#Sailom with kanghan about steak

[spicypussywave]

I love how the trio were all honest about what they feel. They never lied or tried to lead the other one on just so they don't get hurt.

And not just about the confessions, other times too which were awkward but they still were honest about it.

[respectthepetty]

In defense of Kanghan trying sucking!

*puts on my Kanghan defender hat*

Kanghan's dad never lets Kang do anything. He dismisses Kang and tells him not to try, which Kang has stated upsets him. But Sailom always pushes him to try. He never does anything for Kang because he knows Kang is capable enough to do it himself.

Yet . . .

Sailom, who had Kang fail a test to teach Kang he couldn't be bought, quickly told Kang that he would complete their assignment without Kang having to contribute. Normally, Kang would be thrilled by this, but Sailom had faith in him when no one else did.

So Kang is hurt.

Things are awkward between them, but even when they were enemies, Sailom expected Kang to pull his weight. Now, Sailom is treating Kang just like his father does, and that bothers Kang.

Instead of giving up like he would normally do with his father, Kang goes to check on Sailom (because he wants to make sure he is okay), AND THEN GETS TO WORK!

Kang picked Sailom up and gave him the worst wipe down in BL history, but just like with Sailom and that steak, this is new to Kang and the fact that he tried is what is important. He didn't make fun of Sailom for not knowing how to eat a fancy meal, and Sailom didn't make fun of Kang for trying to care for him later when they spoke.

Then, Kang went further and completed their assignment ON HIS OWN!

I know everyone and their grandma hated the amount of flashbacks in this episode, but I appreciated that each flashback in this section showed Kang getting answers right and Sailom praising him. The flashbacks didn't show them necessarily working together on an assignment, as much as they showed Kang getting the answers correct on his assignment with Sailom's guidance.

And those flashbacks also showed the times Sailom took care of Kang when he was too tired to continue, even when Sailom himself was tired.

Because those memories served as a reminder that 1) Kang could complete this assignment alone, and 2) Sailom had already done the same for him several times. Kang just needed to try.

Caring about someone is new to Kang, but he told Sailom he would try FOR HIM.

This is a kid who has never had to keep a promise in his entire life not even to the girl he likes, yet here he is showing up to check on Sailom and take care of him even though he has no clue what he is doing. He took that promise seriously because Sailom takes him seriously.

Then, he sees Guy taking care of Sailom, and Guy is doing so much better than Kang who rarely cares about anything, so how would he be good at caring for someone?

We get flashbacks of Guy (I know y'all hate them), who even pointed out to Kang that HE takes care of Sailom, pushing Kang away when Kang tried to help Sailom in the classroom.

This is the same person who told Kanghan that people only want to be around him because of his money (which is a sore point for Kang).

Kang tried to take care of Sailom and sucked at it, yet here is someone who doesn't seem to struggle the way he does. Kanghan cares about nothing, so to finally care about something, NO, someone (Pimfah and Sailom!) and fail at it both times . . .

This is why his dad tells him not to try. This is why he doesn't expect anything from him. This is why Sailom told him he would do their assignment by himself without Kanghan needing to help.

Because Kanghan sucks.

He sucks at school, which is why he was failing. He sucks at soccer, which is why he is on the ground. He sucks at caring for someone, which is why Guy steps in each time. And Sailom knows this, which is why he said he would do their assignment alone.

Then, Sailom screams "Troy!" "Kang, YOU'VE GOT THIS!" and like a damn health bar in a video game, Kang remembers through the power of a flashback (I know, I know) that this isn't about how much he sucks at caring about Sailom because what is important is that he does care about Sailom.

Kang showed throughout this episode that he does care about Pimfah. He likes her. He wants her happy, even if it isn't with him. But he doesn't care about her the way he cares abut Sailom, right? Yet when Pimfah was describing how she knew she liked Sailom, she was describing Kanghan's experience with Sailom.

And many people wrote that what Pimfah was describing was admiration not love.

