• • First off, being a mutant means the government wants you dead, straight up. The fact of the matter is that Jaejin and Euiwoo's chance encounter was mainly due to the fact that Euiwoo, the only S-Class Esper in Korea, couldn't be guided by anyone who wasn't S-Class and Jaejin is the first S-Class guide to ever exist. The only reason why the government wants "mutants" dead is only because they can't control them. You see, normally once a baby is tested to be a guide or esper, they literally get forcefully kidnapped into the military and raised as a weapon. It's obviously very shitty. As such, they're not really raised with any morality, just raised to be military dogs who follow orders. I get that it doesn't really excuse Euiwoo's actions, but it makes sense why the novel is centered around his development as a human being.

• • Following that, the main reason why Euiwoo kidnaps and keeps Jaejin prisoner in his mansion is because the government is extremely likely to find Jaejin and kill him if Euiwoo lets him go back home. Even Jaejin himself is aware of this, but he still hates it.

BTW they definitely have a lot of freaky s*x. like seriously... not even gonna go into detail. I'm sure you can imagine it yourself if you're a veteran of this genre.

I have a lot of thoughts about this novel and I'll still love and defend it to the very end. I actually reread it recently so I have a more fresh take on my mind. Anyways, I disagree about the author trying to make the reader forgive ML about all the noncon, I think the author does have a decent amount of self awareness when it comes to the unhealthy parts of their dynamic. A lot of revealed information just gets drip-fed since Kwon Jaejin isn't the most reliable narrator. The author makes it very apparent that a lot of Seo Euiwoo's actions are unforgiveable and inexcusable, especially the big one later on. A lot of Kwon Jaejin's built-up and suppressed spite comes back when it gets revealed that Seo Euiwoo wiped his memories of his childhood and family. And I don't think Kwon Jaejin truly ever forgives Seo Euiwoo for doing that (even after things get resolved), at least there's never any indication of it. But I wholeheartedly believe he can still love Seo Euiwoo despite that. Is it realistic? Not really. But I don't read fiction for it to be realistic xd

I admit that a lot of the novel is pretty contrived, like Seo Euiwoo is OP to the point that the whole novel's conflict could be resolved if Seo Euiwoo just used his S-class esper powers to take over Korea or something, but I kinda love the fact that the novel is more about his development and understanding what it means to be a human being, and learning that there's more to life than just plain violence.

I don't like noncon, but I don't drop novels just because it's present. I don't like the novel because it has noncon either, I like the novel because Seo Euiwoo and Kwon Jaejin have a complex relationship forced by a dystopian esper/guide type setting, even the KR commenters said things like that the main couple would've had a good relationship from the start if circumstances were completely different. But that's not this story, and nobody is forcing you to read a story that has noncon present. I'm particularly flabbergasted at the idea that a story could ever "justify" noncon in the first place... not that this story was ever trying to do that lol. We can disagree all day about the interpretation of their power dynamics (I think Kwon Jaejin stands his ground quite a lot and is able to draw boundaries that are followed by Euiwoo) and that's just a agree-to-disagree moment, I'm moreso confused at the blatant virtue signaling other readers over a r-19 bl smut novel that came with the appropriate trigger warnings. At least it did in the original source material.

Sorry for being a total Shen Yuan (mentally ill reader moment) but it's baffling to think us reviewers have to be given a lecture in another review about consent when that's not our responsibility. I'm just a guy who read a novel, I don't know why we're being told noncon is bad when yeah, clearly it is, we know, thanks.

Apparently someone took this comment as a personal attack? Damn, if they weren't right when they say a hit dog hollers.

• Firstly, I don't care if you like r*pe fantasies and you enjoy how s*xual violence is used by the author to make the story dark and gritty. Where in my review does it say "you are a bad person if you enjoyed this"? If reading my review made you feel guilty, that's your business. A story you like got criticized and that upset you, okay, so follow your own advice and don't read things that upset you. Instead doing this, you wrote an incoherent defense of the story and about being lectured to and virtue signalling. Are you high on PCP? Did you forget your meds? I'm reviewing KBL guideverse smut on novelupdates, please tell me who in the world would look at this as virtuous?
• Why do people read things they will likely find disagreeable or offensive? Because I'm grown. I am not so childish and pathetic as to cut myself off from the possibility that there can be stories I enjoy and art I appreciate which contains content I might normally find unacceptable. "Don't like, don't read!" is an argument only made by oversensitive fans who want to silence any critical engagement with the stories they like. All I can say is, grow up, not everyone wants to live in a silo like you.
• You disagree about the author trying to encourage readers to forgive Eui-woo. Okay, proof? In my review there are quotes showing how the author portrays Eui-woo as saving Jae-jin and Jae-jin's reaction to his ab*ser as excessively hostile. I pity you, so let's say they aren't trying to encourage the reader to forgive Eui-woo, but instead are merely providing a context for us to understand Eui-woo's actions. After all Eui-woo is a victim too, being taken as a ward, raised as a weapon, and totally deprived of opportunity to live a normal life. The problem for me is that the author fails to successfully distinguish between explaining and justifying Eui-woo's actions.
• You might be flabbergasted, but if you used your brain to comprehend the words the author wrote you might understand that Eui-woo's life without guiding, like most espers, is constant pain with the possibility of a violent psychotic break. So the justification for noncon is that guides have a moral duty to ease the suffering of espers and a civic duty to protect the public from psychotic espers. If you can't understand this you should contact a local pre-school and ask for resources on reading comprehension. Don't be ashamed to seek help. It's never too late to learn.
• You disagree about the interpretation of their power dynamics because Eui-woo respected some of Jae-jin's boundaries. I beg you, proofread your writing. Just prior to making this shoddy argument you wrote that Eui-woo has the power to overturn the korean government, but now you're saying there isn't a power imbalance between him and Jae-jin. You do not understand what an imbalance of power is.
• You say you don't like noncon, it's the "complex relationship forced by a dystopian esper/guide type setting" that appeals to you. Okay, tell me what the nature of that relationship is? Is it sexual? Is it one with an inherent power difference and unhealthy dependency? So you don't like noncon, you just enjoy reading about relationships which, as required by the setting, must involve discussions about the nature of consent. For me, the complexity of the relationship between a guide and an esper is how they navigate their understanding of consent and how they draw boundaries between the s*x they have as awakeners and the lives they live as ordinary people. Notice how I didn't say this has to include erot*c depictions of violent noncon, so why does the supposedly "complex relationship" between Jae-jin and Eui-woo include it? Your argument is even less compelling when you consider there are plenty of ways to complicate the relationship between romantic leads that aren't predicated on s*xual violence. For example, falling in love with a political hostage from an enemy nation, falling in love with someone who already has a partner, or falling in love with someone with very different lived experiences, among many others. You could have just said "I like this story and despite frequent depictions of SA it has a lot of merits" but instead you point out a lot of the story's flaws and then repeatedly deny that you like noncon even though no one personally accused you of that. Have you heard the saying 'a strong denial is a strong affirmation'. Food for thought.

Sorry you had a complete meltdown in response to my review, but it's baffling to think us reviewers have to witness you publicly filling your diaper when that's not our responsibility. I'm just a guy who reviewed a novel, I don't know why you're telling us you definitely don't like noncon, when yeah, clearly, none of us would have thought you did until you said that, thanks.

to regain his lost memories of his family despite the risks

where the MC and the ML visits the MC's family because I was happy to see the couple more after everything was all over and it was one of the topics that left my heart hanging, MC's family