Further Fanbook (apparently SPOILERS—I'm a little confused on why this was released before the final volume will come out—some fans are choosing not to read the fanbook before the Gaiden is over and the author said that you can wait until the volume is out to read the fanbook, so again SPOILER WARNING) thoughts:
Reading Kusanagi confirm on X/twitter and in the fanbook that Su-Won x Yona never had a chance because Su-Won was never interested in hopping on Yona's cousin incest train (thank goodness he had our modern sense to not treat his family tree like a dating pool) and Yona would eventually realize his lack of interest and become unhappy in a hypothetical marriage, that Su-Won really only strictly saw Yona as a sister from start to end, that he noticed Hak and Yona's relationship was slightly unusual and post-coup pieced it on his own that it was romantic, and how he neither minds nor cares to interfere between Hak and Yona's romance now is.... what we as readers, exactly expected. It is good that Su-Won is neither a crippled simp joining Yona's harem and that the cliche love triangle trope has been completely subverted.
It's also interesting how even Hak's thoughts that Su-Won should have noticed Yona's potential, an opinion I thought was right because it was HAK talking—has now been proven wrong by Kusanagi. Hak's thoughts ring hollow. So now we have a confirmation that there was no chance.
But her confirming so casually that Su-Won's reasons for giving hairpin really never had any plot relevance or "any meaning behind it" — yes, that's how it's translated—this is... well, this not good writing-wise.
No, this actually is bad. I'm not saying Su-Won needs to reciprocate Yona's romantic feelings or that the hairpin needs a specifically "romantic" meaning attached to it... but even platonic meaning... is there really none?
Like why is there NO kind of relevance to this object at all? Again, this is the biggest reason Hak could never forgive Su-Won. And now since it's confirmed that Su-Won had no deeper reason when giving it and basically treated his friends like an unfeeling asshole, just like Hak thought...
Damn. And the fact that she said that Hak and Su-Won don't need to fully understand the context behind the hairpin or EVER talk it out with each other...????
Like... what? Excuse me?
Chapter 125 was actually so important to the story—I never knew how deeply Hak's pain went, we actually got to explore his mind. It made me like Hak as a character more as he saw him think again cof something outside of Yona. It made his dynamic with Su-Won EXTREMELY fleshed out—it's one of my favorite chapters in this goddamn manga. And now you're telling me we're not EVER to get a conversation about the hairpin between Hak and Su-Won???
Bruh. I already thought Su-Won and Yona's conversation in the last chapter was too short and not given the room it deserved. Now Hak and Su-Won are going through this too. Weaknesses in the storytelling remain STRONG.
Why waste so much time and chapters focused on a stupid trinket like this hairpin if it was going to be this irrelevant in the end? At least have Su-Won explain his reasoning to Hak. In addition to that talk, I honestly would be so down if Su-Won would just tell Hak point blank: "You must understand, I can only love Yona as my sister, and I know you love her romantically." Like tell the guy! I don't even think Hak realized that Su-Won grew up seeing Yona as his sibling. Let me see Hak's reaction! Hak has suffered for no reason and has no answers! This shouldn't be in a side note in a fanbook!
Or idk, I think it could have been tied to the prophecy somehow. Or maybe it was Yon-Hi's idk. Like where did Su-Won even get his hands on it? Guess that doesn't matter??? So is Lili never going to get it from Ogi? Why did she even ask for it again??? Will it not be what brings Lili and Su-Won together? Is it that irrelevant now? I mean, if Kusanagi is only talking about it in a fanbook instead of actually bringing it up in the story, I find it bad.
Will Hak and Su-Won never talk about it? Why make Hak go after it underwater in chapter 125 and brood about it that much? I feel... really bad for Hak... poor guy. If this is all there was for the payoff, if Hak is never going to actually talk with Su-Won about it and get some concrete answers, Hak really should have smashed it in chapter 3 or so.
Seriously wtf. If it has no relevance in the story, smash it please. Stop torturing Hak.
