Please support the authors by reading the manhwas on the official websites. This is where you can read the manhwa. https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/jinx_en But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. Here are the links, if you are interested in the first work from Mingwa, BJ Alex, https://bebebisous33analyses.com/2021/06/21/who-are-you-the-significance-of-masks-in-manhwas/ and the previous essay about Jinx Joo Jaekyung the strongest man in the world Here is the link of the table of contents about Jinx. Here is the link where you can find the table of contents of analyzed manhwas
It would be great if you could make some donations/sponsoring: Ko-fi.com/bebebisous33 That way, you can support me with “coffee” so that I have the energy to keep examining manhwas. Besides, I need to cover up the expenses for this blog.
1. Toxic or not?
After the publication of chapter 10, many readers were upset about the protagonist’s attitude towards the uke. They started describing him as toxic because of the following panels: 
(chapter 10) 
(chapter 10) 
(chapter 10) He was perceived as arrogant and heartless, as he was judging Kim Dan for his way of life and as such for his poverty. Anyone can see that Kim Dan’s social status was inherited. The debts were already there, when the protagonist was a child. 
(chapter 05) That’s the reason why many readers were siding with the doctor, and got infuriated towards the champion due to his comments.
But the irony is that the same panels can be interpreted differently. How so? First, it is because it depends on how people view life. Is the glass half full or half empty? Are you someone who tends to see things on the bright side or not? This implies that the interpretation is based on past experiences. Let me give you an example. In the last image, one part of the main lead’s message was that he would never sleep with a drunk person. (Chapter 10) In other words, he is no rapist taking advantage of the situation. One might argue about this, for the athlete didn’t seem to seek Kim Dan’s consent before. However, this is not correct. The doctor always had the choice to refuse to have sex with Joo Jaekyung.
(Chapter 2) Later, he was the one who changed the amount of the salary for his services 
(Chapter 6) which led to the addition of a condition. Thus they came to an agreement. As a conclusion, Joo Jaekyung has never sexually assaulted the young man. It was consensual, even if there is no ambiguity that Kim Dan was not doing it out of pleasure. Consequently, certain readers viewed it as rape, while in truth it is just “work” and as such “prostitution”. Moreover, the pressure from accepting the deal comes less from the athlete himself 
(chapter 3), rather more from the halmoni’s health issues and the remaining debts. 
(chapter 11) To conclude, this comment (chapter 10) could be seen as something positive. On the other hand, the readers were bothered due to his choice of words “reeks of booze” which sounded like an insult. Kim Dan would stink. But there exists another perception of these words. He was reproaching his drunkenness from the night before. He had drunk too much to the point that he would stink. He should know his limits. However, it is also important to put this statement into its context, hence he was definitely mocking the main character. But there is a reason for that. Joo Jaekyung felt annoyed that the physical doctor would see him as a pervert. Kim Dan thought, the fighter would even have sex with an unconscious person. This shows that the celebrity had observed his reaction and interpreted it correctly
(chapter 10), when the latter had woken up. Hence the host got displeased and was harsh with his words. 
(Chapter 10) And note that the reproach from the sportsman did affect the doctor. (Chapter 10) The latter felt embarrassed, for he had been caught! Joo Jaekyung had truly grasped his reaction and perception about him. That’s the reason why the doctor didn’t reply. As you can see, Kim Dan’s misjudgment about Joo Jaekyung came to light in episode 10. In my eyes, it is related to the sex scene in the shower room. For the doctor, it looked like the young man would have sex at any time and any place, 
(Chapter 7) because Joo Jaekyung had used his condition in the shower room to achieve his goal, 
(chapter 8). When the athlete had added the condition, Kim Dan had imagined that the athlete would act exactly like during their first night together. He would call him at any moment, and the uke had to come to his flat. Yet because of the sex session in the showers, the doctor could only get the impression that he would do it, even if there were people next to them. So for the poor doctor, it looked like Joo Jaekyung was consumed by lust. He had already done it in the past ,and this has always been the main lead’s intention to ask for sexual favors anywhere and at any time. However, this is not correct, for the sportsman had acted that way out of jealousy. 
(Chapter 7) This was something totally new, for he had never shared the shower with other athletes before. But I doubt that in the shower, the physical therapist had really understood the comment from Oh Daehyun and his colleague
(chapter 08) As you can see, in the penthouse, both protagonists had a false perception of each other.
Therefore while many readers detected the negative aspect of this statement (“You stink, because you drank too much”), I preferred to judge it in a rather positive light: “You should have drunk less” and “I don’t sleep with unconscious men”. On the other hand, the athlete was forgetting that his intoxication was related to the Black Men’s challenge and Joo Jaekyung had played a huge role in this. 
(chapter 09) In other words, the athlete was partially responsible for his inebriation too. But the man was actually denying his responsibility. To conclude, when the couple fought in the penthouse, both were at fault. Why? It is because they don’t know each other well. Furthermore, they both have such prejudices about each other, as they both come from two different worlds: the upper-class symbolizing wealth 
(chapter 10) versus the low social class connected to poverty 
(chapter 10) What caught my attention is that Kim Dan refused to explain his situation to the athlete. Why? It was only out of pride. With his tragic life, he would appear as pitiful. Thus he thought like this: 
(chapter 10) He didn’t want to get pitied! Let’s not forget that the young man was able to study and become a doctor despite his origins. This means that he was able to raise his social status due to his intelligence and determination. That’s the reason why he valued his job so much. Since he is a “self-made” man, he strongly internalized that he could do everything on his own. He doesn’t need anyone’s help. However, his “dream” got ruined, the moment his halmoni became sick. Note that even cornered, the doctor is refusing to explain his situation to others 
(chapter 11) and especially to Joo Jaekyung. 
(chapter 11). He has another reason which I will explicate further below. But this doesn’t end here. When he begged the sportsman on his knees, he preferred offering him something in return. 
(chapter 11) In exchange for money, he would offer his help and services. And when he proposed this, he was already thinking about sex!! Nevertheless, he could have explained his situation, but he chose to hide everything.
In my eyes, he had three reasons to act this way. He might have lowered himself in front of the athlete, yet he refused to accept the money for free out of pity. Till the end, the physical therapist preferred making a deal than getting money out of pity. After reading this, certain readers might have the impression that I am siding with the sportsman. But no… my point is the following: none of these two characters are irreproachable. Kim Dan is a human after all. Sure, he is definitely less flawed than the rough and selfish celebrity, but he is not perfect either. He is also prejudiced. To conclude, when the couple argued in the apartment, the readers could witness the perfect illustration of the four-sides model developed by Friedmann Schulz von Thun.
2. Sweet or toxic talk?
What is it exactly? The psychologist realized that each message has 4 sides. The theory states that each message contains 4 different pieces of information: facts or factual information, self revelation about the speaker, a message about the relationship between the speaker and the listener and an appeal.
Quoted from This outlines the complexity of communication. As the readers can sense, I had already applied this theory, when I analyzed the fighter’s comment about the booze! And now, it is time to examine another illustration. (chapter 10) These words meant the following:
Factual information: This house is unhealthy and unsanitary. That’s the reason why he added this later. 
(chapter 10) And he is not wrong, since Kim Dan was supposed to leave the district. 
(chapter 11)
Self-revelation: (chapter 10) Joo Jaekyung couldn’t understand why the doctor could live there, as he wouldn’t be able to do it himself. He can not call this a home or house.
Relationship: Since he is rich, he can judge what a normal habitation looks like. 
(chapter 10) He is implying that he has more knowledge than Kim Dan who has always lived there. The champion knows about safety norms and what should be considered as normal. Besides, don’t forget that when the boxer entered the room, he saw not only the mold, but also the alcohol on the floor. 
(chapter 10) So in his mind, the doctor looked like a heavy drinker, even like a drug addict! And now, you comprehend why the athlete said this to the physical therapist!! (chapter 10) The problem is that the young man had bought soju, when he was sick and upset after his first night with the champion. He wanted to forget this nightmare!! As you can imagine, this had only happened one time, but the champion came to the conclusion that the main lead would consume soju constantly. Don’t forget that the fighter doesn’t drink at all. Thus I am suspecting that Joo Jaekyung truly believed the doctor’s words, when the latter explained his bruises. (chapter 11) The protagonist must have thought that his doctor had fallen in the stairs due to intoxication. Thus he gave him the following advice: 
(chapter 11) He should pay attention to his drinking habits!! But this actually displays his innocence contrary to the coach Park. 
(chapter 11) The former has no idea about the abusive behavior of loan sharks.
Finally, the last side of the message, appeal: He should move out, since he has now money!! 
(chapter 10) In other words, he was actually showing concerns for the doctor, but the latter never realized it. He only saw it as arrogance and lack of empathy. For him, “it’s disgusting” sounded like “you’re disgusting”. Besides, I also think that his intervention was not well perceived. I would like to point out that Kim Dan’s life has always been affected in a negative way, when people interfered in his life, and these were the loan sharks!! 
(chapter 10) Since the fighter has a similar behavior (rough, rude and cold), there is no ambiguity why the doctor would reject the athlete’s advices and assistance. 
(chapter 10) So when the doctor resented the champion, for he knew nothing about his life, he was not realizing that it is the same for him. He knows nothing about Joo Jaekyung as well, for he judges him based on impressions. Both characters both jumped to false conclusions. Since the athlete lives in a huge and fancy house, and he owns a very expensive car, it looks like he is swimming in money. I would even say, he even imagines that Joo Jaekyung is throwing away his money so easily, and because of this scene. 
(chapter 2) But he is actually wrong. He is definitely careful, like we could discover it in episode 11. 
(chapter 11) On the other hand, he never pondered on the question how the young man could spend 14.000 dollars within a week. In my eyes, he is jumping to a false conclusion, exactly like the doctor. In his mind, the young man must be probably gambling. In other words, I believe that Joo Jaekyung has the following mind-set: people are poor due to their poor mind-set (drug addiction, gambling, no real common sense or good taste). To conclude, they are responsible for their misery. From my perspective, the major problem between these two characters is their bias about rich and poor people. On the other hand, Kim Dan views the sportsman as a selfish and spoiled brat
(chapter 11), hence his personality is lacking!! Thus when the boxer explained why he brought Kim Dan to his house, the latter could only have the impression that he had done it against his will. 
(chapter 10) The champion’s words reinforced his false perception about the main lead. He was just selfish, and his gesture was not done out of generosity. Nevertheless, I would like to point out that even Kim Dan didn’t feel any gratitude towards Joo Jaekyung as well. If he had felt indebted, he wouldn’t have looked away and blamed himself for this incident. By putting the responsibility on him, he was actually denying the boxer’s selflessness. And exactly like in the video mentioned above, the tones and the gestures contributed to increase the misunderstanding between them. However, when Joo Jaekyung declared “It’s not like I wanted to do it”, he was actually thinking like this. He had done it, because the doctor had requested it!! 
