Listen

I too have the same thought as you. Despite the shit he pull, i cant really hate him too much bcuz his action is not as red flag or as black flag like the rest of the dark manhwa i've been reading.

So far imma let myself indulge with his good look (づ￣ ³￣)づ

He raped the mc ?

I feel like author wants his character to be that unbearably red flag ml who is still somehow likeable but it's been lost somewhere, he isnt bad but he's no good either. Sooyoung loving him would be redeemable but atp even he's tired of jihwan.

That's what I'm saying. He's obviously mental and is quite obsessive about the MC but I think he genuinely cares for him in his own twisted way. I don't even think he registers most of what he did as wrong. I'm not excusing his actions, that's just my veiw on him as a character. I've read stories about literal spawns of Satan still getting the MC. Jihwan doesn't even make the list of the worst that has been offered in some of these stories.

heavy on he doesnt consider most of what he has done as wrong. He;s just there thinking why this dude doesnt like me when i've protected him from gyujin, looked after his mum. he used to be there for me. In Jihwan's mind he simply thinks with time sooyoung will stop being 'angry'

This is what i mean!

Why would people bringing up the rape as a reason to hate him?? Cuz all dark manhwa has rape, SA & nonconsensual to begin with. So hating jihwan & grouping him with the rest of the dark bastard seme due to that 1 reason aint gonna make it.

Bring the worst of the traits in him like the rest of the red flag & black flag first, like lets all of the checklist getting tick, then maybe i can consider he deserve to be included in that worse seme group list ╮(￣▽￣)╭

One worst trait aint justify it. All of the dark genre has rape, SA & non-con to begin with. Thats what we should have expected when we signed up to read this kind of shit.

But to go as far as grouping him together with all that bastard of a seme from all story, which that their action beyond unredeemable seems to much for me.

To be honest, the MC doesn't even seem to acknowledge it. Whose to say the MC even sees it that way. I know what it is objectively, but the MC seems more concerned about being kidnapped and generally being tired of Jihwan bothering him. Out of the long list of horrible MLs, I'm sorry, Jihwan really isn't that bad. He was actually quite respectful to the MC for a long time. Unfortunately he still assaulted him, but as you said, some of these stories start on Chapter 1 with rape and the MLs are still redeemed.

Also, let's not forget the MC entertains a lot of Jihwan antics. Like yes, Jihwan is bad, but it's not like the MC is unaware. He broke up with his best friend to stay with Jihwan, he heard the rumors about him beating up and cutting off the fingers of his ex and ignored them, he saw how possessive Jihwan was of him and responded affectionately to all of it. Hell he was post finding out how crazy Jihwan was and all the things he did and got jealous because he thought he was seeing someone else, followed his psycho ass home and even fucked him that night. This is obviously not excusing or saying he deserves to have gotten raped or kidnapped. But let's not pretend he was clueless, he liked Jihwan so actively ignored or excused a lot of what he's done. He still went back to him after finding out everything.