A lot of people don’t talk about this a lot because the story doesn’t highlight, but can we take a second to think about the fact that Haesoo has been in love with the same guy for a majority of his adolescence and adulthood? The connection between him and Joowon goes so deep. Haesoo is utterly transfixed by Joowon but since Haesoo has a prickly personality, as he doesn’t like looking weak, people overlook it.
Joowon was literally everything to him. They opened so many doors together and Haesoo was extremely influenced by Joowon’s presence and words. He did things just to get a rise out of Joowon because he so badly wanted Joowon’s attention. He took a very toxic approach just to have Joowon’s eyes on him, by smoking with other guys in HS and making Joowon jealous, which developed into adult Haesoo sleeping around to fill the empty space Joowon would leave behind.
If it wasn’t for Joowon’s encouragement, he would have never pursued his writing career. Joowon is really a Hyung( social status wise, not sibling wise) that he really looks up to and cares for. He admires Joowon’s seemingly high self esteem and straightforward approach towards his goals and dreams.
And whenever Joowon calls him, Haesoo always appears no matter what type of attitude he puts on, he’s always there for Joowon. He won’t admit it but he wants to be around Joowon too.
I think Haesoo struggles a lot because he has low self worth and an inferiority complex. On one hand he loves Joowon a lot and has been influenced by him for a significant portion of his life, but he doesn’t want Joowon to know just how much power he has over Haesoo. Haesoo himself can’t reconcile why he holds Joowon so high, why he would let someone have so much power over him and his emotions. So much so that in 10 years he has been unable to maintain any functioning romantic relationship because he’s so in love with Joowon.
He masks and alleviates the anxiety by lashing out at Joowon, putting him down at times and generally wanting himself and Joowon to believe that Haesoo doesn’t feel as a strongly as he does. That he’s not trapped in this and unwilling to truly let go. That he doesn’t want someone “better” that he just wants a Joowon who isn’t afraid to admit that he loves Haesoo as much as Haesoo loves him. That Joowon fell for Haesoo just as hard and deep as Haesoo fell for him.
This was beautiful!! :)
Thank you!! I have a newfound fondness for Haesoo
You're welcome!! I used to be frustrated with him, but I understand him better. This is a complex story with flawed characters. They deserve happiness! :D
They really do. I always loved Joowon but recently I’ve come to appreciate Haesoo more and I realize that they’ve both been so lonely trying to hold on to the fragile relationship between each other and their family. I can’t imagine how that feels. I’m glad that they’ve been able to come to a place of acceptance. Also I miss them fucking, Haesoo xTaku sex was kinda dry to me hahah
this was one of the best analysis of haesoo's character i've ever read!
I know right?? They both love each other, but so much came between them and their feelings. I'm glad (I really hope) it's not too late for them!
I actually skipped all the Taku x Haesoo sex scenes, but I for sure am excited to see Joowon and Haesoo back together and being more open with each other!!
Thank you!! Haesoo has a really off-putting personality and it really polarizes readers. Either you hate him or you victimize him. It took me a minute to realize he’s just a man with so much resentment, fear and repressed emotions. He’s fragile and terrified of being hurt again by Joowon ( abandonment issues from his parents divorce as well) but he’s also resilient and able to stand up for himself. I like him a little more these days.
Thank you for helping me connect the story together.
Thank you for reading!
Beautiful comments. You've put everything into words perfectly. Thank you.
Why are people so mad that two people who’ve loved each other for 10 years have finally come to a place where they’ve healed/are healing the issues that hurt them and kept them apart.
Taku isn’t getting a raw deal. His storyline is developing too, y’all just refuse to actually read canon and choose instead to believe your own interpretations. From the very beginning, it’s always been a love affair between Haesoo and Joowon. All 3 parties know this, and Taku interjected himself KNOWING that his pseudo relationship with Haesoo was not INITIALLY based on love or genuine care. It was mere curiosity and attraction, a distraction for the both of them. Somewhere along the way, he finally started feeling something he’s never felt before. His character development is that he’s no longer going to treat romantic interests or love so lightly. Taku was arrogant and believed himself above the vulnerability that love draws out of us. He’s been humbled and now he’s capable of truly loving someone.