(chapter 10) This shows that actually, Joo Jaekyung had been quite considerate. For me, there is no doubt that he felt pity for Kim Dan, who was crying and clinching onto him. And I have a proof for this interpretation. When Kim Dan was begging on his knees, this is what the athlete thought. 
(chapter 11) Pathetic is a synonym for pitiful! So while his words “fucking pathetic” gave the impression that he was calling Kim Dan a loser, I believe that it was the opposite. Thus he replied to this plea, he desired to do something new. He was seeking “entertainment”! The antonym of pathetic is HAPPY and CHEERFUL! And that’s how he responded. He was not mocking Kim Dan in the end. He wished to change the atmosphere in my eyes.
To conclude, their argument in the penthouse was not toxic at all! It actually outlined their prejudices, the issues lie in their communication too. And since the doctor judges Joo JAekyung as someone obsessed with sex, it is not surprising that when the main lead agreed to his request
(chapter 11), many readers were again upset, because they were thinking exactly like the doctor. Some manhwalovers were already imagining that the champion would ask for a BDSM session due to his expressions: “I’ve been wanting to try”. Why? It is because so far, his conditions were all linked to his sexual behavior. BUT if the manhwalovers look for the story’s description, they will discover that Jinx is not tagged with BDSM! It is just categorized as “rough”. That’s why I don’t think that this is what the lover has in mind! For me, his new desire is to share his penthouse with the doctor. So far, he has never lived with anyone else before. Yes, I believe that he is proposing cohabitation. Don’t forget that Joo Jaekyung saw his terrible house. Secondly, he refused to give him money, because in his mind, this will never solve the problem. From his perspective, Kim Dan will keep spending money (either alcohol or gambling) I also think that the fighter prefers not to rely too much on his family and his wealth. (chapter 11) Though he comes from a rich family, there is no ambiguity that he is careful with his money. He is actually like the doctor, he worked hard for his fame. Secondly, the distressed protagonist revealed that he had no longer any home and he needed the money in order to find a new flat. (chapter 11) And cohabitation is the perfect solution for this couple. That way, they can discover their own bias and false judgment about each other. Finally, let’s not forget that in chapter 4, the champion had been happy, when the doctor had left the flat quietly. 
(chapter 04) Yet, later he came to regret it. Striking is that he had never asked the young man to leave the bed, when he woke up. 
(chapter 4) This shows that he had not mind of sharing his bed with him.
3. The clash of civilizations
Since both protagonists come from two different worlds and have a different past, this is not surprising that they are arguing. In chapter 10, I had already sensed that Kim Dan has a different notion of home than the fighter’s. The physical doctor was associating his humble dwell to his grandma. 
(chapter 10) In this place, he could witness her love. She protected him from the loan sharks, (chapter 5) she even brought him a sweet bread for his birthday. 
(chapter 10) This means that this small house is a place full of “good memories” despite his struggles. Thus the doctor made the choice to never leave this place. One might say that his stay is related to his promise to his grandmother. 
(chapter 11) But there is more to it. Let’s not forget that when he sensed the presence of Joo Jaekyung in the room, he already imagined that this was his grandmother. 
(chapter 10) It is because he has never brought home anyone else before. He didn’t want people to see his “poverty”. From my point of view, he wanted to stay there, because it was the only thing that was reminding him of his grandmother! If she were to die, he would have nothing left. For the champion, it looked like the doctor was living alone, as there were no traces of the grandmother. The champion could discover his loneliness and his abandonment issues. The house itself symbolizes the halmoni. That’s the reason why he is so attached to it. And this displays that Kim Dan had decided to stay there on purpose. That way, he wouldn’t feel too lonely. But the thought to lose the flat is like announcing the grandmother’s death. For me, there is no ambiguity that he is very scared of losing her. To conclude, for Kim Dan, home is connected to a loved one and the souvenirs they share together. But this notion stands in opposition to the champion’s who prefers living far away from his own family. (chapter 10) For him, a house is connected to comfort, independence, security, functionality and health. He has definitely a cleaning lady. That’s the reason why Joo Jaekyung couldn’t grasp why Kim Dan would stay there. And he was partially not wrong, for it was Kim Dan’s decision to stay there. It was not just out of his financial situation, while he gave the opposite impression. (chapter 10) His reasons for his stay were more sentimental in the end. Thus I come to the conclusion that it was in truth a blessing in disguise, when Joo Jaekyung visited his flat. 
(chapter 10) He was the only one who knew about his living conditions!! In a way, he can feel good, if he proposes cohabitation to Kim Dan. What he is not realizing is that he is indirectly learning to take care of others, to open up and to share things (the showers, and in the future his flat). And this leads me to the following observation. During that night, the fighter had been quite generous. While Mingwa exposed Joo Jaekyung’s narrow-mindedness (chapter 10) and roughness in the small room on purpose 
(chapter 10), it was up to the readers to detect his kindness. 
(chapter 10) Despite the crude idiom “dude”, he was quite gentle, when he tapped him with his foot. Then, when the main lead woke up, he was sleeping in the middle of the bed with the cover on him. 
(chapter 10) This exposes that Joo Jaekyung had covered him and not just let him fall on the bed. Secondly, he had even offered him a bed, while he had slept elsewhere. He could have dropped him on the sofa. And if you compare the boxer’s behavior in the earlier chapters, you can detect the huge transformation: 
(chapter 02) The dispute was short, but it ended in violence. However, this is not the case with the sweet Kim Dan. Note that he could have pushed away the doctor more brutally, as he is really strong, but he never did. 
(chapter 10) He is already changing. Nevertheless, his other problem are his expressions and as such his vocabulary. His favorite idioms are “fuck” and “punk”
(chapter 10) (chapter 11) This reflects his lack of education. He is not good with words, his statements could only fuel the argument. Therefore it is not surprising that he prefers using his hands. Research has already outlined the connection between violence and vocabulary. Here you can read this interesting article about criminality and expressions (“When ex-cons change their vocabulary, they stay out of jail”).
4. Toxic relationship and toxic people
So far, I have not defined what toxic relationship or toxic people are.
“In human behavior, toxic is used to describe someone who causes distress in others through negative words and actions. However, it isn’t always easy to identify a toxic person, as their behaviors can be subtle. […] Often the phrase “toxic person” is used to describe someone who is subtly or outwardly manipulative, self-centered, needy, or controlling. These behaviors may manifest from underlying feelings of low self-esteem and mental health conditions such as narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), childhood trauma, or other deeply rooted personal issues. In addition, research suggests that some people who behave in toxic ways may have certain “dark core” personality traits. These traits manifest as a tendency to put their goals and interests above all others while justifying their behavior to avoid guilt or shame.” Quoted from https://psychcentral.com/blog/whats-a-toxic-person-how-do-you-deal-with-one#whats-a-toxic-person
As the manhwalovers can detect, this adjective is linked to manipulation, gaslighting and deception, and the partner is not realizing it first. However, if the readers pay attention to the champion’s behavior, he is far from being manipulative and fake. In fact, he is not capable of hiding his anger
(chapter 5), his disappointment, his admiration
(chapter 8), his arrogance… He speaks up his mind all the time. Thus he made a deal with the doctor, and the latter is aware of the content which he also accepted. Furthermore, I would like to add that calling people “toxic” is actually wrong, for this implies that they will never change. I agree with the author Hannah Baer that the word “toxic” is overused and is actually contra-productive.
“Research suggests that even difficult personality styles can change over time, rather than being fixed and immovable. Intractable conflict experts don’t focus much on bad actors in part because they know that dynamics and situations are toxic, not people. […] Of course, the world is rife with unequal power dynamics, and power abused. But when people with equal amounts of power are blaming each other for being “toxic,” “manipulative,” or a “narcissist,” they’re often taking the easy way out. In situations of interdependence coupled with severe harm, it may help people in crisis to temporarily frame their boss or girlfriend or parent as pathologically bad in order to extricate themselves. In the long run, however, resorting to fixed pathology to explain bad behavior creates problems for all parties.” Quoted from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jul/26/toxic-people-behavior-blame-psychology
In truth, the real jerks in the story ARE the loan sharks. They are the toxic people who had no reason to beat the young man, for he had already paid the interests on time.
(chapter 11) They felt pleasure by tormenting Kim Dan, for they felt powerful. They don’t care if they ruin his career. 
(chapter 11) Who would hire or keep a physical therapist, when he appears with bruises on his face? Kim Dan never revealed his situation to the Black Team, for he feared that he could lose his job, as he is connected to dubious loan sharks. (chapter 11) Yes, with such a meddling, they are actually dragging down the debtors so that it becomes more difficult to escape from poverty. Now, you have the other explanation why Kim Dan lied to the coach and the other boxer. However, imagine the loan sharks’ reaction, when they recognize that they can no longer harass Kim Dan, for the latter moved out without leaving an address. His departure is actually a blessing in disguise like mentioned above. There’s no ambiguity that they will go to the hospital and harass the halmoni. 
(chapter 11) And if my prediction is correct, the athlete will be able to monitor his roommate’s movements. So far, the champion thinks that the halmoni is no longer from this world. 
(chapter 10)
As a conclusion, by moving out, the physician won’t be able to hide the debts and the existence of the loan sharks to Joo Jaekyung. And that’s how the latter will recognize that Kim Dan’s poverty is not self-created. (chapter 5) In fact, it was the result from his parents. Honestly, I am even suspecting that they are not dead. They vanished, while leaving the huge amount of debts to the halmoni and the grandson. And don’t forget that Joo Jaekyung’s matches are broadcasted on TV!! 
(chapter 05) Thus the coach was also seen there. So the moment Kim Dan’s face appears on TV next to the champion, many people will be surprised: the vicious director of the hospital, the loan sharks, and if my theory is correct, then the persons responsible for the debts! They could discover Kim’s lucky career! They could even imagine that the physical therapist is now rich, since he is working for a successful person. So they would jump to the conclusion that the family was able to pay off the debts so that they would resurface and try to rekindle with the halmoni and Kim Dan.
To conclude, though I felt terrible for Kim Dan, I do think that Joo Jaekyung is his bird of fortune. He is his toxic sweet, for the latter is full of flaws. And thanks to the doctor, the champion is discovering a new world, he is feeling more emotions and attachment. Thus he is opening up and speaking more and more. Consequently, it is no coincidence that as time passes on, the athlete is getting less and less selfish and brutal. Finally, the moment Joo Jaekyung discovers that his assistant was assaulted by three men using a bat (chapter 11), I am certain that he will see red! Why? It is because he stands for fair fighting! That’s how he also makes a living. Thus there is no ambiguity that the loan sharks will feel the champion’s wrath. 😉 And I am looking forward for this moment!
Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My Reddit-Instagram-Tumblr-Twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.
Yes, when people read juicy deeds, they were already imagining that I would describe a love session like this one 
(chapter 96), because of the expression „to do the deed“: 
(chapter 87) However, the deed is not just related to intercourse, like the manhwaphiles could discover it in chapter 51. 