So, according to many of y'all, if what she is describing isn't love which just happens to be the same exact experience Kanghan is having with Sailom, then he isn't experiencing love either, right?

No. He feels sorry for Sailom.

He feels guilt.

But, according to y'all and Kanghan, he doesn't love Sailom.

So what is it he is feeling because he, and the audience, doesn't know how to describe this?

He doesn't want Sailom to have to work so hard. He doesn't want Sailom to walk in the rain. He wants Sailom to eat a nice meal. He didn't always feel this way though.

But somewhere after seeing Sailom get beat up and threatened with an iron to his bare arm, he started to care about Sailom.

Then, he promised Sailom he would try, for him.

So . . .

Kanghan is trying to describe what he is feeling when everything in his life (and the audience) is telling him this isn't love. It's pity. It's guilt. It's admiration. But it's not love.

So when Kanghan throws this in his face

he really thinks about it.

This doesn't feel like guilt. This doesn't feel like pity. This doesn't feel like admiration. He cares about Sailom. He cares for Sailom. He sucks at it, but damn it, he is trying.

He keeps getting everything wrong, but he is trying.

He is trying to do better. He is trying to figure out what this feeling is. He is trying to get it right. And he is trying to make Sailom understand something that he doesn't even understand.

But the point is he is trying.

Even if he sucks at it.

[chicademartinica]

you were soooo right about sailom's pre-existing crush on kanghan & we can SEE his brain telling him that falling for this spell of kindness is a capital-m Mistake & man is it gonna hurt when he inevitably gets burned but on another note! KANGHAN HOW DID YOU GO FROM FULLY INTENDING TO PUT A GUN AT HIS HEAD TO CUTTING UP HIS STEAK FOR HIM IN TWO DAYS FLAT what is going on in that boy's head i love it

I KNEW Sailom liked that man because why was he so DISAPPOINTED in that version of him ??!! And now he knows he should not trust it but it feels way too good to be around Kang when he is charming. The money and the food are only good because they come with alone time with Kang. He is going to enjoy it as long as he can and this is the first really selfish and potentially bad decision we saw Sail take.

As for Kang fam this dude just wants to be the center of Sailom’s attention. From bully to sugar daddy to student he will be whatever he has to be to bask in it. Very repressed bisexual of him to refuse to examine why he needs that man to look at him to exist. Sir YOU LOOK CRAZY. Also they want to bang each other. They are 18 and horny.

[chalkrevelations]

So, I had to go back and watch the forehead flick and Sailom’s little admonition of “no Thai” with his wagging finger about five times before I could move on, and part of that is because the comedy was on-point, but part of it is how much weight that moment carries. It really is so very reminiscent of correcting a recalcitrant puppy, while at the same time being very casually boyish horseplay and one-up-manship, and I think those things combined do a ton of load-bearing as we start moving into the next stage of their relationship. On a meta level, the comic aspect of it breaks some of the tension we’ve been carrying around about them and the previously established tone of the relationship between them. And it also really establishes that - despite the way what’s happened between them in the past can reverberate for Sailom – he’s not afraid of Kanghan, he’ll treat him casually, he’ll take the lead, and there can be some balance of power in this relationship, despite outside power disparities. This is an interaction of equals, and both of them are fine with it.

Kanghan has all his previously established socioeconomic power, sure. But here, Sailom has a kind of institutionalized power, as the tutor in the relationship. But also, that’s only because Kanghan has allowed it, has ceded power to Sailom. All Kanghan has to do is say he doesn’t want to do this, and it would be over, and there would be zero consequences for him - and on some level, they both know that, already, even though Sailom still doesn’t really know anything about Kanghan’s dad yet. Kanghan has clearly demonstrated that he could walk away, and the only reason he’s showed up – as far as Sailom knows at this point - is because Sailom insisted, and he maybe wants to make his Grandma proud of him, he guesses, shrug. Meanwhile, sure, Kanghan dragged Sailom into unfamiliar territory with the steak-dinner date, but he also demonstrates here that he’s perfectly willing to follow Sailom into Sailom’s own territory, onto unfamiliar ground, lit. and fig. He puts himself in Sailom’s hands, he follows Sailom’s lead – explicitly, he follows Sailom’s lead, instead of bribing the bouncer to let them into the bar/restaurant. Sailom just kind of casually takes Kanghan into his own world, into his own life, to the open-air market in an area where he’s done a lot of helping people with their English, and Kanghan just. Follows him. Doesn’t even think twice about it. (Except for complaining that he’d’a dressed up if he’d known this was a date.)

