Please support the authors by reading the Manhwas on the official websites. This is where you can read the Manhwa: The Edge of Ambiguity. 
But be aware that this Manhwa is a Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality. Here is the link, if you are interested in other Manhwas: Table of Contents of analyzed or mentioned Manhwas (like f. ex. Beta Off Not Dating, The Ghost’s Nocturne eg.)
It would be great if you could make some donations/sponsoring: Ko-fi.com/bebebisous33 That way, you can support me with “coffee” so that I have the energy to keep examining Manhwas. Besides, I need to cover up the expenses for this blog.
I hope my illustration focusing on the Manhwa “The Edge Of Ambiguity” aroused my avid readers’ curiosity. I discovered the story thanks to @Luzyla’s recommendation. As soon as I started reading it, I fell in love with this Webtoon. It is truly a gem, though the cover on Lezhin is rather gloomy and simple. Moreover, in the beginning, I had troubles to differentiate two characters from each other, Lim Gyujin 
(chapter 3) and Tae Jihwan 
(chapter 1). But this confusion was just short-lived, as soon as I got to know these two figures. They might look similar first, yet their personality diverges so much. That’s how I came to realize why the author had selected the title “The Edge Of Ambiguity”. She is playing with turmoil, double meaning and enigma. She is confusing her readers on purpose. Why? EZ is raising the following questions. Who is normal or not, and as such who is the monster or not? Are their actions or words good or bad? However, for that, the beholder needs to have criteria for judging others. So how do we judge people in the end? Through reputation, rumors, actions, words or because of desires and interests? Through her work, the author is showing that perception is related to perspective and knowledge.
Let me give you an example. 
(chapter 32) Here, Tae Jihwan’s smile looks rather creepy and manipulative so that the beholder could view him as a freak or even a psychopath. But is this judgement about the protagonist correct? On the other hand, the smirk from Jihwan was directed at Lim Gyujin
(chapter 32), who got so mad at the main character that he assaulted the protagonist. 
(chapter 32) Gyujin’s dark aura makes him look menacing and weird as well. Who is the “monster” here in the end? In order to judge these characters properly, it is important to put the whole scene into its context, and this action stands for knowledge and understanding. Therefore the Manhwaphiles can grasp why I chose “Hidden Monsters” for this essay. All her characters are moving along a thin line between normality and monstrosity. Yes, even the cute and sensitive protagonist Shin Soo-Young. 😮 
(chapter 1) In this analysis, I would like to present these “hidden monsters”. With the term “monster”, I am referring to “cruel persons” and not supernatural creatures.
1. The “weirdo” Shin Soo-Young
First, it is relevant to know about his family background. He is the son of a single mother which represents a huge stigma in South Korean society. 
(chapter 2) Why? It is because children are supposed to receive the father’s name. To conclude, his birth represents a huge anomality. This explicates why Soo-Young is not mentioning his family situation to others so easily either. Only when he faced trouble, he confided to Gyujin and Tae Jihwan. As the son of a single mother, he considers himself as a burden and stain. This explicates why he is not living with his mother. Even when they are struggling financially again, 
(chapter 23), he prefers moving to a cheaper place than returning home. Observe that he is even admitting that his mother’s place is more comfortable than his new worn out flat. 
(chapter 27) I am also assuming that since he started visiting high school, he has been living on his own. Under this new perspective, it becomes comprehensible why Soo-Young is trying to act like an adult all the time. He doesn’t desire to add more stress and responsibility on his mother. No wonder why the student is not confiding to his own mother either. 
(chapter 23) He feels that if he let her know about his struggles and problems, he would add more trouble to his parent. Because Soo-Young always sees himself as a burden to his “family” (he would cost money), he feels indebted towards them. He needs to repay them by “becoming a contributing member of society”. 
(chapter 2) This means, he has to become successful at school and get a college degree so that once he gets a job, so that he can become the mother’s pride. However, this means that he is putting himself under pressure. He promised to his family, he would enter Hankuk University, but his counselor is suggesting to apply elsewhere .
(chapter 28) On the other hand, this imposed exclusion is not entirely voluntary, for this was initially suggested by the mother and uncle. 
(chapter 2) Moreover, later he confesses that he feels very lonely. The best evidence that Soo-Young’s decisions are the result of the mother and uncle’s manipulations is their conversation at the hospital. Soo-Young didn’t desire to move away. 
(chapter 2) His shaking hand was betraying him. He was upset. But note that the mother portrayed herself as an hindrance to her son. 
(chapter 2) Moreover, the manhwaphiles should pay attention to her body language. She was closing her eyes, when she convinced her son to move out and to apply for Hankuk university. 
(chapter 2) Finally, during her visit, when her son repeated her wish: 
(chapter 23), she had a similar reaction. She turned away her head and closed her eyes 
(chapter 23) before adding this peculiar comment: 
(chapter 23) She insinuated that it was her son’s wish, yet the reality is that these wishes had come first from the mother and uncle! This explicates why she never objected to his desires. In other words, Soo-Young’s negative feelings about himself are caused by the mother and uncle’s advices and behavior. She told her son that she was a burden to him, thus the latter mirrored these feelings. He was a burden for the mother.
But there exists another reason why Soo-Young views himself as a “weirdo”. It is related to his sexual orientation. 
(chapter 6) He is viewing homosexuality as a “stain”, for it is rejected by Korean society. He fears people’s gaze and judgement and in my opinion, this anxiety is also strongly intertwined with his origins, the son of a single mother. This explicates why he rejects to be seen as a homosexual. He doesn’t want to be touched in public or even to kiss. This fear explains also why Soo-Young misinterpreted Tae Jihwan’s words. 
(chapter 18) The latter was not rejecting homosexuality per se, rather Gyujin as partner. Yet, his words were so ambiguous that Soo-Young imagined that Jihwan was repulsed by homosexuality. But here, I have to add that Lim Gyujin played a role in this negative perception of homosexuality. 
(chapter 12) The usage of blackmail is exposing the existence of a taboo, a violation of social norms. And how did Gyujin come to this solution? It is because the latter has been hiding his own attraction to Soo-Young as well. He justified their relationship by stating that Soo-Young had a crush on him. 
(chapter 5) He went so far as to say that the main lead had been flirting with him. 
