and yes, reading the novel just making me love them both even more. Like ahhhhh I wanted to be their friends so I could tell them they could get through anything as long as they communicate and yes they could <3 It is actually such a simple plot, but so pure and refreshing <3
Well. It's also a realistic depiction of an abusive partner. You don't stay because they're terrible all the time. You stay for the rare sweet moments when you believe it's gonna get better. It never does but some abusive partners are very good at keeping you believing this lie.
That's definitely also part of it like it feels realistic which is refreshing despite how horrific the situation is I also appreciate that the story maintains In-seob's innocence despite his actions being questionable at best like the story is never trying to make us think he deserves this treatment because he doesn't regardless of what he did/tried to do
I've been trying to figure out why this particular story feels different and why I find it so much easier to stomach than literally every other story with an abusive main character and I think it's the fact that there's no excuses being made Woo-yeon is just a shit person period like there's no tragic backstory no "he secretly cares and just doesn't know how" there's no "he loves him but isn't allowed to show it" bs no Woo-yeon just sucks because he sucks he's a spoiled asshole born with a silver spoon in his mouth who thinks just because he's got money looks and a problem feeling emotions that means he's allowed to get away with anything he's just an asshole abuser full stop and the story isn't trying to make us sympathize or even root for him he sucks and In-seob knows he sucks and knows exactly how terrible he is he's not falling for the "he's a rapist but he cares" bs he's fully aware that regardless of his mixed emotions (which I think are super interesting) that Woo-yeon is terrible and though there's times when he's being genuine and actually nice In-seob is never letting his guard down because he knows full well what kind of person he is that plus the fact that there's no one who's worse than Woo-yeon who the author uses to try and trick us in to believing he's actually a decent human being is really refreshing it feels less like a toxic romance that the author just blatantly refuses to acknowledge is fucked up and more like the author is sitting us down and going "this man sucks this relationship is terrible you aren't here to see how cute they can be or for him to be redeemed and turn in to a less shit person you're here because this man sucks and you wanna see the tragedy he's going to pull this other man in to" it's genuine and tragic but it acknowledges that it's tragic something I'm super grateful for