Dear Youngwoo, I'm glad Dayak's your author because you've smiled more in the last chapter than the entire story :)
Ending up with the man who constantly abused, manipulated and hurt him over and over again and never apologized for it….Ian X TJ could’ve been endgame but the development was not there for him to deserve Ian as a partner. In the end the story just reads as rather than freeing himself, he ends up shackled to his past.
He didn't abuse him (don't even try with the leg incident either because he didn't mean for it to go down that way and attempting to confess but guess who stopped him!!)
but if I do remember correctly, Jo did choke and sexually assault YW...where's your problem with that??? The story was never about freeing himself. That's why Jo fans have been wrong again and again. One day, y'all will realize Youngwoo wanted to get away from the gang and not TJ.
Did I mention anything about Jo? I’m talking about Ian who explicitly stated he wanted freedom.
Also if you truly think TJ didn’t abuse, manipulate and hurt him for decades and had nothing to apologize for him then there’s no use talking with you. Again, idc if Ian ended up with someone or alone, if this was her plan so be it, I just wish TJ could’ve gotten some development to acc deserve Ian, especially after everything he put him through.
from the gang...which he got. He didn't want it from TJ which is why he kept hesitating to leave with Jo. He didn't abuse him though. Stop throwing that word around so carelessly. And never said he didn't hurt him in other ways, though, because it's very clear they both did and were toxic together at one point. It isn't about "deserving" YW. It's about what he wants and wanted. Let's not act like YW is some naive saint that never did anything wrong.
They both were messed up and both went through hell when they were younger. TJ is the reason he went to rehab and was there for him at his lowest moments. He didn't do anything truly awful--never intentionally put his hands on Youngwoo or touched him against his will which is a low bar. The worst thing he did was the leg incident and using Youngwoo's guilt to keep him by his side. Just like Youngwoo knew he was being selfish by wanting TJ to stay by his side and feeding his obsession with him. It's almost like they're similar.
You do know abuse goes beyond just being physical? Did he or did he not put him in a dept that jason of all fcking people said Ian will break himself trying to pay it off to which Tj said yes, thats the point, he is buying time? Was he or was he not stalking and monitoring his entire life? Living his own life as he wanted but constantly interfering with what Ian was doing with his? Even his underlings & jason would get bambozzeled by the shit he was doing. If you don’t want to label that as abuse, fine by all means idc what you define it as, he was still terrible to Ian for DECADES. Their relationship was one that became entangled in trauma and toxic beyond measures. And I’m not trying to flatten Tj’s character, I understand he has dept and his own story going for him. However, even if you can explain it, it doesn’t excuse any of the shit Ian went through because of him. My point is, this ending was not deserved based off the development we got from Tj. Like not even a fcking apology are you kidding me ??
« He didn’t do anything truly awful » sure, no use arguing if that’s truly what you believe
ACC here’s a some things TJ did to Ian:
1. TJ hired two guys to beat up/restrain Ian and prevent him from moving to LA for a motocross career.
2. After Ian killed a man in self-defense, TJ secretly pushed his lawyers for a harsher 2-year prison sentence. This saddled Ian with heavy "protection" debt + interest, keeping him financially tied to the gang/TJ.
3. TJ had an underling assign Ian a drug-smuggling task at a club specifically to drag him back into gang work when Ian was trying to go straight.
4. TJ has tailed Ian in his car, shown up uninvited, constantly spying and (while Ian was asleep) told him to come back because his "patience has finally reached its limit" when Ian planned to disappear for a year.
5. TJ's “love” for Ian is selfish….he wants Ian with him "no matter what," even if it means keeping him in a violent, soul-destroying world. This includes guilt-tripping, making Ian feel like a bad influence or tied to their shared past, and creating a cycle where Ian gets hurt constantly because of TJ's world/gang ties. Mind you….he kept the ugly scar on his ugly face with the purpose of guilt-tripping him with it.
You can find the rest + images on twitter @abbyjeanz67
All I’m saying is I get this is a more complicated story, I don’t want to water it down to TJ = bad. There’s lots of depth from both sides, but ultimately that doesn’t excuse his actions. But the author just didn’t seem to address it in lieu of a happy endgame, which is just sad for Ian’s character and everything he went through.
Deadass ppl tryna silence u but u right.. Ian ending up w his abuser so let bc he couldn’t break the base cycle is frying me
People get so parasocial about these characters they defend them as if they’re REAL which ruins the experience of the story. Rather than engaging with the story, which ended abruptly with no proper development/payoff for the couple or the characters conclusions, the defend an abusive characters actions as if he’ll thank them I like TJ’s character as much as the next person, that doesn’t mean I like this ending just cuz « awww he’s happy
EXACTLY OMGGG
This. As an Ian stan, this is honestly such a heartbreaking conclusion for his character. TJ stans can celebrate their endgame, but please don’t police people who feel unsatisfied or disappointed with the ending.
Dear Ian I’m sorry Doyak’s your author