With „deed“, Deok-Jae was referring to murder and assassination. As you can see, deed has other meanings than sex. Thus it has for synonyms action, accomplishment and reality!! So when I selected this name for the essay, I was thinking of the relationship between action and word. And this connection came to my mind, when Byeonduck released the last picture, because the painter’s action symbolizes a conversation and as such words.
(Chapter 88) By reaching his hand, the painter was letting him know that he was no longer alone in this world. He was not only joining his side, but he was willing to try to understand the main lead. 
(Chapter 88) This gesture stands in opposition to the situation with Yoon Chang-Hyeon.
(Chapter 86) During that fateful night, the father neither talked to his son nor looked at him. He even turned his back to him, when the young master attempted to grab his father‘s hanbok. Both scenes from chapter 88 and 86 have two common denominators: an action accompanied with silence!! Yet, what distinguishes them from each other is the nature of the deed, the action. Alliance and empathy versus abandonment and estrangement! This is no coincidence that after reaching his hand, Baek Na-Kyum started confessing his thoughts and emotions to his lover: 
(Chapter 88) As you can sense, the hand gesture delivered a message, but the painter still felt the need to clarify the meaning of his hand. He was willing to remain by his side, but he was still afraid of him. He didn’t want to create a misunderstanding, like for example that he wouldn’t argue with him or that his loyalty was now unconditional or total. That way, Yoon Seungho wouldn’t come to view him as a hypocrite or as dishonest, if an argument would appear. Thus he needed words to explain his position. He would remain by his side and attempt to sympathize with him, but he still felt insecure and had doubts. In other words, his action (his hand gesture) was not truly reflecting his mind and heart. 
(Chapter 88) Later he even asked his lover not to leave his side no matter what. 
(Chapter 88) To conclude, the hand gesture in episode 88 was connected to insecurities and as such fear, yet the painter had shown no hesitation to take his hand. The anxiety was not visible.
(Chapter 30) His fingers barely grabbed his hand, so when he made the following vow, he was not entirely sincere or better said, truly determined to keep his promise. 
(Chapter 30) The words were not truly in unison with the gesture either. Therefore he once tried to leave the mansion in season 2. When he pledged loyalty, his intention was to protect his teacher. To conclude, fear has always been present, when the painter took Yoon Seungho’s hand. Even in chapter 88, but contrary to the scene in the courtyard, his hand was not shaking. 
(Chapter 82) This explicates why the artist chose to remain by his side, though the lord had broken his promise. 
(Chapter 82) On the other hand, in this scene 
(chapter 82), the lord was grabbing his lover’s hand out of fear. He was recognizing his mistake and was trying to beg for his forgiveness, though he couldn’t express it directly. Striking is that during the lord’s flashback, his hand was trembling as well, grabbing onto his partner’s body. 
(Chapter 81) It was, as if Baek Na-Kyum was his rescue buoy, helping him not to be swallowed by the darkness. Thus I came to the conclusion that the protagonists’ hand gestures are all connected to anxiety and pain. 😲 Hence I am deducing that in this scene, Baek Na-Kyum is holding his lover’s hand, 
(Chapter 102). This would have definitely scared Baek Na-Kyum, especially Yoon Seungho’s haunted gaze. On the other hand, since the painter had been himself the victim of physical and sexual abuse, the artist can only grasp why the noble reacted that way: fear, anger, despair and heartache. The artist had also been desperate, in pain and scared in the shrine, though this time, he had not screamed for his help. Since the lord had not returned to the mansion, how could he expect him to come to his rescue? 
(Chapter 98) Back then, he had been waiting for his lover‘s return and explanations. He wanted to hear him and get his reassurance and comfort. .
(Chapter 98) The latter couldn’t reassure the painter with his hand contrary to the previous night. 
(chapter 97) Exactly like mentioned above, the painter’s hand gesture is connected to fear and conversation. 
(chapter 97) Striking is that in the gibang, the lord confessed his biggest fear to his future “spouse”. He feared to lose him, though one of his biggest desires had been finally fulfilled. This means that Yoon Seungho felt even more insecure and frightened than before after receiving the artist’s love confession. That’s the reason why I believe that the new picture is standing in opposition to the scene in the gibang. The lord will feel relief after his admission. As a conclusion, the image is announcing 
(Chapter 89) While the painter was sitting on his partner’s lap
(chapter 89), he was massaging the wounded fingers. It was, as if he was treating his companion’s wound. Note that after his terrible flashback, the painter had avoided to grab his hand out of fear that he might hurt Yoon Seungho even more. 
(Chapter 84) Therefore I conclude that the new panel is an allusion to treatment. While in episode 89, the painter was acting as a doctor, in the new image, the young man is working more like a counselor or psychologist. The aristocrat’s hand might not be wounded in that scene, but this is not the case for his heart and mind. So for me, this scene is connected to mental treatment. 
(Chapter 84) However, the lord had refused to open up. This is no coincidence that the author had not created such a picture during that chapter. As the manhwalovers can detect, I believe that in that scene, 
(chapter 88), and this, although the lord is indeed a murderer. For Baek Na-Kyum, his gesture will have a different meaning: he saved his life and freed him from his torment. Secondly, if the lord reveals the circumstances of his mother’s death, the artist will definitely deny his responsibility in her death, a new version of this scene. 
(chapter 75) And because I detected a discrepancy between words and gestures, I recognized the presence of another trick from Byeonduck.✨
(chapter 91), the latter denied this with the following statement. 
(chapter 91) But when did the painter admit that he liked embracing him? In this panel! 
(chapter 88) That’s the reason why the lord got surprised and moved. As you can see, the author never revealed this whispering to the manhwalovers! The latter had the impression that the lord’s reaction was related to the loving embrace, but it was only partially correct. 
(chapter 62), when the lord had confessed to adore him. 
(chapter 62) This explicates why Yoon Seungho was so pained in season 2. He got embraced, but there were no words. Consequently, when the painter vanished during that night, the lord could only perceive the embrace as hypocrisy and fakeness. That’s how I realized that the story is developed on the contradiction between words and actions. But not only that, there exists a strong link between silence and passivity. Thus after the abduction in season 2, Baek Na-Kyum remained more or less silent
(chapter 62), and as such he was totally passive. He never stood up and begged the lord for his leniency. He stayed there on the bed giving the impression that he was indifferent. That’s the reason why Yoon Seungho got more enraged, for he felt fooled. This means that the absence of words represent inaction… This explains why Yoon Seungho had to corner the main lead in chapter 48 
(chapter 48) to say something, as he had sensed his passivity behind his „submissive attitude“. This is no coincidence that during this night, the painter felt extreme pleasure to the point that he peed. Therefore he could voice his wish to Yoon Seungho during the love session from season 2. 
(chapter 73) That’s how the lord concluded that the painter liked riding him, while in reality such a climax had appeared for the first time, when both were facing each other! 
(chapter 49) 
(chapter 4) than season 2. He was encouraged by his future partner to speak up, yet the moment he got heartbroken, he was left speechless. And note that when the lord played his prank in the bedchamber, he never said anything to his father. 
(chapter 83) He didn’t move as well. Why? It is because he knew that talking to his father was pointless. However, Yoon Seungho had hoped that with his prank his father would finally see the truth. He had been fooled by Lee Jihwa and father Lee!! But the stupid father never realized it. As you can see, the lord had in that scene long given up to use words, he hoped that his father would see the truth with the prank. Don’t forget that deed stands for truth and reality. He thought that “actions would speak louder than words”, but he was proven wrong. This signifies that in this scene, 
(chapter 86) Yoon Seungho had acted the opposite, he had tried to speak up, but he had been muted. I am also thinking that the young master must have attempted to converse to his father 
(chapter 77) here as well, but the lord had not listened to him. Why? It is because Kim had said nothing!! 
(chapter 77) Silence was considered as an admission. This is no hazard that the butler didn’t take care of his young master. This scene symbolizes the quote “Actions speak louder than words” 
(chapter 77) The butler had betrayed the young master’s trust, for he had not intervened. He should have defended Yoon Seungho, but no in fact he had sided with the elder master Yoon once again. Not only he had not reminded Yoon Chang-Hyeon of his promise, but also he had assisted the ruthless father by giving himself the straw mat beating! 
(chapter 98) Here, he examined the robe and questioned the officer. The problem is that he was still relying on his staff and as such Kim. Therefore it is not surprising that he could still be manipulated by the schemers. Hence I am anticipating a total change in season 4. By conversing with the painter, the lord can only become more proactive to the point that he will be able to ruin the next schemes. I am even expecting a prank from the protagonists in season 4!! But this doesn’t end here. I am deducing that in the past, Yoon Seungho suffered because one tormentor would do things and say nothing, while the other would talk a lot, but act the opposite!! For me, these descriptions fit to Kim and the pedophile. I have the impression as well, that both characters came to switch their behavior. In one circle, Kim did many things, but remained mute, but later he did the exact opposite. I would like to point out that in season 3, he acted this way. He would promise loyalty to the lord, 
(chapter 77), but backstabbed him in the shadow. Besides, we shouldn’t forget that a narcissist’s words don’t match their action, because they are pathological liars. And so far, I had portrayed father Yoon (overt), Kim (covert) and even Jung In-Hun (overt) as people suffering from NPD. And I am assuming that the mysterious lord Song is not different from them, though I am suspecting that he must be a covert type. 
(chapter 77) Besides, it also snowed, when the painter got abducted twice, a sign that actually a promise had been broken. 
(chapter 102) He is no longer following social norms. This could only happen, because the lord had just committed a huge crime. What is the point to respect laws and tradition, when he became a murderer? Any other transgression can only appear as harmless. That’s the reason why I am expecting that Yoon Seungho decides to disregard social norms from that moment on and play a prank on the “villains” of this story. 
(chapter 76) 
(chapter 53) 
(chapter 87), while the same extremity symbolizes the opposite with the villains and antagonists: violence, silence, submission 
(chapter 83), hatred and resent 
(chapter 97) Here, Heena was hurting her brother, because she wanted him to face “reality”. What caught my attention is that we never saw the father’s hand in chapter 86! 
(chapter 86) Why? It is because it reveals his powerlessness. And this leads me to the following conclusion: the deed stands for reality and honesty, while the words symbolize emptiness, illusion and deception. And now, you comprehend why this work is composed by the dichotomies: dream, words and mouth versus reality., action and the hand. This means that in season 4, the manhwaphiles should try to analyze the thoughts and emotions of the characters behind the hand gestures. At the same time, they can also verify if my interpretation is correct. Is the zoom of the protagonists’ hand connected to fear, confession, empathy and assistance? 
, as Baek Na-Kyum was still viewed as a boy. Moreover, according to social norms, it was impossible, for his lover is a man. Then in front of Yoon Chang-Hyeon, he made fun of his father. 
(chapter 87) That’s the reason why I consider the love session in chapter 88 more like a relationship between a sponsor and an artist. 
, (chapter 2) the other sleeps in one room apartment in a small house. 
