@BYE (2) In the meantime, Jo came in at the perfect time, you could say. He was the perfect person to show Ian a world and a relationship outside the incessant toxicity of the gang. Their hook-up, despite Ian trying to shrug it off as nothing but a "quick fu**" like all others, was not just a result of sexual attraction like he was used to. We saw in the author's character profiles that Jo's ideal type was "someone he could talk to, and it's a bonus if they're cute". Jo, in other words, with all his transparent, refreshing honesty, did not fit in any category that Ian has manufactured, where they only want Ian's body and "pretty" face. Was he like the many potential "dads" of his childhood? It's obvious he was not. Even Ian could see that Jo has his priorities straight (think of when he rejected Ian and the possibility for s**, in order to go fix his family's leaking plumbing). Was he like the gang members? Like TJ? Profoundly not. This man has never gone through severe financial hardship, violent crime, persecution, etc etc, as TJ pointed out. Is this a bad thing? No. This is the whole point: trauma does not make you stronger in and of itself. Ian was a child in need of protection, not a child that needed to be strong. Him "becoming strong" is him learning avoidant behaviours that are actively sabotaging him right now.
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@BYE (3) Jo seems like a strong enough person to me. He is coping with his own problems just fine. He has close relationships that he can seek help from. He seems good at adapting to stressors, and is seeking many enriching life experiences through travel, challenging pre-consemptions and stimulating his mind. That is strength in this world, not just influence and money like TJ believes. You cannot throw a bunch of money at a relationship and consider it solved. In that way, Jo is very much stronger than both Ian and TJ, without going through their trauma. And while that also makes him privileged, doesn't that tell us something about our innate need for peace and comfort, and for growing at our own pace as human beings? Why should we glorify and justify what makes us so miserable? We were never supposed to suffer to grow, that's the biggest lie we've been fuc**** sold. And I think that's the whole message behind this manhwa.