Leaning back to consider whether the print version of this will be more easily gotten to than a bunch of digital coins. Sometimes yes! A physical book does not require an app or account to access.
Oddly, many libraries carry physical copies of manhwa. While it’s a pretty long shot for a mature BL title like this, it’s worth checking your local library’s catalog to see if they carry it, or suggesting that they purchase it for patrons to borrow for free. Many libraries have systems in place for patrons to request titles for the library to purchase. Supporting the industry by purchasing licensed copies of comics at your local library is also a great way to support the industry as a whole – even for digital comics, many libraries subscribe to services like Hoopla, whose catalog varies wildly from library system to library system.
And, of course, supporting libraries means you’re supporting the larger industry, because they are buying licensed copies of comics. So it’s a win-win. And, again, Hoopla Digital is another source for digital comics, with a varying catalog from library system to library system.
I think the most powerful aspect of this chapter was the lack of closure for the protagonist. She doesn’t have some profound realization or emotionally charged reconciliation with her family member. Instead she sits down to eat with them. What she understands about her family member and herself is left unspoken, incomplete, and still resonating. That this kind of realization about one’s family members comes in quietly un-resolved waves rather than being neatly wrapped up for the reader in a narrative arc, is what makes this chapter so powerful. The chapter trusts the reader to sit with this uncomfortable feeling rather than to be resolved for them.
I would love to discuss the cooking metaphor that ran throughout the chapter. First there was the burnt breakfast that was his attempt to show care and then the rest of the chapter was her teaching him how to cook the breakfast properly. The specific details of the instructions such as the heat and the amount of time to let things sit were a metaphor for the type of emotional care and patience that she exhibited. ‘Don’t rush it, let it come together slowly.’ This line really hit home with me as it showed her philosophy of nurturing her to teach him. This is not grand wisdom, but simple, down to earth, wisdom that is passed down through the hands-on act of nurturing another person. We watch him struggle through the different steps trying to be helpful, but often getting in the way, until finally he falls into step with her. The warmth of the chapter was not only in the act of them making breakfast together, but also in the meal that they finally sat down to and ate together.