(chapter 5) 
(chapter 1) This signifies that while the champion is at the top of Korean society, the other is at the bottom. This is no coincidence that their social status is mirrored in their relationship. While the athlete owns an expensive car
(chapter 9), the other uses public transportation. 
(chapter 1) As a conclusion, one character embodies wealth, while the other stands for poverty. 
(chapter 1) 
(chapter 3) 
(chapter 2) grabbed the champion’s robe. Striking is that he barely held the cloth, as if he didn’t dare to touch the jacket. He was looking down, a sign of humbleness and resignation. I would even add, his attitude reminded the viewers more of a beggar, pleading for leniency and generosity. This panel truly displayed the power relationship between Kim Dan and Joo Jaekyung. Money was in the center of this couple and this is what brought them together initially! The poor needs the assistance of the rich. On the other hand, this gesture also announced a change. For the first time, Kim Dan was not only interacting with someone belonging to the top, but also was relying on someone else. Yet, this was more prostitution than work in the beginning, until Joo Jaekyung revealed his dependency on Kim Dan through the missed calls and the job offer. That’s the reason why the physical therapist was no longer imploring the champion, but now making requests. 
(chapter 9) It even looks like manager Park Namwook was also recording this event. Striking is that for the first time, both main leads are interacting together in front of others. The drink is supposed to bring Kim Dan closer to the team and as such closer to Joo Jaekyung, which indeed happens afterwards. The latter is forced to enter Kim Dan’s world, and discover a new face of reality. 
(chapter 9)
(chapter 9) is a metaphor for the future link between the two protagonists. The doctor is there to help the athlete to win competitions, or like I had mentioned before, he is his reward and prize for his long and painful career. I would even add,, they will bond through sport, just like it occurred in the shower room. 
(chapter 9) This is important, because the doctor has truly earned the respect from Black Team, he is definitely accepted as one of them. Thus from that moment on, neither money nor the contract can have an influence on the relationship between the physician and the fighters. Observe that they keep calling him “doc”, which shows that they respect him not only due to his seniority but also due to his education. He studied hard to become a physical therapist. Hence Oh Daehyung refuses that Kim Dan acts as a servant, it is not his role and place to fetch ice cream for the boxers. 
(chapter 9) He is no errand boy. They don’t judge him based on his social class, but on his college degree. As you can see, sport is a place that can bring people from different social classes together. This explicates why we have famous sport events like Olympic games or World cups. Here, people from different countries are competing against each other, but it is the same principle. These events were created to generate friendship and avoid military conflicts. In tournaments, talents matter more than money and social status, though this statement has to be relativized, for “poorer countries” offer less chances to develop talented sportsmen. Hence some athletes decide to change their citizenship. Nevertheless, we can definitely state that sport generates bonds among the different social classes and as such serve to reduce the gap between the top and bottom. 
(chapter 6) Secondly, there was no one by his side except his hyung, Park Namwook, when he won his fight. 
(chapter 5) Finally, this theory got reinforced, when I saw this panel. 
. (chapter 9) We could also say that it was his karma, for abandoning him before in the shower. Because the main lead had to bring the doctor home, he discovered a new world which left him speechless. 
(chapter 9) He couldn’t even imagine that someone would live there. Thus he got skeptical. 
(chapter 9)
(chapter 1) This means that no one had witnessed the wrongdoing committed on the anonymous lord. However, it is important, because it exposes how a person committing a wrongdoing could escape scolding and punishment, even from the readers. There was no witness! Only an attentive reader could detect this. Hence you have the explanation why Yoon Seungho suffered for so long. There was either no witness or the persons chose to close an eye and remained silent. Since it was the negative reflection from Baek Na-Kyum’s slap and the main lead had used his right hand 
(chapter 11), I deduced that the culprit was left-handed. That’s how I could identify the culprit, lord Min. The lord was in reality left-handed. We could observe this in chapter 8
, episode 19 
, chapter 33
and episode 43
, but also in episode 76 
, in chapter 96 
, in episode 100
and finally in chapter 102 
! Yet, in other occasions like in episode 33 
or 43, or 52 
, he used his right hand! Thus one might argue that Min was simply ambidextrous. However, I can prove 100% that Black Heart is left-handed!😮 The evidence is the usage of the bow. 
(chapter 22) This is how a right-handed man shoots an arrow. On the other hand, we never saw Min using the bow. The bird was already wounded by the arrows, when the scene of the second hunt took place. 
(chapter 41) However, the manhwaphiles can discover the verity thanks to one detail: the bag of arrows. 
(chapter 22) As you can see, the bag is carried on the right side, but the arrows are almost touching the left shoulder. They need to be on the other side, since the scholar needs his right hand to grab the item. And now compare the position of Min’s bag. It is inclined in the opposite direction, hence the arrows are visible on his right side! 
(chapter 41) Thus the noble is carrying the bag 
(chapter 41) differently from the painter too. 
(chapter 22) Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible why Byeonduck never showed the Joker’s hunting skills. People would have noticed that he is left-handed immediately. She made sure to hide this important fact, thus within the same chapter Min was often portraying as using both hands. In episode 43, he employed his left hand to pour the alcohol in the glass
(chapter 43), when he gave the drink to Lee Jihwa. 
(chapter 9) Here, he was still present, but even before the end of the sex session, he had already vanished. 
(chapter 9) Finally, when the noble with the mole visited Lee Jihwa, the latter claimed that he had spent a long time at Yoon Seungho’s. 
(chapter 9), and his friend never denied it. As you can see, the characters made sure to confuse the readers with the change of the chronology. As you can see, it took me a long time before noticing the bruised face (only during season 3), then to bring up the conclusive evidence that Min was the culprit of the slap. Then in the shaman’s house, he took the dildo with his left hand, because he was angry and frustrated. 
(chapter 100) too. This shows that he could barely control himself here. And once he faced the main lead’s sword, he got so scared that he showed Jung In-Hun’s glasses with his left hand again. 
(chapter 92) The irony is that in this scene, the main lead employed his left hand too, the positive reflection from the night in the pavilion (chapter 43). While here it was to bring him back to reality, in the pavilion, the Joker had the opposite intention: to lure Lee Jihwa to believe in illusions. 
(chapter 74) They announce the future events, though the information is not given properly. On the other hand, since they are memories either, this signifies that they contain insight about the lord’s tragedy. Thus I noticed that the anonymous perpetrator used his left hand to grab his hanbok!! I deduced that the perpetrator in the past is also left-handed!! Secondly, since this vision can also be seen as the announcement of the painter’s second kidnapping, this is no coincidence that Byeonduck created such panels during the painter’s last torment. 
(chapter 99) However, in the shaman’s temple, Black Heart grabbed Baek Na-Kyum with his right hand. He was trying to manipulate the artist, he was acting. He was not showing his true self. Yet, the vision was revealing the truth: the future mastermind of the last scheme was in reality left-handed!! It didn’t matter, because at the end, the main lead was able to discern the truth. He sentenced Black Heart, for he believed that he had killed his loved one! That’s how I realized why the author would focus so much on the hands and on the distinction between unconscious and conscious! The hand in Painter Of The Night represents the crucial clue to identify the culprits!! 
In season 1, we had the hands in the illustration. The hands were revealing the crime committed against the main lead. The latter was totally passive in this picture. The hands are touching and unclothing the immobile man. It also shows that Yoon Seungho was at the center of the conspiracy, in the past and in the present! The painting in the background indicates the presence of a hidden painter. Thus Baek Na-Kyum was not drawn in the cover. The painter of the night was in truth someone else, the painter from the past! Nevertheless, the main lead was looking at the readers, indirectly at Baek Na-Kyum, the young painter of the night. This describes the arrival of Baek Na-Kyum in his life. Striking is that the painting in the background was destroyed… indicating that the portrayed relationship was no longer existent. This represents another clue that the lord’s suffering is linked to a previous relationship. Then in season 2, 
the author revealed Baek Na-Kyum as the painter, who had now become the target of the plot. Yet behind him we see Yoon Seungho’s foot. The latter symbolizes the main lead feared to get close to him, but he wouldn’t leave his side. Moreover, this corresponds to the lord’s impulsive decisions, he let his foot guide him. Thus during the first night of the failed gangrape, he walked towards the study and stopped unconsciously, when he was next to the room. 
(chapter 53) Due to his strong denial, he was strolling not realizing that his feet were under the influence of his subconscious. And it was the same, when he opened the door with his foot at the Lees’ 
(chapter 67) Nonetheless, I believe that the author had another reason to draw the foot in the cover. The foot prints are the evidence of the crime, and as such the deceptions and the culprits. 
(chapter 59) 
(chapter 60) 
(chapter 61) The shoes were the clues how to recognize the perpetrators and accomplices. That’s why I compared these feet 
(chapter 59) with those 
. (chapter 66) My avid readers are already aware of my theory. For me, we have two kidnappers, and one tried to kill the artist! To conclude, Byeonduck left the clues how to unveil the mystery from the past and the present in the illustrations of each season. The paper in the second cover 
(chapter 56), but also to the theft of the painting
(chapter 56) and the painter’s break! At the end of season 2, he was no longer painting and in the beginning, he had also stopped due to his heartbreak. Simultaneously, we have the presence of water which serves as a connection to season 1 with the ruined painting and to season 3 with the well and drowning. The dark shades were an allusion to the lord’s darkness and suffering. The latter would come to the surface. However, since the cover only showed the lord’s foot, it exposes that the lord would not divulge his traumatic past. 
(chapter 78) In season 3, this time the main leads were facing each other, they were recognizing each other: their true self! But this stands in opposition to the deceased people without identity! 
(chapter 94) We never saw the face of the corpses, as they were either covered
(chapter 97) or the manhwaphiles could only view the hand, 
, the back 
(chapter 97) or the clothes and shoes 
(chapter 100)! And since Min had disguised himself as Lee Jihwa, it was clear that the deceased shouldn’t be identified by their clothes, but by their faces. As you can see, season 3 was about the face and identity! This indicates that in the past, someone had been not identified correctly!! Why? It is because the main lead has long repressed this memory. He had forgotten his face out of fear and hatred. The only thing the victim remembers is the BEARD, and old bearded men! 
(chapter 44) And the nightmare exposed the number of persons involved in his suffering: 4 men!! 
Here, we have 3 men, and don’t forget the left hand from before. 
(chapter 1) Anyway, from my point of view, the cover of season 4 should indicate a location which is connected to the town. Why? It is because now I am suspecting commoners to be involved in the lord’s suffering. I have already expressed my theories about Kim, the guard blacks, Heena and the physician. But there are more suspects! Moreover, observe that the kisaeng house is not only visited by aristocrats, but also by commoners. 
(chapter 99) That’s the reason why I am anticipating a cover with the gibang. It would be the perfect place to find closure for the couple. It is a place where both suffered. Moreover, I think, belongings should serve as an evidence for the identification of the schemers and accomplices. Remember that we had the glasses as the evidence of a murder in season 3, yet I am sensing that the possession should serve to identify the perpetrators from the past and the present. Since the clothes were used to confuse people in season 3, I am assuming that in season 4, they should help to recognize people, but at the same time, it is totally possible that our main leads decide to employ the same method to fool the schemers and accomplices. And now, we have the cover for season 4. Both protagonists are not only facing each other, but also touching each other. They are no longer hiding their emotions and thoughts. 
