#and obviously sangwoo has no idea the other guy is into him at all and hijinks would ensue

[carmenlire]

no because it's canon that jaeyoung is possessive and gets jealous easily but if it was his own friend causing it... someone he knows not respecting sangwoo and their relationship...

oh my god I am a sucker for outside pov..... and what if we threw in a little hurt/comfort? sangwoo overhears the friend telling jaeyoung "hey hyung idk if like.. sangwoo is good for you.. have u noticed? ur always the one reaching out first.." or something like that. sangwoo suddenly self conscious. he leaves and doesn't hear jaeyoung scoff and tell friend in no uncertain terms that sangwoo is It for him and don't speak on what u don't know.....

but another idea keeping with strict outside pov where friend think that when they first get together but as time goes on, they see Sangwoo's just as deep as jaeyoung and it's in the little ways-- sangwoo leaning into jaeyoung when he reaches out, he sees them leaving a restaurant late at night and it's sangwoo who gently pushes jaeyoung against a dark storefront to kiss him, friend realizes it's in the way sangwoo never protests, not seriously, when jaeyoung is being affectionate or obnoxious.... Jaeyoung's love is loud and Sangwoo's is quiet but it doesn't mean it's not just as overwhelming.

(and then what if we got into they love how they love but the way they receive love is what they need too-- jaeyoung finds the soft, steady well of Sangwoo's caring soothes something in him and he lives for teasing out the quiet sparks of his adoration. sangwoo for his part would never admit it but it makes something in him warm and fizzy whenever jaeyoung is loud about them in public. he really likes it when jaeyoung rests an arm over his shoulders as they're walking and the way his ears warm whenever jaeyoung throws an outrageous compliment to him with a wink betrays that he's not as scandalized or exasperated as he acts jaeyoung knows to watch for the red ears and blushing cheeks and has to stop himself from cooing every time it happens).

so an outside pov gets how his friends might react to jaeyoung being with "cold emotionless" sangwoo but you specifically mentioned how jaeyoung would act if someone tried to get between him and sangwoo in a serious capacity (again I think the jihye plot was just cute and fun obviously there was never a serious threat there). and something I'm very firm about in Jaeyoung's characterization is he is strong and smart and capable and it's only with close friends that he turns a little immature and silly and dramatic and it's only with sangwoo that we Really get to see his golden retriever energy take over. so to someone outside of his relationship trying to rock the boat? bro jaeyoung would eviscerate them on the spot.

we know he's way smarter and more cunning/strategic than he lets on and in ur scenario I see him noticing something is up with the way one of his friends treats sangwoo immediately. he might say something that night and then friend says the thing about jaeyoung cares more and jaeyoung puts him in his place before friend even finishes his sentence.

and then cue sangwoo overhearing and getting in his head and it's a few days of him acting weirdly and jaeyoung is internally like hmm what's up with my baby he's acting weird I'm picturing him perking up like a puppy the first time sangwoo is physically demonstrative in public first and he's immediately suspicious and then sangwoo of course talks to jaeyoung because it's so stressful showing his love in ways he's not used to or completely comfortable with tbh and it leads to a discussion on expectations and that jaeyoung loves sangwoo and loves them just as they are and then we see friend realize they were so wrong about sangwoo and jaeyoung is just fine and they're so happy together that it really is disgusting.

ummmm so this got long and it's honestly just me rambling my thought process so I didn't put this as an answer to the message because, again, I'm saving that for the finished polished thoughts but yeah.... I'm extremely into this little scenario and I hope you enjoy my descent into madness anon. I know I am.

#fun fact something i love about semantic error is its masterful use of tropes and archetypes #ie i can lean into my self indulgence so hard #turning my blorbos around and around in my head like a pizza pocket in the microwave #anon im so into this idea #and this might just give me the impetus to write the other jealous Jaeyoung fic too #because in my idea of someone hitting on sangwoo and jaeyoung getting jealous #we'd see him be the petty v obvious disaster he was with jihye lol #and obviously sangwoo has no idea the other guy is into him at all and hijinks would ensue #anon #semantic error #my writing tag

[yhwhsdaughter]

dating sangwoo headcanons ༄

content: gn reader, nsfw, unhealthy relationship, possible murder-suicide

yoonbum ver.

— unfaithful. at the beginning of your relationship, he didn’t think you guys would last; thus, cheating. as his feelings deepened, he stopped, only seducing people to kill. why would he need anyone else when he has you to fullfilll his needs?

— possessive. he’s like a dog, territorial. should anything or anyone disrupt your feelings for him, sangwoo is quick to dispose of that. you’re for him only. not above acting petty if people approach you with lustful intentions. this is one of the reasons he agrees to tie the knot. he’s seen too much of you to let you go

— protective. sangwoo can be very dismissive of you at times; partly because he’s an asshole and doesn’t consider other’s feelings. however, if anyone else makes hurtful remarks towards you, he’s onto their ass. no one but him, is allowed to cause you pain. also, he’s your man and it would reflect badly on him if douchebags insulted his weak partner.

— jealous. if he thinks you’re even staring at someone else he will say “whore” like damn you can’t even daydream because he thinks you’re fantasizing about the ugly ass cashier. he blames you too tf. in his warped mind, you belong to him. you should only have eyes for him. fights the urge to take you in front of them, to claim you publicly. basically, he can’t handle the thought of you being with someone else

— surprisingly accepting of your flaws. he’s not completely delusional; sangwoo knows you deal with a lot of shit from him, so he thinks it’s fair to accept you for who you are. even if you turn out to be a killer or something. obviously, he will use it against you but only if you threaten to leave. actually kinda glad since he doesn’t have to feel morally inferior. it’s a secret that only you two share; a bonding moment.

— high libido. wants to do it always and everywhere. he really can’t have enough of you; he’s young so he has the stamina and strength to keep fucking for a good while. is it his fault your cute little ass gives him a hard on?

— dominant. if he’s feeling particularly playful he might let you think you’re about to top and then bam! he will never be the bottom, so sorry. sangwoo loves to be in control.

— sadist. something about him and inflicting pain on others, especially you. don’t ask him why but it get him going. maybe it’s the erotic faces you make when he sets a brutal pace. he likes to see you like that and be the only one to do so.

— probably into s&m. it depends on his mood. sometimes he doesn’t feel like using chains and just wants it to be you two. having you at his mercy always does it. sangwoo also prioritizes his pleasure. once you’re married (perhaps before), he will make the effort to make you cum and please you, which is like the bare minimum but go off I guess.

— occasionally thoughtful. yes, sangwoo’s a fucking psycho, but not completely heartless. when he’s feeling particularly soft, he will take you out on dates. nothing too fancy, maybe like a coffee shop, a movie, shopping or to the carnival. he’ll take you on trips and act frisky; I say it’s the adrenaline of doing naughty stuff in public.

— won’t admit it, but he’s one of those couples that like to match. sangwoo wants people to see you’re together, it’s his way of marking territory and also because he refuses to be with someone who doesn’t dress well. he might choose your clothes depending on the occasion.

— if you have a uterus, children are a no go. trauma. hates the idea of sharing you with someone; a baby growing in your womb will definitely take away time from you. wouldn’t want to have sex with a pregnant person and won’t wait for 9months. sangwoo probably got a vasectomy to prevent this; or will want his partner to be sterile. also, he doesn’t like to use protection and has a breeding kink

— will absolutely charm your family. they will be wrapped around his finger. sangwoo is anything but stupid. if they’re important to you, he will find a way to get on their good side, which isn’t hard. he’s a good looking young man. your parents may even love him more than you.

