More Than Friends? What Do You Mean? More Is Just More, Hia. Like … When I Eat With Her, It Tastes

OKAY SO

This scene is actually set between episodes 1 and 2 of Between Us

We know this because this happened BEFORE Team called off ‘sick’! Because later on in UWMA we get the moment where Team isn’t in Uni and Pharm gets his loud noise trigger - 

This means that the scene in Team’s bedroom where Win brings him food  ISN’T the first time they’d interacted since the swim camp! THEY’VE SHARED A CAR HOME TOGETHER AT LEAST ONCE before Win told Team ‘yo I did actually enjoy hooking up with you’ (which makes me wonder where did Team think he was dropping Win off if he didn’t realise they live in the same building?)

Now, we see this moment happens even little later on in UWMA; in the scene where Pharm meets Team with snacks after his swim practice, Team says that Dean left earlier in the evening:

This means that THIS SCENE:

Is happening at the SAME TIME as THIS SCENE:

Between Us EP.4

soogyu vs. staying in character vs. each other      ( mission status: FAIL )

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Question…. How do you feel about Win Hitting Team in the face after he saves him?

I wasn’t a fan of that part and I don’t know if I’m comfortable seeing it on screen. I know it’s a mix of emotions he angry, nearly lost him, but ……. I don’t know. Hope you understand .

I understand, Anon! It's a polarizing scene, and people don't need to have a unanimous opinion of it.

I personally really liked it in the novel! It was a moment of raw anger and flawed humanity from a character who's been composed and responsible ever since he got through a rebellious phase that mainly consisted of skipping class and body modification to get attention from his parents. Literally the tamest rebellion in teenage history. The punch is also framed as a mistake, and something he clearly feels guilty about almost immediately, since he then yanks Team into a hug. The novel describes Win as shaking like a frightened animal, which just underscores for me how primally terrified he was. After all, he was alone when he walked into the building and saw Team at the bottom of the pool, probably seconds from death. If Win hadn't acted as fast as he did, he would have had to watch Team die.

And Team put Win in that position through his negligence. Even worse, Team doesn't even have the grace to even act apologetically after he regains consciousness. He's dismissive and almost petulant, and while that's his whole thing, it's just not the time for it. Of course, Team's clearly suffering from a host of mental traumas, so it makes sense for him to diminish nearly dying, but from Win's perspective, he's probably imagining previously unthinkable things: would CPR and potentially breaking a rib have killed him instead? Who do you call to take a corpse? How would he ever swim again? Sleep again? I'm not arguing the punch was deserved, only that Win's so far removed from rationality at that point, he's just trying to get Team to understand the severity of the situation they're in.

Imagine how Win feels seeing Team shrug off his near-death. That could easily make Win believe that this could happen again. If Team doesn't value his life, if he takes risks like this again, if Win's not there the next time, if he doesn't take this seriously—

Anyway, that's why it worked for me. Plus, after the punch, after the hug, Win takes Team not back to the dorms, not even to his own dorm room, but to his own family's home. Win drives Team's car, stops at a convenience store to get ice for Team's face and snacks for him as a treat, literally feeds him at home, lets Team shower on his own to respect his space, and at the end of it all, he falls asleep with Team safe in his arms. Because this is who he is at his core. He's the one who talks Team down from intimidating Alex, and he's the one who gives rational advice to Dean. So I like that the novel shows that the only way to make him lose it completely is Team dismissing his own brush with death. Is it romantic? No, of course not. Is it healthy? Also, no. But I don't want a character to make the right choices every step of the way. Their mistakes and how they try to make up for them enhance their complexity for me. I mean, if Win were a real person, I'd be like, "He punched you?" but he's fictional, so I just see that scene as fascinating to explore his mentality instead.

ALL THAT BEING SAID, it works for me because it's that version of Win.

The Win we've seen in the series isn't the same Win we see in the novel. Boun made the decision in December of last year while they were filming the post-drowning scene for the pilot teaser for Win not to punch Team, and it works so well. Because it's Boun's version of Win. Novel Win didn't have a meticulous, restrained conversation about consent with Team before he slept with him the first time. Novel Win didn't even hook up with Team a second time. There are a lot of overlaps with Novel Win and Series Win, and they're both written by LazySheep, but Hemp Rope is a novel she started around 2017, and she had to take her time and a lot of consideration to adapt the novel into a script with 2022 sensibilities and growth.

So I think Boun was right to change it because he knows what this version of Win would do. And I think it says a lot in favor of Sheep and New that they saw the wisdom in his decision and allowed him to do so for the main series as well. (They show him raise his fist but switch to a hug in the trailer, just like the pilot teaser.) When directors understand and value the input of their actors, I'm always deeply impressed and appreciative. Collaborative art can be some of the most powerful, and I think Boun was incredibly smart to show that Win did have the impulse but decided against it. I think that's just as powerful for this version of him.

Essentially, I appreciate the novel scene for what it is, and I like that the series has presented a different version of it with unique nuances influenced by an actor who loves his character tremendously. <3

The Colors Between Us

Win's color is blue. Loyal, free, trustworthy, and stable.

Team's color is red. Impulsive, passionate, intensive, and stimulating.

We see their colors throughout the first episode

Bonus: Win's poster is Nirvana (emotionally charged grudge rock band), while Team's is Definitely, Maybe (a romcom) correction - Oasis, the British rock band's album.

We saw the colors in the promo images as well, and also notice Win is the one usually reaching out to comfort Team.

Their backpacks will be the most common form of their colors but look for other items that include the colors.

In the final scene of episode one, we see the two have distinct physical boundaries due to the background curtains.

Win is on the darker side while Team is on the lighter side. However, they provide balance with the hair colors and shirt colors.

As Win continues to ask Team more questions to gauge his level of consent, the boundaries merge as Win starts to move into Team's space (reaching out as usual)

They are now in the bright space in the middle surrounded by the darker color. Even though this will remain a secret between them *wink*, they are fully aware of what they are doing (the light in the darkness).

I think having the reincarnated lovers as a side couple is so funny. Pharm is drowning in tears having flashbacks from his past life but hold on the hot hunkies are about to fuck

Magical realism but it’s just “and whatever’s going on over there”

@ sunwoo’s sister, spare some height pls

Team just, like, let's Win drive his car around and then leaves the keys with him, like, use my car, I trust you so much with probably the most expensive object in my life, also I love you, haha run away

The trust this silly boy has.