Yeah I don’t see how it can be interpreted as the OP thinks. Ran, the victim, THINKS that’s what acceptance means, while his friend is questioning it and is clearly antagonistic towards the sensei. That’s pretty realistic if you ask me. Groomers take advantage of victims’ vulnerabilities to make them think that they need to do whatever groomers ask because that’s love and acceptance. What Ran thinks is not the message the author sends.
They let the guy say some common sassy villain phrases and then walk away, it just reminded me that a lot of times groomers are made to be like a dramatic obstacle and not a CRIMINAL. I will agree that they portrayed him negatively, which is at least better than other manga, but the point is that grooming is not just DRAMA, it’s a full on crime. But this manga is still good, it’s just a common trope that bugs me.
I’m mainly talking about how the teacher was portrayed. The way he speaks sounds like an anime villain and he just leaves as if he’s not a criminal. My complaint isn’t about the victim because duh of course he would react empathetically, that’s what being groomed is. My problem is I’m worried how the author will portray the teacher. Groomers are often made to be the same as a bully, as opposed to criminals. If I’m wrong then I’ll take it back.
I hate how manga try to make grooming deep and give some kind of meaning to the groomer. Like he’s not a stupid metaphor for acceptance he’s just a creeper. I just want one of the characters to yell at the dude “STOP YOURE A PEDO” because he is.