#ลับ-จ้าง-รัก

[lurkingteapot]

I'm pretty sure kidnap will disappoint me in the story department, but I cannot WAIT to see Ohm and Leng on screen together -- what we got to see at the book launch and fan gathering a month ago already seemed super promising, and anything I've seen since just supports this. I'm just gonna say it: Ohm getting to act with someone new for each of his series gives us this much food, I wish gmmtv were brave enough to mix everything up more often.

[imogenegomi]

Of course we're not even five minutes into episode one of Kidnap before Ohm takes his shirt off 😂

[lurkingteapot]

Oh no. Min, he's seen your browser history.

Total younger sibling behavior...

[heretherebedork]

Kidnap

I am going to lose my entire mind over this show. Just in case y'all were wondering. Like, I am gone. I am consumed. Look at them! Look at that! Poor little rich boy with trauma, poor man who's turned to crime to save his beloved brother, a kidnapping that shows the poor little rich boy what love and family look like... I am doomed by the narrative in the best way possible. @absolutebl GMMTV is gonna GMMTV but hopefully I can have a good time along the way.

[itsallaboutbl]

KIDNAP ลับ-จ้าง-รัก [OFFICIAL TRAILER]

[pharawee]

—KIDNAP · ลับ-จ้าง-รัก · 6 September 2024

[lurkingteapot]

It's been a day and I still think the relationship part of Kidnap -- yesterday's episode, anyway-- is portrayed in a really solid way. I loved the conversation on the bench. Real people have these conversations, the "I like you, idk whether you like me and it's fine if not but do tell me if I'm making you uncomfortable, I'll back off". The playfulness into the kiss into the sudden rush-release of desire, but also the 'pls slow down for now', even if it wasn't phrased like that. Like. idk. I just feel like we could stand to see more of that in shows.

[whumpily-ever-after]

Kidnap ลับ-จ้าง-รัก Whump List

Summary: In need of money for his brother's medication, Min takes work as a kidnapper. When his employer asks him to kill the rich young man he's kidnapped, Min cannot bring himself to pull the trigger. Instead, he tells them the job's complete and takes him home to hide him away.

Genres: Romance, crime, drama

Year: 2024

Country: Thailand

Where to watch: GagaOOLala YouTube

Possible spoilers ahead...

Whumpee: "Q" Harit Yuenyongwisut played by Leng Thanaphon U-sinsap

Episode 1: Knocked out, kidnapped, tied to a chair (rope), bag over his head, at gunpoint; gun pointed at him, begging not to be shot, hand over his mouth

Episode 2: (Flashback) Running, yelling for his dad to help him, (present) flinching at the sound of a gunshot, curling in on himself, breathing heavily, hand gagged; bag over his head, hands bound in front of him, manhandled; failed escape attempt, hands retied in front of him, carried over someone’s shoulder, dropped onto a mat, legs taped together, tape gagged; nightmare of being chased yelling for his dad to help him: sleepwalking, nearly falls down the stairs

Episode 3: Put in a headlock, warned he can’t trust anybody; nightmare; at gunpoint; panic attack

Episode 4: Scared after hearing a gunshot; sick; (flashback) wakes up shaking, memories of a traumatic event

Episode 5: Trying to stop a panic attack when the power goes out, nearly attacked, shot at (?); nightmare of finding his mother dead, wakes up shaking, crying

Episode 6: Manhandled, prepared to sacrifice himself for his friends; believes he is bad luck, flashback to a previous kidnapping and the death of his mother

Episode 7: Kicked in the stomach, hit on the head with a baseball bat, falls to the floor, hit on the leg with the bat, groaning in pain, holding his leg, held in place, punched in the face, hit in the stomach with the bat, hit on the back, falls to the floor, struggling to climb up the stairs, worried about his friend, struggling with an assailant, pushed down, hits his head, blood on his lip, passed out, blood on his head, concern for him; in the hospital, bandage on his head

Episode 8: Crying; drops a surfboard on his foot, limping; scared by the sound of fireworks

