So, first things first. I decided to write up a 'Play by Play' instead. What is that? You ask. It means a happy commentary on what the heck in going on in a scene so that we are on the same page! Thus, beyond here lies a golden slush pile of helpful summaries and character studies. ψ(｀∇´)ψ

(You don't have to read everything!
Just the ones you are curious/confused about.
And if that chapter isn't here, feel free to ask.)
 

Keep Things Right (ch 05)
    This chapter is about directions, 'Keep Things Right' also symbolises Sungyeol joking to 'stick to the right side'. Here, Myungsin sees something is wrong and she is pained because she's reminded of Before. She is deciding whether she should help or not. This is her crossroad where she decides her own fate. And she chooses to help them. SUNGGYU: this guy is 'judging' Park Myungsin. Sunggyu doesn't understand why he doesn't feel paranoid. And he thinks maybe, maybe she can fix Sungyeol. (Also, interesting note on the name. 명 [Myung] means people/person and 신 [Sin] means god/light. That's why Sunggyu made that reference: "Myungsin. A human god wasn't it? Even her name sounded friendly and harmless" but really, he made the wrong reference (lol). It goes both ways. For helping, she could be 'people's god' or 'people's slave' since Sin also means shoes (foot) and in Korea, giving your foot to someone means giving yourself as a slave. So in a way, if Myungsin tries to help people she may also fall a slave to her own decision.)

Alert, Analysis (ch 06)
    Alert simply because there's an ‘intruder’ in the house. Analysis is Myungsoo 'analysing' the intruder’s behaviour and trying to 'alert' her to stay away from Sungyeol because "We used to be close…you know." but not anymore! ‘So you should leave Sungyeol by himself too!’ Because Myungsoo doesn't just start a conversation about himself with anyone, so it is definitely fishy if you think about it. Oh, and FUN FACT: Myungsoo said the others went to the mall “except me” because it's his habit of trying to pull himself away, set himself apart, since he is not like them, and he isn’t just Infinite. He is himself too! It's a totally unconscious thing, of course, but I'd like to point out his character haha. (Yes, before you ask, Myungsoo is just acting innocent and pained to deceive Myungsin but (lol) WE KNOW BETTER NOW RIGHT GUYS?)

If Closed, Don't Open (ch 07)
    Sungyeol has closed himself off (thanks to Myungsoo) and Myungsin, although scared, tries to figure out how many 'doors' are 'closed' and if she can help him 'reopen' them again. Myungsoo comes in. He hints to Myungsin that he had been the one who is shutting the doors, ‘cause he was practically saying, 'I left our friendship, it was me', indicating that he left Sungyeol willingly so she better 'not open' the damn door and get herself into this. But she doesn't get Myungsoo’s depth (yet), she just thought maybe Myungsoo needed someone to talk to about something (just like we thought) and people just didn't have the time for him. But Myungsin has the time even if she doesn't want to know (lmao), she has her own problems but both Myungsoo and Sungyeol are being weird and she's getting anxious. 

    Dongwoo makes a flat joke asking if Sunggyu needs to pee, when in fact Sunggyu had just been told there is a girl in his dorm and he is paranoid that it will end with a disaster. Lol. And Dongwoo tries to be act like a 'brother'.

    THE FLASHBACK of Sungyeol trying to pull himself together when he is left alone. It indicates that no, being alone does not help. He tries to feel better but it doesn't work. Then MEAN-JONG comes in and snides. He (seriously) thought that Sungyeol is asleep so he tries to get people to loosen their leash on Sungyeol, afraid all this 'alone-consideraton' is going to do more harm than good (and maknae had been right).

A Dot, An Ocean (ch 08) (Possibly, my favourite chapter)
    SUNGYEOL is staring at the ceiling and he imagines himself being ALONE like that ‘stain’. This is saying a lot about him, if he thinks he’s an unwanted stain. He is convinced he’s going to become overwhelmed and drown eventually, because he’s so dubious, he doesn’t know where to go. He’s not WHITE or BLACK, he’s GREY. And not going anywhere means he doesn’t get better.

