Please cut poor Dan some slack people! ;;

English not my first language, I'm neither a psychologist and this is all from my perspective, things I read around, and so there's limitations, so please keep it in mind!

I get that's this whole thing is so frustrating to watch for others, but Dan's case is sadly not that uncommon irl. It even is realistically portrayed!

There's a lot of factors at play here:

1) Dan's selfless personality and the VULNERABLE situation he was in before Jaekyung (medical bills, loan sharks, employment instability) Is important to get in Dan's skin and mind frame in order to understand how it could ever happen -A different character, or a different situation would've give us an equally different way of dealing with this- and also see from his perspective the next points...

2) Jaekyung numbered moments of nicety towards him, that are a huge change from how Jaekyung usually is towards others -Gives the whole "Maybe I'm special to him. Maybe I'm different in his eyes"-.

It doesn't help that, while numbered, these moments of nicety have been undeniable big in nature. Not everyone can beat debt collectors for you, pay your whole debt along interest, or provide you of temporary housing...and much less all threes together! And recently, he defended Dan from authorities.

-Gives the feel of gratitude and the whole "He's been so nice to me, maybe he's a good person deep down. Maybe he's just misunderstood"

3) There's a huge possibility that this is our poor and dear Dan's very first "relationship" (if you can call it that), and that comes with a huge ton of implications -bad ones for his case because....

4) ...Their relationship is not defined, at all, is in fact very messy/murky and mixing things that shouldn't be mixed. That makes the situation a ticking bomb in different ways.

-They're boss and employee, so there's a power unbalance from the get go.

-This gets heavier because Jaekyung is also the one housing him, paying for services and providing groceries. Economical dependence.

-Dan now owes the money of the debt to Jaekyung now, he's in debt to him, bringing a monetary dependence and economic obligation.

-They're therapist and patient, there's a nursing and caring factor, which is also bad because Florence Nightingale syndrome is also a thing that happens (and Imo, plays a key factor) to watch out here. The moment Dan developed feelings for him, he should've stopped being his therapist immediately, that is usually how it goes (if I remember correctly) due to the implications in care and treatment it brings for both patient and therapist. If more! Dan shouldn't have accepted being his therapist if they were having physical encounters. But Dan was desperate and was (still is) in a vulnerable situation that didn't give him many options.

Being the caregiver would give Dan an upper hand, but this is made complicated further due to the Boss and Employee and House provider one.

- They're having intimacy frequently, sharing living space, go from and to work, share meals...like a couple would. This make things messy if Dan doesn't have the experience, tools or advice on how to detach himself from this.

- We like it or not, we can't deny that Jaekyung is handsome af, he haves a fine body and is successful, he provides with economic security. He is attractive as a partner considering only these factors. Is until he opens his mouth and shows his nasty personality where the charm vanish. is not strange there's feels being developed in this situation and more when intimacy is included.

The boss and the employee are f*****g, the therapist and the patient are f*****g. Dan has developed feelings. They're basically doing something that shouldn't be done in NEITHER of these situations because it brings all sort of problems of their on...all at the same time.

And this is all worse because surely for Jaekyung this all is basically nothing, if asked about "What they're" he probably would just laugh and say Dan is just his f*** toy. He feels ownership towards Dan at most.

5) This one I can't stress it enough: Dan. is. a. vulnerable. person.

Possibilities of abuse are higher to happen and perpetuate in situations of vulnerability, there's not the tools or means to leave, and escaping the circle is hard when you don't have family or friends that you feel trustworthy to relay on (which can be easily guessed because otherwise the debt situation and medical bills wouldn't have gotten this awful to begin with)

Dan is hanging over an abyss right now, the distance to the bottom is unknown just as much it would hurt the land, and doesn't know what might be lurking in there too. The only thing he can hold onto is a barber wire -Jaekyung-.

The barber wire hurts him, makes him bleed and strain his arms but still gives him a sense of security, he feels as long he holds on it he won't fall to the abyss full of uncertainty.

That's how toxic and abusive relationships with power unbalance factors work and perpetuate.

He wants to please Jaekyung, he wants to be on is good side, A LOT in his life depends on it, if he gets on his bad side enough to toss him out Dan haves a world to lose.

To conclude, remember that this might be Dan's first relationship? This mean that he basically doesn't have the tools or the experience to deal with all of this, all this situation. Their relationship being undefined leaves room for him to make his own interpretation of it (Refer to point 2 an 3) and develop a more idealized and optimistic view of it to cope and get going without breaking (Refer to point 1 and point 5) a sort of "is not so bad"

Dan is too inexperienced and vulnerable, he doesn't have the means to deal with this in a way that would leave him with the less damage (Damage in this situation is unavoidable), this whole experience is going to hurt him emotionally in so many ways and levels. People go to therapy for less than this.

He did receive that "wake up call" but if anything, it'll bring him to view more conflict and complicated emotions to deal with than he already gets, more to add to his already full plate, more vulnerability because he'll be aware that his stance is not as solid and could be swooped off his feet in any moment.

All in all, please pray for my poor Dan. （/TДT)/