this!!!!
Yes! Many people come here and say that art is the only thing that holds them back, as you said "I have seen better drawn or better written smut than hers". I just think they are not aware that CURIOSITY is what holds them back , as you said "Him grovelling will just look odd and out of character rather than satisfying." that's what keeps people keeping reading to see how this will happen in a convincing way, and perhaps the author took advantage of BJAlex's surprising fame too, she knew that many people would read it so she proposed a big question holding them back, cos I think many agree with you "I don't really care much about this story to be honest, it's just not that good and didn't offer anything new from what little I did read".
Makes sense.
I can't imagine the Joo guy grovelling, the writer has made him to be such a narcissistic, self centered, toxic rapist asshole I don't think he even has the emotional intelligence to understand that he did something wrong. A narcissist is never wrong after all. Him grovelling will just look odd and out of character rather than satisfying.
Or maybe I am wrong about my interpretation ╮(￣▽￣)╭.
I don't really care much about this story to be honest, it's just not that good and didn't offer anything new from what little I did read. It's the art that's most probably getting people to bother with this story because be honest- if the art was trash like those mass produced otome isekai with Joo looking like some basic ass guy (or looking as ugly he is inside) I doubt it would be this popular. The author definitely knows how to do one thing well and no it's not smut, I have seen better drawn or better written smut than hers, it's how to draw hot men.