novel spoiler about taejung

SPOILER BELOW (tw: ableism)
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this is a spoiler from the novel that's not drawn in the manhwa but i feel paints an important arc in taejung's development.

in the novel, during the reunion, a nameless classmate asks taejung why yoon isn't with him and said how yoon used to always follow taejung around in high school, commenting how he found yoon creepy and autistic. taejung got mad and got into a fight with the classmate, saying how he doesn't know yoon and doesn't get to make these insults about him.

i think the novel describes taejung's story more empathically. i ended up feeling for him a lot, and i really wished at the end he'd move on and find his own happiness. through his arcs, i got to see him become truthful to himself of his lingering love for yoon, his regret and his determination to make things right. he knows he has hurt yoon badly, and i appreciate how he never tried to barge into yoon's life again. taejung is also hurt, confused, conflicted, but he never thinks of wanting to hurt yoon again from this point on. he really is a good person, but he's stuck in a difficult situation and faced with a near-impossible choice. i could never be in his position. i think he (and yoon, really) needs a lot of therapy lol, there's a lot of unresolved emotions there. i really wish him the best.