Please support the authors by reading the manhwas on the official websites. This is where you can read the manhwa: Jinx. But be aware that the Manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. 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. Here are the links, if you are interested in the first work from Mingwa, BJ Alex, and the previous essay about Jinx “Harmony’s Clash⚡: Prince S 👸 and Emperor 🤴- part 2”
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.

Like the illustration is displaying it, my main focus will be on the last part of chapter 47, the phone call and message from the “executive director” of King of MMA.
(chapter 47) Now, you are wondering why I decided to dedicate an essay about this scene. It is because the phone call and message raise a lot of questions. Why did the mysterious man call Kim Dan at such an early hour? Notice that it is in the morning, at 5. 15 am.
(chapter 47)
1. Evidences for 5:15 am
How can I be so sure that it is in the morning, and not in the evening? Notice that in the Spanish version, the translator wrote “Buenas tardes” for hello giving the impression that it was in the afternoon. The person came to this conclusion because during the night before, Kim Dan looked at his cellphone. The doctor’s meeting with Kim Miseon was in the afternoon.
(chapter 47) The Spanish translator thought, the person calling Kim Dan was contacting him, after the doctor had met the oncologist. She imagined that not much time had passed. Yet, I believe, it is in the morning. First, it is important to place the day in the year. Since Joo Jaekyung’s birthday is on June 21st, and the next match is shortly after
(chapter 47), I deduce that we are in July. However, the sunset in Seoul during that month is between 8:29 and 8:12 pm, whereas dawn in the same period and place is between 4:44 am and 5:07 am and sunrise between 5:15 and 5:36 am. Jinx-philes can now determine the time thanks to the position of the sun:
(chapter 47) It is in the morning. Moreover, the Webtoonist tipped off her avid readers with this panel:
(chapter 47) In Korean, it is written MONDAY!! I had already detected a certain pattern. The protagonist would visit his grandmother on Sundays,
(chapter 30) as Saturdays are Kim Dan’s days. The morning in chapter 30 took place after the couple had spent their day-off together.
2. Reconstruction of his weekend and its interpretation
Thus I deduce that when the doctor returned home
(chapter 47), it was Saturday evening. Then the next day, he went to the hospital in order to get the results. After hearing the terrible news, he lost track of time. Hence he didn’t look at his cellphone contrary to episode 5.
(chapter 5) On the other hand, I don’t think, he visited Shin Okja right after meeting Kim Miseon, for his grandma would have known that he had remained by her side the entire night. Nonetheless, her worries were about eating and not about lack of sleep. 
(chapter 47) Thus I come to the conclusion that he spent the whole night at the hospital like in episode 21:
(chapter 21) This explains why the grandmother was not wearing her headgear. She was sleeping. But back then, Kim Dan returned to the penthouse at dawn.
(chapter 21) Therefore the grandma didn’t notice that he had stayed by her side for quite some time, for she was asleep. Hence she requested his presence the next morning. Nonetheless, there exists another difference between chapter 47 and 21. In my eyes, Kim Dan entered her room during the night and spent some time in the bathroom.
(chapter 47) He didn’t approach the bed the same way:
(chapter 21) However, I doubt that he spent just one hour in the restroom covering his tears by running the tap water.
(chapter 47) I have the feeling that this scene is a reflection from their first night. 
(chapter 3) Here, he was also sitting on the floor pondering if he should still accept the deal. And what had happened back then? The protagonist was lost in the moment, he had no notion of time because of his fears and social norms. As a first conclusion, Kim Dan spent a lot of time in the bathroom reliving the moment when he was receiving the bad news. This interpretation displays how much his grandmother’s imminent death devastated him. He had spent the entire night crying:
(chapter 47) Therefore he had red eyes. Furthermore, the halmoni’s name is Shin Okja, and Shin can signify “morning, dawn and daybreak”. For me, it is no coincidence. First, it was her moment to shine due to her compassion.
(chapter 47). She symbolizes humanity in both senses of the word: empathy and humankind (mortality). Though she is weak physically, she is strong mentally. At the same time, Okja can only treasure this moment, for Kim Dan was by her side, when she woke up.
(chapter 47) In my eyes, this scene represents the positive reflection from that nightmare: 
(chapter 21) As a little boy, he had asked his grandmother to never leave his side, unaware that this meant that he should do the same. He should remain by her side too. Yet, he didn’t do it.
(chapter 47) This observation made me realize another aspect. When he heard the diagnosis from Kim Miseon for the first time, he admitted his powerlessness.
(chapter 5) In his eyes, he could do nothing for his grandma. But he was wrong, as he could support her by spending time with her. From my point of view, when the halmoni left home for the hospital, deep down, he must have felt abandoned. On the other hand, we shouldn’t forget that he also had other worries and problems to solve: the loan, the hospital bills and finding a job as a PT. Hence I deduce that through his grandmother, he learned the following lesson: he should spend more time with his loved ones, as they can vanish at any moment. He learned how precious time is. This remark made me realize the huge contrast between these two scenes:
(chapter 47) He was in the bathroom crying and kept recalling the terrible monologue from the oncologist. He felt lost and trapped in the same moment. It felt like an eternity for him. But when he listened to his grandmother, bathed in the sunlight, it triggered his memory about his childhood with her. 
(Chapter 47) Not only she had kept her promise, but also through this recollection, he got a notion of time again. We could say, he could feel time again. He sensed her true nature: her mortality. It is important, because of this new realization, he can move on and focus on the future in a long term. That’s the reason why I see this scene as a new leaf for both characters:
(chapter 47) Shin Okja is no longer a goddess, a star during the night… but a human facing her mortality. Besides, the doctor focused too much on money, not realizing that goods are irrelevant in front of death.
(chapter 41) This explicates why the champion is not attached to clothes and presents.
3. The call at 5:15 am
And now, it is time to return our attention to the phone call in the morning. Why would he call the physical therapist at such an early hour? One might reply that it was an emergency, for the next match is around the corner.
Yet, I can refute this point. How so? Note that the caller only let the phone ring 3 times:
(chapter 47) Then he left a message. This stands in opposition to Joo Jaekyung’s action in episode 5:
(chapter 5) The latter even spent about 23 minutes to reach the protagonist. He started calling at 10: 12 am and the next person he called was the MFC manager at 10:30 am. 12 + 23 times = 25 minutes. It means that for each call, he waited more than one minute before calling again. Another difference is that the athlete phoned him each hour: around 10 am, before around 9.00 am., hence I am assuming that he must have called around 8:00 am. This exposes the champion’s despair and huge desire!! However, he never tried to reach him at 5: 15 am. The director’s action appears as tactless and selfish. Since it was not an emergency, then why would he call the doctor so early? What was the point to act that way, when he left a message right immediately?
(chapter 47) One might say that he feared that the doctor would reject his phone call, as he couldn’t recognize the number. On the other hand, I would like to outline that the man didn’t introduce himself properly. He didn’t mention his name at all. He just described his work and position. Compare his message to the one from the journalist:
(chapter 35) So what does the divergence display? I would say, the lack of seriousness and integrity from the executive director. Shim Yoon-Seok wished to appear as a serious reporter, though he was intruding in the champion’s private life. Don’t forget that the latter messaged Joo Jaekyung during the night, but he didn’t call him:
(chapter 35) He desired to give the impression that he was a hard-working journalist. On the other hand, because he just sent a message, it indicates that the reporter wished to hide, to remain anonymous. In other words, he was hiding his identity behind a name. How so? It is because the champion could not hear his voice at all. Joo Jaekyung can not recognize the journalist contrary to this scene:
(chapter 36) This divergence reveals that the executive director has a different approach than the reporter. The former seeks to „get close to Kim Dan“, while the journalist desired to avoid the famous fighter’s wrath. Shim Yoon-Seok anticipated his reaction. Therefore I have the feeling that the mysterious man contacted the physical therapist so early to create the illusion that it was urgent. They needed him. Interesting is that when the champion received the message from Shim Yoon-Seok, he never questioned how the reporter got his contact.
(Chapter 35) Besides, I noticed that the text from the journalist was ambiguous, especially for the readers. 
(Chapter 35) The latter doesn’t claim to be the author of the article. He doesn’t employ the possessive pronoun „my“, then the column doesn’t expose the name of the author. And we have a similar situation with the message.
(Chapter 47) No name and as such no identity… Kim Dan could not recognize the man in the street, if he were to meet him. Furthermore, the message could be from someone else, impersonating him… the latter could deny that he ever sent such a message, as it is not his „phone number“. As you can see, I detected a pattern. The schemers are playing with ambiguity which mirrors the doctor’s situation. The MFC security guys had no idea about Kim Dan’s identity:
(chapter 40) A fighter, a prostitute, a lover or a physical therapist? Another difference between the two texts (35 and 47) is that
(chapter 47) above the anonymous message, Manhwalovers can read the warning about phishing and spasms, while the champion’s cell phone doesn’t show such a message. It could be an indication that the debts from Kim Dan are related to phishing scams.
Fraudulent phone calls and text messages, also known as phishing, in South Korea have caused nearly 1.7 trillion won ($1.3 billion) in damage over the past five years, data showed Tuesday.
According to data received by Rep. Kang Min-kuk of the People Power Party from the Financial Supervisory Service, a total of 227,126 scams were reported from 2018 to 2022, and the expense of reported loss from these scams was some 1.66 trillion won, with the number of such crimes seeing an uptake since 2020. […] More than 60 percent were victimized by scammers claiming they would help them with loans, which accounted for nearly 1 trillion won of the phishing damage. Some 22.8 percent of phone call fraudsters preyed on people by impersonating public institutions, while 17.1 percent of the crimes were carried out over mobile text messages by impersonating the victims’ acquaintances. Quoted from https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20230221000590
After this quote, Manhwaworms can grasp that phishing represents a huge problem in South Korea. Therefore I have the feeling that this number could get blocked or even reported as spam. Let’s not forget my previous conclusion. The fact that the mysterious sender didn’t mention his name is exposing his mind-set. He doesn’t want his true identity to be discovered in verity. This would corroborate my theory that the man behind the message is Mr. Choi. In the analysis “Angel(s) Of Death: Shadows versus Serenity”, I had already outlined the similarities between the mysterious phone number
(chapter 47) and Mr Choi’s:
(chapter 46) And now, imagine the consequences, when Kim Dan or Joo Jaekyung reports the text as spam. Not only he doesn’t prevent the scammer from sending more texts to him, but it does let the authorities know as well that there’s a problem. Carriers might block the sender’s messages. Government bureaus might take action to prevent the scammer from messaging other cellphone users.
(Chapter 46) And remember that Mr. Choi used this cellphone to contact his underling, a sign that their relationship was not official and should remain a secret. Hence if the line got cut, then Heo Manwook and Mr. Choi would be forced to meet. As you can imagine, the moment I discovered the connection between „carrier“ and „spam“, I couldn‘t help myself thinking that Mr. Choi might have received the CV from the courier company!!
(Chapter 42) Yes, we have here a text on a cellphone too. Therefore I couldn‘t help myself laughing!! Why? It is because I believe that the schemers are thinking that Kim Dan is a member of Team Black, a fighter, and he is Joo Jaekyung‘s protégé. My reasoning is the following: since my hypothesis is that he got the doctor‘s curriculum vitae through the courier enterprise
(Chapter 46), I doubt that Kim Dan mentioned that he was working as PT for Joo Jaekyung. This would have raised an eye-brow!! His side gig was supposed to be a secret implying that his official work was to be kept hidden as well. Furthermore, I am assuming that Mr. Choi must have tried to figure out Kim Dan based on his CV. He worked for a short time at the hospital and after he chose to take odd jobs. So he could have had a change of heart, he desired to pursue a different career, like for example becoming a professional MMA fighter. I don‘t think, people would mention such a hobby, as it could give a bad impression. Finally, if my theory is correct, then it signifies that Mr. Choi got tipped off by the hidden person from chapter 42.
(chapter 42) Remember my previous interpretation: the anonymous person had discovered a secret, but back then it was difficult to determine the secret.
(Chapter 42) First, I thought that they knew that Kim Dan was probably his „sex partner“ as a fan, as he didn‘t object to this statement
(chapter 42) But note that Kim Dan had protected the champion’s name and reputation first. Hence my idea is that in the mind of the anonymous observer, Kim Dan might have been left speechless for a different reason. He was described as a parasite, for he was using Joo Jaekyung‘s care and talent to become himself a professional MMA fighter!! In other words, they are mistaking him for Potato. And now, you comprehend why I added the green fox in the illustration:
They are trying to snatch away the favorite athlete from Team Black in order to destabilize Joo Jaekyung mentally
(chapter 46), as the champion was seen quite caring towards Kim Dan. We could see that fighters at Team Black believes in luck
(chapter 23) So they could think, Kim Dan is not questioning the belief too, as he is a fighter. However, in the picture, Kim Dan looked depressed alone. So the picture was exposing his disillusion and Mr. Choi could misinterpret the origins of his disappointment: he was not able to achieve his dream.
(Chapter 47) Because he is a member from Team Black, he is not paid well. He is not sponsored by Joo Jaekyung, in fact he needs to pay fee memberships. One might argue about this theory (Kim Dan is confused as a fighter) for the sender addressed the protagonist as Doc Dan. This is the indication of a spy, only members from Team Black know his nickname. Nonetheless, the Spanish version diverges, as he is addressed as Mr. Kim. Hence that could be an error made by the English translator, similar to „Buenas tardes“. On the other hand, let‘s not forget that during the sparring, the main lead’s nickname got a different meaning.
(Chapter 26) They could have jumped to the conclusion that Doc Dan was his stage name as a reference to his education and past, unaware that in reality it was indicating his true job. Thanks to @joojaedan, I got access to the original version.
He is addressed as Kim Dan, and @joojaedan told me that he got addressed the same way than the fighter and Joo Jaekyung would call him. I have to admit that I let the app Deepl translate the Korean version. This is what I got:
Hello Mr. Kim Dan, I’m the representative of Baek Junmin’s gym “King of MMA”. Please contact me, when you are available.
The official English version is definitely the better translation for two reasons. First, what caught my attention is the title “executive director”. According to my research, executive director is not the same than CEO or “jefe del gimnasio…”. In Spanish, the author of the message is presented as the owner of the gym, but now take a look at this source:
An executive director is the senior operating officer or manager of an organization or corporation, usually at a nonprofit. Their duties are similar to those of a chief executive officer (CEO) of a for-profit company. The executive director is responsible for strategic planning, working with the board of directors (B of D), and operating within a budget. Quoted from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/executive-director.asp
This shows that the author of the message is presenting himself as the right-hand of the fighter. He is not the owner of the gym officially, for he acts as a representative and takes care of the finances and PR!! I would even say, he must be working with a law firm as well. As you can see, thanks to the original and English translation, I discovered a new aspect, the connection between the Entertainment agency and the law firm, which corroborates my previous interpretation: the lawyer and the manager from the agency were working together, covering up for each other.
