Jinx: Facing The Shotgun🔫: Embracing Change ☸️

In chapter 49, Jinx-philes could finally face Baek Junmin and perceive his personality correctly. Mingwa left many clues in this episode, like for example his nickname “The Shotgun”. (chapter 49) Under this new light, my inquisitive readers can understand the title of this composition. My focus will be the infamous sportsman and his interactions with the main lead, in the past and present. Consequently, the composition will contain theories about the champion’s past. Nevertheless, since I am examining the present, it signifies that I will explain Baek Junmin’s role in the new scheme too. So who is Baek Junmin in the end? In the essay “Angel(s) of Death: Shadow versus Serenity, I had already painted him as an antagonist and as a villain. I called him a fake Angel of Death. This interpretation got reinforced with his nickname “The Shotgun”.

1. The different reflections of Shotgun

1. 1. The Shotgun’s colors and task

The moment Manhwaworms read his name, I am quite certain that they were all thinking of a firearm. It implies not only the dangerousness of Baek Junmin, but also his resilience to pain. He is as hard and cold as metal. Furthermore, the gun is associated with the shade black, which is often linked to negativity and death (chapter 49) Yet I couldn’t help myself seeing in the following image glimpses of purple (around the eyes). (chapter 49) Interesting is that this color is also associated with death.

I have to admit that this shade even made me think of decomposed bodies or old bruises. It shows the coldness from The Angel of Death or we could say his rotten soul. However, exactly like his boss, Choi Gilseok, he is hiding his true colors. Thus I see grey as his “official” pigment. (chapter 49) It exposes his duplicity. Because of his sobriquet and his color, I assume that the schemers consider the boxer as a weapon. His role is to kill the Emperor, and probably in one blow. He is the executioner of the invincible legend. It should be a quick, merciless “death”. From that fight, Baek Junmin has to ensure that Joo Jaekyung can never come back to the ring. How is it possible? (chapter 49) It is because they know about his injured shoulder. That’s the reason why Baek Junmin is patting him on his left shoulder. Remember what the sports doctor told to the physical therapist: (chapter 42) He was on the verge of getting surgery. Besides, it is important what the manager suggested to his “boy”: (chapter 47) He should make the fight last in order to tire his opponent out. So the plotters thought that during the fight, Joo Jaekyung would ask for a relief spray on his injured shoulder. That would be the end for him. Kim Dan would even deliver him the victory on a silver plate. He would be framed as an anti-fan. The irony is that Kim Dan could heal his VIP client within a short time. Here, the champion looks relaxed and not concerned with his shoulder. (chapter 49) Here, he is almost smiling. He was telling the truth, when he said that he was fine contrary to the States. (chapter 40) I would like the difference between the two statements. He is now utilizing the personal pronoun “I” and not “it’s”. It indicates that the champion’s condition is good. But now let’s return our attention to The Shotgun”

1. 2. The secret meanings of The Shotgun

On the other hand, the idiom “shotgun” has more than the signification “firearm”. First, I am sure that anyone has ever heard the expression “ride shotgun”.

This corresponds to Kim Dan’s position in the car. (chapter 49) He has now taken over the manager’s place. This reflects the doctor’s rising within Team Black. At the same time, this expression lets us perceive the role of Baek Junmin at King Of MMA gym. He is the protector of Choi Gilseok, the “old man”. On the other hand, his position also insinuates his passivity, as he is not the driver, like here. (chapter 42) In my eyes, it reflects his laziness. He lets other people do the dirty tricks, like we could observe it with the incident in the locker room. (chapter 49) The director had to suffer a great humiliation for this trick, while a helping hand had to switch the spray. For me, the expression “The Shotgun” displays the inaction from Baek Junmin. He was catapulted to the top thanks to the assistance of others: Mr Choi thanks to his money and connections with the media and with the CEO of MFC. Then the members from his gym had to gathered intel about his opponents. This was truly palpable in the description from the moderator. (chapter 49) In fact, the idiom “flying up the ranks” and “rising star” made me think of a shooting star. However, this star is just artificial, for the athlete didn’t have to prove really his strength. Beholders can even detect that the Shotgun’s muscles are less developed. Moreover, a shooting star implies that his success will be short-lived and momentary. He is destined to vanish, especially because people helped him. And this association reinforces my interpretation that Joo Jaekyung is a dragon and Kim Dan his yeouiju! As Jinx-addicts can perceive, the expression ” The Shotgun” shows his lack of humanity and cowardice. At the same time, it indicates that he is not the mastermind behind the plot, as he is just a tool. He is not a lucky charm, but bad omen. So when he whispered this to Joo Jaekyung, (chapter 49), in reality he was exposing his own personality, as he was projecting his own thoughts onto the star. Others have to do the dirty work for him (f. ex. polishing the belt, gathering intel) to prepare the battlefield for him. This contrasts so much to the champion and doctor’s attitude, for both embody hard work. Baek Junmin is imagining that the title will fall onto his lap thanks to the tricks and their insight. And now, take a closer look at the negative features of purple.

This quote fits my description about Baek Junmin. He is corrupt, hence he feels no remorse to scheme. Then he believes that the victory is already in his pocket, as everything has been carefully planned. The way he reached the top exposes him as a social climber. And now, I can even validate my previous interpretation: his golden watch and jewels were fake! (chapter 47) Where did I find the evidence for this? It is because Seok (from Gilseok) can signify “brass”! As you can see, thanks to two different notions “shotgun”, I could give a better portrait of the fake star. But this is far from being finished. Funny is that “Shotgun ” can also refer to a position in American football.

Interesting is that we had a similar formation in the locker room. Choi Gilseok and the other minion diverted the attention from Team Black, while the “Quarterback” could pass the frontline to bring the weapon to the other side. (chapter 49) It was, as if the team of King of MMA had scored a goal by bringing the pepper spray to the other side and switching it with the relief spray. (chapter 49) And what is the common denominator between the meaning “firearm” and “American football position”? Attack! But there’s more to it. As adjective, “shotgun” is indicating coercion and duress. And this corresponds to Choi Gilseok and Baek Junmin’s tactics. The director tried to put the physical therapist under pressure, when he met him in the café: (chapter 48) For that, he utilized the grandmother. I feel the need to add here that this scene confirmed my previous interpretation about Baek Junmin and Shin Okja. [For more read Angels of Death: Shadows versus Serenity] The latter was his enemy, and because of her request (Kim Dan should accept her death and stop the treatment), Kim Dan didn’t fall into the trap of the malicious director. Then, the dirty director of the gym reiterated his action in the hallway. (chapter 49) By meeting Kim Dan there, (chapter 49) he tried to sow seeds of doubt and even discord between the couple. It was to give the impression, they were working together. But the champion didn’t fall for it. The reason is that his fated partner was able to heal his injured shoulder. As a hypocrite and arrogant fighter, he utilized his small talk to threaten Joo Jaekyung. (chapter 49) As you can see, these “villains” were targeting both main characters mirroring another signification.

We could include the encounter between the two teams in the locker room as another illustration, for Oh Daehyun, Potato or Park Namwook were forced to become involved. (chapter 49) Interesting is that “shotgun” can also refer to a flat.

This made me think of the doctor’s humble home immediately. (chapter 10) (chapter 10) And what was the couple’s reaction during that night? While Kim Dan wept, as he was longing for his grandma (chapter 10), exposing his abandonment issues, the other looked down first on the physical therapist (chapter 10) before he had a change of heart. Kim Dan’s plea had moved his heart. (chapter 10) The problem is that the doctor couldn’t remember this scene due to his drunkenness. This scene leads us to another meaning of Shotgun.

This definition is not included in the Collins dictionary yet, as it is still under observation. Interesting is that ” shotgun” is not just connected to alcohol, but also to other drugs.

Interesting is that smoking was introduced with Choi Heesung who went to rooftop in order to smoke. It was, as if he desired to keep his image clean. (chapter 31) And this leads me to the following theory that Baek Junmin’s sin towards Joo Jaekyung was linked to drugs. Don’t forget that Mr. Choi is himself symbolizing “drug” due this image: (chapter 48) And both are working together. My hypothesis is that Baek Junmin was involved in drugging the athlete. The sportsman admitted that The Shotgun had schemed against him. (chapter 49) This would explain why Joo Jaekyung would never join the team’s dinner and why he reacted that way, when he drank a glass of soju: (chapter 43) He could recognize the alcohol, a sign that he must have tasted it before. His threat and anger were masking his fears. For me, he had a terrible experience with alcohol. And this brings me to the last signification of “Shotgun”: SEX! This was already brought up with the quote above, but I am quite sure that people have already heard the expression “Shotgun wedding”. Then I also found this description “Shotgun Sex”:

And this corresponds to the champion’s action in the penthouse (chapter 6), when Kim Dan had accepted the deal from the main lead. The erected phallus looks like a weapon and Kim Dan also made the connection, when he saw his huge anaconda with the sex toy: (Chapter 12) The idiom “shotgun sex” suggests a situation where sexual intercourse occurs hastily and impulsively. It has nothing to do with love and warmth. It is something done quickly or without much forethought, which corresponds to the scene in chapter 6. (chapter 6) And what do we see here? Submission!

1. 3. The Shotgun’s possible past with the Emperor

That’s how I came to the following conclusion: Baek Junmin is involved in the champion’s sexual assault in the past. And it has something to do with drugs. I am even suspecting gambling debts, and someone used the athlete’s generosity. Imagine that by combining these elements, I came to reinforce my follower @noteadrinker’s hypothesis. The latter even thought of a gangrape, and associated it with the loan shark’s scene. (chapter 17) Don’t forget that during that night, the soju was present as well. (chapter 17) Because of his nickname and the reflections from episode 10 and 17, I deduce that Baek Junmin was present, but he didn’t help the athlete. He turned a blind eye to the situation. (chapter 49) In other words, he didn’t behave like a hero contrary to Joo Jaekyung. I can’t help myself thinking of this scene: (chapter 11) Though Joo Jaekyung despised the doctor and called him pathetic, he still accepted his request. But let’s return our attention to The Shotgun. Moreover, the fact that he employed the expression “kid” insinuates that Baek Junmin is older than the athlete. So he could have the same age than Kim Dan. I feel like the physical therapist is slowly taking over Baek Junmin’s place. He is on the verge to shine like a star. With the theory of a gangrape or rape (phallus as a weapon), we would have the explanation why the criminal insulted the athlete with “A little bitch ass punk”. He was describing him as a poser and “douchebag”, whereas in verity, he is the coward. Hence he resorts to tricks to achieve his goal. And now, you comprehend why the champion felt the need to clean his hair after meeting the fake star. (chapter 49) He usually takes a shower in the morning, however this scene took place in the evening. Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible as well why Joo Jaekyung couldn’t remember the criminal (chapter 49). It is related to a painful but short experience which scarred the athlete’s heart and soul.

No wonder why he was paralyzed after their short meeting. (chapter 49) It is because the latter had repressed his traumatic past. The other reason he didn’t remember him is that the latter had betrayed him. He was not worthy of being remembered and being noticed. Would you remember a poser and coward? No, not really. In my opinion, Baek Junmin stands for immaturity, betrayal, irresponsibility and false manhood.

Finally, we would have an explanation why the champion couldn’t identify the crime in the doctor’s house properly (chapter 18) and why both have no notion of “rape”. Joo Jaekyung must have been told that he was “responsible” for his misery, just like in this scene: “You did this”. (chapter 6) He brought him upon himself. He shouldn’t have drunk or taken drugs, he shouldn’t have been weak, he shouldn’t have been there that night… I see his statement there as an evidence for manipulations (chapter 18) If they are criminals, then the authorities should be informed, because the latter need to stop them, to make things worse for them. It was, as if he was advocating loansharking, though it is illegal. One might argue about this theory, for I deduced it simply from the name The Shotgun and its different reflections. However, Mingwa left us two other clues for this hypothesis.

2. The Jinx: the hidden line

The first one is the absence of sex. Many readers were caught by surprise. They wondered why Mingwa didn’t create any sex scene and how the couple treated each other during the sex session before the match. The answer is simple. The jinx of Joo Jaekyung had changed. It didn’t truly matter, if he had good sex or not with his physical therapist. 😮 And the evidence is this image: (chapter 49) He never loses! He sounded so confident and sure. His words contrast to his confession in his bedroom: (chapter 02) Never contradicts the idiom “I need”. He feels no need to have good sex in order to boost his ego. But how did this happen?

The reason is simple. By triggering the champion’s memories, Baek Junmin didn’t realize that he committed a huge mistake. He pushed Joo Jaekyung to meditate. The latter was silent in the car and looked through the window. (chapter 49) Secondly, once home, he went to the bathroom and the latter is the place for insight and reflection, like I explained it in the essay The duck and the dragon in the bathroom. One might argue that reflection in the bathroom is strongly intertwined with the mirror, like in this scene: (chapter 20) But contrary to the physical therapist, the champion had never denied the existence of his body. He didn’t need to look at his reflection to see any change. The pondering was triggered by The Shotgun’s words. Baek Junmin saw the protagonist in a different light: weak and pitiful. (chapter 49) In English, the MMA boxer portrayed Joo Jaekyung as a crybaby, while in the Spanish version (“Dabas much pena, miserable de mierda”) the translator referred with pena to shame, pity, sorrow and hurt. Through his words, the champion was forced to recall his past and how he was younger. He had to visualize himself, when he was a teenager. That’s the reason why in the bathroom, the champion was pondering under the shower, lost in his thoughts (chapter 49) and not looking at his own reflection. Here we were witnessing the birth of the champion’s third eye. In addition, this scene corresponds to the one in episode 3: (chapter 3) As you can see, the moment you connect these two scenes, it becomes clear that there was no sex. In episode 3, the doctor was fetched and had to have sex, while in episode 49, the PT waited for a signal from his boss, but it never came. Furthermore, the bathroom is the only place where the athlete doesn’t bring his cellphone! And the latter represents a huge hindrance to his meditation, like Jin-philes could observe it in chapter 35: (chapter 35) But there is more to it. The departure from the restroom corresponds to the doctor’s realization at the hospital.

