- Taehwan; a character analysis. {BS spoilers}
don’t repost

tw// asian racism, bullying, non-con, homophobia, xenophobia

Taehwan is definitely a complex character, and while we know that sometimes his behavior might seem/be heartless or too rough especially towards Yeonwu,

in this analysis we’ll dig a bit deeper to see the reasons behind how he became the way he currently is and how he’s slowly changing, without even realizing it himself.

1. Background.

After what happened, Taehwan decided to leave the school and to finish the semester with a homestay experience.

2. Trauma and PTSD.

After everything he went through, Taehwan put up his walls really high: if before he used to open his heart easily to people, these traumas made him into someone who rarely trusts anyone anymore and who sees relationships with people just as business.

During a conversation with Dojin after the latter was kind of kicked out of the house he lived in with Taehwan and Taehee, Yeonwu tells him that Taehwan had probably reacted that way because he trusted him and expected a lot from him.

With this, Yeonwu was also indirectly referring to himself and to what happened 6 years earlier between the two of them: Taehwan sincerely trusted him back then, but he had broken that trust.

Taehwan still has nightmares about what happened to him in the past: in 2X22 he suddenly woke up distressed and startled and to try to calm down he repeated to himself “It’s all in the past. It’s over, it’s over.”

3. Taehwan and Yeonwu.

TH and YW first met in high school. I think Taehwan really felt safe and comfortable with him and that, if YW hadn’t pushed it by touching and kissing him while he was asleep and vulnerable, he would have slowly started to explore his feelings towards him.

In 2X19, wanting to get rid of the anger and the bad feelings the encounter with Mike provoked in him, he messaged Yeonwu and asked him to meet. He later says in a monologue that Yeonwu was the first person who came to his mind.

4. Character Development.

In the last 9-10 chapters we witnessed Taehwan unknowingly changing for the better towards Yeonwu:

This is just a speculation from my part, but I’m guessing that once TH will realize that all these changes are much more than just not wanting to lose a “toy”, he’ll take some steps back and briefly go back to his cold and rough self because he’ll be downright terrified.

Change is scary, even more so if you built your whole life around specific beliefs and habits.

This doesn’t make him a toxic asshole, but someone who went through a lot since a young age and that, in response, has been coping with all that by finding means to protect himself.

He is so used to the armor and mask he built around him for this purpose, that the rare times they slip out of his control, he’s scared that people might truly see him.
Because that would make him feel weak, exposed… naked.

We know that Taehwan is capable of deep love because of how much he loves Taehee, but as a trauma survivor he needs to feel safe in order to heal. He needs to be able to fully trust someone and to understand like there’s

nothing wrong with him.
Only at that point the hyper-vigilance that is now part of him, will be able to subside.
I’m looking forward to this healing process and to how his dynamics with YW will change once he’ll come to terms with the fact that he’s in love with him.

- end