The way the ML is portrait it’s as someone who is very clever, but somehow this man coul...

Its about power dynamics. For all his talk about being equals and loving Geol, in his heart it never was and still isnt true. He was born wealthy and used his power to subjugate, demand, and even forcibly take from geol because there is no consequence for crossing his boundaries.

Unlike him geol also very aware of the imbalance and despite being forgiving and affectionate by nature he cant bring himself to even bother because he is extremely insecure.

Its basically a recipe for disaster the MC didnt understand stems not from an inability a Geol to love him back, but that he will never love him back because any semblance of a relationship they have was built by denying geol agency and autonomy in every way shape and form. Hes still using his power to control Geol with the delusion he can give him a high status and everything will be solved when he cant even fathom lowering himself or meeting Geol half way letting him be an equal partner.

Tldr: mc is power drunk and doesnt realize you cant be a boss in a relationship and if he wanted geols love he should have sought it out organically and just listened

I partly agree that in his past life he didn’t even have to think about what Geol wanted because he could just take it with force (bc of there relationship dynamic), but in the current world as the MC is trying to better himself he still shows that he didn’t learn from his past mistakes in their ‘relationship’.

In this new relationship he tries to somehow win him over, but to do that he first of all had to sit and reflect on the past and see where the defaults are. That’s why I still think that he lacks in many ways as to see where it went wrong. To see that communication was there biggest issue would also show him that Geol could never truely open up or say what he wanted to say (also bc of status but also bc of the person he is). The ML has also never expressed to Geol what Geol actually means to him and what he wants from him. I think a good long conversation could be a good start instead of whatever they are doing rn.

You put it perfectly!
Couldn’t have said it better myself