Honestly, I feel sorry for Haesoo. He’s been holding in the pain and torture of being rejected by his first love yet still engaging in a dysfunctional sexual/romantic relationship with him for T E N Y E A R S. I don’t know if any of you have ever actually loved someone and been in a dysfunctional relationship but that shit is no walk in the park. It’s emotionally and mentally destructive and changes who you are as a person. Mostly it alters how you value yourself. Haesoo loves himself the least out of all 3 characters. He just wallows in this misery and refuses to really move on because he doesn’t feel worthy of love. That rejection really scarred him more than he lets on. His attitude is just a defense mechanism because he doesn’t want Joowon to see just how much power he has over him.
His happiness and peace of mind has been so contingent on validating this strange thing between him and Joowon. It’s no wonder he’s so irritable and spiteful. He has built up so much resentment over the years and has had no real outlet to express himself. His writing career is stalled, his relationship with his mother is strained because if his relationship with Joowon, he and Joowon avoid the truth just so they can stay in each other’s lives, and his relationship with Taku reminds him too much of what he yearns for with Joowon. He’s so alone. I used to not be so sympathetic of Haesoo, but I see now that he’s been the only character standing still, trapped in the past while everyone else finds a way forward. Haesoo is literally trapped in that moment Joowon told him “Don’t fall for me”.
SPOILER!!!
That’s why the confession scene is so poignant. It’s not just a confession but Haesoo’s first step forward in 94 chapters! He reopened that wound by being honest about still loving Joowon as much as he did all those years again when he tried to confess. Joowon recognized it too because he rewrote their story as he said he would and confirmed what Haesoo has been silently begging for, that yes they do love each other and it’s always been love and Haesoo hasn’t been alone in feeling all the emotional turmoil from the lack of communication and blatant lies they’ve told each other. They’re finally standing in the same place after 10 years. Youngha wrote something beautiful and it’s so stupid to reduce it to ship wars.
I couldn’t have said it better myself...what you said is right on point, as someone who’s been rooting for joowon from the very beginning it was kinda sad for me to see everyone in the comments section always being on taku's side, so it’s refreshing to see someone who actually understands the true meaning of their relationship, and looks at it from a different perspective rather than just a toxic relation, but more of a " Love or hate" relationship, two people with lingering feelings for each other not knowing to express them or even confront them. So honestly after all the shit they have been through I think they deserve this ending.
Never the less I still love taku, just not with haesoo, he is a great guy and a wonderful human being he just needs to find the somebody that will share his love with, I personally wouldn’t mind a side story for him (⌒▽⌒)
Also the latest chapter clearly says to be continued so we don’t know for sure if he’s gonna end up with joowon( So I’d rather not give myself any false hopes)
Yes! They are just two extremely flawed people who never got the chance to see their love through. It got disrupted before it even started. Sure, at first they were horny teens messing around, but at the same time they were developing real feelings for each other but because of their family situation, they had to cut the stem of a blossoming flower. That flower has continued to be cared for even just to keep it on the brink of death, nothing more nothing else.But neither were willing to uproot it and throw the flower away. Let’s not even get into how their parents have influenced the destruction of their relationship and self image!
Haesoo and Joowon had the cards stacked against them from the very beginning and they needed this break up to really take a look at what they’ve been doing for the past 10 years. They deserve a happy end imo.
I honestly feel bad for Taku, I pity him because I think deep down he wants what Haesoo and Joowon have. He has never felt that moved by another person and I think he knows that he is lacking in emotional intimacy and connection and I think he thought he could simply take Joowon’s place and receive a piece of their love for each other but that’s not how love works. His own story would be a good journey to him understanding what it really means to love and give up control.
Can I upvote a thousand time?
It's so pleasing to read people who actually try to understand the story, analyze it, and appreciate it for what it is.
Taku has many fans, and I can understand that. I like him, and I believe there is a version of the story where he's chosen by Haesoo. But he could never be Haesoo's true love, he could just be the easy one. Like you said perfectly, he was arrogant and I'm sure he will be able to move on. I'm too attached to him, I hope he will have his own story.
I love Joowon and Haesoo's relationship. They just love each other so much. But their beautiful love turned into something so painful because of their family circumstances. They had to lie, they had to hide, and they started to hurt each other because they didn't know how to deal with it. But they were just two teenagers falling in love, they did nothing wrong! It's so unfair, they really deserve to be together.
I can't forget chapter 74, when Joowon wishes he could have been a drama character with Haesoo: where their love would have been simple, and they would have just been happy. It was so beautiful and sad.
Now I want to see them together, as a team. Finally confessing to each other is a big step, but they still have many obstacles to overcome. Because they already have what matters the most, I'm convinced they will make it alright.