Chapter 47Chapter 49
In the bathroom, the doctor spent the whole night crying, recalling the conversation from the oncologist. We have the same colors in his memories than in the altercation between the two fighters. Gradually, Kim Dan came to accept the truth: his grandmother couldn’t keep her promise, as she would never recover from her illness. He went on his knees, too devastated by the terrible news. However, he didn’t question the doctor’s action and behavior. Nonetheless, he was able to move on. He was forced to mature and become more independent. Here, the fighter must have spent a lot of time under the shower too. Nonetheless, he didn’t get devastated like his soulmate, for the simple reason that Baek Junmin had mocked him and even challenged him. This had triggered his anger.

The restroom symbolizes more than reflection, it stands for privacy, purification, transformation, transition, vulnerability and intimacy. There, he could cry internally (chapter 49) without getting disturbed. But don’t misunderstand me. I am not saying that the athlete was weeping. What I meant is that he was admitting the existence of his pain and suffering. This represents an important step to treat his own body with kindness. (chapter 43) He used his hand to protect his gaze, a sign of vulnerability. His shower in episode 49 is full of symbolism. He is cleansing himself, moving on from the past. Hence I deduce that this scene (chapter 49) corresponds to the doctor’s baptism in the swimming pool. (chapter 28) Because of this special day and night, Kim Dan came to accept sex and sensuality in his life. (chapter 29) (chapter 36) As you can see, all the scenes reflecting the bathroom scene in episode 49 contain SEX. Hence I see it as another evidence that the sex during that night had a different meaning: it was more a habit than a real need. And don’t forget that in the States, he had already complained about the timing. (chapter 39) He didn’t feel like “fucking” and it must have been the same during that night before the match. And if he had been sexually assaulted, anyone would comprehend why he didn’t feel any desire. Under this new light, Manhwaworms can understand why the title is “Embracing change”. The star is gradually dropping his old belief. He is one step closer to realize that he is not jinxed, he is strong enough to win the next fight. My avid readers should keep in their mind that when the couple argued on his birthday (chapter 45), he never brought up the jinx, a sign that he was already forgetting his old principles. This match represents a turning point in the athlete’s life, for from that moment on, he will perceive fighting differently. He is no longer pushed to take any challenge, for deep down, he felt that he was still weak and vulnerable. He was still trapped in the past.

On the other hand, Kim Dan must have been waiting for a signal from him. However, nothing happened. Hence the next morning, the physical therapist chose to take precautions! That’s why he brought the cream. (chapter 49) which was used for the sex session at the gym. (chapter 24) Moreover, he even took an ointment in case his anus would tear, for they didn’t have sex for a long time. (chapter 49) While searching for a treatment for skin irritation due to pepper spray, I discovered lidocaine topical.

Hence I am suspecting that the doctor took topicals in case. Imagine that they didn’t have sex for quite some time. So what pushed the champion to overcome the shock and his suffering? It is because Baek Junmin’s words helped him to canalize his anger and rage at the right person, the one responsible for his wounds! (chapter 49) But Baek Junmin was not alone in this. Due to his traumatic past, Joo Jaekyung came to resent and mistrust humans, for he never got the chance to get justice from his tormentors. That’s the reason why he rejected social norms. As time passed on, he repressed the incident and buried the identity of the persons responsible for his wounds, whereas his pain couldn’t vanish. Hence he was still boiling inside and his anger was directed at anyone. It would come to the surface at the slightest provocation or rejection. That’s why he was still trapped in the past. He had the impression, he could get assaulted at any time. Therefore he needed to prove his strength. And this brings me back to the whispered confession: (chapter 49) Baek Junmin forced the star to recall the past and face his deepest anxieties. I see another evidence in this panel that The Shotgun must have faced a crime. How so? It is because pity has for synonyms “catastrophe, crime and sin”. But it doesn’t end here. The Shotgun’s description made me think of this scene: (chapter 37) When the athlete saw the doctor’s reaction, the latter was looking away, (chapter 37) the VIP client got so angry that he sent Kim Dan away. And now, take a closer look to this image. (chapter 49) The characters are placed in the same position. The comparison between these two scenes reinforces my hypothesis that Baek Junmin mocked Joo Jaekyung, resented him and refused to help the younger fighter back then, as Kim Dan was looking away. On the other hand, by using the expression “baby” in English, Jinx-philes could sense parallels with the fight with Randy Booker. (chapter 14) Interesting is that this image represented a distorted memory from the main lead, and it happened again after meeting his old “acquaintance”. (chapter 49) This is the sign that Joo Jaekyung repressed a terrible incident, and the expressions “baby” and “pitiful” triggered his fears and repressed memories. And by confronting him with his past, The Shotgun shot himself in the foot! 😉 The reason is that Joo Jaekyung is now drawing a line under the past, which was reflected in the red poster.

(Chapter 47) The names are in the middle indicating that they won’t be able to switch places. The line represents the boundary which the fighters can not cross. In addition, the color was already implying anger, but also energy and action.. In my previous analysis about the poster Color Clash: Decoding MMA Posters, I elaborated that the red in the eyes was the doctor’s reflection. He is facing them, but he is caught in the middle. So while Baek Junmin saw in him a tool to wound the athlete, the protagonist is not seeing Kim Dan, but The Shotgun, for Kim Dan is the mirror beyond the clouds. He exposes the monsters. This means that in the long term, they will be able to expose the schemers and cheaters. Furthermore I have another reason to believe that his past relationship with the Shotgun will affect his with Kim Dan. It is because Joo Jaekyung remembers The Shotgun’s nature, he is a cheater and traitor. (chapter 49) Anyone can see the doctor’s shock and fear. (chapter 49) On the other side, this match has another signification for The Shotgun. How so? It is because he needs to win. He claimed that he would take away his belt. He believes that since Choi Gilseok paid a lot of money, he bet on his victory. Besides, the director of the gym even got humiliated himself. However, he is deluding himself, for he was just a tool to ruin the Emperor. A shotgun is an firearm and as such it is dispensable. Furthermore, this panel displays Junmin’s jealousy towards the celebrity. (chapter 49) Joo Jaekyung has been in the spotlight for a long time (chapter 49), whereas The Shotgun was relegated to fight in the shadow! He was fighting in the underground fighting ring, but since it was illegal, he couldn’t become famous and rich. He couldn’t be exposed to the spotlight. This shows that deep down, Baek Junmin was also trapped in the past. He came to resent the protagonist, for the latter had been able to rise the ranks. That’s why he couldn’t forget him contrary to the celebrity. The latter was not only successful professionally, but also admired as a hero. It looked like he had been able to move on from the past, whereas for The Shotgun, it was the exact opposite. He became more and more involved in crimes. Don’t forget that he is helping the director from the King of MMA gym to launder money. Thus I deduce that Baek Junmin is underestimating his opponent. (chapter 49) First, he has this image of the young main lead from the past. In his eyes, he is still a little crybaby. Secondly, don’t forget that all the games from The Shotgun were rigged, so in his mind, the star must have been doing the same. He views himself as a Shotgun, in verity he is just a pepper spray, a big mouth which can lead to irritations and tears, but the wound is rather superficial. It can not cause real damages. On the other hand, the pepper spray is harmless, as long as the other can not talk. Consequently, I am expecting The Shotgun’s defeat. He won’t get scot free from this match. One reason for this positive outcome is that Joo Jaekyung has been able to free himself from that darkness. He is slowly able to see the light. Furthermore, since my hypothesis is that Kim Dan utilized a pepper spray in the locker room, I couldn’t help myself of viewing this as a talisman. Surprised, right? First, there was no witness of the incident except the members from Team Black. Hence the doctor can avoid troubles with the authorities. But there exists another reason.

As you can see, this weapon is derived from red peppers. Interesting is that in Italy, red chilly is considered as a luck charm.

Hence I believe that this terrible incident will remain a secret within Potato, Joo Jaekyung, Park Namwook, Jeong Yosep. As for Joo Jaekyung, the afflicted pain in the ankle can only increase the rage and resent towards the scheming, but blinded Baek Junmin. This can only reinforce Joo Jaekyung’s determination to defeat The Shotgun. The latter should realize very quickly that he is not a firearm, but a human too. He is not made of metal, but of flesh and blood. So he could cry tears of blood or even get injured. The athlete won’t show any mercy. The Shotgun is not capable to adapt himself to new circumstances. He is no all-rounder, for he adapts his tactics based on the intel. With no insight, it was, as if he had become a blind man. He lacks strategies and experiences, for he is a new comer and a cheater. This explicates why the fight ended up in a tie, (chapter 51) they had never planned to turn the new comer into a champion, people would have questioned the outcome. The real intention was to tarnish the champion’s reputation, to isolate him, to make him lose his stans. And they almost achieved it. Baek Junmin never realized his true position. He was just a middle-man, a hit-man that they would discard right after his “victory”. Hence he is no longer in the media, because his name is now linked with the incident with the switched spray.

Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My Reddit-Instagram-Twitter-Tumblr account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.

Jinx: Dawn’s 🌅 Enigmatic Message ☎️ 📞 (second version)

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.

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:

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:

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 1Chapter 5Chapter 11Chapter 13Chapter 16/17Chapter 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 21Chapter 24Chapter 32Chapter 38Chapter 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.

Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My Reddit-Instagram-Twitter-Tumblr account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.

Jinx: Plotting Shadows: Enigma❓ of a Mysterious Collage🧩

1. The first piece of the puzzling plot

If you read my essays “Agent Blue – part 1 (Second version) and Agent Blue – part 2“, you already know about my theory that Heo Manwook was involved in the drug incident. And this hypothesis got proven correct: (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)

However, the loan shark was just the peak of the iceberg, for he is working for someone else: Mr Choi! (chapter 46)

Before examining this new character more closely, I prefer determining their relationship, as my focus is first on the moneylender. The way Heo Manwook saved the contact under Mr Choi indicates a certain respect and distance. He doesn’t call him by his first name. Additionally, though the moneylender calls Mr Choi “Boss” (chapter 46), their work relations are not official. Yes, they are bound to each other by an oral contract and as such by loyalty. And how do I know this? Mingwa left two important clues: Mr Choi is using his wireless telephone, though there is a normal telephone on his desk. (chapter 46) This shows that this call is private and even secret. No one should know about his connection to the thug. From my point of view, Mr. Choi doesn’t want to interact with Heo Manwook too often, as this could expose the true origins of his wealth and fame. He is not a real self-made man, rather a criminal who could climb the social ladders thanks to his cunningness and connections.

Secondly, Jinx-philes should recall how Kim Dan had wired the 14.000 $ to Heo Manwook’s personal account. (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 16), then Joo Jaekyung has a way to track down the moneylender. 😮 Moreover, remember how I had underlined the importance of business account and personal account. If the loan shark were to get sued, he would be held responsible personally for any damage. He could go himself into debts.😉 And Mr. Choi could act, as if he has nothing to do with him. Since I detected the presence of “respect and distance” with the contact registration, it seems doubtful that the criminal would steal from his “boss”. Yet, we shouldn’t overlook the fact that the moneylender used his “boss” to achieve his own goal: getting revenge on the champion. (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 37) And the starting point of their estrangement is the suggestion made by Heo Manwook which led to the loss of the bet. Mr. Choi trusted his „underground assistant“, hence he wagers a huge amount of money. (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) It was because of the others. Moreover, observe that the moneylender was looking at his screen, a sign that he is slowly getting addicted to underground sports gambling. (Chapter 46) There’s no doubt that the moneylender will act on his own. (chapter 46) He won’t listen to his boss’ request. Why? First, the thug never got his revenge, but it was his main motivation for his last trick. We could say that it is a matter of pride and money  (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) Consequently, it implies that Mr. Choi won’t inform him… Yet, keep in mind that Heo Manwook is looking at illegal sport bets, and the champion’s next fight is scheduled in two weeks, which the moneylender must definitely know. Therefore I am envisaging a new bet on the athlete from his part. And this brings me to my second piece of the “collage”.

2. The drug incident and its consequences

For that, it is time to return our attention to the last scheme. Mr. Choi had not organized himself the drug incident, he had just been informed about the plot. (chapter 46) That’s the reason why the thug had hired the man himself. This confirms that this man (chapter 37) met the moneylender, but he was not in touch with Mr Choi. Hence the man in black could not reveal the incident in the States to Mr Choi. The latter has no idea what truly happened there: they missed their target and afterwards they involved MFC security guys to cover up the incident by framing the physical therapist.. What only mattered to Mr. Choi was that the champion had not drunk the drugged beverage. And we know for sure that Mr Choi is left in the dark concerning this (chapter 40). How so? It is because Heo Manwook doesn’t explain how the plot failed!! (chapter 46) At no moment, he elaborates that someone else drank the poisoned nutrition shake. Besides, Heo Manwook has no idea about the identity of the drinker. From my point of view, Mr Choi is unaware of the involvement of MFC security guys. Yes… though this chapter was painful for Jinx-philes, it still gave me hope, for the author is showing that the villains are not communicating to each other. They keep information from each other which represents the exact opposite to the argument in the penthouse. (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.

We have the best evidence of miscommunication with Kim Dan. The latter never interacted with Mr. Choi directly, but he was connected to him through the debts. Moreover, he was not the borrower of the loan (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 46) Moreover, the CV can be seen as a source of information, just like the photos. As you can see, Mr. Choi gathered insight through others, I would even add through indirect channels. Another common denominator is that this intel is on paper. He is not interacting with the celebrity or the doctor. It is important, because he is judging the situation from the distance. He is put in the same situation than Potato: (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 46) The champion not only must trust the doctor, but also exposes his attachment towards the physical therapist by opening the door and sharing the burden with his fated partner. The fighter is seen gentle and caring. Hence it becomes clear that Mr. Choi is now targeting Kim Dan. His goal will be to separate the couple. I didn’t come to this conclusion just through deductions, but Mingwa also left a clue: the “stalker” took a picture of Kim Dan alone, a sign that the photograph was now following the physical therapist. But if Mr. Choi had showed the picture to Heo Manwook, the latter would have revealed that Kim Dan was “selling his body” for “Team Black”. The documents are the proof of miscommunication, though they are conversing over the phone. This stands in opposition to these short messages from Park Manwook: (chapter 45): sincere congratulations from a family, as he showed his kids to the celebrity. Finally, observe that during the phone conversation, Mr. Choi refused to listen to his minion. (chapter 46)

Furthermore, I would like to outline that when the fake MFC guy brought the poison, he saw Kim Dan wearing an uniform with the tag Team Black. (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) But the champion’s response couldn’t give them any satisfaction: (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) (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 45) Another possibility is that they decide to target the members from Team Black, especially Potato, and rig his games. (chapter 46) But here is the thing: (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?

