Even though I agree that the primary focus of the next scene isn’t rape (ur right tho it is), it’s still one of my least favorite scenes of all three novels. I feel like it puts them right back to square one and tae’s thought are so upsetting. So I’m really dreading the next scene T-T
and those feelings are totally valid! the author didn’t have to use sa to create that romantic tension especially knowing the history of sex and violence in ilay and taeui’s relationship so it makes sense that instead of having the intended effect of simply ~mildly~ frustrating the readers and prolonging the “angst” even post love confession, it’s triggering and upsetting to readers instead. leaving them to feel like the author is undoing ilay’s “growth” and simply unnecessarily rehashing already existing emotional arcs which in turn hurts the characterization and weakens the overall romantic narrative. i will say though that the sequel, diaphonic symphonia, does do a much better job at re-establishing emotional growth in ilay and treats taeui and ilay’s romance with much more respect (if you can ignore the other couple lol).
it’s actually really interesting to me that the way the next scene everybody is dreading is written in the novel as less a rape scene (which it is) but more as a scene where taeui is frustrated that ilay decides to punish taeui and vent his frustrations on taeui’s body using forceful selfish “sex” that causes bodily harm instead of hearing him out first and THEN making his judgment on the incident of taeui “abandoning” him. in the aftermath, taeui is more mad about ilay’s refusal to have a healthy conversation with him and ilay’s lack of consideration for his pleasure + body, not necessarily all that bothered or traumatized by his rape. this type of portrayal on the authors end is why sa in romance novels is often considered romanticization because sa isn’t treated as the horrifying life altering violent crime that it is with lasting effects on the characters relationships not only with each other/the greater world but also with themselves (i.e. personal body image, changing how they socialize, and lasting mental health effects), but instead it’s used casually as a plot device to create romantic tension between the 2 leads.