In the Private Room

by SEOBANG, Dodge (Artist)

Genres: Manhwa, Yaoi, Manga

Unknown Binding

Reviews

[vrstal]

2/5. Highlights may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

Content Warnings for book: Non-consensual drug use, noncon, dubious consent, victim blaming, blackmail, violence, rape, assault, kidnapping and confinement, discussions of addiction

Kink: Cross-dressing, foot play, dacryphilia

Seo Yeo-ho is a k-pop idol in the band Bestest, and also the sole provider for his mother’s medical bills and his younger sibling’s tuition. During a party he was invited to, he was forcibly drugged. However, CEO Woo Hyung-joo found him and decided to bring him out of the party. When Yeo-ho is brought up in a drug scandal, Hyung-joo allows him to ‘sell his body’ to fix the scandal. When they both thought they’d never see each other again after this one-time exchange, life clearly had different plans.

Woo Hyung-joo is a red flag at first. He’s mean, he doesn’t really care about Yeo-ho in the beginning, and he’s willing to do whatever he wants to get ahead. Their relationship starts as essentially blackmail, with Hyung-joo threatening he will get Yeo-ho mixed up in a scandal again if he doesn’t have sex with him whenever he demands. But when that man uses baby… sigh. I’m a sucker for it. He also seems to begin to care for Yeo-ho in more ways than one, trying to fix his problems behind the scenes.

The bubbling plot of people trying to take down Seo Yeo-ho was something else - I felt really bad for Yeo-ho in general. A catalyst that changed his life and others seven years ago was a car accident, which pertains to this plot. It seemed like everyone was essentially against him, and he had no one to rely on.

Then chapter 40-whatever happened. What the hell. This was such awful plot arc and then some k-drama ass ending to even then not have a SINGLE “I love you” from Hyung-Joo! They don’t even live together at the end! What the hell was I made to deal with all the angst for.

The art is excellent. Each sex scene is like a masterpiece, honestly. Shame the story ended so poorly.

[Idalis]

Mình đọc bộ này từ thuở xa lắc xa lơ, đợi chap mới ra lâu muốn khùng.
Seo Jeo Ho, idol trong một nhóm nhạc, để tránh khỏi scandal ma tuý vô cớ vướng vào, đã cầu xin sự giúp đỡ từ giám đốc Woo Hyung Joo, với cái giá phải trả là thân thể của cậu.
Bộ này có motif quan hệ hợp đồng, nhà tài trợ cực kỳ quen thuộc. Thể loại này với mình đòi hỏi phải làm tốt tối thiểu hai yếu tố: 1. Nhân vật được xây dựng toát ra khí chất, và có sự chênh lệch rõ rệt vai trò giữa người tài trợ và người được tài trợ; 2. Tâm lý nhân vật khi đối diện với cảm xúc của bản thân và đối phương phải được khai thác đủ sâu và quá trình diễn ra cần hợp lý.
“In the Private Room” làm quá tốt cả hai yếu tố.
Woo Hyung Joo hiện lên đúng chất một tổng tài bá đạo với ngoại hình nổi bật, trang phục lịch sự, khả năng dẫn dắt, quản lý công việc ấn tượng. Từ đầu đến cuối truyện dù vui vẻ, buồn bã, tức giận, đau khổ,… không một khoảnh khắc nào nhân vật này không toát ra khí chất.
Seo Jeo Ho cũng được thể hiện quá tốt với vai trò thần tượng. Cậu có ngoại hình tươi sáng, xinh đẹp, khả năng diễn xuất, thích nghi và tinh thần nỗ lực đáng nể.
Sự chênh lệnh trong quan hệ giữa hai người này được thể hiện qua rất nhiều chi tiết từ hợp đồng, vị thế người trong cuộc, khác biệt quyền lực, thậm trí cả tiếng nói.
Nhịp độ truyện rất ổn định và cốt truyện được xây dựng đủ chắc chắn.
Hành trình thay đổi cảm xúc và phát triển mối quan hệ giữa Jeo Jo và Hyung Joo đảm bảo sự hợp lý, phù hợp với diễn biến truyện. Mình vô cùng thích đoạn hai nhân vật chính chia tay xong dằn vặt tâm lý và không biết nên hành động sao cho phù hợp với đối phương. Đoạn đấy hai kinh khủng!!!!