This image represents the opposite to the other seasons. At the same time, the author is again referring to the bedchamber indicating that this place is strongly connected to the protagonists’ suffering. On the other side, since the painter is wearing a silk white shirt, it implies that he is not a commoner. This panel indicates that the main lead was able to the true owner of the study and even bed. However, due to the tears, the beholder can sense that this season will be painful as well. Striking is that in the cover, they were either alone, or they were just looking at each other, hence they didn’t pay attention to their surroundings. Consequently, they couldn’t sense the presence of a plot and the schemers. This indicates that the couple is still not prepared to face new schemes. To sum up, the author selected such covers because she had planned to leave clues there about the mystery! But wait… I had outlined that the person who grabbed the young master Seungho was left-handed, and he played a huge role in the main lead’s downfall and suffering! But who is left-handed in this story? 
(chapter 12) 
(chapter 56). But then I noticed that he carried his master on the left side. 
(chapter 57) Nevertheless, the person threatening the painter was right-handed. 
(chapter 66) and since it is for me the butler, he was not the person from the nightmare. That’s the reason why I am excluding him from the suspect list. For me, if he was involved in the past, it is because he lit the candles 
(chapter 74). Furthermore, don’t forget that in his nightmare, the author exposed the presence of plates with 3 candles 
(chapter 74) which were also used in the shaman’s house. Finally, in this picture, we have a right-handed person. 
(chapter 74) So Kim could have been the one silencing him with his hand.
(chapter 86) On the other hand, at the doctor’s office, he employed his right-hand to keep his son by his side. 
(chapter 57). Why is there this change? The turning point was the prank in the bedchamber. 
(chapter 83), then with the left! Striking is that the author never showed, when the patriarch employed his left hand. The readers could only hear the sound, and see the result of the beating. Both cheeks were wounded. From my point of view, he was conditioned exactly like Min! He was not allowed to use his left hand, but the angrier he got, the less he could hide his true self: he was left-handed and he was a stupid and brutal father!! 
(chapter 37) On the other hand, I am doubting that Byeonduck will introduce many new characters in season 4. That’s the reason why I believe that the man with the pipe is the real schemer, as the pipe was in the annex. Since Min grabbed Baek Na-Kyum in the shaman’s house, I am more inclined to think that the perpetrator grabbing the young master Seungho by the collar was just an accomplice and not the mastermind. In other words, he was the helping hand. 
(chapter 57) 
(Chapter 74) I don’t believe in hazard. Besides, the lord had his nightmare during the same chapter. This means that he could have leaked this information about Yoon Seungho to an outsider, like he did with the painter. As the manhwalovers can grasp, the physician is more suspicious than before. 
(chapter 92) Besides, observe that the angry man put the brush on the left side. 
(chapter 92) The man is left-handed! And what did Yoon Seungho do? 
(chapter 92) He grabbed him by the collar! Exactly like in the dream!! 
(chapter 44) or patio of his mansion, similar to Heena’s. And since the young main lead suffered so much, it is normal that he doesn’t have such believes. IT is also possible that the young master Seungho played a prank which made the man angry and humiliated. As you can see, I come to the conclusion that jealousy and resent were the reasons why he got involved in the first place. Moreover, we shouldn’t forget that the calligrapher is linked to the kisaengs! He even recognized Baek Na-Kyum, as he called him a peasant. 
(chapter 92) Yet, he was either perceived as servant, a noblewoman or as a sir so far! He was never recognized as a peasant. Since he could identify the artist, it is also possible that he was also able to identify Yoon Seungho. But he thought that he was not well educated after living as a male kisaeng for so long. From my point of view, the man could have decided to get revenge on Yoon Seungho and participated in his abduction and gangrape!! Thus his karma was to lose his home! 
(chapter 91) The fact that Yoon Seungho grabbed him the same way than in the nightmare is not random. It was, as if he was getting justice. Honestly, I am more and more suspecting that in the past, Yoon Seungho got raped by commoners! Naturally, I have not changed my mind that the king was behind this plot: to get revenge on the Yoons! Who benefitted the most from the crime? Definitely the king, as he was able to ruin their influence. 
(chapter 39), the other only recognizes him as master Yoon. 
(chapter 64) This means that the latter knows about the existence of elder master Yoon. Like mentioned above, the calligrapher, the physician, the tailor, the fake servant and the “shaman” from chapter 29 have all one thing in common: the beard!! 
(chapter 83) disguised himself and hide his true identity behind “lord Song”. But is he the king or someone else? He was definitely a pedophile, but since we can’t see his face, it is not certain that it was the king. 
(chapter 83) Striking is that he is not “smoking here”, yet I had outlined that one abuser was a heavy smoker due to Yoon Seungho’s behavior. 
(chapter 86) Let’s not forget that in season 3, clothes were used to deceive Yoon Seungho, and the authorities played along. Besides, as the painter had become the love interest of Yoon Seungho and Black Heart, it is very likely that in the past, the victim was exposed to two different abusers, but they all hid behind the name: lord Song. Note that during this feast, one man had a moustache beard which is in Painter Of The Night the sign that he is no yanbang, not even chungin, the upper-middle class. He could be a rich merchant. Just because they are all wearing hanboks 
(chapter 87), this doesn’t mean that these men belong to the aristocracy. Furthermore, Kim never said “nobles”, he just said “visitors”!! Finally, I would like to point out that since Yoon Seungho lived secluded for 10 years, I doubt that he had the means and the knowledge to be involved in the trade: 
(chapter 22) This theory of the participation of a merchant got even reinforced, when I made the following discovery. The wooden boxes in season 1 were present at the tailor‘s shop!! 
(chapter 39) Thus I am deducing that the barn in season 2 
(chapter 51) could have belonged to the tailor or the owner of this shop. And note the couple was in the same position than with the kisaeng with No-Name in episode 51! 
(chapter 51) This was the negative reflection from episode 39: no penetration versus penetration, no interruption versus interruption, no rumor versus rumor etc. And this contrast clearly displays that the tailor shop is involved in Yoon Seungho’s suffering. And the best evidence for this is the nightmare. The main lead’s clothes had a design. 
(chapter 8) Naturally, this is how the main lead must have felt, and the readers were all putting themselves in the shoes of Kim Dan. How could they not be hurt? He had somehow to clean up the mess left by the selfish and rude fighter. To conclude, this image reinforced the impression that Kim Dan had been the loser of this encounter. However, I believe this is not entirely correct. Why? First, we shouldn’t judge this situation from the doctor’s perspective. It is necessary not to view this episode based on emotions and impressions. Why? I would like the manhwaphiles to keep in mind that this story is entitled JINX! In other words, chance and bad omen play a huge role in the manhwa, but the main characters have no idea about this. Finally, Kim Dan has always felt unlucky in his life. Hence he can not perceive his last interaction with the champion as “luck” at all. Thus in this composition, I would like to present my interpretation of the chapter under the aspect “defeat” and “good fortune”. The purpose of this essay is to introduce my predictions about the next chapter. For me, there is no doubt that Joo Jaekyung’s “success” is just a Pyrrhic victory, but Joo Jaekyung is clueless about it.😉 This Pyrrhic victory will have terrible consequences for the champion, and this very soon. And the moment I viewed episode 8 in that perspective, I could only anticipate chapter 9 and looking forward for Joo Jaekyung’s jinx. 😁
(chapter 8) It displays that they feared his reaction. It seemed more like they were very unlucky. One of them had even seen the champion vanishing in the showers, but he had still trusted his friend’s judgement. They were embarrassed and somehow fearful, hence they proposed to leave the room. Their insecurities were perceptible thanks to the rhetorical question (“What do we do?”), the stammering and the pause (uh and the points of suspension). Thus imagine their surprise, when they saw Joo Jaekyung’s smile and heard his invitation. They could only feel honored that the “winner” would accept them in the room. Their admiration for him could only increase, for he acted as a generous man. 
(chapter 8) Thus while one was smiling out of happiness and relief, the other bid farewell to the athlete properly. However, the biggest evidence for their growing appreciation is when 
(chapter8) the blond fighter asked the protagonist for his shampoo. Since they were already sharing the showers with him, they could also use the same washing!! It was, as though the athlete was no longer putting his distance from them and the gap was reducing. However, his friend warned him, he shouldn’t abuse the champion’s leniency: “Dude, don’t bother him, while he’s showering” (chapter 8) As you can see, the two boxers could only become happy and feel lucky, since Joo Jaekyung had accepted them in the showers. Furthermore, he had made no reproach to them, because they had talked or asked him for shampoo. The celebrity could appear as more humble and selfless to them. To sum up, they were the “lucky losers”.
(chapter 7) For the first time, he got punched by a man much smaller than him. To sum up, this scene could be seen as an evidence for his jinx. Here, he was the loser of the “battle”. Besides, observe that in the gym, the doctor had never approached him. He had watched him from a certain distance. (chapter 7)
(chapter 8) He was definitely savoring this situation. Moreover, Joo Jaekyung has the tendency to project his own thoughts and emotions onto Kim Dan. When he said “You’re even tighter today… guess you like a little thrill, huh?
(chapter 8) This exposes that Joo Jaekyung came to warm up to the main lead. He is now recognizing him as a man, even as a physician. This was totally genuine, while in front of his hyung manager, he had to maintain appearances and fake his “respect”. 
(chapter 7) In the last image, his gaze was directed to the left, which is a sign that someone is lying. Yet, in the bathroom, the champion was looking straight at his sex partner. He was genuine in his admiration. To sum up, the idiom “doc” in episode 8 was a mark of real respect from Joo Jaekyung. His pride was not even hurt, as he kept smiling 
(chapter 1). This truly exposes that with Kim Dan it was different right from the start. Joo Jaekyung brought himself the doctor to the showers, an unconscious sign that he wanted to share privacy and intimacy with him, which stands in opposition to this scene: 
(chapter 8) Hence the latter could only feel lucky. Not only he had immense pleasure there, but also he had not been caught. Observe that he mentioned this on two occasions; Joo Jaekyung; “Looks like we got away with it” / 
(chapter 8) This displays how important it was not to get caught. He has more to protect than the doctor in the end. Under this new perspective, it becomes comprehensible why he was smiling constantly. He felt lucky, while the gentle physician could only feel the opposite. But here is the question: Was it really luck that the boxers entered the showers? 
(chapter 7), hence it was not clear to the other boxers if he had gone to the showers. He could have gone to the room to have a massage like in chapter 1. Besides, all of the fighters knew that they were not allowed to enter the bathroom, when the champion was there. But since the young man had followed the sportsman, they jumped to the conclusion that Joo Jaekyung was not taking a shower. That’s the reason why they entered the room. (chapter 8) In other words, this has nothing to do with luck at all. 
