Since it’s fiction

I don’t necessarily mind the “toxic relationship turning into something real“ trope, but reading this latest chapter from Karino’s perspective makes me think that this is not your typical toxic relationship seen in yaoi because I think Karino is a real sociopath. Whereas most other series w/ a$$hole characters don’t delve deeper into their a$$holishness and you just assume it’s due to a bad upbringing or whatever; you can sympathize with those characters. This glimpse into Karino’s mind doesn’t show anything that could make the reader sympathize with him, making him come off as just plain and simply, evil. Maybe he’ll come to care for Azusa (as much as a sociopath can care), but hopefully after all is said and done it ends as a learning experience for them and they walk their separate paths, because as much of an arrogant prick Azusa can(or was) be, he’s not sociopathic or psychopathic. He’s actually human, Karino is just playing a part in order to seem “human”.