Episodes 9-10: None

Episode 11: Kidnapped (offscreen); tied to a chair (hands behind his back), at gunpoint, punched, knocked out; escapes, scared by the sound of a gunshot, crying, comforted by his father, at gunpoint, father standing in front of him as a shield; manhandled, punched in the stomach, falls to the ground, father concerned for him, kicked repeatedly, at gunpoint, blood on his lip, helped to stand, limping, flinching at the sound of a gunshot, concerned for his father; grabbed as a hostage, arm around his throat, gun pointed to side of his head

Episode 12: Goes to therapy for his PTSD, flashback to a nightmare; has a flashback, panic attack, drops to the ground, hugging his knees to his chest, breathing heavily, concern for him

Whumpee: Ohm "Min" Athikhun Monkolsit played by Ohm Pawat Chittsawangde

Episode 1: In a fight, threatened with a knife

Episode 2: None

Episode 3: Kicked back into a railing, dizzy, falls into a chair, cut on his forehead; manhandled, arm pulled behind his back, forced to his knees, grabbed by the chin, punched in the face, forced to fight someone for money; at gunpoint

Episode 4: None

Episode 5: Wound on his back from protecting Q

Episode 6: Punched in the face, in a fight, held in place, beaten, blood on his lip, head stepped on (stiletto)

Episode 7: None

Episode 8: Crying

Episode 9-10: None

Episode 11: In a fight, hit in the face, shot in the side; in the hospital (gunshot was a graze)

Episode 12: None

[g12xxx]

KIDNAP ลับ-จ้าง-รัก EP 1

James and Min are so bad at this and Q was right Min is the worst kidnapper. He has already fallen for Q 😭.

Overall I liked the first episode and look forward to next week.

[de-ligts]

a small canon-divergence fic I wrote after Kidnap’s first episode 🖤 I love a meet-ugly and I wanted to explore that scenario without the kidnapping plot and this happened.

[lurkingteapot]

Kidnap episode 10 really got back on it, I feel. Pacing, story progress, character motivation/development, flashbacks that were actual flashbacks and not "twenty seconds ago this same episode, but in slow motion" ...

I like that this show sets up things that would work in shows that were more over the top than this, starting with the 'proof' Min sends in ep 2 and gets chewed out about in ep 3. This ep, the thing with Mhen was another example of it -- oh, look, perfectly valid reason Mhen would've run into James, and also, OF COURSE the producer wasn't going to change his mind. It's pulp! it's cheese! it's heartfelt! I'm well entertained.

and I really REALLY love how at ease Min and Q are with each other. They're cheesy af, but they're also portraying the casual intimacy of two people in a relationship really well.

Next week looks to be a ride. Wonder whether this will be the second time one of Ohm's characters gets shot wrestling over a gun, or whether it's a classic GMMTV misleading preview (and thanks @galauvant for putting that option in my head).

[lurkingteapot]

Kidnap ep 5: Realized

This week I didn't manage to take nearly as many comment notes as usual -- partially because my phone was acting up, partially because I was squeeing and flapping a lot, and partially because there just ... wasn't that much plot to react to. But here's what I have!

Men and Q ganging up on Min is my favourite thing

Seua looks so lost here

Meddling brothers is2g (never change, Men, never change)

Who's the actor in this family, huh

please no Chekhov's "I would get shot for someone I love" please no please no

I think I liked the way this went in the book better ("regular friends don't drop what they're doing to bring regular friends stuff they forgot. I'm just saying in case you don't know because you don't have friends.")

Seua's intensity is fucking fantastic

I love that Q is smart. Reckless, yeah, but smart.

Across a crowded room~ 🎶

Oh she's good. Bad. But gooood. I really love this scene.

Different!

Min that's not HELPING

Seua!!! I knew what was coming and still screamed

Do we need to have a flashback to all the sweet moments right now?? Come ON

Awww

The CHEESE but I'm not complaining

The cheeeeeese

Choco pie advert! Here we go

OH okay we're continuing past where we were in the book even without the advert? again? love this for us

JAMES is2g

preview: helLO.

This is the first episode where chapter and episode title aren't identical, and it's making me look forward to further divergences. I'm having a delightful time with this -- is it good? Well. No. But I enjoy having Ohm on my screen acting his little heart out, and the dynamics are fun (in a "literally make me laugh out loud at times" way), and it's set up in a way that lets me believe that Q and Min and Men all care about each other as people which is important to my ability to enjoy the budding family dynamics.

