He’s clearly neurodivergent and you can SEE he can’t process emotions the way an average person would. Like what do you want him to do??? He’s literally trying his best
Dohu looking for new inspiration + "If I'm gonna start fresh, I need to start right now." + "I don't really want to do anything that he won't like" are literally the proofs Dohu thought about the situation and is looking for ways to not use Juheon as material. They are major hints.
And even if he doesn't understand from his pov, he's trying to think from someone's else pov, like what do you need more in term of character development when this chapter shows: he has considered what the others said at the pub, processed, and is proactive in searching for another solution because he cares about Juheon??
even if he currently isn’t looking for material he’s reminding himself what he originally started being around him for. it was keeping him up at night. i don’t doubt the fact that he cares and is changing but it’s the initial decision to act the way he is right now is why i believe the ML should know. i’d personally want to know.
i don’t care if the mc ends up falling for the ML he needs to learn that that kind of behavior isn’t okay. especially after us learning about the MLs past and how he was never loved this has to be such a wonderful feeling for the ML to finally feel like hes being loved back. in any case, the mc is developing feelings but even after the confession and the internal conclusion that he doesn’t feel the same i hope the ML finds out, straight up using the ML is so wrong. and the ML is actually super nice. like for once we have a normal story with a ML that isn’t a piece of shit