3. A star against evil versus a overseer of a mountain

Before answering this question, I would like to portray him first, based on the clues Mingwa left in the chapter. Who is this man?

He is definitely a new villain, as he wagered on the champion‘s loss. Interesting is that Mingwa didn’t reveal everything about this character. First, she never showed his eyes! (chapter 46) Don’t forget that eyes are the mirror of the soul. Secondly, the readers can only see his chin and nose, while the top of his head remains in the shadow. For me, the Webtoonist didn’t truly expose Mr Choi’s face. Why? The purpose is to keep his identity a mystery. Some people came to think that this person was the fan at the restaurant, for he was wearing similar clothes (green shirt). (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 46) The form of the hair on the neck diverges: round versus square. Moreover, both men are wearing the cell phone with a different hand: left versus right. But why did the author create such a confusion? It is because she is working with positive and negative reflections. This means that the admiration of the fan at the restaurant was genuine, whereas Mr Choi is just a hypocrite. He had been spying on Joo Jaekyung and Kim Dan. (chapter 46) I also don’t think that it’s a coincidence that Mr Choi is left-handed. The association between being left-handed and being considered a jinx or unlucky is rooted in historical superstitions and cultural beliefs. Throughout history, left-handedness has been viewed with suspicion or negativity in various cultures.

He owns a huge company, for his desk is covered with files. Besides, the small red box looks very expensive. First, I thought that it was a cigarette etui, until my friend @m1n_m1n_07 suggested a box for a stamp seal. The latter is the symbol for identity and ownership. Thus I deduced that Mr. Choi is running a business. In my opinion, he is the CEO of the Entertainment agency. Yes, this would fit the description about the „fake admiration“ for Joo Jaekyung. Then this would signify that the entertainment agency would launder money by receiving payments from the moneylender Heo Manwook that are proceeds from illegal activities, such as loan sharking or extortion. The agency might then use its legitimate business activities, such as concert promotions or talent management, to disguise the illicit origins of the funds. That‘s why they needed the athlete as their client! Behind his games, they could mask the illegal activities, thus the lucky streak!!

And remember what the actor said at the club: (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.

Moreover, the moment you compare the introduction of the two Chois, you can detect huge contrasts. It indicates that the author is once again working with positive and negative reflections. First, the actor was not introduced as Choi Heesung, but as Heesung. (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 46)

These notions stand in opposition to the actor. (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 46) And finally, the actor was seen wearing a similar shade on the rooftop: (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 33) His laziness was already implied by the champion. (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.

From my point of view, Heesung and his relative are not close, they have an estranged relationship. Finally, I would like my inquisitive readers to recall the way the actor appeared at the club: he was wearing slippers. (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 46) On the other hand, these pictures corroborate my previous observation: Joo Jaekyung had been followed during that evening. (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.

Since people questioned my theory about their parentage, I chose to look into the signification of Choi. This is what I found:

This quote explains why this mysterious man was introduced as Mr. Choi!! He is an antagonist and even villain of our beloved couples, while the actor had to be introduced as Heesung, for his role in Jinx is different. Moreover, since Mr. Choi is portrayed as a man obsessed with money and with no integrity, Manhwalovers can grasp why Heesung was obsessed with his search for a „soulmate“. (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.

Then I found on a different website this information:

This indicates Mr. Choi’s role in Jinx. He acts like a general or governor, and gives orders to his minions. He has the impression that he owns the world. Hence he can bet on the champion‘s defeat. He is treating people like „pawns”. That‘s the reason why I included a building below Mr Choi in the illustration.  The house stands for power and propriety. But Choi has another signification.

As you can see, this surname is associated with stars and lucky charms. It is important, because it implies the involvement of Mr. Choi with the champion‘s jinx. Is it a coincidence that the actor knows about the athlete‘s jinx? (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.

And the connection between Choi and the 5 stars reinforces my previous interpretation about the characters in Jinx. They are all associated with stars and as such planets: Saturn, Moon, Sun, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Neptun and Mercury. Interesting is that number 46 corresponds to the sun. So we could say that Mr-Choi and Joo Jaekyung are represented by the huge star, and Mingwa placed Mr Choi next to the main lead as an indication of a future collision between the 2 suns. There will be a conflict of interests.

Interesting is that this number is linked to scandal and family. Then the latter is used to achieve a goal displaying selfishness and heartlessness. As you can see, I am quite certain that very soon, we will have a new uproar. Moreover, I would like to outline that the mysterious man is wearing a watch! (chapter 46) It was, as if he was owning time. And we have the evidence that he is the one behind the timing, as he called Heo Manwook first, and this for one reason. he wanted to announce him that he should stop seeking “revenge” on the celebrity on his own. But he only did it after receiving the CV from Kim Dan and the pictures. (chapter 46) The desk is also referring to time, like we could observe it in this situation: (chapter 43) The package arrived right on time.

And naturally, this panel (chapter 46) raises the following questions. Who took the pictures without being noticed? I mean, they were in front of the gym, so they could have sensed the presence of a third person, unless the latter acted as a deliveryman. Then, how did Mr. Choi get the résumé from the main lead? Did the latter send it to find a new job? Or was the curriculum vitae delivered to Mr. Choi by someone else? Like for example… a hospital! Let’s not forget that the physical therapist has been blacklisted by all the hospitals. (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 36) In fact, he could decide to leak the information about the physical therapist to the hospital so that the latter can put the blame on the free-lancer! (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.  

However, we shouldn’t overlook that because the MFC matchmaker was involved in the plot, (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.

Finally, I would like to outline that the first plot started with the publication of Shim Yoon-Seok’s article: (chapter 35) The athlete was pushed to prove the “wrongfulness” of this article by accepting a fight. (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.

Finally, once the characters make a connection between the drug incident and the agency, there is no ambiguity that the agent will have to take the fall, though he definitely followed the directives: (chapter 36) He acted on his own. The MFC matchmaker can even deny his involvement, for he didn’t contact the champion himself. (Chapter 36) Don’t forget that the man has his phone number. (Chapter 5) Imagine the consequences for the manager. The latter would not only lose his job, but also face a lawsuit for breaching the contract. There’s no ambiguity that Mr. Choi would feign ignorance. Finally, since Mingwa is using karma as punishment, the readers should expect that Mr. Choi’s papers will get leaked too. Heo Manwook plotted out of revenge and greed, the result was that he lost a lot: his boss‘ trust, his money and his „sanity“. Since Mr. Choi is now taking matters into his own hands, we have to envision that his actions will affect his company… and as such Heesung. The latter could become suspected as „spy“ or in the worse case as theft, he is „stealing talents“. All his past actions would appear in a different light: his generosity was fake. (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.

Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My Reddit-Instagram-Twitter-Tumblr account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.

Jinx: 🐍 Serpentine🎗 Harmony in Dan’s Dynamic

When my inquisitive readers contemplate the illustration for this analysis, they can detect the presence of a fragile balance between three people: Joo Jaekyung, Kim Dan and Team Black. The latter is represented by the snake. I selected beads for each group, because they imply movement and change. Naturally, the physical therapist is caught in the middle. It is because since episode 7 we have been witnessing a subtle fight between the captain of Team Black and the other sportsmen. But why?

1. Sharing and jealousy

First, it is related to the champion’s jealousy. (chapter 7) In the essay Lucky loser and jinxed winner (full version)” , I detected how Kim Dan affected the champion’s relationship with his members. For the first time, Joo Jaekyung shared the shower room with Oh Daehyun and the other fighters. (chapter 8) Secondly, in the analysis “Sharing is caring“, I elaborated how the champion had never had a family dinner, but thanks to the second main lead, Joo Jaekyung discovered home-made breakfasts and was encouraged to eat with the staff from Team Black. Note that till the birthday dinner in chapter 43, he never ate the same dishes than the coach and the fighters. (chapter 43) As a conclusion, the physical therapist embodies “sharing” which is strongly connected to eating. Furthermore, the symbol for giving is the hand which fits Heesung’s description about Kim Dan: “Magic Touch”. (chapter 31). It is important to recall that the artist came to discover the angel, for the latter offered his assistance unrequested. (chapter 30) As a conclusion, Joo Jaekyung is taught how to share through the doctor. This means that at some point, the champion will realize that he has to share the main lead too, if he wants to become truly happy. How so?

Like the quote above is indicating it, jealousy is not simply a negative emotion. In fact, this feeling serves as a reminder for the jealous person. The latter should improve their relationship.

Thus I deduce that on the one hand jealousy is strongly intertwined with modification and adjustment. The latter stands in opposition to routine and old habits. On the other hand, the condition for a positive change is that the person can identify this emotion and ponder on its causes and consequences. This signifies that the person has to be more rational and calm. Mingwa exposed it in chapter 35, when the athlete questioned his change of behavior and trick:  (chapter 35) This scene represents the first step of the athlete’s meditation. Interesting is that this self-reflection got interrupted by the text from the journalist. Consequently, the athlete’s old habits resurfaced. Thus the athlete began neglecting the doctor again. Additionally, identifying jealousy and its cause means that emotional intelligence is necessary. However, Joo Jaekyung possesses a low EI… yes, he really has the mind-set of a baby.

These are the signs of low Emotional Intelligence.

This list corresponds to the champion’s personality: his “jinx” exposes his pessimistic attitude. In these two panels, the beholder can view his poor emotional self-control (chapter 7), self-centeredness, poor social skills (chapter 43), low empathy, how he is blaming others. Thus I come to the conclusion that one of the doctor’s role is to encourage the celebrity to develop empathy, as the latter is necessary for a high EM. The other task is to let him experience mistakes and learn from them. Like mentioned in the previous essay, Joo Jaekyung is Mister Perfect and Kim Dan Mister Mistake. Through the mistakes, the athlete is experiencing the positive side of errors. This brings me naturally back to “sharing” which is also a synonym for compassion and love.

As you can see, jealousy is linked not only to love, but also to action and change. Therefore it is no coincidence that the champion felt the need to punch the sandbag, after Heesung expressed his desire to date Kim Dan. (chapter 34) He was presented as a hindrance to the artist’s happiness. (chapter 34)

2. The causes for the champion’s jealousy

But why is the champion so jealous and possessive of Kim Dan? It is related to his undetected low self-esteem and trust issues. Distrust is an important determinant in experiencing and expressing jealousy. This explicates why in the beginning of the story, the athlete was so rude to the doctor. (chapter 7) He didn’t know Kim Dan at all. Thus he utilized the contract as reminder (chapter 8), as he felt that he had no other tool to keep his partner by his side. In addition, in order to control his jealousy, he always employed the same method: SEX!! (chapter 34) Consequently, as long as Joo Jaekyung could not control his possessiveness and jealousy, he was shooting himself in the foot. Which corresponds to the metaphor with too much salt in the food. Mingwa gave us many examples for this situation. When the champion became jealous in episode 7, he forced the physical therapist to have sex with him. Thus his karma was to be perceived as a man obsessed with sex. Then, in episode 9, he provoked Kim Dan with the drink.  (chapter 9) It was, as if he wanted to steal the show from the physical therapist. His punishment was to take care of the physical therapist, but the latter never witnessed his caring side due to his high intoxication. When he challenged the comedian (chapter 34), he deceived the doctor, imposed his will on Kim Dan out of fear that the latter might not choose him. The result was that the doctor came to view himself as a tool for the athlete’s jinx again. Then at the hotel, he poured the coca cola on the physical therapist’s head (chapter 37) giving the impression that he was resenting Kim Dan the most. However, in reality, he was jealous of Oh Daehyun and Potato, for the latter were having a good time with his lover, while he was left alone in his bedroom. While they were happily laughing with Kim Dan, he was totally excluded. (chapter 37) He was envious that they were the source of Kim Dan’s happiness, whereas he was not. Finally, when the athlete confronted them, the doctor sided with them. (chapter 37) In other words, sharing happiness is triggering his jealousy.

