A Contractual Relationship Leads to a Second Chance
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Synopsis
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Warning:
There will be spoilers for the manhwa series 4 Week Lovers.
Content Warning: There may be references to enslavement (used as a joke), gossiping, contractual relationship, noncon, academic misconduct (mentioning cheating on tests), sextortion, violence, blood, obsession, manipulation, body shaming, child abuse, overwork, homomisia, death, being orphaned, child abandonment, child neglect, breakups, excessive drinking, bullying, self-deprecation, depression, disordered eating, mentions of education corruption, underage drinking, invasion of privacy, cheating (not between the main couple), theft, stalking, BDSM, PTSD, car accidents, gang activity, depictions of animal abuse, memory loss, hit-and-runs, strained familial relationships, underage smoking, suicidal ideation, murder, kidnapping, chronic illness, and drugging, as they do appear in the manhwa.
Synopsis:
Jaehee and Dojun are college roommates, though they didn’t meet that way. On the contrary, their story began back in high school, when they fell in love for the first time, but ultimately ended in heartbreak. You’d think their current situation would be cold and awkward, and while Dojun is more than happy to keep things separate, Jaehee has no intention of letting Dojun get away a second time. After Jaehee ends up injuring his arm, he guilts Dojun into a contractual romance. They have to be a couple for four weeks.
Dojun goes along with it to an extent, but he has no intention of falling back in love with Jaehee. However, as time goes on, and their relationship turns physical, Dojun realizes he may never have stopped loving Jaehee at all. But just because they’re adults doesn’t mean things have gotten easier; they’ll have to overcome a lot to finally reach their happy ending.
Review:
The art in this is truly stunning. There’s something about the softness of it, combined with the character designs, that truly speaks to me. But maybe more important than anything else is how amazing some of the smut scenes are. It isn’t just how pretty the style is, but the composition of the smut is amazing, too. Add on Dojun’s expressions (and his cute butt) during it, and these are some of the most delectable sex scenes I’ve seen in manhwa. This is one of my favorite ones to look at, and I honestly think it’s worth reading for that alone.
But the pacing in this is pretty chaotic. It almost feels like reading through a dream sequence, with us jumping from scene to scene or emotion to emotion with minimal grounding. Part of this is because it is really pushing for the comedy angle. Sometimes it’s actually funny, but a lot of it at the beginning isn’t, partly because of the unusual pacing. Add in some awkward translations (including the dog’s gender switch later), and it isn’t as funny as it tries to be. It could really be hilarious, but I wouldn’t know for sure, since I don’t think the translation, editing, or pacing are conducive to humor.
With that said, the chemistry between these two is so fucking cute. It’s impossible not to love them together. The first time they have penetrative sex, Jaehee makes sure to keep his eyes closed since Dojun begs him to and is too embarrassed otherwise. This leads to an intimate scene in which Dojun mouths how much he likes Jaehee, feeling free to do so when he feels he can’t otherwise, because liking Jaehee feels impossible to him. All the while, Jaehee is under him, enjoying the ride (literally), with his eyes closed. It speaks to me in ways no other smutty scene can. It shows just how much they care for each other, and it is amazing. Bonus: There are a million beautiful sex scenes in this, and they are all amazing in a million different ways. There’s even some light BDSM, if that’s your thing. This is certainly worth reading for the smut alone.
But maybe even more impressive than the chemistry during the sex scenes is the buildup of the background. While the pacing is a bit weird, part of that is because we start in the present, then end up in the past, and work our way back. During that time, we steadily learn about how Jaehee and Dojun got into this weird contractual relationship, and it is powerful. Seeing how painful their past was and how they steadily rebuilt the trust they have in each other is everything. Unfortunately, this series goes a bit further with a weird third season that derails into a mafia-esque plot line that throws all of the wonderful romantic storyline off, but that core story is everything.
Results:
Despite the weird pacing and a strange tonal shift in season 3, I have to say that I absolutely love this. It is one of the prettiest manhwa I’ve seen, and has some of the absolute best sex scenes out there. Add on a couple with some of the strongest chemistry I’ve ever read, and it would take a lot to make me dislike this. Is it perfect? Not at all, but the fact that I still love it as much as I do speaks volumes. I promise, you may read it because you’re curious about the smut, but I’m pretty sure you’ll stick around because you love the romance even more. Regardless, this is certainly one of my favorites.
Have you read 4 Week Lovers? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!
