Like, Share & Subscribe - Ch. 63

[amShepherd]

To be honest, I feel like this is probably the most likely scenario - she jumped the gun, got carried away with it, and then panicked a bit and ran away from what she did like a little kid. Actually, worse than a little kid - I think Song You would have handled that better, and she's what, seven?

She’s six. As far as Luoluo running away, that’s always been her default response when she becomes uncomfortable.
When we first meet her, her landlord is coming to collect rent but luoluo tricks her and runs away without facing the situation. Her backstory with Chilly, she ran away to a completely different town to escape rather than confront the bullies. When the past catches up with her she immediately runs away again. Even here she doesn’t know how to face Song Li so she chooses to focus on school and not to face Song Li at all. Luoluo is, for the most part, a coward. The only times she really stands her ground are for the sake of someone else.

What really confuses me at this point is more the fact that LuoLuo doesn't seem to recognise Song Li's feelings. She can be an idiot, sure, but Hu LuoLuo is never willfully cruel to someone she cares about - I just don't see how she could act this way if she really understood that Song Li was in love with her. It's confusing, and I'm hoping that there'll be some plausible (if not exactly reasonable) explanation for it all.

Maybe I’ve read through the series too much but, to me Luoluo has had some understanding of Song Li’s feelings since the night they were drinking together. Ever since then she has kept Song Li at a specific distance away. Not too close, not too far. For Luoluo, Song Li is her second ever friend and the first friendship didn’t go so well. This time around Luoluo knows there’s something more and she’s scared to rock the boat. It’s why she keeps emphasizing how much they’re “just friends”.

Hopefully our esteemed author can pull this off . . .

I feel like they do. For me this story is more about these two trying to overcome the things holding them back. For Song Li, it’s her ability to emotionally connect with the world and others. For Luoluo, it’s her fear of not being able to achieve what she wants.
In this regard they mirror each other in a way that helps the other and draws them together. Luoluo wears her emotions on her sleeve and tries to make the most of every moment she has. While Song Li doggedly pursues whatever she wants without fear.

So yes, at present, Luoluo is being an idiot. But to me it’s because she is scared of so many different things that she’s choosing to run away and bury her head in the sand.

 

[himi-cat]

She’s six. As far as Luoluo running away, that’s always been her default response when she becomes uncomfortable.
... Luoluo is, for the most part, a coward. The only times she really stands her ground are for the sake of someone else.

Yeah, it's the lack of affect while she's running away that makes me a bit uncertain about my assessment - she's reverting to type, but after that kiss, and that other kiss . . . well, she's better at controlling her face than I am, for sure . . .

Maybe I’ve read through the series too much but, to me Luoluo has had some understanding of Song Li’s feelings since the night they were drinking together. Ever since then she has kept Song Li at a specific distance away. Not too close, not too far. For Luoluo, Song Li is her second ever friend and the first friendship didn’t go so well. This time around Luoluo knows there’s something more and she’s scared to rock the boat. It’s why she keeps emphasizing how much they’re “just friends”.

But that kiss . . . and then saying (effectively) "it was just a bit of a joke" - she jumped the gun and panicked, sure, but it feels out of character to respond in a way that she has to know will hurt Song Li. Not wanting to throw my monitor out the window in anger out of character, but enough that I want to know what's going on.

I feel like they do. For me this story is more about these two trying to overcome the things holding them back. For Song Li, it’s her ability to emotionally connect with the world and others. For Luoluo, it’s her fear of not being able to achieve what she wants.
In this regard they mirror each other in a way that helps the other and draws them together. Luoluo wears her emotions on her sleeve and tries to make the most of every moment she has. While Song Li doggedly pursues whatever she wants without fear.

So yes, at present, Luoluo is being an idiot. But to me it’s because she is scared of so many different things that she’s choosing to run away and bury her head in the sand.

So far I think the author has pulled off quite a lot pretty well in telling this story, so I'm optimistic . . . but I've also seen a lot of stories that reach this kind of denouement and trip up because they're focusing on getting the plot through to the end, with the characterisation suffering. Hell, I've struggled enough ending stories I've written - I suspect most aspiring writers experience that visceral fear of seeing the end of the story coming and having no idea how all that string and baling wire will hold together . . . (should have used duck tape!)

Anyway, thanks for picking this up and working through it so quickly - I've been watching these two idiots for ages now, it's really nice to be able to see them heading for a (hopefully) satisfying conclusion.

 

[amShepherd]

But that kiss . . . and then saying (effectively) "it was just a bit of a joke" - she jumped the gun and panicked, sure, but it feels out of character to respond in a way that she has to know will hurt Song Li. Not wanting to throw my monitor out the window in anger out of character, but enough that I want to know what's going on.

The kiss was definitely a moment of panic. She saw Song Li spiraling into depression and needed something big to bring her out of it and the kiss was what she subconsciously came up with. After the adrenaline wears off she realizes what she’s done and is too scared to move forward but she knows she can’t run away in that moment. So she tries to pass it off as something casual to maintain the status quo. (Which obviously fails).

Anyway, thanks for picking this up and working through it so quickly - I've been watching these two idiots for ages now, it's really nice to be able to see them heading for a (hopefully) satisfying conclusion.

Getting so close to the end.