Plus, he then completely humiliates himself for no real reason other than to get Sailom’s approval. Come on, do any of us really think there would be any real consequences if he performed badly on his English exam? (NO.) But Sailom has set him a task, and by god, he’s going to do it, no matter how hard it is for him. (PRAISE KINK ENGAGED.)

And my god, Kanghan. Ohhhh my godddd. Nobody’s stomped on my embarrassment squick this hard in a long time. I’m literally cringing watching you try to pick up strangers get strangers’ Instagrams. I realize part of the bit is that your English is supposed to be bad, but could you not come up with some kind of cover story here, like, “ha ha, I made a bet with my friend, who could get the most Instagram connections, he’ll owe me a beer” – something, anything so you look the slightest bit less like you’re inappropriately hitting on every single person you approach? Or at least try to talk to them a little bit, first? MY GUY. PLEASE. You do approach this whole thing with the same determination and lack of reservation you used when you pulled a gun on the goons who were beating up your boyf bullying target, so I have to give you that, I guess – once again, your feckless, reckless rich-kid confidence carries you through. Or are you just determined to do a good job for Sailom so you can continue to get praise and belly rubs? Because I think that may be a big part of it.

[neuroticbookworm]

A brief list of the crimes of Dangerous Romance, episode 4

PSA: I never moved on from the rich entitled bully/poor but savvy classmate dynamic. You can't drag me through a dynamic change speedrun, show writers. I call bullshit, and so does @wen-kexing-apologist. And hence, this post

This oh-we're-studying-and-maybe-developing-feelings montage

These candles for romance vibes

The Wind/Windmill motif explanation double-down (WE GET IT, SHOW)

Sailom daydreaming about Kanghan while walking in the rain montage

Yet another montage in which Kanghan misses Sailom while eating his steak

PICKING UP THE FOOTBALL PENDRIVE WHILE STARING DEEPLY INTO EACH OTHERS' EYES. Do y'all remember how Kanghan posted on the internet that Sailom is a p*dophile to fuck with his job? These are the same boys, two episodes later

The end of Sailom's tutoring gig getting the same melancholic treatment as a breakup. Complete with longing eyes and deep sighs

The toothrotting soda ad insert. Just.. holy shit, why

This is NOT the show I signed up for. The tone has wildly shifted and the first two episodes are almost completely disconnected from the rest of the narrative. I feel gaslit into watching a fluffy romance, while they sold me a interclass romance with dark undertones. Like my pal, @lurkingshan, I'm never letting this go

[aurumxxx]

In regards to the pacing of dangerous romance, my only complaint so far is that they didn't make kanghan an asshole for longer. I wish the enemies part lasted more than 2 episodes. But otherwise the pacing makes sense to me? Like i assume it's going quickly for a reason? From the trailer and stuff it doesn't seem like the whole series will be about waiting for them to get together. Obvs I could be wrong though

I think it makes sense that kanghan does a 180 after seeing real violence. Like he is a kid who's been playing tough now faced with real life for the first time so now he's playing mature. He has wanted to feel like he is needed and that people have expectations of him and this was the perfect opportunity for him to feel like he has real world power. Like building his sense of self importance as he gets involved with actual adult real world stuff for the first time. He wants to act more mature now. I think him taking sailom to the steak place showed this whole like look I am mature and can take care of ppl. There is power there and he feels it. I think he also realized he feels more mature showing sailom what he can provide vs how he can bully him. Like look I'm a grown up too.