[Curious Madra]

Pretty interesting Yaoi about a pop idol (uke) getting involved with a CEO (seme) because his siblings are in debt and his mum in the hospital.

[Lola]

Nice book

[Sandra]

maaaan, this shit is hot as fuuuuck!!! uncomfortable as hell to read at times, but it’s so fucking steamy, ugh. (i have issues, clearly.) what a toxic mess... i still kinda ship it, though, i’m not gonna lie. well, unless things worsen even more. then i’m out. #whatever

edit: soooo… things worsened. the ship sunk. (reaaaal hard.) but i’m still here!!! desperately awaiting a solid redemption arc; one in which i doubt COULD, in shape or form, ever make things fully ’alright’ again… however, i’m choosing to stay neutral at this point. you never know what’ll happen, after all. i just can’t believe we’ve reached this point, lol. we went from bad to worse to THE ABSOLUTE WORST real quick there, ma’am…! heh, my stockholm syndrome senses are tinglingggg. ;)

in any case, i didn’t come here expecting some fairytale romance. i figured things were bound to get dark, even before i started… but i honestly never expected something like THIS. can’t say i’m particularly surprised by it, despite what i just said… but i really didn’t think things were all that bad. well, until now. we’ve reached the point of no return, i suppose. maybe i’m just delusional. this guy fuuucked uuuup, bro… like, MASSIVELY. it’ll haunt him for the rest of his life, i’m sure. sheesh. anyway, i’m kinda curious about the eventual conclusion!!! i have no idea where we’ll go from here. guess i’ll find out!

edit #2: uh, so, um… it’s, uh, done. completed, finished, all wrapped up… and i kinda started shipping them again a couple of chapters ago, despite everything.

LET ME EXPLAIN!!!

i realize they’re fundamentally a toxic mess of a couple, and i know that we, them or anyone could never change their nasty past… but still, i just figured, “if yeoho can forgive him, why can’t i?” so yeah, that’s where we’re at currently. things ended on a surprisingly good note, though, so who am i to judge? or COMPLAIN, for that matter!!! they seem happy, and i don’t think things would ever revert back to how they were before—which is the main reason as to why i’m standing behind this statement. i really don’t think they’ll keep hurting each other anymore. or, more accurately, i don’t expect mr. woo to do any more damage. things are different now, clearly… (well, for NOW, at least… things could always change!!!)

:) anyway, oopsie. could be worse i guess. as could i!!!

P.S. AND NO, I DO NOT CONDONE RAPE, ABUSE OR MANIPULATION. THIS IS A FICTIONAL. STORY. WITH NOTHING BUT FICTIONAL. CHARACTERS. THIS WOULD NEVER FLY IN REAL LIFE. OKAY? OKAY.

as long as we’re all clear on that. bye, then!

[Emi]

Me enganchó porque trata de un aspirante a cantante que descubre que hay una parte turbia en el mundo del entretenimiento y acaba ligado al hombre que le salva de una situación muy difícil. A partir de aquí se empieza a tejer el culebrón, oscuros pasados, tramas de asesinatos, luchas por el poder... y nuestro prota solo quiere una relación normal y estable y triunfar con su grupo de K-pop.

Llegó un momento en que la trama y la relación de los protas se retuerce mucho, pero la cosa termina bien.

[Saudade]

Good Book

[Betsy :D]

18+ Went a little dark towards the end due to lack of communication but happy ending.

[Alicia Brautigan]

Skip

[Heatherly Luciano]

9/10