(Chapter 36) Moreover, this signifies that Baek Junmin is presented as the owner of the gym
(chapter 47), as he is the face of that gym. In reality, he is just the cover, whereas the true owner is the mysterious sender of the text.
(Chapter 47) This signifies that he is acting like Park Manwook
(chapter 22). Yet, he is his negative reflection, as Mr. Choi is the real owner, but he hides behind the thug Baek Junmin. On the other hand, Park Manwook views himself as the owner of the gym, for he takes care of contracts and finances, but the one with the final saying is in truth Joo Jaekyung. To conclude, we have a similar situation between the two gyms: the owners are keeping a low profile, they stand in the shadow. However, there exists a difference between them. Joo Jaekyung is allowing his hyung to call himself the owner of the gym out of respect, whereas the other is doing in order to hide his criminal activities. I would even say, he is making sure that Baek Junmin would take the fall in case he would get into trouble.
Moreover, since he asked Kim Dan to call him back, it implies that he wished to be in touch with Kim Dan through his cellphone. In other words, he doesn’t desire to meet Kim Dan personally. I would even add that he wished to be connected to Kim Dan like to Heo Manwook, not through the official line, but a private and secret phone.
(chapter 46) As you can see, through this comparison, we can discern the personality and the intentions of the anonymous caller much better. It stands for secrecy and intrusion. At the same time, it exposes that the schemers are not exchanging information between each other which can only need to a failure. Heo Manwook knows that Kim Dan is well paid, whereas Mr. Choi thinks, he is still struggling financially. But why did he call him at 5:15 am then?
One might reply that he needed to call him before the doctor would go to the gym with Joo Jaekyung.
(chapter 46) He wanted to ensure that the athlete wouldn’t notice his phone call. He couldn’t reach him around 9:00 or 10:00 am, this would have been noticed by Team Black’s members. On the other hand, he could have called him during the weekend, especially on Saturday evening or on Sunday. The last picture with Kim Dan is portraying him leaving a place alone, in my opinion, it is the hospital. Thus my hypothesis is that Mr. Choi must have known that the main lead would visit his relative on Sunday. On the other hand, since my theory is that he got the CV through the carrier enterprise, it is also possible that Mr. Choi imagines that Kim Dan is still working as a courier, especially if he is assuming that the doctor is planning to become a professional MMA fighter. He has no idea about the truth: it was to offer a present to the star.
Don’t forget that the two protagonists reflect each other. While Joo Jaekyung was misled to think that the hospital leaked information to the journalist
(chapter 36) which was definitely not true, I deduce that this must have happened to Kim Dan in reality. A company leaked his information, yet the doctor is unaware of it.
Therefore I assume that Mr Choi called him briefly at 5:15 am, as he knew that his night shift as courier would end around dawn.
(chapter 42) He let it ring three times before texting him in order to catch the doctor’s attention, to distinguish himself from the previous calls (for his job). If so, then Mr. Choi must believe that Kim Dan is being “exploited” by the athlete. Hence the doctor would look so unhappy, when he is alone. In other words, the pictures taken in secrecy would expose the hypocrisy of the celebrity towards the main lead.
(chapter 46) That’s how Mr. Choi interpreted the images. Nevertheless, it would signify that the executive director is projecting his own thoughts onto the fighter. According to me, Baek Junmin is his “slave”. He needs to bring him the result Mr. Choi desires.
(chapter 47)
That’s how I came to the following deduction. In order to perceive the caller’s intention, we need to compare his text to the previous ones. And we have two other messages in Jinx:
In chapter 34, Heesung, Kim Dan and Joo Jaekyung communicated to each other through messages.
(Chapter 35) Here, the actor had planned to confess to him, while the other wanted to divulge the true nature of their relationship:
(chapter 34) It was pure sex, yet the comedian didn‘t get fooled. Joo Jaekyung had feelings for him. Striking is that during that night, the doctor got fooled and this twice!!:
(chapter 34) First, the star knew about the invitation from Choi Heesung. This even caught Kim Dan by surprise. This image exposes that the champion had violated the doctor’s privacy. So how did he know it? We have different possibilities, yet my idea is that he had seen the message!! Thus he replied with a text to Heesung. Besides, observe how he dissuaded the doctor from visiting the actor.
(Chapter 34) He should CALL him… a sign that the champion had not called anyone. Since Mingwa is writing like Byeonduck, I have the feeling that the message from Mr. Choi will be discovered by Joo Jaekyung. Remember how his hyungs had warned him
(chapter 46), but he had refused to listen to them.
(Chapter 46) But the moment the champion is confronted with such a message directly, this would be a wake-up call for Joo Jaekyung, he should treat his members much better, as the existence of his company is in jeopardy. Moreover, I am hoping that such a discovery will push Joo Jaekyung to play a trick on his enemy too, like for example he gives a task to Potato, act as a spy!!
But it is relevant to recall that the executive director initially called Kim Dan before leaving a message on his cellphone. Hence I believe that we should also compare it to the previous phone calls the main leads received in the past. This led me to notice the recurrence of certain notions: sex, emergency, treatment, interruption, spying, secrecy, manipulations, rejection, and finally ignorance.
| Chapter 1 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 16/17 | Chapter 19/20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() ![]() Emergency, treatment, manipulation, sex and interruption | Kim Dan saw the calls, but he ignored them. ![]() Here, Joo Jaekyung heard that the doctor could have blocked him. Emergency, treatment, secrecy (the reason behind the contract) and rejection | It was another emergency call, for he needed to leave the place within a week. Interesting is that the person didn’t present himself. No name… As you already know, I am suspecting that the doctor got fooled, for I doubt he ever received any compensation for his move. He should have received money. Emergency, rejection, manipulation, interruption and spying (Heo Manwook interrogated the doctor right after) | ![]() In this chapter, we have in fact two calls related to a danger. ![]() Emergency, treatment, sex, interruption, manipulation and secrecy | ![]() Treatment, interruption, sex, secrecy, rejection and manipulation ![]() | ![]() Sex, interruption, „emergency“, as the champion didn‘t take off his shoes and put down his bag. Then during the intercourse, the doctor was called by the hospital ![]() Sex, treatment, interruption, secrecy (hidden in the bathroom) Here, the doctor could not refuse the champion‘s suggestion. |
| ChaPter 21 | Chapter 24 | Chapter 32 | Chapter 38 | Chapter 45 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() ![]() Here, we have sex, interruption, secrecy (grandma‘s existence and illness), rejection and ignorance. Kim Dan didn‘t answer the phone calls right away, as he was sick. | Sex, interruption (food), secrecy, manipulation, ignorance and spying. Potato had tried to listen to their conversation. | ![]() Treatment, emergency, interruption (food), ignorance, manipulation and „spying“. Heesung tried to discern the nature of their relationship. | Interesting is that here, there was no emergency from the champion‘s part. This time, Kim Dan was the one longing for the athlete. Sex, emergency, ignorance, manipulation, though here the victims of the trick were the two main leads. | This message stands in opposition to all the other messages: honesty, family.![]() But it shares a common point from the text in chapter 34: love confession. Park Namwook and his family view him as a family member. Yet, the star saw it as an intrusion, it happened right after the sex-love session |
And now, which notions do we find in the phone call from Mr. Choi? Manipulation, because he is not introducing himself properly. He doesn’t explain how he got his contact. Then we have secrecy, because he is calling so early. Interesting is that the caller gave the impression that it was an emergency by calling at dawn,
(Chapter 47) yet his words contradict the notion of crisis and danger. Kim Dan can determine the time. Then we have ignorance, for Kim Dan didn’t notice the ringing and the texting.
(Chapter 47) That’s why we have NO interruption. Furthermore, it displays spying, as the contact raises the question how the executive director got his phone number. Funny is that the notion of rejection is present through the notice above the text:
(chapter 47) As for treatment, it is related to the grandmother, a sign that the sender is not interested in any treatment. Hence I come to the following deduction: the mysterious sender has the intention of deceiving Kim Dan. In exchange for betraying the champion, the executive director will promise him a career at the gym „Kim of MMA“!! Yet, I don’t think, he has the intention to keep his promise, because Baek Junmin has been used as his tool to get rich. The fame in the underground fighting ring is not only fake, but also dangerous.
(Chapter 47) And how should he betray the athlete?
We have different possibilities. Since I linked this scene to the altercation with the goblin and his mysterious room mate, they could ask him not to be his sex partner before the match. Or they could ask him to drug the champion like in the past. According to my previous observations, MR. Choi was left in the dark concerning the failure of the last trick.
(Chapter 40) He has no idea that Kim Dan became the victim and got framed later.
(Chapter 46) Furthermore, since Heo Manwook was the one who hired this man
(chapter 37) indicating that he used another channel than Mr. Choi‘s. Hence I am suspecting that Mr. Choi wasn‘t informed about the corruption of the MFC’s doctors.
(Chapter 47) So my idea is that they could ask Kim Dan to injure the athlete during a sparring. First, Mr Choi judged the champion based on his performance. He still won the fight against Dominic Hill, though he was supposed to be injured. So in his eyes, the shoulder injury was exaggerated. Besides, he received a go from the MFC doctors and his match is very soon. Everything is pointing out that the athlete is healthy. Moreover, Alfredo was replaced in the last minute due to an injury.
(Chapter 47) The MMA fighter could have been asked to fake an injury, similar to Heesung‘s plot. As for Kim Dan, his task would be to „target his shoulder, his weak point“. Another possibility is to expose his vulnerabilities. One thing is sure: their approach will fail, hence they will propose the deal to Seonho.
(Chapter 47) And the latter has a reason to get revenge on the celebrity because the suffered humiliation and beating.
(Chapter 46) What caught my attention is that this athlete definitely boosted his situation by advertising that he was the champion’s sparring partner. I doubt that the main lead‘s criticism was unfounded.
(Chapter 46), for he had been bragging about his merits.
(Chapter 46) By the way, I believe, Seonho was a recent recruit. Therefore he doesn‘t know the champion that well and he is not close to the other fighters. Hence they didn‘t protect him
(Chapter 46) like in episode 1
(chapter 1) He had no idea about the roughness during the sparring, though this scene exposes that the champion had toned down the brutality during the sparring.
(Chapter 46)
(Chapter 25) So Seonho could expose the true identity of the main lead, he is a physical therapist… Hence the schemers would understand why he got blocked or reported as spam. Their retaliation would be to tarnish his reputation as physical therapist.
Besides, I am envisaging that Seonho could be encouraged to trespass and steal the files
(chapter 42) On the other hand, since I am predicting a failure of their scheme, they could decide to take revenge on Seonho by sending him to an illegal fighting game, where he could get badly injured. Moreover, the moment they discover how weak the red-haired man is, they could jump to the impression that Seonho deceived them!!
(Chapter 46) Don’t forget that the champion is the mirror of truth, while the doctor‘s role is to expose the hideous side from people: the goblin and the green fox!
It divulges their true nature: greed, ambition, selfishness, ruthlessness, immorality… That‘s the reason why Mr. Choi made his entrance.
Moreover, because of the files, they could frame the physical therapist as the leak for the article, unaware that the doctor is living with the athlete. And that would force Shim Yoon-Seok to come out of the shadow. At the same time, the doctor‘s past suffering would come to the surface. So far, Joo Jaekyung only met trustworthy doctors, Dr. Lee and Cheolmin. Hence he had no reason to doubt the integrity of doctors. Notice that after the release of the article, they framed the hospital, but not the doctor himself.
(Chapter 36) And this is what Kim Dan and the champion will have to learn: the corruption of organizations like the Entertainment company, MFC and hospitals, if their directors are themself dishonest and greedy.
Since my idea is that the champion discovers the message, I am hoping that he can hear and recognize the voice of Mr. Choi so that he can realize that he got betrayed by the Entertainment agency. Interesting is that coach Jeon Yosep was tasked to investigate the matters about the underground fighting ring.
(Chapter 46) But he was sitting with the others later. Consequently, I come to the deduction that he failed to discover any lead, or better said, any connection between the bets and Mr. Choi. Why? It is because he is a former champion, and professionals among MMA world must know that he works for the star.
(Chapter 47) Joo Jaekyung needs to realize that he can not just rely on his hyungs alone, he needs the assistance from the whole staff: Kim Dan and the other fighters, as they are not known in the MMA world.
(Chapter 47) They couldn‘t break into MFC, on the other hand, their position helps them to get insight, to approach the illegal fighting ring.
(Chapter 47) To conclude, I am sensing a new undercover mission and a trick from Team Black.

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Kim Dan saw the calls, but he ignored them. 
It was another emergency call, for he needed to leave the place within a week. Interesting is that the person didn’t present himself. No name… As you already know, I am suspecting that the doctor got fooled, for I doubt he ever received any compensation for his move. He should have received money. Emergency, rejection, manipulation, interruption and spying (Heo Manwook interrogated the doctor right after) 




Sex, interruption, „emergency“, as the champion didn‘t take off his shoes and put down his bag. Then during the intercourse, the doctor was called by the hospital 


Sex, interruption (food), secrecy, manipulation, ignorance and spying. Potato had tried to listen to their conversation. 
Interesting is that here, there was no emergency from the champion‘s part. This time, Kim Dan was the one longing for the athlete.
Sex, emergency, ignorance, manipulation, though here the victims of the trick were the two main leads.


(chapter 46) I had even truly perceived his motivations:
(chapter 46) He desired to get revenge on the celebrity. But from my point of view, there exist other reasons for his trick. He was seeking validation for his statement:
(chapter 17) Such fights are fake. The irony was that his perception got discredited once again. And now, we know why he thought like this. He is involved with the underground sports gamblers.
(Chapter 46) His computer screen is indicating that Heo Manwook is gambling himself.
(Chapter 46)
(chapter 16) And this raises the following question again.
(chapter 17) To which account did the champion send the money? Heo Manwook’s or a different one? If this is the second case, this signifies that Heo Manwook has been embezzling money from Mr. Choi through the poor physical therapist. The latter was sending the money to his personal account.
(chapter 16) This would explain why Heo Manwook would harass the main lead, though he had paid the interests on time.
(chapter 1) Under this new light, it dawned on me why the moneylender interrogated Kim Dan later.