    DONGWOO is thinking: “…Heck, he didn’t even want to remember.” Dongwoo is pushing the past away, here. He is avoiding the problem pretending it is something of no big deal but his insides is eating him up when Dongwoo realises the little daisy girl has changed. He concludes, “The world had hit her far too soon and way too coldly. Having her only brother taken away from her so suddenly. Dongwoo couldn’t imagine that. He didn’t want to think about it.” See? He says that ‘the world’ took Jungshin. He’s avoiding. He also repeats that he doesn’t want to let his mind wander back there. Dongwoo pushes everything away so well that we wander off our path too.

    Then Myungsin got kind of angry with Dongwoo in the Sungyeol-alone-time matter, “Hang on, hyung. Let me look at this objectively, so I won’t be harsh on you.” And Dongwoo’s habit goes back to that of a child, “He bit his lip nervously. Why did it feel like he was in trouble?” and then he goes on to unknowingly admit that, “This had to be the first time in a long while that Dongwoo felt utterly at lost; with no idea whatsoever.” AND he practically confessed his bad habit to us, “It was one of the things that forced him to laugh a little louder and grin a little wider—to hide his irritation when it wasn’t him.” Jang Dongwoo unconsciously tells us that he ‘forces himself to laugh louder’ to cover up irritation, only if it isn’t him. As long as it’s not him. His ‘irritation’ with not knowing not understanding drives him to do dangerous things, like hurt Jungshin for example, or give Sungyeol a blind eye, or just avoiding in general. But ‘It’s not happening to him, so there’s nothing wrong! It’s okay!’, this is Dongwoo.

    Then Myungsin goes off to talk about how ‘monsters’ are actually human and “Dongwoo heard himself swallow dryly.”

    Penultimately, MYUNGSOO is smiling down at Sungjong’s head resting on his lap. Sungjong doesn’t hear the phone conversation since he has his earphones on. But, hey, Myungsoo does hear and he isn’t smiling at Sleeping-Jong. He is probably thinking, ‘well, this is gonna be fun’ (though here, we do not know that side of Myungsoo yet, but this is a hint).

    LASTLY, Dongwoo recites what he has been told overoverand-over as a child after Jungshin died. (“If your friend is hurting a lot, you’re supposed to find out what it is that’s hurting him, not let him deal with it alone.” Dongwoo explained monotonously, and Sunggyu couldn’t help but feel like the other was reading some sort of non-existent script. But you don’t read with closed eyes. “Because if you are a friend, you’d want to help anyway. Even if he doesn’t want your help. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t need it.”)
    Then Genius-WOOHYUN goes, “Were you, like… still talking about Sungyeol?” PROOF and MASSIVE CLUE right there that Woohyun isn’t dumb, he just doesn’t know it yet (hehe).

    And of course, it ends with Jang Dongwoo pushing his giant pile of mistakes out of the way with a grin without remorse. (As per usual)

A Shallow Heart (ch 09)
    Kind of mainly a Dongwoo chapter with Kim Myungsoo inserted. Myungsoo comes as a flashback to the night before, Myungsin kind of on her way to figure out Myungsoo isn’t innocent, “He looked calm and unworried, and it made Myungsin feel a little sick.” and also, Myungsoo’s facade slips, “‘Sungyeol is wrong.’ The smile was gone now.”

    Note: There is a scene here I did not write because I didn’t want to get Myungsin in the way if it’s not necessary for the plot development. [Of how they got stuck in the bathroom (lol, if some of you are curious). Sungyeol may or may not have stormed off and broke the door by banging it shut too loudly. And because he made a BIG fuss and noise inside, Myungsin got worried so she told him to open the door. Then Sungyeol realises the damn door doesn’t open, so out of worry, Myungsin went to the back and climbed through the square window only to also get stuck inside. This is such a comic relief.]

    This chapter depicts how Dongwoo really does not like ‘not knowing’ and ‘not understanding’ and so, the first time in front of Infinite members (Woohyun and Sungyeol), he snaps at Myungsin (“Don’t touch me”). It’s a little hint of the other side of Dongwoo that only Myungsin (and her dead brother) knows, (“And for all the times she had known him in the past, Myungsin associated this act with anger.”) Also, the girl is scared witless, (“She wasn’t sure what it was that was bothering him, but she had guessed it was probably her fault.”) So she reluctantly reaches out only to be rejected “…looking uncharacteristically vulnerable. Fragile even.” Oh, WOOHYUN AND SUNGYEOL FEELS THE DARKNESS: “Everyone else stood still, seeing how the situation darkened. Dongwoo finally looked down towards Myungsin, expression unreadable. And just as Myungsin reached out–” (because Myungsin is that person who tries to be good even if the world does not want her to be, so it punishes her by offering worse outcomes and sees how far she can go before she gives up on caring.)