— has very… old fashioned ideals. regardless of your gender, sangwoo will want you to take on the role of the ‘wife’ which means cooking, cleaning, and servicing him. sangwoo helps; he’s excellent at cleaning evidence away and he had to cook for himself prior to you. if you don’t know, he’ll teach you,, but mostly he’s the breadwinner and does the heavy lifting.

— attachment issues. doesn’t want you to leave him. ever. would go as far as involving you in his life of crime, making you his accomplice, to have you with him forever because he can’t ask for marriage like a regular person.

— separation anxiety. having you with him is a must. you’re the only person on earth who will see him vulnerable. he also panics internally when he thinks about death; he wants you to die together. like if he finds out either of you have a terminal illness, he might just take you for a ride, crash the car and end it all.

#ks sangwoo #sangwoo x reader #sangwoo x y/n #sangwoo x you #oh sangwoo #sangwoo #killing stalking #killing stalking sangwoo

[jieun-didnt-deserve-that]

even more actor au bc its been too long and i miss the boys

after filming, the main characters were allowed to keep one prop post- production. bum kept his lil frog keyring, sangwoo kept the ring (even though he never actually wore it on set), seungbae kept the lighter and eunseo kept her wedding ring

seungbae has an undercover fan account that he uses to tease fans with. he reposts completely incorrect theories, gives out incorrect dates for releases of the trailers/seasons and stuff

(not my idea but i love it so much): bum kept accidentally inhaling the “ashes” in the last scene in the house and having coughing fits.

(this may be a repeat but) bum is constantly on social media doing live streams and posting to his story. in the last few episodes the producers had to tell him to stop posting because he always accidentally spoils things either by saying stuff like “hey guys today im filming the scene where i ___” or by accidentally catching props or characters in costume that would be spoilers

sangwoo and seungbae turn everything into a game. literally sangwoo could say “did you see the movie ___” and five minutes later they’ll be having a competition to see who can list every character from it. there can be only one winner every time.

seungbae hates emojis with a passion. the whole cast use them especially when messaging him for this reason. sangwoo ends all his messages with this emoji 🤠

sangwoo was pretty relaxed about having to cut his hair but his actual irl mum was NOT pleased about it at all especially as he didnt tell her first

ive said this before and i will say it again: jieun and eunseo are brilliant friends. they constantly hang out and gossip about the other cast members (in a nice way!! they aint talking shit)

sangwoo has a MUCH younger sister (like 5-7years old?) who obviously is not allowed to watch the show. however she is aware her brother is very famous but has no clue what hes rly famous for. she gets along well with the actor who plays young sangwoo.

bum is SUCH a lightweight and is one of those drunks that will give u a whole ted talk on how much you mean them even if u met him like an hour ago. jieun is similar; she is one of those people that, when drunk, will go up to any moving object and go “you’re so pretty omg!!”. leave these two alone when drunk and you get the world’s most dramatic declarations of love and how much they mean to eachother.

filming the last ever scene was so so painful for both bum and sangwoo. bum didnt even have to act- cry, he was crying real tears anyway. he and sangwoo wouldnt let go of eachother once the director yelled “cut”

if an actor’s character dies or an actor has their last scene, the production team gets th flowers as a light hearted almost joke apology (sorry we killed you off!) sort of thing.

eunseo and sangwoo hated filming the scene when they hung the husband cos it took 6381728 takes and it was colder than theyd ever felt in their lives

bum has a 15 year old sister who is low key crushing on sangwoo. she’s usually rly outgoing but rly shy around him. also the uncle has a daughter, who is 17, and she and bum’s sister are great friends.

sangwoo and bum are aware of the rumors that they are dating. theres always rumors. they love to tease fans with this information but never actually give them a yes or no answer

#killing stalking #ks #my post #my actor au #actor au

[softlywithhissong]

KS Meta & Ending Predictions

Let me try to address what I think provides foreshadowing and clues to the KS ending. Koogi weaved a lot of symbolism, imagery, parallels, themes, and straight-up meta style hints throughout KS. Sure, some of it might be coincidence, but all of it? I think not! Koogi loves drama and she definitely planned the story out way in advance, which allowed her to plant the foreshadowing. My thanks go out to Koogi for all of her effort and hard work. :)

There are several recurring themes I have noticed throughout KS. Themes which I think could help us predict how the story will end.

WARNING! IT’S VERY LONG! Things I Noticed, Theories, and Predictions:

The Joker and Two Face - I think KS was influenced by these famous comic characters, and also by The Dark Knight (the film, which features both characters).

Examples of The Joker theme in KS:

Both Sangwoo and Bum are associated with story elements and imagery that invokes The Joker. In chapter 9 - in the “cops and robbers” card game where the stakes are their lives and “the one who holds the Joker at the end is the robber,” note that the Joker card shown is peering through binoculars and by representing a robber, this could be a reference to Bum’s stalking, robbing possessions from those he stalks, and breaking and entering into Sangwoo’s home. “You’re going to be the masters of your own fate! What a joke! But it’ll be exciting, like a rollercoaster,” Sangwoo says, but by calling it a joke, he indicates sarcasm, a lack of sincerity, and reveals that he either finds it amusing knowing their fates are subject to him or he finds the whole idea of anyone mastering their fate (or controlling it) a joke. He turns things around in chapter 10 so even though it looks like the “cop” wins, the “Joker” actually survives/wins/”gets away” - a very Joker thing to happen. In the Summer Special (chapter between 29 and 30) there is killer clown imagery, where Sangwoo is a clown with a knife chasing Bum but instead of killing Bum, he turns back into Sangwoo. This Sangwoo as the killer clown imagery appears again in chapter 37, when Sangwoo puts on a killer clown mask - one with a gruesome smile and green hair - in the amusement park gift shop and says, “You’re supposed to scream when you’re scared. We’re here to relieve stress, not make things worse. [...] Telling you to scream on purpose feels weird.” Most of you probably know, but The Joker is also referred to as the Clown Prince. And in hindsight, the sledgehammer - a type of “mallet” -  used in chapter 2 could be an incredibly subtle reference to the mallet weapons used by Joker or Harley Quinn. The abusive relationship between Sangwoo and Bum is another similarity, with the Joker and Harley Quinn’s relationship being an abusive one, as well as the fact that both relationships feature two criminals committing crimes together. The Joker is also known to laugh hysterically and maniacally and Sangwoo would often display hysterical laughter (often while crying) but Bum has also been shown to laugh hysterically at the end of chapter 66 while hiding his face (and possibly tears) in a bouquet distinctly featuring the colors purple and green (The Joker’s colors). And Bum and Sangwoo’s outfits tend to usually have an element of purple or green. Bum’s also shown getting therapy in chapter 66, which brings to mind how the Joker and Harley first met. Bum also expresses an interest in seeing Sangwoo in the hospital where he is under police custody, which if you remember in The Dark Knight, sneaking into a hospital and escape from police custody are both things the Joker does. Also prominently featured in the film is the two boats social experiment - a social experiment that KS also features at least twice (though arguably more). It’s based on game theory and the “prisoner’s dilemma.” It’s shown twice in KS where two people are pitted against each other with each having to choose between rational self-interest or what’s in the best interest of the two collectively. In the police station in chapter 34, Bum chooses the latter and even though the police lied about Sangwoo pinning a murder on Bum, Sangwoo also refused to incriminate either Bum or himself. In the film, a prisoner steps up and chooses to preserve the lives on the civilians’ boat at the risk of his own life, proving that moral choices are not limited to only the so-called “good guys” - people are complex and “bad” people can do good things and “good” people can do bad things. Both boats refused to explode the other to save their own lives, and in doing so, both boats survived. Given that as of chapter 66 in KS, Bum and Sangwoo are possibly set on a course of mutually assured destruction, they face a similar dilemma. The facial damage Sangwoo endured in chapter 65 and 66 is also a similarity with Joker, The Joker typically having facial disfigurement - his clownish visage a result of toxic chemicals, the brief stint where his face was removed before being returned, and his scars that feature significantly into his character’s story in the film. The Joker and Sangwoo are also both an intelligent psychopath with a warped sense of humor. Both are adaptive, able to create new personalities to fit the situation, and often utilizing misdirection to outsmart their opponent. This can be seen when the Joker character has a twin, or when he utilizes costumes to get his target to mistake his identity for that of someone else, or happen in card games where there are two jokers and when jokers are “wild,” they can represent other cards. Sangwoo also utilizes disguises, changing what he wears and his appearance in order to not be recognized. Remember that time in chapter 11 and 12 when Seungbae got involved in a traffic accident, only to realize much later that one of the drivers was Sangwoo whom he had met already. He observed, “The atmosphere and the way he spoke was completely different from when we first met... I didn’t even recognize him.”

