Our Sunny Days and the Value of Waiting

Hello, you beautiful fujoshi and fudanshi! December 12, 2023 is a cause for celebration for those who enjoy reading BL Manhwa on Lezhin Comics. Why are we celebrating, you ask? Well, my dear reader, that’s because Episode 22 of Jeong Seokchan’s hit BL, Our Sunny Days, just got released, and the Yaoi gods have blessed us with something we have been craving since the comic’s debut in August 2023: a hot sex scene between two sexy studs! And based on how the episode ends, it will be worth the wait!

For those unfamiliar with the comic, here is a brief synopsis:

Sung Ho has retired from the military, but he is also starting a new role: being a single father to a baby girl after his ex-girlfriend left the baby with him. Despite no job prospects, Sung Ho buys a house in the countryside village of Nuldongmae to start a new life with his daughter. On a trip to the nearest convenience store, he meets a younger man named Kwon Haebeom. While they did not have an easy first meeting, the two men gradually grow closer together as Kwon helps Sung Ho and his baby settle. And like the crops Sung Ho attempts to grow, romance begins to blossom between the two.

Our Sunny Days has published 22 episodes as of this writing (in both Korean and English), and it has proven to be very popular with BL fans this year (it also helps that the author wrote the popular Omegaverse BL Unromantic Romance). There is so much to love about this comic: It is a sweet slow-burn romance, there are cute and comedic moments, there is an adorable baby, and more importantly, the two men are absolutely smokin’ hot!

Kwon is a super sexy hunk! He has a lot on his plate as both the village head and the owner of the local convenience store. The comic is tagged with with “Tsundere,” and rightfully so. As a reader, I find Kwon’s tsundere moments very entertaining as he gradually gets closer to Sung Ho and help him adjust to country and civilian life, much to his frustration.

One artistic feature I love in this comic is how often Seokchan draws Kwon as a giant, black walrus. This is often done to reflect Kwon’s youthful tendencies, which Sung Ho, and the reader, often sees as something very cute.

It also helps that he has a very sexy body!

And a nice ass!

As for the other cutie: Sung Ho is a sweet man and a gentle father. He strives to provide a good life for his daughter and wants to be friendly with his new neighbors. And he’s actually the first to make flirtatious moves on Kwon, which was very unconscious at first, but he becomes more aware of his feelings over time.

BEHOLD: the moment that made Kwon very attracted to him!

I mean, who wouldn’t fall for a guy who does this?

His reaction:

And of course, Sung Ho’s baby is very adorable! As of this writing, she does not have a name (both her father and Kwon are trying to figure that out), but her cuteness cannot be resisted. In every chapter, she appears to be wearing a different onesie. Given how many her father got her, I love that it reflects how cute her growing personality is and how much he loves her.

The Manhwa has been labeled as a mature comic, but you wouldn’t know that if you read the first 21 chapters of this comic. This is a slow-burning romance, and it takes its time to allow Kwon and Sung Ho to become attracted to each other. By focusing more on Sung Ho adjusting to the countryside and Kwon showing him the ropes, the story allows room for character development as we learn more about them. The author even inserted a little joke at herself in the bottom right corner in the following image from Epsiode 8.

Oh, Seokchan, I love seeing you pokie fun at yourself, but you are doing fabulous as a storyteller.

As the story progresses, the reader is treated to a series of beautiful moments as Sung Ho and Kwon spend time together. A central theme in this comic is a mutual desire for belonging. For Kwon, he was heavily influenced by the kindness his mother showed to the village when he was a child. As an adult, he desires to live up to the same standards as her. With his mother gone, Kwon wishes to find companionship of any kind as he deals with the villagers. For Sung Ho, he was an orphan and never had any parents growing up. He attempted to have a relationship with his ex-girlfriend, but it did not work out. Each character’s desire for belonging drives the two men together in a way they never expected.

Both men begin exploring the idea of being in a romantic and sexual relationship with each other as they both admit that it’s their first time with a man. They exhibit a level of maturity as they understand their sexualities. The more they explore, the more comfortable they become. So much so that they become comfortable kissing each other. And the way the author draws their kissing is very delicious!

SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 22

At long last! After a little flirtation at a community laundry event, Sung Ho invites Kwon to his home later that evening. At the convenience store, Kwon gets a pack of 3 XL condoms, anxious in anticipation for the erotic moments to come.

But as Kwon arrives, they start off watching Netflix (called Letflix in the comic) while the baby is with her daddy. She eventually falls asleep and the two men take her to her bedroom with a baby cam turned on just in case. With that completed, the men proceed to the “Chill” part of “Letflix and Chill.”

With the baby asleep in the other room, Sung Ho finds Kwon’s pack of condoms (even telling him that the XL might be too small for him. And yes, Sung Ho saw Kwon’s eggplant in an earlier chapter 😉) and reveals that he has condoms and lube ready to go. And thus begins the moment we’ve all been waiting for: sensual foreplay, which will then evolve into what we expect to be a hot sex scene!

And here’s a beautiful drawing of gay ecstasy worthy of an art museum!

Apology accepted!

END OF SPOILERS

And so, what’s the lesson learned from the comic and this article? It’s just a simple phrase: patience is a virtue. While there are plenty of BL that would jump straight to the sex scenes in just a few short chapters (like Jinx), Our Sunny Days takes its time with establishing the chemistry between Kwon and Sung Ho. I, like so many fujoshi/fudanshi, enjoy reading this and desperately want the two men to start f**king! But it’s also important to dial back our expectations and focus on the present course. The journey is more important than the destination. Like any good story, the journey must go at a steady pace to keep our interest. Otherwise, if we rush into things, our interest decreases and we end up dropping it because we already reached our peak.

Kwon and Sung Ho’s relationship building feels realistic too, because they want to be ready for the moment they commit to each other, both romantically and sexually. They also express consent before proceeding with foreplay, a huge win for positive LGBTQ romance! Like any good relationship, a couple should go at a steady pace with their partners without rushing into things. Couples also check in with each other to make sure they are okay. They should know what they are comfortable with, what they like or dislike, their goals and dreams. We see this in the Manhwa as the two men begin to enjoy each other’s bodies. In doing so, Our Sunny Days removes itself from the harmful tropes the BL genre is known for and creates a positive portrayal of gay relationships for the reader to enjoy.

So, how will the next chapter play out? Will it be one or two chapters of hot, sexy action? Who’s the top? Who’s the bottom? Will the XL condom fit Kwon? Well, my dear readers, we’ll have to find out next week as we shiver in antici-

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-pation.