Can't stop rereading this

I'm sorry but I think he is not exactly an honest person, and not even consistent. Yes, the girls are partly to blame for accepting his conditions, but he is definitely not a good person! The point is, when you start dating a person it's implied that you're in a relationship with them, so of course this person has expectations about you, like wanting you to care about them! Even when you are in an "open relationship", like you mentioned, you're supposed to be in love with your partner, to care about their feelings and needs, and both of you must give your consent and approve of any possible meeting outside your couple. This guy didn't give a damn about the girls he "dated", even if he knew they loved him, he always just did whatever the f he wanted. This is why it always ended badly with his "girlfriends", because actually he never really made his intentions clear... I mean, don't you think he could just say to them that he just wanted to be "friends with benefits" without any possibility of feelings instead of giving them false hopes? Oh, and when it was HIM the one who fell in love, he DEMANDED that the other person was faithful only to him... :')

No need to apologize.
I still stand on my point. Aimi is a great person and partner.

First of, you said he isn't honest and consistent, however, this is such a short story that not much of the ML's past relationships have been brought up, and the ones that did ONLY SHOWS how BLUNT he is, he don't sugarcoat empty promises or feelings for the sake of not hurting people. He consistently says his condition of "dating - but never ask questions". No exceptions, even with the MC.

Second, you said that "Even when you are in an "open relationship", you're supposed to be in love with your partner" and that "he never cleared his intentions"

Are we reading the same thing? Did you read past when he already said he isn't up for exclusive relationship and that he has his conditions? Is it that hard to understand or are we just being IN DENIAL?

The girls ask him out knowing his conditions, ONLY That, NO promises of being 'in love', AND they all AGREED with it, so your ".. even on an open relationship, u must give your consent and approve of any possible meeting outside your couple" doesn't make any sense here, much less the love thing (there isn't even courting in the first place, why the hell would you think they would be in love??)

We all have our own ideas of relationships but it doesn't add up here cause the ML already CLEARED that it ISN'T normal in the FIRST PLACE. And the moment the girls didn't want that anymore, the ML STOPS it immediately as it is against their initial agreement - refer to chap 1 (which only shows he is NOT here to lead anyone on or give false hopes).

Third, you said "This guy didn't give a damn about the girls he "dated", even if he knew they loved him, he always just did whatever the f he wanted."
This actually makes me laugh cause you're definitely just hating on him at this point and not digesting the story. Did you only think that bec he doesn't remember their faces and names? ML DOES care about his dates, he wouldn't have told them his rule in the first place, like, why bother? Just cheat and maintain a good reputation like most heartless two-faced men out there?

Refer to chap 1 again on how he broke up with someone he knew already liked him too much that they are hurting, or that sex friends that he stops meeting up with when he already knew he loves Kaede. Aimi being honest and acting on it shows that he doesn't want to lead anyone on and hurt them, or give them false hopes that they're going exclusive.

When the MC didn't show any signs of wanting to meet up, Aimi told him to be comfortable and just ask. I don't think he said that only to the MC, he prob had gfs that were shy as he already knew what to do despite confused. Even with the first girl, he met up with her, he indulged her as she wanted to the point she thought "WE'VE COME A LONG WAY" only after THREE MONTHS of dating. You really think the ML didn't do his part as a partner and treat her well despite her thinking THAT ??? and don't say he was leading them on, he agreed to date them which means he should do it and he DID. The expectations you're looking for is there but you brushed past them

If you actually read the story and understand the character you would know that the reason his relationships ended badly was not because he didn't clear his intentions, but bec he DID and yet THE REACTIONS THEY HAD WHEN HE WOULD DO THE THINGS HE ALREADY TOLD THEM THE VEEEERY FIRST TIME THEY ENTERED THAT RELATIONSHIP WAS UTTER BULLSHIT. "I CAN CHANGE HIM" mentally is TRULY DELUSIONAL when the truth had already been LAID OUT FOR ALL TO SEE

he is not a good person?

i'll say it again, HIS PARTNERS AGREEING TO CONDITIONS THAT THEY COULDN'T KEEP UP WITH AND GASLIGHTING HIM FOR BEING TRUE TO HIMSELF ARE THE RED FLAGS. Why? They don't have integrity for what was agreed upon, has a victim mentality, LIES to themselves, and has a NARROW mind and even manipulative tendencies. THEY are the ones hurting THEMSELVES and BREAKING PROMISES

JUST BE HONEST if you can't be as truthful as Kaede and knowing how to appreciate the REAL person, the transparency, and the will of a person to change HIMSELF solely for the one who TRULY sees him. This is what this story is about.

