It's so fascinating that we know what Hase and Terada is thinking but we're not privy to Hongyo's thoughts. All we can do at best is speculate and make guesses base on his actions and facial expressions (which is pretty much poker faced lol). I'm curious what people think about Hongyo's actions/behaviours. It worries me that there's only 2 episodes left! 10 episodes really is too short to unpack these characters - especially when each episode is less than half an hour. I really hope there's a second season if they aren't able to wrap up character development to satisfaction by episode 10.

My thoughts on Hongyo: (May contain spoiler if you have not watched ep. 8!)
Hongyo is definitely a fascinating young man - an odd character lol. Him telling the fact of how cats mate/breed is a sign that shows his unique way of sharing information and making conversation with Terada. Not sure if he had a deeper purpose for telling her that, but maybe he was trying to tell her that she may feel pain sometimes but it's normal? Also, Hongyo biting Terada is such a huge sign for me. Hongyo marked her as Hase had said he did when Hongyo mentioned how Terada smelled like Hase at the end of episode 7. That tells me that Hongyo cares about Terada and wants her to be available to him and only him. I'm not sure what happened in the past when Terada and Hongyo were "together" in their Junior high year but my guess is that when Terada let Hongyo just go ahead with taking her virginity, it created a bond between them and their bodies "recognized" each other. During one of the though narrations, we find out that Terada isn't too big on intimacy but with Hongyo, she likes it. Not sure what led to Hongyo's ED but his body responding to Terada definitely have purpose and meaning. I think Hongyo has an attachment physically to Terada and mentally too since she was also his first and the way it happened wasn't quite...proper lol. I can see why there were some comments about how disturbing or wrong or stupid Terada is with the whole arrangement but I feel it makes sense - based on what we know of these characters so far. There are so much to explore, unpack and discuss with all these 4 characters that are living in the house! Hongyo is a mystery but with each episode, we find out a tiny bit more!

What do you guys think?

I agree with everything. The only thing I would add is that there is only other time 2 years is mentioned in the drama. It is (drum roll) the time when Terada moved in with her last boyfriend.  I think Hongyo has always loved Terada and he crumped when he heard that. 

Omg that's right! Good piecing together! Interesting theory and I can totally see it lol. That would explain why he started having ED 2 years ago. He himself doesn't even realize how into her he is lol. Only his deep subconscious and his body knows.

Yes, you are right but why is he so weird in the beginning?? I mean like he always liked terada, and with the biting scene I'm very sure he still does. But did he had a dark childhood or some kind of problem?? Maybe is just his personally and I'm just dramatizing things... 

I think they are all suffering from misunderstandings and miscommunication, but we are given peeks into everyone's thoughts ---except Hongyo . Even when we see Terada flashback to their initial interactions in school, she repeatedly references Hongyo's lack of any emotional cues. However, he is always forthcoming if asked!

Was it mentioned if hongyo had sex with his other girlfriends?  Hase brought up his lack of intimacy with them. Because Im guessing that their first time together gave them both a complex. 

Hongyo was a quiet intense boy that was suddenly claimed by the fearless school beauty.  She walked all over him because he showed no real reaction. But he was just denying his emotional needs, much like hase. He was doing his best to hold it all in, like someone who grew up denied of comfort. Hongyo still doesn't know how to show affection in a healthy way with terada even as an adult. So back then as a teen, I think he really did like/love his gf in his own  way. Terada just had no way of telling how big of an impact she was making. Hongyo the boy who was starved of love, suddenly had this bright and beautiful gf in his bed after months of quietly escorting her.lol His primal need to have and hold (someone who cares) his female must have over came him that day after she teased him with innocent kisses. 

Anyways. I dont know what his real backstory is. Or why he really acts so matter of fact and unemotional.  But Im guessing teradas avoidance of him after that day made him feel like a real beast. He probably still couldn't stop thinking a billion dirty possessive thoughts about her. So in the end they both became self conscious. Her about her worth. Him about his sexual needs.

He says he wont do anything that terada doesnt like. But he still bit her without permission. Marked her after telling her that pain makes cats ovulate.  And even told her "not to avoid it" when he finally got to get some from her again. 

 But the scene that ties this knot of insecurities and complexes together was when she confessed to him. And he said "so does that mean you don't hate the things I do to you?" 

Then I realized it was like they were finally talking about what happened the first time they had sex. She got to tell him his cold and casual attitude about it was hurtful after all those years. And he got to hear that it wasn't the sex with him that made her avoid him.

That's a great point. Now that Justpeachy13 mentioned it, I'm not sure if he has successfully had sex with his ex-girlfriends...I just assumed he did but then suddenly 2 years ago couldn't which was why he became depressed and unable to write anything. Maybe he never had and when he found out about Terada moving in with her boyfriend 2 years ago, he thought he could have sex with his then girlfriend to move on and realized he couldn't.