I dob’t know why people would rather fight over ships than actually dissect this beautiful story.
Taekyung went about it the wrong way. He was trying to covet something that wasn’t his because he was curious about why Haesoo and Joowon has such a strong attachment. Their twisted love affair fascinated him and he wanted in on the drama. He didn’t understand anything about love. But now for sure he will learn. Haesoo rejecting him is the beginning of his own love story with someone truly suited for him.
Chapter 74 was so beautiful! Joowon is so pitiful for trying to take on adult responsibilities at such a young age. Although he was the hyung, he was just a young dumb high school in love. Their parents really didn’t handle that situation carefully and it led to both Joowon and Haesoo internalizes some dangerous things. I’m rooting for them, and you're absolutely right they didn’t do anything wrong. Their parents can’t expect them to have seen one another as sibling just because they got married. Haesoo and Joowon never regarded each other that way, and had they just met in school as sunbae and hoobae, the story would have been parallel and probably with a better ended.
But despite me rooting for them, I have to admit it is jarring as a parent to catch something like that happening between your son and your step son. The mother still shouldn’t have reacted by immediately shaming and emotionally blackmailing them. That really fucked them up, especially Haesoo. You’re right, Haesoo and Joowon have the cards stacked against because they are STILL in a gay/queer relationship but the added stigma of being former step-siblings will forever haunt them. But I’mmglad they finally cut through the noose and decided to live for themselves and not society.
The joowon stans finally stepping up is honestly to satisfying to read, god knows that through the entire thing we only sat back and watched taku stans go on and on about what great guy he is, while we observed quietly, like you hardly see any joowon stans in the comment, at some point I stopped reading the comments because of it, so it would mean a great deal to me if the author actually made them end up together.
Their story was about more than just a crush, it was about the love they couldn’t share, the affection they couldn’t show to each other, the feelings they couldn’t express, even though I always was rooting for joowon, I disliked his personality at first like I admit he was kinda of an asshole, but I never thought that he did it to hurt haesoo but more like a way to hide his feelings for him, because the way I see it haesoo wasn’t the only one suffering during those ten years, joowon was in much more pain, he hated himself for telling haesoo not to fall for him when if fact he was the one with feelings for haesoo, he only told him not to fall for him because in the end one way or another, they both gonna end being hurt, and if we learnt anything through out the entire thing, it would be that joowon would rather be an asshole, a literal human trash, than hurt haesoo in any kind of way ╮(￣▽￣)╭
Taku stans have always been more interested in fighting and proving how much better Taku is than Joowon than actually reading the story. I’ve never seen a more childish comment section. They would literally just go on and on bashing Joowon and not discussing the story at all! It was so annoying and I stopped reading comments too and paused reading the story because I was just so sick of it being about the pairing and not their collective and individual growth.
Now they’re dismissing the story because “their ship didn’t sail”. I’m glad they started to quiet down though, so fucking childish to reduce this story to shipping ugh.
Yes!! Everything you said. I always liked Joowon actually, I knew he was putting up a front from the beginning and ep.74 just confirmed it. I used to be defending him so much before that ep and felt so vindicated with how Youngha laid out his POv. So many took license to bash him because we only got Haesoo’s perspective, but I always knew there was more to Joowon. Haesoo is insecure but he’s no doormat, no way would he put up with Joowon’s little act if there wasn’t a different side to him. They both willingly got into these roles in order to maintain a relationship without having to be honest of their true feelings and face the consequences of what that means.
They’ve always been each other’s #1 support system and they love the hell out of each other but love isn’t enough. You need honesty and communication, so hopefully things will be better. I would love to see who they could have been had they had the chance to love each other the way they wanted to. What does Haesoo look like when he’s Unapologetically in love? What does Joowon look like when he isn’t wearing a mask trying to be what he things is expected of him? We’ve kinda been seeing that Joowon lately and I just love Joowon, from start to finish.
Clap clap.
I'm awed by your posts~
Thank you so much!!! That’s so kind of you, I should start a blog lolol
Why are people acting like things are so different in the 1 special episode? Their power dynamics are essentially the same. Despite Nakyum being highborne, he’s still being bullied and seduced by Seungho because he’s attracted to his raw power and sexual dominance. We haven't really seen enough but from the first ep alone, Nakyum and Seungho still have their signature strong sexual chemistry. It’s not that Nakyum falls in love at first sight, they both feel that sexual magnetism and Seungho draws out that hidden lustful side of Nakyum that he only releases in his paintings.
