This is long because I tend to explain everything. I want viewers to understand what they’re viewing from a different set of eyes. Don’t you get bored with the normal interpretation?

This is a difficult romcom to understand…at least, more difficult than normal, and it’s easy to get lost. Fortunately, the lead actress is such a delight to watch. I didn’t mind re-watching her scenes.

1. The storyboard

DanOh asks, “Why do I see #13 in the storyboard? He’s a nameless extra. I have to check one last time if #13 is the key to changing my fate or not.”

What’s a storyboard? When DanOh sees visions of the future or the “previews,” she sees the important scenes unfold in a sequence like in a storyboard. A storyboard is like a script which uses sketches, instead of text, to show the plot. A storyboard organizes the flow of the story and indicates what details of the actions are important.

DanOh wants to know whether Haru can change her world. For an ordinary “extra” in this manhwa, she has an extraordinary gift of seeing visions of the future. Since her visions give her a “preview” of things to happen, she can:

a. alter the course and
b. compare whether her “stage” unfolds the way she envisioned it in the “preview” or not.
c. gauge her success in changing her life.

Her first preview (Ep 1 at 17:26) occurred the first time she saw the book Secret, and flipped through the pages. She saw Baek Kyung accusing her of stalking him and curry falling on her and Ms. Female Lead. In a matter of seconds, the Baek Kyung vision happened, and the curry incident happened later that day at lunch (Ep 1 at 27:00). She learned that she couldn’t prevent misfortune from occurring.

Her second preview (Ep 3 at 26:31) happened while she was cleaning her locker. If she couldn’t change her fate, then she would change the small things that made life a struggle for her…like a messy locker.

That’s when she “pre-viewed” her accident. Just like she tried cleaning her locker, the students were cleaning in the front lobby of the school. She saw Baek Kyung walking down, Nam Joo stopping Ms. Female Lead, Ms Female Lead being pushed by her bestie, and lastly, Ms. Female Lead falling on her because she tried to stop her fall.

It was a domino effect and she was the last one to fall. In her vision, Baek Kyung rushed down to pick her up and carried her to the clinic. She ended up with a broken leg.

In reality, however, the Mystery Guy (Ep 4 at 8:10) walked down the stairs just before the accident and she landed on his back. He stopped her fall.

She realized then that the continuity was broken because her right leg was merely gashed. She realized that somebody helped her and she called him her “backmate.”

In her mind, the story could change. She noticed that there were still blank pages on the book for events that haven’t occurred yet. She decided that if she wanted to escape her supporting role (Ep 4 at 13:28), her “backmate” could help her.

By the end of Episode 4, she’s found her “backmate.” She was ready to test her theory.

Her third preview (Ep 5 at 21:00) took place after she and Lee DoHwan, the Mr. Second Lead, observed her “backmate” out in the walkway, drawing. Ha! They didn’t notice that he had special effects, too, just like the leading male. Hearts, which are shaped like butterflies, flitting around him when DanOh glanced at him.

She complained to Lee DoHwan that her backmate wasn’t even mentioned in the character list and wasn’t drawn properly so she couldn’t find him in the comic. While she was talking about him, he glanced up at the window to look at her. To me, this suggested that he was aware of her presence even then. He could sense when she was looking at him.

She instantly crouched down to hide from his view. That was strange because she was embarrassed to be seen watching him and YET she was thinking of asking for his help to change her fate.

What could be more embarrassing than asking a virtual stranger to change your fate? Right? Right?

But she did exactly that: ask Mr. Backmate to help her out. She had a preview of a lab accident and Mr. Backmate was in the storyboard along with her.

In her vision, the Main Couple were arguing, Baek Kyung looked up to watch the fracas, she knocked over boxes of dry ice, and her “backmate” witnessed the accident.

She realized that her backmate shouldn’t have been drawn in the storyboard because he was only a nameless AND faceless extra in the manhwa. In the previous visions, he wasn’t drawn in.

So the fact that he was suddenly included in the storyboard made her excited. She could test her theory that he was the key she needed to change her fate.

So she chased after him and grabbed his wrist. Her touch threw him off and he looked at his wrist as if this was the first time he’d ever been touched. But he didn’t say anything, so she assumed that he was mute. She assumed the writer was trying to thwart her again.

