"He fucking bought you." Hurts my heart. Putting my feelings aside, for the sake of argument - I would argue that, if he did indeed purchase Dan then why would he need to focus on Dan's sexual gratification. If he says 'Focus on doing your job' then that's accurate. Dan's job is to please him because he pays for it. It feels obvious we're being set up to learn about his past trauma which will sort of explain why he's not able to connect with other people. Why he's so angry all the time and I'd argue he really just hates himself but takes it out on others. I can see for your long post, your not going for this BS explanation. But that's all I got theory wise. I would like to add he did save Dan from the loan sharks and their attempt to assault him...sexually. I'm not rooting for thus guy but we're here for the drama and I agree Alex was an ass but redeemable.
long rant incoming lol.
Whoever told me that the regret/redemption arc was upon us fucking scammed me lol. I just read 50 chapters of straight abuse, with genuinely no redeeming moments. I understand what the authors goal was, it seems to me like they saw the positive reception BJ Alex got when he was going through it/groveling and decided "I'll make a series based on that!" but they really, REALLY fumbled by making the negative too harsh. In BJ Alex, he was a dick but at the very least the MC was a willing partner and enjoyed the sex, plus Alex could put on a kind persona. It's taken like 30 chapters for Dan to even start actually getting pleasure out of what is the ONLY romantic aspect of their relationship. And Joo can't say a nice thing to save his life, genuinely.
It really pisses me off that I'm supposed to believe Dan has even a tiny crush on Mr. Joo, let alone an unrequited love. Why? Genuinely why would he? This man has manipulated him into a rough sexual relationship, and told him to shut the fuck up anywhere else outside the bedroom. He doesn't even respect him professionally, he constantly tells him to "just focus on doing your job" but won't take the bare medical advice he gives. This man is a medical therapist, before the sex that's what you hired him for, and yet you lash out when you're told to do the bare minimum and rest a pre-existing injury? I wish at least with this Dan would have a backbone if he won't grow one romantically, he's shown to genuinely take his work seriously and this would be a great place for him to put his foot down and have it still match his personality. It shows care towards the other partner.
It also bugged the hell out of me how much Dan sees the money as something Joo did out of the kindness of his heart? He didn't just do it as a charity case, he fucking bought you. He made sure you were in a state where you owe him, and you couldn't ignore his calls ever again now that you need to repay thousands of dollars with your labor. Supposedly he's nice to the grandma (once btw) but we walk in on the end of it and never actually see it. Joo can't even be bothered to be anything more than awful to his coworkers, dude doesn't even smile with the coaches he respects, and irl he would've been suspended much sooner than now for his disrespect. Genuinely no traumatic backstory, groveling, or whatever can redeem him at this point. The writers fumbled and made him too toxic for repair, and to make it worse gave him the biggest sub of all time.
I enjoy the side couple, this author has a habit of having their side couples be leagues better than the main one, and then barely dedicate chapters to them :(
Sorry for the long post, sound off in the replies though as I'm so full of rage I could go off more lol