The Dark Arc Is Laying Its Foundation
Working-Class Mr. Ahn's Unscheduled Visits to Dr. Yeon's Clinic continues...
Missed Part 1? Start here → PART 1
Warning: this post deals with some heavier psychological topics and dark fictional elements. Everything here is totally fictional.
Running Commentary — Mr Ahn's Cold, final
Jennie:
I. What They Have Is Far Beyond a First Romance They're really like an old married couple hahaha. What they have is far beyond a "first romance, fling, or sex." (Elaine's words.)
II. Bamboo Salt Toothpaste Come to think of it, their breath would smell the same from toothpaste. Is it bamboo salt toothpaste by any chance? Bamboo salt toothpaste, yeah it's famous in Korea. I use it when I want freshness but some people hate the smell. Mint scent suits Si-eun well. Si-eun and Suho would always have the same toothpaste smell in their mouths.
Asuka: Ah, is that very popular in Korea? Dr Yeon is currently just using some generic mint thing. To him, it's the frequency and timing of brushing and flossing that counts.
III. Si-eun's Neurosis Exploded If Mr Ahn's big cough sets off his nerves this much, if Suho fell off a ladder at work... sigh. Si-eun's neurosis totally exploded here, oh no what do we do??? So he cancels all appointments and rushes to the hospital where Suho's admitted, and Suho, already with casts on his arm and leg, sees Si-eun bursting in pale-faced and gives an apologetic binggu smile saying 'Why'd you come all the way here leaving work? Look, I'm fine' — just like in the original when he gave a thumbs up saying 'Discharged tomorrow!' Suho had been hit in the head with a baseball bat hard enough to have a concussion... This guy... always pretending he's fine... never wanting to see Si-eun crying...
Asuka: I think he would hyperventilate, cancel all appointments on the spot, and fly off to the rescue.
IV. The Deleted Scene Ahhh! From my private director's notes, there was indeed a deleted scene where Suho says 'I wanted to see you smile.' It's just that he didn't expect it would go in so easily and be so hard to extract… But I didn't include it in the end hahaha.
J: Si-eun's smile is so beautiful (even though when young Suho'd hide his feelings saying 'I feel disgusted') that Suho wanted to see Si-eun 'burst out laughing' but he didn't know this greed would produce such unexpected results hahahaha.
V. Given the Girth One characteristic of our arc is that Si-eun also utilises his little Si-eun to the best of his abilities hahaha. I enthusiastically agree that Suho would have tried various toys much larger than the thermometer for their quality time together hehe.
Asuka: Given the girth of the things they have played with, he believed he could stomach a thermometer with no problem. He was right, it was easy. Too easy.
VI. Pediatric Protocol Oh my god, how deep did the thermometer go into Suho hahaha. Why would you take temperature 'there' in the first place ahahaha.
Asuka: Oh there is actual clinical consensus across the board that rectal thermometers give the most accurate reading of the body's actual temperature. They are still widely used today, especially on children and on patients who have a biting risk. (They may also be misused by mischievous young men who mistake these for toys that can be used without supervision.)
VII. Dr House Asuka, do you have some medical knowledge too?
Asuka: Ah no, it's probably because I've watched too much Dr House. And I've read stuff by the very reflective surgeon Atul Gawande. There was also the very sad "When Breath Becomes Air", written by a young dying doctor (he's gone). I've also read some of neurologist Oliver Sacks' entertaining case studies, and the deliciously grumpy Bad Science by Dr Ben Goldacre. Aside from that, my practical medical knowledge is limited only to CPR. And er, I know how to use band-aids. I cannot pull out thermometers from places where they don't belong. I'm very clumsy with my hands, and if someone like me had used the tenaculum forceps on Suho, he would have sung some very high notes and entered the emergency room in the next scene. You'll have a better chance of survival with me praying for you…
VIII. Hold the Hem of Your Shirt in Your Mouth Knowing Mr Ahn's faking it but still thinking 'just in case' Dr Yeon rummages for the stethoscope in the drawer, puts it in both ears, and lifts Suho's shirt — that gesture is spinning 360 degrees in my head. He'd tell Suho 'I don't have hands free right now, so hold the hem of your shirt in your mouth' while scolding this chronic malingering patient in a pretend-stern voice, right? Making a grumpy voice while gently placing the stethoscope on Suho's back. It's been stored in the drawer for a long time, so the metal part might be cold... When it comes to Suho, Si-eun is too tender. He completely melts like cotton candy.
Asuka: I'm sure Mr Ahn loves the fussing and the checkups. What a shameless malingerer.
