THANK YOU FOR SAYING WHAT I WAS THINKING
I figured if I was thinking someone else was too and I'd be willing to take the L if I got flamed.
nah ur right. It's important to understand that the reason why it is preferred that minors not date adults is because usually most cases include a power dynamic wherein the adult tells the minor "what to do and what not to do" because they are more knowledgeable and sometimes teach and tell them what is right and how to act and behave "according to their liking". THIS IS GROOMING. Taking advantage of someone's inexperience to 'GROOM' them according to one's liking.
And while this mostly occurs in a couple with a large age gap where the older one holds the power, like you said, grooming can be done by same age couples or even by the younger one in the relationship. Please understand that grooming doesn't have a specific age gap that it can be done to, it is simply that it is EASIER to do it to someone who is less aware, knowledgeable, and of course each one's situation and context matters as well.
While the right and legal way would be that kanefumi and asahi date after he turns 18, no form of grooming has taken place as of now. What would also be preferable is that he wouldn't engage in any form of physical intimacy. Let's see how it goes.
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I'm not supporting 17/20 year olds dating this is not what this comment is for. I just want the people throwing the word "grooming" around to chill. Not every age gap involves it, and just cause is dating someone younger does not mean it is. Just as much as the opposite is true. Someone younger is 100% capable of grooming someone older. The same is true for people of the same age.
Its not an age locked forbidden technique that magically people stop being capable of doing when their partner is an adult.
So yall throwing it around when so far the older dude has done nothing of the sort waters down the meaning. It's a serious accusation and a very serious thing to have happen to someone. I get that there is a very reasonable chance of a power dynamic problem to begin, but so far Mr. Future-Teacher has been very reasonable. (Ignoring the fact he just agreed to date a minor. I wish that we knew how close he was to being 18 cause personally if he's like a month or two away I wouldn't tweak as much) So if people could chill till we start seeing evidence of a problem that would be nice.
I also see this as a weird reservation people have, because the girl with the black haired best friend was riding that line way harder then the current couple is. There was also a bigger age gap. She was just super broken so I think people are giving a pass to what she did and their story; ultimately because it ended with the two saying they'd wait. (Except they literally were dating for months and doing the do before saying this but I digress)
Is it cause the second 2 have a more healthy mental state that yall are trying to find something cause of what this story has been so far? Either way please just chill on tossing grooming around until it's actually happening.