(chapter 11) It is because the doctor had paid a huge amount making it impossible for the loan shark to filch it. And now take a closer look at the infuriated thug: he employed the expression “laundering money”! He was projecting his own fears onto Kim Dan. For me, this scene exposes the true nature between Mr. Choi and Heo Manwook. He is laundering money for Mr. Choi. This explicates why their work relations is not official, as they are engaged in illegal activities. Thus their labor relations can not be known to others. On the other hand, if the champion paid the loan to the same account
(chapter 46) He had to convince him to bet on Joo Jaekyung’s defeat. The thug could use the interference of the champion on his side business, as this secret “laundering money” could come to the surface. His actions prove us that his “respect” towards his boss is just superficial. He is prioritizing his own interests. Hence he could have definitely taken advantage of his own position to earn more money through side “hustles”.
(chapter 45) Yes, the negative reflection from the physical therapist’s. So should the broker indeed have embezzled money, that would be the end between him and Mr Choi. He would be abandoned. However, since my assumption is that the moneylender is laundering money for Mr. Choi, it signifies that the latter is dependent on him as well. However, he could choose to replace him. We could detect through the years that the thugs were switched.
(Chapter 5)
(chapter 1) Thus I come to the following conclusion: We are assisting to the gradual disintegration of their secret relationship. I am already envisaging that Heo Manwook could end up not only losing Mr. Choi’s favor, but also getting switched by this man.
(Chapter 46) The sum reflects the faith he had in Heo Manwook. Yet, the conversation displays the increasing mistrust between them. Note that the usurer is not taking responsibility for the failure of his scheme: „on their end“.
(chapter 46). Secondly, since Mr. Choi is now taking the matter into his own hands, this signifies that the criminal won’t be involved in the next scheme, so he won‘t gain anything.
(chapter 46) That’s the reason why the thug had hired the man himself. This confirms that this man
(chapter 40). How so? It is because Heo Manwook doesn’t explain how the plot failed!!
(chapter 45) Their reason for not sharing their secrets is simple: they don’t want to expose their vulnerabilities, mistakes and problems. That’s the reason why their plots can only fail in the end. They didn’t possess all the information. Simultaneously, it displays their cowardice, for they are acting in the shadow, behind people’s back.
(chapter 5), thus I doubt that Mr. Choi is aware of the connection between the physical therapist and Heo Manwook. The curriculum vitae sent to him certainly doesn’t contain any information about Kim Dan’s past financial situation.
(chapter 23) Back then, he initially denied the existence of intimacy between them, until he was confronted with reality.
(chapter 25) Hence he envied the doctor for his closeness with the celebrity.
(chapter 25) Thus from my point of view, Mr. Choi must have come to a different perception than the maknae:
(chapter 37) However, the man with the cap couldn’t determine Kim Dan’s true identity based on his uniform. Who was he exactly? A fighter? Or a coach? He could jump to the false conclusion that it is an uniform for the members of Team Black and not for the physical therapist. The unknown man could only recognize him by his face and hair. That’s how he got denunciated to the MFC security guys
(chapter 40) Therefore you comprehend why the “fake” agents for order tried to determine his identity.
(chapter 40) He only declared that he was part of his team. They had no idea who the person actually was. However, Joo Jaekyung didn’t realize that through his action, he was bringing attention to the company “TEAM BLACK”. That’s what the criminal saw on the uniform and the jacket! Thus I come to the following deduction: the hired man will report to Heo Manwook the existence of Team Black and its connection with Joo Jaekyung.
(chapter 16) Thus there’s a high chance that they will try to ruin the champion by tarnishing his company. It is a hidden brothel. Imagine Park Manwook’s reaction, when he gets to hear that his gym is a whorehouse.
(chapter 30) Choi Heesung has been promoting the athlete and his company.
(chapter 31) That’s how the actor’s reputation would get affected. As you can see, the actor and Mr. Choi share the same family name. So are they related or not?
(chapter 43) Besides, on his desk, there were photos of the protagonists. But in my eyes, these two persons are totally different. How so?
(chapter 33) He employed the personal pronoun “our” (even in the Korean version), a sign that he was identifying himself with the owner. From my point of view, Mr Choi and Choi Heesung are related, I would even say father and son. I know, when I presented my theory on X, people argued about this, for in South Korea, Choi is a common surname, just like Kim Miseon is not related to Kim Dan.
(Chapter 5) Yet, I can refute their objections with the following points. Jinx is about emancipation and maturity, the leads are encouraged to become responsible and mature men. This signifies that they need to cut off ties with their parents and become strong mentally and emotionally.
(chapter 29) Note that the comedian is promoting himself with Heesung and not his surname.
(chapter 30) It was, as if he didn’t want to be connected to this Mr. Choi. Moreover, contrary to the mysterious director, readers could see his face and identify his “job”: an actor!
(chapter 29) Yes, the Webtoonist introduced the actor the opposite way. However, in this scene, Jinx-Philes were intrigued by him, as they had no way to determine his role in the story: antagonist or second lead? His personality was quite mysterious which stands in opposition to Mr. Choi. Readers can already judge him as a bad guy. The latter oozes ruthlessness, greed and dishonesty. His words are represented by the color “dark grey”.
(chapter 31) The latter hates conventions, discipline and even control.
(chapter 33) In addition, Grey embodies boredom, neutrality and compromise, while the actor is always trying to “take a side”, to earn people’s admiration. As you can see, through this contrast, it becomes obvious that these two characters are related. The darkness from the relative rubbed off on the actor, for he is able to scheme. Moreover, Mingwa still created some similarities: both faces were first covered.
(chapter 29)
(chapter 33) Green, whose negative features are greed, jealousy and envy. And what had Heesung done during that day? A prank at the champion’s expense. He wanted to have the doctor for himself. Furthermore, we can grasp why Heesung’s manager complained about this:
(chapter 31) His words expose the greed and selfishness of the CEO from the agency. They are accountable for Heesung’s actions. In my eyes, this condition was made in order to control Heesung, so that the latter would feel responsible for his manager and other employees. It was to push him to „work“. Under this new approach, it dawned on me why Heesung would sponsor lunches to the members from Team Black,
(chapter 30). It was his way to get acceptance and recognition. From my point of view, he occupies a special position at the agency, as if his moves are supervised there. Hence he asked from his manager that the latter would keep the fake injury a secret.
(Chapter 31) As you can see, I sense that Heesung had an ambivalent relationship with his „father“. On the one hand, he rejects him due to his cold-heartedness and high expectations, on the other hand, he was still relying on him and his connections through the agency. In my eyes, he will be forced to choose between love or money in the end.
(chapter 33) My initial theory was that he had been stalked. But he could have left the family house after a huge quarrel. And Mr. Choi is indeed acting like a stalker, though he did not do it himself: the pictures!
(chapter 33) This was the “stalker” working on Mr. Choi’s account. So it dawned on me that Heesung might have been living with his father in the huge building
(chapter 32), until he chose to move out and live on his own. And now, we have the perfect explanation why his house is so clean and impersonal:
(chapter 33) It is because his father probably meddled in his life constantly. I have the impression that he must know about his father’s past and the true origin of their wealth. The fact that he introduces himself as “Heesung” is a sign that he wants to deny his origins, Choi.
(Chapter 33) He had been missing love and warmth too because of his family, exactly like the champion. Both came to a similar conclusion: fame served as a replacement. It was to get recognition and „affection“. The problem is that this type of attachment is rather superficial and temporary, as none of their „admirers“ or „fans“ has to become responsible for them. Moreover, their fortune played a huge role to undermine their relationship.
The house stands for power and propriety. But Choi has another signification.
(Chapter 32) Note that when he was conversing with the celebrity at the bar, he never brought up his jinx.
(Chapter 33) He only criticized Joo Jaekyung for his poor sexual behavior. So where did he hear it? Interesting is that 6 months ago, the champion signed a contract with the Entertainment agency, and this is what Park Namwook confessed to the physical therapist:
(Chapter 43) His success felt almost unreal, as it was too beautiful to be true. And this would coincide with the signature of the contract between the athlete and the Entertainment agency. The lucky streak is to cover up the illegal activities. He is already envisaging an injury, because he was convinced that this is the fate of such celebrities.
(Chapter 43) However, if he pondered a little more, he would realize that it is a lie. How so? Coach Jeon Yosep is the evidence that not all athletes are destined to end their career because of an injury. Yosep is still a fighter.
(chapter 43) The package arrived right on time.
(chapter 1) I doubt that the incident with the perverted hospital director was leaked to the outside world, so the main lead must have been badmouthed. So if this rumor about Kim Dan reached Mr- Choi’s ears, then he will definitely see in him the perfect scapegoat for covering up his own involvement. He would even appear as a righteous person. According to me, he is the CEO from the Entertainment agency and the latter had pushed the champion to press charges against the hospital.
(chapter 42) That way, the agency would divert attention from its own responsibility and even receive support from the clinic. Then we have this rumor circulating that people are sending spies to gyms.
(chapter 46) Is it a coincidence that this terrible gossip reached the blind manager Park Manwook at this moment? No, nothing is random in this story. They could frame the physical therapist as someone who tried to “leak” information in order to rig a game. He could be portrayed as a gambler. Yet, Mr Choi is not aware that Kim Dan offered a golden keychain to the champion and even risked his health to buy the expensive present.
, (chapter 36), he must have wagered too and lost money. This would explain why he asked the doctor from MFC to give it a go right after. He needed to create a new game in order to cover up the last losses. The problem is that since Mr. Choi wasn’t informed about the incident with the security guys from MFC, I don’t think, he is truly aware of the celebrity’s physical conditions. If he knew about the real diagnosis, he wouldn’t need to investigate Kim Dan. He would rely on time… within such a short time, Joo Jaekyung wouldn’t be able to recover. In fact, he would even bet on the athlete’s defeat once again. Since he saw these pictures, I am quite certain that he is misjudging the relationship between the two protagonists. They are close, hence he needs to sow discord and even plant a seed of doubts on the athlete’s mind.
(chapter 36) Hence I am suspecting that one of Mr. Choi’s intentions is to portray Kim Dan as a fraud, as a bad and immoral PT. They could even question his skills and competences, for MFC authorized the fight and the champion is now no longer treated by the famous hospital. They could imply that the main lead isolated the athlete on purpose and even aggravated his injury. But like mentioned above, Mr. Choi only knows half of the story. He has no idea about the connection between Cheolmin and the athlete and the former assisted him. Besides, he judges the poor uke based on his prejudices and past experiences. Exactly like the loan shark, Mr. Choi is also projecting his own thoughts onto the doctor. If the latter sent his CV, it signifies that the CEO imagines that Kim Dan is ready to “betray” the champion. Yet, the doctor doesn’t resent the main lead. In addition, from my point of view, the mysterious “general” received the résumé through connections.
(Chapter 31) Yes, appearances would now play in Heesung‘s disfavor. Finally, an incident with the agency would push Heesung to fight against his relative… and to regain control over his life.












(chapter 43) The doctor was invited for the second round and he could have agreed, but the athlete intervened fearing that the doctor would prefer the company of the fighters. This exposes his low self-esteem. However, Kim Dan was already rejecting their invitation. 
(chapter 13) He was acting, as if he hated kisses, foreplay and embraces. At the same time, he is showing his face, yet this is just acting. Thus the hyung replied the same way. He faked his anxieties and submission. 


(chapter 40) This signifies that in this moment, Kim Dan decides to cross the line, especially since he likes the emperor. He is accepting that he means much more to Joo Jaekyung than being his toy. Because the champion called him “his person”, he felt moved and indebted. Consequently he started considering himself not only as being a part of the champion’s life, but also as a part of Team Black.
(chapter 1) The reference of belief in two panels from episode 40
(chapter 40) led me to associate Kim Dan with a butterfly, for the latter symbolizes faith, hope, change and rebirth. And now, you comprehend why this illustration
contains blue-black butterflies. They are alluding to the physical therapist. The latter is wearing his blue uniform with the black jacket from Team Black.
(chapter 40) And the butterfly got unfortunately caught by a spider.
(chapter 409. Yes, the hand from the MFC security guard reminded me of a spider. But there exists another reason why I came to connect the MFC security guys with the spider. It is because both are related to the web. There is no doubt that the MFC security guards wove a web of lies to Kim Dan. And how can we detect this? There exist different methods to expose the men in Black as manipulators and hunters. First, the MFC security guys are wearing glasses. Another method is to compare the interrogation scene with episodes from Jinx. Finally, it is important to examine their words and as such their speech bubbles. But let’s start with the glasses.
(chapter 40) I have long outlined his flaws. Imagine that he only informed his star about the incident with the drugged beverage after the match, but he knew about it before. However, his words are implying that it was not his fault, for he had been informed too late (“I only found out this morning”). He was not responsible for the incident due to his ignorance.
(chapter 31) Moreover, he was unable to detect the truth, when the artist faked his injury. He chose to put the blame on his athlete, while the one asking for the sparring had been Choi Heesung. Joo Jaekyung could not be held responsible for any injury occurring during a sparring. It was the artist’s choice and responsibility. This scene is important, because outside the ring, the coach, the artist and the other manager not only accused the champion of a wrongdoing, but also sentenced him. They acted like cops, victims, lawyers, doctors and judges!
(chapter 31) The coach’s attitude exposed his partiality. Funny is that while the goddess justice has her eyes covered,
, she embodies impartiality, because she is able to detect the truth through the testimonies. She is not blinded by prejudices (origins, social background, gender…) contrary to the characters in Jinx.
(chapter 40) The MFC guys are biased, they are acting like cops, prosecutors
(chapter 40) Don’t forget that they are not outside, but in a close room. First, such glasses are connected to spying. People should not recognize them, they are hiding their identity. The eyes serve to identify people, this explicates why there is this saying, the eyes are the mirror of the soul. For me, the sun glasses have a symbolic meaning. Three MFC guys were wearing sun glasses
(chapter 40), but two were acting as the main accusers.
(chapter 40), a sign of his anxiety, nervousness and anger. It was, as if he had been caught. This little detail displays his knowledge. He knew that Kim Dan was innocent in the end. These two men wearing sun glasses were extremely ruthless and calculating, as if they had sold their soul to the devil. They were determined to frame Kim Dan, for he was new. Moreover, I believe that the sun glasses have another symbolism. According to my interpretation, Joo Jaekyung is represented by the sun, so wearing sun glasses indicates that they are trying to protect themselves from the champion. I will elaborate about this further more. Finally, wearing sun glasses is a sign for coolness and confidence. It looked like this item gave them the assurance to act like the tough and hardworking security agents. In other words, the sun glasses are strongly connected to acting! Yes, we were witnessing a fake investigation and trial! This leads me to the second method, the comparison of panels and scenes.
(chapter 11) Yes, the MFC security guys are mirroring Heo Manwook and his minions. And not just once, but twice!!
