
He's such a red flag. He got commitment issues, he's a fake ass. And let's talk out about his girl "best friend" the moment you hesitated btw choosing btw a crush and a bestie it's not a bestie babe, and you know it. Hate the fact the FL didn't stand for herself here, he just gaslighted her, the whole thing is her chasing him and in the end he hesitate btw a "friendship " and you ..... Really don't even get me started, if I knew the ml irl I'd smack his head so hard. The FL badass bestie was so right about him
I've wanted to see what the author was aiming for, since ,unfortunately, the plot could've been interesting, but I'm feed up.
The problem ain't really the nature of these characters, we could enjoy moral gray characters or villains but only if the execution is good. If it's aiming to this direction, the author could've displayed a toxic dynamic without using r*pe.
As for the ML, cause unfortunately he indeed is the ML, he's trash, but hey we can tolerate a trash IF he isn't portrayed in a way to display sympathy. No author, just because he had a difficult childhood that doesn't mean he could behave this way, and no just because he was "betrayed" by the FL doesn't mean we would understand him r*ping her. So his behaviour isn't excusable. Don't create a complex character of you can't stand the complexity behind it. Another time, it ain't wrong for him to be an asshole, a horrible person, or whatever, what's wrong is justifying his behaviour by his trauma.
Another thing that is wrong is convoying r*pe scenes as something hot??? Like what's wrong with you author?? The only thing that you're building up is Stockholm syndrome not a romantic dynamic. Hey you could do freaking things with consent, it could be as hot with normalising r*pe as punishment or whatever the author was trying to say with this shit.
As I said, the characters don't have to be saints for us to like them, neither their "love" has to be perfect. I think a perfect example is " My beloved oppressor" ( the reason why I don't judge webtoons/ manhwas based on their title) it's really greatly executed, the characters ain't conventionally good and they're aware of it.
Anyways, it'd be a DNF for me.