not see any love and warmth in it, although he had been the one who gave love and warmth during the first night spent with Seungho. While the latter was craving for this again, Baek Na Kyum was somehow disgusted as the lord had taken advantage. Due to the rape, BNK can no longer see love in Seungho’s gesture, even when the one claims that he will take responsibility for this. It will take a long time for the painter to discern the true nature of Yoon’s gestures and words.

That’s why it becomes even more urgent for Seungho to intervene and support BNK as a painter. He has definitely connections to the royal academy. Just changing the clothes is not enough and Seungho will realize that.
In other words, Seungho needs to help BNK in many ways… not just a job as painter but also to give him an education, something BNK has always been longing. Actually, BNK fell in love with In Hun because the latter acted as an educated man on the surface. He saw in him the father he was missing. He had a oedipal relationship with him, until the latter abandoned him as he reminded him where he came from: a giseang house. He had never been his adoptive son… just a low-born, a prostitute. By supporting Baek Na Kyum in his education and career, Seungho can get the love he has been longing for. Baek Na Kyum will realize the love Seungho has for him. I suppose, the attempted murder and Seungho’s protection could be the trigger for the painter to perceive the lord in a different light.

Fell free to comment.