She was undeterred however. She said, “There’s no way the writer would give me the answer key so easily. But I’m good at the game even without the answer key.”

She dragged him to the lab and explained to him, with 100% aegyo that she needed his help to change her fate. (Do you see this, Gong Seung, Yeon? Watch and learn, baby, watch and learn.)

If I were the guy, I would have stood mutely, too.

Her plan was simple: she wanted him to hold the boxes down, so they wouldn’t fall when she bumped against them.

Likewise, her objective was simple. She said, “In the end, if we keep changing the fixed story, I’ll be able to decide my own fate.”

But her reward wasn’t so simple: She promised him, “If his plan succeeds, then I’ll take responsibility and make you more than an extra. Understood?” lol. How could she take responsibility for him when they’re only characters in a manhwa? She wasn’t the writer.

His silence frustrated him so she continued yapping,  “How come you won’t even respond to me once?” She wanted him to confirm his agreement by saying, “All right, I’ll help you” or “Let’s change our fates together.”

She was so busy talking to him that she missed seeing both his reaction when she mentioned their fates, and his eyes shifting outside to the floral arbor. The red flowers bloomed, and he looked surprised.

Her plan worked…partially.

He walked in behind the two members of A2, and she smiled brightly at him. Note: Baek Kyung noticed her huge smile and glanced back to see who she was smiling at.

At the right moment, she motioned Mr. Backmate to come forward. Just as arranged, he stopped the boxes behind her from toppling. However, he failed to stop the other tower of boxes, and Ms Female Lead, from falling down.

When she observed the aftermath of her “fate-altering” scheme, she confirmed that the “stage” didn’t happen exactly like in the preview. But her result was inconclusive.

DO: I didn’t exactly drop these boxes, but does this mean the story changed or not?

In my opinion, she’s unable to alter the fate of the Main Lead Couple. But she can change her fate, in small increments, with the help of her “backmate.”

Note: I like calling the guy “backmate,” because metaphorically speaking, her “backmate” has her back. He’s looking out for her own good, and she’ll be fine.

Afterward the lab scene, Mr. Backmate went to the library and began drawing the flowers he saw blooming in the arbor. He was in the shadows, just like the Squid Guy was in the shadows in his kitchen.

I don’t know what the flowers mean at this point.

But this scene should remind us again that he’s already self-aware. Just like when he drew DanOh’s face in the dark from memory in Episode 1, this scene demonstrates that he isn’t at the same level of “awareness” as DanOh, the A3 guys, and even the Squid Guy.

The Squid Guy insists that nothing can be changed from the script. But Mr. Backmate come in and out of the storyboard, undetected by the Squid Guy, to make slight ADJUSTMENTS to the story in order to protect DanOh.

2. The destiny rock

So, the next question is if Mr. Backmate is supposed to be DanOh’s protector, then why didn’t he save her from going into the sea during the class beach trip?

Here’s the background.

DanOh’s bestie bought destiny rocks. According to her, if a couple looks at each another and splits the rock, they’ll end up with the size of the rock that’s indicative of the amount of love they have for the other person.

A larger chunk = more love

More importantly, her bestie said that, “If you write down your wish onto the broken rock and stack it, your wish will come true.” Her bestie gave her a destiny rock so she could make one for her Baek Kyung.

DanOh said she didn’t need one. But as soon as she said this, she got fourth vision.

In her fourth preview (Ep 6 at 20:37), she saw Baek Kyung breaking off a rock with her. He threw his piece into the sea and she went in the waters to look for it. Her Mr. Backmate stood on the rocks observing her.

Her vision surprised her because she wasn’t expecting her Backmate to be there on the beach trip with them. She was, in effect, her “real wish” because she had been looking for him all afternoon. She was mightily angry at the writer that her Backmate was excluded simply because he was a nameless extra. She wished he was there with her.

But her vision revealed that he was there so she excitedly took the destiny rock offered by her bestie and ordered Lee DoHwa, her other male bestie, to send Baek Kyung to meet her. She wanted to try to change things again with her destiny rock.

She hurried off to find her Mr. Backmate. Like with the Lab incident, she explained the set-up to him. She naturally presumed that Mr. Backmate had no clue as to who she was so she introduced herself whenever they met.

DanOh: When did you get here? How? Why? That’s not important right now. A heart disease and a ten-year-old crush. That’s my set-up. If you change my story, you and I will be free from our roles as extras!