    Dongwoo cries manly tears hugging Myungsin and muttering sorrysorrysorry a decade too late. And something more but shh. (But I didn’t write about that, because I was afraid you guys would get bored)

Hinges and Grey Paint (ch 10)
    Hoya is the hinge, a bridge that lets them help Sungyeol. Grey paint is the help for Sungyeol because this ‘little girl’ is silly enough to get how Sungyeol’s mind works. He was staring ceiling when she came in so she glances at the ceiling to see what was so interesting (“a girl was standing by his bed, in his shared bedroom, with genuinely curious eyes on his face then shifting towards the ceiling. His ceiling.”)

    Also, Hoya figures something is wrong. And Hoya is indecisive, quiet and shy. He wants to say hi but all these worries make their way into his head. He also is curious as to why a little girl would want to buy house paint. But of course, Hoya’s point of view came later as one of Woohyun’s clues in “Coffee Clues, Case One” (ch 12).

    Woohyun fanboys over Sungyeol’s script. Sunggyu tries to calm everyone down but ends up saying awkward things to Sungyeol instead, “Remember last year? It was like a few pecks and he suddenly got the actress pregnant.” Also, Myungsin knows it’s Sungyeol who texted her from Dongwoo’s phone, because Dongwoo? Heck, no. (They transited from SMS to IM now, lol, Dwoowoo)

A Clue, An Old Moment (ch 13)
    This chapter basically depicts how Myungsoo and Sungyeol used to be, as well as, the kind of friendship they have had.
Sungjong makes an analogy (a blowfish and a leech) that doesn’t seem important but is actually important in chapter 22.

    We now know of Sunggyu eavesdropping on Sungjong and Myungsin ‘dabbing’ a ‘friend’ next to ‘dot-Sungyeol’ (omg cute!) after their coffee shop thing where Hoya pays (lol). Who says Sungjong is mean needs a punch (*punches myself*). Myungsin BRINGS coffee back for Sunggyu, so naturally, Sunggyu feels all warm and fuzzy (lol) because nobody ever thinks of Sunggyu when they didn’t need to.

    Then we are teleported back to the present, where Sunggyu tries to justify Myungsin’s age (a year younger than Sungjong, 1994? and Sunggyu is 1989 lmao) because he may or may not kind of totally like her. BUT we do not know that yet! “It’s hard to not think about her at this point” he thinks. “She’s smarter, wiser and much more sensible. She’s a total party pooper, like Sunggyu” he thinks! He totally think they are compatible (lol).

    BUT he also worries. So much about Infinite. He also admits to even get annoyed with Dongwoo in the beginning when Dongwoo only speaks of the girl: “He used to get annoyed when Dongwoo wouldn’t stop mentioning her in every damn conversation. And especially when Dongwoo should be worrying about other things, like Sungyeol. Like Infinite. Like group dynamics on the verge of breaking. Like trying to keep things under control, or just… from falling apart.”

    Woohyun thinks everyone is stupid. “Including himself.” (it’s 5am in the morning, I’ve been writing this up since 9pm so can I just laugh at this?) So, yeah, Woohyun knows Hoya is fond of the actress so he doesn’t want to tell Hoya. And then he goes look for Sunggyu who is at the supermarket buying dinner with Hoya, (har har). (I don’t think I included this part into the story, but they totally were grocery shopping.)

Case Close? Almost (ch 14)
    First scene, Sungjong being awkward with Woohyun because he lost his Mean-Jong when he was crying in Woohyun’s arms the day before. He thinks he’s a bad person, but he isn’t bad.

