I do think though that TJ has a lot moreee charisma than Jo atm.
The story was promoted as a love triangle since the beginning so doyak changing it doesn't make sense. And tj needs just as much screentime because Ian past does involve him and how Ian acts like he does in current time. The story is perfectly paced and not really messy at all, some just need time to process this story is not surface level reading. It's the fandom that's messy.
Yes, TJ was there since the beginning, but I still feel the author was leaning towards Jo having more screen time because how else could they beat Ian and TJ chemistry without creating more Ian and Jo interactions? That's what I was referring to.
Also, "messy" doesn't mean the pace isn't good. Messy means literal messy. Like how Ian kept sleeping with the two MLs back to back because he was unsure of his feelings.
I do agree that the fandom is messy though.
But to be fair, when a love triangle like this happens, there are always those fans. I remember Love or Hate, it was so obvious that Joowon was gonna be the end game, but everyone's hating on him but in the end, most of them hated Taku lmaoo.
In an interview the author said tj and Ian past will be focused on in the upcoming season (S2) so it was obvious the screentime will shift then after the flashbacks, it started to focus on Jo and Ian and how his past and current life are foils.
The series started with Jo then proceed to tj quickly under 2-3 chapters. After, it started leaning more into Jo before going to tj at the end. Then S2 started similarly with Jo once again but quickly lean in back to tj, this time it took awhile due to flashbacks but after it started to focus with Jo and Ian current life, with the season might end with tj. S3 is were it might differ after the setup doyak made us get comfortable with. I seen this guidance in writing before even in novels too. I get what you're trying to say but I'm saying it's meant to be written like that.
Most readers already know S2 was gonna focus on the flashbacks more as doyak let us know before hand. Despite of it, both male leads screentime is quite equal, it just doesn't feel like that probably due to the long waits before the next chapter so it confuses readers.
Also it's a love triangle of course the mc gonna sleep with others, not sure the two leads, and it already explained why he does so. Ian can have feelings for both and still be unsure how to proceed things. He's a complex character showing realistic conflictions with his emotions so course it's gonna seem messy for other when they don't try understand his confliction with himself and his surroundings. Maybe that's why I don't see it as messy because I understand Ian wanting to he with them but not wanting to hurt them but also wanting better for himself.
I don't understand how people think TJ is the end game (at least in the beginning.)
When i first read it, I was under the impression that Jo was the end game because if TJ and Ian were in that serious level of relationship or that if there was no problem with TJ, there would be no room for Jo in the first place.
I don't hate TJ, but I feel like the author wanted to make him a villain-ish character at first with less screen time, but when they realized that TJ had in fact a lot of fans, they turned this manhwa into a messy love triangle (??)
Kinda like Love or Hate or Wistful Summer.
I would love it to be a poly though, but chances are, the author would go back to their original plan for the ending.