This one started as the typical, cliché smutty story with a abusive top and a bottom who is too in love to put a stop to a not great relationship, and then the top catches/reveals his feelings, there is jealousy and things move one.
But at that point, the story went on to actually develop the characters and give them growth.
It was mostly good to see the Jooin care about himself and not let the unhealthy relationship that was hurting him continue. It was also good to see Jahwi become aware of the consequences of his actions and try to redeem himself.
BUT
I have three big issues that do not let me love this story.
1 The love triangle is awful (and anyone saying otherwise probably read something else). The third "lead" is clearly irrelevant for Jooin during most of the story and even when that changes slightly is mostly based on pity, gratefulness and kindness.
There is not even one hint of love or genuine affection and most of the time Jooin does not even remember that Cain exists because he is too busy with his feelings for Yahwi.
That's not a love triangle.
2 Cain. Please don't misunderstand me: I absolutely love him, but the problem is that he has his own story and he lives it alone, without really mixing into Jooins and Yahwi's story except to be used as a plot point to make Yahwi jealous.
And the worse part is that
his story is about him being alone. In his previous life he was so alone he threw himself into a trap just to end his life.
And in his current life he is still alone: no one believed him, he feels like he is not part of anything... and then he finds Jooin, who tolerates him and goes along with him because he is "kind".
But the worst part comes at the end:
His story ends to be about letting go of the past... and he does not. He just continues living "happily" because Jooin **commanded ** him to do so. And what we see of his years after is just him continuing having a wall between him and his family, meeting new people as he travels in what is obvious him not having any close relationships. And even the end notes by the authors confirms he left his family to live alone with a dog, and that he continues travelling. Can he even have one place he belongs to? Can he have some actual connection (it does not have to be romantic) with someone - with his own family, at least?
3 The time skip. Without it, I think I could love the story - it's unusual for a love story to end in a break up, but with everyone learning about themselves and about different types of love (like the notes by the authors said!) and moving on with their own lives, in their own worlds. It'd be bittersweet, but it made sense.
It could have been amazing! But instead
Yahwi and Jooin meet again, immediately have sex and start a serious relationship. No extra development in between, just a rushed let's go back to the previous smutty pair with some extra sweetness because Yahwin is not who he used to be on the beginning. The end.
Was it surprising? Not at all. Was it disappointing? Very.
(-13)
(+739)