I look forward to seeing where this'll go -- I have a feeling there's going to be a larger development with the case at some point, and that the whole thing with Q's mum is going to come up and perhaps create more relevance still -- I was talking to @galauvant and realised that unless I forgot something critical, Min doesn't actually know about the exact source/content of Q's nightmares yet.

Anyway. This was fun, I look forward to next week.

[lurkingteapot]

I'm camp "Yada weasling her way out of the justice system only to be shot point blank by the young man she'd attempted to frame for her own crimes and whose father she had murdered was an A+++ resolution actually, poetic af"

[lurkingteapot]

Kidnap the Novel ch. 4: Trademark Owner

Chapter 4 brings the h&c, and more gang together time.

There's a LOT of introspection going on here -- I'm curious to see what on the screen led to infer this. :D

Chapter summary under the cut as per usual, misunderstandings absolutely likely.

Min is in a state of constant near-panic for days after he and Q send a letter with Q's necklace and a ransom note to Kachaa. The note contains three conditions "for Q's continued safety": first, that Kachaa not involve the police or media; second, that he withdraw from the case; third, that he pay a ransom of one million baht (which Min had protested but Q insisted was necessary to make it look real). A week goes by and there's no reaction whatsoever. Min is relieved, but Q is despondent. Min tries to cheer him up, first suggesting he (Min) could call Kachaa and threaten him, then, when Q brushes that off, that Q glove up and go hit a punching bag for a bit. Q takes the gloves Min offers, but punches Min in the arm instead. Min goes along with it and plays up the damage when he realises Q seems happier. (He also thinks his clothes look more expensive when they're on Q, but that's neither here nor there). Men watches them and thinks he's never seen Min act like this around anyone else before – Min hovered around Men for days after they got back from meeting with James, to the extent that he wouldn't even let Q drink by himself. Men is convinced Min is either already in love or about to fall.

Min, Men, and Q go to the hospital for Men's final check-up. Everything's fine. Min is so relieved he cries. He then makes to leave for work "at the restaurant". When Men asks him whether he'll be doing any stuntwork again because Men loves to watch his films, Min deflects.

Q watches Min and Men interact and is half impressed, half wistful about how they're each other's whole world. He envies them: he's sure that in a time of need, Men wouldn't even think to call for anyone but Min; Q himself remembers just too well that he called for "anyone at all". He offers to look after Men while Min is at work, but Min laughs him off. Khanomjeen arrives and says she'll look after Men. Q is annoyed; he feels Min treats him like a child and he hates it.

Khanomjeen wants to watch one of Min's shows. Men isn't enthused, which strikes Q as curious as Men just told Min he loved his work. They settle down to watch anyway. Q is sceptical how they even know it's Min -- it's a motorcycle stunt, the rider is wearing a helmet with face shield. Khanomjeen gives him a rundown of how she can tell. Men is disgruntled. Q realises he hasn't actually paid much attention to Min's appearance before.

When Khanomjeen goes to make popcorn, Q asks Men what his problem is. When Men sulks that Khanomjeen never pays attention to him the way she does to Min, Q asks whether he likes Khanomjeen. Men denies it, but blushes scarlet. Q presses on: has he ever even tried to hit on her? Men deflects: how would he even do that? she likes Min so much, the only thing Men might measure up on is that they look similar because they're related. Q has a think and an idea: if Khanomjeen thinks Min looks cool on a motorcycle, maybe …

He makes Men nab one of Min's jackets and his helmet and takes Khanomjeen and Men to a quiet sideroad and he and Khanomjeen proceed to teach Men how to ride Khanomjeen's motorcycle. Men is excited, Khanomjeen is unenthused and worried they'll get in trouble with Min. Q waves her off: they're not doing anything bad or wrong.

Q proceeds to teach Men how to ride the bike. They go about it very slowly and carefully to make sure Men doesn't hurt himself. Once Men has gained some confidence, Q asks to ride on the back for a bit "so Men can get used to that", and once that works, he asks Jeen to take his spot "so he can take a clip of Men on the bike with someone in the back to show Min". Khanomjeen agrees on the condition that they go home once he's taken the video.

