Responses

I have no clue why it's a thing but if the comic is Korean perhaps they're following the beauty standards that exist there to define who's beautiful or not? As far as I remember the whiter and paler someone is, the better they fit the standard as pale skin is preferable there. Probably the same reason I saw so many Chinese make-up tutorials with girls using some cream to make their skin A LOT LOT LOT paler.
This is literally colorism