I don’t really think Geom want Wooyeon to suffer at all…? On the contrary he keep trying to push him away, Geom believe he is more than capable of surviving alone and he does not want Wooyeon or the girl to suffer because of him. Would you mind explaining why you came to that conclusion ? (It’s been a while since I read this I might be wrong)
In recent flashback, when reider asks geom, do u want him to suffer like u, geom said yes. Geom actions are bit contradictory, he doesn't want wooyeon in this mess, still wants to stay beside him like showing up after 8yrs just to mess wooyeon up, why he has to show up and give him on off signals. Overall what I am trying to say is wooyeon character is not well written by the author, there is no concrete substance behind wooyeon suffering. Also the story is abt geom, mostly said through his pov, mc is geom, but there is no subject for wooyeon to be a ml, as he has no connection to geom's suffering (which is the main plot of the story), he didn't contribute anything to it. He just existed in the past as his college crush, nothing more than that.
I think you are getting confused in the flashback, Geom indicates he says to Reider that he wants to drag Wooyeon because if he opposed he felt Reider would actually do it.
Wooyeon blames himself, as he is traumatized by his mother’s suicide and he believes he is to blame for it. So he tends to blame himself for things that are not even on his control.
If he believes he is to blame for it, he wouldn't take revenge on those who made him this way. He crave power to revenge. As for wooyeon, I get that he does that to protect him, if he wanted to protect him, he wouldn't put wooyeon again after 8yrs in reider's radar. Geom knows and kept saying how dangerous it is for wooyeon. If he doesn't want to get saved by anyone, then why wooyeon was introduced into this mess. By making wooyeon 'I can save him' ml, makes it conflicting and bland with geom's rich character development. Geom can never have a safe place, everybody especially reider can find him wherever he is, even if in the remote corner of the world, geom knows. So trying to make wooyeon as a safe place, feels like a joke. That's why I feel wooyeon character as ml comes off as weak. If reider was the ml, i would have accepted it, thinking its just another toxic relationship.
Also sorry for long reply ( ╹▽╹ ) I hate when characters aren't used well in stories, it had a bit of loose knot.
Ik, still we have so much chapters to come, I hope the author has the chance to tie the loose knot.
Ok, I binged this fully, I am having mixed feelings. My question is that, why Wooyeon is suffering? Why he is getting dragged into geom's suffering? Just because he didn't confess his feelings of love? He didn't do anything related to the Geom's suffering, I am not downplaying geom's suffering, as geom's suffering had a starting point, all his suffering started becoz of his mother, that made him to crumbled to the path he is currently on, I get that wooyeon feels guilty and pity mixed with love towards geom, so he is torturing himself by missing geom, but on the other hand, geom wants to get revenge on wooyeon coz he lives a normal life unlike him, so he seeks revenge on him, I still don't get why wooyeon is getting dragged here? Again I am saying I am never downplaying geom's suffering, what he went through was unimaginable but true irl abt the human trafficking. I loved geom's character expect this, why he wants wooyeon to suffer, already he went through a lot by being an orphan, now, already he was searching for geom day and night, and now the person who he searched wants to torment him by giving him on off hope? Geom's thinking, I hate my loved ones living a normal life unlike me, I want them to suffer like me, but in reality, already they are going through some shit becoz of him missing, it's not like they lived a happy life. Also wooyeon feeling sad that he should have made geom wait in the club room, that he tried to make him stay, but geom's ego and hurt made him go to his house and crumbled his whole life. I know, geom's character needs a weakness i.e a romantic interest, but the way wooyeon is used in the story feels so forced, no logic behind it. I liked how reider's character being an anti hero, the way he makes the story move intricately. Overall, this made me feel many strong emotions, I liked this story, but too much plot might feel shallow. I never written such this lengthy comment on anything, but this made me do.