(chapter 16) Their position is not only very much alike, their behavior is the same. They use coercion and force in order to break the protagonist’s will. Both characters “kidnapped” the main lead. They are using an isolated place and the number of minions in order to pressure Kim Dan to admit his wrongdoings. Each time, the thugs threatened to go after the halmoni
(chapter 16). In the interrogation room, the MFC security agents accuse him to have plotted against the celebrity.
(chapter 40). As you can see, Joo Jaekyung is utilized the same way than the grandmother. Moreover, I would like to outline that in episode 16, the main lead got kidnapped in broad daylight, and no one stopped them.
(chapter 40) Even, when Park Namwook is informed that the security took away the physical therapist, he showed no concern. For him, it was legal and normal due to the dubious nutrition shake. The Jinx-philes can sense the same passivity from people in Seoul and in the States. Why did no one from Team Black feel the need to follow the physical therapist? In my opinion, it is related not only to their blind trust, but also to a certain indifference. Kim Dan has a special status at the gym. Technically, he is just the private physical therapist from Joo Jaekyung.
(chapter 11) or even trespass his house and rape him.
(chapter 16) Striking is that MFC has a similar attitude in the end. They control their stars’ life through their regulations: the weight categories and weight cutting
. (chapter 37), they supervise their food
(chapter 37), and finally they take blood samples or urine tests in order to ensure that the fighters didn’t use any drug.
(chapter 29) This explicates why the man with black glasses asked him about his relationship with the physical therapist. 
(chapter 11) Funny is that Heo Manwook suspected the main lead to earn his money through illegal means, while in reality, the former is actually the one using illegal means. As you already know, for me, he is involved in the set up against the two protagonists. But it doesn’t end here. MFC guys are acting like legal authorities, thus they are wearing black suits and glasses
(chapter 40) reminding us of FBI agents.
(chapter 15)
(chapter 40) This means what they did was illegal. Moreover, these guys are working for MFC which is a private organization. These agents are not working for the government or for the department of justice. They have no “legal authority” in the end. This explicates why they didn’t provide any translator to the physical therapist
(chapter 40), why they pressured Kim Dan to confess a crime.
(chapter 40) resembles a lot to the one from the hospital,
(chapter 11) Secondly, Mingwa created scenes, where someone would take action against a person or organization:
(chapter 30) Under this approach, it becomes comprehensible why they were wearing sun glasses, they served as a shield for a trial. No ID and no eyes means no identity.
(chapter 14) And that’s how the schemers discovered that their trick had failed. But this could have consequences for MFC, for the reputation of the MFC security guys would have been tainted. That’s why I believe that the manager had to find a way out. He must have advised the MFC staff to find a scapegoat in order to avoid a scandal… Kim Dan had to be framed… because he is the one who said that the nutrition shake came from the MFC!!
(chapter 40) MFC is a private organization, so they are not supervised. So they could do anything with this blood sample, like for example fake results.
(chapter 40) Like Joo Jaekyung pointed out, this trick was exposing their lack of security. They had failed their duty.
(chapter 40) They backed off, but note that the “fake investigator” still asked the star about his special relationship with the target: 

(Chapter 36) Striking is that the manager described the match as an urgency. Why should the fight take place a month later, when it is a non-title match?
(Chapter 15) Moreover, he is fighting an experienced MMA fighter. And with the weight cutting, his performance could be affected. So now, it is time to reveal his identity:
(Chapter 14) Yes, Randy Booker! Let’s not forget that this fighter had tried to enter the higher weight category
(Chapter 13) But he failed terribly. Note that the athlete is put in the same situation than the butcher (same weight, travelling). He has to fight in a foreign country. Secondly, he mocked the athlete for his age.
(Chapter 14) He had become a champion, because he had not met any real opponent so far. He had fought only against younger rivals. And this coincides with Dominic Hill’s profile: an older MMA fighter.
(Chapter 15) He had an injury above the eye. And this observation brings me to the following remark. Why did the blond-grey haired sportsman call the athlete a baby?
(chapter 34) and the doctor’s cut
(chapter 36). Under this perspective, the punches from Kim Dan
(Chapter 7: elbow)
(chapter 26) were there to train Joo Jaekyung to get accustomed to be punched. Despite his cuts, he shouldn’t lose focus or become scared. He should keep fighting. But now let’s return our attention to my initial theory: the involvement of Randy Booker. Why would he do that? It is not just out of revenge.
(chapter 11) Yes, it is Heo Namwoook. And note that he is also connected to blue!
(Chapter 17) Joo Jaekyung made a reference to the hospital in front of the loan shark. So he knew that Kim Dan had Joo Jaekyung as patient. Besides, there is no doubt that the moneylender is aware of the main lead’s formation. He is a physical therapist. But since the champion wanted his sex partner to accompany him to his med check, he gave the impression that the physical therapist was working at the hospital. Moreover, note that the champion is never mentioned as the owner of Team Black in the article.
(chapter 13) The name of the gym is not visible in the poster. This promotion explains why the fans are screaming only Joo Jaekyung
(chapter 30) the name Team Black isn’t brought up in the covers either. It is only about Joo Jaekyung. This explicates why the loan shark’s minion didn’t connect Team Black to the protagonist.
(Chapter 16) Team Black only appears on the jacket
(chapter 36) So the moment you imagine that Heo Namwook is behind the event, it makes sense why Dominic Hill was selected. First, he saw how the athlete could
(Chapter 17) overthrow someone weighting heavier than himself. He was clear-minded and far from being emotional, when he fought Heo Namwook and his minions.
(Chapter 17) But with the scandal and the weight cutting, it is different. The “enemy” is messing not only with his body, but also with his mind. If my theory is true, then the loan shark would be actually acting as a fight promoter:
(Chapter 17) Secondly, Heo Namwook called MMA as fake, for he thought that it was like wrestling.
(chapter 17)
(chapter 17), I can only imagine that the former loan shark created this event for one reason: Joo JAekyung should get destroyed! It looks like a show, but the fight will be real. Dominic Hill has been tasked to kill the champion figuratively.
(Chapter 17) He is a hot commodity, because his agent at the entertainment agency is “promoting” him. He is making him work, because the more schedules he gets, the more the agent gets paid. However, it is not the manager’s task to promote Team Black!! This explicates why the other fighters are not famous! In other words, the loan shark is exposing Park Namwook’s lazy nature. Under this new perspective, it becomes comprehensible why the coach spoke about free PR.
(Chapter 9) Interesting is that the man with the red t-shirt only describes himself as the coach of Team Black. So who is the manager of Team Black? And this brings me to the following observation. Why does the coach consider Team Black as his gym? It is because he is managing the bank account of Team Black. Hence we see him ordering new jackets
(chapter 36) or bringing food.
(Chapter 26) Yes, he occupies a similar function than Heo Namwook in the end. The coach is like a book keeper. Yet, there exists a huge difference between them. First, the athlete is separating his private account from Team Black’s contrary to the moneylender. 
(Chapter 14) Furthermore, in episode 23, the fighters left the gym without wearing any uniform!!
(Chapter 23) They all had different clothes, a sign that Namwook had been neglecting them. As you can see, the new clothes made me realize that the coach hadn’t been promoting Team Black properly, until Kim Dan joined the team. And it started with this:
(chapter 9) The name was written on the left side. However, it is not visible, as soon as Kim Dan wears a jacket.
(Chapter 14) It resembles too much to scrubs from a hospital. Therefore the schemers thought that he was working at the hospital. Because the physical therapist had no ID and his uniform was different
(Chapter 14) The man on the left side is not part of Team Black, for he is wearing an ID, whereas the fighter next to the coach is a member of the gym, though he is not wearing any black clothes. The choice for the clothes were truly bad.
(Chapter 36) First, the name Team Black is visible on the side, while MFC vanished.
(Chapter 36) At the same time, this signifies that slowly, he is giving the other fighters more attention. The face of Team Black is changing. It is no longer reduced to Joo Jaekyung. This signifies that the dragon is gradually sharing his burden to others. On the other hand, such a jacket exposes the coach’s arrogance.
(Chapter 36) It was, as if they were taking over the champion’s company. Yet, the latter is the real owner. On the other hand, Park Namwook’s decision represents a blessing. How so?
(Chapter 7) He is the physical therapist of Team Black de facto, especially if he is seen in company of other members.
(Chapter 23) Potato has already planned as the champion’s successor. To conclude, this match in the USA should expose the manager’s selfishness and the corruption. But since Kim Dan has now such a jacket, I am expecting that with his magic touch
(chapter 36) he will get the attention from the MMA world: reporters, fighters and MFC manager. Something that the schemers didn’t expect… As a conclusion, in the next chapter, pay attention to the jackets and the numbers. There were all XXL, except the one for Potato.
(Chapter 32) He will become a real MMA manager promoting his own company and his fighters.

(chapter 27) But his diagnosis in English wasn’t clear enough. Was he referring to the joints of the shoulder or to others? Nonetheless, based on the X-rays and the therapy
(chapter 27), it is clear that Joo Jaekyung’s real issue is his shoulder in bad shape. Hence we see him constantly touching his right shoulder.
(chapter 1) Because of this contrast between title and content, the Manhwaphiles can grasp the writer’s true intentions behind the article. He was looking for sensationalism, hence he exaggerated the champion’s physical condition. But there is more to it. The columnist attempted to create the illusion of a proper and serious investigation by employing the idiom “the doctors”. With this term, he insinuated that he had consulted different doctors and they would all come to the same verdict. Moreover by including the fans, he gave the impression that this topic had been long discussed among the supporters. In reality, he was mixing the cause and consequence. The moment people will read this news, they will start speculating about his future. However, since this was a secret till this publication, I doubt that the lovers had already speculated whether the champion had reached his zenith. That’s the reason why I consider this column as a fake news. It was a hype created on a truth mixed with lies.
(chapter 27), if he changed his way of life and training. Hence he recommended rest.
(chapter 27) Another evidence for this tabloid journalism is the reference to the hospital and the anonymous source. It was, as if the personal from that hospital was not trustworthy, for the “anonymous source” had leaked information from the files. Though the name of the hospital was not mentioned, it is clear that Dr. Lee will feel concerned, for such a divulgation to the public can endanger the champion’s career and his own reputation. He could be held responsible for the main lead. Now, his opponents know his weakness. So such an article can lead to an investigation from that hospital and the chaebol. Who is the anonymous source? Dr. Lee will certainly vouch for his employees, and that’s where Kim Dan comes in. Notice that this article was released shortly, after Kim Dan met the doctor for the first time!
(chapter 27) Moreover, he is the only doctor who read the files!
(chapter 17) People will start suspecting the protagonist and if his past with the perverted hospital director is exposed,
(chapter 1) it is clear that his reputation will suffer. Furthermore, Kim Dan was seen with bruises too
(chapter 11) which could lead to the discovery of the debts and the loan sharks. He had financial problems and a sick halmoni. Finally, let’s not forget that the boxer is the first client of the physical therapist. So people will question the champion’s choice for picking Kim Dan as his personal physical therapist. He lacks credentials. Consequently, the doctor’s integrity and competences will be questioned by public opinion. In other words, Kim Dan could bring bad PR to Black Team and this could create some frictions between the champion, the doctor and Park Namwook. To conclude, it is clear that the target of this article is not just the athlete, but also Kim Dan. The allusion to the “anonymous source” was done on purpose, so that people would ask for his identity. He betrayed the hero and emperor! Someone violated the confidentiality clause. Nevertheless, divulging the existence of an anonymous source was to divert attention from the real issue! The real traitor is the author of this article who broke a rule. He shouldn’t have leaked this to the public! He is responsible, if Joo Jaekyung gets really injured by his opponent. But I would like to outline that the files were left in the office of Team Black and they allowed strangers to enter the gym because of Heesung!
(chapter 30) As you can see, anyone could have access to the files, especially because the physical therapist was absent in the morning. He only joined the company much later. As the Jinx-lovers can observe, this article should be seen as a lesson for the physical therapist, Park Namwook and Joo Jaekyung. They should be more careful, due to money, this rule “bringing strangers” had not been followed.
(chapter 1)
(chapter 35) He is not a greedy, immoral and selfish bump. He embodies true loyalty
(chapter 35) That’s the reason why I believe that this article was written to drive an edge between Joo Jaekyung and Kim Dan. The former should suspect his lover. However, what the schemers don’t know is that the doctor is living with the champion and he already knows about his suffering (insomnia, his fear of losing). Yet, this was not revealed in the article. I think that this breaking fake news will push Kim Dan to become more proactive towards his VIP client.
(chapter 27) It is because he is unhappy. He definitely has a low self-esteem despite his attitude. And this observation brings me to the following remark. When Kim Dan described Joo Jaekyung in bad shape
(chapter 34) This shows that the doctor is slowly realizing the importance of welfare in such a career. Anger is a sign for stress. The latter is also the cause for damaged “joints”.
(chapter 29) He shouldn’t have lowered his guard… he shouldn’t have taken a day off. He was already wondering why he had done such a prank to Heesung
(chapter 35) In his eyes, he had focused too much on Kim Dan. Like explained in the previous essay, I am expecting a relapse from the athlete, but this time, he will be stopped by the main lead, for the latter is now well acquainted with his mental and physical condition. Furthermore, since this news resembles to a challenge, I think that Joo Jaekyung will organize a match in order to prove this exclusive announcement wrong. I see parallels between chapter 35
(chapter 20) For Kim Dan, it was back then a matter of life and death. Now during this night, Joo Jaekyung is put in the same situation. It was, as if someone was attempting to kill him. If he loses his title, he has the impression that he will die, he will vanish into thin air. But why is it so important to him? It is necessary to recall that in his childhood, the athlete was an invisible and silenced child! With this title, he has the impression to “exist”, though he is not truly living. So how will he react to this article? Rush to the hospital and throw a tantrum? Or go to Kim Dan and wake him up?
is indicating that it is rather late.
(chapter 35) Why did the reporter send this message and article at this hour? For me, there is no doubt that they knew that the champion wouldn’t be asleep. It was, as if they knew about his insomnia. Besides, Joo Jaekyung never leaves his cellphone behind… and a sign that they expected him to see the message very quickly. As a conclusion, this breaking news expose the involvement of people close to the champion. Moreover, notice that he was contacted directly and not through his gym, Team Black. This proves to me that there is a conspiracy in the end. Someone leaked information to this reporter.
(chapter 30) Hence I deduce that the agency will get involved too very soon and the owner could ask for the identity of the anonymous source. Who leaked this information to the author of the article? Since Kim Dan is the newest member, he would be the biggest suspect and the perfect scapegoat, for he doesn’t belong to a hospital and he has no agency protecting him. And this brings me to the following conclusion. Romeo and Juliet is a tragic love story, because these two young people’s families were in a feud! Hence I sense the birth of a conflict between Team Black and the agency. But we have Choi Heesung who is also represented by this agency.
