I'm not arguing your traumatized peoples point, butttt can you blame us? I feel like Taeyoungs feelings aren't exactly genuine. Like you said he doesn't know what his feelings actually are and is going based on instinct, but that instinct is to fuck only. So like how I see it is he's manipulating Jinwoo into staying with him by saying he actually likes him. Now, I'm not like hating and being like overly sensitive it's just I'm peeping a pattern that signifies our entry into an angst recession (). I personally am hoping Jinwoo like disappears and ghosts Taeyoung out of fear of his feelings and being found out ig cause homophobia DOES exist. THEN in Jinwoos absence we dive into Taeyoungs deepest fears muhehehehe, and he realizes that he truly cares for Jinwoo blah blah blah smooch kissy. It really is on par with a lot of other reads, better ofc.
No offence but i lowk giggled at the fact that you could think that Taeyoungs is smart enough to 'manipulate' Jinwoo (not saying that Jinwoo is smart enough to not be fooled, but simply bc Taeyoung highkey don't think that meticulously), when i said this dude acts on whatever he goddamn feels and think in the moment, so ofc he's gonna blurt out "I like you" because in the moment he truly feels that way. The comment i originally made was to kind of mention how the angst that might come would probably mainly come from misunderstandings rather than anything big, and on the homophobia part, I'm pretty sure Taeyoung is notorius for sleeping with BOTH men and woman so idk how that got brought up. Overall Taeyoung has consistently expressed how interested he is in Jinwoo, and the one who is gonna bring this story into the angst recession like you mentioned is probably from him. (which is highkey annoying bc they both like eachother so jst admit it already sigh)
if i'm gonna be honest when i said "doesn't know what his feelings are" i meant he doesn't know how BIG his feelings are, not that he doesn't know or doesn't have any. And when i said "instinct" i meant him acting upon his feeling of intense attraction of "oh i crave him so much, i haven't had anyone as compatible as him, i have to keep him!". He's obviously a play boy so you genuinely can't expect much from him, he's living in the moment like all fuck boys are except this dude is thinking of never letting the bottom go. If ya'll wanted fluffy amazing top then there's so much other stories that already exists. The angst fuck boy trope IS the point of the story, if it wasn't that then the adrenaline and intense smut that is categorised here wouldn't feel allat if i'm being honest (unless yall attracted to cute couples).
and i also think you're worried of how manipulative Taeyoung can be as if he's like that Top from jinx....and the "realising taht he cares for Jinwoo" part...
Gurl this dude has been more consistent and obsessed than any other tops that i've read, zero nonchalant bone in his body so it just irks me that ppl is commenting like "oh that Teayoung dude is gonna mess shi up" when Jinwoo highkey has a bigger play in denying happiness and putting us in the angst.....
Taeyoung only problem is how much he loves Jinwoo expression when they fuck (i cant blame him i would too, plus as a fuck boy all he knows is to have physical contacts and Jinwoo doesn't even wanna even look at him unless Taeyoung tease him w a feel good moment for him to allow himself to be coax in LMAO, both these bitches doomed asf they're good for eachother)
The way i see it is that the top obvious have feelings for the bottom (but doesn't know how big of a feeling it is, but even if he's not sure, he has consistently been clear with his instincts which is the fact that he likes bottom A LOT, something that he has mentioned twiced before already), and the bottom obviously likes the top (but will/might sabotage). The trope that might happen is probably either 1. Bottom self sabotage, see's top with someone and decide to disappear on top, 2. Top see's bottom doing smth, get's mad and there's 2 route that could happen after this which is either ignore or top and bottom does break up sex. ect, ect.
Yall are too traumatised in this comment section but maybe it's jst bc i'm taking this story way too literal lmao i jst hate seeing other ppl being in the comment being sad when this is highkey much better than others that we have read before.