It starts to rain heavily as soon as they're done with the clip. The three of them run under a bridge and wait there, but after an hour, it's clear it's not going to stop soon. Q volunteers to run and get rain ponchos, leaving Khanomjeen and Men by themselves. Men asks Khanomjeen whether she thought he looked cool on the bike. She says sure, he presses on: as cool as Min, or not quite yet? Khanomjeen looks at him and they have a bit of a moment. She then tells Men "no", but something has clearly changed, and Men also realises. Q, who ran back with raincoats but realised they were having a moment, hangs back to give them a little time to themselves.

When they get back to the house, Min is there and pissed. Where did they go? Q tries to placate him but Min just gets more upset: doesn't Q know Men is sick, what did he think, taking him out to do something dangerous, and in the rain as well! What if something had happened! Khanomjeen tries to mediate and Min rounds on her, which in turn makes Men mad. He accuses Min of wanting Men locked up in the house forever and not seeing Men as a person, then stomps upstairs to his room. Q argues with Min, Min tells him Q can only argue like that because he never cared for anyone in his life.

Once Min has calmed down, he goes to talk to Men, but gets no answer through the door. Then, there's a thud like a body hitting the floor. Min panics and breaks down the door. He finds Men collapsed, feverish and barely conscious. His frantic tone alerts Q, who comes upstairs and goes numb at the sight that greets him. Min tells him to call an ambulance.

At the hospital, Q tries to apologise to Min – he really does feel bad about what happened, and feels responsible, too. Min tells him to leave him the fuck alone, which really gets to Q.

Men regains consciousness. Khanomjeen, who joined them, and Min go into the room, but Q hovers outside, unsure of his welcome. The doctor explains Men just caught a cold and his heart is perfectly fine, it's just that he's still weakened overall, which is why he caught a fever. Min relaxes. Men, still a little fuzzy around the edges, also tells Min he's fine. Min apologises to Men and Khanomjeen. Men tells Min he had a really good day and was really happy today, and that he'd've been fine if not for the rain, and Min doesn't argue. The room feels more relaxed. Khanomjeen is eager to corroborate Men's account and shows Min the clip of her and Men on the motorcycle. Min can tell that Men looks incredibly happy. Towards the end of the clip, Q turned the camera on himself and addresses Min: "I wanted to show you how much cooler than you your brother is"

Men stresses how Q was the one who made a day that made him that happy possible, and tells Min to apologise to Q as well. Min brushes him off -- they're both adults, these things don't need saying --, but Men can tell he's affected.

Q is quiet the entire ride home, staring out the window and not talking. Min telling him to leave him the fuck alone still echoes in his ear. When they get home, he goes upstairs immediately. Min feels odd; he feels like it'd've been easier if Q got mad at him. Men walks up and slaps Min's shoulder: weren't they both adults and these things didn't need saying? before he, too, goes upstairs to his room.

When Min gets to his own room, the bedside lamp is the only light on. Q is lying on the edge of the bed. Min walks up to him and tells him he saw the clip and that Men really did look happy. Q doesn't react. When Min looks more closely, he can tell that Q is red in the face, not looking so good, and radiating heat. Min instantly goes into caregiver mode and makes to go get Q medicine, but Q tugs at his arm and stops him. Min is startled to see Q is on the verge of tears. Q tries to apologise to Min. He looks miserable. Min tells him he's not angry anymore. Q asks after Men, and Min tells him Men's fine and Q should worry about himself, first. He gently plucks Q's hand off his arm and puts it down on the bed next to Q, but doesn't let go yet, stroking the back of Q's hand with his thumb. He tells Q again that he's no longer angry and goes to get medicine, a flannel, and water.

Min is very aware that he's aware of Q's naked skin while he's spongebathing him, and tries very very hard to keep everything perfunctory. This isn't made easier by Q squirming, trying to avoid the cool water. When they're done, Min helps Q put on the very shirt Q had grabbed that first night that Min then hadn't let him wear. Q notices. Min tells him it's alright, it's a warm shirt, it'll help him get better soon, and that he won't tie their arms this night.

