Speaking of dignity and honesty again. Sage is ok with cheating, even if her bf is an asshole. But it's still a cheating, that she agreed on.
She literally was throwing herself to the MC several times. 2 times, knowing that it would be cheating, and the last time after breaking up with her bf. As the players, we know the situation and understand why it's not really that bad. But we also really like to discuss the personalities of the characters, how they behaves and so on, aren't we? So, we have to take into account that Sage's character doesn't "know" what we know. But it doesn't make an excuse. Because how the character behaves is a primary, while the background is secondary.
Josy? She struggling but she don't want to cheat. We see her feelings through several episodes clearly, but she doesn't cross the line. Maybe until EP10, but it's MC, who "saves" her this time. Thanks to her previous honesty and the way she always behaved before. She showed MC that she don't want to cheat from the beginning, while Sage wanted to involve MC in cheating from the beginning. Difference is that MC helps the Josy and doesn't cheat ever, even in such win-win situation as it was in EP10. While MC is able to accept the Sage's offer, because she showed him that she don't mind at all. It was MC, who was able to decide to try something more, not J&M throwed themselves to him in the library. Josy has problems with decision-making and her desire to please or help everyone even to the detriment of herself, but she has no dignity issues.
Having and experiencing feelings and the pain of not being able to realize them has nothing to do with dignity. Not being able to get rid of such feelings has nothing to do with dignity as well. Just don't forget that this game is telling us the story about 18-21yo boys and girls in the college, mostly. Then, remember how and the way you behaved at such period of your life. A lot of us looks at the game characters, while being in their 30+, experienced, passed through break ups, hardened, growed a thick skin, became more rational and matured. And somehow some of us expecting the 18-21yo to act or pretend like they are 30+. It wouldn't be plausible... just... at all.
Crushes, non mutual love and non realized feelings for someone, all that is SO intense and vivid at the times and age we are dealing with in the game. It explains absolutely all or at least most of. Some of us treasured those memories and feelings they experienced even if it can be painful sometimes. Someone just can't handle it because sometimes those experience consists only of pain but nothing good to remember for. And the rest just hadn't got any feelings or stayed away from all this for different reasons. When you hadn't experienced such feelings, don't have a memories or just don't want to remember all of this - you acting cold and want the game characters to behave in the similar way - to be cold, rational, straightforward. With no regrets, concerns, doubts, etc. But then it's worth looking for a game with 30-40yo characters, and not teenagers who went to college after school and just started their way into adulthood. Otherwise, what's the point?
Following the classical principles, a girl should never take the first step, right? Josy never thrown herself at MC first, she wants and waits badly for this internally, but still doesn't do it. She just shows both subtle and blatantly that she is quite QUITE interested in him. It's the opposite with Sage. We, as players, again, understand why everything is like this, but this does not negate the facts.
