Don't understand why toxic love interests are so popular

Never did get it. I just don't understand why someone who is actively mean to you, sometimes even hurt you is so appealing. Is it because they're hot? Well there a lot of hot characters why it's those guys specifically. And I'm not like those puritins "you can't like bad characters" it's just that those toxic ML are usually just that, have no interesting personality without being toxic and possessive.

Like I remember being young and trying Maid Sama because it was popular and dropping it immediately because main dude is an ass and hard to watch. Yet he has so many fans, I don't get it