Z | BBS ETHAN

But isn't that also assuming na Ethan saw those jokes the same way you did? 😅 Yes, he had the choice to shut down the banter, but he also had the choice to simply take it for what it appeared to be in that environment: PLAYFUL TEASING AMONG FRIENDS. His "star player" remark could just as easily be understood as him playing along with their running joke, NOT an ACTUAL DECLARATION na he sees Gehlee as some kind of prize or someone he's competing with the other boys for. We CAN'T AUTOMATICALLY ASSIGN a sinister meaning to every WITTY RESPONSE. And about Gehlee not deserving that kind of friend, what EXACTLY has Ethan done to establish na he's treating her badly? HAVE WE ACTUALLY SEEN HIM PRESSURE HER, DEMAND RECIPROCATION, or MAKE HER UNCOMFORTABLE? Wala naman, diba? Kasi kung susuriin natin, napaka-NATURAL lang ng FLOW ng interactions nila. Wala rin namang ipinakitang discomfort si Gehlee or attempts to distance herself from Ethan, which would be worth considering if he were actually being pushy or forcing his way into her space. In fact, what we've been seeing lately is the OPPOSITE. Mas nagiging comfortable na si Gehlee kay Ethan. Mas siya na rin ang nag-iinitiate ng conversations, lumalapit at tumatabi sa kanya, and even the spoon-feeding moment. Of course, these actions alone don't define the entirety of their relationship, but they do show a level of COMFORT and FAMILIARITY between them. And that's exactly why WE SHOULD DISTINGUISH Ethan's ACTUAL BEHAVIOR toward Gehlee from the ASSUMPTIONS people attach to his participation in the boys' banter. There's a DIFFERENCE between PLAYING ALONG with a joke and actually ACTING ON whatever intentions other people ASSUME he has. Also, when I say BFF, I'm describing the DYNAMIC and COMFORT I observe between them, NOT CLAIMING they've officially declared themselves best friends after three weeks. 😂 You don't necessarily need years of knowing someone to establish a GENUINE CONNECTION. Friendship develops at different paces, especially when people are living together and constantly interacting. It's not always about how long you've known someone, but also about how naturally you build that familiarity and comfort with each other. You can dislike the ship or find certain jokes unnecessary, that's your prerogative. But let's not confuse our interpretation of those jokes with Ethan's actual treatment of Gehlee. Those are two different things. Criticizing the context of a joke is one thing; using it to invalidate an entire friendship or condemn someone's character based on assumptions is another. At the end of the day, I'm appreciating #ThanLee for the genuine friendship and comfort they naturally share. Anything beyond that is just a bonus. Hindi kailangang gawing competition ang connection nila, much less turn Ethan into a villain just to invalidate it. ♡