They didn’t really change anything except social positions, but we may see more of Nakyum’s personality since he isn’t disempowered in this vers.
True. But that special episode serie will be a fun one. We should not take it seriously. You can already notice all the funny and light touches the author added there. I feel like she is doing it as a way to avoid a burn out with the main serie. It could be her way to take a refreshing break! She is just having fun and we love it!
Oh yes, I see the mood isn’t as heavy. I thought people were specifically referring to the power dynamics between Seungho and Nakyum. Yea it’s nice to not have any bounties on headS, coercive sex and kidnapping for a change lol.
YES I LOVED IT JSJS JUST A LITTLE CARELESS FLIRTING AND NAKYUM STILL GETTING FLUSTERED
Nakyum is a lowkey freak and Seungho recognizes that and teases him because of it. Real recognize rreal.
I’m so glad Killerwhale was able to finish this manhwa. It was amazing from start to finish. It was disturbing and right until the end we are as lost as the two leads. Nobody can explain why their lives turned out this way or if things will work out for them. From high school to adulthood they’ve always created a world of their own, as disturbing as that world may be.
I don’t think the point is to say whether they belong together or if either are good people. They shouldn’t and they aren’t. They’ve both clearly damaged one another in many ways and like Seungho admits, there’s no going back from the hideous things he did to Dohyun. Dohyun having nothing else to look forward to in life and going back to Seungho is a type of misery that not many people feel in life. They are all they have in this world and that’s the most miserable aspect of the story. They've both been doomed from the start. Had they not met each other, would life have been better or worse? Who knows, they met and this is their life now.
I look forward to see what other stories Killerwhale will produce.
Throughout all these years, Joowon has been the only one self-aware enough to know that he’s been playing a role in order to stay close to the one he loves. Even if the relationship was fucked up and toxic, he’d rather have that than lose Haesoo 100%. So he resolved to playing the bad guy in front of everyone.
To their parents he was probably the hyung who led Haesoo astray. To Haesoo he’s willing to be the jerk who led him into this messy relationship and “walks all over him”. But doing all of that kept it from becoming too real. It kept the consequences of their actions from taking them to the point of no return.
But now that Joowon has left the stage and is realizing that the role he’s been playing all these years hasn’t helped either of them, Haesoo is left all alone with no one to help shoulder the misery of their separation.
Haesoo was never willing to leave Joowon. He plays like he will and gets into meaningless relationships to convince himself that there are options outside of Joowon, but to truly leave him would be to face the depth of the love he has for him. Haesoo is always running away because he’s afraid Joowon doesn’t love him as much as he loves Joowon. Taku and Taku’s exhibition finally brought Haesoo face to face with the gravity of his relationship with Joowon.
They’ve been in love for a decade. It wasn’t just sex and it wasn’t just experimentation. They genuinely loved each other, but because of their family circumstances, they had to bury that love and disfigure it. If Haesoo convinces himself that he just fooled around with his step-brother and the sex was so good that he just kept doing it, then it would be easier to get through life. It’s easier to pretend that it’s just a messy fling, not a love that would require him to sacrifice everything.
The bitter truth is, Haesoo is deeply in love with someone he can’t be with. Joowon has been the only person who has supported Haesoo, comforted him, been with him at his best and his worst. Joowon sees Haesoo the way no one else does or is willing to. So now that Joowon has gotten off the stage, Haesoo can no longer play the part of the scorned lover or misled dongsaeng. He has to finally face himself and be honest about his true feelings for Joowon. I think he’s crying because he’s been running away from this sinking feeling of not being able to be with Joowon since Joowon told his mother “ we’re just joking around”
this is.. the perfect analogy well done anon
Thank you!! Haesoo and Joowon have been emotionally stunted since that moment his mom caught them. Haesoo’s gotta really acknowledge how that moment hurt him so he can move on. Until then, he’ll always be in these short lived and unfulfilling relationships while carrying all this resentment towards Joowon.
Idk this makes sense so much. Like its perfect.
Thank you for saying this. I’ve always said this people fail to realize that Haesoo and Joowon relationship was the way it was because that’s how they wanted it to be. They both had a hand in it they wanted to be in each other’s lives so bad that each person picked their roles for that relationship to work so it always confused why everyone blamed Joowon for their relationship being toxic :/ .