3. Jealousy and happiness

Manhwaphiles can observe this phenomenon in episode 7 and 22. Note that the boxers were all in a good mood, when the doctor was treating Kim Changmin.  (chapter 7) The same happened, when Oh Daehyun expressed his envy at dinner: (chapter 22) Each time, the star put an end to this happy mood. In the break room, Joo Jaekyung threatened them, because he considered their suggestions as a threat. Their comments imply that he would have to share Kim Dan, if they came to the penthouse. It looks like the celebrity is in reality jealous of happy people. It was, as if he was going after “happiness and rest”. Therefore it is not surprising that he accepted the next fight. (chapter 41) He looks grumpy again. It shows that he is not truly enjoying his recent success. After the birthday party at the restaurant, the champion felt jealous again. (chapter 43) His gaze was betraying him. Though he was the star of the evening, the fighters didn’t invite him to the second round. Yet, he didn’t mind, until he heard them asking the physical therapist. But contrary to the past, episode 7 and 37, Joo Jaekyung acted more gently. (chapter 43) He didn’t vent his anger on the doctor, as he embraced him gently. Why? In my opinion, there exist different causes. One reason is the phone call and the long conversation. Another cause for this change of behavior is that the time spent with Kim Dan at his penthouse. Through the breakfasts and their days-off, the celebrity got to know Kim Dan better. The champion’s jokes (chapter 27) and smiles are an evidence that the protagonist is feeling more and more comfortable around Kim Dan. (chapter 41) Yet, he was still crossing his arms while talking to the physical therapist. This shows that he has not completely lowered his guard yet. Finally, Manhwaworms shouldn’t overlook the doctor’s drunken confession accompanied with kisses and embraces. (chapter 39) Consequently, I could observe that the athlete is gradually capable to manage his jealousy, the longer he is living with the main lead. Simultaneously, I believe that the recent transformation of the physical therapist (exhaustion, skipping dinners) incited Joo Jaekyung to observe his lover and meditate. (chapter 43) However, I would like to outline that in this scene, he didn’t feel jealous, as Kim Dan was excluded. Hence he had no reason to claim the doctor as his. As you can see, the star’s jealousy was the trigger to change his behavior in front of the members. Thus I come to the deduction that we were witnessing the positive aspect of “jealousy”. He was not questioning the doctor’s integrity and trust. Therefore it is no coincidence that contrary to episode 7, 9, 22 and 37, he didn’t look grumpy, when he stated that Doc Dan is coming with him. (chapter 43) He had almost a smile. Why? His words were revealing his intentions. Here, he wanted to make the members from Team Black jealous of him. Let’s not forget that his statement implied that he would have a good time with the physical therapist. However, his attempt failed, for the members expressed their surprise and happiness. (chapter 43) It was seen as a miracle that Joo Jaekyung was showing such a care for someone. Kim Changmin, as a representative of Team Black, was not at all envious, because they are used to sharing (dinner, dormitories, etc). The boxer felt that he just witnessed a wonder. It is important, because through this scene, we have an explanation for their passivity in the States. They thought that the athlete didn’t really care for Kim Dan. (chapter 40) The champion has always hidden his care for Kim Dan in front of Park Namwook and the others. Don’t forget that the athlete was even particularly rude towards the main figure before the match. (chapter 37) I could also include the scene with the new jacket. (chapter 36) When the sportsmen were all fighting against each other to give their new cloth to Kim Dan, the champion intervened by throwing his jacket to Kim Dan. He was not smiling at all. In fact, he gave the impression that Kim Dan was causing trouble. (chapter 36) At no moment, Oh Daehyun and the others could detect the main lead’s jealousy. That’s how it dawned on me why Kim Dan was not informed about the surprise birthday party. (chapter 43) He was as astonished as Joo Jaekyung. I deduce that they desired to protect him, in case the celebrity would react so negatively. (chapter 43) Since the athlete had been so impolite and rude towards the doctor in front of Oh Daehyun and the other members on so many occasions (7, 9, 11, 36, 37), they imagined that Joo Jaekyung was treating him the same way than them: if he was not rough, then he was indifferent. (chapter 22) When he announced to the staff that Kim Dan was cooking for him, his facial expression and words are indicating that this is no big deal! He was not smiling and voicing his admiration for doc Dan. He created the illusion that the physical therapist was just living at the penthouse for the celebrity’s comfort. It was to do his job and nothing more. But this was only partially true. That’s the reason why I come to the assumption that this miracle in episode 43 will change the dynamics at the gym. Kim Changmin, Oh Daehyun and the others know now that the celebrity not only cares for the doctor, but also has become his friend. Thus they could seek Kim Dan’s closeness in order to get his advices and assistance.

On the other hand, the fighter was still ordering his lover. (chapter 43) Note that he had intervened at the same time than the doctor’s.  (chapter 43) So he never took the doctor’s choice into consideration. Although Joo Jaekyung is no longer dragging the doctor like in the beginning of the story, he is not truly respecting Kim Dan’s decisions. But how did this rivalry between Joo Jaekyung and his team start?

4- The origins of the rivalry

Here, I won’t focus on the champion’s feelings, rather on the way the doctor entered the gym. His contract diverges from the other members’. (chapter 7) He occupies a special position, for he is only working for the alpha as doctor. But note that doc Dan crossed the line, the moment he started taking care of Kim Changmin’s problematic shoulder. (chapter 7) By treating him, he acted, as if he was the physical therapist of Team Black. Secondly, observe how he got introduced to Team Black. (chapter 7) Park Namwook is employing the expression “joining us”, he is insinuating that he is a member from Team Black. Therefore it is not surprising that the doctor decided to share his talent and give a treatment to Kim Changmin and others. (chapter 7) This short introduction could only encourage him to treat the other fighters too. As you can see, though the doctor has a contract, his duties and position among Team Black were not clear. Moreover, the moment the boxers discovered that the main lead had his own physical therapist, they asked if they could have one too. (chapter 7) Thus I deduce that Kim Dan still needs to find his own place at the gym. This can only generate tension. Moreover, it dawned on me, neither the champion nor coach Jeon Yosep nor Park Namwook recognized the consequences of his arrival at the gym. (chapter 7) First, they made the mistake not to bring Kim Dan to Busan. (chapter 36) After that event, they learned their lesson. However, note that the champion refused that the physical therapist would follow Oh Daehyun and the others to their fight. (chapter 23) On the one hand, he was reminding his companion that he was only working for him, on the other hand, the uniform and the treatment from the members were giving the impression that he was also part of Team Black. (chapter 23) That’s how he discovered the ritual with high five!! This is something he could share with his lover! By using this gesture, they would not only become closer, but the gap between the fighters and Joo Jaekyung would be reduced. On the other hand, by hindering Kim Dan to follow the group, Joo Jaekyung was hindering the main lead to do his job. This shows as well that they are slowly developing a new routine, but it is not fully deployed. The doctor is bringing the real changes due to his special but unclear position.

Besides, as a hyung and physical therapist, he should be part of the management, hence he should get the right to voice his opinion about a match. Yet, in chapter 36, he was not invited to the meeting (chapter 36). Moreover, by mopping the floor, he acted like an errand boy, as if he was the lowest member. I doubt that he got consulted for the next fight too. (chapter 41) On the other hand, Kim Dan is a freelancer, hence he could have simply joined the conference. That’s how I realized that until Kim Dan met the champion, he had always been working as an employee. (chapter 1) This indicates that the doctor has not the mind-set of an entrepreneur and free-lancer. He allowed Choi Heesung and Joo Jaekyung to determine his work. (chapter 31) (chapter 32) And now, you comprehend why Kim Dan chose to become a courier (chapter 42) and didn’t look for new patients. He needs a role model as entrepreneur and doctor. In my eyes, that’s where Cheolmin comes in. The latter should become Kim Dan’s mentor. Moreover, I would like to outline that by intervening in the doctor’s life and career, the champion was blurring more and more the boundary between private life and profession.

Another source for the tension between the captain and Team Black is that the doctor was treated like a full member by Team Black. Therefore he received an uniform (chapter 9) and the welcome elixir. (chapter 9). But like pointed out above, he is actually just his private physical therapist. For Kim Dan, the famous athlete is just a VIP client. (chapter 25) It is relevant, because the doctor is not technically involved with the other members. He is attached to them, because they are very nice to him. (chapter 9) There exists no contract between them either. Their relationship is simply based on the goodness from the characters. And now, you comprehend why the champion had to come to this welcome party. It is because he feared that the doctor would feel closer to them than to him. His money was already competing with the heart from the fighters. Is it a coincidence that the champion felt the need to remind them that he was the one paying for the party? (chapter 9) Funny is that for his birthday party, money was no longer rivaling with the fighters. Furthermore, he was joining the table for real. (chapter 43) Finally, he had another reason for not becoming furious during that evening. He had shared the goblet with the doctor, something that none of the fighters had done before. (chapter 43) To conclude, the causes for the tension between the alpha and his members are the undefine position and duties of Kim Dan.

In addition, I noticed that the captain and Team Black are both associated with dinner. Whereas the champion stands for healthy but tasteless dinner (chapter 13), Park Namwook and Oh Daehyun are representing the other extreme: junk food (too salty, greasy, too much sugar) (chapter 22) (chapter 37) or fasting!! Notice that Park Namwook preferred Kim Dan resting than eating dinner with them! (Chapter 43) Joo Jaekyung listened to his hyung, as he had already heard such an advice before. But actually by skipping dinners, the doctor is living like in the past. This could lead to malnutrition again. As you can see, I sense here a new source of problem.

Another interesting aspect is that the champion desired to spare with his lover, but the former got punished by his hyung. (chapter 26) He proposed this idea after seeing his lover learning moves from Potato. In other words, due to his jealousy, he offered his sex partner the possibility to learn from him. (chapter 25) This was the positive aspect of jealousy. It is not surprising that the champion smiled during this little game. (chapter 26) It helped them to become closer. Striking is that none of the boxers noticed the true meaning of this sparring.  (chapter 26) The members didn’t recognize how gentle the celebrity was towards his partner, therefore Park Namwook imagined that Kim Dan had been coerced to spare and the punch was the expression from anger and frustration against the alpha. Thus he came to misjudge the situation. That’s how Kim Dan got excluded from the ring. And this observation brings me to the following conclusion. Till episode 43, none of the fighters realized that Kim Dan was receiving a special treatment from Joo Jaekyung. They were totally oblivious of the truth, even during this incident! (chapter 43) The boxer on his right was not shocked how quickly the athlete calmed down after realizing his mistake. They only got aware of this, when the athlete tried to make them jealous: (chapter 43) That’s how it dawned on me why the champion will be forced little by little to expose his sexual orientation to the members from his gym. It is because the nature of the competition is changing. He is fighting with the members with his heart and no longer with his wealth and fame!! Joo Jaekyung made the discovery during that night: (chapter 29) A puppy needs care and protection!!

This signifies that each decision from Kim Dan will affect the relationship between the alpha and his team. Imagine that the physical therapist decides to become a full member of Team Black and learn fighting. He would definitely work with Potato. (chapter 23) In addition, I would like to outline that Potato had been favored by his hyungs (chapter 22), because the latter was somehow neglected by the champion. They were compensating for the lack of interest from the captain. Interesting is that no one was missing Potato during that day and party except the readers. Why? It is because little by little, his adoration for the champion is vanishing. He is starting to have a life on his own. It is important, because Kim Dan could receive now more attention from the members than before, especially because he is receiving the good grace from his boss. Don’t forget that Park Namwook never protected them from his bad mood. (chapter 36) He could become their speaker, their lawyer… a new version from this scene: (chapter 37)

So far, Kim Dan has always viewed himself as different from the sportsmen, because he was just standing by the side (chapter 36) or he was sitting in the office. It is not surprising that he kept his distance at the hotel, when the champion was taking his meal. (chapter 37) But it started changing, after the athlete declared him as a part of his team. 8chapter 40) The problem is that he met the green-haired uke which reinforced his insecurities and low self-esteem. Observe that while returning home, he was only remembering all the champion’s words (chapter 43) before his intervention with the MFC security guys. Hence I believe that this statement and embrace (chapter 43) can only move Kim Dan’s heart. Finally, I would like to outline that the champion was asking his lover to become responsible for him. (chapter 43) He should bring him home. If you read the essay “The Art Of Loving“, you already know that responsibility is one of the conditions for love. The others are trust, respect and knowledge! And this brings me to the final conclusion. Since no one among Team Black knows about the doctor’s past and second gig, it becomes comprehensible why Oh Daehyun, Potato and the others can not take care of Kim Dan properly. (chapter 43) But the more the champion is revealing about his relationship with the doctor, the more the latter will receive recognition and protection from Team Black. Though the manager recognized that Kim Dan had been beaten (chapter 11), he chose to close an eye to this. Thus he remained passive.

To conclude, the doctor is there to bring harmony and happiness at the gym. This can only happen through changes (like introduction of new rituals) and as such mistakes. His presence is little by little affecting the champion’s mentality. The latter is showing more and more concern for his fated partner. (chapter 43) Though the doctor’s hands had been bleeding, Kim Dan chose to treat his patient first before taking care of his own wounds. His selflessness could only catch Joo Jaekyung’s notice. Doc Dan’s benevolence can only make him realize that fame can never be a source of joy and adoration is totally different from true love and warmth.

Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My Reddit-Instagram-Twitter-Tumblr account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.

