Ikr?? People need to look up what grooming actually is before throwing that word around.
Something about a 10 years older guy literally taking part in raising a child he very clearly has a thing for idk could mean anything. I enjoy the story but playing willful ignorant at their bizarre dynamic is stupid
Not trying to back him up, but he raised him not because he has weird feelings for him. He raised him because he adores him since he was young. He only notices that he likes him probably when Seungjoo started going to middle school and that's when he started distancing himself even more. Their dynamic is bizarre, yes..but if you read the novel, there are so many instances he was trying to exclude himself from MC's life. He doesn't want to take him more than as a brother until, Seungjoo confessed when he was a freshman. That also coincides with all the weird stuffs going on around Seungjoo with him having MULTIPLE visions of Seungjoon in danger.
Bizarre dynamic, yes. Grooming? Hell no. Idk if you guys are reading the same thing but did you actually understand how stubborn Seungjoo is when protecting himself emotionally and physically, even to the point of removing ML from his life? You think that looks like someone who was groomed? You guys really use this term loosely nowadays.
THANK YOU, I honestly thought I was the issue? People always assume quiet quickly if there is an age gap + knowing them since childhood that it’s being grooming.
But seungju literally distances himself from muheon and kinda hates him as well lmao and muheon never had any indications that he attracted to him when he was underage like … come on …
So he's not a groomer but something uhmm else when as you say he started liking Seungjoo when he was in middle school. That's weird at least. This is not a text book example of grooming, but given he HAS liked him since he was very young and Seungjoo now has feelings for him, readers aren't wrong to assume him being such a prominent figure through out Seungjoo's childhood might have played a part in their current dynamic.
but muheon disappears from his life multiple times - seungju even thought that muheon had no interest in him (not even romantically, but like as in his whole existence)
how is it grooming when seungju falls for him - no matter what muheon would have done?
where is the manipulation? the targeting of building trust/connection, developing sexual behavior of a minor and all which is actually considered as grooming?
I believe people just hate the age gap. there is nothing considered to be grooming here …
I am not even going to communicate further on this because clearly you just take whatever you feel like it. Originally you mentioned about grooming. Now it has been explained yes indeed they have bizarre dynamic but nothing further acted on it, you went on with mental gymnastic saying it has played a part in the current dynamic? So what is their current dynamic huh? What part are we talking about here? That time when Seungjoo pushed him away many times? Or the part where Muheun never once mentioned about his feelings or reciprocate Seungjoo's feelings until that night?
Stop talking about serious matter like it's some kind of mainstream issue to be raised every time there is an issue with a relationship. You guys used the term so loosely that now it is losing the severity and implications of it, to the point where people fail to recognize grooming when it is actually happening. Do you even know how a groomed underage will act like around that said groomer? Do you even know that groomed underage are always associated with trauma. Before you throw big words like this, make sure you understand it. Be responsible for the things you have said online.
Yes I'm sure my words on this website have a huge bearing on like the world as a whole. And maybe reread what I wrote. Again, I'm not saying this is textbook grooming but yes, their age gap is an issue, especially when adult 10-years-older Muheun had a thing for middle schooler Seungjoo. As I said I enjoy the story so far but I can't deny that their whole relationship is odd. I can like the story and admit that it has its weird moments, I think critically engaging with the stuff you read once in a while doesnt hurt
how is this grooming? I’m genuinely confused