(chapter 7), when he started working: a off-white tee-shirt with grey sweatpants. Like the huyng manager told him, he would receive his uniform tomorrow. 
(chapter 7) This means that Kim Dan was not wearing an uniform, and he has no change of clothing. But now, all his clothes are wet. 
(chapter 7) 
(chapter 1) So everything will be used against Joo Jaekyung. The latter will be judged as a bully. He harassed the doctor in the shower, because he had to call him “hyung”. Under this new aspect, one of the boxers will remember hearing a loud there Boxer: “Did you hear something?” (chapter 8), whereas the other can testify that he saw the champion going there with the doctor. 
(chapter 1) They will think that Joo Jaekyung was jealous, because he had to give up on his privilege, he was no longer the hyung in the team next to the coach. However, the irony is that in the shower room, the champion had come to recognize the protagonist as a man and had called him “doc”. To conclude, for me, this image doesn’t just represent Kim Dan’s suffering, but also the evidence of his “luck”. 
(chapter 5) to this 
(chapter 5) I couldn’t forget his funny reaction. Besides, I had detected the presence of Taoism and karma. That’s the reason why I was not so upset while reading episode 8. I was already imagining his “punishment”. Moreover, I have to admit that I had another thought while observing the boxer’s reaction: 
(chapter 57) So in this short essay, I would like to present my new observations and interpretation concerning this intriguing man.
(chapter 57), as it resembles a lot to the ones from the yangbans. 
(chapter 67) 
. (chapter 86) His beard is so different from the commoners’. 
(chapter 45) This is important, because it reveals that the doctor belongs to a different social class: Chungin, the upper-middle class. 
(chapter 57) He is the only one who portrayed the protagonist in a positive light. Why? In my eyes, it was to gain the painter’s trust. That way, the doctor would appear as impartial and neutral. Thus he said the truth first in order to divert attention from his own actions. He had been the one supplying the drug to the butler. 
(chapter 57) I had already criticized the doctor in the past, for he kept giving the medicine to the valet, and never made the connection to his “hot-headed” temper. He appeared as quite stupid. In my eyes, he already appeared as a passive accomplice, but mainly due to his lack of discernment. He would trust the butler too much. Thus in the composition „the purge“, I had predicted his involvement in a plot which would bring to light his complicity. 
(chapter 57). This shows that right from the start, he was already putting the whole blame on the elder master Yoon. That way, the physician was avoiding to become responsible. He had been giving the drug to the butler for a long time, while claiming that he had not been able to diagnose the illness. Besides, we shouldn’t overlook that in this chapter, we only have the physician’s version!! We never heard the testimony from the father. Just because we saw the bruises and the hand on the main character’s neck, this is no real guarantee that the father said this to the doctor. 
(chapter 57) That’s how I realized that the doctor had been deceiving the painter all along. He lied by commission, but also when he talked about the visitation, he was actually delivering the truth in delay, paltering!! He used the same MO than Kim. He feigned ignorance, and mixed a truth with a lie!! This is no coincidence. This leads me to the following question: why did he talk about the past to Baek Na-Kyum?
(Chapter 57) Yes, it was to protect himself!! He was diverting the painter‘s attention. From that moment on, I could no longer judge him the same way. He was now an active and smart accomplice, who would utilize innocence, truth and knowledge to his advantage. 
(chapter 57) However, the office is actually far away from the mansion. (For more read the essay 
(chapter 55) But like I have always pointed out, Yoon Seungho had no idea about the drugs and medicine. He was totally left in the dark, for the valet would call the drug ” medicinal tea”. 
(chapter 35) He employed an euphemism. This truly shows that the doctor and the valet were partners in crime, both accomplices due to their passivity, knowledge and silence. Nevertheless, I don’t think that the physician was directly involved with the kidnapping and assassination plot. The conversation between the valet and the physician displays the lack of honesty coming from Kim. 
(chapter 57) The latter portrays himself as a victim. 
(chapter 63) He felt bound by secrecy to the bearded man. On the other hand, this incident must have worried him, as it had taken place at his own mansion. Thus he could get into trouble. Kim realized that he needed to reassure the doctor. If the latter started speaking, he could get into trouble, for he had left the propriety during that night. He had no real alibi. Hence the valet visited the doctor during that night, but he never threatened him. 
(chapter 65) The doctor believed that the moment someone talked, someone could take the fall. Observe that in the yard, the butler followed the physician’s advice: he should say nothing. 
(chapter 65) This truly exposes that the doctor is not just a naive man, but an accomplice not only due to his silence and passivity, but also due to his own manipulations. He described himself as a concerned observer who had done nothing wrong. But no, this is not true, as the drug is the evidence of his participation. Who paid for the drug/medicine in the end? Since the elder master Yoon was no longer living in the mansion, the valet was the one responsible for the expenses. I doubt that Yoon Seungho would take a closer look to the accounts. Then when he said that he only saw the protagonist twice 
(chapter 57), this doesn’t mean that he was not involved in the main lead’s suffering. He could have affected Yoon Seungho’s life differently. We have the perfect example in season 3: he treated the butler 
(chapter 77), while he neglected the lord’s hand 
(chapter 57) But since my theory is that Kim was a shaman, this signifies that he should have recognized Kim as the shaman!! In that case, I deduced that the physician had been lying to the elder master Yoon by omission. Naturally, it is also possible that the father had hired the shaman, but out of fear for his reputation, he acted, as if he had no idea about the butler’s true identity. In other words, all three men acted, as if they knew nothing. This would explain why all the characters had no eye in the last picture. Anyway, because of my latest theory, I reexamined the physician‘s statement and found more incongruences 
(chapter 57) Here he doubted the elder master Yoon’s words, for he stated as a fact that the young master Lee Jihwa was not mentally sick. Keep in mind that according to the doctor, the protagonist was described as someone suffering from a mental illness. And this detail caught my attention: the physician took the Lees’ side. Furthermore, the patriarch Lee was thinking similarly than the doctor: the shaman and the mental illness. 
(chapter 82) Finally, I would like to point out that in that chapter, the physician was mentioned too, and this next to the patriarch Lee. 
(chapter 82) Thus I believe that the physician’s fate is linked to Lee Jihwa and his father.
(Chapter 57) Finally, the manhwaphiles should detect that the doctor never mentioned the presence of the servants in the bedchamber. Both were restraining the wounded lord. 
(Chapter 57) This is also no coincidence that he didn‘t point out the absence of the elder master Yoon during the second visit. He couldn‘t, because his tactic to put the whole blame on the patriarch would have totally failed. And this leads me to the following observation: 
(chapter 74) The doctor was not honest here either. Exactly like in episode 57, he was faking his worries towards Baek NA-Kyum. First, we have the presence of the drop of sweat on his cheek, a sign of dishonesty, but more importantly, his question was just theoretical, he was influencing the painter. The latter just needed to agree. He hoped that the artist would never bring up the incident in his mansion, and as such would wonder about his whereabouts and his responsibility concerning the kidnapping. At the same time, he could have asked this with the hope that the painter would blame the protagonist for his misery. He would use the painter‘s suffering (the unfair judgement leading to his imprisonment) in order to divert attention from his own wrongdoing: his silence, his passivity and his lack of commitment. He never tried to look for Baek Na-Kyum‘s vanishing. He never felt responsible. But he had to give up, because the artist was truly ignorant.
(chapter 74) He never made any reproach towards the main lead. 
(chapter 7) For them, Kim Dan became a hot topic among the staff (def. 4). 
(chapter 7) Then they recognized his skills immediately (“He’s a totally different weight class. Definitely won’t be easy”). He not only looked young, but also was skillful (def. 5) Hence one member made the following request that the doctor should treat them too. This is important, because thanks to the manager and coach, the gentle Kim Dan was welcome properly. He was accepted as a member of their team, though he didn’t have his uniform yet. Consequently, it is not surprising that the moment the protagonist offered his help to an injured fighter, the other boxers came to his side, and wished to be examined too. 
(chapter 1) The latter used his position to isolate the main lead and put the blame on him. As you can imagine, I am expecting the opposite in Black Team. If something happens, they will side with Kim Dan, because the latter treated them well contrary to the champion. 
(chapter 7), he acted differently, as he treated the other boxers. He was selfless, and the other hot boys could witness it. In their eyes, Kim Dan is definitely a hot boy (def. 4.-5-9)!
(chapter 7), exactly like his fighter Joo Jaekyung (chapter 1). However, I believe that there exists a difference. The champion came to take this expression literally, hence he shows a certain arrogance which is not the case for the coach. Nevertheless, the athlete respects the coach. The former never retaliated, when the hyung scolded him after smacking his back. 
(chapter 7) This means that he has to call Kim Dan hyung like the other fighters now. And now, you comprehend his reluctance to address Kim Dan properly. 
(chapter 7) It was, as if he didn’t want to lose his title “hyung” to the physical therapist. And this leads me to the following observation: Kim Dan became the hot topic between the protagonist and the coach (def. 3). And it is only a question of time, until hyung discovers the existence of the deal between the two protagonists. In this scene, he is hot on his athlete’s trail for his arrogance and disrespect towards people. (def. 11)
(Chapter 5) It took him a whole week to recover from this encounter. (Chapter 5) He was physically and mentally wounded. His behavior fits all the criteria in chapter 6. He is totally selfless and is risking his life emotionally, physically and mentally. He definitely sees the champion as a „criminal“, since he keeps comparing him to the director from the hospital. (chapter 6) He has indeed become a true hero, hence he received the admiration and love from all the readers.
(Chapter 5) At no moment, in the ring, he risked his life, for this fight is controlled by a ref and both boxers are required to follow certain rules. But the seme has not realized this yet. Like I had pointed out before, he takes everything too seriously. He views his games as a matter of life or death. One might think that he has never had a strong opponent so far, but we have two indications that his career wasn’t always smooth. 
. (chapter 1) The legend is implying that this was not like that in the past (“the streak continues”). Secondly, he has cauliflower ears
(chapter 1), a typical consequence for fighting. [Here I would like to thank @delune_art for her observation]
(chapter 5) The lover and Kim Dan have the same hair dress and the same height, they are both muscular, yet slender. 
(chapter 2) In other words, Joo Jaekyung favors a certain type, but he is not aware of it. Hence he claims that all his sex partners were different. And now, you have the explanation why he views people he has sex with as tools and even whores. He used money as a protection, a wall to keep his distance from people. This is not surprising why he was happy, when Kim Dan asked for financial support. That way, there was no string attached.: “So it was just the money, after all”. (chapter 6) But naturally, he is deluding himself, because observe that he is now changing his sexual habits! 
(chapter 6) It is no longer linked to his jinx, because he is asking Kim Dan to have sex no matter the time or place. This little detail makes a huge difference, the start of his new obsession.
(chapter 1) before and after the arrival of the manager. The tone changed immediately. 
