Ikr... when I read all the comments, I was thinking: "Are we reading the same story?"
I know the author wrote some weird stuff, and I don't want to defend the author.
But accusing this uncle character as grooming, incest and pedo is just not right.
They love throwing words they just know everywhere...
Reader really need to read more, read properly and have a better understanding on a story and its characters.
From my point of view, this uncle character is much better than whatever happened in Sayonara Alpha...
Went back to this and was genuinely relieved I wasn't the only one I thought I was insane
I saw ppl still calling this uncle character a pedo and such, so I want to point put those misconceptions:
Pedophile: a person who is sexually attracted to children
Why the uncle is NOT one:
He had always loved the father(his childhood friend). The one who had pursued the uncle and had sexual thoughts of said uncle was entirely the Ml himself(the son of said friend). When they met again, it had already been 14 years, the ml was already a college student by then(his 20s). The ml figured himself out that he was in love with the uncle, and figured out that the uncle loved his dad.
Incest: being in a romantic/or sexual relationship with one's own blood relative.
Why the uncle and ml are NOT one:
...they aren't related. I don't- I don't what else to say. You COULD say that the misconception started when he got excited by being called mom(I get it. It's weird). But in the end, you can't say it's incest when they aren't related in any way, shape or form. (Being a childhood uncle does NOT count.)
Grooming: building a relationship with a child, young person or an adult in the intention of abusing and manipulating them into doing what they want.
Why the uncle is NOT a groomer:
I get it. It sounds VERY similar to him asking to be called mom. BUT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER: he requested the kid to call him mom not because he got sexual gratification on the thought of a child calling him 'mom', but the thought that he was the parent that- again- his DAD married and made a wife of..
He never had intentions of abusing his authority as an adult against his friend's child in evidence of the times he babysitted the son. He was disgusted in himself for getting aroused by the word for the first time, and not only for the first time- but in front of his crush, his son and and the REAL mother. After realising this, he left and cut off contact for 14 years. To not hurt or taint his friend's family.
(Why I say it was his first time, was because he was shocked at himself as well for getting turned on, meaning- there never was any similar event that happened when he was alon with the son.)
It's understandable to not like the story and be very uncomfortable with the characters(I got weirded out too), but to call it something they aren't like pedo, groomer or incest just fabricates the whole story just say that the story is mid
(This is Rule of Rose levels of fabrication)
Spoilers:
Gonna be so genuine.. this was a short read, but other than the fact he got excited for being called mom, everything else was fine? He wasn't attracted to the kid, he was attracted by the thought of being a supposed 'spouse' to his unrequited crush.
He never saw the son as a potential love interest, but a kid that he wished he had with his friend. Everything dawned on him when he got aroused, that what did was unhealthy and wrong. He didn't want to ruin his friend's family anymore, so he left.
Even after reuniting with the ml, he tried to be the same uncle he was before, but seeing how the ml was trying to seduce him, he went with the 'indifference' method. Which you don't see very often in these types of bl tropes.
I think what I liked about the story is the ending. The convo with his friend is SO good actually. The dad rejected his friend after finding out his feelings and the guy finally had the weights off his shoulders. Even then, he decided to leave them again. But ml still pursues him on his own volition.
(It was freakin weird tho that he just let the guy he babysitted since he was a kid to just...idk kiss him. But then again, he was already a college student so.. I guess they were both consenting adults?? He also wasn't aroused and dind't want to be until the ml used his kink as a weapon. Idk man)
Idk where all the incest and or grooming came from tho cus there wasn't any of that??