(Chapter 35) If he helps the angel, then he would keep his promise and appear as reliable. And that’s how he would become more responsible and selfless. That way he would learn how to practice “true love”: a choice, a judgement and promise! He would give without expecting anything in return! This is real selfless love.
(chapter 1) The previous physical therapist!! Moreover, the latter got hurt by the athlete. One of my theories was that the man had not treated the champion properly.
(chapter 1) Besides, he would have another interest to have Kim Dan fired. How could he get hired, when he lacked experience? By mentioning the anonymous source and the hospital, the reporter would divert attention from the real traitor. No one would suspect a former employee. The schemers are hoping that the hospital and Kim Dan would put the blame on each other. In other words, we shouldn’t forget this mysterious person. Finally, the author has to expose the truth about this incident. What had happened exactly? I doubt that Joo Jaekyung truly beat him, for the latter could have sued the man. Besides, we know now that Park Namwook is biased and has the tendency to put the blame on his star. 
(chapter 122) represents their future, their reunion. Since I saw chapter 124 had references to episode 116
(chapter 116), I am expecting that the painter will be given new clothes, for the assassin switched clothes too and we should have a new scene near a pavilion
(chapter 116). Besides, don‘t forget that Yoon Seungho had ordered clothes for the painter which should have been delivered to the gibang.
(Chapter 106) 





(chapter 19) In addition, the expression “I wanna fuck” implies a sudden urge from the athlete. So why would he be craving for Kim Dan, when he neglected the doctor for 10 days. I have to admit that my imagination started running wild… I had a crazy thought which made me laugh. However, this was just based on my creativity and nothing concrete. I hope you are now really curious. Nevertheless, I can not expose this idea yet, because it is strongly connected to the follower’s discovery. Yes, thanks to her, my idea no longer seems absurd. Hence, before revealing it, it is necessary to introduce first my friend’s explanation why the athlete would make the phone call in the first place. One might answer that it is related to his laziness. He didn’t want to waste time loosing up the doctor’s ass. However, observe that this request is connected to preparation. And this is what @becalmandhappy found:
(chapter 15) The doctor had made the following request. Joo Jaekyung should tell him in advance, when he wanted to have sex so that Kim Dan could prepare himself “emotionally”. This means that Joo Jaekyung did follow the doctor’s desire. We could say that he took Kim Dan at his words.😂 However, he changed the meaning a little. Preparing emotionally had turned into preparing his hole! 😂Besides, I would like to remind how the champion had reacted to this request:
(chapter 15) First, he was displeased, pouting like a child. But then he replied this to his counterpart.
(chapter 15) He would judge the physical therapist’s preparation and as such he would view, if such a request was truly necessary. And look now how the athlete reacted, when he penetrated him for the first time in the bathroom.
(chapter 19) He was caught by surprise, for he never expected such a good preparation!
(chapter 18) However, he prepared the doctor emotionally for this by saying that he needed to have his breakfast. Striking is that the innocent man didn’t protest or even argue that this place wasn’t appropriate for this. He didn’t react, when he was compared to a snack.
(chapter 18) To conclude, the champion had somehow internalized the desire from Kim Dan, yet he had a different interpretation of this wish.
(chapter 19) Here, the main lead was actually denying that the physical therapist was a prostitute. In his eyes, he just looked like one. The Spanish translation is even clearer in that aspect. Thus I deduce that this sex session is important for another reason. In my eyes, Joo Jaekyung is slowly moving on from the idea of prostitution. Now, I would like to introduce a list of all the similarities in the form of a table so that the manhwalovers can recognize the resemblances.
Both are carrying the black bag and both seem to be in a hurry! Finally, observe that in these two scenes, someone was always leading the way to the doctor, Park Namwook and Joo Jaekyung.
Besides, this time he is looking at his own reflection!
The idea of reflection – Here, the champion was looking at Kim Dan’s face and even gaze. 
This time, he is using the mirror, but note that he came to this idea, when he saw the mirror and he couldn’t see his lover’s face. 

The same fighting spirit, totally focused on his training or in the other case, on his rival
And this led to the kiss!
which is like a revelation
Striking is that he diminished the doctor’s compliment, for he replied the following: “Tell me something I don’t know”.
Thus I have the impression that in chapter 19, he had the opposite attitude. He couldn’t comprehend the physician’s behavior or facial expression.
You can notice thanks to the sleeves and the collar. 
admiration versus no admiration; his responsibility
(chapter 19) This truly shows that Kim Dan was looking for company. 
Thus we always have a negative and positive reflection. This explicates why the positions of the protagonists were switched (facing each other versus from behind, admiration versus no admiration). This method serves to demonstrate the evolution of the characters. Nonetheless, there is a huge difference between these two scenes. Did you notice it? The absence of Park Namwook!! It was, as if he was inexistent in episode 19. And because I noticed the parallels between these two episodes, one detail caught my attention, the champion’s confession to his hyung.
(chapter 15)
(chapter 11) Moreover, such a deception could only make him ponder why the champion had acted this way. And if he had no pain in the shoulder, why would he request the presence of the doctor who had to take the express in order to reach Busan? Finally, he must have wondered what the two main leads had done in the locker room for 15 minutes!! Don’t forget that he was standing behind the door.
So PArk Namwook must have noticed, when the doctor returned the cloth. Finally, in this scene, the champion voiced the wish to have water in order to have a private conversation with the main lead, and shortly after Joo Jaekyung admitted his deception to his friend and mention. Thus the manager could only come to the conclusion that everything was related to Kim Dan. The latter must mean a lot to the protagonist that he shares things and wishes to have some privacy with the cute „Teddy Bear“. To conclude, the revelation of the lie could only make Park Namwook ponder on the reason for his manipulation leading him to notice the changes in his fighter.
(Chapter 16) and even asked Joo Jaekyung to go to his home.
(Chapter 7) Is it a coincidence? I have my doubts. Moreover, compare it to these two panels:
(chapter 1)
(chapter 5) The author can drew his eyes. When he was talking to the athlete, he was honest.
(chapter 5) Moreover, in this very scene, the manager had asked him to explain how he could be in such a good form! And this is what the champion replied.
(chapter 5) Then he voiced his wish to hire the physical therapist right after.
(chapter 5) It becomes clear that the new thing was related to Kim Dan. However, don’t forget that some days had passed between the massage and the match and officially, they had not been in contact. However, the coach had given him the phone number before. While Joo Jaekyung thought, he was very smart
(chapter 5), I have the feeling that the coach could already see through him, especially after hearing the champion’s confession and new wish. The latter represented another change in the fighter’s behavior. So I am sure that Park must have already guessed that something was going on between them. Finally, we need to ask ourselves this. Why would he make such a suggestion to Joo Jaekyung?
(chapter 9) The latter was once again changing his attitude. He would never come to a team dinner, but for Kim Dan, he did it. Moreover, I would like to outline that while he was sitting crossing his arms next to the protagonist, he neither drank nor eat with them. And Park Namwook was facing him. So his conduct could only raise suspicions in the coach. From my point of view, if he didn’t know before episode 15, then after the match with Randy Booker, it is no longer possible. In addition, we still don’t know how the champion paid off the debts. Which account did he use? If he wired the money from Black Teams, then the coach would have noticed it. And such a gesture could only outline that the doctor meant a lot to Joo Jaekyung. The latter has not realized his feelings, for he has never been in love before. But for an outsider, Joo Jaekyung’s sudden change of attitude which is totally visible can only lead to the following conclusion: they are together.
(chapter 19) It was like a prison. There was no trace of nature in his room, the only view he had to the outdoors were the pictures of the beach, but these would stand on the opposite side of the window. As for Joo Jaekyung, his penthouse resembles more to a hotel room, for he barely spends time at home. I had already predicted that he would act like a matchmaker between them. And all these new observations seem to confirm my prediction.
(chapter 5) Imagine their situation. The champion would spend his whole time at the gym from early in the morning to late in the evening.
(chapter 5) So seeing Joo Jaekyung totally obsessed with training, the manager could have thought this either:
(chapter 7) He was overheated from training, he needed some relief. 😂
8chapter 2) This has nothing to do with desires and urges. In fact, this is more a duty, an obligation. I would even say, sex was for him like work, as his career was on the line. That’s the reason why Joo Jaekyung doesn’t consider himself an animal.
(chapter 2) Under this new light, the manhwalovers can understand why the champion would associate sex to prostitution. Sex is also work for a “whore”. So Joo Jaekyung and the “fuck buddies” have the same mind-set.
(chapter 7) This scene was the trigger to have sex with him. Then in Busan, it was because he had been provoked, and he couldn’t calm down.
(chapter 14) Then in the penthouse, he had asked for a snack, because the doctor had announced that he would try to leave the house as soon as possible.
(chapter 18) In other words, he was somehow rejecting the boxer’s offer to view the penthouse as his new home. He used sex in order to achieve his goal… the latter should stay by his side. He was not uncomfortable with him… quite the opposite, hence he could have a snack on the table.
(chapter 19) More or less in the dark, for we don’t see any light. However, after receiving the phone call, what did the doctor do? He went to the bathroom and switched on the light!
(chapter 19) And this coincides with the name of Namwook, “sunrise, dawn”. The colors contrast so much, an indication that the return of Joo Jaekyung was bringing light and warmth into the main lead’s life. And it is time to answer why Joo JAekyung was still wearing his shoes and bag, when he entered the bathroom.
(chapter 14), there was no one to lead him to the room where Kim Dan was. He couldn’t know where the doctor was in his huge house: the guest room, his bedroom… He must have been looking for him, hence he didn’t take the time to take off the shoes and bag. I have the impression that he must have been worried for one moment… just like the doctor was concerned, when he arrived in Busan. Joo Jaekyung was in a hurry. However, this is how he was received
(chapter 15) He must have been happy, therefore he praised the doctor.
(chapter 19) He is discovering the good side of having a home! To conclude, in this episode, the champion was taught to have real desires, to have a life outside work!
(chapter 14) Secondly, the physician’s phallus is not aroused. So I believe that the champion could decide to masturbate him. In addition, in the image above, his gaze is focused on the penises. Finally, since the author is following the Taoism principle (harmony of the yin and yang), it should be the athlete’s turn to use his hand, since Kim Dan did it, when he loosed up his hole.
(chapter 19) Besides, since the doctor followed his request and did a good preparation, the physical therapist should receive a reward.
(chapter 14) This scene stands in opposition to the mirror scene, where the champion is now aware of his lover. 

(chapter 101) so that he could put the blame on his “friend”. But the problem is that he was caught red-handed. Hence he ended up executed. On the other side, the corpse in the well was supposed to be Deok-Jae
(chapter 98), although he was wearing clothes similar to the learned sir’s. What caught my attention is the expression Yoon Seungho employed: “pretending”. With such an idiom, he was implying that the servant had not only violated social norms, but also he had been acting. As you can sense, these two situations have one common denominator: playing a role and the clothes served as a disguise. It was, as if both victims of a murder had been playing in a theater play. This explicates why in the fanart, the author is portraying Baek Na-Kyum and Yoon Seungho as actors who are working in a sageuk.
And this made me think of the famous poem from Shakespeare who describes life as a stage, where a person plays different roles all along his life: an infant, a school boy, a lover, a soldier, etc., until he dies, which is symbolized by an eternal sleep.
(chapter 98) Why? From my point of view, they were trying to scare the main lead, to remind him that he could never replace Jung In-Hun in the painter’s heart, to shake his belief. But the problem is that the schemers had missed the right timing, for the artist had already confessed his love for Yoon Seungho and this twice. Therefore the latter couldn’t doubt his lover’s words, and mistake it for an illusion. As a conclusion, the clothes were used tools to trick the couple, they had become costumes!! However, because the author is using karma as poetic justice, this signifies that the hanboks and shirts can serve as a clue to perceive the truth too. The ones who tried to deceive the protagonists with clothes and words, should be fooled by their own manipulations.
were different from the head-maid and her colleague?
(chapter 94) Their clothes were almost identical, yet their body shapes and the cut of the shirts diverged. That’s the reason why I deduced that in episode 98, the author had the intention to manipulate the manhwaphiles. But in order to escape the trap, the readers needed to look carefully at the characters’ clothes. This was the clue that Byeonduck had left for the readers to discern the truth. And now, look at this:
(chapter 98) What was the painter wearing on his way to the bedchamber? White pants with his Mountbatten pink jacket. But how did he show up at the learned sir’s home?
(chapter 98) He was dressed differently. 😮 He had changed his pants, put on his scarf and hat. But when he went to the lord’s study, he was not carrying them!! How do we explain the difference? The answer is quite simple. He had returned to his room in order to fetch his clothes. And since Baek Na-Kyum took the lord’s clothes, this signifies that he had the intention to return to the domain. The readers will certainly recall the artist’s behavior, when he had threatened the main lead to leave Yoon Seungho. He had switched his clothes, and put on his old clothes.
(chapter 98) Thus if the lord had gone to the study, he would had realized that the painter had not deserted the propriety, for he had not taken his belongings with him. The hat and scarf were signalizing that Baek Na-Kyum considered himself as a member of the Yoons‘ household.
(chapter 98), I assume that later he did the opposite (rule 2). He met the maids on purpose. Why? He let them know about his intentions. He was going out in order to visit the learned sir’s home. Finally, remember what he had thought on his way to the mansion.
(rule 3) If only Yoon Seungho had left a word… The servants served as his messenger. Hence I am convinced that Baek Na-Kyum must have talked to the maids and told them where he was going!! He copied his lover, yet contrary to him, he must have given a precise information. (Rule 5) This means that he had informed the staff about his departure!! Moreover, in chapter 98, the maids acted, as if they had not detected the painter’s presence while badmouthing Yoon Seungho.
(chapter 98) Hence they were portrayed without eyes and with a drop of sweat on their face, a sign for deception. So the negative reflection would be that Baek Na-Kyum had informed the maids, and he had gone to the kitchen for that reason. From my point of view, when he met them, he was already wearing his hat and scarf. To sum up, the artist had never left the maids in the dark. And the clothes are the evidence of the staff’s lie.
(chapter 99) Then the scarf was no longer present, when the painter woke up. Then the nobles removed his shirt, socks and pants in the shrine.
(chapter 100) And now observe that after Lee Jihwa’s departure, the artist’s clothes except the white shirt vanished too.
