I saw the last chapter of it and it ruined everything for me.😭😭😭 Sorry, but I thi...

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Long story short, MC will gonna end up with his abuser.

Granted people don't change easily but if he's not abusing him anymore then how come he's still abuser?

So your definition of an abuser is that if he/she isn't abusing or exploiting you now, then he/she isn't an abuser anymore?

Here, MC's boyfriend treats him like a piece of shit. He beats him until he is half dead. He says he loves MC but sleeps with other people and cheats on him several times. MC can't even have a proper relationship with his friends because his boyfriend will get jealous and beat him again and so on. If that isn't barbarous and abusive, then I don't know what.

I'm not gonna defend him being abusive in the past, but if someone genuinely changes, they shouldn’t still be labeled as abusive, right? By your logic, should prisoners never be forgiven, like, ever? The MC's struggles with friendship aren't just about the boyfriend; it's mostly office politics. The boyfriend beating the MC was wrong—no excuse for that—but the author did make sure he suffered and paid for it. Honestly, I wish the consequences were more satisfying, like him actually getting arrested or facing real justice. In the end, the MC acknowledges his love for the boyfriend and how he can't move on, no matter what. Sure, you could insert yourself into the story to knock some sense into him, but in reality, a lot of people who’ve been through trauma end up falling for someone who shows up at the right time, just like the MC did. Plus, MC had a bunch of caring friends around, but even though they cared, they couldn’t drop everything to help him when he needed it most. The only way for MC to find happiness was if his boyfriend grew up—and he did (though I agree, the author's handling of the progress could've been more convincing; the ending does feel a little rushed). Anyway, you do you, but just because the MC ended up with an ex-abuser doesn’t mean I see it as supporting abusive relationships. The writing could definitely be better, though.

In my opinion, a prisoner's forgiveness should be dependent on the severity of the crime. If a person genuinely wants to change themselves, that's another thing, but sadly, most of them don't change no matter how many time you give them a chance. They take everything for granted. You don't stop calling a murderer, a murderer just because they stop killing people, right?

Talking about the story, I personally believe MC is not in love but suffering from Stockholm syndrome. He just needed professional help. The physical and emotional trauma given by the boyfriend was too deep. Sorry, but I don't believe you should give any chance to anyone who gives you so much pain and hurts you every day to the point that you end up in the hospital and almost die. And there are no extra chapters to see whether the boyfriend actually changed himself or not, and I think he didn't. His actions were extremely horrible, barbaric, and totally unforgivable.

The boyfriend only asks for forgiveness when he realises that MC has a better option next to him, and MC could actually leave him. A classic cliché in fiction, btw.

I will let the reader decide when they will read all the chapters.

The story is written with a lot of nuance, but you seem to be viewing it simply like "evil boyfriend beats poor innocent MC." Their relationship was unhealthy from both sides, even before the BF became violent. Both characters struggle with deep-seated inferiority complexes and abandonment issues. It’s not Stockholm Syndrome—no one kidnapped anyone. MC chose to stay with the BF voluntarily because he found comfort in their relationship. Since both were abandoned by their parents, they became obsessively dependent on each other in different ways. MC needed someone to lean on, just as the BF needed someone to rely on him.

I also think you might have misunderstood the ending. The BF acknowledged that he was shitty because he finally realized how much MC loved him as "family." Throughout their conflicts, his violent episodes stemmed from his insecurities and inferiority complex about MC’s love for him. (Not justifying it, just explaining his mindset.) Similarly, MC always thought he’d be fine leaving the boyfriend, but when he discovered the cheating, he desperately clung to him again - not out of love, but because he felt like he needed someone by his side. After his collapse, he finally recognized his feelings and decided to break up. While it seems counterintuitive, in his mind, staying with the BF only brought him pain, so if he truly loved him, he should be happy for him if he found new love.

And unfortunately, ML2 isn’t a better option either, he doesn’t want a lifelong partnership with MC (which is what he needed), just the excitement and fun of a relationship without commitment. Not to mention MC was pushed to the limit was partly because of ML2’s manipulation. What’s interesting here is the mutual respect between ML1 and ML2. Both recognize what they cannot provide for MC, but also acknowledge what the other can, so they sort of work together. For ML1, this development shows some growth because he prioritizes MC’s well-being over his feeling.

When reading stories like this, it’s better not to project yourself onto the character. You’re not MC. If you were in this situation, you wouldn’t forgive the BF and would leave, which makes sense because you’re a mentally healthy person who knows their worth. But MC has repeatedly stated that he can’t handle being alone, has panic attacks, and doesn’t open up his “flaws” to anyone except the BF. Being with the boyfriend makes him feel relieved. It’s as simple as that: he’s deeply broken. This also aligns with his personality as someone incredibly forgiving. He was abused and abandoned by his dad, yet he still paid for his dad’s cancer treatment despite knowing there was no point in saving him.
Professional help would be the ideal solution, but the nuance in this story is that Korean society stigmatizes mental health issues, homosexuality, and chronic illness. MC’s job, while giving him a sense of achievement, is also cutthroat and unforgiving for someone in his situation. The way the author simply paired him with a supposedly better version of BF seems wishy-washy and won’t address the real problems. That said, the rush ending don’t diminish the story’s overall quality. I still recommend that readers experience it and form their own opinions. Personally, I'd rate this 8/10.

Btw, there are 4 extra chapters if you want to see the aftermath.

Disappointing tbh..i believe in forgiveness depending on the mistake...but going back to someone who did all that to you surely wouldn't be healthy

It's better not project yourself onto the characters..

This is true.

Well, I somewhat agree that you shouldn't completely project yourself onto a character but that's how I personally connect with the characters and the story. Especially if a story like this—I can't turn off my mind —Which deals with so many subjects as you mentioned above. In the end, we are seeing everything through their POVs. It becomes very hard to see the story from a third-person perspective (at least for me).

Although I can empathise with MC. I can also understand why he chose those decisions. But with all due respect to the author and the story. I'm not very pleased with the ending.

And no I'm not seeing the story simply from a victim or perpetrator perspective. I always tried to see the story from every angle and pov. But I totally cannot understand the boyfriend's character. I didn't connect with him at all. Though he had his own struggles but there was no justification for his actions. To me, he is still a horrible being. Maybe I wanted to see him suffer more for what he did to MC and redeem himself properly but as you had mentioned story hastily ended.

You know what, I think I will give this story one more shot when all the chapters get updated here. And I will keep all the points you had said while reading it.

Thank you :)

Where did you read

https://newtoki468.com/webtoon/102945/%EA%B6%8C%ED%83%9C

I was about to read this but thank god I saw your comment.

Reading a story where MC will still choose to be with his ex-abuser doesn’t make me want to read it even more. I don’t care if he has changed etc, because I don’t think I’ll able to like him after all of that. Again, you’re a saver. Thank you