The breakup longing stares montage was hilarious but I thought that made sense too. They want to spend time together but don't know how without an excuse. Adorable high school confusion

The escort business is def not over based on the trailer and I think that implies the series is going to get darker. Like we already know the brother gets arrested and there is a shootout. We are getting the light episodes now bc they are in high school and have crushes and don't know how to deal with it.

Idk I'm rambling but I'm obsessed with this show and wanna talk about it

[bengiyo]

Dangerous Romance Ep 4 Stray Thoughts

Last week, we mostly skipped dealing with the internal fallout of Sailom experiencing extreme violence from his creditors, or seeing how he and his brother are coping, to jump to the Kanghan tutoring arc. We’ve confirmed that Kanghan has massive issues because his dad has undermined his confidence constantly by never expecting anything from him. The boys practiced their English at a tourist spot, and got chased down (for gross sex reasons) by some foreigners who were after Sailom. Kanghan thought it would be brilliant if the hid in an alley and kissed. Also, Kanghan’s friends don’t seem to know him or his interests that well. However, Sailom is going to Courage Wolf this man into believing in himself.

Look at this man lying about studying. Get his ass, grandma.

My poor boy, Chimon. Y’all know he sweats profusely. Why would y’all do him like that with that close up pan?

The grandma is at least setting reasonable expectations of Kanghan.

Interesting. That was apparently NOT the first time Sailom has been beaten up over debts. That is NOT how that scene felt at all.

I’m not sure I’m keen on a tutoring/friendship montage, but it helps that Perth and Chimon are good.

How are the candles helping them study if they’re spread across the room? Did they ask Sam’s staff to set this up?

Why are they being so heavy-handed with this windmill analogy? This feels so early!

Kanghan is such a dork. Why is his hair not inside of his helmet?

Fellas, is it gay to think about the bonding moment you had with your rival/tutor/crush in the pool when you can’t sleep the night before exams?

Chimon is good. His face dropped briefly in disappointment when he heard that Kanghan failed, and then he masked it immediately to encourage him because only failing one subject is an improvement.

Alright, but did we clear things up with the parents group chat so Sailom can go back to tutoring other people at least? I didn’t forget that Kanghan called him a sex offender.

Oh lord, not him having a secret crush on Kanghan because of the umbrella stuff.

Papang is back! We didn’t talk about much.

Here he goes again eating this dry ass steak alone. He paid $30 for this?

I don’t get all this mooning at each other. They could just talk? Do they need to act like they hate each other after all this cutesy time together?

I’m gonna need GMMTV to stop using Perth shows to swindle people into investing in crypto.

“I’m okay,” then almost busts his ass on the bathroom floor. You can’t fall in love if you ain’t clumsy amirite??

Ah, the poverty-to-sex-work pipeline begins.

Pepper is pretty, but I really hate the color of this jacket.

Now, why is Saifah spending this kind of money on dinner when they have bills piling up?

This is the first time I think a Thai show has used their penchant for potty jokes well by having Sailom eat with a man experiencing incontinence.

Well, at least this man only wanted to have dinner with him this time.

I appreciate Pimfah being tactful about trying to offer help to Sailom.

I don’t mind them wanting to use their wealth to assist Sailom, nor do I mind the grandmother putting conditions on that help. Still, I’m not feeling kind of off about the whole experience here because it feels like we dropped the antagonistic part of this rather quickly.

They’re really committed to the windmill analogy. There’s even one on the umbrella. It’s part of the design, so I’ll let it ride.

Yes, dry his hair. A BL boy will die if his hair stays wet too long.

Fellas, is it gay to make your rival/tutor/crush hold your drinks, feed you, and massage your shoulders as a break from studying?