IX. Auscultation Scene When Dr Yeon says 'lift your shirt' Suho goes 'yessss' and lifts it up past his chest so his nipples show, making it easy for Si-eun to auscultate. Sitting on a table chair. Shoulders pulled back, spine straight... Then as the auscultation goes on, little Suho gradually raises his head too, making the middle part of those grey sweatpants tent up like a peak... and strict Teacher Yeon, as part of hard punishment, doesn't wrap around little Suho but continues auscultating while only grazing the head with his palm... (Suddenly humidity rises in the Yeon Clinic arc and it starts raining? Hahaha this auscultation interior design turned my holiday heart into a happy mess.)
X. I Am Putting My Penis In Now Hahaha it's like a doctor's occupational hazard, always like doctors do, so patients don't get startled. 'I'm pinching with forceps now.' 'The endoscope is going in now.' That kind of dry, mechanical, robotic tone hahahaha. The tone would make Suho's face flush even redder. "Hey Si-eun-ssi, you're not about to perform surgery, are you?" (Face down on the bed, glancing sideways with a side-eye at Si-eun who's layering his body on top.)
Asuka: Kind of like, "I am putting my penis in now." This sort of bluntness can feel like someone tearing off the bed covers. In a way, Suho gets back at Si-eun by constantly trying to startle him, in the kitchen, in the toilet, at the clinic, any time.
XI. Every Time Si-eun Grows This Ingrown Toenail Every time Si-eun grows this 'ingrown toenail' in his heart, it's Suho's job to clip it. Your acting must have been loved by many people, too. And I think the way you learned to express emotions and use space through acting is completely melting into how you deploy this brilliant writing talent. It's truly an amazing talent, Asuka.
Asuka: Yeah, he senses Si-eun has 'gone inward' again.
XII. Just Suho Himself Is the Hobby As long as it's not like a metal rock band level of costume makeup with both third fingers up giving the finger on the t-shirt, Si-eun would obediently go 'okay' and wear whatever shirt Suho picked out and they'd go play by the Han River together. Si-eun who has no particular hobby of traveling or activities like golf — his only hobby would be walking around the Han River with Suho. Just 'Suho' himself is the hobby.
XIII. Like a Free Spirit Who Could Leave Anytime I agree more than agree. Look at the position he occupies in the classroom. He's sitting far away from the class, straddling the very edge between the classroom and hallway. Like a free spirit who could leave anytime. Then as he gets closer to Si-eun and Beomseok, he gradually comes inside the classroom too. For Si-eun, Suho's mischievous playful nature is cute and charming, but as you said, it's also an unpredictable 'variable' that sometimes triggers low-key anxiety. Math-type talents like Si-eun who need clear answers will never adapt to such variables their whole lives. I remember him advising Baek-jin to 'eliminate the variable first.' Since he can't eliminate Suho, it's not unreasonable to explicitly tell Suho in human language 'please keep staying with me.' It's such a Si-eun-like romantic interpretation.
Asuka: There is a lightness to Suho, a cheekiness and a playfulness that is so effervescent, it's like he might just float away anytime.
XIV. What a Fool With Suho's personality, he probably wouldn't have said things like 'I love you because you're you, Si-eun' — but in some ways, even Suho who's quite dense about certain things probably notices that Si-eun has this trait of only raising his self-esteem when he's perceived as 'someone needed' by others. They've never discussed in detail that this stems from childhood trauma, but I have this brain-canon that Suho implicitly understands it. Sometimes when Si-eun comes home late due to evening clinic hours, Suho who already finished all his interior work in the early afternoon comes home, cracks open a beer with some dried fish snacks, watches baseball and might get lost in thoughts like... 'Even if you asked me for all my wealth and always acted needy with me, I'd love you so much... but Si-eun-ssi needs to confirm every moment that I need him to feel secure... what a fool...' Nobody can stop these two otters who've been in love for 13 years haha.
Asuka: So whenever Suho comes pattering to Dr Yeon with some kind of phantom pain, I think it is highly possible that there is a secret part of Si-eun that breathes a sigh of relief. "He's still here. And he still needs me…"
The Dark Arc Is Laying Its Foundation
J: Asuka, my week-long holiday is coming to an end sob... Thanks to you, I feel like I received premium massage therapy from a real professional at a 5-star hotel in Bangkok. All your Yeon Clinic omnibus soups are delicious, but this installment was so good I want to print it out and keep it in my wallet as a substitute for headache pills when work stress is about to make me explode.
I suspect the dark arc — already testing some base sauces heh heh — will be quite a serving. If the Yeon Clinic saga goes all the way to space, I'll follow no matter what — oxygen mask not required hahaha. Hearing that your dark arc is laying its foundation makes my heart tingle with excitement. As an interior specialist and bricklayer adding local colour, if my talent can be of any help at all, I'd love to roll up my sleeves and pour my whole heart into building this house. Just as much as the bright, fun, and comedic omnibus, your dark cocoa-colored arc absolutely suits my taste (a little devil's tail wagging wickedly again hu hu hu).
