i feel the same way. i wrote a comment about this a while ago, but i feel like the timeskip was such a lazy way to progress the story, because honestly i've seen it been done hundreds of times and they all end the same way (friendship, relationship, falling out, timeskip, meet again, relationship, misunderstanding, relationship again for good this time- or something of the sort) i really hope the author takes time to reflect how to properly go about this story because i really do love it, and ive been holding out during this timeskip to see what she'll do with it. i hope it doesn't go about that typical style but i do hope it ends well for our boys, this is an amazing story with even more amazing art and it really does deserve the best.
I think the reason for the time skip was to show how deep Dohu’s love ran for Juheon (because we know that he doesn’t believe anyone will love him). The author has been really good with the story so far, so I trust that she knows what she’s doing. Also, I’m not really sure what you meant by everything ending the same way, as isn’t that the only way to end it (other than the couple never getting back together, or I might just be dumb.. sorry!!)??
I completely understand and respect the author taking a longer hiatus for their health. Burnout is very real, and I’d much rather they take the time they need to recover properly than push through and make things worse. Their well-being should always come first.
That said, I can’t help but feel a bit frustrated with how Juheon and Dohu’s storyline has been handled since the start of the season. It feels like there hasn’t been any real progress in their relationship, and instead it’s been a cycle of one step forward and three steps back.
At times, it almost feels like the author wrote themselves into a corner with how things developed.
I’m still looking forward to the comeback and hoping that this break gives the author the clarity and energy to move the story forward in a more satisfying way.