ApolloAresZues

I feel like alot are confused why he keeps the tattoo after being happy. I feel like if u really read deep, even tho he was later coerced into a sexual relationship with step-dad, mc feelings were actually all familial. His one and only remaining family. When offered a sexual a relationship, he rlly thought that if it's the only way he can stay with step dad, he could accept it. Later, step dad became more and more controlling and relationship become more and more hard for MC(tbh he is not happy, he is struggling to hold onto his last familial tie). Some who ship this might not believe it but I even think MC never had romantic feelings for uncle(sex is not always romance) but rather familial one's. This is proven by every memory he looks fondly upon being one when stepdad was still a father figure. Later, uncle leaves and all choices are up to him. He no longer has any family. This is even brought up in chapter 8 of the sequel, when other mc goes home and this mc thinks that other dude still has family, he has nothing. Imo, the tattoo is not so much a statement of their later sexual relationship in the mc head, but rather his only reminding tie to his last family figure. Remember, his stepdad is the one that said if they were going to be tied together it had to be sexual. This is mc "family" in his mind. At the end of chapter 8 of sequel, mc also ponders the difference between the two relationships. One is consensual and gives him positive emotions(and he also wanted to do these things), the other he basically had to do if he wanted to maintain a familial relationship with his legit last relative. The scene of him being told that that is the only way he can be with his stepdad(thru sexual relationship) is shown more than once proving this is a deep memory in mc head. He can't give up the only memory he has of his last relative in form of tattoo(however the tattoo came abt, its legit his last memory of his last family member), so his first choice when given agency over himself is to keep it. Bc in his head, if he erases, it removes not just the twisted second half of the relationship, but also the good beginning that would always remain with him.

But his true love can teach him healthy romantic love and start a family with him in the proper way thru marriage. So the feelings are different and this is the way I read it. Now some who ship this couple for prequel can feel different and feel it was romantic since it was indeed a sexual relationship but im just explaining between the lines.

I feel like the romance for this wasn't as realistic as people say bc honestly a man that's such a catch like uke with such high EQ was eventually gonna fine another love. Irl, the chances that someone rlly waits for someone without falling in love again or settling down at least is rlly low. I dont believ the seme didnt develop some emotions for ex wife but the author forced uke to remain emotionless besides sex for plots sake(even tho hes such an emotional person and it doesnt fit his character!).

Honestly I think the author set up that traveling reunion scene was rlly almost fantasy. Irl, when u make a mistake for not just one year or two years and but more than a decade and finally admit that mistake, u don't turn around and everything returns to normal within 5 secs bc someone waited for u. That's wishful thinking. Esp at that time, uke was 36 years old. At that age, how many people have the courage to go back to a newly divorced ex(eho has proven he can leave u at the drop of hat for a women and return to his "straight" life at any moment. For this manga to work, they let seme mature and "learn" but uke somehow remained the same for all those years and never loved anyone else, remained courageous enough to restart the relationship, and still believed the seme wouldnt repeat the same thing? A fantasy. Another fantasy is how seme never had a child despite being married for years. I guess that would have broke the romance angle and made seme more scum or maybe the reunion wouldnt have happened since seme wouldve felt tied down by the child. How convenient for the story. I think the reason this manga got such a high score in the end is bc of the ending. The author was smart to include a lifetime setting otherwise if it was just that unrealistic reunion with scumbag seme the ratings would be in the trenches.

I would have prefered two options. It would have been more realistic if the story showed the reunion scene, but seme witnesses the uke traveling with his lover. To show, yes seme turned around, but by the time he turned around, ukes line had deviated. Everything does not just fall into place and there is no two people that are meant to be in this world. Everything is the result one ones own choices, their characters, and no line can make everything magically fall into place. This is more realistic. Or add a chapter and have uke have a happy relationship that ends due to various reasons. Then when they meet again, he just happens to be single and after seme explaining and apologizing, he agrees to give seme a chance due to the fact that they were first loves and theres sentiment, not bc he had been waiting for seme all that time(emotionally). Thats nonsense. People are emotional creatures and this emotion does not magically only apply to one person, even those people with decades of unrequited love have times when they have crushes on other people or get the urge to give up and settle down with someone suitable. Esp when the object of that affection is someone u literally have not seen in almost a decade so there is nothing but memories for the affection to rely on. I don't doubt uke loved seme, but u can love more than one person. That's more realistic. Or did seme not love his ex wife? 8 Years and he didn't love her? OK.

Also have them show in more than one small panel the consequences of seme leaving, uke changes, them having to adapt and fall in love again. That's realistic. Everything just going back to the way it was showed no growth and it was hard for me to relate to anything that was happening. But like I said, I get why people like the full lifetime angle and why the rating is high, just sharing other thoughts. More Mangas should show old age and death.