All the characters living in the shared house definitely have one or some complex issues going on, it's so fascinating to speculate - I wish we could find out more about their backstory! However, with 2 more episodes left, there's no time to explore unless it gets a second season.

Terada has insecurities about her worth. Ever since the day Hongyo took her virginity and then continues to be indifferent, Terada starts to question her worth. Hongyo also has insecurities and seems to have the inability to process and display emotions normally. Like Justpeachy13 said, Hongyo probably really did like Terada during their school days and when he got teased by Terada, he couldn't control it and he escalated things. Then afterwards, he felt guilty but couldn't express it so he continues to act the same (indifferent) but things were just different afterwards. Terada's avoidance and the lack of communication caused both of them to change/grow for the worse. "We are our own worst enemies" comes to my mind lol. Hase has issues due to his hatred for his mother and Terada has such low self-confidence that she does and follows whatever others say, which to Hase is the opposite feeling he gets from his mother. I also think Hase is trying to get Terada because of Hongyo's reaction to Terada. Kuritani is another mystery. I'm not sure if she's just an odd cookie but it's hard to speculate because we actually don't know much about her background either. Her liking Hongyo and trying to get together with him with her quirky personality is just so funny. And how she handles her romantic rival (Terada) is also entertaining and cute lol.

Next episode would be another turning point to see how Terada and Hongyo would interact with each other after her confession and his reaction lol. Him telling Terada about how cats mate as a way to prepare her for his bite was definitely a surprise. Definitely shows us his "unique" thinking and way of communicating....not sure if he intended for Terada or us audience to read the hidden meaning behind his words and actions or not but it definitely got us wondering and thinking....!

Also Hase! I know this discussion is mostly for Hongyo, but Hase is another interesting case lol.

Hongyo has got a deep connection to Terada. From the manga, we see how the interactions between the male and female lead in Hongyo's books reminded Terada of her own interactions with Hongyo when they used to date.Especially the male lead's obsession over the female lead, both sexually and otherwise kind of reflects Hongyo's own feelings for her, I think.

Yeah, it's too bad the drama didn't show much about Hongyo's books like the manga did. In the manga, I definitely got the feeling that Hongyo's books were his ideals and him romanticizing/fantasy about his relationship with Terada when they "dated" during their school days - which was why there was a comment about how the his books were actually quite juvenile but so addicting lol.

So after episode 9, we got to know more about their history, more specifically what Hongyo thought when they dated back in school. I'm so curious what Hase said to Hongyo. I feel so... sad for Hongyo. I wish Terada had let him explain near the end but I get why she didn't want to hear it since she's decided to give up. But man his expression, so heartbreaking for me lol.... 

So with one more episode left, I'm not sure how they're going to end it... and I'm REALLY hoping for season 2! This is seriously not enough to unpack the character of Hongyo and the other characters.

Hase probably told Hongyo to back off. He kept trying to downplay the thing between hongyo and terada during the entire season.  

So Im guessing he told him something like he kissed terada and that shes better off with him. "Since a relationship with hongyo wasn't going to go anywhere anyway. "

What a chump. Hope she doesn't end up staying with or having sex with him.

And shes silly for not pestering Hongyo to speak up while dating. Then shutting him up once they broke up. Basically the same scene of avoidance and silence that happened the first time they had an issue. Its like they still learned nothing about each other.

Yeah... Hase must have made some sort of bet or deal with Hongyo. They have a weird relationship and I'm intrigued by their interaction lol.

The character of Hase has definitely morphed from my initial idea of this character - from an innocent bright young man to a manipulative, stir-the-pot, young man lol.

Terada definitely made poor decisions but her actions match her character. I just hope she makes some sort of character growth - I mean the show seems to indicate that she wants to change as she's thinking about and being positively influenced by Kuritani. Hahaha who would have thought Kuritani's character is the voice of reason and the most logical one!

 jhsuan:
Maybe he never had and when he found out about Terada moving in with her boyfriend 2 years ago

When exactly did he find out about that? I thought they lost touch and were basically strangers after dating for like a month in middle school?

 lushwolf:

When exactly did he find out about that? I thought they lost touch and were basically strangers after dating for like a month in middle school?

Lol that's a good point. They never mentioned or even hinted...I think I just made an assumption based off of timing of things and reading others' comments lol. It would be interesting if they had intended that and maybe he found out in passing or some unpredictable way. It was probably just coincidence though as there's no actual proof in the drama...

I think I'm the only person who wonders if Hongyo perhaps has some form of autism or something. Though I don't wanna jump to assuming, I've had a boyfriend in the past who was a lot like him, and a lot of the way he thinks and his actions are very similar to how someone with autism may act. But it could just be that he is an interesting person :p

I don't know, just the way he explained the random cat facts and the way he's a REALLY good writer would feed into my theory, but I'm probably overthinking it lol

either way, Season 2 would be nice, because I definitely feel like there's more to see here!