Anna

well u cant expect them to show mutual likeness now given their circumstances. the progress has to be gradual if we want it to be natural

I think they already tried to establish this when she showed their childhood friends arc but it just didn't eat, it was like meh. Its lacking depth which overall fails connection to the readers

It does have some depth, but maybe the reason it was meh is bc their current situation now is the total opposite of the relationship they used to have??

Nobody really brings up their childhood as a good reason for them to work things out or nostalgia for the good days between them, there's not really a connection between them in the present as we said too. Despite having the cliche childhood trope, the reason so many people dislike this trope in manhwas and kdramas is because most of the time it fails to form a connection which is its main purpose. If the current situation overwrites the past easily as it is...I would say it needed more depth. But maybe there's another type of connection they might have later on?