Also, you said that he should be honest but also said "why can't he just be "friends with benefits?" Lol DOES HE LOOK LIKE HE WANTS TO BE FRIENDS???

LASTLY, to rid all your point, him demanding Kaede to be faithful only to him shows AGAIN just how HONEST Aimi is. He has always lived the way he wanted and this time, he isn't there to fuck around and immediately ACT on it. He KNOWS he's in love, ACCEPTED it, and TRUTHFULLY SAID that he wants an exclusive relationship. ALL CLEARED. AIMI has always lived the way he wanted and HAS ALWAYS BEEN HONEST AND OUT SPOKEN WITH IT.

If you can't hear or understand him then read it again or just forget it. You must think I'm being serious with this lengthy reply just for a fiction, oh yes I am. As much as this is a simple hobby, I don't just read emptily.. :')

Look, I didn't want to make a big deal about it, and I have nothing personal against a fictional character, I just expressed an opinion about a story I read. I was just saying that if you impose such conditions, at this point you are not even interested in having a relationship, you just want to have s3x friends, so why even bother to pretend to be in a relationship with those rules? The girls have their share of blame for accepting this but he has his responsibilities as well cause he literally agreed to date those girls and to be in a relationship with them! He never said to them things like: "I'll never love you back, give up now", so of course they were hopeful! If he wanted to be completely honest he should've just said to them that he just wantend to be s3x friends without any kind of feelings involved, like: "Do you want a romantic relationship? Then go find someone else, I'm not interested in that!".
If you search on the internet the definition of "open relationship" you will find: "a marriage or relationship in which both partners agree that each may have sexual relations with others". As you can see it has to be mutual, I didn't make anything up on my own. Then everyone is free to live their life how they want of course, I just wanted to point out that he is unfair.
And btw you said in your first comment that the girls were the real red flags for accepting this, but did you realize you're basically saying that Kaede is a red flag too since he had the same dynamics?

P.s. This is my opinion and I won't change it, you are free to have yours of course, I'm not trying to make you change your mind, I just wanted to give another pov. :)

Don't worry, it's not a big deal, I'm just giving my response since you said your opinions under my comment, that of course I won't change. This is also just me relaying my opinion regarding your opinion (that I simply don't agree with)

Anyway, I really don't think you get what I was trying to say bout the open relationship and Aimi's conditions despite my explanations - so I digress..

But to answer your question "btw you said in your first comment that the girls were the real red flags for accepting this did you realize you're basically saying that Kaede is a red flag too since he had the same dynamics?" NO, I don't. Because I never said the girls were red flags for accepting the conditions but that they are when they accepted it BUT couldn't keep up with it and gaslighting him for being true to himself. Please don't cut it. Which as I said, means they don't have integrity for what was agreed upon, has a victim mentality, and LIES to themselves, when they could've just easily broken the relationship off.

I'm also curious as to what made you think that Aimi is only after sex when that's definitely not the case if you read between the lines of that 4-chap story and see how he treated his dates. You're right, open relationship is indeed mutual and this is what happened in the story. They all have mutual agreement at first UNTIL the girls broke that. Aimi didn't have to be sex friends with them or say 'i'll never love you back" because he's NOT closing that possibility in the first place. He is indeed having a relationship with them and not pretending. As the title says, Love works in Mysterious Ways - it cannot always be defined nor understand. He prob asked them too what kind of dates they would want to do just like how he did to Kaede (again, the girl he broke up with expressed her feelings that only meant Aimi treated him well and not only sex), and if those girls only has the same perspective as Kaede and accepted those conditions and his real self, Aimi would have fallen in love with them too and would propose for an exclusive relationship.

He was never unfair, but like all of us while in a relationship, we're finding that ONE PERSON that could accept even our darkest sides.. Aimi's personality is too complicated and isn't for the weak heart or opposite minds, and he showed that to his dates the very first time to be FAIR with them. And Kaede is that one right person for him.

I hope you see that too, but of course this isn't something to be forced. Kaede and Aimi are interesting characters different from the normal ones but Aimi has never cheated anyone, he was free and untamed yet remained truthful not only to himself but to the people around him and that's what Kaede loved about him. They are both free from the definite system we're living in.

Thanks for sharing your perspective. I'm happy rereading this story again :')