Sangwoo in KS ch 41 quote: “I don’t think. I don’t plan.“

The Joker in The Dark Knight quote: “Do I really look like a guy with a plan? [...] I just do things. The cops have plans. They’re schemers. Schemers trying to control their little world. I’m not a schemer. I try to show the schemers how pathetic their attempts to control things really are. [...] I just did what I do best. I took your little plan and I turned it on itself. You know what I noticed? Nobody panics when things go ‘according to plan.’ Even if the plan is horrifying. [...] Introduce a little anarchy. Upset the established order and everything becomes chaos. I’m an agent of chaos. Oh, and you know the thing about chaos? It’s fair.”

The Joker in The Dark Knight quote: “You just couldn’t let me go, could you? This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You truly are incorruptible, aren’t you? You won’t kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness and I won’t kill you because you’re just too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever.” B: “You’ll be in a padded cell forever.” J: “Maybe we could share one. They’ll be doubling up at the rate this city’s inhabitants are losing their minds. [...] I took Gotham’s White Knight and I brought him down to our level. It wasn’t hard. You see madness, as you know, is like gravity. All it takes is a little push.”

Examples of the Two Face theme in KS:

Again both Sangwoo and Bum have imagery that associates them with Two Face. In the Summer Special (between chapter 29 and 30), Bum’s gallery image had color blocking, which at first made me think of Harley Quinn, but it’s actually more like Two Face’s typical costume. Sangwoo’s facial damage shown in chapter 66 is obviously reminiscent of Two Face’s scars, as seen in The Dark Knight. In the film, Two Face gets severe scarring over half of his face from an explosion. Also in the film, he escapes from a hospital. Similarly to Sangwoo who had an abusive father and Bum who had an abusive uncle, Two Face suffered mental health problems before he was scarred. He had an abusive father who would play a cruel game with a rigged outcome. His scarring served as a turning point, giving him more of a split personality. “Two Face” also refers to when a person lies a lot, and given that Bum’s gallery image resembled Two Face, this could be in reference to his lies - both early in KS out of self-preservation while trying to endear himself to Sangwoo and recently in chapter 66 where he lied to police. Something also worth noting is that Two Face outed a girl, thinking that with no one else to turn to, she would have no choice but to love him, which is clearly similar to what Bum did in his flashback in chapter 19. However, there is another KS character who displays an awful lot of similarities to Two Face and that’s Seungbae! He works in criminal justice - Harvey Dent (Two Face) as a district attorney and prosecutor and Seungbae as a police officer (demoted from detective based on bad behavior at a previous precinct). They both have horrible tempers, often flying into fits of rage. Seungbae displays this frequently throughout KS with his many overreactions, his use of excessive force, his horrible abuse of Bum in chapters 28, 29, and 35 - where even though he thought of Bum as “the victim” he still grabs him harshly by the wounds he himself pointed out. And then, even though he is basing all of his wild accusations on the flimsiest of coincidence, his own stalking of Sangwoo and harassment of Bum, and no real evidence, he attacks Sangwoo and physically assaults him in chapter 35, pulling him out of the van by his ankles in a disturbing reminder of how he grabbed Bum’s legs on the wounds and building a pattern of abuse and violence. One half of his face gets burned in chapter 63 and 64 like Two Face’s did. Both Seungbae and Two Face cite police negligence in the death of a loved one. Will Seungbae go bad in the end like Harvey Dent (Two Face) did? We’ll see.

Bum in KS ch 29 quote: “Ugh... LET GO!!“

“I’m saying I’ll save you!” Seungbae yells, while squeezing Bum’s clearly wounded wrist hard enough to make it start bleeding again. :(

Bum: “HA... HAHA. You’ll save me? How?”

Two Face in The Dark Knight quote: ”You think I want to escape from this? There is no escape from this. [...] I’ve done plenty wrong, Gordon. Just not quite enough. Yet. It’s not about what I want. It’s about what’s fair. You thought we could be decent men in an indecent time. You thought the rules could be bent but not break. You were wrong. The world is cruel. And the only morality in a cruel world is chance. Unbiased. Unprejudiced. Fair.”

The Bait and Switch - Misdirection! KS is filled with misdirection, a trick to get the reader to pay attention to (or believe) one thing so that they can be surprised by a different thing. A common form of misdirection shown in KS is mirroring, where many characters wear the same clothes as other people - taking on someone’s identity and leading to cases of mistaken identity. In chapter 41, a girl at the ski resort happens to be wearing the same outfit as Bum, causing Sangwoo to briefly mix up the two. Sangwoo will sometimes deliberately create this effect, though - like when he dresses up Bum in chapter 3 or when he dresses up Jieun’s corpse in chapter 22, and possibly even in this latest confrontation with Seungbae where he was wearing a very similar outfit. He also will change his demeanor and appearance sometimes with a hat and glasses, like he did in chapter 11, when Seungbae failed to recognize him.

Metamorphosis - There are several examples of symbolism in KS which represent change, a transformation that is not always for the better. Butterfly symbolism appears in chapter 34, frog symbolism shows up a couple times, and the poison apple symbolism is prevalent throughout. Acquiring a new identity could also count as metamorphosis, whether by living under a new name or adopting a new (possibly murderous) outlook on life.

Escape - This theme includes escape through mistaken identity and misdirection which could very well happen. But escape has also already been hinted at in KS. In the Christmas Special that came out before chapter 36, there are several methods of transportation that are associated with escape shown, including 2 hot air balloons, 2 (possibly 3) sailing ships, the helm wheel on the mantle (imagery of a sailing ship). Season three of KS sees Sangwoo take Bum on a vacation trip, first to an amusement park “to relieve stress” and then to a ski resort to “enjoy” the break, escaping the stress of home. In chapter 51, Sangwoo shows Bum the movie Fantastic Mr. Fox, which is about not being able to escape your nature (like in the scorpion and the frog) as an animal at heart, and embracing it to escape.

PREDICTION: I think that at least 2 of these themes will be featured in the ending of KS. Any 2. So, maybe a Bait and Switch and Escape, or Two Face and a murderous Metamorphosis? Which 2 themes do you think have the best chance of showing up in the last chapter? And who do you believe is The Joker of KS and who is the Two Face?

