Frings

Age gap issues are not really about the number in the age gap but about the difference in life stages between two people. 23 to 18 might feel like nothing, but when one person is an employed adult with a lot of life experience (as you said, he was unfortunately forced to grow up fast) and the other is a highschooler with barely any, that's the thing people take issue with, because it causes a big power imbalance. People who are younger often don't realize how different those two existences are, but they very much are. Each person at that age has entirely different knowledge, experience, concerns, needs, routines, etc. For example: putting aside legality and morality, 23 year old me in the past would never consider dating a highschooler, or even a college student in their first years of study, because I was also forced to grow up fast and had such an entirely different life than they would that it just felt weird and offputting. Yijin himself said in the beginning of the show, teenagers should date teenagers and adults should date adults, and he was right. As both people get older, the number of an age gap matters less and less, because they slowly become more of an equal in all those things I mentioned before (i.e. difference between 16 and 20 is absolutely huuuuuge, but the difference between 27 and 31 is generally negligible).

Your accusation isn't even applicable to absolutely anything I said nor addresses any of my points. I have no idea what you're referring to with this "has already gotten consent from his friend's parents" thing either. I have no qualms about a friendship between them and said I enjoyed it.

I wasn't referring to the kiss by my comment since as you said she was the one to initiate it, I didn't even mention it. It was his other actions (e.g. the thing with her picture, how he acted with her ex). He has also clearly shown he knows how he affects her and how she feels about him, and has encouraged it as of last episode. That does change the portrayal, and is why a lot of people as old as I am are feeling iffy about where it's heading unless the writers pump the brakes.

I'm also not using the word grooming lightly. Yes, it is in fact grooming for an adult to harbor and encourage a teenage girl to fall in love with him, intentionally affect her romantic prospects with her peers, then get together with her AS SOON as she turns legal. That's why, again, I did not call the KISS grooming: I said it would FEEL like downright grooming IF they got together as soon as she turned 21. And, as I said, if they were to take a break and meet again later and have him fall for her when she's an equal and he's developed his relationship with his adult peers, that'd be a great closing.

I loved their platonic relationship thus far, and even his love declaration was fine for me because it didn't read as romantic advances, but the way the writers tackle this from here on out is what is going to set the tone for everything that happened earlier too. The reaction we'll get to see to the kiss is only the first thing, and I do have a hesitantly optimistic expectation that they may well ease my worries on the next episode.

I'm probably older than most people who watch this drama, but honestly? At this point if they make Yijin be with Heedo once (slash as soon as) she turns 21, it'll downright feel like grooming... If a "break" happens before then between them like people are saying might, that'd probably take care of that for the writers, so it'd actually be pretty smart of them.

He said it himself earlier in the show, teenagers should date teenagers and adults should date adults. I've liked him a lot through the show, but his behavior towards her ex last episode and his growing non-platonic attachment to Heedo (or his handling of it) was extremely offputting personally.

holy shit I was not expecting it to be this good