"Roommates" ("고백을 못하고"): A BL Webtoon On The Journey Of Romantic Confessions | Kpopmap Reviews

Despite being released in 2015, the BL webtoon "Roommates" ("고백을 못하고") by Seok Young continues to invite readers into a story of budding romance, heartwarming excitement, and intense yearning. You immediately become immersed into the characters' tricky situation and earnestly read on to discover how they navigate the complexities of their heart and the true feelings they hold inside. So, if you're looking for a mixture lighthearted fun and heartfelt longing, you've come to the right place!

Note: spoilers ahead.

"Roommates" follows the life of JinWoo who allows his friend KiSub to sleep on his couch for a week, giving him enough time to find a place for himself. However, this week turns into months and the two effectively become roommates. With KiSub being a total couch potato, JinWoo is understandably stressed due to their living situation. But more than that, he tries his best to keep his feelings toward KiSub a complete secret. Then there's their friend BalKeum with a love story all his own.

You can read the webtoon in English and Korean.

 

"Roommates" ("고백을 못하고") Webtoon Review

At its core, "Roommates" is a heartwarming romance story with JinWoo and KiSub at the very center. It employs the classic friends to lovers trope that works especially well due to the pair's longtime friendship and playful nature. On one hand, you have JinWoo who is more on the serious side and a complete overthinker, constantly flustered by the simplest of actions. Then on the opposite end of the spectrum, there's KiSub who's an absolute prankster. It appears that his only goal in life, other than being care-free, is to provide heaps of chaos to JinWoo's daily routine.

All of their interactions are simple in nature: eating together, meeting with their friend BalKeum, fun and comical banter. However, it's in this simplicity that draws the reader in. You become absorbed into the slice-of-life nature of "Roommates", reading excitedly as the love lines gradually progress. It's a slow, steady process that allows readers to truly know the characters, their personalities, and how they progress into being an official couple.

 

Hidden, Yet Mutual Affection

Diving into "Roommates", the webtoon starts off with limited knowledge and only presents JinWoo's thoughts. Despite having a crush on KiSub, he suppresses his feelings, only giving way to various fantasies and the mere idea of having a romantic relationship. He has many inner dialogues that highlight his cute, yet troubled demeanor. However, towards the beginning of Chapter 13, we learn the truth: that KiSub also has feelings for JinWoo. For readers and fans of the main pair, this feels like a triumphant declaration that their relationship might progress sooner than expected. However, KiSub quickly dismisses this idea, stating that he does not mind going at a slower pace, if that means JinWoo will be comfortable and not run away.

Although he's introduced as playful and mischievous, KiSub is unbelievably warm-hearted and kind and only wants the best for the people he cares about, most especially JinWoo. Moving forward with this new information, the landscape of the webtoon changes completely as readers begin to notice the hints of KiSub's affection. From buying dessert to driving together to see the sunrise on New Year's Day, romance is certainly alive and well for JinWoo and KiSub, even if it's slight and unofficial.

 

A Love That Blossoms From Uncertainty

The love story between KiSub and JinWoo isn't one that takes place over night. It's an arduous journey of tiptoeing the line between romance and friendship, with both parties being too afraid to truly confess how they feel. Although their feelings might be obvious to readers, it remains a well-guarded secret in their hearts, one that they're too afraid to admit.

Over the course of 30+ chapters the two pine after each other, showing small glimmers of hope every few chapters that "today might be the day". While some might consider their slow approach frustrating to watch, it's in this process that they create a foundation, a firm landing point that will protect them from harm the moment they take the leap of faith and confess.

The day their feelings finally come out into the open starts off completely ordinary. KiSub kicks off the day by nursing a hungover JinWoo, and it doesn't take too long for the two to continue their usual bickering. This familiar atmosphere breaks the moment KiSub lays on JinWoo's lap and utters the words "I missed this." After a fit of embarrassment, they eventually end up on the floor where the confessions start rolling out from both of them, with KiSub starting things off first. With this revelation, they naturally make things official and decide to become a couple.

Despite their hesitancy in the beginning chapters, given enough time, both KiSub and JinWoo were able to gather the courage necessary to finally come clean with how they really feel. The chapters that follow next are unbelievably cute and sincere as they navigate what it means to be in a relationship, no longer having to deny their true feelings. It truly feels like a full circle moment and you cannot help but feel proud at the characters' progression and how their relationship evolved over the course of the webtoon.

 

The Story Of BalKeum And InHo

While KiSub and JinWoo are the main focus of "Roommates", the story of BalKeum and InHo is also one to behold. Meeting in their adolescence, they start off attracted to each other, but are unable to cross the line and become an official couple. After a moment of passion, they quickly cut things off and move towards two separate futures without one another. Years pass, however, their feelings for each other still remained and BalKeum was forced to face this fact the moment he found InHo waiting in front of his house.

BalKeum is at first heartless and extremely cold to InHo, hoping to push him away. However, InHo remains consistent and continues to show up in front of his love interest. Then, with the interference of KiSub, BalKeum finally gives in, and allows the door to a potential relationship open.

While starting off with a one week trial period, BalKeum continues to remain as sharp as a thorn, but dulls as time progresses. You feel sympathy towards InHo, as well as admiration, seeing how he mustered up the courage to pursue his heart's desires and show up in front of BalKeum after all these years. It's cathartic to watch as their relationship slowly evolves and transforms, leaving behind crippling fear and instead allowing the warmth of love to hold them in its comforting embrace. Both BalKeum and InHo are delicate and fragile, but they are able to hold each other together with utmost sincerity.

Seok Young's "Roommates" is a heartwarming masterpiece that turns even the simplest moments into a scene of tender beauty. It provides hope with the brightness of young, passionate love, becoming a webtoon that's not easy to forget.

Have you read "Roommates"? What do you think of the webtoon?