PREACH god I just love the subtleties of this manhwa like I didn’t even catch that in chapter 7 lol. Brett is literally one of the best characters in all the BL I’ve ever read, his complexities make him shine so much. This manhwa is a gem i thank the fates every day that the short story got serialized. It’s just so fun analyzing these characters
I wish I can like your comment more than once! Your explanation is so well thought out and I'm kicking myself for missing the subtlety of Brett's affections towards Hayden. I'm rereading it again just so I can go back and see the things you pointed out. Thank you!
This is truly a story that is completely different from most of the usual romance genres. If you just skim through it, you will hardly be able to see the feelings of the characters, especially Brett. Not only do we not see his POV, but the way he expresses his feelings for Hayden is also extremely calculated and subtle. At first glance, it seems that Brett is quite indifferent to this relationship, but if you pay close attention to what he does, you will realize how much effort he has put in just to maintain his relationship with Hayden. In ep.7, right after hearing the conversation between Hayden and his friend about Scott, Brett immediately sent a text message to inform that he would come to Hayden's house to divert Hayden's attention from Scott to himself. Even if there is only the slightest possibility that Hayden will change his mind, Brett will quickly find a way to solve it right away. He even thought about inviting Scott for a 3some just to solve the worries between Hayden and Scott. He invited Hayden to go to the gym to improve Hayden's physical strength as well as bring other benefits useful for Hayden's personal development, to ensure that Hayden would not feel disadvantaged when cooperating with him. And other side thing like protecting Hayden from Nathan’s malicious attention.
Brett's subtle concern for Hayden really goes far beyond a fwb relationship.
At first glance, it seems that Brett is just a rich bastard who doesn't mind spending money to keep Hayden, but in reality, it's not that simple. To bring what Hayden really needs, Brett has to observe and care about Hayden a lot to be able to make such decisions. Even though he is careful, it seems that Hayden's suspicion of Brett is too high, so it's counterproductive. However, Brett's efforts are also rewarded through the fact that Hayden is increasingly attracted to Brett to the point that Hayden is willing to die for Brett.