(chapter 6). That way, Gyujin was avoiding assuming any responsibility. By acting this way, Gyujin was hiding his own sexual orientation. He appears as a hypocrite and coward. No wonder why Soo-Young saw his sexual orientation as a heavy weight. But since the seme got violent with Soo-Young 
(chapter 6), the latter decided to break up with him. That’s how the blackmail started.
(chapter 6) Gyujin made sure to isolate Soo-Young. The former made the protagonist feel guilty and dirty, the moment Soo-Young pushed him away. Besides, his first sexual experiences 
(chapter 21) with Gyujin were negative, for they were associated to coercion and violence. This explicates why Soo-Young could only see homosexuality as a monstrosity. Therefore he could only view himself as bizarre.
And this brings me to the following observation. Soo-Young was definitely attracted to Tae Jihwan very early on 
(chapter 1), but he convinced himself to keep his distance from him, for they were so different. 
(chapter 26) Finally, the uke’s thoughts (chapter 1) are clearly revealing that he connects sodomy to dirt and filth.
Interesting is that by examining Soo-Young, the Manhwa lovers could detect the presence of other “hidden monsters”, Gyujin, the mother and the uncle, for they all have been manipulating the main lead.
2. Soo-Young’s “family”
Since he was raised by his mother, it implies that he doesn’t know his father. (chapter 2) So we could say that he was abandoned by him. Interesting is that Soo-Young’s mother received the support from her brother, the so-called uncle. 
(chapter 2) However, I started doubting this fact for two reasons. First, I would like to point out that Soo-Young has never met his uncle since the beginning of the story. In fact, the latter informs the main lead through the mother (chapter 2) 
(chapter 18) or through the cell phone. 
(chapter 27) 
(chapter 23) There is no direct interaction between them. Moreover, observe that there is no picture of this relative. It was, as if he was a ghost. Additionally, the mother even asked her son to limit their communication. 
(chapter 18) Finally, Soo-Young stated that the uncle provided money to the mother (chapter 2), yet he never raised the nephew personally. He only shows concerns for his school career. Finally, the uncle doesn’t seem to have a family on his own. There is no wife or daughter. Yes, this character is really mysterious and ambiguous. Consequently, it dawned on me that Soo-Young could be an illegitimate son and the faceless “uncle” would be in reality his father. This would signify that the latter could never claim the main lead as his own son, for the mother was just a mistress. Another possibility is that the uncle is simply the “mother’s companion” and the boy is from a past relationship. Moreover, the fact that the “uncle” is slowly pushing away Soo-Young out of the house (chapter 2), asking him to live in a cheaper flat is really suspicious. The official reason is that he has become sick. 
(chapter 18) It was, as if he wanted to get rid of the boy… he was the burden. Thus I can’t help shaking the feeling that there is an ulterior motive behind the uncle’s generosity. Moreover, when Soo-Young was moving in his new apartment, none of the relatives were present. Only Tae Jihwan assisted him. The uncle faked his “support” by calling him. 
(chapter 27) Interesting that after listening to their conversation, Tae Jihwan asked him this: 
. (chapter 27) He utilized the idiom “parents”, because he thought that Soo-Young had been talking to his father. He had not paid attention to the name “uncle”. As you can see, “the uncle” is really suspicious. For me, he has always been the mother’s companion, but he hid his true identity by the title “uncle”.
As for the mother, she appears as distant and cold towards her son. So far, she has not visited her son’s new stay revealing her selfishness and indifference. What bothered me the most is that she criticized her son in front of Tae Jihwan. 
(chapter 23) He is not affectionate, he doesn’t confide to her. (chapter 23) At no moment she praised him. But the reality is that she is the one who pushed her son away, who drew a line… (chapter 2) She is the one who asked him to become detached and as such to become an adult (“steel yourself”). Thus I believe that her advice “put yourself first” was actually reflecting more her own thoughts. She is putting herself first in the end. Soo-Young is forced to be on his own. What we were witnessing is the gradual abandonment. This explicates why after getting almost raped, Soo-Young refused to call his family. 
(chapter 30). He has no one to lean on. Thus the concerns from the mother and uncle appear as superficial and fake, for they are more “empty words”. Their absence in his life is the evidence of their neglect and wrongdoings. They are monsters despite their sweet words, for they are “passive”, putting the whole responsibility on Soo-Young, while they are expecting to get something in return: (chapter 2) Why would the mother feel the need to say that the uncle was fond of him? It was to silence her own son so that the latter wouldn’t question their request. “He is fond of you” signifies that the main lead shouldn’t question the uncle’s request. Finally, I would like to outline that his generosity is limited, for he needs to pay him back later. In other words, it looks like Soo-Young is taking a loan from his so-called relative. Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible why the uke isolated himself and stopped relying on people. Because of his “family” and Gyujin 
(chapter 13) the protagonist learned the following lesson: there is nothing free in this world. Thus he started questioning Tae Jihwan’s assistance. 
(chapter 33) What does Tae Jihwan want from him? He wants sex!
(chapter 22) The expression “fuck his brains out” are making the main lead look like a sex monster! 😉
3. Lim Gyujin’s mask
When this character was first introduced in the story, it becomes clear that there exists a secret between him and Soo-Young. 
(chapter 2) But the readers are left in the dark about the nature of their past relationship. It was, as if Soo-Young had been a victim of bullying and was coerced to live as an outcast. This panel illustrates his isolation perfectly. 
(chapter 2) However, the moment Guyjin witnesses the exchange of greetings between the two main leads
(chapter 2), he stayed outside the classroom. Their brief interaction had caught Gyujin by surprise. He was left paralyzed. He.feels frightened, for he has the impression that Soo-Young could escape from his control. This explicates why later he approaches Soo-Young again (chapter 2) and portrays Soo-Young to Jihwan in a very bad light. 
(chapter 2) He desires to separate them. What caught my attention is that his words are actually reflecting his own personality. Gyujin has a good reputation among his peers, but his interaction with Soo-Young exposes that he can not be judged by his cover. This person is very manipulative, and not just with Soo-Young, but also with other school mates, like for example with Hyunwoo. The latter is envious of rich people, especially of Tae Jihwan. 
(chapter 1) Yet he was staying close to the main lead, for he could benefit from this relationship. The girls would approach him, for he was Jihwan’s friend and he got the opportunity to party without spending any money. However, the moment Gyujin noticed that the two protagonists got closer, he chose to use Hyunwoo as his pawn. On purpose, he criticized Hyunwoo in public by siding with Tae Jihwan
(chapter 14) so that the latter would feel upset and betrayed by Tae Jihwan. 