(chapter 1) Then when his athlete wondered why he had not heard from Kim Dan, the manager not only took Kim Dan’s side, but also criticized his athlete. First, when he said that the main lead had asked him like a million times, (chapter 5), he was implying that he had bothered him a lot. Then 
(chapter 5) the idiom “something” is a reference to the sportsman’s behavior. He reproached him in a calm manner that he would nag constantly. Yet, at no moment, the boxer felt insulted. That’s why I couldn’t help myself judging him as a “hero”. He could tame his sportsman and turn him into an obedient “puppy”. The latter is always well-mannered in front of him and never showing his frustration. 
(Chapter 5) He got caught by surprise by this point. He never imagined that Kim Dan would reject or even block him, as he is considered as a “champion”, a hero!! But the moment he turned his back from the manager, he couldn’t control his frustration and anger. Thus he smashed the punching bag with such a force. (chapter 5) On the other hand, he couldn’t control his gaze, when he heard that he could get blocked. (chapter 5) This whole scene displayed the respect Joo Jaekyung had for the manager and his friend. At the door, he never exploded. But why is it so? Like mentioned above, he views the man as his family. And we have another proof for this: “block us” was turned into “block me”. As you can see, the personal pronoun “us” indicates that Joo Jaekyung considers the man with the red shirt as an unit, a home.
(chapter 5) Joo Jaekyung was frank enough to voice his dissatisfaction about the physical therapists. For me, this image exposes that the boxer is not just a violent and selfish man, he is still capable to have a normal relationship. He respects his peer and never vents his rage towards him. Under this new approach, you can grasp why I selected “my hero” as a title. I wished to outline the good influence the manager has on Joo Jaehyunk. The former will definitely take the physical therapist’s side, like we could sense in chapter 1 and 5!! I am looking forward for the interaction between Kim Dan and the manager, because it will definitely affect the relationship between the hyung and the champion! 
(chapter 5) This is perceptible due to her clothes and her basket. She was more or less a “peasant”, living in the countryside. And the young child could sense her struggle. She dedicated her life to raise Kim Dan properly so that he could get an education. She was so selfless and caring that she protected her grandchild from the loan sharks’ brutality. 
In order to fully grasp the boxer’s mentality, it is relevant to know the true signification of this word: 
If he can not defeat his opponent, he “will die”. This is no coincidence that his color is black
, a pigment that symbolizes nowadays death. Being too serious has huge negative consequences. Such a person can never be happy. The reason is simple. He is focusing too much on career and work that he is overlooking to enjoy the moment. The person is not able to play and to take time to laugh along the way. In the end, he doesn’t know what truly matters in life.
At the same time, imagine what a defeat could signify for the champion. He would judge himself as worthless, as in his eyes, only strength is important. To conclude, I think that this violence from the athlete is much more complex, just like its origins. 
Nevertheless, the fighter is totally wrong in that aspect. It takes a lot of courage to admit a mistake and to ask for forgiveness 
(doctor Frost, chapter 211), because we don’t know if the offended person will accept the excuse. 
And this is exactly what happened with Kim Dan. He apologized, yet he still feared that he would be hit. 
and apologized before before becoming silent and inactive. Hence I believe that this is what the uke will teach the strongest man in the world. He needs to learn to admit his mistakes. And this is no coincidence that in the ring, the brutal man never voiced regret towards the “green” man. With his expression “punk”, he had the perfect excuse to avoid the apology. That’s why he didn’t reply to the trainer immediately and in front of him 
(chapter 1) It is because they had all heard about the boxer’s violent behavior and his stubbornness: 
The anaconda 😂 Yes, the length and and size of his phallus! While Kim Dan was massaging him, the man was relaxed, hence this signifies that it had not reached its maximum size!! And now, imagine what happened to the last doctor… The latter could have made an intentional move, but the champion has always separated his career from his private life. No one at the gym knew about the champion’s homosexuality. Since for the boxer, everything is a matter of life and death, he definitely views sex as a fight too. It is about his own climax, and not about feeling good or giving pleasure to his partner, even less about love! Therefore it is not surprising that the man is having sex in this position. 
(chapter 1) He doesn’t feel the need to see his partner’s face or to talk to him. And if you read my analyses about Painter Of The Night, you are all aware of the signification of such a position. It is about power struggle and victory. This observation leads me to the following conclusion: Joo Jaekyung’s rough sex is just the consequence of his “mentality”. In truth, he is masking his own anxieties, his manhood. This is just a speculation on my part, but I have the impression that his overactive superego is his way to deal his own sexual orientation. Homosexuality is often perceived as a lack of masculinity and strength, and note that so far, the boxer has been following social norms quite strictly. He embodies the prototype of the successful and wealthy boxer. We definitely need more information about his past, his family and surroundings. Another possibility is that the athlete is bothered by his huge phallus, which he could view as “jinx”…. For him, it is the reason why his former sex partners keep running away. The author will give us more elements in the future episodes.
and contrary to the others, he will keep having sex with the protagonist. 😂 Under this aspect, the readers can grasp why the anonymous sex partner said nothing, when Joo Jaekyung called the main lead. 
I am suspecting that the man didn’t find this sex session very pleasant, as he was clinching onto the sheets. Besides, why would he call him in the middle of the encounter? And he could see Kim Dan as his savior… it was his luck that Joo Jaekyung had a new physical therapist. 
(Chapter 94) In this scene, the painter was rejected by the children, for he had no braid. Due to his hair dress, he was recognized as orphan immediately. The justification was that that way, the artist would appear more boyish. But by mentioning the loss of Yoon Seungho’s topknot, Heena was actually revealing that she knew the true signification of the haircut: abandonment and intolerance. Her words to her brother exposed her hypocrisy, though she attempted to portray the elder master as respectable. One might argue that when Na-Kyum was just a child, she had suggested the short hair, for she had good intentions. But after this experience with the children, the noona should have grasped the wrongness of her decision. She should have admitted her bad decision and stopped the painter from cutting his hair. Moreover, don’t forget that Na-Kyum was just a young boy, so the haircut must have been done by Heena herself. This shows that her gesture actually divulged her future behavior: she would betray and abandon the painter constantly (season 1, 2 and 3). At the same time, since the painter was seen with short hair in chapter 68 
, this indicates that Heena kept cutting Baek Na-Kyum’s hair. So even in the past, she was betraying her brother, though the latter never realized it. The loss of hair could never be viewed as a sign of love or empathy, for it contributed to the painter’s abandonment issues and his self-loathing. He was suffering as an outcast and due to his girly features. The men in the gibang could mistreat him, for he had no long hair or topknot. Why? 
(Chapter 94) He had no parents or guardians protecting him which is true, for here he was exposed to violence. Heena, as the head-kisaeng, had not protected him at all, she must definitely have portrayed herself as powerless. Yet as a slave of the state, she was belonging to the king. So she had connections to officers and the court. In my eyes, the head-kisaeng made sure that the artist could never get a topknot, and as such he would never be able to become a “noble” or even a man. Hence Baek Na-Kyum was constantly called boy 
(Chapter 56) 
(Chapter 59) 
(chapter 66) and treated as one too. This observation made me realize that Heena’s belief could be used as an explanation for her action (cutting off his hair): she hates nobles so much that she didn’t allow her brother to have a topknot. But why would she do that? My idea is that deep down, she resented him, for he was a free man, while she was a slave. It went so far that he was encouraged to wear a white headband, the symbol for servitude, though he is no slave! To conclude, the loss of hair in Joseon should be perceived as a brutal and harsh punishment. Without a topknot, one is left unprotected, is not viewed as an adult. But this stands in opposition to Yoon Seungho’s action in front of Jung In-Hun’s home. 
(Chapter 101) Here, the lord had spared his friend’s life.
(Chapter 23) cuts off the hair of the general Woo Jong Han, because he had committed crimes. First, he hid the fact that his sister had had a child before getting married to the emperor, which was actually a huge sin. The future Empress should have been a virgin. To sum up, he had committed treason, for he had allowed his sister to become Empress unrightfully. Then the field marshal had treated his niece as a slave violating social norms. 
(chapter 34) That way, he assisted his sister to become powerful by covering up for her crimes (silence and passivity). She had killed many people to hide her previous relationship and to increase her power. Striking is that the prince still spared Baek-Ha’s uncle, and this for many reasons. First, the latter had not only saved both protagonists, the empress’ illegitimate daughter Baek-Ha and the prince Nan-Woo, but also had admitted his sins. Secondly, he was thinking of his wife Baek-Ha who is kind-hearted. He knew that his death could upset his bride. 
(chapter 26) But there is more to it. Nan-Woo didn’t spare the man out of benevolence. 
(chapter 26) He had a role to play. By cutting off his topknot, the general lost his “power”, he became the prince’s pawn! Nan-Woo wished to use the uncle in order to get rid of the Empress. 
(chapter 23) That way, the protagonist wouldn’t even have to dirty his own hands. On the other hand, we could also say that Nan-Woo was forcing the Empress’ brother to undo his bad decision. 
(chapter 23) Since he had protected his sister Seo-Ha out of affection, it was normal that now he had to show no mercy towards her. By presenting Baek -Ha to Nan-Woo, the general was well aware that the future ruler would recognize the female lead’s origins due to her resemblance to her mother. Therefore, we could interpret that Nan-Woo had spared the general, for the latter had switched sides and expressed the wish to undo his wrongdoings. 
(Chapter 101) It is because he must have witnessed it himself in the past. I have already pointed out that Yoon Seungho would imitate people, especially his tormentors. So where did he learn from? I believe, Yoon Seungho copied it from someone… and this can only be “lord Song”. And now, the first loss of Lee Jihwa’s topknot can be perceived in a different perspective. The red-haired master was well aware that he had been spared, when he had lost his hair for the first time. 
(Chapter 101) He knew deep down that thanks to his friend, he had been able to escape the worst. Since he had been spared once, he was well aware that this time, the ruler would show no leniency and would ask for his head, as the main lead was no longer protecting him. Remember what the lord had whispered to Baek Na-Kyum: 
(chapter 23), he swore loyalty to the future emperor. This signifies that the topknot also symbolizes faithfulness, especially because it is connected to marriage. Thus I deduce that when Lee Jihwa lost his topknot for the first time, he was already judged as disloyal. Hence it is no coincidence when the antagonist screams that he would become the target of lord Song’s fury. 
(Chapter 59) First, lord Yoon could be a reference to the father and not only the son. Secondly, he implied that he had witnessed the scene, yet in reality he could have been referring to the outcome: the friend’s hair cut, just like the noona had only seen the hickeys on her brother’s neck. She had never witnessed the sex session. The noble with the mole assumed the perpetrator’s behavior, rage, based on the hair loss. Moreover, he could have been telling the truth: he had never seen Yoon Seungho so angry before, as the latter used to be weak in the past due to his social status: he was a male kisaeng due to his braid. This explicates why the noble with the purple robe would give an order to the host 
(chapter 8) He felt himself superior to Yoon Seungho, and never expected “disobedience” or “rage” from the protagonist. Striking is that the lord didn’t vent his anger onto him, he first smiled before grabbing him by the topknot. 