And if you know of any examples of these themes that I missed, feel free to share them! :) And THANK YOU for reading my incredibly long post. XD

#ks meta #ks finale #ks theory #ks analysis #killing stalking #LONG POST WARNING

[extremelykawaiizombie]

Chapter 30 Theory

OKAY. It looks like one of Bums nightmares, in which he goes over all the events of killing stalking: In the beginning his feet are still intact without bandages. He walks the corridor, which is the only way he sees. This mimics his obsession with Sangwoo and the stalking. He can't do anything but follow the voice that tells him to go after the music. Now, which character can be symbolised by music? Sangwoo. All the paintings symbolise murders. The big painting of Jieun is still empty because Bum hasn't committed it yet. The small empty golden frame from before might be for the guy from the gay club with the glasses. Bum suddenly remembers he has the key for the door- the password. The big man is the officer who stopped him to ask who he was. Bum hands him the ticket that appeared out of nowhere- "I'm his cousin." The officer sniffs but he also has no eyes, and let's him pass. The cinema scene with his past and traumatic experiences ends with cuts on his wrists. He feels exposed, those people probably think he is "disgusting". Pretty clear parallels, right?? The smol puppet is obviously Seungbae. He sees something is wrong but gets just dragged away. The big grey painting behind the cinema door is of Sangwoo's mother (notice the beauty mark). You can see the picture of Bum already half-painted!! Behind the mask of the clown with the knife (!) is Sangwoo; it is kind of a reverse masking because the killer clown represents his inside. (I missed a lot and had too much caffeine but these are my first thoughts! Please feel free to add to this!! Any other ideas? What about the small clown?)

#killing stalking #ks #killing stalking chapter 30 #killing stalking theory #spoilers

[yes-these-obsessions-are-healthy]

Thoughts thoughts thoughty-thoughts

Now I read [this super cool analysis] of chapter 17 by @attackontitantea​ and I think it’s awesome, but here are my thoughts and feelings upon first reading which are not meant to argue with attackontitantea but are just like...here’s just what I think at the same time as them, yeah?

Please note that any insults directed towards Yoonbum are intended to be read as perceptions and thoughts from other characters, not me personally.

[Yoonbum’s shyness and inability to fend off teasing]

So Yoonbum, mentally ill, introverted, painfully shy, very unused to people is now in some club hangout with his kidnapper and his friends. They’re talking and laughing, he obviously feels like a third wheel, he’s very conscious of every light bit of poking fun they do to him.

Jien points out how skinny and small he is.

Whether she’s trying to be malicious or not...I can’t really tell because some people just tease others as a way to be friendly, but for it to be non-threatening there has to be a level of playfulness by the teaser on top of the person being teased accepting that it’s not a personal, malicious attack. Correct me if I’m wrong, but for people like us that have trouble connecting with people or maintaining relationships--those who are very anxious about people, autistic people (like me), BPD sufferers and probably others--these are almost always seen as attacks. They’re considered personal attacks on us because we know we don’t know how to play the social game as well as they do. Jien knows this, since she comments later that she knows he’s mentally ill (how does she know? Who told her?) so then again perhaps her teasing was meant to hurt Yoonbum and she’s technically safe because Yoonbum, while inwardly hurt, does not and is incapable of making a scene because he himself does not know for sure if she’s just being a bitch or trying to be friendly. ‘Maybe this is what people who are friends do with each other’, a part of him thinks, ‘so I shouldn’t make a big deal out of it’. And even if she was being a bitch, only people who are very close to one another, I find, would call someone out on another’s teasing and tell them to knock it off. He doesn’t know these people. He also doesn’t want to make Sangwoo look bad, likely, because he may get punished. He’s following the rules, not giving him any reason to lash out at him when they get home.

Sangwoo being an ass: Not understanding/giving a fuck about Yoonbum’s social anxiety

Now we all know how much of a Grade-A psychopath Sangwoo is. He seems completely incapable of fully comprehending a person’s pain. He doesn’t feel bad when he hurts people and he likely doesn’t realize or care when he does unintentionally.

As accurately as Sangwoo has had on reading Yoonbum--sort of--he goes so far as to magnify Yoonbum’s awkwardness and aggravating his companion Donggyu at the same time by having them compare wrists.

Donggyu was whining about how he wasn’t exempt from the draft regardless of his weight and bad knee, and in the process of Sangwoo pulling Donggyu into being the butt of a joke that was originally meant for Yoonbum, he did somewhat offset the negative attention Yoonbum was getting for his size. However, Yoonbum is still uncomfortable having people laugh about and around him because the joke still relies heavily on his physique.  

Perhaps, though, this is Sangwoo’s way of rooting out hypocrisy. Some chapters ago he told Yoonbum he hated whining, snivelling, self-pitying people like Yoonbum was in his eyes, and in that moment Donggyu was setting himself up to be torn down in the same way by going on about his problems. Sangwoo doesn’t have time for sob stories, however minor they are. He doesn’t give a fuck. If anything, it’s an easy way to humiliate someone by using their revealed weaknesses against them.

In the end, Yoonbum being used as a tool by Sangwoo to humiliate Donggyu makes the guy passive aggressive as fuck towards Yoonbum for making him look bad (bitch it wasn’t his fault!)

Sangwoo being an ass - not giving a fuck/caring about Yoonbum’s social anxiety #2!

Next up, when Yoonbum asks Sangwoo to go to the bathroom, he is ignored. He turns to Donggyu who...ignores him.

(Personal note: I would have fucking pushed him out of the way, just saying)

Of course this is distressing for Yoonbum, but with him needing to go to the bathroom (an urgent matter, don’t you know), and with Korean culture being such that silent rejection is the preferred and most popular way of communicating that you don’t like or accept someone, on top of Yoonbum being in a position of unfamiliarity with these people and feeling like he’s intruding on them, on top of suffering from a mental illness that treats every perceived slight as 10000x more serious than it really is to an average person, I bet that Yoonbum was a minute away from having a meltdown. I know I would have.

Also, this attempt at trying to be assertive or act independently of Sangwoo backfired horribly. So he turns to Sangwoo once again for help...

And he promptly disregards Yoonbum’s request, which to me is just par for the course, I think? (Personal note: Man, I can’t get a good read on this motherfucker. I’m trying y’all, I’m trying. I’m already this far deep and have a lot to say so let’s just keep going. Fuck, why are you so hard to understand Sangwoo).

Really, this is Sangwoo being a dick right here. “I don’t want to go, so I don’t see why I have to care that you do.” (Personal note: Yeah, that’s good enough. Moving on!)

Having both exits blocked, one by someone whom Yoonbum prayed would honor social conventions and do the polite thing and concede, and the person he has been forced to rely on against his will for everything in the past few...days? weeks? months?...and the pressure of needing to go makes Yoonbum physically squirm.

And for Sangwoo, it’s amusing.

So many different ways to read this, so I’ll just elaborate on them. It may be a mixture, who knows:

1) Seeing Yoonbum in this state of distress caused by him personally planting seeds of reproach into r is actually entertaining, because he’s a sadistic piece of shit 2) Seeing YoonBum helpless and in need is cute, like how you automatically go “aww, let me help” when a toddler does something adorably clumsy 3) He thinks “You can’t do anything without me, can you?” and that is funny because “Yoonbum looks so pathetic, how the hell has he lasted this long in the real world?” He’s not charming, he’s not strong or versatile, he’s the most beta of beta of betas. He’s like a soft-shelled turtle, completely without defenses or means to cope with life’s most minor upsets. Granted, Yoonbum is mentally ill and held against his will, but for Sangwoo that’s just “details, details”.

So Sangwoo helps Yoonbum. I think because Sangwoo feels like, as his “owner” of this scrappy little freak, it’s his job to protect him or throw him a bone every once in awhile. Maybe because, in the very end of ends, Yoonbum has grown on him sort of. Again, his inattentiveness to the emotional needs of Yoonbum is almost completely not there, but he has an artificial semblance of an idea of what he needs, so he acts accordingly.