(chapter 14) 
(chapter 14) By confronting him with the truth, he earned Hyunwoo’s trust. Gyujin utilized Hyunwoo’s resent towards Tae Jihwan to blackmail Soo-Young again. 
(chapter 21) Hyunwoo became his spy and that’s how he got the picture with the kiss. 
(chapter 20) Yes… this little monster is exactly like his mentor Gyujin, a hypocrite hiding behind social norms. Thus Hyunwoo condemns homosexuality. 
(chapter 21) and his mentor doesn’t object to this statement.
However, the hypocrite’s deceptive nature can be detected with the way he treated the uke. He noticed that Soo-Young was attracted to him and took advantage of him. 
(chapter 6) In this scene, the main lead didn’t desire to drink from the can, because it would have been like an indirect kiss. That’s how the antagonist realized the main lead’s sexual orientation. But like mentioned above, he forced the young boy to kiss him 
(chapter 21) and to do him a fellatio 
(chapter 6) But why did he act this way? One reason is that Soo-Young was rather innocent and passive. He discovered his sexual orientation rather late. 
(chapter 6) Moreover, Gyujin couldn’t control his urges. Besides, he felt that he had the upper hand, for he had been helping Soo-Young financially. (chapter 13) In other words, his generosity was not for free either. He desired something in return. This explicates why he was controlling the main character too. 
(chapter 6) And his negative attitude towards the uke becomes more obvious, when you compare his visit . 
(chapter 5) with Tae Jihwan’s. 
(chapter 10) Criticism after arriving unannounced versus no comment and planned visit. However, Gyujin was never perceived as a controlling and manipulative freak by his classmates. Why? It is because they met in secret. It was always after school.
(chapter 5) (chapter 6) Observe that the classroom and the hallway were empty. Their encounters were limited in time and location: his house. 
(chapter 5) To conclude, their relationship remained a secret. No one in their class suspected that they were friends, for they were not interacting in the open. However, everything changed the moment Tae Jihwan joined Soo-Young’s class and the former greeted the uke. Because of this small interaction, Gyujin felt insecure and approached Soo-Young again and this was caught by Tae Jihwan. 
(chapter 2) That’s how the latter realized that they were “friends” which led him to ask for Gyujin’s help. 
(chapter 3) However, the latter couldn’t refuse so openly, for the true nature of their relationship was still a secret. On the other hand, this request pushed Gyujin to act behind the back of Tae Jihwan. That’s how his hypocrisy becomes more and more obvious. However, his hideous side reached a new peak, when he trespassed Soo-Young’s house in the middle of the night and tried to rape him. 
(chapter 35) He became a real criminal, thus he covered his face with a mask. So who is he in the end? For Tae Jihwan, he is a parasite 
(chapter 35), as he has been clinging onto the poor student while guilt-tripping him. According to Gyujin, Soo-Young used him to discover his sexual orientation. His hypocrisy, manipulations and hidden brutality make him look like a psychopath, or better said as someone suffering from Antisocial Personality Disorder. But he is not, in my eyes he is closer to someone suffering from NPD (Narcissistic Personality Disorder).
According to the DSM-5, individuals who meet the criteria for narcissistic personality disorder have a sense of entitlement, are arrogant, consider themselves to be special, feel self-important, take advantage of others, have a great need for admiration, lack empathy, envy other people, and are obsessed with fantasies of boundless power.1 Quoted from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/finding-new-home/201905/comparing-narcissistic-and-antisocial-personality
Even Tae Jihwan criticized him for his delusion. 
(chapter 22) To conclude, this character is an antagonist, but his monstrosity only comes to the surface, when it comes to Soo-Young.
4. Tae Jihwan: a psycho or a hero?
Right from the start, EZ presented the protagonist under a rather negative light. He mocked Soo-Young
(chapter 1), then he forced him to smoke a cigarette
(chapter 1). Finally, he had a rather enigmatic smile. (chapter 1) Thus the readers could only corroborate Soo-Young’s judgement about Tae Jihwan. 
(chapter 1) He was oozing danger and arrogance. We could say that he was introduced as a bad boy, for he arrived late on his first day. On the other hand, he was also described as a very good student. 
(chapter 1), thereby he got admitted to class 1, where all the students are hardworking. Another interesting aspect is that when he arrived late in the classroom, the schoolmates called him a psycho! However, only in episode 41, we discover that he is indeed suffering from Antisocial Personality Disorder. 
(chapter 41) But why is it only revealed so late? It is because the author desired the readers to get acquainted with him before discovering his illness. He should be judged based on his actions and not on this diagnosis. Through the two seasons, Tae Jihwan got the opportunity to act like the “knight in shining armor” towards Soo-Young. 
(chapter 33) First, Soo-Young got blackmailed and threatened by Gyujin and Hyunwoo with this picture: (chapter 20) Once the protagonist confronted his former “boyfriend” with reality 
(chapter 21), he got slapped. 
(chapter 21) That’s when Jihwan entered the room, a sign that he was waiting for the right time. With his entrance, he was able to turn the table to his advantage. 
(chapter 22) Then when Gyujin tried to rape Soo-Young, the main lead was able to arrive on time, for they had been talking over the phone. (chapter 35) This shows that Jihwan had not expected such an escalation. However, this night left deep scars on the uke’s heart and soul, therefore he feared Gyujin’s presence and Jihwan knew about this. 
(chapter 32) He chose to take advantage of the situation in order to have Gyujin expelled from school. And now, you comprehend why Jihwan smirked at the perpetrator! (chapter 32) It was to provoke his rival’s ire so that Gyujin would lose his temper and assault him. He had to let himself beat by the “rapist” so that the latter would get expelled. If he had retaliated or tried to protect himself, he would have been suspected. And this bring me to the following observation. Tae Jihwan has always been called a psycho, because his “illness” is not hidden. Thus Guyjin asked him this, when he got assaulted by Jihwan. 
(chapter 35) His mental disorder is no secret and is even circulating among the upper-class. In my opinion, it is related to this incident. When he was younger, he attempted to strangle a playmate, Han Do-Yoon. 
(chapter 41) But why did he do this? He described this as an urge, but when you see his smile directed at his father, 
(chapter 41), it becomes obvious that this action was against the father as well. He wanted to show him that he was his true son. 
(chapter 41) How so?