When Min lies down, Q still looks cold despite the covers. Min lies close and sort of half-hugs him. Q opens his eyes, they kind of stare at each other in silence for a while. Min wants to apologise, but Q beats him to it, but Min tells him he's not angry anymore and went too far earlier. He realises he would not know what to do if he made Q cry for real. They talk. Min thanks Q for making Men so happy that day and that he hasn't ever achieved that look on Men himself. Q tells him Men just wants to be like Min. Min doesn't believe him, Q insists and tells him Men's well aware that Min does what he does for Men's sake, and that Q thinks Min's a great older brother. Min tears up. Q tells him he really has no chill when it comes to Men.

Min tells him he has no-one else -- he's cared for Men since he was seventeen years old (and Men was eleven), he didn't even know how to cook rice at first and could only act on guesswork and instinct, always within the framework of "will this be good for Men". Telling Q this is kind of cathartic for Min -- he's never had anyone care, nobody ever asked, but Q asked, and listens, and Min is suddenly confronted with just how lonely he was and how hard this has been. He tells Q he is really afraid he'll ruin Men's life, that he's doing the wrong thing. Q tells him, feverishly but quite seriously, that he feels like if he had anyone who loved him the way Min loves Men, he'd never want for anything else. Min thinks about it and feels his face heat. Q misreads the flush, tells Min to take some medicine, too, and moves to feel Min's forehead. Min tells him to stop talking and go to sleep. Q's eyes are at a height with Min's neck, and he spots the mole Khanomjeen listed when she was talking about how she could tell it was Min in the movie earlier. He falls asleep smiling.

There's not a lot of space on the bed with the way Q is lying, so Min ends up apologising and kind of wrapping himself around Q in order not to fall off, and Q, whether consciously or not, rests his head against Min's chest and hugs him back. Min kind of freezes and doesn't dare move at first, but in the end he moves his free arm to pet Q's hair. He's a mess of feelings he's not quite ready to confront, but he wishes he could hold Q and be held by him like this every night.

The next morning, Min gets up early to make khaao dtom. He's filling a bowl in the kitchen while Men is in the living room, watching TV, when Khanomjeen comes by and is surprised Min isn't at work. Min says he has sick kids at home and asked for the day off. Before she can say anything, Q comes downstairs, still wearing the Min's Golden-Retriever-in-Wolf-hat shirt, and asks what smells so good. He's still a little loopy with fever and rumpled from sleep and looks very cute as he goes to stand next to Min and peer into the pot. Min involuntarily grins, smoothes Q's hair down and tells him to have food and medicine. His tone is so gentle it borders on sweet. Q is loopy and doesn't notice, and neither does Min himself, but Men and Jeen sure do. Men also notices that Q is wearing the shirt he gifted Min and comments on how Min wouldn't let anyone else wear that before. Min blusters and tries to deflect that he doesn't have a lot of warm shirts. Men pretends to accept that answer -- he doesn't really want to tease Min when Min looks like he's about to scoop Q up and carry him where he needs to go. Khanomjeen asks whether that means they're all gonna stay in together that day, and when Min confirms, she and Men call a movie night ("'night' my ass" is Q's comment on that with a look out the window).

Men and Min go gather blankets, pillows, and stuffed toys for the sofa while Khanomjeen and Q prepare snacks and soft drinks. Khanomjeen asks whether he and Min are good now, Q says yes. Khanomjeen then tells Q not to worry too much about it because Min is a person who worries too much about the people he loves, to the point where he sometimes overdoes it, but he doesn't mean to hurt anyone … so she'd kind of like Min to get mad at her in that over-the-top way, because she'd like to know what it's like to be loved by him.

Q deflects teasingly: what about Men?

Khanomjeen seems to lose her composure a little and only says they'll see, but she blushes as she tells him we'll see.

When they're watching the movie, Min unconsciously stretches out his arm to lie on the sofa behind Q, who's hugging the stuffed toy dog, almost like he's putting his arm around his shoulders, and Q leans into it with an air of familiarity. On the screen, Min appears, and Min remembers a gun is about to go off, so he quickly covers Q's ears. When the scene is past, he tells them there won't be any more shots fired in the movie, very matter-of-factly, like looking after others like this was the most normal thing in the world. Q remembers what Khanomjeen said and thinks to himself that she's right -- Min kind of reminds him of a huge dog who loves his owners. He can't keep that to himself, so he teases Min: "You're the actual golden retriever dressed as a wolf here … good boy."