Besties, I gotta be honest, I’m a little frustrated with this show. I’m having a hard time staying locked in on much of the drama because it seems to get resolved or forgotten at will. Perth and Chimon are good, but this is a bit difficult for me to connect to, and I find that the irritation is leading to a bit of boredom with it on Fridays.

[thequeenofsastiel]

What are your thoughts on Kanghan x Sailom dynamics after episode 3? You dropped a great meta last week that I can't stop thinking about, don't leave us hanging bestie, we wanna know more!!!;

So sorry for the delay in answering--I wanted to give it a few days to percolate and watch again--and now that I've done so, I do have a bit to say.

So Sailom was very firm when it came to tutoring. That could be misinterpreted as dominance, but it wasn't. I believe it stemmed from the immense honor that Sailom has. Kanghan's grandmother paid him, and Kanghan protected him. Sailom feels obliged to tutor Kanghan so that Kanghan can have a better life. And so he's not afraid to push Kanghan to succeed, because he believes he owes that to Kanghan.

There were a few Dom/sub moments. First was when Kanghan told Sailom to get on the bike after tutoring. He didn't say it calmly or encouragingly. He snapped at Sailom to get on in a very commanding tone. And Sailom--despite having just had flashbacks to Kanghan bullying him--nods and obeys.

The second, and third thing, were in the restaurant scene. Sailom, upon seeing the prices, instantly tried to run for it, but Kanghan ordered him to sit back down and eat there with him, saying that he was paying. And Sailom didn't argue. Which I find significant, given how averse he is to taking money without earning it. You'd think he would fight this more, just like he did with the tutoring money, but he didn't fight at all. He sat back down. Also, Kanghan ordered for him. Sailom actually specifically gave that power to Kanghan when he said he could eat anything, and Kanghan didn't even blink before accepting it.

The fourth was when Kanghan grabbed Sailom by the wrist and yanked him back to give him the steaks. He didn't need to do that. It was entirely unnecessary. Sailom would have turned back if Kanghan had asked him to. But Kanghan saw an excuse to get dominant with Sailom, and took it. And on Sailom's side, he didn't even bother fighting Kanghan at all. He allowed Kanghan to manhandle him, not pulling away, waiting for Kanghan to release him.

The fifth was the not-quite-kiss. Kanghan didn't hesitate to push Sailom against the wall when the idea occurred to him, and despite how annoyed Sailom behaved afterwards, he at no point even tried to push Kanghan away. He let Kanghan do what he wanted to do to him, just like with the wrist grab.

The last scene was one of the most interesting to me. Sailom actively fights with Kanghan, but he does it not out of dominance, but out of affection. And his asking Kanghan to study for him was so effective because Doms do want to impress their submissives. Admittedly there's equal desire on both sides to impress the other, just for different reasons. And we also got another example of Sailom throwing himself into Kanghan's arms, and Kanghan, despite deep emotional distress, can't help but return the hug. He even runs his hand up and down Sailom's back, and pats it. I don't quite know how to describe it, but it just looked like a Dom and a sub holding each other. Don't ask me to explain why it feels that way, it just does(okay I'll probably obsess over why and get back to you).

I hope you liked this meta! And thanks for saying you liked the first ones I did. It's nice to know at least some people enjoy it.

[respectthepetty]

Kang's Trust Issues

All roads lead to my wild ass theory

Kang's dad told him that dogs must be punished to be controlled.

Both times Sailom has unknowingly approached the subject of Kang's dad, it has allowed Kang to be honest about his failing relationship with his father.

Yet Kang immediately stops himself and deflects.

Almost as if he was trained to belittle what he is saying, so someone else doesn't have to.

Because Kang's dad trained him to not trust himself.

And Sailom has fed into that.

Kang doesn't believe in anything, so Sailom gave him something to believe in - Sailom himself, but with that, Sailom also gave Kang someone he could trust since he can't trust himself.

So even though Kang is going about his relationship with his tutor in the queerest and most dominant way possible, he doesn't believe they are friends, so he wouldn't even be able to imagine he loves Sailom.

