Jinx / Doctor Frost: Thundering ⚡ Poker face 😐

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1. Poker face versus face like thunder

What caught my attention in episode 17 are the athlete’s facial expressions. (chapter 17) In Kim Dan’s house, he always had a poker face, even when he got insulted or threatened. He kept his composure all the time which stands in opposition to his attitude, when he faced Randy Booker. (chapter 14) Just before his fight, he had a face like thunder. Why did Joo Jaekyung react so vehemently, when he faced the professional fighter, while he looked so detached and distant in episode 17? Moreover, observe that the English translator employed the same comparison than Randy Booker (chapter 14), when Heo Manwook humiliated the athlete: baby. (chapter 17) In the Korean version, the idiom is more like “punk” or “nerd jerk”. Nevertheless, why did the fighter remain composed despite being looked down? Besides, it seemed like the athlete was facing the same situation, yet his behavior diverges so much. Why?

2. The reasons behind the poker face

It is because this was not about him and his honor in the end. Here, he had to save the physical therapist and he knew it. Secondly, keeping Poker face had another advantage: the loan shark and his minion should never discover that Kim Dan represents his vulnerability. They could use the main lead as a hostage. This explicates why Joo Jaekyung acted, as if he was more annoyed by the physical doctor than by the thugs. (chapter 17) This strategy worked well, for he caught Heo Manwook’s attention. Note that by ignoring them, the bullies were now more focused on the intruder than on the victim. (chapter 17) Moreover, it forced Heo Manwook to explain his action: (chapter 17) This means that the champion’s previous questions (What are you doing?”; “Who the hell are you?”) got answered with his arrogant and selfish attitude. To sum up, he diverted the bullies’ attention from Kim Dan. At the same time, because of his indifference and poker face (chapter 17), the villain jumped to the conclusion that the athlete had come to the house for the same reason. (chapter 17) Striking is that even after knowing everything, Joo Jaekyung acted, as if he didn’t care about Kim Dan and his debts. (chapter 17) This shows that Joo Jaekyung’s actions and words were not random at all. No one should suspect about the existence of their deal, his sex partner for his jinx. In the thugs’ eyes, the athlete was appearing as Kim Dan’s boss. He was selfish and uncaring. Thus certain readers judged the protagonist as a heartless jerk again. However, in order to perceive someone’s personality correctly, it is important to question the intentions and motivations behind people’s actions. Like I have already mentioned in a different essay: (Doctor Frost, chapter 216) Why?

3. The origins for the fight

And this observation made me realize why Joo Jaekyung only asked the loan shark about the amount of he debts after the end of the fight (chapter 17), and not before. Notice that he discovered the existence of the loan much earlier, yet he chose to ignore this. Why didn’t he pay it before? In my eyes, it is because he had anticipated and even planned the fight! He let his opponent reveal his weaknesses: (chapter 17) His arrogance, his miscalculation about Joo Jaekyung… finally his way to fight against his opponents. (chapter 17) The loan shark would never plan how to fight. He would use the knife and the bottle, when they are under pressure. Striking is that during this revelation, Joo Jaekyung chose to hide his gaze… he had perceived his opponent. They were not trained as fighters. The covered gaze is an indication that he understood that the more he ignored the thugs, the more the usurer would get angry. His pride could only be hurt with such an attitude. Consequently, I come to the conclusion that this fight was no coincidence. The main figure had acted exactly like in the ring: provoke his enemy (chapter 15) so that the latter would lower his guard and make a mistake. That’s the reason why Joo Jaekyung was so rational and expressionless, while the moneylender would get more and more mad (chapter 17), allowing emotions to cloud his judgement. He pushed Heo Manwook to throw the punch first. That way, he could justify his intervention. (chapter 17) Heo Manwook was to blame for this. Thus I believe that when he said this to the villain, he was hiding the manipulation. That’s why he was not smiling like in the ring. (chapter 15) His poker face served one purpose: to hide the existence of his strategy and his true thoughts. His counterpart should never discover that he had been incited to start the fight. We could say that this was Heo’s karma, for the latter would always use fake excuses to justify his brutality towards Kim Dan.