His intention is to tease, but Min just feels praised because Q looks pretty happy about it.

[lurkingteapot]

calling it now: we're gonna see a necklace or pendant or SOMETHING with "LQVE" in it at some point (Min wanting the word love to involve Q)

[lurkingteapot]

Kidnap ลับ จ้าง รัก novel summary: chapter two, "Sleepwalker"

I finished chpt 2 ahead of ep 2 airing and decided to post this now for accountability. If the episode is anything like the chapter, we're in for a ride.

Full summary (comprised of the notes I took as I read along) under the cut, very likely contains SPOILERS for episode 2. No comparison with the actual episode other than what we saw in the preview, seen as the episode hasn't aired yet. Under the cut, there's a short impression, then a long blank spoiler space, then the detailed summary (~1.5k).

Impression:

This story is so funny. I laughed a lot over the course of this chapter -- Min is a delightful mix of clueless, good-hearted, and practical; Q is Very Done with everything, and Men delights in being a bratty little brother with all that entails.

S

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Min brings Q to his house; unties Q. Q immediately tries to run. The alley Min and Men's house is in is a dead end and pretty deserted, and on a canal. When Min catches Q again, he takes his phone and yeets it into the canal. He's very aware of the fact that he probably made enemies of the people who hired him and that they'll kill them both if they learn he left Q alive. Back in the house, he puts fake blood on Q for a picture of "evidence" that he sends to James. Q and Min agree on a plan: Min will pretend he dumped Q somewhere but that Q wasn't actually dead and escaped/saved by an anonymous 3rd party; that way, it's not exactly his fault and (he hopes) everyone walks free. Q isn't at all happy about being held prisoner regardless. Min agrees to share everything he learns about the people who hired him with Q once everything's settled in return for Q leaving him out of it when he goes to report things.

Q takes a shower and chooses a clean shirt from Min's wardrobe, but the one he picks, Min doesn't want him to wear – it was given to Min by Men. He gets Q to take off the shirt by just looking sad at Q's sarcastic "what, is he dead?"; he makes fun of Q for being a sucker, after. Despite Q's protest, Min ties their wrists together so Q can't escape while Min's asleep. Min falls asleep immediately because he's exhausted, but wakes because Q is having a very vivid nightmare, thrashing and talking in his sleep. It's a bad nightmare – he fights Min when Min tries to wake him; Min ends up basically hugging him to pin his arms to his sides. When Q realises he's safe, he sags into Min's side, not caring who holds him. Nightmare appears to have been a flashback.

When Q regains awareness of his surroundings, he gets mad at Min for holding him – seems astonished when Min tells him he was having night terrors and talking in his sleep.

Min mixes a red soda for Q because that's apparently his panacea (note: sponsorship segment?) from growing up in a film crew. Q feels bad about startling Min and tells him he hasn't had night terrors in a long while. He calls Min a crappy criminal for caring so much. When Min tries asking Q about his nightmare (he was shouting for his dad), Q shoot him down. Min feels bad about the way Q's wrists are rubbed red from the string he tied them with and offers to untie him if he promises not to run. Q agrees and this time, he means it.

Min goes to sleep on the sofa in the living room, locking Q into his room. When Q wakes, he's mad about it. Min wakes to his phone ringing. It's Khanomjeen – turns out Min lost track of the day of the week over the whole kidnapping business and forgot that Men was supposed to come home (in that he knew Men would come home Wednesday, but forgot Wednesday was today.) It's already past noon, and Khanomjeen and Men are about to arrive. Min panics – tries to get Q to shut up and not let Men know he's here. Q's not having it – for one thing, he needs to pee. In his haste to get Q to the bathroom and back, Min threatens Q, but Q isn't pressed. Min pushes him, and he falls onto the bed. Min tries to subdue him by wrangling his hands above his head and pressing down on his wrists, straddling Q. Q just isn't scared of Min, not even one bit. Men walks in on them and immediately backs out, apologising and claiming he didn't see a thing, have fun! Min realises what position they're in and explains, in a panic, that it's not what it looks like.