Jinx: Hidden Echoes 🔊 (podcast)

ChapterTopics
1. – The doctor was watching a video indicating that he was a huge celebrity. FANS/FAME
– Joo Jaekyung used work as justification, whereas in reality, he wanted to have sex with the main lead.
WORK and SEX
5. – Once again, the protagonist called the physical therapist.
– Once again, he used work as justification, but in reality he desired to ensure Kim Dan as his definitive sex partner.
WORK and SEX
He is hiding the truth from his hyungs: SECRET/ SECRECY
Interesting is that the main lead received a phone call from his future boss at the hospital.
WORK, SEX, SECRET/SECRECY and HOSPITAL
11. Here, the call was related to his moving out.
HOME
13. Here, the champion called his friend for help. The latter works at the hospital, but he was asked to give a treatment home, as the fighter desired to protect his reputation and as such his career (job). No one knows about the doctor’s intervention.
HOME, HOSPITAL, SEX, SECRET, SECRECY, and WORK
17. Once again, we have the following topics: HOSPITAL, HOME and WORK. Kim Dan failed to do his job, as he didn’t appear at the gym. However, a new topic comes to the surface: MONEY.
19 In this episode, we have two phone calls. The doctor desired to rent a truck, for he was moving out. (HOME) Then the champion called his lover, as he wished to have sex.
HOME and SEX
Kim Dan was ordered to prepare himself. This made it look like WORK. Interesting is that he was talking at the gym loudly, as if this is no secret. NO SECRECY/NO SECRET. He felt comfortable.
To conclude: WORK, SEX and HOME.
20 A call from the hospital because of his grandmother. Sex got interrupted.
The champion discovered a secret (the real existence of the grandmother).
HOSPITAL, SECRET and HOME (as a synonym for family)
21The nurse called the grandmother’s guardian from the hospital.
HOSPITAL, WORK and HOME (family)
22. Here, the champion was staring at his cellphone, but we have no idea what he was looking at. Yet, note that during this scene, Kim Dan was drinking coca cola (which contains caffeine). Moreover, during the dinner, the athlete announced to his team that Kim Dan would live at his place. But the moment Oh Daehyun expressed the wish to go to the penthouse, he was silenced. They should go back to work.
EATING, DRUG, HOME and WORK
Hence I am suspecting that the athlete was looking at comments from fans (popularity), as this scene mirrors the one in episode 36. Moreover, this topic (FANS, POPULARITY) was alluded in episode 13 (scandal).
24. Potato called the champion in order to do his first errand properly: WORK.
Both protagonists were having sex during the conversation, but the maknae didn’t realize it: SECRECY and SEX. Finally, observe that this call is related to coffee (drug, beverage).
WORK, SEX, SECRET, SECRECY, and DRUG
30.Here, Choi Heesung was using the phone in order to maintain his popularity. WORK and FANS/FAME.
32.The champion called his lover during lunch because of WORK. When the physical therapist arrived at the penthouse, he was staring at his cellphone. But we know that during the doctor’s absence, Joo Jaekyung had purchased sex toys. In other words, work was used as an excuse, yet the moment Kim Dan expressed the wish to return to Heesung’s side, the champion was forced to use sex to keep the doctor by his side.
WORK, SEX and EATING.
33. The champion made a phone call, but no one saw it except the readers. However, the identity of the person was never exposed. It is definitely related to the champion’s career and reputation, as the actor’s injury could have created a buzz. Moreover, observe that the comedian revealed a secret to his manager. The readers discovered the artist’s addiction: nicotine (drug).
DRUG, WORK, SECRET/SECRECY, FANS/FAME
Hence back then, I came to the deduction that the athlete was calling a doctor.  (chapter 13) Interesting is that the athlete sought the rooftop to make the phone call, a sign that he was also seeking privacy/secrecy.
34. The cellphone was used for a trick. Yet, it is related to WORK and SEX. At the same time, the purpose of the message from the main lead was to reveal a SECRET. Kim Dan belongs to him!! But the actor chose to feign ignorance. Kim Dan has no idea that he saw them together.
WORK, SEX, SECRET, SECRECY
35 The champion received a message from the reporter Shim Yoon-Seok. It was related to the athlete’s injured shoulder. The article implied that the hospital had leaked information : SECRET/SECRECY, WORK, FANS/FAME and HOSPITAL
36. The cellphone was not present in this scene, but it was implied through the comments from the social medias.
WORK, FANS/FAME, HOSPITAL
38 The champion sent a message to his lover. Yet, the text was very short so that no one could discover the real reason for their encounter. In that scene, the doctor was already under the influence of the aphrodisiac.
DRUG, SEX, WORK and SECRECY
Chapter 42 Kim Dan looked for a side gig. But before looking at work offers, he was searching in the penthouse for a present.
WORK, MONEY and HOME

I forgot to say that it can not be the journalist Shim Yeon-Seok, as the latter stands for work, fame and fans. However, like I said, the scene at the restaurant already contains these elements through the selfie. (chapter 43) In the podcast and in the list, I omitted one recurrent topic on purpose: REJECTION!!, We have this topic in chapter 1, 5, 17, 19, 21, 22, 24, 30, 32, 34, 35, 36, 37 and finally 43. (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.

Here he is not acting as the tough guy, he is passive and attentive. This contrasts to this scene, where he looked like a tiger. (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.

Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My Reddit-Instagram-Twitter-Tumblr account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.

Jinx: Trapped Butterfly🦋 in Deceit’s Web 🕸️ – part 1

In episode 40, the Manhwaphiles assist to the return of the doctor’s faith and hope. (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 40) Don’t forget that the athlete is the face of the gym. Thus the gym put a huge poster of the athlete outside. (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.

1. The sun glasses

If you read my essay about the significance of masks in Manhwas, you are already aware that spectacles in Manhwas are indicating deception, hypocrisy, ignorance and blindness. Why? It is because the Webtoonists used them as masks. Thus it is no coincidence that the coach Park Namwook is wearing them. (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.

And this is exactly what we are witnessing in the interrogation room. (chapter 40) The MFC guys are biased, they are acting like cops, prosecutors (chapter 40) and judges. And this without hearing any testimony from the doctor. This shows their blindness and their hypocrisy. But wait… the MFC guys are different from Park Namwook, for they are wearing sun glasses. Why would most of them do that? (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) It was, as if the latter had no soul. Thus this security ward (chapter 40) manipulated his colleague with his rhetorical question. As for the other, he bit his lip, the moment Joo Jaekyung entered the room (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.

2. Reflections

What caught my attention is the similarity between this image (chapter 40) and this one: (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 11) and (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 16) And the same happened in the arena. (chapter 40) Though the stadium was plunged in the darkness, the Manhwa lovers shouldn’t forget that the match took place at 11.00 am. So it should have ended around lunchtime. To conclude, the kidnapping and sequestration from the security agents is a combination of episode 11 and 16, therefore we have the same elements: blue and black reminding us of the night and the time as an indicator for the day. But let’s return our attention to the physical therapist in the arena. He was approached from behind, for the mysterious man touched him by the shoulder. (chapter 40) Secondly, the moment doc Dan turned his head, he could see two people. (chapter 40) By the way, these two unknown men were not wearing sun glasses in order to avoid raising suspicions and mistrust. This explicates why the gentle doctor followed them without protest. He trusted them. The most surprising is that though the latter was approached by 2 men, Potato didn’t intervene. (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.

Finally, both Heo Manwook and the MFC security agents believe to have the right to act that way. In the first case, the main lead had to pay off his debts. (chapter 11), hence he was not allowed to move away. He was even forced to expose his private life to them: his job, his home, his family. It was, as if they were entitled to know everything about him and give their consent about each action. This explains why the loan shark thought, he was allowed to abuse Kim Dan physically. (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 40) It was, as if they had a right to know about his entourage. Joo Jaekyung had no right to have a private life. It was, as if the champion had to justify Kim Dan’s presence and indirectly why he had hired him. The reality is that they were trying to spy on him, dig up more information. Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible why the thugs questioned Kim Dan like the MFC security agents. The moneylender desired to know the origins of his income. (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.

FBI agents typically wear professional attire that allows them to blend into various environments while maintaining a polished and authoritative appearance. The standard FBI attire includes dark-colored suits (navy, black or charcoal gray), dress shirts, conservative ties, and dress shoes, when it comes to special events like court appearances or important meetings. However, despite their appearances, the MFC security agents exposed their true nature. They are fake.😮 (chapter 40) How so? They are not wearing any badge and credentials!! 😉 Compare it to these scenes: (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) They acted like cops and judges which they are not. Since this image (chapter 40) resembles a lot to the one from the hospital, (chapter 5) I couldn’t help myself thinking of a death sentence. (chapter 40) However, contrary to the hospital, the doctor was not abandoned. His lover came to his rescue chasing away the darkness from the “spider”, the MFC security agents.

But why did they remove their badges? It is because the criminal had been wearing one of their badges and clothes!! (chapter 37) That’s how Kim Dan assumed that this additional nutrition shake came from MFC! We have here different possibilities. Either they saw the CCTV in the hotel showing the criminal dressed like their security agent (similar to the one in episode 15) after Park Namwook informed them or (chapter 40) the coach informed that someone from MFC had brought the drugged beverage and they imagined that they could get framed by the physical therapist. Or there exists another possibility: they got tipped off by someone else. With no badge, Kim Dan can not blame them later.

2. MFC agents and Park Namwook

And this brings me to the following observation. Though the MFC agents initially described Kim Dan as a witness (chapter 40), the man leading the interrogation changed quickly his tone and accused him of being a criminal targeting the champion. (chapter 40) This explicates why Mingwa changed the colors of the speech bubbles. First, they were light blue before turning into grey and black. (chapter 40) The pigment reflects the tone and as such their darkness. It becomes obvious that they were trying to frame him. But why? In my opinion, it is related to a law suit!! First, the Jinx-philes will certainly recall that in episode 11, the doctor got himself threatened with an indictment. (chapter 11) Secondly, Mingwa created scenes, where someone would take action against a person or organization: (chapter 36) (chapter 31) In the first case, the hospital got sued for leaking the information, though it was not properly investigated. The lawyer claimed that the journalist had not contacted the agency… but it was not verified. As for Choi Heesung’s fake injury, Park Namwook proposed to pay in order to cover up the incident, until the actor made the following request: Kim Dan should take care of him!! He became part of the compensation. That’s the reason why I believe that the coach Park Namwook played a huge role in the framing. He could have complained to the MFC manager about the incident saying that Kim Dan had got ill because of the drink. The investigators knew about his name, but not his function in the team. (chapter 40) The coach could have even threatened MFC with a lawsuit. Don’t forget that for the coach, Joo Jaekyung is his payroll and pays a lot attention to money. (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.

But then, it occurred to me that episode 11, 16 and 37 have all another denominator: the phone call!! (chapter 11) (chapter 16) (chapter 37) Here, the coach Jeong Yosep was calling someone, maybe Team Black or the MMA manager. As you can see, I am suspecting that as soon as the coach Park Namwook was informed about the doc’s illness and vanishing, he must have made a call and complained! Park Namwook, as an experienced fighter, could have suspected the existence of a drug, especially since Potato and Oh Daehyun came quickly to the conclusion that his “illness” was related to the drink. And he had to frame “someone”, for he had also failed his duty. He should have verified the origins of this additional nutrition shake, but he didn’t. He remained passive. As a conclusion, my theory is that Park Namwook’s complain and menace of lawsuit set a new scheme in motion. For me, he must have called the MFC manager, as the latter appears in Joo Jaekyung’s cell phone. (chapter 5)

According to me, the MFC manager is involved, for he got informed about the shoulder injury in Busan. (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 37) That’s how the MFC guys got informed that the nutrition shake was drugged. (chapter 40) How could they know that the beverage contained prohibited substances, since they got informed about the incident just in the morning? It takes time to analyze a drink. Secondly, how did they come up with the idea of a conspiracy? (chapter 40) The word “set up” and “operation” seems to display their involvement. They know something, but they are hiding the truth, for MFC could get involved in a scandal. I doubt that they were involved from the start… but since the scheme failed, they had to find a solution. And that could only be Kim Dan… the victim of the poisoning, though Potato was a new face too. (chapter 40) It is because his name was brought up. However, I doubt that Park Namwook explained who Kim Dan was. He is not enlisted as a MMA fighter. Hence he knew nothing about his relationship between Joo JAekyung and the doctor.

Another detail caught my attention. (chapter 40) He wanted to know about his eating habits and his medication. The reason is simple. If the doctor had been under medication, they could have said that it was not related to the MFC drink!! This fake interrogation is reinforcing my theory that the MFC manager is an accomplice of the scheme. Honestly, the fact that they took a blood sample is worrying me. (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.

The most infuriating is that they tried to act like “saviors”, when the champion entered the room. (chapter 40) Like Joo Jaekyung pointed out, this trick was exposing their lack of security. They had failed their duty. (chapter 40) (chapter 40) They backed off, but note that the “fake investigator” still asked the star about his special relationship with the target: (chapter 40) It exposes that someone desired to know more about the private life of the star. The man with sun glasses was tasked to dig up information in the end. In other words, the persons involved in the conspiracy is increasing. The MFC security agents are no longer innocent. But I doubt that they will investigate the matter any further. In my eyes, they will try to sweep the incident under the rug.

Finally, I would like my avid readers to keep in mind that this incident could have had terrible consequences for the athlete, if he had drunk the drugged beverage. He could never have proved that he had been the victim of a plot!! (chapter 40) He would have been forced to pay compensations. Even if they had noticed the drug quickly, (chapter 40), there is no ambiguity that MFC could have questioned the authenticity of the champion’s claim. He have never taken any drug on purpose.

And now, you comprehend why Park Namwook didn’t show any concern for Kim Dan in the end. It is because for me, he had called someone and delegated the matter to this person. And this can only be the MFC manager. While the coach embodies naivety and superficiality, the MFC guys with sun glasses are closer to Heo Manwook, for they are more corrupt and ruthless. This shows that MFC is not a proper and reliable organization, it is like a Deceit’s Web.

Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My Reddit-Instagram-Tumblr-Twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.

Jinx: Tough Life Lessons 👨‍🎓 – part 2 (second version)

1. Why is Jinx so painful?

In the first part, I examined Kim Dan and his interactions with the other characters, it is now time to turn our attention to Joo Jaekyung. Once again, Mingwa chose to upset her readers by showing him as a brutal and rude punk. (chapter 37) This explains why more and more manhwaphiles are dropping this story. But here is the deal. Jinx can only be enjoyable, as long as the readers try to grasp the Webtoonist’s intentions. It is the same for Painter Of The Night. In my eyes, this can only happen, when Manhwalovers are able to understand the champion’s personality. Here, I am not talking about finding excuses for his misbehavior. And this brings me to the topic “life lessons”. Exactly like the physical therapist, Joo Jaekyung needs to be taught life lessons, but for that he needs to commit wrongdoings. Consequently, he needs to experience pain and regret so that he doesn’t make the same bad decisions again. At the same time, these life lessons are also destined to the readers, for this fiction works like a “fairy tale”. I have already pointed out the similarities between “Sleeping beauty” and “Belle and the Beast”. One of these lessons would be: “Don’t judge people by looks or by rumors” (chapter 36) Mingwa is here criticizing the attitude of netizens writing hateful and gloating comments behind anonymity. This is no coincidence that since certain BL-readers came to hate this character, they start transferring their resent towards the author or Jinx-philes. If the latter like Joo Jaekyung, they must be deranged or they are advocating rape or violence. They are confusing fiction and reality. However, the purpose of stories or fairy tales is to reflect and internalize life lessons. And now, you are wondering what Mingwa has planned for the champion. For me, chapter 37 was important, because it outlines the champion’s flaws which are linked to his mindset. He can only change through tough life lessons.

