tbh, the mc reaction felt pretty realistic. sure, as the reader, you can say that "obviously ignoring ilya is going to be worse" but who's to say that if he continue to get closer with the mc, he wouldn't get worse with others? just look at what he does when the mc was hurt or almost got hurt, who's to say his reaction won't get even worse than that? someone that obsessive can be a disaster either you ignored them or you indulge them, he can go to the extreme either way
and maybe then you can say "oh he should have treat him like normal, in balance, not too much and not too less" but how do you know that balance, it's not easy to balance that and the mc is clearly trying to figure that. i feel like jerry knew that the guide book isn't the end all and be all but the possibility of what could happen is still scary and it is real life for him so he need to be sure with his decision, it's not a game that he can retry when he pick the wrong decision
tbh, the mc reaction felt pretty realistic. sure, as the reader, you can say that "obviously ignoring ilya is going to be worse" but who's to say that if he continue to get closer with the mc, he wouldn't get worse with others? just look at what he does when the mc was hurt or almost got hurt, who's to say his reaction won't get even worse than that? someone that obsessive can be a disaster either you ignored them or you indulge them, he can go to the extreme either way
and maybe then you can say "oh he should have treat him like normal, in balance, not too much and not too less" but how do you know that balance, it's not easy to balance that and the mc is clearly trying to figure that. i feel like jerry knew that the guide book isn't the end all and be all but the possibility of what could happen is still scary and it is real life for him so he need to be sure with his decision, it's not a game that he can retry when he pick the wrong decision