It is because Tae Seong-Jun had acted exactly like Gyujin. 
(chapter 39) With money, he had helped Choi Yoojin. However, this generosity was not for free. He wanted to obtain her love. He had coerced to marry him and to have a child with him. He imagined that if they had a child together, she would come to love the child and as such him. 
(chapter 39) Thus he made the promise to release her, once he had a child. He was hoping that time would be on his side. However, the opposite happened. The woman came to resent Tae Jihwan, as he was a constant reminder of the broken promise. Thus she strangled him on a regular basis. 
(chapter 39) Since the father knew that his love was not reciprocated, he imprisoned her. Since she was trapped, she got depressive and aggressive. The worst is that her son was the one who had to take care of his own mother. 
(chapter 39) His task was to deliver her medicine. And in order to justify her absence to others, Choi Yoojin was portrayed as a mentally sick person suffering from schizophrenia. 
(chapter 39) Seong-Jun hid his crimes behind rumors and deceptions, but his intelligent child was no fool. Yes, he is another monster, but I doubt that his new wife is aware of the true story. This situation escalated to this ultimate threat: 
(chapter 39) That’s the moment the mother chose to kill herself. 
(chapter 41) She cut her wrists in the bed, while her son was sleeping next to her. Tae Jihwan loved his mother despite her harsh treatment. It is perceptible, because he enjoyed sleeping next to her. 
(chapter 39) 
(chapter 39) And now, you comprehend why Tae Jihwan chose to provoke his father. (chapter 41) It was to expose his hypocrisy and lies. 
(chapter 40) At the same time, his action was like a reminder to the father. He would be tormented, each time he would see him. This explicates why the father doesn’t like meeting Tae Jihwan and he is already talking about sending him to the USA. He wants him to move out, for he feels his presence as a burden, the reminder of his failure. Let’s not forget that after Yoojin’s suicide, the father cried, 
8chapter 41) but he totally neglected his son. 
(chapter 41) This shows that this child had never been the fruit of love, but a mean to control the mother. At the same time, the manhwaphiles can grasp why Tae Jihwan hates lies and hypocrisy more than anything else. 
(chapter 40) That’s the reason why he doesn’t consider people around him as friends. He knows that they are only interested in him because of his father and money. (chapter 2) Here, Gyujin invited himself to Tae Jihwan’s house. And the latter was not allowed to refuse. 
(chapter 2) One detail caught my attention is that his “acquaintances” sometimes call him “Taeji”! Tae is the father’s name. They want to be close to him because of his father. In other words, although he is surrounded by people, he is in reality a lonely person. He is in the same situation than Soo-Young in the end. He is abandoned too. 
(chapter 39) The scene with the abandoned cat is exposing that Tae Jihwan is not a cruel and violent person per se. He is capable of taking care of people, but by growing up in a toxic environment, he came to see “love” in a negative light. 
(chapter 39) Back then, he imagined other methods how to keep his mother by their side 
(chapter 39), but her suicide changed everything. 
(chapter 39) This made him realize his powerlessness. For me, her action taught him the following lesson: you can not force your love onto someone! This explicates why Jihwan is not coercing Soo-Young to kiss him 
(chapter 36) or to have sex with him. He wants to have his consent all the time. If the latter rejects his advances and caresses
(chapter 25), he accepts his refusal. He gives him his free space. He is trying to move at his love interest’s space. The best illustration is visible in this panel: 
(chapter 27) He wants to live with Soo-Youngas roommates, but it is not to have sex with him immediately. Though he said this to Gyujin (chapter 22), he is controlling his urges. The cigarette at the beginning of the story was an indirect kiss. That’s why he smiled. On the other hand, he doesn’t want to share Soo-Young to others, though he still restrains himself. This means that the mother’s death affected Tae Jihwan a lot more than people could imagine. He learned the notion of consent, the cowardice and hypocrisy of so-called rich and normal people. And this brings me to this scene. 
(chapter 35) Tae Jihwan ruined Gyujin’s hand with the knife his mother used to cut her wrist. This shows that he was seeing his father in Gyujin. But was he a brutal monster here? Yes, because he did himself justice, he was violating the laws. 
(chapter 35) On the other hand, Gyujin didn’t get charged for the sexual assault on Soo-Young. (chapter 35) He had been expelled because of his assault on Jihwan. This explicates why Jihwan was so enraged, when he saw Gyujin in the streets. The latter could still move so freely, hence he could still try to approach Soo-Young. Since Gyujin’s father is quite influential and rich, 
(chapter ), there is no doubt that the latter would have been able to escape from punishment. Just like his father did… he trapped Yoojin, and even drugged her in order to keep her docile and no one intervened. Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible why Jihwan punished him so cruelly. He targeted his fingers, because the antagonist had put them into Soo-Young’s hole. 
(chapter 35) Jihwan couldn’t forget the uke’s fears and tears. 
(chapter 35) On the other hand, we shouldn’t overlook that Jihwan’s extreme action was actually supported by the father’s assistant, Mr. Jeong. 
(chapter 35) He was present, when Gyujin got wounded. He even obeyed the young master’s order, to fetch another tool. He was also present, when the mother got trapped and drugged. 
8chapter 41) He was the helping hand of “monsters”. And this makes him a cruel person as well. His lies, participation and passivity are exposing that he plays a huge role in the misery of others. And this leads me to the following observation. Tae Jihwan is receiving the same medication than his own mother
(chapter 37), a sign that he is not treated properly. Remember that her illness was described as “schizophrenia”. For me, this story is exposing that people shouldn’t be judged based on their reputation, social status or their “illness”. Jihwan is more an antihero, but since he helped Soo-Young so many times, he has been able to move his heart. Thus the latter started desiring to lean more on him. 
(chapter 28) Finally, in chapter 42, Tae Jihwan’s revelation about his past and mother 
(chapter 42) surprised Soo-Young. He was moved and got curious about Jihwan. 
(chapter 42) This scene is truly beautiful, because it exposes the huge contrast between Jihwan and his father. (chapter 39) Both are definitely obsessed with one person, but Jihwan chose to act the opposite from his role model: open space, no false promise, no blame… he is showing his vulnerability and not his power and wealth.
I hope that this essay about “The Edge Of Ambiguity” gave you the desire to read the Manhwa. And if this analysis is a success, then I will write about it again.
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.
