Noa's girlfriend Akiko "would always believe that he [Noa] was someone else, that he wasn't himself but some fanciful idea of a foreign person; she would always feel like she was someone special because she had condescended to be with someone everyone else hated" (307).
Noa seems like an overly dramatic character. This passage provides an example of one of his outbursts. In some respect, he is in the right to be upset at Akiko. She seems to desire Noa's unpopularity because, by loving him, it makes her of a higher moral standard than her peers and family. Akiko still has a deep personal connection with Noa even though it may have been rooted in some selfish desires. She pushes him intellectually and challenged him to react more critically to what he read throughout his studies. Still, those selfish desires became far too central to Noa's representation of her character and personality. His breakup with Akiko triggered feelings of unbelonging that would stick with him through the rest of his life.
Of course, finding out he was from "bad blood" entitles Noa to an extreme reaction. However, the extent of Noa's reaction went too far. He became a selfish character who left his entire family behind. He had reason to be upset at Hansu, and cutting him out of his life is warranted. On the other hand, cutting out Mosazu, Kyunghee, Yoseb, Yanjin, and Sunja does not seem right at all. Even if he is from "bad blood", that does not mean his life is useless.
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