As Thai BLs do, we start with a flash forward. Some guy’s expensive jewelry has been stolen. Jack catches our thief, Joker: “Why does it always have to be you?”
Let’s go back in time and meet Joker, Jack, and Social Inequality
Joker is a poor little rich boy, put down by his parents in favor of his younger brother. His only talents are stealing and lying. Even when he steals exam papers he can’t pass the exam. But he does some easy cut and paste to fool his parents.
He’s also stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, his calling card a sad smiley face. His dad sees a news report and compliments the thief. Joker seems desperate for this rare approval.
Jack is a poor boy in a bad wig trying to get onto the national Taekwondo team to pay off his parent’s debt. In the gym, Jack takes on the rich bully who is abusing other players. The rich bully is very good at Taekwondo and can do whatever he wants. Like keeping Jack from the national team.
Jack at least goes home to a sweet, supportive grandmother.
Jack and Joker walk into a bar
Actually, Jack works there, and he’s waiting on the rich jerk. Joker sits alone, drawing sad smileys and spying on Jack. They share drinks, kinda, Jack is too young and drinks water. They also share what’s happened since the episode started.
Jack very sweetly, if over-optimistically, reassures Joker that everything will turn out alright. He draws a smiley face on the bar and tells him to smile. He goes to collect payment from the rich bully, but the man’s wallet is gone.
Joker has it, and wonders if Jack would accept him if he knew the truth.
On his way home, Joker is forced to come to the aid of a woman about to be kidnapped. His efforts to talk his way out fail and he can’t fight. Jack comes to the rescue and he can fight.
Jack and Joker flirt while the rescued woman tries to get Jack’s attention and shares her backstory of being a wealthy heiress. The heiress forces Jack to ask for her number and Joker escapes. Jack looks upset he didn’t get Joker’s number.
At home, Joker is lectured for trying to help the heiress. He looks like he’s giving up.
Jack thinks he can get a loan, Joker thinks he can get away with robbing a bank
Joker passes himself off as a manager and gets access to a computer. Right then Jack shows up for a loan. He wants to build a Taekwondo school to help kids growing up without resources, like him.
Joker seems moved and approves his loan. He steals money from a safe and gives it to Jack, who should question being handed an envelope of money. Joker disappears before Jack can give him his contact info. Jack is hot for Joker.
Until he gets home and the police are there. They arrest him while Joker watches.
Joker goes home and apologizes to his family. He tells them he is just a petty thief on the street who thought he was a hero. Then the police show up because he turned himself in.
Jack goes home, but loan sharks are there. As agreed upon, he must work for the Evil Boss to repay his debts. The Evil Boss demands collateral, and Jack hands over a ring.
As Joker is driven away by the police, he cries and vows that next time they meet he will do anything he can to apologize to Jack.
As Jack is driven away by the loan sharks, he cries and hopes to never see Joker again.
5 Years Later
Please let this be the only time skip in the show.
Anyway, Joker gets out of jail with new tattoos and a list of 100 ways to make it up to Jack. He discovers Jack has lost the bad wig and is the local debt collector, terrorizing people for money.
Jack catches him following him and strangles him. Joker is willing to do anything to apologize. Jack spits on his list and wants to kill him. Joker is willing to die, but Jack stabs the ground next to his head.
Joker won’t give up easily
He enlists a pair of Jack’s debtors, Tattoo and Hoi, to get information on Jack. He goes to the Evil Boss for a loan, with an amusing story involving Shiba and doge coin. The Evil Boss thinks he’s got an easy way to make money until Jack walks in and reveals Joker is a scam artist.
Jack is directed to beat up Joker, but Joker knows some prison moves. He and Jack exchange blows and tough talk that even the nearby henchmen recognize as flirting. Jack leaves to handle something else, leaving Joker to the henchmen.
Joker uses the old “massage” trick and escapes, following Jack. He stops the debtor from stabbing Jack and Jack from punching the debtor. He gets strangled, again, and punched by Jack. Jack blames Joker for how things have gone and tells him to get out of his life.
Alone, Joker cries.
Well, now Joker is ready to give up
Jack gets stuck having a drink with Evil Boss. Jack is both the boss’s favorite and in trouble for paying off his debtor’s debts. So he is still kind, sweet Jack. As punishment, Evil Boss gives Tattoo and Hoi’s debts to another collector and threatens to take away all his debtors.
Joker throws out his list in despair. Then he easily stops Tattoo and Hoi from robbing him. Tattoo recognizes his tattoos. Turns out they’re fans of Joker!
Tattoo tells Joker that Jack is really a good guy, and can’t leave because Evil Boss has Jack’s parents’ ring. Joker wants to steal Jack from the Evil Boss and reluctantly accepts Tattoo and Hoi’s help. Their plan is not to rob the boss, but someone else.
Grandma is okay! Jack asks her if he’s changed. Grandma is happy he helps others but wants him to let others help him. With Grandma, he’s back to smiling Jack.
We briefly meet Aran, a live streamer wearing a fancy necklace and ready to sell some expensive items. Then we see that the woman who did his make-up is Joker.
Weeee! This is fun!
Aran is the guy from the flash forward at the beginning of episode one. So I think we’re already nearly caught up.
Yes, there are logical inconsistencies. That bank robbery was stupid easy. But for one, he gets caught and two, I’m not watching this show for realistic bank robberies.
I’m watching this show for Joker and Jack’s relationship. So far Joker is a nice combination of bitter and hopeful. He spends the first episode trying to stay away from Jack but now that he wants to help him I hope he remains a constant annoyance. The guy wants approval so bad, can he get Jack’s approval as Joker?
It’s not hard to see why Joker falls for Jack. He’s what Joker wants to be. He’s so good and I’m not surprised that 5 years later he’s still good. Now that he knows who Joker is, how will he handle this handful? The fight-flirting shows he’s still attracted to him, but in his mind, Joker is one of the bad guys.
I’m looking forward to seeing these two spend more time together, in whatever silly, improbable shenanigans the show throws at them.
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