
It's under drama tag,, a lot of drama manga, soap operas, Koran dramas, and even webtoons have people acting like this. Dramas are usually characters acting as in exaggerations of themselves.
For me knowing it's a drama gave me a pass to the way characters act and the action taken,, it's ment to be dramatic. I personally hate other forms of work like, Love is an Illusion where everyone says it "relationship goals".

I think people say it's like real life because the straight guy doesn't just get right in bed with his gay friend. There's a struggle. It's not happily ever after. It's happily for now. It's not a healthy relationship, but to be honest, mentally unhealthy people aren't capable of healthy relationships. It's two wounded, insecure men floundering around indecisively, and THAT is kinda realistic.

I totally agree with the toxicity that the characters are protraying. BUT this was published NINE, 9, YEARS ago. Sexuality was very black-and-white back then, so these were common problems "straight" men faced back then when questioning their sexuality. If it was today, he could have just said "Oh, I'm bisexual." PROBLEM SOLVED. But that's the beauty of the story, each story has different characters in different places in time.
Ok so... nope. I'm very surprised on all the people saying how realistic this was and how much they loved it. I've never seen a more fake and toxic set of characters. One had some very clear mental issues/toxicity and the other just got upset at the abuse but took it anyway. I would never wish this sort of relationship on my siblings or friends. Like he said "is love supposed to feel this ugly and hurt this much?" No. That's what an abusive relationship feels like. But you keep going back because you don't know how to live without it. I desperately wish they both could have some therapy cuz wow. No one will ever be happy with the blond, not even himself. I pity them both.
Feel free to destroy me now