2. Joo Jaekyung’s life lessons

2. 1. To have an open ear

What caught my attention is the professionalism and perseverance of Joo Jaekyung which was even noticed by doc Dan. (chapter 37) He embodies the positive reflection of Kim Dan. The latter lacks experiences and proper guidance. Besides, when the physical therapist makes decisions (chapter 15) (chapter 22), (chapter 35), he often changes his mind. He doesn’t stick to them. Why? It is because he listens to others. Consequently, he doesn’t appear as a competent physical therapist. This signifies that the champion is the exact opposite. Once he makes his choice, he won’t change his mind. Therefore he can only appear as stubborn and selfish. Consequently, one of his previous lessons was to listen to Cheolmin and accept his advices concerning his sex life. (chapter 13) He learned that he could ask for his help in a case of an emergency. (chapter 13) Notice that there was no scandal after this incident. So since Kim Dan drank a drug (chapter 37), Joo Jaekyung is now incited to listen to Oh Daehyun and Potato, and as such to trust them. He needs to figure out how the physical therapist got poisoned.

2. 2. Life is a game

So what is he supposed to learn through the other incidents in episode 37? (chapter 37) (chapter 37) (chapter 37) One might reply that he needs to respect people. In other words, he has no notion of politeness. He behaves like a tyrant outside the ring. The manhwaphiles shouldn’t forget his nickname: “Emperor”. (chapter 14) Thus I deduce that the champion is making no distinction between inside the ring and outside the ring. (chapter 1) This signifies that he views life like a fight which never ends. This would explicate why Joo Jaekyung can never relax. (chapter 29) He needs to be constantly on his guard, and at the same time, this means that he judges everyone as his “enemy” or “rival”. Only the hyungs are exempted, for they are no longer fighting in the ring. Besides, they were the ones who helped him to become a legend. Under this new perspective, it becomes comprehensible why Joo Jaekyung listens to Jeong Yosep and Park Namwook. They don’t represent any danger for him. Therefore it becomes comprehensible why the champion was always so rough with the other members, when he was sparring in the ring. (chapter 1) Why should he restrain himself, when his life and career are always on the line? If he were to lose during the sparring, he imagined that people would question his talents or position. For him, sparring was a synonym for fighting and not playing! This explicates why he is not resting in the end. (chapter 29) Under this new light, the Manhwa lovers can comprehend why the champion refused to invite the members from Team Black to his penthouse. (chapter 22) It was, as if he was invited a competitor to his place. Therefore I come to the conclusion that one of his life lessons is that he needs to differentiate between life inside and outside the ring. Moreover, he has to internalize that life is like a “game” in order to be able to enjoy life. Yes, he is taking things too seriously. Hence the physical therapist’s suggestion for the day-off was not bad for a start. (chapter 27) This let him reconnect to his past and how he liked swimming. Moreover, we have the best example for “life is a game” in chapter 26. (chapter 26) He had fun here with Kim Dan, he was restraining his strength. Therefore it is not surprising that after his defeat, he had no problem to accept Potato as his sparring partner!! (chapter 26) And because life is like a battle for him, it is not surprising that Joo Jaekyung is not capable to say (chapter 37) “thank you” or “please”, like Park Namwook outlined it. Furthermore, it explains why Joo Jaekyung is not voicing his suffering to others. If he had complained here, then he would have appeared weak. The absence of complain explains (chapter 37) the doctor’s reaction. He is feeling for him. (chapter 37) Consequently, it is not surprising that Joo Jaekyung is not complimenting the doctor either. The former is not receiving encouragements and support from his hyungs. In the ring, the fighters are silent too.

2. 3. Sharing is caring

(chapter 37) Moreover, imagine that he barged in the room of the maknaes. He was actually an intruder, for he had not been invited to the party. Naturally, if one of the characters had criticized him for his trespassing, there is no doubt that the champion would have replied that he had paid for their stay at the hotel. This explains why he could open the door, though for each room at a hotel, you need a different keycard. Striking is that this was not his first intrusion. He had already done it in the past. (chapter 30) However, he was violating the doctor’s privacy. This explicates why he had to find an excuse for his sudden appearance. (chapter 30) And now, what is the common denominator between these two scenes? SHARING!! Observe that in episode 37 they were eating together, and they were sharing the chips. In the bathroom, Kim Dan was forced to share “his toothpaste” to his roommate. And what is the common points between all these scenes? (chapter 9) (chapter 18) (chapter 21) (chapter 22) (chapter 37) The champion is never eating with others!! He is not sharing his meals to others. This signifies that he has no notion of a family dinner. This was perceptible in this scene as well. (chapter 13) Joo Jaekyung had prepared two plates, but in South Korea the tradition is to put all the dishes in the middle of the table, and people take bits from the plates, like at the restaurant. (chapter 9) This is important, because once again, it outlines the coaches’ flaw or bad decision. Neither Yosep nor Namwook tried to convince Joo Jaekyung to assist to the meals. I am quite certain that his abstinence (chapter 9) and the argument “he never messes with his weight” (chapter 36) were used as excuses not to intervene. I am not saying that these two hyungs had bad intentions or excluded him on purpose. It is just that they simply didn’t bother. They could say that he wouldn’t listen anyway. (chapter 27) So why bother to invite him? Moreover, if he were present, he would represent a source of trouble. Under this light, it becomes comprehensible why he had to use the company card for his appearance. (chapter 9) But this interpretation exposes the hyungs’ hypocrisy. They are not truly caring for the athlete. The irony is that in the same chapter, the champion “shared” his drink with the doctor. (chapter 37) Consequently, Team Black has now an interest to investigate the matter, for this could happen to the other fighters. Thus I conclude that Joo Jaekyung will learn to share Kim Dan. However, he needs to differentiate between private and professional life. And that’s how his obsession for the physical therapist will become visible. Little by little, the physical therapist will change the atmosphere at Team Black’s. We could see this through Heesung’s meddling. (chapter 31) Thanks to Kim Dan, the fighters’ life improved.

And this brings me back to the doctor’s first day at the gym. (chapter 7) Joo Jaekyung got jealous, for the doctor was asked to treat the other members. By taking him away, he refused to share him with the other members. And note what happened in the next chapter. Joo Jaekyung accepted to share the shower room with the other sportsmen. (chapter 8) Interesting is that each time, Kim Dan was focused on others, he took the initiative to approach them. (chapter 7) He would even talk to them. (chapter 30) As you can see, I see a strong link between sharing and communication. Why? It is because conversing is sharing thoughts. (chapter 29) Because the champion had shown an interest in the doctor during the day, the latter reacted the same way during the night. Spending time together is like sharing time.

Since my interpretation is that Joo Jaekyung has been treated as a silenced and invisible child, I doubt that he could learn the notion sharing. Besides, this can only be taught, if a child has friends and is not isolated.

And this brings me to the following interpretation. When Joo Jaekyung left the door open of his penthouse (chapter 2) (chapter 34), it symbolizes that he was willing to share his home to someone. This is no coincidence that later, he proposed to Kim Dan to live with him. Thus I deduce that Heesung will also become Joo Jaekyung’s real friend, as he had been invited to enter his penthouse.

2. 4. Rest is important and not partying the night away

Therefore it is now necessary to examine this scene again. (chapter 37) Don’t forget that each message has 4 sides. Why was Joo Jaekyung so upset? It was not just about the junk food! It is because Joo Jaekyung was alone in his bedroom and couldn’t sleep. (chapter 37) In reality, he was feeling lonely, and probably hungry. Then he suddenly smelled the ramen , (chapter 37) which could only make him feel more excluded. But the final straw was, when he heard that Kim Dan was having fun with the others. Not only he was not sleeping like usually, but also he had decided to chat with Potato and Oh Daehyun. (chapter 37) He could only get envious of the other fighters. Kim Dan had not tried to visit him… like during this night. (chapter 29) He had not been seeking his company. Thus I deduce that he got envious of the chow chow and the eagle! This was the reflection of the doctor’s thoughts. (chapter 37) Moreover, it is important to recall that each time Kim Dan spent time with his partner, he would often fall asleep so easily or sleep for a long time. (chapter 12) (chapter 28) However, with Potato and Daehyun the physical therapist behaved differently. (chapter 37) As you can see, this episode exposes the lack of communication between the couple. Why? It is because both are relying on Park Nawmook. (chapter 37) (chapter 37) Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible why Joo Jaekyung has no manners or acts like a spoiled child. It is because he is reflecting Park Namwook’s behavior. (chapter 37) This panel exposes the tyrant Park Namwook who is drawing an invisible line between the athlete and the members. This means that the coach has the same impact on the protagonist’s life than the grandmother on her grandchild! Both ended up without friends due to the surrogate parent. I have long portrayed the athlete as a mirror of truth, and the best evidence is the halmoni. (chapter 21) Joo Jaekyung was gentle and well-mannered, because the grandmother was nice and polite to him. But we all know that the athlete is not a hypocrite.

2. 5. Karma

However, Joo Jaekyung is also responsible for the increasing alienation between him and the doctor. Remember how he treated his lover in front of Choi Heesung. (chapter 34) It was, as if the latter was an object, a plaything. He didn’t treat him like a human. Moreover, later he utilized him as sex toy. (chapter 36) This scene contrasts so much to this picture: (chapter 37) Coldness through the shades, day, no food, no sharing, silence and pain versus food, warmth through steam and the bright colors, sharing and happiness. This was his punishment for his mistreatment towards the doctor. Back then, the doctor had shown concern and had brought him water, but he got rejected. (chapter 36) Therefore it is not surprising that Kim Dan was no longer seeking his company or was distancing more and more from him. And now, the legend is confronted with reality. Kim Dan is not an object, for he is now sick. (chapter 37) In fact, the drug could have terrible side effects on him due to his weak constitution, like for example it could affect the heart or the liver.

By learning to share Kim Dan, he can get real friends. At the same time, he can ensure a better protection for himself and his loved one. Only through that way, he can change. However, until now, he only experienced sharing through Kim Dan and the halmoni. First, it happened, when the main lead begged the athlete for his help. (chapter 11) He exposed his vulnerability to the protagonist. Then the grandmother gave him one yoghurt. (chapter 21) Striking is that the athlete received the drink after chatting with the elderly woman. As you can see, the meal is strongly intertwined with conversation. (chapter 13) Both scenes are the perfect illustrations for sharing is caring. Thus I deduce that this “family dinner” was fake (chapter 22), for there was no sharing. No wonder why the champion was not conversing with the others. Nonetheless, in order to happen, he has to realize that he needs to communicate properly to Kim Dan. He needs to give his partner compliments and encouragement. (chapter 37) He remained silent contrary to episode 1. It is not just Park Namwook’s task to compliment him. However, as long as he doesn’t give any feedback to the insecure physical therapist, the latter won’t open up to him. Why does Kim Dan feel close to Potato and Oh Daehyun? It is because they are sharing their thoughts and emotions. But why is it so important for the champion to share the doctor? It is because through him, the doctor can get recognition and advance in his career. If he secludes him, Kim Dan is bound to make no progress. That’s the reason why I consider Joo Jaekyung’s intervention here as inappropriate. (chapter 31) It was not his place to decide for the main lead. Kim Dan could have had another client, even though it was just an excuse. (chapter 31) Because he treated Kim Dan like an underling, he received the same treatment later. He was not allowed to defend himself (chapter 31), just like he replied instead of the doctor! Thus I conclude that the moment he sees Kim Dan in pain, this will remind him of his lover’s human nature (chapter 37) and as such his vulnerability. In my eyes, this will move his heart… exactly like in that scene. (chapter 21) In other words, the champion has to recognize that all his actions have consequences. As long as he is not treating Kim Dan properly, he is doomed to suffer and as such face adversity. But this perception is also valuable for the doctor. As long as he neglects his job due to his low self-esteem, he is fated to be treated like an errand boy. To sum up, both characters have to recognize their own flaws and misbehavior. Furthermore, I deduce that as long as Joo Jaekyung doesn’t expose his true position within the company in front of Park Namwook, he is bound to be treated like a prize. To conclude, Joo Jaekyung needs to confront his hyungs for their negligence. How come that they let Kim Dan fetch the drink and no one questioned its origins? Why was Yosep Jeong on the phone? (chapter 37) In my opinion, the coach is not involved in the conspiracy, for it looks like Mingwa has no intention to turn the members into bad guys. Nevertheless, this man was not talking to his wife, for the latter had blocked him. This raises the question. Who was he talking to? I have the feeling, that the person on the other side of the phone must have involved in the scheme in order to distract Jeong Yosep: MFC manager or the agent from the entertainment company?

As you can see, I am siding with no one in the end. They all have their flaws which make them human!

3. Prediction

Since I outlined the importance of sharing in episode 37, I come to the following deduction: Joo Jaekyung will share a room and probably his bed with Kim Dan. Remember that he was seen alone here (chapter 37), just like the athlete had carried the physical therapist to his bed after their sex session in the swimming pool. (chapter 29) Observe that here, the main lead was sleeping in the middle of the bed… he had been placed exactly like Joo Jaekyung would sleep. (chapter 13) That’s the reason why the champion didn’t share his bed with Kim Dan. This means that I am expecting a new version of this scene (chapter 4), but I don’t think that the doctor will sleep in a cocoon. At the same time, we have the explanation why Joo Jaekyung felt so refreshed after his first night with Kim Dan. He had been able to sleep, for he had shared his bed with the doctor. No wonder why the champion got so upset afterwards. However, since the doctor is sick, I doubt that he would sleep next to him. So my idea is that the champion could give his bed to Kim Dan, while he sleeps on the floor. I noticed that the carpet of his bedroom is red (chapter 37) And red or pink is the color that brings them together. Secondly, when he was trying to lose weight, he looked like someone sleeping on the floor. (Chapter 37) Finally, this panel (chapter 37) reminded me of the champion’s kiss, when he left the swimming pool. Kim Dan has a similar position. (Chapter 27) Additionally, both were on the floor. Finally, we shouldn’t forget that Joo Jaekyung has been learning to take care of the “weak” doctor. He is already experienced how to treat him. Taking care of him in his room is no novelty. Moreover, if Kim Dan notices that the champion could fall asleep despite his presence, he could suggest to Joo Jaekyung to share a bed. (chapter 37) So don’t give up hope! Joo Jaekyung still has his own merits.

Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My Reddit-Instagram-Tumblr-Twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.

Jinx: Tough Life Lessons 👨‍🎓 – part 1

First, it is necessary to define the term life lesson. Life lessons learned early allow people to make the most of their life by not repeating the big mistakes people repeatedly make throughout their life. This signifies that people learn life lessons through mistakes and bad choices. Because of the stress and pain they brought, life lessons won’t be forgotten. They will remain present in the mind. However, this can only happen, when people are on their own or better said, when the parents can no longer take the responsibility for their children’s wrongdoings or bad choices. The one is forced to bear the burden of his errors or bad decisions. As you can see, life lessons are strongly intertwined with maturity and growth. Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible why episode 37 portrayed all the characters in a bad light.

1 . Between pity, sympathy and empathy

Episode 37 exposed the flaws of all characters, for they all misbehaved. Not just Joo Jaekyung committed wrongdoings like here (chapter 37), when he snatched the towel from Kim Dan with force without saying thank you or when he poured the coke on Kim Dan’s head. (chapter 37) One huge mistake from Kim Dan was for example looking away while wiping his client. (chapter 37) Joo Jaekyung was actually put in a similar situation than the grandmother’s. Due to the weight cutting, his body is exposed to mistreatment. Now, imagine that Kim Dan had acted the same way towards his own halmoni. It would have hurt her, for no sick person wants pity and as such sympathy. Why? The reason is simple. Sympathy makes the counterpart feeling inferior, lonely and abandoned. How so? It is related to passivity.

Feeling sorry for someone is never helpful, for it doesn’t change the situation. Thus in medicine, it is recommended to have empathy, and not sympathy for the patients. This is an important condition for healing persons suffering from traumas.  (chapter 37) No wonder why Joo Jaekyung sent away the doctor. (chapter 37) The latter made him feel worse than before. (chapter 37) What the boxer needed to hear or see was recognition and encouragements and not sympathy or pity. He should tell him what he hasn’t been hearing so far: “I admire your determination, your strong will, your professionalism”. (chapter 15) But when Kim Dan was wiping his client, he was not acting like a professional doctor. Thus he got hurt by his rejection, for this felt him more unworthy. (chapter 37) There is no doubt that Joo Jaekyung was hurt too. The only difference is that the athlete is not allowed to cry or to complain, for he made the decision to take the challenge. (chapter 37)

Besides, it is important to distinguish between sympathy and empathy. (chapter 37) What is Kim Dan feeling here? Sympathy or empathy?

This means that in the panel above, the physical therapist was sympathetic towards Joo Jaekyung and his outburst. Nonetheless, psychologists make a distinction between 3 types of empathy: cognitive empathy, affective/emotional empathy and finally compassionate empathy. Sympathy is a synonym for “cognitive empathy“. This means that the person can take another person’s perspective, can also imagine what it’s like to be in another person’s shoes. Thus he can understand someone’s feelings. However, this doesn‘t imply that the person will feel these emotions as well. The person just knows how to perceive what the counterpart is feeling and thinking, while in emotional empathy, the person will share an emotional experience, he will be feeling distress in response to someone’s pain. As for the compassionate empathy, the person will experience a willingness to help someone, because they feel the same distress. https://www.verywellmind.com/cognitive-and-emotional-empathy-4582389

As you can see, there‘s a slight nuance between cognitive and affective empathy, but this small difference has great consequences in reality. How so? It is because the person only feeling sympathy will always put a distance between himself and the counterpart. There‘s a “I“ and “you“, but no „we“. This indicates the presence of an invisible line which is perceptible in the doctor’s words: I versus he. (chapter 37) The person might come to pity the other, yet he won‘t intervene and help. He will just understand and that‘s it.

Quoted from https://www.themedicportal.com/blog/whats-the-difference-between-sympathy-and-empathy/

As the manhwaphiles can detect, sympathy is linked to passivity and words, while empathy pushes someone to become more proactive, especially compassionate empathy.

Graphic created by Psychologist Robert Shelton

Like the graphic is indicating it, the engagement increases, the closer you get to compassion. (chapter 37) Striking is that here, the physical therapist employed the expression “think”, a sign that he is feeling cognitive empathy which explains his passivity. To conclude, the more compassionate Kim Dan becomes, the more proactive he will become towards his fated partner. But for that, he needs to open up his heart and as such to accept the feelings he has for Joo Jaekyung. I am not really referring to romantic feelings, rather to empathy and compassion, like Dr. Lee from the hospital. (chapter 27) As long as Kim Dan sees himself as the champion’s tool for his jinx, he won’t be able to become a great physical therapist. (chapter 37), for he is drawing a line.

And now, it is time to return to this scene. (chapter 37) When Joo Jaekyung entered the room of the hoobaes and criticized them, the latter apologized. Yet, the doctor’s apology was slightly different. How so? He just apologized for the sound, but with his words, he implied that they would keep eating ramen. Imagine what it means for the champion thinking that once he leaves the chamber, they will keep eating junk food. They have the chance to eat at all, but his companions chose to eat unhealthy food. That’s the reason why the champion was so upset (chapter 37), but no one understood his message. They thought that they were reprimanded for eating, though it was more about bad nutrition (“garbage”, “stuff yourselves”) and eating in excess! (chapter 37) Because Kim Dan insinuated that they would keep eating such unhealthy dishes, his sex partner replied this: (chapter 37) The doctor’s excuse could only sound fake to the athlete’s ears. In fact, in that moment, Kim Dan showed no real sympathy for the champion. He was drawing the line between the athlete and himself. However, after getting humiliated, (chapter 37), he changed his attitude a little. Yet, notice that he was still thinking about his insomnia and not the unhealthy food.

And the coaches are responsible for this!! They allowed Oh Daehyun and Potato to buy Korean food (chapter 37), while Joo Jaekyung is put on a diet. Moreover, Kim Dan is a physical therapist. Hence he is well aware of the impact of bad nutrition and we are here talking about professional athletes. (chapter 22) It was, as if he had forgotten his knowledge and his past decisions. Then the next day, Kim Dan pities him, something he also hates!! (chapter 37) It makes him look like a hypocrite. What Joo JAekyung needed the most here was support and compliments, like in Busan!! (chapter 15) But the irony is that no one encouraged or complimented the champion at all except the reporters at the event. (chapter 37) This discovery led me to the following conclusion. Park Namwook embodies sympathy and as such cognitive empathy. He can grasp people‘s feeling, as he is able to see from people‘s perspective. (chapter 37) This explicates why he allows the fighters to buy ramyeon and sodas behind the captain’s back. (chapter 37) By exposing the champion to this food, they made him realize that Joo Jaekyung was truly alone with this issue.

This means that this incident made the champion realize that the fighters had unhealthy eating habits. Until now, he never paid attention to their alimentation! The coach only reprimanded them before the match. (chapter 22) Back then, the champion only showed disinterest to their situation. (chapter 22) But imagine that they were actually put in the same situation than the athlete. 😶 The coaches and Kim Dan were eating hamburgers and fries in front of the others. (chapter 22) No wonder why Oh Daehyun and Potato had a similar attitude towards Joo Jaekyung in the States. (chapter 37) The only difference is that they wished to hide this from the sportsman. They knew that this was not right. One might say that they showed a certain sympathy towards their hyung, while in the break room, Park Namwook had a clear conscious. (chapter 22) He was even more ruthless towards the other members, until Kim Dan made the following suggestion: eating elsewhere. This is applied in the States. The champion’s past indifference reflects the negative influence from Park Namwook. Observe that the latter asked from the physical therapist only “pity and sympathy” (chapter 36) He was encouraged to remain passive (“be patient”). He is treated like an errand boy (chapter 37), like holding the towel or pouring the hot water. (chapter 37) (chapter 37) Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible why Park Namwook or the coach accepted the suggestion from the agent so easily. (chapter 36) They are passive, because they only feel sympathy in the best case. Thus I come to the conclusion that Kim Dan’s low self-esteem was reinforced by the manager’s attitude and advices. At no moment, he acknowledged his work (chapter 37) and as such gave him compliments contrary to Doctor Lee. This means, the lawsuit against the hospital is detrimental for Kim Dan’s career. He needs some guidance from a hyung.

As you can see, as time passed on in the States, the doctor became more and more depressed, for he was given more and more insignificant tasks and his real interventions were simply ignored. Therefore I conclude that Kim Dan can only have a change of heart thanks to Joo Jaekyung’s influence. For me, the latter stands for emotional empathy. This might be surprising, for many readers resent him more and more for his outbursts and brutal honesty. However don’t forget that he defended the doctor from the loan shark, paid his debts (chapter 18) and even cooked a meal for him. He was really proactive. Right now, he can not take care of him, as he is himself under immense stress. Don’t get me wrong: he is no saint either. On the other hand, Kim Dan needs to grasp the negative influence from Park Namwook and Yosep Jeong, for they represent a hindrance to his development as physical therapist. But for that, he needs to make a bad experience because of them directly. He needs to learn the difference between cognitive, emotional and compassionate empathy. He needs to recognize that a true doctor should feel empathy at least. The physical therapist experienced it, when Oh Daehyun and Potato complimented him. (chapter 37) Hence I believe that the closer Kim Dan get to the members, the more he will experience empathy and compassion. This is already perceptible, for the fighters wanted to offer their own jacket to the doctor. (chapter 36) The hand is the symbol for compassion and empathy. No wonder why Mingwa is focusing on the hands of the boxers. (chapter 37) They are the helping hands for the couple.

2. Don’t judge people by their looks

 Episode 34 confirmed the existence of a conspiracy. One man disguised as a MFC member offered a beverage containing an aphrodisiac. (chapter 37) Kim Dan thought that this person belonged to MFC, for he was wearing an ID MFC, a cap with the logo MFC and he was wearing black clothes like the other officials. (chapter 37) This means that he judged this man by his looks. A terrible mistake! This situation mirrors the scene where one agent from MFC questioned Kim Dan about his identity. (chapter 15) I had already explained in the previous analysis that here he had been mistaken for an agent from MFC. However, the doctor misunderstood the red-haired man. He thought that staff was referring to Team Black.

Interesting is that Mingwa created a similar situation in the same episode. Someone was judged by his looks. (chapter 37) The protagonist saw the fighter as weak, for he had slimmed down. He was comparing him to their first meeting. (chapter 1) However, he was making a mistake, for Joo Jaekyung was just losing water, and not muscles! In my eyes, he was underestimating Joo Jaekyung’s strength.

And it is very likely that their enemies will jump to the same conclusion, for he looked quite tired and thin during the weight-in. (chapter 37) In other words, they are underestimating their opponent’s physical condition. This panel exposes that Joo Jaekyung can recover very quickly. (chapter 37) Thus I deduce that the schemers are judging the fighter based on his “looks”. My assumption is that their scheme is based on the following information: injured shoulder (“incident in Busan”) and the request from Kim Dan that the champion needs to take a day-off!. (chapter 27) However, he was here speaking on the behalf of the doctor. And who would make such a mistake? Naturally the manager from the entertainment agency. 😉 He had been informed by Park Namwook. This reinforces my theory that he is involved in this scheme. The latter would automatically judge his client as “injured”, for he was changing his way of life. For the first time, he was taking a day-off. But the manager is getting paid for the events he organizes, like Heesung’s manager exposed it! (chapter 31) If the athlete works less, the manager gets paid less! I would like to point out that Joo Jaekyung’s agent was never seen at the gym! He was never present during his training. Thus he had every reason to think that his client Joo Jaekyung has already reached his zenith! Therefore I am wondering if the manager came to believe the manipulations from the article. (chapter 36) That’s why there was no interview to deny the allegations. It was, as if he didn’t detect the fake news. The manhwaphiles should pay attention to his words. It was all about the leaking of private information, but not about the content of the article. (chapter 36) In other words, the manager judged his client by his “cover”! He was tasked to book less events!! Consequently, neither the lawyer nor the manager should be trusted, though they are well-mannered and educated. (chapter 36) In reality, Park Namwook should have focused more on their words and their body language! However, he judges people based on their manners! The irony is that the coach is himself a “wolf”. (chapter 7) He is beating his star, yelling, insulting him, he doesn’t allow him to complain or protest (chapter 31), he never says thank you (chapter 37) or “please”. (chapter 37) I doubt that he has ever apologized to him. He is only nice and well-mannered towards his celebrity, when the latter fulfils his expectations. (chapter 5) (chapter 15) Hence I deduce that Park Namwook will have to learn through bad experiences that the champion is a poor reflection of himself. He spoils the fighters (chapter 26), then he scolds them (chapter 36), when he is under stress. Why did he not protect the members from the champion’s bad mood? (chapter 36) It is because he thought that he couldn’t change the situation. That way, he was avoiding trouble as well. He was clearly a drawing a line: you and me! (chapter 36) There is no We at the gym in the end.

3. Stop listening to people

What caught my attention is that during episode 37, Kim Dan always listened to others, in particular Park Namwook (chapter 37) and Oh Daehyun. Thus he didn’t object to Oh Daehyun’s suggestion to have a late snack party. (chapter 37) (chapter 37) Therefore it is not surprising that he followed again his advices. (chapter 37) Kim Dan is learning through the hard way to develop critical thinking, his so-called third eye. Why shouldn’t people listen to others?

It is because people tell others what to do, what to think, what you do right or wrong. How to be better, live your life, and further your career. This explicates why Kim Dan’s career is not improving right now. At the same time, observe that the suggestions made by Oh Daehyun were concerning food. The nice fighter will learn through the physical therapist the significance of a good and proper meals. Just because he had not been eating properly, Kim Dan shouldn’t just eat anything! And this brings me to the following observations. The physical therapist had started starving himself due to the champion’s heavy diet! But this is not what Joo Jaekyung desired from him.