Mr Ahn Shirtless in Grey Sweatpants
J: Oh...the image of Mr Ahn shirtless in grey sweatpants is quite often in my mind hahaha. Yeah, Mr Ahn being shirtless is probably because he runs hot. So when he's at home on his second floor, even with the curtains open, he'd take his shirt off first. Then I'd be so happy as his neighbor, right? Those sweatpants have an elastic waistband that stretches nicely, and sometimes, when tipsy Dr Yeon gets a bit drunk with those big eyes unfocused, I have this delightful fantasy of him placing both hands on either side of that elastic band and pulling it down smoothly. Then Suho would say "Si-eun-ssi, can you give me some warning before you come in?" all embarrassed hehehe.
In Between Work
J: In between work, our deluluverse keeps creeping into my head — "ah, around now Suho must be wrapping up work, gathering his interior tools from the job site, right?" Imagining some auntie, ajumma wistfully watching from afar as this young, handsome guy who exudes a certain handsome cuteness with sexy nuances and subtle vanilla notes finishes his work hahaha. I had to laugh out loud at my desk. My boss has sensed that some part of my sanity has been on vacation for months now, but as long as I keep my face and voice hidden on YouTube, he'll never figure out the cause hahaha.
It's Monday so you're probably resting — hope you're completely relaxed with a glass of single malt, watching your favourite works.
Stirring the Miyeok-Guk
J: I'm honored you're seeking local bricks for the dark miyeok-guk flavour! (Suddenly imagining Asuka and Jennie wearing long, pointy black witch hats like Hermione would wear, stirring the miyeok-guk in a big cauldron with long ladles to brew a rich broth — I burst out laughing again. My imagination knows no bounds hahaha.)
Justice for the Rich, Guilt for the Poor
J: Of course, I can't say the political corruption here is worse than some Latin American or Southeast Asian countries. I personally don't have high expectations for this country, but still, the political sphere isn't severely corrupt yet and the government is at least trying to do its job.
But at some point I stopped watching the news on TV — I only check it for stock market updates. It became too hard to bear the cruel news, especially since literally every single day without fail, there's news of a woman being murdered.
In Korea the sentences for "premeditated crimes" are very high. For example, if a wife who's been abused her entire life plans and kills her husband, she'll likely get life imprisonment — because she had the intent to kill. But if a husband drinks and in a fit of rage punches his wife to death? The sentence is incomparably lighter. While violence and murder can never be justified under any circumstances, considering the physical aspect — a woman who's been abused her whole life can't just punch her way out like a man could, so she'd have to plan for a long time... it's somewhat contradictory.
Especially for DUI or truly unspeakable crimes committed while drunk — they're viewed as closer to accidents, so sentences are light. In reality, even if someone loses their life to a drunk driver, that DUI perpetrator won't receive life imprisonment. So only the dead person suffers the injustice.
In this context, looking at attempted rape — the chronic excuse of rapists is "I was drunk and in a state of diminished capacity, my judgment was impaired" — when they make this statement, it lowers the intentionality, so sentences for attempted rape become lighter or easier to evade. Add to this having a prosecutor acquaintance or political connections that money can buy, and if you're upper class, evading the law becomes even easier. Like anywhere, Korea has the saying "justice for the rich, guilt for the poor."
Recently, one case that enraged me — a truly vile young businessman running an illegal crypto pump-and-dump operation, connected even to organized crime, ran over and killed a pedestrian. He was high on drugs at the time. But with money and connections, he desperately scrambled to lower his sentence. The victim was a very young woman who died in extreme agony.
No Asuka, you've grasped the Korean social situation very accurately. The popularity of shows where perpetrators get their comeuppance, and also the popularity of individual detective YouTubers due to the legal system's inadequacy — you can see this reflects this reality.
Who is Jennie? Bricklayer. Local correspondent for the Yeon Clinic deluluverse. A sous chef who checks whether the soup actually tastes like Seoul. A specialist who designs this kitchen to hold more than Suho's coma — philosophy, history, society, culture, stacked one recipe at a time.
Who is Asuka? Head nurse and main chef of the Yeon Clinic. A Scheherazade who sings the Song of Achilles she found shelved next to a book on Zen Buddhist masters. Fluent in several languages, conversant in single malts and the precise emotional damage of Weak Hero Class 1. Signs off as ASL. (Always starch linen.)
This free ebook will ruin you. In the best way. A character analysis of Si-eun, Su-ho and Beom-seok that goes beyond what subtitles can carry. Take it — it's free → DOWNLOAD HERE
This post was originally published on Jennie's blog in the autumn of 2025. The original blog has since moved to Blogger due to hosting changes — welcome to the new home.
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