So this was my reply to someone with a very similar comment
I mean that’s his 1st friend and his 1st love and his first everything he literally took until highschool to be able to stop crying and stand up for himself the relationship has always been like this bullying him since they were children he’s been at a disadvantage yes he has to buck up but at the end of the day he 19 in his 1st complex relationship and figuring out the throughs of life and becoming adults he deserves some grace
Not to mention we all have had cringe moments of adulthood and adolescence middle school and highschool is where most people work that out but sometimes the opportunity presents itself later and confidence and self worth/love is something we grow a learn it’s a harsh reality that could be taught in many ways sometimes watching isn’t enough and you need to go through it experience brings perspective is how we know boundaries
That’s a completely fair point, and looking at it through the lens of a 19-year-old dealing with his first love and a history of childhood bullying definitely explains why he’s acting this way. The power imbalance is definitely baked into their history. But for me, understanding his trauma doesn't make watching him let someone play in his face any less exhausting to read. There’s a fine line between a character realistically learning boundaries the hard way and a dynamic that just feels relentlessly punishing to watch. I can have grace for his age while still being deeply frustrated by his lack of a backbone.
The MC has absolutely no self-respect whatsoever. You become FB with your friend, your friend realizes he likes his boss, and then you realize you actually like him. He says he wants to be done with you, but at the same time, he can’t stop thinking about you and gets pissed the second you ignore him. Crying in his face while he’s literally playing in your face is just crazy—where is the self-respect? I would’ve given him exactly what he wanted and left, because what tf do I look like sleeping with a guy who doesn't give a fuck about me and only thinks about his own needs and wants? This whole dynamic is a load of bullshit, and I seriously hope the author knows this because it is literally getting on my nerves.