(Chapter 8) A simple change of hair dress had transformed the main lead. This exposes the gods’ intervention in this story. They let the man with the mole see the wrongness of his manipulations. Since he had stated that he had never seen the man so angry, his words became a reality in 3 occasions: chapter 8 like mentioned above, chapter 53 
, for he was not present, chapter 57 
in the inn. Here, he chose to run away, yet despite everything he still helped his friend Black Heart, for he was present in the gibang.
(Chapter 69) Under this new light, this panel from Twitter get a total new meaning: 
The aristocrat knew about the true identity of “lord Song”, and he had indeed never seen the man so angry that he would cut off the topknot of a noble!! This means that the fate of the noble with the mole should be to end up as the lord’s new plaything. In other words, he takes over the main lead’s previous status. He becomes the male kisaeng and ends up living in the shed like the protagonist in the past where the pedophile vents his rage and resent him for his tricks. But we will see. 
(chapter 59) Furthermore, he associated it to abandonment too. 
(Chapter 59) Yet, observe the drop of sweat. This exposes that neither Min nor the noble with the mole were expecting that Lee Jihwa would be spared!! They acted, as if the loss of the topknot couldn’t be a sign of mercy. But observe what Lee Jihwa was recalling, when the “friend” was talking about abandonment. 
(Chapter 59) He was by the protagonist’s side! This means that lord Song had spared Lee Jihwa’s life, for he had been present, when Yoon Seungho was suffering. Till the middle of season 2, no one was aware of the fallout between Lee Jihwa and the protagonist. None of the incidents in season 1 was leaked to the outside, hence the “pedophile” was not officially aware of the red-haired master’s wrongdoings. But the loss of hair in front of the learned sir’s house becomes the proof that the main lead has now left his friend’s side. He will be blamed for his suicide. Therefore it is not surprising that the young master chose to run away. 
(Chapter 101) He knew that the ruler would show no leniency or understanding. Thus the noble with the mole’s karma should be to keep his topknot. 
(chapter 27) The painter had saved his teacher’s life, and later the lord had restrained himself from hurting the scholar in the courtyard despite Jung In-Hun’s lies and lack of respect (he had touched the man’s shoulder). 
(Chapter 30) Here again, the scholar had been spared. Then in episode 53, the painter had embraced the lord to stop him from killing Deok-Jae. This means that Yoon Seungho must have also saved people in the past by using his body, and this twice, for I had detected the presence of two circles: Yoon Chang-Hyeon and Lee Jihwa. That’s the reason why the father could survive the purge, and why Lee Jihwa only lost his topknot. And the heroine from A Sip Of Poison can serve as an example. 
(Chapter 1) As long as the latter was living there, the Lees had nothing to worry. The main lead was protecting them from the king. However, the manhwalovers should keep in their mind that Nan-Woo had showed mercy to the general for his own interests. He should become his helping hand in order to obtain the throne. Hence I come to the following deduction: neither Nan-Woo nor the “perpetrator” had cut off the topknot out of real leniency. This shows that for these characters, the loss of the topknot is not the symbol for forgiveness which is not true for the last incident with Lee Jihwa. 
(chapter 1) Even the headband was different. This was no coincidence. He should never develop confidence and act as a lord. That’s how I recognized the following pattern. In front of the painter who looked like a minor, the main lead was forced to act like an adult. Thanks to the painter, he was encouraged to mature. Simultaneously this meant that at some point, while living with the Lees, the elder master Lee had to be confronted with the truth: his son’s sodomy. 
(Chapter 86) The reality was that the pedophile was the bad omen, but they couldn’t insult the king. Hence the young main lead became the scapegoat, people couldn’t separate the pedophile from Yoon Seungho. The “mysterious lord Song” would never give up on the protagonist. No matter what he would keep him by his side. 
(chapter 1) Moreover, we shouldn’t overlook the publications with the braided man: 
(Chapter 1) Baek Na-Kyum was not supposed to recognize the identity of the man having sex with the bearded man. From my point of view, Heena made sure to confuse her brother. Lee Jihwa’s humiliation became Yoon Seungho’s stigma. He became the culprit. Since in the past, the main lead had been blamed for everything, the perpetrators and accomplices chose to follow this “tradition”, because so far, they had been able to cover up their crimes. But thanks to the painter, it is no longer possible. Why? It is because the painter’s hair dress will serve as a mirror of truth: the absence of a topknot due to the braid and the hair cut will be perceived as an evidence for abandonment, cruelty and huge wrongdoing. This won’t be seen as a gesture of mercy or leniency by the two protagonists, for they suffered because of it!! That’s the reason why I am thinking that the pedophile’s karma should be the loss of the topknot which he viewed as a gesture of mercy and tolerance. But without the topknot, he is actually “castrated”, and as such humiliated for he can not wear his golden sangtu. 
Yet, contrary to Lee Jihwa’s haircut, the loss of the topknot should not be judged as the symbol of mercy and forgiveness, in fact, the lord would officially cut ties with him. That’s how the mysterious Lord Song would be taught an important lesson: he was a huge hypocrite and a violent and ruthless pervert.
(chapter 23) to give him a knife: 
(chapter 23) before grabbing Woo Jang-Hon by his topknot 
(chapter 23). Hence the hair fell between the men. 
(chapter 23) And now, let’s return our attention to Painter Of The Night. Compare the position of the aristocrat’s topknot after Yoon Seungho had punished his friend. 
(chapter 101) It was behind him!! Thus I deduce that he had used the sword, when Lee Jihwa had approached his friend. But wait… in season 1 and 2, Byeonduck drew scenes with a knife:
And what had happened before? Yoon Seungho had dragged his friend by the topknot before stabbing the amateur spy. This is no coincidence.
(chapter 66)
(chapter 83) 
(chapter 67) This shows that till season 3, Lee Jihwa had never been exposed to real justice. There was always someone ready to intervene for him. And now, you comprehend why the red-haired master felt no remorse to blame his friend for his humiliation in the past. He must have thought that if he had not been in his bedchamber during that night 
(chapter 83) This explicates why Lee Jihwa said this to Black Heart and his friend: 
(chapter 59) The antagonist had witnessed his friend’s humiliation and suffering in the past, just like Yoon Seungho had been present, when the first topknot incident occurred. From my point of view, the lord must have even protected Lee Jihwa. But the problem is that Lee Jihwa was just receiving his punishment in delay for the stolen kiss and his lies 
(chapter 77) He had kissed him without his consent, thus he got “castrated”. Let’s not forget that the main lead was forced to become a male prostitute, an uke, for he had not been able to perform, to have an erected phallus. On the other hand, Lee Jihwa had done nothing wrong in the bedchamber 
(Chapter 41) Due to the incident in the kisaeng house, Min had lost his privileged position with the king. Hence he got jealous. He could no longer screw” the protagonist, while he had to watch the lord’s slow ascension. To sum up, the loss of Jihwa’s topknot led to the “symbolic castration” of the infamous couple: Min and the noble with the mole. 
(chapter 77) And now, you comprehend why the pedophile cut off Lee Jihwa’s topknot! The latter had been blamed for the lord’s change of hair dress. 
(chapter 33) 
(chapter 55) And who had given him the topknot? Naturally… Kim! Because he didn’t want to be perceived as someone who was violating social norms. However, there is no ambiguity that he hid his responsibility. That’s how Lee Jihwa and his “servant” got framed. They were responsible for giving the main lead the new hair dress. On the other side, I still believe that Yoon Seungho must have lost his hair too, but only once to the difference of Baek Na-Kyum! My reason is simple. Since the painter and Lee Jihwa lost their hair, and Yoon Seungho’s destiny is mirroring his lover’s, it signifies that the lord’s hair must have been cut too. But who did it? Let’s not forget that when Yoon Seungho punished his friend in front of the scholar’s home, 
(chapter 77) in that scene. For the butler, this gaze could be judged as betrayal and abandonment. Under this new perspective, it becomes comprehensible why the main lead was encouraged to blame and resent his father. If this theory is true, Kim pushed the main lead to cut off his braid, he did it out hatred and anger towards the Yoons. This would mask his own manipulation and culpability too. At the same time, the pedophile could benefit from it. The main lead was now an orphan, thus the bearded man could use him like he wished. I have an evidence for this interpretation. This is what Baek Ha said to her husband: 
(chapter 23) Being slave meant being orphan. The pedophile could feign ignorance about the main lead’s true origins. If he truly cared for him, he just needed to ask this: papers!
(chapter 24) This shows that in Painter Of The Night, all the elders were depraved and violent hypocrites. Like mentioned above, the pedophile had a huge interest to keep the main lead as his slave, thus he was turned into an orphan and asked to keep a braid. And Yoon Seungho’s mother could do nothing, for the son had cut off his own hair, a huge symbolic act. He was no longer considering her his mother. But because of his status as slave, the pedophile could never trust the main lead. Then the suicide from the mother put an end to this farce. Hence lord Song could tell his sex partner that he had become the head of the Yoons and let him “have” the properties, while it was never his intention to let him become responsible. If he had become a lord, he could escape from his claws. He needed him to remain in an infantile and dependable state. 
(chapter 33) 
(chapter 33) She not only treated his wounds, but also helped him to overcome on his guilt. He felt responsible for his brother’s death, for Nan-Woo had attempted once to commit suicide on the battlefield, and his brother had sacrificed himself to protect him. He was definitely plagued with remorse, self-loathing and shame. And that’s exactly what Baek Na-Kyum has been doing too: by simply loving him so selflessly and purely. Finally, Baek-Ha’s fate made him realize the Empress’ immense culpability. She was so greedy and selfish that 
(chapter 34) she had abandoned her own child! Thus he was freed from his hatred and guilt. Nan-Woo was able to perceive the wrongness of this social norm which was common in Joseon: the child is responsible for the parents’ sins! 
(chapter 33) Being an orphan outlined her innocence. And since I have already connected Baek Na-Kyum to the mysterious lord Song, I am quite sure that the painter will have a similar attitude than Baek Ha: 
(chapter 33) He will feel responsible for Yoon Seungho’s martyrdom. And if he is truly his son, his abandonment can serve an evidence of his innocence. On the other hand, the readers shouldn’t forget that his surrogate parents, Jung In-Hun and Heena, played a role in lord Yoon’s torment as well. Thus he can only indebted towards his husband. 
(Doctor Frost, chapter 225) With this picture, the manhwaphiles can detect the presence of the endless vicious circle, the ouroboros, which I had described as a kaleidoscope. The absence of empathy in both stories was the reason why no one stopped the main perpetrators. Woo Jang-Hon felt guilty, for he had raised his younger sister who had become a monster. Kim felt deep down guilty, but chose to reject his responsibility by putting the blame on others. Out of fear, he preferred hiding his wrong decisions and later wrongdoings. And now it has become his MO. This distinguishes him from the general who chose to put an end to his guilty conscience and paid for his crimes.. 
(chapter 34) 
Bebebisous33s' analyses in K-Dramaland and Manhwas 