beta
people were all about hating on mc during season one because of the age gap and lack of boundaries, but after going back it’s safe to say he really got trapped in the corner he put himself in. what this means is he didn’t deserve what happened, but because of the circumstances i understood why he couldn’t say no or be a better adult. to start off, he made himself an anonymous benefactor to a kid who’s faced severe trauma but neglected the kid’s mental health + has been in and out of homes yet continued it. the mystery led heeseo to become obsessed with the idea of someone caring for him, craving that emotional connection he’s been lacking since his moms passing. the age gap is what makes the relationship loudly taboo, but imo people kept skipping over the the biggest reason why he found it so hard to deny heeseo: because of the deeply complex issue with the teacher’s murder and the connection to his adoptive mom. then he’s been subjecting heeseo to demeaning home conditions, and this guilt added onto his inability to say no. on top of all this, the kid would threaten to kill himself if tae didn’t indulge him! so now you have this perfect formula of a horny, manipulative, obsessive teenager amidst solving a blocked murder case that’s been covered up by both the court, police station, AND the judge who took became your guardian
however i don’t blame tae fully because he’s also lived a similar life, and thought monetary support could somewhat amount to his teachers presence. but due to her murder, he felt overwhelming responsibility and the past forced him to be in the shadows. his lack of boundaries is a hard fix considering he feels so bound to heesung, and believes he owes them not only justice but his life. i don’t think his fondness towards this family is shallow in the slightest, as tae truly loves and admires them. all this to say, i actually really like his characterization and some readers cannot handle complex characters who aren’t cookie cutter. let main characters make hard and unlikeable decisions, given their story calls for it!!