Q looks at Men and realises that he probably had medical issues, and that the cost of caring for those probably were what led a guy like Min to take a shady job. Khanomjeen is pretty annoyed – "oh, so THIS is why you forgot to pick up Men?". Men is like "Q's totally my brother's type", Min tries to deflect like "how would you know, I've never even been in a relationship". Q protests the 'spoiled rich kid' descriptor Men saddled him with (as Min did before). Min tries to explain Q's presence by claiming he's a fellow stuntman and they were rehearsing a scene. Men doesn't think Q looks like a stuntman, slight as he is. Min claims it's for a BL show (…) and continues to dig himself a deeper hole, then leaves, claiming he has to take Khanomjeen home – she doesn't particularly care because it means a few minutes of alone time with Min. Q and Men talk; Q realises he knows the expensive private hospital Men was at. Men tells them their parents are dead and proceeds to try and sell Q on Min. Q: "we're just friends" Men: "yeah, and I'm just saying."

Min comes back and gently nags Men about his meds; Q feels like he's seeing a different person. Everything about how he interacts with Men make it clear to Q that Min acted from desperation when he took the job – which doesn't make it okay, but Q feels like he kind of gets it now.

Min read up on how to proof a room for a person with parasomnia and proceeds to do just that. Q is baffled. They're about to fall asleep. Min makes Q promise not to try to run, "for my brother's sake if nothing else". Q sarcastically asks whether he should pinky promise. Min expects Q to have night terrors again, and he does; this time he sleepwalks to the door. Min uses what he learned reading up on parasomnia, tries to get him to settle, leading him gently back, and they end up so close their noses brush, lips almost touching. Q's still asleep. When they're back in bed, Min thinks on how Q is SUPER his type, again, and how did he end up in this situation? Min ties their wrists together very loosely to make sure he'll notice if Q sleepwalks again.

The next morning, Min goes to collect the money for the job from a locker at a remote park on the city outskirts. He pays Siia Muu back the 300k he owed and is already thinking of how he can find money to … pay back his employer? and to settle the interest payments (?? I thought he still had money left?). He's accepted he'll probably always have debt + will just have to try and spread it out.

James calls him in a panic: apparently he only just learned (?????) that Q is Big Kachaa's son, Big Kachaa just got ambushed, and did Min get rid of all the evidence? Min hurries home, thinking at least he and Q are on the same side for now. He calls Men, who tells him Q just left. Min feels like he's been struck by lightning.

Q arrives home to see his dad's car dented from being deliberately crashed into and the windshield (bullet-proof glass) riddled with bullet damage.HIs dad looks worse for wear from the ambush, but is on the phone with his subordinates anyway, as usual. Q waits to be noticed, then gets mad when his dad does not just refuse to pass the case to someone else, but doesn't even notice Q is dressed strangely (in Min's way-too-large-for-Q clothes), or that he was gone for three days. His dad always seems to put doing the right thing first, even though it cost Q's mum her life, nearly cost Khachaa his on several occasions, and now nearly cost Q his (though he doesn't tell his dad that). Q storms off. He had to watch his mum die and really resents his dad for it -- Q feel like as his dad can't change the world, or even just the system, by himself, so why can't he have a little consideration for his family?

Q decides to leave again and makes his way back to Min's house. Min is shocked and angry at first -- Q promised not to run! -- but when he sees how upset Q seems, and that Q must've cried, he relents. Q makes a proposal: they should blackmail Q's father, and Min take the ransom. Min thinks Q's lost the plot, so Q changes tack and reminds him that (as Min told him initially) he knows his face, he knows where he lives, so Min doesn't really have a choice, right?

Notes: yeah ... apparently neither Min nor James realised Q's dad was a fucking bigwig cop prior to taking the job. I don't know either. How are they so bad at this. Also Min's faith that telling the folks who hired him Q escaped will go down okay as long as he pays them back seems painfully naive, but what do I know, this IS the GMM BL verse.

Q asking Min "so ... I'm your type?" was not in the novel, so I'm excited to see how that happens. A lot of the other things from the preview make more sense now that I've read the chapter, though. I look forward to watching!