(chapter 102) Where did they go? The readers saw Black Heart leaving the building, but we should question this: WHY? He never went there to fetch lord Shin, since he abandoned him outside. We all imagined that he left the room empty-handed. But it is true? Now, I don‘t think so. He had to get rid of the clothes in order to mislead the main lead!! A new version of chapter 61
and
97! Furthermore, was Min talking to himself, when he said this?
(chapter 101) Because the readers could detect the presence of a shadow in episode 102
, I am now envisioning that Min was not alone outside during that night. In fact, someone had misled Black Heart telling him that lord Jihwa had ran away. However, the unconscious lord Shin should have made him think that Lee Jihwa had fought back… Hence he had not fled, rather betrayed them. Moreover, he was not looking at the direction of the entrance and gate. In fact, he was turning his gaze in the direction to the shrine.
(chapter 98) They were waiting for his return to fake their anger and search. And now, you comprehend why the servants mentioned the kisaeng in front of Yoon Seungho. It was to stop him from going to the study… to divert his attention. Under this new approach, the artist’s last words get a new meaning.
(chapter 102) Since he had informed Yoon Seungho through the maids about his whereabouts, Baek Na-Kyum was expecting that he would come to his side. I would like the manhwalovers to keep in their mind that the artist was not conscious, when he moved to the shaman’s house. So in his mind, he was not far away from the learned sir’s house. Finally, since he had informed the maids, he could anticipate that the lord wouldn’t get mad at him, and wouldn‘t imagine that he had abandoned him
(chapter 101) He trusted his lover’s heart in the end. That’s the reason why Black Heart’s superficial promise had no effect on Baek Na-Kyum. The latter truly believed that Yoon Seungho had been informed. But how could they play such a trick on the couple?
(chapter 86) He had witnessed the argument between the couple by hiding behind the door. Thus in chapter 103, Kim will get the shock of his life… and it is the same for the maids. Yoon Seungho is returning with the painter. And the new trailer reveals that when the lord opened the door, adomestic was standing next to a maid.
This is an indication of their involvement, though we need to discern the head-maid from the women in chapter 98. That’s the reason why the moment the maid appears, observe her clothes and try to discern her identity. Is this the head-maid or one maid from season 3? The preview displayed the arrival of the doctor. 
(chapter 103)
The form of the beard is also similar. But now, I have another evidence that this doctor from season 4 is not the physician from season 2!!!
(chapter 63) The shoes are also different! That’s the reason why in the trailer, the beholders are seeing the physician’s shoes!!
He doesn’t possess mituri like the other. Moreover, he is wearing a hanbok under his apron
, while the other is dressed more like a commoner, a shirt with pants. And note that in chapter 33, we had the following combination: Min’s party, the visit of the doctor, Baek Na-Kyum’s illness, the maids and Yoon Seungho who “ran away” after his mistake. (rule 1 and 4)
(chapter 33) And what had Kim done during his examination? He had not only threatened the physician
(chapter 33), afterwards he had even badmouthed him, for he had not given the correct diagnosis.
(chapter 33) However, here the butler had simply lied to hide his own wrongdoings: his passivity and silence. And note the doctor’s words addressed to the “beholder”:
(chapter 57) The latter was introduced to Yoon Chang-Hyeon through the butler. The protagonist must have had a doctor in the past. Can you imagine a life without a doctor for 13 years? And this assumption was proven correct after the release. But let’s return our attention to the physician from season 4.
(chapter 33) (rule 1-2-3) But why would he do such a thing? Simply, because he had been helping Min. He needed the protection of a powerful lord, since Kim had abused his position by threatening him. After seeing the new pictures from chapter 103, I had this sudden revelation. What did Min do after getting beaten by Yoon Seungho?
(chapter 54) He certainly didn’t let his wounds untreated. Thus the next morning his face
(chapter 56) looked much better. He had no swelling and the redness was already vanishing. From my point of view, he asked for the doctor’s assistance and that’s how the both came to an understanding. But since Min is now dead, the physician could get into trouble, for he helped the lord and now he is dead. But why am I so sure that the physician is about to run away? Look at all these images:
(chapter 44)
(chapter 44)
(chapter 45)
(chapter 100)
They are all carrying the white bag on their back… and they are about to depart! Kim wished to leave the propriety with his master under the pretense that he was bringing misfortune to the painter. All this proves that the doctor is far from being innocent. Hence he wishes to run away. However, if he does this, this means that he exits the “play”. So he could die. Moreover, how did he know that the lord would return to the mansion with the wounded painter? I can not answer to this question with certainty. However, I would like to point out that since Min talked to someone in the shadow, it is very likely that this person had long planned Black Heart and his friend’s demise. Nonetheless, the schemers had not foreseen two three elements:
(chapter 61) [For more read the essay “No matter what… Baek Na-Kyum must vanish”]
(chapter 59) Lord Jang had disguised himself as Black Heart’s friend, the hanboks looked very similar.
(chapter 99)
(chapter 59) The schemers mistook him for the noble with the mole.
(chapter 76) And this observation leads me to present the following theory: father Lee is definitely involved in this new trick! The drama has not ended yet. Why? According to my theory, these domestics didn’t belong to Yoon Seungho’s staff
(chapter 61), for the colors grey-white off are only seen at the Lee’s.
(chapter 9)
(chapter 18, Lee Jihwa’s spy)
(chapter 41)
(chapter 50)
(chapter 100) And now compare these servants to the staff from chapter 97:
Their colors are all different reflecting that Yoon Seungho has no control over his staff. But what did the staff do in episode 61, when they manipulated the lord by saying that the painter had run away? One of the domestics offered the scarf and headgear to the lord:
(chapter 33) Yet, the painter survived, hence the doctor has every reason to run away. His complicity could come to light… on the other hand, the moment he leaves Yoon Seungho’s side, he is no longer protected. The reason is simple. He owns a part of the truth, and what the schemers are attempting to do is the exact opposite: burying the truth so that their act is not discovered. And now who participated in this huge “drama”? The list of the suspects is quite long… Father Lee
(chapter 82), lord Yoon Chang-Hyeon
(chapter 86), the other physician
(chapter 74), “lord Song”
(chapter 83), the “fake servant” alias the king (for me)
(chapter 37) There is no doubt that a tailor was involved, for he had to create similar clothes, the costumes …
(chapter 64) All have one common denominator: the BEARD. They are OLD BEARDED MEN! 
He is on the ground, his face bruised and bloody, while he is asking an anonymous man for help. He is mentioning the shrine. As he is wearing the same hanbok, we can definitely assume that this scene takes place during the same night. The irony is that each time Byeonduck offers a new piece of a puzzle, she also creates a new riddle or mystery. How did the young master get wounded in the first place? And who is the person facing lord Shin?
(Chapter 59)
(chapter 66) The size and length of the protections and the cords around the pants were different. Besides, the masks were also different due to the form of the mouth..
(Chapter 61)
(chapter 61) Finally, I had also detected his presence next to the barn because of a time jump. First, the manhwaphiles saw Lee Jihwa sitting on the floor,
(Chapter 60), then shortly after he was standing at the entrance of the storage room holding a fireplace poker!
(chapter 60) His position indicated that the young master had shortly left the building. However, the readers had not witnessed his move, for the author had diverted their attention by exposing the character‘s inner thoughts. He was recollecting the past, while talking to himself.
(chapter 60) However, how did the fire poker end up in his own hand? The last time this tool was seen, it was in the kitchen.
(chapter 60) As you can see, each image has its importance! However, I doubt that the upset aristocrat had this sudden idea and returned to the kitchen and take the fire iron. His mind and heart were definitely elsewhere, while such an action exposes the intention of hurting someone. Jihwa was acting, as if he was in trance, the moment he saw the hickey and heard the painter’s scream. His long lasting stupor was visible in this image.
(chapter 60) That’s the reason why I had developed the theory that someone was hiding in the shadow, next to the barn and observing the evolution of the event. [For more read the essay “
(chapter 57) It is because they serve as a clue for unveiling the truth.
(chapter 62) It is the same furnace! 😨We all assume that the lord prepared the fireplace, because he put his clothes on his lover. But is it true? We were all jumping to this conclusion, but actually we never saw it. Our brain was led to fill the blanks.
(chapter 61) Finally, the readers were all assuming that the butler had never entered the storage room due to this image and his action before.
(chapter 61) But is it true? He could have opened the door before, and go to the lord in order to explain his intervention. Faking his concerns for the painter. Why would he place the fireplace there? He wished that the warmth from the fire would wake up the painter. Hence he remained close to the gate of the storage room. That way, he had a reason to visit his master. Moreover, the author exposed that the valet had been keeping an eye on his master for a while too.
(chapter 62) Because the valet went to his master, we got the impression that the valet had followed his master’s instructions.
(chapter 61) In fact, this request could be perceived differently. The lord had seen the butler’s intervention, hence he expressed this wish. From my point of view, the butler must have brought the fireplace to the barn, and he left the poker there on purpose. I am quite certain that some people will think that I am again exaggerating. But why did the butler put a fireplace with a fire iron in the lord’s room, when the coal was not properly lit?
(chapter 86) Compare the fire to this one:
(chapter 88) Consequently, I am suspecting that Kim had expected an outburst from Yoon Seungho. The latter could hurt his father with the fire iron. But none of this happened, for the lord preferred playing a comedy.
(chapter 65) He had expected that the lord would hurt the main lead. But how was he supposed to harm Baek Na-Kyum in the end? With the fire iron… This signifies that he had been present in the barn during the abduction, and even knew the place of the sequestration. Thus he took the furnace and the fire iron to the shed.
Compare his face to the painter’s who got wounded by wooden sticks.
(chapter 99) Besides, this theory also explains why the shrine is set on fire.
(chapter 103) The fire iron is connected to a stove. Finally, I would like to outline the absence of the furnace in the shrine, though it was very cold outside.
(chapter 99) So when the lord said this to his lover
(chapter 88), we could interpret it the following way. It was once again a vision from the future, he was seeing from lord Shin’s perspective the betrayal.
(chapter 60)
(chapter 60) At no moment, he was told that his childhood friend had been brought to the physician’s. He just heard him leaving. Moreover, the joker never mentioned the place where the couple was fooling around.
(chapter 60) He didn’t even admit that he had seen them himself. These were memories from someone else! One might assume that these could represent the criminal’s recollection, but I don’t think so. He arrived much later to the physician’s house. If he had been present right from the start, he could have kidnapped Baek Na-Kyum on his way to the restroom.
(chapter 59) To conclude, the person with such memories
(chapter 43) Here, he had visited the place, hence he could imagine what had happened, though he never saw their encounter according to me. [For more read the essay “
(chapter 58) He had left the bucket of water in the patio! But note that when the painter left the room, the item had simply vanished.
(chapter 59) The painter was not supposed to detect his presence.
(chapter 100) The manhwaworms can grasp the similarities. Back then, the lord had refused to help Baek Na-Kyum, thus he was even encouraging Lee Jihwa to return to the shrine. Hence he had acted as a willing accomplice and perpetrator. Thus his karma is to be denied any assistance, he is punished the same way than his friends, Min and the other nobles. Finally, observe that the red-haired master
(chapter 66)
(chapter 99)
(chapter 88) Abandonment and rejection versus embrace and acceptance. And what had Yoon Seungho said during that fateful night?
(chapter 88)
(chapter 88) But while the painter was exposed to sexual abuse, lord Shin had indeed left his friend’s side. In my eyes, lord Shin embodies treason. As you can see, I conclude that lord Shin is about to get assassinated and from the person he expected the least. Why? It is because no one has to realize that lord Shin ran away from the shaman’s shrine.
(chapter 60) hence in episode 102 they had to mask his escape, for this would have exposed the involvement of other people, like Lee Jihwa, the doctor with the drugs and Heena. And now, you have the explanation why the shadow hidden behind the tree had put mattresses on the soil. The desertion and survival from lord Shin should not be detected. But who is this person facing the weak lord?
(chapter 7),
(chapter 65) or boots
(chapter 86), a sign for a high position. They even had all a sword. Why would the guards from chapter 99 use a wooden stick? In my eyes, it is because they are no real black guards. Besides, I detected that one man had a scarf similar to the butler’s, from lower quality. Thus I am suspecting that these two men are more servants than trained black guards. In other words, they are commoners. This would explicate why they didn’t know how to tie Heena properly. Her mouth was not covered, her feet were not tied. Thus they covered their face. That way, Baek Na-Kyum wouldn’t recognize them. And if he were to survive, then he could blame it on Yoon Chang-Hyeon, as their uniform was similar. During the assault, he couldn’t pay attention to such details and question their true origins. Besides, don’t forget that so far, the beating was tasked to the staff:
(chapter 13)
(chapter 77) As you can see, the wooden stocks were present during the first straw mat beating.
(chapter 83) As you can detect, I see a strong connection between the new panel and the hunt from chapter 83. And here we have 3 people again.
(chapter 68) She was again a witness, when her brother was tied up in the bedchamber.
(chapter 66) Finally, when her brother was on the verge of getting abducted, she saw him lying unconscious with a bloody face. However, she never considered it as an abduction, for his hands and feet were not tied up.
(chapter 99) That’s the reason why she blamed him with her questions. She implied that he shouldn’t have fought back. As you can see, I detect a common thread between Heena and her presence in different scenes: sequestration and a bloody face. But this doesn’t end here. When the young painter got beaten in the gibang, there was a furnace on the left side.
(chapter 94) For me, this incident was to push the painter to leave the gibang and as such to listen to Heena’s suggestion. Furthermore, the man on the left side was wearing a white headband, though he was dressed like a noble in a hunting outfit! The hair dress and his moustache [for more read the analysis “Painful departures”] led me to the following assumption: He was just a commoner in the end, impersonating a noble.
(chapter 102) This is the evidence that someone had manipulated the crime scene. The clothes from the painter could serve as evidence of her brother’s curtains. Heena could come to the conclusion that Min had gone back on his words, and her fake death, which had definitely shocked
(chapter 99) and bothered her, could only be perceived as real at the end. But this means that while Yoon Seungho had murdered the nobles, there was someone hiding in the shadow
(chapter 61) And according to me
(chapter 66) However, his new attempt to have the painter vanished failed again.
(chapter 97) It could be the same, though I have my doubts. Secondly, I suddenly got aware that the painter had 3 different grey pants at least.
(chapter 4) This one had a cut just below the knees, though the color is much brighter.
(chapter 84) This is the third one I detected, as the shape of the pants diverge once again. This explicates why Baek Na-Kyum chose to change his clothes before leaving the mansion.