A lot of people just read what’s on the surface and fail to really grasp the characters’ and author’s intent. It’s quite sad because it doesn’t take much effort to see they were both acting. I think Yeongha made it quite clear the type of relationship they were in. As you said, both were responsible and both were self destructive because they didn’t know how to communicate to each other what they wanted. Either out of fear or out of never knowing how a proper romantic relationship should work.
I love the way Yeongha writes! It’s what made me fall in love with Fools the first time. The tone is light, a little sweet and a little melancholic. Her writing feels like the memory of a first love gone right. She captured the feeling so well.
I love that we’re getting more of Eungi’s pov this time around. It adds a greater depth to the story and solidifies just how inevitable and honest the love between Eungi and Jeongwoo is.
I see a lot of people letting their bitterness and resentment from the LoH manhwa bleed into their reading of Fools:remastered.
Fools storyline existed way before LoH. Just because the art is similar now doesn’t mean that Yeongha is writing a college version of LoH. Joowon is a stylistic copy of Eungi, not the other way around, Dam has just updated Eungi and all the other characters to their current art style.
It’s clear to see who really read Fools and who skimmed.
So far Yeongha has added in details to develop the bond and inevitable love that was planted between Jungwoo and Eungi all those years ago. That’s why the spring motif is so prevalent in both versions.
I hope people can read this remastering with prejudice from LoH. Yeongha is capable of writing two different stories, hopefully you all can distinguish the tones and plot ( jarringly different) and not let the art similarities taint your reading comprehension.
This story is just dragging and the girls won’t stop fighting.
Haesoo and Joowon are clearly in love and have been in love for a long time. They are also both prideful assholes and that causes them more issues than anything. If the issue was being related by marriage, by no fault of their own, they could have just continued dating after graduating and exited their family registry ( I know sounds easier than it actually is). But I really think there wouldn’t have been any hard feelings between the both of them had Joowon just been honest about how he felt instead of trying to protect Heeso by pushing him away. Heeso also could have forced the conversation but couldn't because he was scared of being rejected by his first love, so he just put up with whatever facade Joowon came up with to keep them close because he also wanted to stay close to Joowon.
Heeso is tired now and finding reprieve in TK but deep down he knows that he loves Joowon. He is just finally trying to live without loving him for the first time. Eventually when the dust settles, they’ll get back together because one thing is for sure, he doesn't love TK And TK doesn’t love him. It’s an experimental relationship and lowkey they are both hiding from their realities by escaping into this relationship. TK needs to learn how to truly love someone from a place of caring not obsessive curiosity. And Heeso needs to summon all his self confidence to finally go for what he truly wants and believe that he deserves what he desires instead of just accepting whatever is in front of him. When they break up, that’s the lesson they’ll learn from their time together.
I remember waiting for this story to come back after months and months and months of hiatus. It’s one of the best manhwas I’ve read so far and I’m so glad the team was able to complete it. I look forward to their other stories in the future.
Can’t believe it’s over after so many years.
They're already a couple with a healthy sex life, it’s normal for them to want to have sex after getting back together/making up. Sex is an important part of relationships too and not to mask things, but for couples to connect and feel intimacy. Also didn’t they talk at the dining room table? Y’all are acting like they started fucking in the driveway, no words exchanged.
Also the problems they have, stem from the fact that they live in an overly judgmental and homophobic society. They really love each other, have a healthy relationship, and could live a peaceful life if people just stayed out of their business. They try so hard to shield the other from pain that they end up giving up on each other in some weird sacrificial way. But this chapter they basically confessed that they’re unhappy without the other so hopefully no more break ups.
Point is, no amount of “communication” is going to stop the outside world from judging them for being a gay couple and it’s not gonna stop Jungwoo’s dad from being a pos. They know now that they both love each other equally and don’t want to end the relationship, the most important thing is for them to be on the same page and be a team.
Yes totally agreed it's not like they broke up over reasons caused by one of them it was due to shitty people on the outside world >_<
It’s so annoying people keep saying “ fix your issues and talk properly” wtf do they want them to do? End homophobia?! They can’t control other people’s actions.
They’re so unproblematic. All they do is love each other, fuck and go to school. What issues do they have outside of people bullying them and provoking them? Damn let them fuck and make up in peace.
They just want to be happy it's so sad for all everyone knows they might talk after this is just the process they are using to make up >_<
Plus make up sex is the best type of sex
People who complain about them having sex after a breakup are probably virgins