Who is Gyu-ho?

Gyu-ho is Young's serious boyfriend in Part III of the novel, when Young is in his early 30s. The two meet at a gay bar where Gyu-ho is a bartender, and Gyu-ho tracks Young down the next day to return his lost phone case. Gyu-ho is from Jeju Island originally, and he moved to Seoul to attend nursing school and live with his brother, who is a medical student. The brothers quarrel, and Gyu-ho ends up moving in with Young relatively soon after they begin dating. The author uses symbolism to demonstrate how Young's relationship with Gyu-ho is different from his other relationships, as Gyu-ho is depicted performing various domestic tasks around Young's apartment, like cooking and hanging curtains. This relationship is also different because it is based on love and intimacy, not sex. Young has contracted HIV and he does not wish to transmit the virus to Gyu-ho.