The irony is that when he fought against the bullies, he fought like a thunder despite his deadpan… (chapter 17) Thus the room got crashed. It was, as if a hurricane had ruined the room. That’s how all the villains came to fear him. As the manhwaworms can detect, he paid the debts only at the end for one reason: (chapter 17) He desired to scare the moneylender and his minions so that they would avoid Kim Dan. They should never question his intervention out of fear. (chapter 17) Therefore I have now the impression that he must have paid the loan with the Black Team’s account. Why? That way, he can maintain his image: he is the protagonist’s boss. At the same time, he is making sure that his employee can work properly. Moreover, it is important that no one discovers that Kim Dan represents his weakness.

4. The champion’s face like a wet week-end

On the other hand, in the same episode, the manhwaphiles can witness different facial expressions from the protagonist: (chapter 17) While waiting for Kim Dan, the champion got angry, thus he yelled at his hyung Park Namwook. He complained to his manager about his tight schedule, for he thought that he could postpone the med check. However, Park Namwook told him that he couldn’t not do, as he pleases. Nevertheless, the moment his hyung described Kim Dan as dedicated and diligent (chapter 17), for he spent the whole night studying his files, the young fighter was no longer arguing. (chapter 17) His raised eyebrow indicates his interest and surprise. We could say that his hyung’s words had such an influence on Joo Jaekyung that the latter decided to trust him. Hence he obeyed his coach and went to the main lead’s home. Though he was annoyed and questioned his hyung’s statement, he still wondered about the reason for his absence. (chapter 17) For me, this scene outlines Joo Jaekyung’s sense of responsibility He doesn’t abandon the doctor in the end. Striking is that after hearing his manager’s comment, he had the same facial expression (chapter 17) than in episode 1, though he raised the other eye-brow: (chapter 1) This shows that the raised eye-brow is exposing the athlete’s thoughts and emotions: he is intrigued and captivated. I would even add that it indicates that the champion is pondering! And now, pay attention to his facial expression, when he faced the broken bottle: (chapter 17) He also had the right raised eye-brow! This divulges that the fighter was already thinking how to play a prank on the goon. He could see the shaking hand from the thug… Therefore he acted, as if he was punching the man. (chapter 17) As the manhwaphiles can detect, the athlete fooled everyone in this chapter. Due to his poker face and his cold shoulder, Heo Namwook and his minions never recognized that they had been provoked. At the same time, the raised eye-brow is betraying the athlete.

Furthermore, there is no ambiguity that the physical doctor is Joo Jaekyung’s vulnerability, but at the same time his source of strength. Let’s not forget that thanks to him, the champion could calm down and forget the humiliation from Randy Booker. (chapter 15) This explicates why the sportsman makes all sort of facial expressions due to the doctor: anger (chapter 5) (chapter 5)m then pleasure pleasure (chapter 12), sulking (chapter 15) Because of Kim Dan, he can lose or regain his countenance. And what is the opposite of indifference? Compassion, sympathy, interest and respect!! This is no coincidence that the more the athlete interacts with the main lead, the more he exposes his generosity and consideration. That’s the reason why I come to the deduction that the more the athlete shows emotions on his face, the higher the risk is that his opponents will discover the champion’s secret: his attraction and attachment to Kim Dan and as such his weakness.

And before closing this short essay, I would like to make the following prediction. Since Heo Manwook implied that Joo Jaekyung’s victories were fake, as the outcome was determined, I deduce that at some point the loan shark will try to use the physical therapist to “rig” a match with Joo Jaekyung. His desire is not only to ruin the champion’s career, but also to humiliate Joo Jaekyung, while he will try to get rich at the athlete’s expense. Finally, the manhwaphiles should keep in their mind the following character, (chapter 2) the uke from episode 2 who knows about the protagonist’s superstition: He has every reason to resent the couple. Joo Jaekyung not only insulted and injured him, but also he never considered him as a serious partner. On the other hand, the doctor was able to get close to the athlete to the point that the latter would suggest that Kim Dan moves in his place! It is only a matter of time, until it takes place. This means that in the future, the manhwaphiles will witness how Joo Jaekyung loses his countenance because of his attachment to the protagonist. He will become a fury outside the ring (chapter 15), because his lover got hurt or threatened, the opposite from episode 17!

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