Note here: it’s very cute that a) she sums herself up as the individual with “a heart disease and a ten-year-old crush” and that b) she’s energized to free themselves from their minor roles.

She explained that she was going to fall in the water, and she wanted him to do whatever it took to stop her.

But to her utter distress and bewilderment, Mr Backmate didn’t rescue her. He let her go in. All the time she was resisting to go in the water, she had no choice but to follow the storyboard.

DanOh: Oh great! (she’s being ironic there) Am I going in now? (she walks toward the water) What about Number 13 (she looks at him, standing in the distance)? It’s happening now! Yes, now! Come get me now! (she’s begging him telepathically)

She was shocked that the scene was unfolding as it was supposed to go because he was just standing there. She plunged in to grab the rock that Baek Kyung tossed. As soon as she held it in her hand, her “stage” ended.

That’s when she started to cry. She thought, “It didn’t change. No. It didn’t. In the end, it seems that nothing can change.” She looked at Mr. Backmate who had been staring at her all this time. She thought, “I thought it could change.” And she fell back into the water.

Now, I’m sure this was a tough and inexplicable scenario to most viewers. But to me, there’s a simple reason why Mr. Backmate didn’t go in to save her. Ha! It wasn’t because his feet were glued to the rocks.

At first watch, I thought that he was either a cold, unfeeling bastard or jealous of Baek Kyung. He was probably thinking that if the writer was making her go after the Kyung’s rock, then he’d let her because that was her affair.

However, I believe now that it must have pained him, too, to watch her go in BUT he didn’t stop her because she MUST retrieve the stone. She had to retrieve the stone so she could make her wish.

If he stopped her then she wouldn’t have re-written a new wish on the stone. To alter her fate, he was allowing her to suffer a temporary physical discomfort and emotional sorrow.

Do you see it?

Her “stage” came with those words on her destiny stone. She didn’t write those words. They came pre-written on the rock. The words on her rock read, “I wish Baek Kyung liked me.”

Off-stage however, in the “shadow,” she was able to rewrite her wish. She attempted several times to stack her rock, but each time, she failed. Then, after watching the romance between lead couple, she decided to cross out the wish on her rock and write a new one. She probably didn’t want to be like the Main Couple because she didn’t wish for Baek Kyung to like her anyway.

But her tower of rock kept tumbling down. She then recalled Squid Guy’s words. “Nothing changes in this world, ever.” She started to cry.

It was then that her Backmate appeared and took over stacking the rocks for her. It’s pretty obvious that when she felt hopeless because she couldn’t change her world,  he arrived to ensure that her world changed.

It’s too bad that she didn’t stay to watch him. Once he began restoring the tower, she said, “Don’t. It’ll fall over anyway.”

She looked him in the eye, saying, “My wish can’t be granted by a pile of rocks.” Then she looked down, and started crying, “I thought it was you. I thought you could change things. I was wrong.” It was obvious that she was still hurting after he failed to go after her in the water.

So she left him.

Once her back was turned, he continued stacking the rocks. For a second, when he laid the final rock, her rock, the tower wobbled. The tower didn’t fall down and her wish was finally revealed. She’d written, “I want to live.”

He remained kneeling for a moment then he stood up and watch the sea. He turned around to look at her departing back and called her name, “Eun Dan Oh.”

For me, that’s the ultimate secret of the book. Who is he that he can change things for her?

To me this scene is critical because it showed that Mr. Backmate is the antidote to Squid Guy. Whatever the Squid Guy told DanOh, like nothing could be changed, Mr. Backmate could prove wrong. He was there to alter her world.

Also, I still suspect that Backmate was jealous of Baek Kyung. They already encountered each other in the library when he shoulder-checked him. And now, after the destiny stone incident, he followed DanOh to watch her encounter with Baek Kyung.

DanOh approached Baek Kyung and just stared at him for a long time. Inwardly, she was fuming that she must waste what little time she had left, with this jerk who kept hurting her.

Personally, I disliked it when the girls mocked her heart condition and Baek Kyung didn’t defend her. Instead, he piled it on, taunting her with, “If you have a weak heart, you should’ve just stayed in the hospital.”

pic Soooo makjang!

That was when she ran and gave him a big whack on the back.

