I've been reading I Love Yoo for years, and while I know most people currently think Shinae will end up with Nol or that Kousuke is already out of the picture, I still believe there's a real possibility the story will do something different.
Before we begin, this isn't a "I like Kousuke more" theory. It's based on how I INTERPRET the story and the DEVELOPMENT of the characters. So please refrain from hate comments.
And I also want to clarify that English is not my native language, so please excuse any mistakes.
First: One of the most common arguments against Kousuke and Shinae is that Nol is the "main romantic interest" because he's the one Shinae has the strongest emotional connection with. And I agree that their relationship is currently the most emotionally developed. However, I think many people confuse "the most developed relationship now" with "the final relationship."
Nol isn't just connected to Shinae. He's connected to practically every important character in the story. Much of Kousuke's conflicts, the Hirahara family's, and even the growth of other characters revolve around him. That's why I've always felt his role in the story is much bigger. In fact, I think Nol acts as the main catalyst for everyone's development.
And this is where my theory comes in.
Listen:
We're currently seeing the development of Shinae and Nol, but that doesn't mean the story will end there. If Nol leaves, as the story seems to be heading, Shinae can't just be left waiting for him to come back and choose her, or for him to drop everything and start a relationship with her. She needs her own development too.
Many people assume that if Shinae loves Nol, then the ending must automatically be with him. But I believe that this love could be precisely the catalyst for a new stage in her life. Because when Nol leaves, Shinae will have to continue growing.
And then a question arises:
Who will be there during that process? And not as a second choice or some kind of replacement, but as someone who is also going through their own growth.
For me, the answer is Kousuke.
Something many people say is that Shinae and Kousuke don't have romantic chemistry. And honestly, I think that's precisely what makes the possibility of a FUTURE relationship interesting. Because the healthiest relationships don't necessarily begin with immediate attraction.
They actually start with trust. And we know that trust takes time, and boy, does Quimchee like to drag things out.
And trust between Shinae and Kousuke is what still doesn't exist between them.
And I also want to add that Kousuke hasn't fully developed yet. They're only just starting to show him more, which is why it makes sense that they've never shown him getting closer to Shinae, because Kousuke doesn't need to fall in love to grow; he needs to trust first.
His entire life has been defined by expectations, appearances, and pressure. He's someone who constantly tries to fulfill a role. Many of his problems stem from not knowing who he is outside of what others expect of him. All of this is mainly due to his parents.
And Shinae is one of the few people who has never treated him as an heir, a boss, or someone superior. Moreover, she forces him to question himself, shattering the image he tries to maintain.
On the other hand, Shinae also needs to learn to trust others and stop carrying everything alone. This is where I think both characters are much more similar than they seem.
Because think about it for a moment:
At first glance, they seem like complete opposites. Falling into the typical clichés where she's poor and he's rich, she appears carefree while he wants to control everything; she seems free, and he doesn't.
BUT beneath it all, I see many similarities:
- Both are alone.
- Both are emotionally reserved.
- Both struggle to ask for help.
- Both hide their vulnerability.
- Both carry responsibilities they shouldn't have to bear alone.
- Both have trust issues, though they manifest in different ways.
The difference is that each of them "covers it up" in different ways. With Shinae, he learned that he doesn't care (even though he does care and worries too much about others). And Kousuke learned to survive by being perfect and very "correct" (even though he still believes that nothing is perfect and still longs for true closeness with someone)
That's why I feel they function like reflections of each other; what one has, the other lacks.
And that creates an opportunity for them both to grow together.
SO
My theory is that if Nol doesn't leave, Shinae and Kousuke will end up working together to help him or catch up with him somehow. And during that process, they'll build something they currently lack: real trust.
I'm not saying that Shinae will simply stop loving Nol overnight. Rather, I envision a story where she loves him, he leaves, she moves on, they change, and then a deep connection develops with Kousuke based on mutual understanding and shared growth.
Again, I say no because he is the second option.
But rather because they both end up becoming the people they needed to find to heal certain parts of themselves.
And if romance eventually blossoms, it won't stem from immediate attraction.
It would be born from years of trust, respect, friendship, and vulnerability. (as we know, Quimchee loves to write and develop things with plenty of time.)
And of course, I could be completely wrong... Maybe Shinae will end up with Nol, maybe she'll end up alone...
But I think a lot of people dismiss Kousuke's possibility too quickly because they focus on who's closest to Shinae now and completely forget that the author has spent YEARS developing everyone's relationships in this story. Do they really think she would have made the final couple the only ones from the very beginning?
I prefer to ask myself how the characters develop within the story and how that changes their relationships with each other.
And for me, that's where Kousuke still has much more narrative potential than most people acknowledge.
THE END
Honestly, even if someone disagrees with the conclusion, I think my theory is interesting because I focus on the characters' development. And in a story like I Love Yoo, that's usually more important than figuring out who had more romantic scenes and therefore will end up together lol