And Donggyu, being the fuck he is, is like “what?”. And the look Sangwoo gives him...

And Donggyu’s reaction

Yeah, he’s unnerved. He probably doesn’t even know why he feels off, but he does. Some part of him, some instinctive part of him that knows danger even when he himself isn’t unconsciously aware of it is prickling in discomfort.

Sangwoo’s cruelty

Dongyyu made up for his momentary embarrassment and having to concede to Sangwoo by acting like a little bitch when Yoonbum was trying to get through. Yoonbum falls and lands in Donggyu’s lap by accident.

Sangwoo goes to join Yoonbum in the bathroom. There he teases him about the very embarrassing situation that he was just in and does in fact tease him about his sexuality like a hypocrite.

Yoonbum panics here for several reasons which should be obvious. 

1) It was an accident, and when someone implies that something embarrassing happening to us was actually something else entirely, we either get angry or panic. Yoonbum panics.

2) Yoonbum, much like the reader, is unsure of what will set Sangwoo off. Yoonbum is a plaything for Sangwoo but still his. However much genuine possessiveness or possessiveness-on-principle Sangwoo feels for Yoonbum is hazy, but it would not be too far of a stretch for Yoonbum or Donggyu to be punished for that altercation.

3) His quiet obsessive side is perhaps rousing here just the tiniest bit, or perhaps unconsciously making Yoonbum’s protest even greater, trying to assure Sangwoo that there can not be anyone else, that he isn’t some whore who’d do it with anyone (which is what Sangwoo implied). And even IF that is not the case, he’s still not a whore that does it with anyone just because he’s shown to be totally fine with having sexual relations with Sangwoo, a man who was once the object of his affection. 

Gay, Pan, and Bi men are often accused by straight men of being deviant and sluts who’ll “do it with anyone” just because another man is in the same room as them in a way of expressing their contempt at being non-straight. With Korea being in that limbo like Japan of being technically conservative but still allowing the LGBT community to be out and exist and all of the nightclubs, fiction, and media to exist to a certain extent, at the ground-level there is still discrimination and reproach for their existence among people. It is likely that Sangwoo’s friends would think of Yoonbum as even more of a freak if they realized he was gay, or at the very least singularly in love with Sangwoo (at least in the beginning). 

The fact that Sangwoo clearly knows this and employs all that I’ve described above with his comment regarding Yoonbum being up for guy’s dick is rich considering he himself is fine with using Yoonbum’s body as a sex toy/being perfectly fine with experimenting and allowing Yoonbum to fulfill his fantasies of being sexually intimate with Sangwoo.  

Personally, I headcanon Sangwoo as bisexual, and psychopaths like him are adept at drawing attention away from their hypocritical actions and statements and instead placing it on another person’s flaws and weaknesses. Even if confronted, they will either get violently angry or wave it off because that sort of “Well what does that make you?” logic doesn’t faze them.

Now let’s switch gears to Jien, whose personality and character really flesh her out as someone completely different than the previous two chapters seemed to set her up as.... I’m just focusing on this chapter now, so I’ll make references to previous chapters but I’m not going to be using visual examples for those because shut up.

Korea’s hang-ups about education and mental illness

When Yoonbum returns from the restroom, it is without Sangwoo. Out of courtesy, as we all do, Jien did not align her laser sights on Yoonbum while Sangwoo was with them and only talked as much shit as she knew was socially acceptable (as illustrated above). When Yoonbum is seated, however, she makes her contempt towards him known straight away.

Now I am NOT as well-versed in Korean culture as I am in Japanese culture, but I am knowledgeable in is making roughly accurate comparisons and educated guesses of culture based on some good ol’ research. South Korea places a high value on education. College is very much expected of young adults and is valued for both the economic and social prestige it could bring to people and their families. As can be expected, blue-collar workers and those who opt not to go to college are scorned and sneered at. Much like the United States, in Korea there is the idea that Higher Education = Guaranteed Employment + Economic Prosperity + Social Boost, which is simply not the reality one faces when you are swamped with loads and loads of graduates entering the workforce. Regardless, that elitism is illustrated quite clearly with Jien’s friend’s very intrusive (yet admittedly expected) query regarding why Yoonbum attended college “4 years late”, as well as Jien’s reaction to this new information.

Next up, we have what Jien immediately does afterwards, which is whisper (personal note: QUITE FUCKING RUDE, THIS BITCH) in her friend’s ear. The next panel shows us that Jien was likely whispering something along the lines of “I bet he doesn’t have a girlfriend”, knowing that her friend seems to be in a chatty, gossipy mood tonight and apparently willing to embarrass Yoonbum until he’s a puddle on the floor.  

While whispering to another person about another person while the person is sitting right there is perhaps universally reviled as passive aggressive and RUDE AS FUCK, saying something pointed like “I bet you don’t have a girlfriend” is something that only the most socially inept or outwardly hostile would ask another person in this situation. By whispering it to her friend, knowing that her friend will likely translate it into a question (that is, if she had not explicitly ask the friend to perhaps subtly interrogate Yoonbum on his relationship status), she is attacking him indirectly. Jien is not asking him the question outright to Yoonbum, so she is technically not being the rude person here, and therefore can not be labelled as the mannerless bitch in this situation.

Spoiler: She is, though.

What does make me wonder, however, is that after a friend at the table makes a comment about how “innocent” Yoonbum looks in comparison to Sangwoo, Jien mutters this loud enough for everyone to hear:

I have many questions. First off: How does she know Yoonbum suffers from BPD? Is this something widely known by people her age but they just don’t talk about it because mental illness is 1) None of your business and really isn’t a topic of conversation in mixed company, 2) Stigmatized very, very, very heavily in Korean culture, much more so than America. Is it because Yoonbum is infamous for his obsessive, stalking tendencies in the past? Did Sangwoo tell them at some point? Does she seem to just know? 

Also, let me just say, fuck this bitch. You can clearly, painfully see the stigma of this culture towards mental illness with the fact that she makes this comment. Now the comment itself makes me question if she does know about Yoonbum’s previous actions and what she is saying is “His mental illness compelled him to commit crimes and stalk people, therefore he isn’t “innocent”, or she is suggesting that people who are mentally ill are somehow tainted or some such. Again, mental illness has a HUGE stigma in Korea. Teachers are not trained like in the Western world to look for symptoms of ADD, autism, depression, or whatever. Her making that quip basically solidified Yoonbum as a freak in the eyes of the group, as evident by the silence that falls immediately after.

Jien fucking steps out of line

Finally, Sangwoo returns. I can’t believe that I’m relieved that he has. Jien is this insufferable.

Sangwoo declines an invitation to continue the night out with Jien and her friends, making the excuse that he has to drive Yoonbum home. Jien immediately gets upset and practically whines the following.

Now I don’t know about y’all, but this was the breaking point for me. This was where I lost absolutely all sympathy I may have had for this “unrequited love” she may have had for Sangwoo. Do I really need to spell out why this is beyond unacceptable? Do all y’all readers (if y’all are even reading this far) have enough of a grasp on social etiquette to realize how absolutely childish she sounds in this moment? I hope so. To make it short, her complete and utter disregard for a friend of a friend who is clearly with needs (SINCE HIS LEGS ARE BROKEN) because of her obvious jealousy of Yoonbum and--can I use the word--thirst for Sangwoo is so blatant and transparent that...I’ll get to that thought in a tiny bit. Hold on.