(chapter 12) He even felt pleasure, thus he didn’t pay attention to the bruise on the doctor’s back. (chapter 12) Due to his lack of sensibility, roughness and selfishness, people are already on the verge of dropping this story. Even the young doctor thought, that guy was crazy. 
(chapter 12) No average person would behave that way. Thus he was already stigmatized as lunatic and as such as psychopath. Hence in the first part, I will answer to this question. 
(Doctor Frost, chapter 175) And this stands in opposition to the code of conduct of a psychologist. The word psychopath causes so many negative emotions like fears, rejection and hatred. On the other hand, the psychologist’s role is not only to detect the source of the problem, but also to offer a solution. This means that he is not allowed to let emotions cloud his judgement. 
(chapter 216) Moreover, the doctor has to show a certain understanding and empathy to the patient in front of him. And now, you are wondering why I am mentioning Doctor Frost again. It is because the protagonist was himself diagnosed as suffering from ASPD!! This diagnosis scared his parents so much that at the end, they started avoiding their own son. He was sent to a psychiatry. However, his doctor still believed that he had a chance to change. Thus he proposed a way to the young boy how to overcome his handicap!! He should study psychology so that he would come to “understand” the human mind. Because he was not capable to feel “emotions” like the others, he should utilize his mind to grasp them. Hence the more he studied the human mind, the more he was able to “understand” their problems. At the same time, the more he interacted with humans, the more he came to learn how to behave like a normal person. As you can see, “psychopath” is not even a death sentence. There’s still hope.
(chapter 12) and keeps an eye on the doctor constantly. His plan to “have” Kim Dan was poorly planned, for he kept waiting for a sign from him. At no moment, he even thought that the doctor could block him or keep his distance from him. 
(chapter 5) He doesn’t ooze charisma or superficial charm, for he never hides his strength and power. 
(chapter 1) He even shows disdain, or strong emotions like rage and annoyance. 
(chapter 5) To sum up, he is not detached. Finally, he was still able to feel a certain sympathy for the doctor
(chapter 10), hence he brought him to his home. He still listened to his request. 
(Doctor Frost, chapter 216) The latter has to observe the patient and question why the person is behaving like that! What are his motivations? So why did Joo Jaekyung propose to try something new with Kim Dan? 
(chapter 11) This means that the athlete had never been able to use it before with his other sex partners. 
(chapter 12) All of them must have definitely refused… too scared! This explains why the athlete proposed alcohol to the doctor in the beginning. (chapter 12) Thus I deduce that the man had long this wish, but he could never outlive it. This displays his selfishness. This was not planned in the long run. 
(chapter 12), which the main lead had detected either! (chapter 12) This exposes that during that night, the champion was paying more attention to his partner’s reactions contrary to the first night. He even asked him about his feelings
(chapter 12), but the doctor refused to admit it. I consider it as an improvement to the first encounter! Besides, he even let the doctor rest after the first round, which he had not done during the first night. 
(chapter 12) As you can see, he was mindful to a certain extent. Naturally, it was not enough. However, since his words sounded so harsh and cold, the readers only noticed his lack of sensitivity. And if you read my previous essay, you are aware of the existence of the 4 sides-model. The athlete was voicing his frustration. He had enjoyed their last session so much that he wished to have more sex! Please… do something so that you have more stamina! 😉 This was his karma for giving him alcohol. From my point of view, he will never do it again. But to return to my main point, the readers can see, unnecessary cruelty and sadistic enjoyment can be ruled out validating one more time that he is not suffering from ASPD.
(chapter 12) How do we explain the discrepancy? It is because deep down, the seme always had the impression that they were more interested in his wealth and fame than in himself. He never trusted them, he believed them to be hypocrites who would offer him presents in exchange for a favor. And now, you have another explanation why Joo Jaekyung is already obsessed with Kim Dan. Their relationship is based on “honesty”. The champion knows that the young physician is only sleeping with him due to his money. But if the doctor came to admit his pleasure right away, the athlete would have the impression that his skills in bed are quite impressive. That’s the reason why when the uke confessed that he hated it 
(chapter 12), the champion misunderstood the message. 
(chapter 12) In his mind, he needs to do more so that the young man admits pleasure. However, this relationship is actually based on a lie. Kim Dan deceived his partner by telling him that he was experienced!! This is important, because each objection from the doctor is perceived as a personal rejection. (chapter 12) He wants money and offers his body for sex… yet each time Joo Jaekyung wants to do something, he refuses or makes a remark. That’s the reason why the athlete has to bring up the added condition. Besides, the athlete believes that the young man has always “had sex” for money, therefore he needs to distinguish himself from others. Technically, the doctor could go elsewhere… That’s how Joo Jaekyung thinks! To conclude, I believe that the champion sees the young doctor as a challenge. And as long as the physician doesn’t rectify this lie, the champion will keep misunderstanding the situation. This exposes Joo Jaekyung’s innocence and simplemindedness. He is not able to detect lies or manipulations from Kim Dan validating my diagnosis that he is not suffering from ASPD. For him, the bruises are from a fall, because he trusts his words. That’s the end of the explanation. 
he (chapter 12) Striking is that here he was actually projecting his own thoughts onto the athlete. This displays his incapability to perceive people correctly. He is lacking social skills. Some manhwaphiles criticized the author for such a drawing! The phallus was much too big, this could not be not normal at all. But you have to think that Mingwa drew it from Kim Dan’s perspective. That’s the reason why the poor doctor associated it to a weapon. (chapter 12) That’s how he felt: it was so huge… This childish behavior also explains why he didn’t see the danger of such a sex session with a sick person. And according to my research about Traumatic Brain Injury, it is not abnormal that a patient suffering from TBI starts acting like a teenager or a child. 
(chapter 6) Analyzing a home of a a person can give us clue about his personality. 
(doctor frost, chapter 8) There is no trace of his family. Why? This is a sign that he is not close to them. Secondly, I couldn’t help myself thinking of the importance of the parents. The latter serve as a mirror to the child, 
(doctor Frost, chapter 8) 
(Doctor frost, chapter 8) This would explain on the one hand Joo Jaekyung’s self-centerness and his desire to obtain fame and recognition. He is compensating the lack of love and sympathy from his relatives. And just because he is “swimming” in money, we shouldn’t judge to the conclusion that he had a happy childhood either. The only adults and role models he has so far are his manager and coach Jeong Yosep. 