Because what Kang's dad really trained him to do was to lie to himself.

But he knows he can trust Sailom.

Because Sailom never lies.

And Sailom only acknowledges Kang when he is being honest.

Sailom has never eaten expensive steak. Sailom has never played with VR. Sailom likes free shit. Sailom got Kang's birthday cake from Kang's own fridge. Sailom was at that restaurant with a client. Sailom gets beaten up by debt collectors. Sailom told Kanghan all of this without hesitation. He never lies to Kanghan.

So how would Kang react if he thinks Sailom is lying to him?

Like . . . hypothetically helping his brother plan to rob Kang's house while he is out with Kang?

Especially if Kang, a boy who can't trust himself, trusts Sailom completely and starts to trust his feelings for him. How would a boy who has been tamed like a dog react?

And now it makes sense why Kang is not a boy of words, thoughts, or feelings, but actions. Kang has trust issues with himself. This is why he likes Sailom's approval because unlike his father who spins his desires into a negative (you don't want to do it), Sailom makes him feel positive (you can do it).

But it also shows why Kanghan's reactions are so out-of-control with Sailom (aggressive) compared to his reactions with his father (passive). With his dad, if Kang doesn't have options, he doesn't have to think, and if Kang doesn't think for himself, he can't act. But with Sailom . . .

Kang's trust in his father is based on control. His father made a deal with him only to break it. His father got Kang a motorcycle that he picked out for him. His father expects Kang to take over the family business. His father isn't controlling, but he doesn't need to be when he is already in control of Kang's future unlike Sailom who puts no pressure on Kang to pass his tests even though his job depended on it. Sailom trusts Kang will make the best decision for himself. Just like with his brother, Sailom has faith Kang will do the right thing.

So, once again, when Saifah breaks into Kang's house, will Kang trust the boy who never lies to him? Will Kang trust his tutor who demands honesty of him? Will Kang trust the friend who keeps his promises? And, more importantly, will Kang trust himself enough to know that he is more than dollar signs to Sailom?

Or will he lie to himself like he was trained to do?

Blue Boys are known for their honesty and trustworthiness.

So I have faith that he'll know the truth in his heart.

Don't disappoint me, kid.

[chalkrevelations]

OK, subs are up on part 2/4 now, and I have to say that Kanghan feeding Sailom is even more endearing when I can understand everything they're saying, even though, NO. I'm dying laughing at the idea that I'm supposed to accept that those are A5 steaks. Also, it's literally just a piece of (paper-thin) meat on a plate and nothing else. Did the filming budget not extend to a side or two? You are being taken for a RIDE at this restaurant, Kanghan.

ANYWAY. I do love how straightforward they both are about this meal - Sailom being all, Yeah, I've never had steak before, and Kanghan being like, Yeah, so just hold your utensils like this and slice. This could have been a scene in which Sailom was made to feel lesser because he didn't have the fancy foreign food experience that Kanghan does, but that gets nipped in the bud posthaste, and I think that's significant for the development of their relationship. I see what you did there, Kanghan, telling Sailom he could have whatever he wanted and then immediately turning to the server and ordering for both of you. But THEN, ugh my heart, Kanghan saying that it's his favorite, because apparently he wanted to share something about himself with Sailom.

ETA: And then the ride home, or more precisely, the discussion outside of Sailom's house - "Or do you want me to say that I want you to be proud of me?" YES, KANGHAN. THAT IS IN FACT WHAT HE WANTS YOU TO SAY. HE REALLY WANTS YOU TO SAY THAT. He's already craving being the person you get your approval from, and I am DYING over that. Also, I really think that when you stopped him from going inside with that hand around his wrist, and he turned back to you, he thought you might say it, before you handed him those to-go containers of food instead. And then oh, Sailom, your baffled little FACE as Kanghan drives off. YES, he's courting you. I'm not sure he even realizes it yet, but HE IS COURTING YOU. jfc these two adorable puppies talking past each other are going to KILL ME.