Sangwoo of course takes it in stride and shuts her down quickly by being charming. He attacks her weak spot--her forehead. I interpret this as a secret way of getting back at her for being so rude to Yoonbum in front of him, but more of a means to defuse the situation and get her distracted and to calm her tits.

Again, Sangwoo lays on the charm.

And with him giving her that gentle expression that has definitely been practiced, she backs off. From a chapter or two ago Sangwoo referred to Jien as “annoying” when he looked and found her texting him and bothering him. Usually when we are interrupted by a text, we are not mad at the person who texted us per se because they are not the real source of our irritation at the moment. For Sangwoo, she is irritating. She causes unnecessary upsets in his life, like when she messed up the song that he worked so hard to do. If she had aced it, he wouldn’t have had a problem with her, she would have been alright, all things considered. But she messed it up for him, she has proven to be very clingy to him despite them not being officially together. To put it simply, she’s an annoyance. 

He doesn’t let on that that’s the case, though... 

When Yoonbum and Sangwoo are in the car, Yoonbum notices that Sangwoo’s expression is...unsettling

(Personal note: [Psychopathic Manchild] is a trope)

Now I don’t want to make predictions of what will happen in the next chapter because I don’t want to go back and edit this if it turns out to be wrong, so I’ll put what I think I know in regards to this: Sangwoo has shown that he finds people who show obvious romantic feelings for him while being ignorant of his true nature are entertaining. Them being so blind to what he is is a thrill in of itself. It means that his guise as a wolf in sheep’s clothing is so attractive and so convincing that people continue to be swayed by his charms, ignorant in how close to death they are. It’s a great feeling, like pulling off a magic trick. 

And the rest of the chapter detailing Sangwoo’s actions spawns only conjecture and predictions, which I will not make to avoid being proven wrong in the future, LOL

So! Those are my thoughts! Hope you enjoyed reading :D

#sangwoo #yoonbum #killing stalking #killing stalking chapter 17 #killing stalking chapter 17 spoilers #character discussion #character analysis #this took like three days to put together #what is wrong with me

[kittycat-plisetsky]

Okay so, as someone who was quite against reading Killing Stalking in the beginning, I just want to state my opinion /after/ having decided to read it. (I’ll put the rest under a read-more line, since I seem to have written a small novel. Go ahead an read below for a pointless analysis)

Firstly, you guys. There's honestly SO much to analyze here. So many actions to try to apply reason to and so much to consider in terms of the characters history. Like, oh my goodness, my friend and I have honestly sat and talked about all of this for hours. I don't even know if I have a real reason for writing this, I think I mostly want to get my thoughts on the series in one place, and maybe even get your own brains to consider my thoughts? I suppose I'll just randomly list off some of the ideas/thoughts that my friend and I have bounced around. Mostly, just analyzing what the characters could be thinking, or etcetera.

Firstly, one thing we discussed was... why is Bum even alive at this point?? I mean, quite obviously there's many contributing factors to this, but firstly, notice he wasn't a chosen victim. We've seen Sangwoo's victims, they usually do or say something that sets him off, he lures them in, and then... we know the rest. They're picked out and chosen, and aren't totally randomized, I believe. Yet here we have Bum, who literally is the only "victim" to come in on his own. Sangwoo shows up to his home and finds Bum lurking around. Let's be honest, at this point, Bum has seen too much (he's seen and spoken to a living victim), and honestly, Sangwoo /can't/ let him leave now, even if he wanted to. His own safety would be at risk if Bum left and potentially tattled on him. Again, the fact that he wasn't a chosen target automatically sets Bum apart from any other victim (definitely still a victim, considering the torture he endures).

Additionally, as mentioned a few times already, Bum resembles Sangwoo's mom in one sense or another. Sangwoo loved his mom (he even said "I love you" then "I was talking to my mom"), and I think partially, at least at some point, this is why he hasn't killed Bum.

Additionally to that (and I know some people would hardcore disagree), we can consider "love interest" to be a reason he's kept alive. Bear with me here, I'm only using "love interest" as a phrase due to the lack of a better one at the moment. Before reading into it, I would've never considered love to be at play. Like, why would a murderer and his tortured victim be in love, that's silly. But we can't forgot the character's pasts here. Bum is an obsessive stalker, and that's easy to overlook or forget at some points, but he's stalked Sangwoo. He's convinced himself that he's in love with him, and he was obsessed with him. He wanted him. Thus, Bum breaks into Sangwoo's house and what's the first thing he does? He gets turned on by Sangwoo's scent and placed his pillow between his legs. Bum came into this situation already believing he was in love, and even though Sangwoo turned out to be something Bum wasn't expecting, his love for what he thought Sangwoo was does exist.

And here's a thought that I've considered, though I'm not sure if any truth lies behind it. In terms of Sangwoo "loving" Bum, I could argue that it may have started with Bum's love confession, "I love you" (which can also tie back into Bum sharing similarities with his mother, who in Sangwoo's twisted childhood was probably the only person to say that to him). I'm not saying that Bum's love proposal was enough to make Sangwoo feel something, but again, it's probably something that has set him apart from the other victims, who I doubt said they loved him (in a confession standpoint, anyways). Bum being set apart has its perks for him, I think. Once you're set apart, you're looked at as more of a person, versus just a human, if that makes sense. I think Sangwoo is seeing Bum in a different lighting, and in doing so, I think would make it harder for him to kill, or maim him than he finds with other victims.

And going back to the mom thing again real quick...I've had another thought come to mind. I think it could be possible that Sangwoo is feeling protective of Bum because of his mother (protective?? I know, hear me out). Sangwoo shows protectiveness for Bum, even if sometimes he seems twisted towards him. He bathes him daily, clothes him, washes his clothes, provides medication and bandages to the best of his abilities, and will even kiss wounds (he caused some wounds, I know, but it's possible he feels regret), he gives him a rolling chair so he can move around the house without crawling (which, I believe is because seeing Bum crawl on the floor fills him with regret, especially since Bum's legs were broken before they've formed their connection), he gets him crutches so he can walk, he cares enough to ask Bum that he understands why they can't go to the hospital, he invites him to eat with him, he brings Bum out of the basement when he complains that it is cold and damp, he carries Bum and helps him down the stairs, and he even takes Bum outside on "dates" with him. So, back to his mother. Being in a situation with an abusive father/husband, it was clear that Sangwoo and his mom stuck together. They ate at their table together, and loved each other. I'd like to believe that after an incident with his father hurting his mother, Sangwoo was there to protect her as best as he could. Because Bum reminds him of his mother, he has something to protect again (he even saved Bum from being hanged when he called out "save me").

That's the emotional side of his "love" anyways. There's a sexual side I've considered, and I could be way off here, but I think sexually Sangwoo may feel confusion with Bum, but because he mentions Bum is feminine, I think that comes into play. I think, he's interested in sexual acts with Bum on his own account (he tells Bum that he's dirty when Bum asks to give him a blowjob BUT he lets him touch it, and then later on his lead, let's Bum suck him off). He's used to sleeping with his female victims, but with Bum being his first male victim (since he killed his father), I feel like the sex aspect becomes different. He hasn't tied Bum up and had sex with him as with his females, but rather he's kissed him on the mouth (and later on, holds Bum's hand while having sex with a female. That bit gets complex, but for now I imagine that being Sangwoo's way of sharing the experience with him, or his way of expressing "yo, I still love you even though we're not the ones having sex). Maybe its because Bum has confessed love, maybe it's because Bum is a boy, or maybe it's because they have some form of emotional connection. Maybe it's a combination of those. But for some reason, sexually, Bum is different than anyone else.

