Can we call this what it is?

you're so fucking real and wrote it so well like I was pissed with tj's action so many times ugh

were you reading the whole story with your eyes closed? TJ has ALWAYS prioritized youngwoo, everything he did was FOR HIM regardless of the outcome

20 years and the most consistent thing about TJ are his whole “me, me, me, I, I, I” requests & selfish monologues with a significant lack of remorse and apologies towards Ian but also huge disrespect for openly guilt tripping (once again) through his constant lying. He let himself be waited upon for so many years but still feels entitled to the possibility that Ian would come and be like “back then” although Ian’s countless requests to him have fallen on deaf ears all these years or have even gotten him punished.
It’s all so ironic to me how TJ is allowed to take these steps at his own pace (grown ass man btw) even if it means sacrificing the wellbeing and progress of his oh so loved one (+ the double standard for Ian to be there when TJ finally feels like committing )

Baby NO lmaoooooo

TJ's always a coward when it came to Ian. Now that he knows Ian's sights are somewhere else, he's desperate. He knows that, while he will always be important to Ian, he's no longer a priority. He's scared of this Ian because he's the one who let go of his own leash and he's a free man. Ian can live without TJ, but TJ can't survive without Ian.

But, he's just too late and there's so much between them. If Ian chooses to stay with him, personally, I don't think it's because of love and more about familiarity and concern. Both are addicted to each other..

So when TJ pushed for Ian to serve 2 years in prison instead of just getting off with self-defense, that was prioritizing? Or when Ian was on his knees begging Jason to leave K35 and TJ told Jason not to make him leave and to instead tie him down with debt just so he can buy himself time to keep Ian close to him, that was prioritizing? Or perhaps when Ian asked TJ to leave with him and start fresh and TJ told him that he'd be nothing without his money or power so he wouldnt leave with him, that was prioritizing? At what point are yall going to acknowledge the fact that TJ has been selfish, manipulative, and abusive towards Ian for 20 years?

Going as far as even lying about not being able to drive for over a decade is fucking insane. TJ is an abusive partner and yall think because he has done nice and helpful things for Ian and laid down some good dick suddenly obsolves him from all the wrong he's done. Ian is extremely forgiving of TJ because he loves him and has a codependent relationship with him, but that again doesnt erase the harm and dysfunction of their relationship. It's fine to have a problematic ship, but stop trying to whitewash the obvious toxicity of their dynamic. Get a grip lmao

baby YES lmaoooo

and where did i whitewash it exactly? i did say “regardless of outcome” meaning not all of that stuff was positive but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t for him. let me remind you that if youngwoo left organization he would have people after him (as we see in the current timeline), same as if he got away with the murder. it’s not all rainbows and shooting stars and tulip flowers in their world. reading comprehension is dead atp

Original commenter cooked you we have seen Ian get severely victimized by this very man because of his selfishness and desperation (+disregard for Ian’s safety as long as he’s by his side) yet there’s still people like you that claim TJ always acted in Ian’s best interest

that’s cause he did lmao just cause what TJ did wasn’t what Ian wanted doesn’t mean that he wasn’t doing it for him and that he wasn’t a priority. While Ian wanted to focus on the present, TJ wanted to build a future for Ian where he wouldn’t lack anything and be protected and that was his main focus the whole time. i’m not saying he’s a saint or perfect (his ass is clearly toxic but that goes for all of the characters in wet sand, that’s the beauty of it) but that doesn’t revoke what his intentions were in the first place.

I hate to be the one to break the news but you lack media literacy although it looks like he only cared about young-woo, he actually would put him in harms way and manipulated him for his own benefit multiple times, he took him for granted, he acted selfishly with the excuse of “this is for youngwoo”, so you understood the surface level aspects of the story but failed to realize the deeper aspects of their relationship dynamic, which is toxic and manipulative

yeah sure i’m the one lacking media literacy when you’re the one who doesn’t understand what “regardless of the outcome” means

Are you ragebaiting? Acting as if Ian being sent to prison was still in his favour, as bad as it is, is simply an incorrect take. You’re talking about reading comprehension but the entire reason as to why TJ decided to make Ian do time in prison (mind you, Ian being an ex-addict being thrown in such an environment by the person that “wanted the best for him”) was purely out of desperation to chain him along for longer after TJ saw how bad Ian is struggling in that environment (his breakdown in the hotel room) and was scared of him potentially quitting (+not to mention the whole protection money to tie him down further; I’m just trying to make a point to what you said so I’ll keep it short)

Nothing was implying that Ian would’ve had people coming after him for that event, maybe leave headcannons out of what actually happened. There was literally no other interest at heart and neither is it secretly implied. I’m sorry but that is just a very hard cope on your part to sum up, wether this was good or bad for Ian (from your POV), it didn’t benefit him in any way at all

take the L and move on

Literally not a single person would have been after Ian had he left the gang. The only person that would have been a possible exceptional is Jamie and the thing is, the only reason why Jamie hates Ian so much is because TJ killed his former boss Jang as an initiation into the gang that Jason sent him to do. Also, you say people are after Ian in the currently timeline, but why is that? Hmm, maybe its because TJ kidnapped Jamie's brother and Jamie's boss took that as a good opportunity to kill said brother and frame TJ for it, causing Jamie to want to get revenge by killing Ian! I need you to be so fucking serious. And in this same breath, you're saying that people would be after Ian had he left, but how is this any different now if TJ not only left K35 and therefore means he no longer has their protection, and both he and Ian are now in the palm of Big Teddy's hand? You birds love throwing around "reading comprehension" as an insult like its the vocabulary word of the week without actually internalizing the complexity of the story if it does suite your ship... gtf

So abuse is justifiable just as long as they meant it with good intentions... cause thats basically what you're saying lol

The sad part is that im sure they understand this to some degree but will refuse to concede on the point because of fragile ego.

So... for you, what's the possible explanation for TJ sending his men after Ian and them breaking his leg then? What was TJ trying to protect or prevent if 'the end justify the means' aside from secure his own selfishness, ego and insecurities?

Remember Ian's a well trained killer. He can defend himself, he really doesn't need TJ. He allowed to be vulnerable because of feellings.

no fr and you’re so right they’re literally just justifying abuse, I’m praying they aren’t taking this mentality into the real world for their own sake and others