(chapter 5) And note that he listens to them, indicating that he is trusting them a lot. That’s the reason why I am even now envisioning that the main lead could have been neglected by his wealthy family.
(chapter 1) The champion confides to him certain secrets and lets him clean up the mess. However, since the coach likes Kim Dan very much, Joo Jaekyung will receive a huge scolding from his surrogate father. And before closing this analysis, I would like to add two important aspects: Kim Dan’s role is to teach Joo Jaekyung to become responsible and as such to act as a real adult. Thus he received this task from his manager: 
(chapter 9) He needs to recognize that masculinity and manhood shouldn’t be reduced to sex, but to maturity. Secondly, since he associates strength with health, I believe that the halmoni’s sickness will open his eyes. She might be ill and weak, she can still speak up and tell her mind without fear! Finally, since the champion is bothered by the doctor’s lack of stamina, I have the impression that he could decide to train Kim Dan! He shouldn’t just stand there, but also develop his muscles. Like I have already mentioned before, sports will be the reason why the two protagonists will get closer! As a conclusion, the protagonist is not evil in my eyes, he is just an uneducated child who definitely needs some good scolding. 
, I came to realize the lord’s true personality. He doesn’t just want to replace the main lead as the new alpha among the nobles, more importantly he takes pleasure in ruining friendships and as such causing pain to others. As a conclusion, I noticed that he enjoys destruction. Therefore I stated in the first part that Min had a nihilistic mindset: 
(chapter 52). Then he violates the rights of his host in chapter 43, when he proposes the assassination. Since this is not Min’s pavilion, this means that his friend’s house is transformed into a conspiracy place.
This will play a huge part in the future, as I am anticipating a purge. At another party, he violates again the rights of his host by mocking and insulting him: chapter 52, 53 
54
. I could also add that he disregards the painter by suggesting his murder (43, 56) or by treating him like a sex object (chapter 33/52). Moreover, he often lies (chapter 36
, chapter 43 
. All these examples expose that he manipulates his surroundings constantly. He influences Jihwa by giving him the idea of the murder (
chapter 43, chapter 56 
). He pressures Yoon Seungho to bring the artist to their party so that he can taste him (chapter 33, chapter 52). Observe that although Black Heart is often seen with other aristocrats (chapter 8
, 
chapter 33 
chapter 52), he doesn’t care about them. In fact, he uses them for his own benefit. Remember that he took the opium from his acquaintance (chapter 52). Then he ruined his “friend”‘s party by causing a ruckus, while the other wanted to have some discreet fun.
I would even say, he manipulates the masses by making requests, which the other nobles can’t truly reject. Note that neither in chapter 33 nor in 52, the aristocrats stopped Black Heart from talking and even supported his request: the main lead should bring the commoner to their sex party. As a conclusion, he uses his influence over the other aristocrats to get what he desires: have sex with the painter. This displays his true power as manipulator. No one is capable to stop him, not even Yoon Seungho, the alpha king among the local aristocracy. 
(chapter 52). This is understandable, as during that night, Yoon Seungho was totally vulnerable and tried to hide his weak disposition with his clothes.
(chapter 52) This explains why Black Heart continues targeting the main lead with his tricks (chapter 52/53/54). Not only he simply can’t get enough, but also he is determined to prove his supremacy. The manhwaphiles comprehend now why in chapter 66, Min even visits directly the protagonist’s mansion on his own indicating that he has been keeping an eye on Yoon Seungho. Observe that for the first time, he comes alone, unlike in chapter 8 and 52.
He must have heard about the painter’s disappearance and desires to witness Yoon Seungho’s pain. For him, this would represent the best proof of his skill as manipulator. But to his disappointment, Baek Na-Kyum is not dead. 
This mask exposes his lack of empathy and his joy for imagining that the main lead is suffering (“difficulty with showing remorse or empathy“). Since his plan failed, he is disappointed
. Therefore he enters Yoon Seungho’s mansion. However, pay attention to the last picture which indicates that Min is thinking about Jihwa and his disobedience. The red-haired noble didn’t act like planned. In my perspective, his thoughts indicate that Min will make Jihwa pay for his “disobedience”. At the same time, I believe that Min is already thinking about his next move, this is the other reason why he enters the main lead’s house without a proper invitation (a new version of chapter 12). This image serves as another evidence for his continuous disregard for social norms. And this chapter 66 represents a turning point in my opinion, as it exposes Min’s impulsiveness to the best. Since he didn’t get Yoon Seungho’s defeat by afflicting pain on him, he needs to cause another uproar and inflict pain on Jihwa, who didn’t follow his “order”. Note that Black Heart just reversed the roles, showing that he doesn’t care who wounds whom. His main focus is pain. By revealing the secret, Black Heart is hoping that Yoon Seungho will retaliate against his childhood friend because of the kidnapping.
Hence I come to the conclusion that for Black Heart, the commoner had been a killjoy in that scene. And now, it makes perfect sense why Min chose Jihwa as his pawn in the end. He had witnessed how the latter could turn Yoon Seungho into a “monster” 
and found it so entertaining and funny that he decided to recreate the same situation. This observation explicates why Yoon Seungho put Jihwa and Min in the same bag in chapter 57. Min knew how to provoke the main lead thanks to Jihwa. 
He says the exact opposite of his true thoughts. While begging for the protagonist’s mercy, he is hoping for the opposite reaction. However, his plan can’t work like in chapter 53 because of the painter’s presence. The reason for this is simple. The lord is embracing the unconscious commoner underlining the importance of the hug. Although Baek Na-Kyum is unconcious here, just his presence is now strong enough to stop Yoon Seungho from getting violent and enraged. Baek Na-Kyum is so vulnerable that the lord can only focus on him, whereas it was the opposite in chapter 53. In other words, this episode marks Min’s defeat. He is not able to manipulate Yoon Seungho like in the past and the painter represents his antidote. 
, when he revealed himself the planned assassination in front of Baek Na-Kyum. However, back then he wasn’t caught, as neither the painter nor the powerful protagonist paid attention to his words. And instead of learning from his mistakes (f. ex. the murder didn’t occur like planned or the punches he received from the main lead for his provocations), he continues irritating Yoon Seungho. He notices that the latter is no longer denying his feelings in front of him, hence he can’t humiliate him like in chapter 54. 