I think it may be safe to say as well that he /could/ love Bum because when he had thought Bum had ran away, he gets most upset (and punches a pole) after an image of kissing Bum passionately on the lips comes to his mind... and then the blow job flash back... and then the oops-I-got-cum-on-my-hands-and-on-the-floor flashback... all their most intimate moments come back to him, because he thinks he has lost that. That's what he's concerned for over the idea of his murderous actions being found out. Besides... he even says that after Bum is dead "this irritating feeling will go away". Well, pal. That feeling may be love. (AND can we forget "let's stay together"?)

Some of you may be thinking "she's rationalizing this insanely abusive relationship for the ship", but I'll state here that firstly, I haven't mentioned shipping it, and secondly, I'm rationalizing their actions in terms of how I think their thoughts work. I don't condone this.

(Also, because of the above scene mentioned, I want to side track to the woman whom is being choked. My friend had mentioned she thought it was Sangwoo choking his mother. I had thought it was a flashback of Sangwoo seeing his father choke his mother... I don't what it was in reality, maybe not even his mother at all... but thoughts??)

Another thing we've discussed is Bum's confusion on wanting to be saved. He ran into the streets screaming and crying for a savior at one moment, but hid from a cop who was looking to save him at the next. Maybe hiding from the cop was to save his and the cop's life in case Sangwoo was strong enough to take them both, maybe he hid to protect Sangwoo, or maybe he hid because he felt like he was supposed to hide. He's quite back and forth on running away or staying put. I think this is partially due to the fact that, as mentioned earlier, he's in love with Sangwoo, or at least that's what the obsessive side of his brain thinks. This probably comes to explain the desire to protect him, or the desire to stay at Sangwoo's side. Especially with Sangwoo's recent friendly behavior (which resembles the image Bum had of Sangwoo a little more).

I suppose I'll mention again that I don't have a real purpose in this. It may not even make sense, I mostly just wanted to type my thoughts out in order to organize them. I think ultimately I was looking to further understand the story on a psychological level, rather than thinking it was simply a kidnapping and torture story. And it is more than that, for sure (plus I'll admit it's "fun" to try to find reason behind their actions...)

#killing stalking #ks #killing stalking analysis #Sangwoo #yoonbum #yoon bum #Bum #Killing Stalking meta #meta #analysis #ks analysis #killing stalking sangwoo #killing stalking yoonbum #killing stalking bum

[miss-pettigrew]

Alright y’all. It’s been a little over a day since that meta post that earned me so many lovely notes and followers and reblogs and magic and I’m honestly so overwhelmed and yeeeeeee-ing over the positive feedback. 

So I got another one for ya, that I’m low-key embarrassed about because this entirely prurient but let’s not pretend we don’t enjoy KS half as much as we do for that very reason.

So I want to talk about Sangwoo and sex. 

I find Sangwoo’s relationship with sex pretty fascinating and it can’t hurt to dive a little bit into it. As always, this is purely my opinion and speculation and there are things I very well may be incredibly wrong about. Ok, who cares, let’s go.

At this point in the series (up through chapter 17) we’ve seen this dude get his nasty on quite a few times, in quite a few contexts. And the one thing that always stands out to me as it probably does to all of you is his complete lack of... response?

Take 1 - his handy from Bum. He shows absolutely no sign of arousal or pleasure other than the obvious erection. And we also know that he ejaculated because of the following scene - and yet, without that scene, I would have assumed he hadn’t. And we have the blushing scene which as this series has continued on, that panel becomes more and bizarre as we go because there is not a single other instance in which he reacts like that. In which his cardiovascular system met with his nervous system (i dont actualy know science isthis what happens) and blood rushes to his head in response to Bum. Like dang.

We then have the blow job part 1 in which Sangwoo kiiiinda initiates? Again, not moaning, no huffing, nothin’. Just a lot of disparaging comments and an ejaculation. 

Ok, so he clearly is getting something out of it. We also throughout all of this that with each sexual encounter with Bum, he becomes more and more affectionate in daily life. No longer requiring Bum to do chores, no longer keeping him chained in the basement. But all shallow appearances, he’s treating him well - and he’s viewing these sexual encounters intimately. Huh.

Then shit goes bad, and the next encounter in the basement in which Sangwoo gets off on Bum. Full disclosure, I haven’t actually read this chapter more than twice. It gives me the icks and as someone who IS NOT A SENSITIVE PERSON like at all, it gives me the icks. But, as I remember, Sangwoo is EXTREMELY responsive. Obviously, there is nothing consensual (ever) and Bum isn’t even touching him, but he is responding in a very normal way to sexual stimulus. Huh?

Next chapter he goes out and sleeps with another girl (in a place not his apartment therefore clearly not a victim). Then he goes to the gay bar and honeypots the man - which OF COURSE this is interesting. And I’ve read a few good metas on the reasoning behind this. Was it gay panic? I’m less inclined to think so, because in the larger context in the involvement of Bum - it appears to me that it’s more an olive branch? Sangwoo expect Bum to participate in his world and so let’s ease it in by offering him something he can relate to - gay men. That could be wrong, I don’t know - it’s entirely speculation here as there is nothing at all to compare it to. I will point out that the panel in which the man is kissing him the bathroom, Sangwoo does look quite vulnerable.

And holy shit COMPLETE SIDE NOTE BEAR WITH ME I’LL GET TO THE POINT.

Let’s talk about Sangwoo’s size. I see so many posts making fun of his “yaoi” body. Which believe me, I laugh at. But do you notice how incredibly large Sangwoo has gotten with each passing chapter. yes, he’s very muscular, he has to be to pull of the shit he does. But I have no doubt that is much more an effect of unreliable narrator through Bum. As Bum physically, mentally, emotionally deteriorates, Sangwoo becomes stronger, broader, more powerful and much more frightening. It��s meant to serve as a contrast between these two characters. Movies do this all the time. In Crimson Peak, they built the furniture larger to show how Edith becomes smaller and frailer the more she is poisoned throughout the movie. It’s 99% for effect. 

In that scene in the bathroom, Sangwoo (or what we see of him) appears SMALLER. Significantly so. He’s out of his comfort zone and his physicality reflects that. By the time they’re back in the basement he’s back to full size, because they’re in his world now and see how he grows.

Ok, let’s get to the almost point here.

I’ve stated before but I’ll state it again, Sangwoo sleeping with Jieun isn’t in reaction to Bum sitting on that guy’s lap. It’s not ultimately even something he set out to do to hurt Bum (though he can see the advantage of it after the encounter in the bathroom). It’s purely part of his modus operandi when he commits these murders. And this murder, in particular, is for Bum. 

(as a side note, I’m still terrified as how he expects Bum to participate in this part of the process - other than by watching through a slit in the door. please, god, let that be all)

What I do want to point out, and I’m going off fan translations until I buy the english chapter myself (BUY THIS STUFF Y’ALL GOOD LORD), but Sangwoo doesn’t make a god damn peep this whole time. It’s all Jieun. 

Not one chapter ago did Bum make the a huge deal about wanting to hear Sandwoo’s moans echo through the mic. The only time he has ever head Sangwoo moan was when he was being asphyxiated in the basement. Not the greatest context, poor wee babe. 

But the BJ in the bathroom, Sangwoo DOES react. Not significantly, but his breathing becomes labored. He rolls his eyes back when he answers the phone in pleasure. He’s physically showing how Bum is affecting him. When this man has otherwise, never shown any sort of reaction during sex.

