Look, I started reading it when it was still ongoing, around 2014, so I’m not the best person to advise you on this.
I generally also stay away from long stories, but in my perspective this one is very much worth it. It mixes a psychological thriller with a slice of life romance in a very natural manner, and it uses very smart narrative devices to forward the story. The main focus is the psychology of the character though, and also realism.
It’s divided in 4 seasons, so if it seems to overwhelming to you, you can read a season, pause for a while, then read the next.

Can someone recommend more stories like this? With a similar ML