It's a double-edged sword. Paul's been lying not just to Judi and co. but post importantly, to himself, which I think is much more painful to Paul than it will ever be for everybody else. Especially that having to free himself from that burden, he has to hurt all the people he loved, the reason he lied in the first place, considering David's case. Also, Paul has to face not just his parents and Judi's wrath but the probable social humiliation as well. It will be painful for Judi but having to know the truth is an act of kindness/benevolence(?) instead of keeping it.
Being forced/Forcing yourself to marry someone you don't love and is far from your preference for family duties is also not "cool".
And that payoff is pretty obvious, isn't it?
What payoff? Nobody just wants a reaffirmation of 'bad things happen in this world' in their fiction, they need some sort of resolution or big climax. And I realize now its not complete, but the longer those two continue to justify the deceit by playing victims to society and circumstance, the less I give a shit about them.
She isn't even some person he met as an arranged marriage. She's his childhood friend for god's sake! How cruel to marry her.
Uhm...they didn't end up together. They parted ways. Paul decided to come out after his brother's wedding. He asked Jonathan to start dating while he works on his coming out and divorce, that means Paul can say "he's with a man" if he comes out. Jonathan refused but gave a hint (the kiss) that they could get back together once Paul has done what he needed to do. Meaning Paul is not in an affair while he divorces Judi. He will need to say "I am gay" instead of "I love or in a relationship with a man". That's the respect Jonathan is giving Judi.
Exactly, that's why it's painful for Paul to admit he's gay because Judi was a childhood friend. For all we know she might already know. It's not like Paul intended to hurt Judi, he never intended to come out after his brother did until he attended the wedding.
The point about cruelty to Judi was why would you rob your best friend of a chance at true love and tie yourself to them knowing you'll never be able to give them that? When Paul was acting all heroic and saying he'll always be with his family and protect them that's what pissed me off. And Paul's been sleeping around so much its a fucking joke, most people are satisfied with one or two affairs. If he is such a carnal beast why didn't he grow a pair when it mattered and NOT agree to marriage just to 'shut people up'. I know people like this. It's okay cuz people make the wrong decisions but their actions after that should reflect them taking responsibility. Not playing the martyr to society and living a double life for physical and strangely psychological satisfaction.
I don't even know what kind of masochist Jonathan is to keep letting Paul sleep with him when he starts developing feelings for him too, plus his mom was betrayed so that's 99 shades of fucked up to indulge himself like that.
Given all that, it's just my opinion that the fate of these characters is no longer worth my interest.
Stories like this... well, that's what this is , a story.. one of millions like this that happen, only this is Pauls and Jonathans story. I understand why it is irritating, I rarely read stories with cheating because I want to throw my computer across the room. :) However, I liked the art and Pauls personality, which was arrogant and conceited but really he's just a sad f*ck who is falling in love for the first time when he thought he could live his lie and everyone would be happy. Fiction is made up of all kinds of human stories, some about heros, some about damaged people who take wrong paths. This is one of those stories.
I like a good cheating story, but I guess Paul's personality is exactly why I didn't like this one. I don't mind the cheating, I mind the 'I'm gonna keep this up forever keeping my poor wife tied to me till death do us part hey she's the one saddled with the kid it's not likely SHE'LL have time to cheat'. Anime, mangas or manwhas have a way of making a lot of people with bad roles redeemable and even lovable because they have values or courage. This just seems like the opposite of what even most manga villains would do.
Well I like a lot of messed up stuff myself and I don't mean to kink-shame or fantasy-shame. If someone would like to be a Jonathan to a Paul, it's their life.
Paul decided to marry Judi and Judi did the same. If she found someone else and decided to divorce Paul, she can break off the marriage too, with or without Abby. It's not like she can't do what Paul did, she is also capable of cheating. Paul would've let her go if she decided to do so. What Paul wanted to protect Judi and Abby from is that he's gay, more than his affairs because of the humiliation of being gay, because deep down he thought being gay is humiliating. The idea formed from David coming out brought despair and humiliation to their parents.
If it was so easy disappointing your parents, especially their social standing, and overcoming trauma, he wouldn't have married Judi in the first place. And he is taking responsibility, albeit late because he realized if he comes out, everything will get better in time, as he found assurance from David's case. He's married and their parents accepted him despite taking years to get there. Paul's decisions rooted from fear and love for his parents, call him martyr but he thought keeping it all in was supposed to make him a good son.
I literally just said its much harder for a woman with a young kid in tow to cheat, she doesn't have the time. And Paul knows he'll never love Judi that way, so he has the advantage of looking around at other men seeking physical romantic relationships. Judi doesn't know that she is incapable of receiving love from Paul in that way, so she is at a disadvantage maybe living in a false dream of growing old with him and getting all his attention. This disproportionate information is actually illegal if it happens in the world of stocks, but since this is about marriage and not money, it's not. Whatever reasons anyone may have for liking Paul, his treatment of Judi is not fair.
Actually, this misinformation would probably be found illegal in a divorce court. Love is subjective (people fall in and out) but sexual orientation should be hard objective proof. I hope he has to pay her alimony for the rest of his life.
I just read this manga and oh god i want to strangle Paul.
Staying married to a woman as a gay is not "cool". Keeping a secret like that from your wife is the biggest humiliation you could subject her to. I know this happens, but I see no reason why we had to read this totally undistinguished story with zero payoff.