And then there’s the kissing. And this to me is still pretty... grey for me because I have nothing to compare it to. We only have a few frames of the sex scene with Jieun but one thing is pretty obvious - he’s not kissing her. She’s talking quite a bit, so it appears he hasn’t even BEEN kissing her. I have no idea at what point he started his seduction and I find the idea of him kissing her both likely and unlikely - what I’m saying is, I have no idea what kissing means to Sangwoo.

Because he kisses Bum a lot. And in kinda gross circumstances. Chapter 2 - mouth full of porridge. Mouth full of vomit. Ick. Kissing is definitely something that leads to sex in his eyes, and therefore it is a sexual act. I wish I had a stronger point to make with this, but I don’t. It’s just, it’s something I’ve noticed and has been drawn and framed to be noticed and I’m wondering why. Maybe you all have ideas, and if you do, I would love to hear them.

So, we have a very sticky situation for Bum coming up. For me, I have a very hard time predicting what the fuck Bum is going to do in any certain circumstance. I can’t read him like I can Sangwoo, who comes much more naturally to me. What I do expect to see, in regards to sex and Sangwoo and especially sex and Sangwoo and Bum, is that the more intimate, the more possessive Sangwoo feels over Bum, the more likely he’s going to SHOW it.

For me, Jieun’s eventual murder will also very likely lead to an next step in the sexual relationship between Sangwoo and Bum. Does this mean penetration? I hope not, but maybe. But I can see Sangwoo absolutely losing his shit, but in the not angry way. But in the full blown out mooooooan, and maybe even the flushing. In which Sangwoo loses his very careful reserve when it comes to sex. Because to reiterate, what Sangwoo HATES more than anything else is feeling out of control. I think that IS why we don’t see Sangwoo react during sex. I think that’s why he doesn’t tend to lose his cool at all during the dinner scene, despite definitely feeling a little out of control then. I think that’s why he does lose his complete shit when he thinks Bum is gone. He never ever wants to feel vulnerable in the face of his own emotions in the wake of another’s actions. 

So him, reacting to sex - I think that’s the way we’re expected to see intimacy/vulnerability from Sangwoo. In my reading of Sangwoo, he doesn’t experience empathy. He can’t. He won’t experience “love.” He can’t. He can experience attachment, and possession and even affection - but those are internal expressions of those feelings. And not empathetic ones. He won’t show affection to Bum because he wants Bum to feel good. He’ll show affection to Bum because he feels affectionate and wants to express that. He’ll set up elaborate murder scenarios for Bum because that’s his way of showing intimacy, when Bum would probably much rather do with a hug or a kiss or a getting the fuck away from Sangwoo. 

Sex is a tool It makes Sangwoo feel good and it’s a way to lure victims into his apartment - to get them vulnerable, to physically break them down (I’m sure it is far easier to trap a woman worn out from sex than someone at their full strength. Obviously he would succeed either way, but it’s just so much easier this way and it makes him feel good.)

In a quick logical leap, I think Sangwoo gets off in the way he’s constantly surprised by Bum -without ever feeling out of control. It’s a bit of a trust thing, because he assumes (wrongly) that Bum, without fail, loves him. It makes him feel good, and feeling good happens when he has sex, so having those reactions overlap just seems like an obvious thing. It’s like “input stimulus here” “output stimulus here” but what the output is expressed in these very reptilian ways that Sangwoo understands. I feel good = sex. I feel safe = sex. I feel powerful = sex. But also, I feel out of control = fear/arousal - boner. But what he refuses to let himself feel is vulnerable so the way he actually physiologically reacts during sex is very controlled. At least until now - with Bum. Power and Control - Marina and the Diamonds.

Again, this is so long, and if you stick around to read it all, I don’t even know what to say but thanks. I hope you get a kick out of it though, and as always, please send me your thoughts. I truly enjoy the mental exercises I get when thinking about this stuff.

#killing stalking #killing stalking spoilers #in which i talk about things #like sex

[midnight-in-town]

Well, I have just read chapter 17 and 18 of Killing Stalking and I have to agree with you about Jieun. I read some crazy comments about her which depicted her as this atrocious person while she is simply a little superficial and self-centered at most. I mean she wasn't even the most rude with Bum among Sangwoo's friends. Most of all I think she was the fruit of the environment she lived in. I think the story depics in a pretty realistic manner a kind of society which doesn't hesitate in cont.

Hey Anon! 

Ah, I definitely agree with you :) the hate was strong and completely disproportionate. In the first place, she wasn’t even that rude indeed, she was more teasing than anything, except okay at the end when she was angry that Sangwoo would leave because of Bum, but really, aside from that… the two other dudes were a bit more direct in my opinion. 

She really was just a girl longing after the guy she was in love with for probably a long time, and it just so happened that:

he is a psychopath and serial killer

some parts of the KS fandom literally have a problem being overprotective with their ships

I reblogged this post once and, to be honest, I didn’t like that post because it told everyone that “shipping Bum and Sangwoo romantically was meh” but rather because…

Overall, the problem lies within fujoshi/yaoi culture, and the fanbase that is willing to fetishize any gay relationship- no matter the circumstances

And isn’t what happened with Jieun literally a consequence of that? 

She was an annoying and “problematic” character because “she stood in the way” of Bum/Sangwoo or so these fans thought. For example, the after of ch18 was really rough (since it depicted Jieun and Sangwoo having sex so haters were even more creative than usual) and so many fans rejoiced happily when Sangwoo treated her badly but, honestly, why?

Anyone taking the time to think back about the story ever since ch14 would have realized that she really coudn’t be an obstacle to anything anyway, since Sangwoo was obviously enthralled by Bum ever since he didn’t try to escape again so… I would have understood the frustration if she really had been threatening because Sangwoo actually was interested in her but… that would never happen and you didn’t need to be Koogi to be sure of that. 

To be honest, the whole thing with Jieun made me question my beliefs about people because:

did people really actually legit think that Jieun could “get in the way” of Sangwoo and Bum’s relationship? Really? After everything up until ch15 or so? Really?

Besides Sangwoo mentioned an anniversary and preparing things when they arrived at the festival and we know he was all about testing Bum, so everyone could realize that Jieun’s fate was not bright ever since we realized she had a crush on Sangwoo.

In fact the few great meta KS blogs that I visit had all understood that, so it’s not like no one ever brought up the idea that Jieun wouldn’t last long in the story?

But anyway, shit happened and she got hated on in a disproportionate way simply because she was interested in a dude that, in the fans’ mind, was already “reserved” for another dude. Way not to trust your ships people and way to misread Sangwoo’s character. 

As I said, I really didn’t read a lot people’s thoughts after ch19 when I stumbled upon so many fans “not being surprised that Bum would become a murder since he always had it in him because of BPD” (which is honestly the dumbest and wrongest thing to say which also damaged my belief in this fandom) but sometimes I wonder how the fandom reacted to Bum being canonly bi…

Also about Bum, you’re also on point, society is discriminating towards people who don’t “fit in”, it’s true everywhere unfortunately and so I personally like the fact that Koogi made her story realistic up to that point.

Anyway, Anon, Sangwoo has issues, Bum has issues, a good part of the fandom has issues, honestly what else is new? lol xD

And yep, as I said before, I definitely agree that Bum’s reaction after he killed Jieun probably wasn’t what Sangwoo had expected which… could be a good or bad thing, but we will need the second part of the story to decide :))

Thanks for passing by Anon, have a nice day! ^_^

#killing stalking #yoon bum #oh sangwoo #jieun #anon #answers #btw in case u don't know how to read; in my rules it's specified that i don't answer to hateful anons #so in case u had the idea in mind to come pester me about how jieun was an awful btich don't bother #it will just fill up my trashcan :d