About Kousuke: this was actually pretty sad...
He’s literally saying that he’s uncomfortable and doesn’t enjoy working his hardest every day. Maybe it’s not particularly surprising, but it’s still kind of sad to hear him say it outright like that.
And this actually isn’t the first time this has been alluded to.
In the chapter when Shin ae goes to his apartment, she remarks that Kousuke looks “more upset than usual” in his graduation photo. Despite how glamorous it seems from the outside to little Kousuke, it was probably really rough to skip grades, still be the top of his class, and score in the top 10% of the college entrance exams. But he did it anyway.
Similarly, when Shin ae runs into Kousuke outside his bathroom, I was kind of surprised that he was already in the process of taking off his shirt. Like Shin ae hears the front door open and in the time it takes her to turn and open the bathroom door, he’s already taking off his work clothes. He literally did not want to be in them for 0.1 seconds longer than needed. Now you might think I’m over-analyzing, but quimchee draws particular attention to the idea that his work clothes are uncomfortable by having Mrs. Hirahara make a remark about him changing out of them.
For basically his whole life, Kousuke has sacrificed his comfort and happiness in order to succeed in his father’s world. In his mind, being uncomfortable and unhappy is just part of working hard and being successful. They go together. That’s why he thinks that if Nol is spending time doing things he enjoys then he can’t possibly also be doing his best in school and the workplace.
And that’s sad, because it’s not true. You can work hard and still be happy, but I don’t even think that thought has crossed Kousuke’s mind. In fact, it makes me wonder that if his father had not been who he is, if Kousuke would have pursued a career in business/finances at all. Just because you’re good at something doesn’t mean it’s your passion or even that you enjoy it.
Now this definitely informs (not excuses) his behavior towards Shin ae in the workplace. It’s a lot more complicated than him being an asshole or even a strict boss. He’s not ignoring Shin ae’s comfort or lack thereof. It’s just, in his mind, you’re not supposed to be comfortable or even particularly happy in the workplace to begin with.
I don’t think this mindset is correct or that it’s right for him to assume that just because he is willing to sacrifice his comfort and happiness in order to succeed, that other people should also be like that. However, I do think it makes his actions more understandable when you see that this really is not just how he’s been raised, but what he lives with every day.
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