OY SIR!! GASLIGHTING WILL GET YOU SKIPPITY-PAPPED!!

That’s not gaslighting. The ML is the only one aware of the MC’s prior incarnation. The MC is helping the ML despite the fact that he doesn’t believe he’s the reincarnation of the ML’s lover. If he knew that that was true and then told him the guy was a figment of his imagination, then sure, you’d be right.

Also, reincarnation isn’t always handled the same way in every story, but being a reincarnation and having amnesia aren’t the same thing. They have the same soul but even if he remembers his past life, that doesn’t mean he should automatically feel responsible for what his past self did. The only reason why he’s even okay with dying with the ML if he turns out to be the reincarnation is because he’s tired of being alive with all his bad luck. The amnesia argument only works if the MC is actually immortal but doesn’t realize it, as he wouldn’t have reincarnated.

...But he was gaslighting him..he was indeed manipulating the poor guy into questioning his own perception of reality.

Also, though I understand where you're coming from, we don't know if he was reincarnated or his shape was sinply changed or not, these facts haven't been revealed yet. I mean like you said he can't even recall it so that also doesn't make it okay for him to simply shift the blame on someone else's faulty memory- when HE ALSO can't recall anything himself.

He just doesn't want to deal with it or be involved with it, which in my opinion- he WASN'T helping but simply looking for a way to rid himself of accountability and him being immortal and being tired would actually back up this claim.

Being an immortal and tired of the bs would be the main reason why he would use gaslighting to shift the focus off himself cause it would make his life slightly more bareable, no? ( ᐙ )？

You'd have a point if he was doing that while knowing the truth. However it is a fact (even outside the fictional world) that someone confined like that, on their own for long periods of times, can misremember and create situations that never happened in their own mind. We as readers know this not to be true, but if someone was telling me I was their lover in a past life and I couldn't remember jack shxt about it, I'd also be more inclined to believe they gaslit themselves into believing that to be true. Especially since this occured after what I know to be the highest authority on human life (the underworld), told us that my so called past self never existed.

Also he doesn't have to be doing any of what he's doing right now. Going places with the ML, asking question to the jasa, ect. And he's been clear about the fact that he didn;t want to deal with this from the begining. I can't see why there would be anything wrong with that or with wanting to rid himself of the responsibility for an action he doesn't remember doing. So yes, in order to clarify whether he should or shouldn't take responsibility for what his past self did, he is indeed helping. Hell, they bullied the jasa to find answers lol. It just wasn't the answers they expected to hear.

he wasnt 'manipulating' or 'gaslighting' because he himself knows little about his ex husband -- he dk what the fuck is going on, you cant blame him for considering all options of a deity who was isolated for 1500 years claiming that HE is his exhusband when mc literally has zero recollection of his past (?) life

You know what? You right about this ( ˙ε . )

I agree with this as well. I sat on this for bit and thought WHAT THE FUCK WOULD MY ASS DO IN THIS SITUATION TOO ESPECIALLY IF I HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO HELP ANNOYING OLD HEAD OUT?!?! I'd think up as many plausible scenarios as I could (IN MY HEAD OF COURSE) to figure out what might be the result of this conclusion, then I'd prolly express those ideas. So all your statements would indeed make sense HOWEVER I'm not going to blindly agree that manipulation didn't occur because UNINTENTIONAL manipulation is a thing too.

I'm sure everyone have experienced galighting and 9 times out 10 not everyone is aware that they are intentionally or UNINTENTIONALLY are doing something that is coercing or persuading something to think something other than what they know is right. Whether you want to believe it or not the dokkaebi felt insulted and offended because he perceived that he was being made out to be 'delulu' when he has no one to defend his statement but himself and is alone in his matter. Of anyone can feel offended by someone else's imput if it doesn't align with their own however given his situation and the fact that he is indeed all alone anyone would feel that they are being made out be delusional if none of them experienced what that poor guy experienced. I'm just saying Redhead could've been a little considerate of the guy's feelings being that he is indeed very serious in the most direct way and is all alone.