Heejae is the one being catfished, the one who doesn't know Sesam's true gender(fully believing that Sesam is a girl and that other players are just jealous of them) and he stated his own opinion because of the fact that duhhhh he doesn't know anything (judging from the fact he called him 'Noona' way before they met irl). Seoyeon from the very beginning didn't want to do anything at the same time wanted to mess with Heejae as a revenge for the previous incident within the game, but realizes that he had gone too far, and left Heejae.
You really just cut out the whole first 30 chapters where MC is that sick perverted freak who has problems with his life and vents it online. Mc intentionally made a girl account to Catfish Heejae. Doesn't matter if this is a game or not. Heejae's feelings are just as valid as Mc's feeling.
Also according to your logic, "this is a video game, not real life". Mc is deluded for thinking he can do all this and not be called a freak cause Heejae once destroyed his guild for gatekeeping (also one of the most annoying tactics big guilds use in games to keep most players from developing). Mc was never the victim. 100% unless you are in a big guild doing the gatekeepers, you are the entire game populations enemy #1. We all cheered and laughed when the biggest bully guilds fell apart. I would've laughed and held a party when Heejae defeated Mc too. ā(ļ棊 ļæ£)ā
My reason why Heejae is not the only one at fault here but at the same time its ALSO never not his fault.
Heejae destroyed Seoyeon guild in game which traumatized Seoyeon so much that he stopped playing the game, then with encouragement he returned and decided to destroy Heejae by catfishing him, mess with his feelings then leave like every netkama would do, then he had conscience of his actions and decided to stop it and fully leave the game. Heejae, heartbroken and mad, when revealed to him that the person he's is in love with, left him and is actually a guy, decided to mess with him in real life, yet he realizes that no matter what gender Seoyeon is, he will always love him. So he decided to change for the better and treat him right and affectionately.
So saying that "this is a videogame, not tinder". Dude, most of relationships also happen in game, there is so many references, in novels, chinese series and animes that is filled with relationships blossoming in video game. Heejae wasn't deluded into falling in love, he simply believed that Sesam is just shy and treated him differently because Sesam likes him, and all the actions that Sesam did like calling the ambulance, helping him in guild raid and comforting him made Heejae fall in love with Sesam, that is why Heejae kept on following Sesam and was heartbroken to know the truth, that Sesam is guy. After all, Heejae trusted Sesam/Seoyeon, and Seoyeon practically just left him without explaining the reason which give Heejae even more reasons to be mad at him.
So its not only Heejae's fault but also Seoyeon's fault. They both destroyed one another, messing up with each other's feelings then bam! they fell in love (but with Heejae fully accepting his feelings and Seoyeon denying it).
I never said he was āfree of any guiltā, to think so is an extremist generalization. Just because our ideas regarding this topic donāt align doesnāt mean Iām at the polar opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to these ideologies. Iām just stating the facts that the ML saying what he did in no way justified.
heejae watch ur mouth