(chapter 97)
(chapter 67)
(chapter 67) Their pants have either a different pigment (white, black, khaki, or light grey) or the shape is different. That’s the reason why I am assuming that the person was wearing these trousers on purpose. A new version of this scene:
(chapter 83) What did the lord see back then? Three shadows, two men wearing a gat and one caught in the middle with a topknot. Since I consider Yoon Seungho as a shaman, I believe that this vision was not only referring to the past and the incident in the shrine. It exposes the immutable truth, the involvement of three people, either. This is no coincidence. Thus imagine one moment that this illusion was referring to lord Shin’s murder. He is about to get murdered because of a new conspiracy. From my point of view, the man is disguising himself. However, I doubt that he is wearing the lord’s boots. The latter could be “couple boots”, just like the lord and the painter had couple hats.
(chapter 91) And note during that day, Baek Na-Kyum was called sir due to his hat and clothes.
(chapter 91) However, if the woman had paid attention to his shoes (mituri), she would have realized that our beloved painter is just a low-born. One might think that I view Kim as the one facing lord Shin.
(chapter 54) But the readers should question themselves this: why did Kim dress like this in the first place? From my point of view, the schemers have already planned to frame Baek Na-Kyum for the murder of the nobles and even of Jung In-Hun. Kim is trying to separate the couple so that the artist can be arrested easily and sentenced immediately. By burning the place, the evidence that Baek Na-Kyum was a victim vanished. That’s how they can manage to turn a victim into a perpetrator. They wanted to erase every trace of the crimes, but then the return of the painter will force them to change their plan. The fire can help them to turn Baek Na-Kyum into a scapegoat. That’s the reason why the anonymous shadow is wearing clothes similar to the painter’s. No one should recognize him. Later, Baek Na-Kyum can be “identified” as the culprit. And any blood trace on his clothes could serve to incriminate the painter. They could use the resemblance of the clothes as a proof for his crime. That’s the reason why lord Shin had to die in the end. And if lord Shin never doubted this person, I am suspecting that the latter is working with the authorities. Kim is not the only suspect, for according to me, there always exist a conspiracy of 3 and even 5 people. This observation leads me to create a list of suspects. First of all, Yoon Seungho’s confession to the learned sir should help us to determine the schemers and culprits.
(chapter 44). A synonym for old bearded men is “elders”. The latter are supposed to serve as role models. That’s the reason why the young man didn’t suspect the man. With his beard, he must have oozed “responsibility” and even “selflessness”. But who are the suspects?
from the bureau investigation is definitely involved. Thus he misled Yoon Seungho. Besides, observe that the officers are connected to fire!
(chapter 94) Secondly, his explanation implied the involvement of a physician.
(chapter 57) Finally, the painter met the Joker again on the same day he visited the physician.
(chapter 75) Finally, why was the doctor never brought to the mansion again after his last visit in chapter 57? And it looks like he was not there to treat Baek Na-Kyum.
The latter is suffering from PTSD. Thus the painter had a nightmare. Hence I have the impression that the butler’s intervention and suggestion to Yoon Seungho will fail. The lord won’t be able to leave his side. Moreover, I would like the readers to recall that when Baek Na-Kyum got sick, a different physician was fetched.
(chapter 33) Different clothes displays a different identity. From my point of view, the doctor doesn‘t want to be connected to Yoon Seungho. Finally, don‘t you find it weird that he was not by his side in chapter 57? He literally abandoned the young master in the room with the painter
(chapter 57), though the latter was a patient too. He had a wounded wrist. The physician should have controlled Yoon Seungho’s fever, brought him water and even an infusion. His absence and passivity caught my attention. So what was he doing in the kitchen? Finally, the doctor is also connected to the shaman. Not only he mentioned him, but also there is the symbol of shamanism in his kitchen. Why did the gods want our couple to have their first “true” love session at the physician’s office? Somehow, it was to confront him with the truth. Finally, don’t you find it weird how Kim reacted
(chapter 82), when the new version of Deok-Jae made the following suggestion to Kim:
(chapter 82) Hence the doctor is not off the hook, quite the opposite.
(chapter 67), and discovered Lee Jihwa’s sodomy which was supposed to be a secret. The father is well aware that the main lead’s suffering is linked to the young master’s sexual orientation, which the father had always denied. His involvement could be detected, when he allowed one of his servants to be dragged to the gibang.
(chapter 99) Finally, The Joker also heard father Lee’s humiliation and powerlessness.
(chapter 101) Thus the fire could be seen as a desperate measure to cover the Lees’ culpability. 
of season 4 for this essay, though my focus is the past, and more precisely Yoon Seungho’s suffering. It is because the darkness surrounding the protagonist not only refers to his tragic youth, but also it reflects the situation of the manhwalovers. The latter are still in the dark concerning his torment. His terrible secrets have not been totally unveiled. So far, the author allowed the readers to see glimpses of his past, like f. ex. the gangrape or the suicide of his mother. But these were just small pieces of the puzzle, thus it is still impossible to have a complete picture of his martyrdom. There are many reasons for this. The main victim never testified about his suffering, he refused to open up to Baek Na-Kyum.
(chapter 84) Then many witnesses vanished
(chapter 86) or the ones alive preferred telling lies in order to hide their own wrongdoings or are simply in denial about their own culpability. Finally, the victim, the perpetrators and accomplices had no idea about the whole truth. They only know or knew certain facts, because many of them were deceived as well. What exactly happened to Yoon Seungho? How could this take place, though he belonged to one of the most powerful noble families? Now, you are probably expecting that I will give you answers to all these questions, and recreate the past. But I have to admit that it is not possible, for I don’t know the whole chronology. Consequently, I added “shadowy” in the title. To conclude, my real intention is more to offer new pieces from the riddle than create a whole new “story”. The main source for this new insight is the painter’s fate which is a reflection from the noble’s past and torment. This means that Byeonduck left traces in season 1, 2 and 3! That’s how I discovered that he had been abandoned and betrayed by everyone, kidnapped, treated as a male kisaeng, robbed, abused, raped and even gangraped at least twice, tortured and finally drugged! But like mentioned above, it is difficult to give the proper order and the persons truly involved in the crimes. On the other hand, what I can guarantee is that Yoon Seungho’s nightmare is linked to conspiracies. I came to this conclusion, because if you compare all the seasons, you will detect the presence of plots. There exists at least 3 main plots in each season, though there definitely exist more. The conspiracies are all connected to incidents.
(chapter 9), so that the latter visited Lee Jihwa to arouse his jealousy. It was to push him to commit a crime so that Baek Na-Kyum would be removed from the main lead’s side. As you can see, there were 3 people involved, though the readers only saw the result.
(chapter 12) They had the impression that the red-haired master had acted on his own. However, he had been manipulated, incited to commit a crime. But my point is not to diminish his wrongdoing, rather to expose the involvement of the schemers. Hence at the end of season 1, the author unveiled their true role and as such their identities.
(chapter 43) However, observe that when Lee Jihwa went to the pavilion, the noble with the mole had other guests. 2 nobles left the place, as they refused to participate in a murder.
(chapter 43) Funny is that they are now witnesses of Min’s crime. This can have repercussions in season 4. Black Heart had been the one who had suggested the assassination to Lee Jihwa. And the aristocrats were still there, when he had made this proposition.
(chapter 19) And this is related to Kim and the gibang. Yet, the butler ruined Black Heart’s plan. To conclude, we have two main plotters in season 1, but the butler’s bad intentions were not detected, for Yoon Seungho’s bad actions were more eye-catching. People had the impression that the valet was defending the artist’s best interest. From my point of view, the number of persons involved in the plot kept increasing, as they needed more and more accomplices. The reason is that their plans didn’t work out like expected. At the end of season 3, Min involved the kisaengs in the gibang, while Kim asked the assistance of the staff, the maids
(chapter 91) and the servants
(chapter 8) Thus in season 2, he came to this resolution:
(chapter 56) He had planned to rape him before having him eliminated. This shows his inner conflict. From my point of view, the painter’s death is connected to the incident in the gibang.
(chapter 1) Baek Na-Kyum was a witness of Min’s wrongdoing, just like the painter was a witness and victim of his crimes in the shrine. (chapter 99) One thing is sure: Min was full of greed and jealousy. He was determined to harm and ruin Yoon Seungho. Hence I come to the deduction that the real target of the conspiracy in the past was Yoon Chang-Hyeon. And his son was used against him.
(chapter 16) This doesn’t look like a crime. However, it is one! It was done on purpose, to separate the couple. Someone had intervened in order to interrupt this session, and as such someone had been spying on them. Deok-Jae only revealed his spying activity from chapter 16 in season 2:
(chapter 53) Yet, the one opening the door had been Kim. This gesture can be considered as trespassing and invasion of privacy, the new version of this scene.
(chapter 16) But instead of revealing the truth, the butler sided with Lee Jihwa, and allowed him to trespass the propriety again. In my eyes, the butler thought
(chapter 17) that Yoon Seungho would come to perceive the painter as a man consumed by lust. He imagined that he would caught them fooling around. As you can see, this ruckus was also a plot, though it doesn’t look like one. Why would the maids gossip in the courtyard?
(chapter 18) From my point of view, the valet expected that the lord would fear people’s gaze and a scandal. Thus he would send away the painter to protect his “reputation”, but the opposite happened. Under this perspective, the manhwalovers can grasp why it is difficult to calculate accurately the number of plots and accomplices. Besides, some were naïve pawns, others not. And since I examined the first season more closely, it is necessary to analyze the vanishing of Jung In-Hun. His disappearance is strongly intertwined with Yoon Seungho’s secret. How so? The learned sir was determined to find the lord’s vulnerability and as such secret.
(chapter 29) Thus many concluded that he had participated in the prank, faking his death. On the other hand, the manhwalovers believed to have seen Heena’s death!
(chapter 37) Since Baek Na-Kyum was wearing a hanbok, Yoon Seung-Won thought that the person hidden under the hanbok was no commoner! Thus he called him a fellow. However, this motive is quite thin! Yet, two new details caught my attention. His visit to the “fake shaman” and his request. Notice what he told the man:
(chapter 86) However, in reality, he was relying on the king’s help and intervention. And this confession to the “fake shaman” represents the learned sir’s karma. He had asked the painter to act like a spy
(chapter 24), not realizing that he could be spied himself! He didn’t grasp that he exposed his weakness to the commoner: the civil service examination. Thus the man had constantly drops of sweat
on his face and interrogated Jung In-Hun.
(chapter 29) The girl was there to create a certain closeness. He was acting like Kim, asking why! But the stupid and arrogant learned sir thought that because the man was a commoner, he was ignorant and could be manipulated like the painter!
(chapter 29) He thought that the low-born would buy his lie here… but in my eyes, it was the opposite. He had already perceived the learned sir’s true nature. But he acted, as if he was agreeing. In other words, the scholar fell into his own trap. He envisioned that the man was “powerless”, but he overlooked his connections. The manhwalovers can see the contradiction, for he had approached the man due to his connections! .As you can see, I am more than ever convinced that the scholar has long been murdered. He was betrayed, exactly like he had planned to abandon Yoon Seungho! The pedophile must have heard from the servant about Jung’s plan, as he had confided it to the worker!!
(chapter 37) But this doesn’t end here.
(chapter 37) Yoon Chang-Hyeon was portrayed as a traitor! The “fake servant” implied with his statement that there was a conspiracy, and the patriarch was involved. But in exchange to save his own skin, he had tattled on the others! He was trying to insinuate that if Jung In-Hun interacted more with the Yoons, his reputation could get tainted. He could get suspected of “treason” too, or he could get betrayed too. While the man met the learned sir during the day, the brother went to the villa in a hurry during the night.
(chapter 36) Hence he chose a different approach: filial duty. And the brother’s observation could only corroborate the pedophile’s perception. The scholar was Yoon Seungho’s lover, but he was also a backstabber. But let’s return our attention to the “mysterious lord Song”‘s statement: Yoon Chang-Hyeon is a denunciator, not a man of honor.
(Chapter 67) Lee Jihwa had not only been denunciated, but he had been confronted by his friend! And the traitor was right by his side. As you can see, chapter 67 was a reflection from episode 37!! These two episodes have another common denominator: the betrayer had made the following suggestion.
(chapter 67) In exchange for his “survival”, he should help Black Heart and allow him to act on his behalf. This was the new plan. That’s how he started impersonating Lee Jihwa. That’s the reason why I come to the conclusion that in the past, the impersonation must have happened, but it took place in the beginning. Secondly, I am assuming that a traitor must have suggested to Yoon Chang-Hyeon to leave the mansion and abandon his son behind!
(chapter 27) And who is it? For me, it is Kim acting on the pedophile’s behalf. Striking is that in episode 27, the learned sir escaped death thanks to the intervention of the old bearded domestic and Baek Na-Kyum. Thus it came to my mind that the pedophile could even claim that he had eliminated the learned sir, because Yoon Seungho had attempted himself to kill him in the past. He had acted on his behalf. And what do have all these chapters have in common? SPYING and tattling! In episode 27, the servant unveiled a part of the past,
(chapter 27) Someone had tattled on the Yoons in the past, but the patriarch was turned into the traitor himself which the young main lead came to believe. Thus Yoon Seungho could say this to his father:
(chapter 86) However, I am suspecting that this is not true, someone else tattled on the powerful family and made a false accusation! As you can imagine, I am inclined to think that father Lee must have been behind this! Why? It is because he can no longer do it! Thus in season 3, he approached the patriarch Yoon.
(chapter 82) If the lord Seungho had truly committed a crime, he should have reported it to the authorities. The stupid Yoon Chang-Hyeon never wondered why the elder Lee visited him during the night and asked for his assistance. Furthermore, the elder Lee had been allowed to enter the bedchamber and see the huge drawing which could have been perceived as a sign of treason. He was eyeing at the throne.
(chapter 82) Note that the aristocrat mentioned “punishment” in this context. So maybe, he denunciated the patriarch so that the whole family would get punished. Father Lee was definitely played in this scene, hence I believe that someone had already anticipated his reactions. He would seek revenge. But this doesn’t end here. I had connected “rash departure” to “treason and spying”. And now, observe what Yoon Seungho said to his butler
(chapter 50) He had sent Jung In-Hun away in order to get rid of him! However, because of the expression “I thought”, I am quite certain that this idea had been suggested to him by the valet! I would like to underline that in this episode, the valet was acting as a tattler!
(chapter 50) But in order to hide his own crime, he portrayed it as a rumor (It may not be accurate”). This truly underlines the butler’s MO. He used information and turned it as gossips to hide his spying activities. The shadow… Simultaneously, he turned gossips into a verity!! This is no coincidence that in season 3, the same method was employed. Yoon Seungho was supposed to have murdered the scholar and Deok-Jae! My avid readers can sense the leitmotiv in all these episodes. RUMORS are turned into a reality, and as such a CRIME! Even here…
(chapter 37)
(chapter 86) But since our beloved man started living in the bedchamber, this became a reality. That’s the other reason why Yoon Seungho was encouraged to live in debauchery and not to take the civil service examination. But this only occurred, the moment the lord returned living in the mansion and not before!! Secondly, I realized that this statement about Yoon Chang-Hyeon will become a reality for the “fake servant” himself.