Consequently he has to search for another trigger in order to provoke the owner of the mansion. But here, he fails again, as the artist is more important than Jihwa’s wrongdoing. Yoon Seungho is already more focused on his own misdeeds, the afflicted abuse on the painter: the violent sex marathon, the insults and the sequestration. Consequently he has no time for his uninvited guest. He ignores him and leaves him behind, but this won’t do for Min, hence he unveils a secret: Jihwa’s participation. 
Since the chapter 66 stands in opposition to the episodes 53/54, it becomes obvious that the main lead will react differently. He won’t act on his emotions, he learned his lesson due to the painter. He punished the commoner, although the latter was innocent, too blinded by his rage and pain. That’s why I think, we should consider the chapter 66 as Min’s ultimate defeat.
He chose to irritate him again, risking his own life. That’s why he got slapped so violently that the door was destroyed. But note that Black Heart didn’t feel any pain and showed no tears, instead he started laughing and showed pleasure. 
But even after receiving the slap, he continued provoking the host thereby the main lead started punching him so many times. 
Yet at no moment, he asked the lord to stop from hurting him, he kept laughing. 
However, there exists another explanation why Min kept provoking Yoon Seungho. But this aspect will be elaborated later.
(chapter 41) Don’t forget that he calls the vicious man “a mouse”, a real insult to someone who sees himself as superior and talented. Then the night after the beating, Min waits for Jihwa in front of his house and urges Jihwa to murder the painter.
However, this time he adds that he wants to taste the painter before and note that here, he is mentioning the punches he received from Yoon Seungho. 
As the manhwaphiles can detect, Min is here retaliating against the main lead for hurting him. He will make him suffer much more: not only he will lose the commoner, but also the latter will get raped: a double affront. However, just like before, he prefers using the childhood friend so that he can avoid to take any responsibility. If something happens, then only Jihwa will pay for this. We should remember that Min never wrote anything concerning a crime. The idea he proposed was at his friend’s place, and the idea of the rape was also mentioned on the street with no witness. 
Min realized the importance of knowledge. Jihwa knew his friend well, hence he was able to awake the “beast” in the main lead. Besides, he could notice that Jihwa had an immense influence on the main character. He could wound him, yet the latter wouldn’t cut ties with him. Note that in that scene, Min never said a word, yet he was observant and realized that Yoon Seungho had a weakness: “in the most wretched of states”. That’s why he chose to get closer to the protagonist, willing to become an uke, if it was necessary for his plan. He needed to discover more about his prey and the best place was to get closer to Jihwa and Yoon Seungho, slowly and silently exactly like a snake. However, I believe, the real war between the two semes started in chapter 41, which caught my attention during the first season. The hand on the main character’s waist was a sign that the psychopath planned to “screw” the main character.
(chapter 41) Not only he showed his desire to submit Yoon Seungho, but also he acted, as if he was superior to him. He asked questions and even criticized the main character for his behavior: he was creating a ruckus, exposing his hypocrisy, as Black Heart loves uproar. 
This observation leads me to the following explanation: The Arousal Theory of Motivation. This psychological conception tries to elaborate what stimulates people. 
His reason is his thirst for revenge. His sister Lee Seorin was a victim of a gang rape, but since the perpetrators were never prosecuted, the sister killed herself out of despair. The culprits were students coming from wealthy and influential families and members of an organization called “secret fraternity”.
Because Lee Kirin had no idea about the identities of the culprits and only knew that they belonged to that “secret fraternity”, he decided to get close to Kang Moo in order to investigate and get revenge for his sister’s death. While Lee Ki-Rin believes, he is manipulating Kang Moo, the readers can quickly realize that the opposite is happening. Kang Moo is the one who let Lee Kirin approach him in the end. What Lee Kirin doesn’t know is that Kang Moo is a psychopath. The latter has always hidden his mental illness in front of people.
Even the members from that “club” had no idea except Lim Joohyuk. There’s a reason for that. When he killed a dog for the first time as a child, he saw his mother’s rejection and disgust. 
Striking is the importance of the gaze again. As a child, the boy sensed his mother’s negative judgement and rejection. However, this incident didn’t stop him to lose his “urge” for blood. Therefore he started to have hobbies like collecting dead bodies, taking pictures of dead creatures and even hunt.
As you can detect, in that story Kang Moo has an abnormal low arousal and needed stronger stimuli, as time passed on.
This reminds us of Min who keeps looking for entertainment and commotion. Note that Min’s violence has gradually increased: from sex as a symbol for fight, he went to a verbal challenge (chapter 33/41), then it escalated to a murder (43), then to a beating and gangrape (52/53) and finally to a combination of murder and rape (56). And in The Beast Must Die, the protagonist is well aware of the consequences of his behavior. If he killed someone, he would ruin his life.
(chapter 32) The manhwaphiles can sense the similarity in the vocabulary: for Min, it is fun/entertainment, while Kang Moor keeps talking about “pleasure”. Since Kang Moo recognized the repercussions of a murder, he chose to fight against it contrasting to Min’s attitude. And there’s reason for that: Min’s social status and historical period. The latter is a noble and can use his superiority to hurt commoners and even break laws, because aristocrats are not prosecuted like low-borns. Secondly, I believe that his family and his surroundings played a huge role. Observe that the nobility is portrayed as corrupt and decadent. Besides, the manhwalovers should remember that Min’s MO is to manipulate others, therefore it reveals that the character had found a way out how to outlive his “urge and need”. He could commit small wrongdoings, as he knew that he wouldn’t get punished for this. But if he had to hurt another noble, he had to use someone else. And this exposes the similarities between Kang Moo and Min. Both are well aware that certain things are not allowed, yet they try to find a different way to move around the rules and laws. 
(chapter 32) the readers shouldn’t take his words as face-value. In my opinion, he felt a similar emotion than Lee Kirin (revenge), because Lee Seorin was the first person who showed understanding and no rejection, when he removed his mask and revealed his true personality.
(chapter 33) . What caught my attention is that Kang Moo is voicing his fear indicating that he was well aware of his own mental issues. Moreover, it also outlines his despair… he desired to escape from this, but didn’t know how to. Lee Seorin comprehended Kang Moo’s anxiety, therefore she tried to encourage him not to give up, by supporting him that he could continue maintaining a normal life, if he truly wanted it. 
And now, you grasp why Kang Moo snapped, when he heard about the circumstances of her death. It was his club that was responsible for her suicide. Naturally, when Lee Kirin asks him if he loved his sister, the psychopath can’t answer that question, since he is unable to grasp his emotions.