    Second scene, Sungjong listens to Sungyeol and Dongwoo’s conversation at the door and now that he’s figured out Dongwoo’s past, he sees Dongwoo for what he really is, while Sungyeol still does not. Dongwoo is blaming someone else, again. This time harsher and more like the past-Dongwoo. (“It’s because of you. You brought her into your problems and look where it got her.” Dongwoo’s words cut across Sungyeol’s ramble and as his voice raised so did Sungjong’s temper.) So, Sungjong lost it. Because he is afraid and angry. Afraid Sungyeol might be the second Jungshin. Angry because Dongwoo, after everything, still has the ‘decency’ to act like this.

    Sungjong grudgingly gives Dongwoo the iPod that belonged to Jungshin and Dongwoo cries. He cries because he’s listening to the song that had been playing on repeat and he thinks Myungsin has been trying to console herself with this song (which she has). It’s also the kind of indie music Jungshin listened to (because, his iPod).

“What’s dead is dead
I turn away and try to live with all my might, but
Against the extremely bitter tears of a man
It becomes unavoidable for me too

Loneliness comes with its sad voice
And tries to console me, but
Even when I try to cheat, pretending to be strong
My heart is only crying

[…]

Even when I pretend to be strong
And even more when I’m weak
Even when I laugh
In the end, I’m a man who turns back and cries”

“…Dongwoo didn’t want to look up. He couldn’t bear to face Sungjong. And Sungyeol. He was ashamed because Sungjong knew somehow. It would be a matter of time before everyone found out. What kind of person he actually was. He kept staring at the screen even if the tears were blinding his vision. He shouldn’t have blamed Sungyeol. It had always been Dongwoo’s fault, he just didn’t want to think that it was. Myungsoo had been right, Dongwoo was just sick.”

    Meanwhile, Myungsoo is in a bar, reminiscing the memories with Sungyeol in them. Myungsoo thinks that was the day he realises Sungyeol might actually like him more than a friend. But Myungsoo plays dumb and it started from there. Him experimenting how far he can push Sungyeol. (“I really don’t trust you.” Sungyeol had grumbled between shallow breaths and the younger snorted, pressing his lips naturally onto his friend’s moist skin.)
    Myungsoo concludes in the bar, “Lee Sungyeol was fascinating. He was funny and amusing, even when he wasn’t speaking or doing anything particularly interesting to other people, Myungsoo still found it amusing.” He simply is treating Sungyeol like a lab rat and he doesn’t even know it. “The best kind of innocence, the one which wasn’t annoying; just plain interesting.”

    After that scene is Hoya having awkward thoughts when he encounters a Teary-Jong wrapped up in Woohyun. Then his mind goes to the old iPod and stops there. “‘Everybody is so selfish, why?’ The words uttered between the sobs, they prickled Hoya’s ears as Sunggyu and Woohyun waited for his reply. Maybe just this once he was willing to give without expecting anything in return.” CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT because Lee Howon tries to be a better human.

    MAJOR CLUE: “I said I’d take her to the dorm but… she kept saying she didn’t want to go back there.” They also figured Myungsoo had met up with Myungsin at the dorm while everyone was away. This interlinks with the first scene of “A Walking Time Bomb" (ch 11). In which Myungsoo is taunting her, knowing which buttons to push to make her bend. (Another thirty-three seconds, then- “I’m innocent. I told you… I did it… because I’m innocent.” Myungsoo uttered, word by word. Slowly this time, as if to scrutinize her reaction. And Myungsin did everything she could to stop herself from walking out on him, again.) Because Myungsin had stormed off once when Myungsoo had pushed her too far. It’s the same topic. Myungsin knows he is hurting Sungyeol on purpose and so she’s angry. But Myungsoo doesn’t understand that. Myungsin figures Myungsoo is faking ‘innocent’ because he waits 33 seconds every time before he replies. (Thirty three seconds, she counted with both hands the back of her own shirt.)

    And here is the foreshadow, “Later that day, a bewildered Hoya would find her sitting alone, adorning scratched palms and bleeding bony knuckles, with the red-stained brick wall to match.”

Wow, that’s a long one. Let’s stop here for now, ㅠㅠ. I hope you understand a bit more. Feel free to let me know if there is anything I missed (I probably did) or if I haven’t answered your question! Drop a question, don’t be stranger :D

Love always,
Your ‘complicated’ author