Or who knows, maybe young ML actually just imprinted on him
i think it is just that young ML imprinted on MC but since it was the "future" version of MC, the imprint didnt actually exist when they first met. so if/when MC does get stuck in a maze-type gate and meets young ML, that's when the imprint happens and they'll stay imprinted once he returns.
i havent the novel or anything either so those are just my thoughts
Yeah this came to me after I woke up! I kinda wrote this at 7 AM with no sleep after an all-nighter. Same thoughts! Been contemplating on if I should just wait for new chapters or read the novel lmao.
OH MY DAAAAAAYSSSS, i knew it! I had a feeling MC was just Woojoo but didn't know how to connect it, but with the latest chapter it's basically foreshadowing. MC's probably gonna end up falling through a crack in the gate and instead of transported somewhere random in earth, he's instead transported into the past where he ends up helping the child ML. Which is probably why there's no one who can be traced as the imprinted partner of ML but there's someone with a high match rate (MC)! Somewhat like a bootstrap paradox. A future version of him, obviously very attached to ML saves child ML and consequently affects how ML views the world and builds his relationship hence the same stuff happen and that just happens again and again—technically there is no real catalyst or real original event, it's caught in a limbo.
Anyways! Obvious stuff aside here's some thoughts
1. The reason why ML most likely think he imprinted on Woojoo is because Future!MC/Woojoo is already bonded with Future!ML which triggered that reaction. In reality—he's not really imprinted on anyone right now; it's just him subconsciously rejecting guiding because he believes he's imprinted on Woojoo. Somewhere in the future he's probably gonna imprint on MC.
2. The reason Woojoo might be gone/untraceable is because he's probably been either killed (unlikely, his body probably would've been found) or he either fell back in a crack OR was saved by Future!ML to be brought back in the right time. Whilst painful to leave young!ML alone, he had to make the difficult decision so time would proceed as is and the events would eventually lead to this and it's kind of just that in a paradox.
Haven't read the novel but here are some of my thoughts/theories (?) do they count as theories when it's basically common sense atp..!