(chapter 87) The white bearded man’s words became a reality. However, since the fake servant, the mysterious lord Song, judges the elder master Yoon as a troublemaker and hypocrite, there is no ambiguity that the elder master Yoon will get into trouble. Since he did it in the past, he can only get suspected in the present.
(chapter 86) But the worst would be that the painter is blamed for his assassination. He did it out of resent! But this would expose the true thoughts of the schemers, the pedophile and Kim. That’s how they act, when they feel offended and bothered.
For me, the younger brother’s biggest wrongdoings are spying, tattling and badmouthing. And the best evidence for this interpretation is this situation:
(chapter 44) He had given the ruined painting to his father, putting the blame on his brother, well aware that the latter would get angry. He was observing his father’s reaction.
(chapter 44) Yet, there is a difference to the past. Here, he had been fooled! He truly believed that this was his brother’s doing, whereas in truth the butler had been the one who had fooled him.
(chapter 38) And this is important, because when the letter was given to the brother, Jung In-Hun witnessed the wrongdoing from the butler!!
(chapter 38) And now, you know why the learned sir had to die!! He had caught the valet in the act. He had betrayed Yoon Seungho, though he didn’t realize it. The learned sir tried to discover the content of the letter, and as such was prying on his sponsor’s weakness.
(chapter 38) Hence I come to the conclusion that KIM played a huge role in the learned sir’s death as well. I would even say that he was the one who pushed the others to have the scholar and the painter killed. Both knew about the butler’s tricks without realizing his significance.
(chapter 37) Hence I deduce that as the story progressed, the role of the butler started changing. Now, I see him as a the main plotter, while all the others are now his pawns. We could say that the valet has gradually followed the pedophile’s path. However, there is no ambiguity that it was not the same in the past!
(chapter 37) An idiom that Yoon Seungho constantly utilized: chapter 16, chapter 21
, chapter 50, chapter 71
(chapter 71). This means that he couldn’t understand, for he has a different way of thinking. This outlines his narrow-mindedness and his tendency to plan everything. He doesn’t like surprises.
(chapter 69) Hence I started wondering if the mysterious man with the beard was not impersonating someone, for example “lord Song” and in reality he was just a merchant. Why merchant? It is related to the shungas and the hanboks. The king can not be involved in trading directly. However, this is what Yoon Seungho told to the learned sir:
(chapter 22) Nevertheless, the main lead could have never been involved in commerce, for he lived as a prisoner for many years. And this is what was said about the ruler:
(chapter 76) He is not so wealthy. How come? Yoon Seungho’s fortune must have a different origin.
(chapter 102) Min had never predicted that the young master would run to his friend and denunciate him to Yoon Seungho. However, since Black Heart had employed the assistance of servants
(chapter 95)
(chapter 96), the officer
(chapter 71)
chapter 87) and
episode 92. The schemers in the past had definitely played with illusions and tricks. Thus I am expecting that it is now the pedophile’s turn to get fooled.
(chapter 82)
(chapter 36) Here, the painter was forced to take an aphrodisiac under the pretense of his health. This action was repeated in season 2
(chapter 54) and 3.
(chapter 100) The nobles made him smoke opium or drink the aphrodisiac. The purpose of such drugs is to obtain the painter’s submission and control his mind and reactions. Striking is that each time, the perpetrators were “punished”. Kim was insulted and his plan didn’t work out.
(chapter 37) As for the young lords, they were evicted like commoners and later the others were even killed. As you can see, each time the poison was employed, there was a retaliation.
(chapter 47)
(chapter 47) If the painter had not eaten with the lord, the latter would have never noticed the incident. However, he believed the maids’ words.
(chapter 47) Hence he never investigated the matter. But this prank represented a serious issue. This could have been judged as an attempt against the owner of the mansion.
(chapter 47) And now look at this panel:
(chapter 83) Yoon Seungho had refused to take the drug! The bowl reminded me of the one from chapter 47! Finally, the butler had tried to give his master the drug in season 3
(chapter 77), but the latter had again rejected it and this twice.
(chapter 77) Kim calls the drug “medicinal tea”, truly an euphemism. It is also possible that the real target of the poisoning was Yoon Seungho, but since he was protected by the gods, someone ended up taking the “drug”. Because he was wearing a purple hanbok, the investigator mistook his identity, a royal member. Hence the Yoons were suspected of treason. Don’t forget that during this party, there was a kisaeng by their side.
(chapter 56), he came to adopt this title in order to hide his identity and actions. Byeonduck explained in her notes that Baek Na-Kyum had no idea about Min’s name. And this is the same for Yoon Seungho. The pedophile could continue hiding behind “lord Song”, as the latter was blamed for everything. The pedophile could divert attention from his own tricks. That’s the reason why he would never write any letter to Yoon Seungho under this name. This means that at the end, the main culprit, the king, will be perceived as the main responsible for Yoon Seungho’s torment, similar to Min’s situation, just before got killed. Though many other people were involved, Yoon Seungho was able to judge the joker’s actions correctly, he was the main mastermind behind the plots. This explicates why the gods made Yoon Seungho forget the old bearded men’s face. 
(chapter 8).
(Chapter 1). He appears as more brutal and partial, for his kingdom is called the hell of tongue ripping. It was, as if he was not allowing protest or disobedience, and there would only exist one sentence: tongue ripping. Secondly, he banished his own son to the mortal world, because the protagonist had played a trick on the book of names.
(chapter 1) Jae Shin had acted like a god, for he had interfered in humans’ life by switching the name of the deceased for the time of death. As you can see, the main lead’s father appeared as a cold and strict father who would show no mercy towards his own child. He would even side with the mortals, for he put the whole blame on the main lead. The accused defended his position by saying that Park Chi-Kyung
(chapter 1), had been asking this favor from him while tricking him. However, Yeomra wouldn’t listen to his defense so that at the end, Jae Shin was turned into a puppy.
(chapter 1) However, according to the quote, the king of the underworld’s function is to judge mortals and to send them to hell if necessary. So we could say that he usurped his authority, as he sentenced an immortal.
(chapter 8) or
(chapter 14) what is he? A dream, a ghost, a human? And this leads me to the following observation: Jae Shin might be Yeomra’s son, but he has three appearances: the puppy, the nobleman and the ghost. This divulges that he has more than just one identity. In this picture, the author outlined the two sides from the main lead.
(chapter 7) This is no coincidence. If you pay attention how the main figure was called by Yeom, HALF-BREED
(chapter 7)
(chapter 15) Even Yeom who didn’t recognize him immediately, as she had never met him before,
(chapter 8) still knew about his rumor. This indicates that Jae-Shin is different. One might say that it is related to his dependence on yin energy (“preying on humans to survive”). Hence he portrayed himself as defective.
(chapter 15) This shows that he wished to be different, to resemble his hyungs and other “ghosts”. However, in my eyes, this is not the true origin for his reputation as half-breed. If the beholders look carefully at this image
(chapter 1)
(chapter 15) So why is he the only one wearing such a bright red hanbok?
(chapter 1) The color is exposing his special status. Secondly, in this image, we could see the young version of Jae-Shin
(chapter 15) In other words, he had the same evolution than a human! The only difference is that he doesn’t age and die like humans. He is already a few centuries old.
(chapter 3) Thus I came to the conclusion that Jae Shin is actually the result of an union between Yeomra and a human. Hence he resembles a lot to a vampire with his teeth and long nails, as the vampire is considered as a living corpse. Moreover, the Korean version of a vampire, the gangsi is supposed to absorb Qi, life force. Nevertheless, Jae Shin is not a gangsi, for he can move freely and his body contains blood. My point is that Jae Shin became immortal thanks to his father, but since he was born from a human, he was first a baby before becoming an adult. This explains why Jae Shin’s main color is red, the symbol for life, combined with black, a reference to his father, as this color symbolizes the underworld! Under this new approach, it becomes comprehensible why Jae Shin is forced to go to the mortal world to replenish in yin energy, which is not a necessity for his hyungs. The older brothers don’t often visit the mortal world.
(chapter 15) As you can sense, for me chapter 15 was very eye-opening! And once you accept this theory, you can comprehend why the father turned him into a puppy.
(chapter 1) Since he looked down on humans, he was not allowed to be one. It was to force him to acknowledge his human nature which he has been denying all this time. He felt superior to humans, for the latter are mortal, and as such weak.
(chapter 1) In his eyes, they have no real value. Moreover, he resents them for their hypocrisy
(chapter 1) and their treacherous nature
(chapter 3) He prefers the afterlife world to the mortal one. And because he was different from the others, he got spoiled by his father, brothers and other gods.
(chapter 3) Since he is the result of an union between a god and a human, he needs human energy (yin). Therefore he bleeds like a human
(chapter 15), when he gets stabbed, but because he is an immortal, he can heal.
(chapter 16) Striking is that he called himself a ghost, but Lee Nok didn’t accept this, for he is visible to humans.
(chapter 16) This is important, because by identifying himself as a ghost, he is actually denying his “human nature”. However, he is not realizing that “ghosts” were all once humans which is not the case to Yeomra, Jin-Gwang, Cho-Gang and probably to his brothers. They are “gods”. In other words, the moment he calls himself a ghost, he indirectly admits his “human origins”.
The association is already presented in the title, as it is part of the “ghost”.
Besides, the manhwalovers can detect its presence in three occasions.
Jae Shin is wearing an earring in the form of the lycoris. Then the red spider lily
(chapter 9), was present, when he changed his appearance and dressed as a noble.
(chapter 9) But what is the meaning of this flower then?
(chapter 9) This was their final goodbye. It takes courage to love someone so different, to love an immortal. That’s the reason why the father sentenced his son to win a human’s heart. He was teaching him a lesson, he should learn how his father fell in love with a human.
(chapter 3) Yeomra can only judge human souls, he can never control the destiny of gods or humans. This means that Jae Shin’s “journey” is to turn into a human, to discover the existence of his heart. Striking is that when the father was drinking his tea, he was looking at the pink-purple lotus,
The purple lotus flower symbolizes spiritual enlightenment as well as faithfulness and innocence. The purple flower indicates harmony and balance between different parts of ourselves. [For more read the essay: The lotus and the snake] But since the pavilion and pond were facing the palace where Jae Shin was staying, the presence of the lotus is announcing the future purification of that place full of evil spirits and ghosts.
(chapter 14) This shows that his body’s energy works like a huge talisman. But in order to become effective, he needs human energy. Hence I couldn’t help myself making the following connection, when I read Yeom’s comment about Queen Han:
(chapter 13) She attributed the queen’s protection to a strong amulet, as she believed that the woman was a human. However, the moment you admit that Jae Shin is the fruit of a love between the god of the underworld and a human, you can imagine that Queen Han could have the same nature. Her aura could be so strong that she can push away powerful ghosts like Yeom. Yeom thought that the young girl was attracting ghosts like Lee Nok
(chapter 8), thus the shaman advised to the father:
(chapter 8) She encouraged him to have his daughter accumulated good karma. She was indirectly trying to change the girl’s personality and as such destiny.
(chapter 8) From my point of view, the young girl was discovering her second nature, she could see and talk to ghosts. Thus she smiled. As you can see, I came to develop the following idea: Queen Han is a half-breed like Jae Shin, but contrary to him, she prefers the human world. Why? Because of her powers, she can control people and gain power. This explicates why she chose to get rid of the shaman whom she viewed as a threat. At the same time, thanks to the intervention of the “spirits”, she discovered how powerful she was. Thus she smiled…
(chapter 8) like a flower
(chapter 8) These words reminded me of the lycoris, the flower of death and funeral. We have many possibilities for her lineage. Either she is a new version of Gongju Bari, or she could be the product of another god, like for example this one: Seokga.
(chapter 13), yet the brother had not heard about such a death.
(chapter 15) From my point of view, someone is playing tricks with fate and death. But this was not discovered so far. And with Jae Shin’s intervention, the tricks used in the past can no longer be effective. On the other hand, in order to become more powerful and defeat the Queen, Jae Shin has to discover the existence of his heart. Don’t forget that the queen has a child
(chapter 8) who she would like to become the Crown prince. He is the source of her strength and motivation. From my perspective, Jae Shin has to learn what love is.
(chapter 9) So far, he views it as something irrelevant, only for fools. He has not recognized its beauty and its power. Thanks to love, a human can accumulate good karma and be reincarnated. This means that “humans” are not truly mortal.
(chapter 15) Like I mentioned above, with his banishment, the young protagonist is forced to question the true nature of humans. Are they really weak and foolish, like he thinks? No, Yeomra might be the king of the afterlife, yet his existence is attached to the judgement of human souls. As you can see, Yeomra is in truth serving humans. That’s how valuable mortals are. The gods and humans are depending on each other. Jae Shin is in truth the ignorant one, for he is not understanding how humans think and feel.
(chapter 13) Though Yeom might have become an evil spirit, she has not lost her humanity. She has never forgotten her origins and family.
(chapter 8) Exactly Jae Shin, she is living between two worlds, her body might have died, but she is by clear conscious.
(chapter 13) Her fate indicates that there exist different kind of spirits. And now, you comprehend why I am more than ever convinced that Jae Shin’s identity is hiding a mystery. I sense the presence of a duality. Lee Nok’s role is to push Jae Shin to discover his second nature, his heart. Hence Lee Nok is connected to the opposite colors and values, day, green, yellow and blue,
(chapter 9)
(chapter 1) while Jae Shin is associated to black, red and night! Yes, we have once again the allusion to yin and yang. Hence Lee Nok’s presence was able to appease Jae Shin’s anger after getting rejected by the servant in the gibang. 
(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 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) 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.
When this chapter had been released, I had assumed that this must have happened, when Yoon Seungho had lost his topknot! As you can see, I had already connected the knife to the loss of the topknot incident.
(chapter 66)
(chapter 83)
(chapter 83) This explicates why Lee Jihwa said this to Black Heart and his friend:
(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 57) The hair was short or not? Now, I don’t think so. The mystery of Yoon Seungho’s suffering is linked to the hair dress, yet the readers shouldn’t realize it too quickly. According to me, he still had the braid, until the doctor questioned why Yoon Seungho still had no topknot.
(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 83) The length was almost the same, yet 3 or 4 years had passed in the main time. Let’s not forget that this scene represents the patriarch’s abandonment
(chapter 77) and Kim had also experienced rejection from Yoon Seungho
(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) 