BK: Eun Dan Oh! Are you crazy?
DO: The crazy one is you, Baek Kyung!

Now, I’m sure the important of this scene was overlooked by many viewers. Mr. Backmate checked the book afterwards to see that the back-thumping was on the book “Secret.”

It was.

Why is this important?

Well…I didn’t know that the scene was “stage.” Did you? That scene only happened in the “shadow” and everything should have reverted to status quo when the next “stage” occurred.

So that scene that was in the “shadow” converted into a “staged” scene. That whole scene became a comic frame and was incorporated in the manhwa. Since the back-thumping  incident was now included the book, that meant that DanOh’s story arc – that she was a pathetic girl who had a “ten-year-old crush” on Baek Kyung — had suddenly and finally changed.

She had walked away.

That’s the significance of this scene.

3. The forest trail

Her fifth preview (Ep 7 at 2:52) happened that evening. She was with her bestie preparing for the evening activities. She was still mad about Baek Kyung. In her vision, she was with Baek Kyung in the forest. He told, “This is why I don’t like you.” She screamed. The lead couple hugged. She was shivering under the tree. Baek Kyung shouted her name. She looked up to see a body wearing a blue shirt over a white tshirt. Baek Kyung shouting, “Where were you? I looked all over for you!”

She couldn’t believe that the writer would be so cruel as to write another dramatic moment where Baek Kyung berated her for her illness. To avoid getting lost and getting shouted at by Baek Kyung, she studied the forest map all night.

Sure enough, they became partners in the Couple Hike through the forest. She was able to lead the way because she memorized the route. But once the “stage” clicked on, her heart monitor began beeping. She had to follow her lines.

DO: Can’t we walk a little slower? (she collapsed to the ground)
BK: This is why I don’t like you.

He replayed the words in the preview.

He left her. Silently, she called him a jerk, and the “stage” ended.

She then carried out her “Love Bridge” duty for the Main Couple as shown in the preview. But as she was about to go back to the hotel, she lost her way.

Back in the hotel, Baek Kyung felt guilty about leaving her behind so he turned to get her. He was on his way out when Lee DoHwan stopped him to hand him back the keychain DanOh gave him. Lee DoHwan reminded him to be gentle with DanOh because of her heart condition.

Here, the storyboard became modified again.

Instead of Baek Kyung appearing at her side, her Backmate appeared. He, too, was wearing a blue shirt on top of a white tshirt – just like in her vision – with a white hat.

She realized that the storyline changed after he offered her his blue shirt. When Baek arrived at the site, he only saw her flashlight. She was long gone

…because her Backmate came for her. She was sure that it was Baek Kyung who looked for her in her preview, but it was her. Backmate who found her in reality.

They spent that moment in a secret place he discovered (and I bet he made it for her, too. But more on this later.) She told her Backmate.

DO: You know what. I was a bit sad that I had to follow the path that was decided for me. But it just changed. Like now, you showed me that there was a different path. I’m sure of it. Thanks to you, I think my day can change. Can I call you Ha Ru?”

Then her “shadow” moment ended, and she was back on stage. Just like in her preview, Baek Kyung was shouting her name.

BK: Eun Dan Oh! Where were you?
DO: Why are you here?
BK: I looked all over for you!

She realized that he was saying his lines that should have been said the previous night in the forest. hahaha. Talk about delayed reaction, he was like 8 hours too late.

DO: Why are you saying something that should be said on stage, rather than in the shadow? It’s too late.
BK: How’s your heart? Are you alright?
DO: What’s wrong with you?
BK: I’m worried.
DO: What did you say?
BK: Never mind.

Note here: In the “stage” life, Baek Kyung was supposed to act like he didn’t care for her.

But in the “shadow” life, he was concerned about her. He left her in the forest because he was following the storyboard. In the same way that DanOh couldn’t stop her feet from moving toward the ocean and her lips from saying those ridiculous words, Baek Kyung, too, couldn’t stop himself from saying the mean things and walking away.

It’s only her Backmate who can move in and out without the restriction of the storyboard.

When Baek Kyung was back in the hotel, and in the “shadow,” he realized that he left DanOh in the forest with her weak heart. And he became immediately worried. He tried calling her up. Even BEFORE Lee Dohwan gave him the keychain and he had to think for a moment where the keychain came from, he knew that he had to get DanOh in the forest.