(chapter 34). However, there’s no doubt that the protagonist had an affection for Lee Kirin’s sister. I believe to perceive an evidence of his attachment to her, when he mentions the suffering of a victim of gang rape. 
(chapter 56) Sure, in this scene he is threatening Mr. Jang to organize a gang rape on Mrs. Hong’s daughter, because the man with the glass was also menacing his lover Lee Kirin. Yet, the fact that he mentioned such a crime indicates that he didn’t forget the crime Lee Seorin suffered from and he could understand her pain. And there’s another proof that Kang Moo is not truly emotionless. It becomes even more obvious that he loves the main lead too. It is shown in two different occasions. First, he states that he will never let Lee Kirin go. 
(chapter 34) And latter, he requests from his lover to help him to “stop the beast inside him”. 
That’s his love confession, although Kang Moo doesn’t truly comprehend the true signification of his words. At some point, he begins to grasp that he has changed and is relying more on Lee Kirin which makes him nervous. This shows that Kang Moo has some problems to accept his love for Lee Kirin. However, this manhwa truly indicates that a person suffering from ASPD is capable to live a normal life and to feel love, even if this patient is not expressing it in the normal way. Furthermore, in this story, Kang Moo tries to use others in order to dirty less his own hands so that the members from “secret fraternity” kill each other indicating that this is not just to enjoy pleasure. Let’s not forget that at the same time, he helps a friend who is getting abused by her fiancé. So he is not a serial killer per se. He is determined to punish “scums” while committing crimes. Yet he believes that he uses revenge as an excuse. To sum up, the story is not just about a psychopath following his urges to kill, but rather the battle of a psychopath who struggled to lead a normal life, but gave in the moment he lost the person who supported him. 
(chapter 1). Here, they hunt someone for fun. Besides, I would like to mention here the k-drama “It’s Okay not to be okay” with Kim Soo-Yun and Seo Yea-Ji. In this terrific drama, the main lead is a famous writer suffering from ASPD and the so-called normal people are actually portrayed in a rather negative way as well: they insult, exclude and hurt the persons suffering from a disorder or disability. This shows that authors in South Korea are trying to change the image about mental disorders and plead for more understanding and open-mindedness. In “The Beast Must Die” and “It’s Okay Not To Be Okay”, the characters help people to comprehend that the boundary between normality and abnormality is thin and I would even say, illusory. Lee Kirin desired to get revenge, yet he doesn’t feel sorry for the death of the culprits, but no one is questioning him. It becomes a different story, when a psychopath is involved. The detective will do anything to catch Kang Moo, but finds excuses for Lee Kirin. But observe that he is not diagnosed as a psychopath. As you can sense, there’s here a double standard. Normal people even call for violence and revenge due to their anger and pain, that’s why there’s still death penalty in so many countries. As a conclusion, being diagnosed as a psychopath doesn’t mean that they are no human and people should treat the patient like a monster. Being excluded from society is not the correct answer, like Kang Moo sensed it. He felt the condemnation in his parents’ gaze hence he felt abandoned and lonely. 
Furthermore, he saw genuine attraction in the painter’s gaze because of Yoon Seungho. Let’s not forget that Min considered the protagonist as a person similar to him. The commoner was not attracted due to his power or wealth but by the person himself… meaning that he didn’t care about his bad reputation and bad habits. That’s how Min got fascinated by the artist. Since he saw the pure desire in Baek Na-Kyum’s eyes during the intercourse 
(chapter 8), the aristocrat imagined that he could get the same gaze, if he had sex with the painter. And that’s how the love triangle started. He wished to be gazed like Yoon Seungho was. 
since he viewed such a pure gaze, while the protagonist was having sex, Min associated the painter’s stare to sex. This explicates why the former is so obsessed with sex and keeps desiring to taste the artist (chapter 33, 52, 56). He couldn’t forget that gaze. I can imagine that he must have called it an obsession, which is an idiom Kang Moo utilized to describe Lee Seorin’s affection for her brother. With this approach, it becomes comprehensible why Min tells Jihwa that Yoon Seungho has been bewitched by Baek Na-Kyum.
In reality, he is describing his own thoughts. In other words, he is projecting his own thoughts into the protagonist. He explains his desire and obsession with witchcraft, because he feels vulnerable. That’s his way to confess his love in my opinion. Just like Kang Moo, he can’t say these words (“I love you”), as he has no idea what he feels and what love is. With this interpretation, it becomes comprehensible why Min suggested the painter’s murder in the end. If he can’t satisfy his urges (taste the painter) and he is still thinking about it, then he needs to get rid of the source of his obsession. Because the moment the painter disappears, Min will be able to move on. Witnessing Yoon Seungho’s pain will compensate him for the loss. Therefore, the manhwaphiles can comprehend, why Min still associates Baek Na-Kyum to death. Deep down, he fears the painter, as he senses that the former represents a source of danger for him. He can become his weakness. And the best way to remove this is to manipulate Jihwa to commit the crime. I also think, Min had already detected that he couldn’t do it himself. 
For me, the character’s thoughts are actually mirroring Min’s true state of mind. Once again, he is projecting his own emotions “fiery in his jealousy”, “too weak at heart” into Jihwa. In fact, we could say the opposite. Jihwa’s heart was strong enough to resist negative emotions. That’s why Byeonduck chose to reveal Min’s thoughts in this chapter. Black Heart is someone who is always projecting his feelings and emotions into others, because he can’t deal with them himself. We had a similar phenomenon, in chapter 43. What Jihwa envisioned in chapter 43 represented Min’s thoughts in reality as well. 
Min was witnessing how Baek Na-Kyum was escaping from him: first a paramour, now a mistress. There’s another evidence for Min’s attachment to the painter. Like my reader @Lahuno66666 pointed it out correctly, Min is always talking about Baek Na-Kyum, exactly like the main lead. Note that in each chapter Min appears, he always mentions the artist: 
, chapter 36 
chapter 43 
, chapter 53 
, chapter 56 
, chapter 66 
And now, it becomes comprehensible why Min chose to walk on the picture
, when he was in the artist’s study. He felt the urge to destroy the image, as he desires to be the one portrayed in that painting. This explains why the next morning when he talks about the Baek Na-Kyum’s assassination and rape, he remembers the drawing. 
Bebebisous33s' analyses in K-Dramaland and Manhwas 