4. The secret behind the jinx

Now, it is time to focus on the purpose of the plot. First, they planned to drug Joo Jaekyung. (chapter 37) Striking is that the criminal faked sympathy, when he gave the beverage to the doctor. Through his mistake, the physical therapist should realize that there is nothing free in this world (“extra nutrition shake”). Secondly, concerns and sympathy can be fake. This should help him to recognize the divergence between cognitive sympathy and empathy too. Above, I had explained that this drug should be an aphrodisiac. This interpretation is based on the physical reactions of the main lead: he is trembling, blushing, (chapter 37), moaning and feeling hot. (chapter 37) Therefore I made some research about the drug. This is what I found: Dextroamphetamine. [Note: I am no doctor]

Observe that this medicine is prescribed for sleeping disorder. (chapter 29) This was brought up in connection to the drug test. Therefore I deduce that the schemers are quite close to Joo Jaekyung. First, they are aware of his insomnia, but more importantly they know about his sex habits, his jinx! They had two reasons to give him such a drug. First, under the influence of the aphrodisiac, the champion could become even more rough than usually, a new version of this scene (chapter 13). Moreover, remember that his jinx is based on the following idea: he needs to feel satisfied! (chapter 2) It is all about a good fuck. But under the influence of the aphrodisiac, the champion would never get this feeling. Therefore I conclude that the drink was there to destabilize the champion mentally. Secondly, remember that the athlete is famous to fuck, until his partners pass out. (chapter 33) Hence under the influence of the drug, he could call for a second partner, like he did in episode 2. (chapter 2) In other words, he would hire a prostitute. Anyway, their plan is to cause a new scandal. The moment he ingurgitates the nutrition shake, he will get tested positive.

Therefore all his past achievements would be questioned. And imagine that it is combined to a sex scandal: prostitution and sexual assaults, for he was too rough. Not only he would lose his title, but he would lose his name and integrity. He would become a criminal! That’s the reason why the nutrition shake contains a drug which has aphrodisiac side effects. And because the schemers knew about the jinx, I can only deduce that one of the masterminds is the green-haired man as well. (chapter 2) Notice that till this night, Kim Dan believed in the existence of Joo Jaekyung’s jinx. (chapter 37) However, the drugged beverage is the evidence that the champion is not jinxed, he is the victim and target of criminals. He will start questioning the origins of this belief. Moreover, the physical therapist noticed that the unknown man spoke Korean. (chapter 37) But he should have spoken in English like in Busan. Therefore, I come to the conclusion that Kim Dan will learn the following lessons. Don’t swallow drinks from strangers and he should ensure that he keeps an eye on the champion’s food (chapter 37) and beverage. Be more suspicious of people, don’t trust people so easily. The other conclusion I made is that this pink beverage will work like a love potion. (chapter 37) I am hoping that through this life lesson, the doctor will realize that he is the champion’s lucky charm! Thanks to him, he will be able to fight and defeat the other legend! The plot will fail, and if there is a scandal, then Joo Jaekyung won’t be affected. How am I so sure about the emperor’s victory? Simply because the Webtoonist made many allusions to episode 1!

Chapter 1Chapter 37
He is drinking an energy drink instead of eating properly. He is acting the same way.
He is feeling insecure and nervous, a sign of his low self-esteem IT was, as if he wanted run away, like in episode 1.
An apology : Fear in front of Joo Jaekyung This time, he is not lowering himself. He is no longer fearing the athlete. You can see the transformation. He really trusts the fighter.
The loan sharks at the door For me, it is one of Heo Manwook’s minions. Kim Dan can not recognize him, for the loan shark had many thugs. I am suspecting the one wearing a black suit, for he had his hands in the pants. Moreover, the hand and chin from Heo Namwook is different.
Eating ramen now, he is no longer eating alone.
The doctor’s tears Here he had no reason to cry.
Running away: This time, he was evicted, but the way he left the room, showed that he was fleeing the scene.
: looking at Joo Jaekyung’s body Like mentioned above, he is also starring at the champion’s body. The difference is that he is worried. He feels pity and sympathy, hence he doesn’t act like a good physical therapist contrary to episode 1, where Joo Jaekyung gave him a compliment.

And what could the manhwaphiles see in episode 1? The physical therapist is the champion’s reward. He is his yeouiju. Like I wrote before, the pink drink is a blessing in disguise. Thus this (chapter 37) hand should be considered as a helping hand, though the intention was the opposite. Yes, the night before the match will become a total new experience for the champion and the doctor. Don’t forget that this episode was focused on empathy and sympathy… so I am expecting a huge change in the athlete’s behavior, more precisely the return of the athlete’s affectionate empathy. What will he do then? One thing is sure. He will have to make a tough decision, when he sees the physical therapist’s condition: (chapter 13) Calling for an ambulance? Bringing his doctor to the hospital? Calling his hyung? Or something else? As you can imagine, I am opting for the “something else”. 😉 And because Kim Dan was seen affected by Potato and Oh Daehyun (chapter 37), there is no ambiguity that this incident will bring them closer to the couple. How so? It is because Joo Jaekyung will be forced to admit his homosexuality to them. I am suspecting that they will cover up for him! (chapter 25) A new version of this scene. In other words, I am sensing the start of “WE” and as such family. They are now bound by secrecy.

Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My Reddit-Instagram-Tumblr-Twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.

Jinx: Agent Blue 🔵💙  – part 2

In this second part, I would like to present a new theory concerning the persons organizing the mismatched fight. Only after releasing the first part, it dawned on me that other people could be involved. In other words, my idea is that there exists other Agent Blues. Like the chemical weapon used during Vietnam War, the Agent Blues are corrupting the MMA world. My previous hypothesis was that MFC match manager, the agent from Entertainment agency and the lawyer were involved in the conspiracy. And now, you are probably wondering about the identity of the other persons.

1. The identity of the 4th Agent Blue

First, this mysterious schemer must resent Joo Jaekyung the most, for the latter is pushed to slim down within one month. (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 36) Besides, why should it take place in the US? The purpose is to weaken him… Yes, the match was organized to put him in disadvantage. Far away from home, he would have less supporters. (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 36) Thus I am wondering if Randy Booker doesn’t come from the same gym. The blond haired guy is called a butcher, and I would like to point out that the future competitor of Joo Jaekyung has two cuts on his face, a sign that he must have a similar attitude than Randy Booker. If this is true, then the involvement of the agent would get exposed, for he didn’t reveal this information. How did the American boxer look like at the end of the fight in Busan? (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 14) It is because he had a baby-face! His fights left no trace on his pretty visage! Even certain manhwaphiles complained that such fighters usually have scars on their face. And the moment I noticed the scars on Dominic Hill’s eyebrow and cheek (chapter 36), it reinforces my prediction that Joo Jaekyung could have cuts on his face, which were symbolized by the broken sandbag (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.

Randy Booker has an interest to destroy Joo Jaekyung. Once he loses this fight, his title will be questioned. Finally, the moment the protagonist is no longer called the emperor, Randy Booker’s chances to get the crown increase. Besides, (chapter 14) I would like to outline that Randy Booker accused the athlete of being a coward. For me, his words reflect his own mentality. He is a coward himself, who would use tricks to achieve his goal. He would use his colleague to get rid of an opponent. As for Dominic Hill, the latter would get the opportunity to maintain his reputation. Despite his age, he can still fight. The manipulative attitude from Randy Booker was perceptible, when he faced the champion for the first time. He provoked his opponent in order to enter his mind so that the latter would be destabilized. Under this new perspective, it becomes comprehensible why the shoulder injury was not mentioned with the incident in Busan. It is because Randy Booker would appear as a big loser. He got defeated, though the champion was injured. As you can see, neither MFC nor the American boxer had an interest to expose this incident. Thus they needed to find a scapegoat: the hospital. On the other hand, Park Namwook and the coach could have used the fight as an evidence to prove the article wrong! That’s why the schemers had to propose a fight very quickly in order to divert attention from Randy Booker. Because if this was exposed, the blond-grey haired fighter would become a laughing stock and this would mean the end of his career. Finally, such a theory would corroborate my other hypothesis: the involvement of the MFC Match manager. Yet, someone has to sponsor such an event. I doubt that MFC would finance such a match, for it is a non-title match. Hence I came to the following conclusion that there exists a 5th Agent Blue.

2. The identity of the 5th Agent Blue

Since neither Randy. Booker nor the agent nor the lawyer are aware of the existence of Kim Dan, I assume that this person was determined to target the two main leads. First, this puppet master has to know that Kim Dan has Joo Jaekyung as patient, like the article implied it with the expression “Anonymous source”. (Chapter 35) Secondly, this person must have resented Joo Jaekyung so much that this schemer wanted him to lose his title for good. It was to “ruin” him. Hence, like Randy Booker, he must have imagined that the weight cutting would weaken his body and mind. This means that he must have come to fear Joo Jaekyung’s strength. And now, it is time to reveal the identity of this mysterious sponsor. . (chapter 11) Yes, it is Heo Namwoook. And note that he is also connected to blue!

I have to admit that I came to develop this theory, the moment I recalled this scene: (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 35) I would even add that the gym Team Black is not promoted properly. (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 15) and the boards are only referring to him. Note that (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) As for the loan shark, he associated it with a club providing escorts. (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:

One might object that Heo Manwook is just a loan shark, therefore it is impossible for him to have connections in the United States of America. But don’t forget that this man is connected to pro wrestling. First, one of his minions was a wrestler. (Chapter 17) Secondly, Heo Namwook called MMA as fake, for he thought that it was like wrestling. (Chapter 17) Since Park Namwook is a former wrestler, I can only deduce that Heo Manwook has a common past with the champion’s coach. He was also a wrestler. I would even say, the new Agent Blue is his negative version. But if he had such a profession in the past, how could he have connections in America?

It’s because USA is the country where professional wrestling is very popular. He must have gone there in the past. Thus he had the opportunity to create connections and he was trained to organize events too. And since Heo Manwook was constantly referring to “fake” and “real” during their battle (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 36) This match should end the athlete’s career. He gets so wounded that he can never recover from this. Since Heo Manwook has the means (skills, connections and money which he received from the main lead himself), it is very likely that he is involved. He could have simply contacted the MFC Match manager. Moreover, by organizing the event there, none of the main leads would suspect his involvement.

2. Team Black and the jackets

So if these theories are true, then it exposes Park Namwook as a bad manager! It exposes his naivety despite his age and experiences. He is unable to detect tricks. Then he claims that Team Black is his gym (chapter 22), but why is the name Team Black not known by the public? It is because the coach is passive. First, he is relying on Joo Jaekyung’s popularity and publicity. In fact, he delegated this task to this agent!! (Chapter 36) He truly believes what he had been told: (chapter 30) This explicates why the main lead’s schedule had been so full in the end. (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 30) It is because the coach and manager with the glasses has nothing to do! However, even in this panel, Namwook never realized that Choi Heesung was not promoting Team Black, but Joo Jaekyung! Why did Potato, Oh Daehyun or the others join the gym in the end? It is because of the protagonist’s fame and talent!! In other words, right now, Joo Jaekyung is Team Black! Should he get wounded, the gym is bound to vanish. (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 16) But Park Namwook has been just relying on Joo Jaekyung to promote the gym. Contrary to the creditor, he sent his athlete first, while the other would first send his minions. (Chapter 5) One might say that he promoted Team Black through the clothes. (Chapter 15) But the problem is that the name Team Black was not visible here. (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 15), Joo Jaekyung lent him the black jacket. However, the logo of Team Black was the snake and not the name!! It was MFC!! Thus the guard asked him if he was staff!! It was, as if he he belonged to MFC! 😂 This made me laugh, because it shows how bad Park Namwook is for promoting Team Black! First, only the coach Jeong Yosep, Joo Jaekyung and Park Namwook had similar tee-shirts. (Chapter 14) Secondly, their clothes were similar to the ones created for the staff belonging to MFC. (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.

And now, take a look at this! (Chapter 36) First, the name Team Black is visible on the side, while MFC vanished. (Chapter 36) Striking is that on the back of the jacket, the name of the owner is not written! The manhwaphiles can’t read Joo Jaekyung! So how could Park Namwook know that this was the champion’s cloth? (Chapter 36) It is because of the number! Joo Jaekyung is number 3! And who are number 1 and 2? Naturally the hyungs!! Park Namwook and Jeong Yosep! This means that through the number, he is downgrading the protagonist. (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 36) It is because Kim Dan has become the owner of this jacket. He is now Number 3 of Team Black! He is also a hyung! Hence his position within the gym has changed. He belongs to the top and can make decisions! On the other hand, since the jacket is too big, people will think that the one who gave the order for the jackets was pretty bad. How could he give an oversized jacket to number 3? Thus it dawned on me that this could be misinterpreted: Kim Dan is somehow “bullied”, mocked for his small size by Park Namwook. Or they are too poor to offer him the correct jacket 😂 To conclude, the coach is about to receive his karma. If his jacket has number 1, people will question his decisions about the fight!! How could he push his athlete to accept the fight? Why did he not speak up before, if he was number one and as such if he was the owner of the gym? Thanks to this jacket, the doctor has become an official member of Team Black. He is no longer the private physical therapist for Joo Jaekyung. (Chapter 7) He is the physical therapist of Team Black de facto, especially if he is seen in company of other members.

And this brings me to the following observation. Why didn’t Park Namwook ask Joo Jaekyung to go to the fighters’ event in episode 23? (Chapter 23) One might say that he had another appointment before. However, I believe that he had many reasons to separate the athlete from the rest of the staff. That way, Park Namwook can appear as the owner of Team Black. He is the coach and manager of the other fighters. However, if he had gone there, the champion’s fame would have benefited to the other fighters. This shows that the manager from the entertainment agency represents a huge burden to Team Black. Neither Park Namwook nor the agent had an interest to bring the members closer to the athlete. On the other hand, I am suspecting that this “encounter” was not random. (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 36) But the question is if their jackets have numbers on the back. For me, it becomes clear that Joo Jaekyung will become a man in a suit. (Chapter 32) He will become a real MMA manager promoting his own company and his fighters.

Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My Reddit-Instagram-Tumblr-Twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.