Unfortunately this is more common in real-life than it should be...
- Person A (in this case Ryuji) has an extreme inferiority complex, but some are able to hide it really well when out in public.
- Cut to one random day, when A meets person B (Chiho), and they become friends.
- B falls in love with A's facade, and A begins to open up more and more about themselves.
- B feels valued and treasured that A is willing to confide in them, and falls even deeper in love, while resolving to always be there for A and help A through this 'difficult phase'.
- On the other hand, A begins to develop a serious dependency on B. A easily mistakes this as 'love'.
- A begins to reveal more of their inner self, which unfortunately manifests in an evil parasitic way because now A can no longer live without B's support.
- Whenever A feels 'threatened' in any way, they become violent and angry and manipulative because that's the only way they know how to 'defend' themselves.
- Remember, before meeting B, A was surviving by hiding themselves from themselves. Most humans are wired to never hate themselves, only others.
- But after every single episode, both A and B are overcome with guilt and remorse because every human believes themselves to be 'good'.
- A and B make up after the fight, and things are good again until something else happens to threaten A.
- Now A and B are both stuck in a never-ending cycle that neither of them really know how to break out of.
I use the terms A and B instead of Ryuji and Chiho because it could very easily be the other way round. The man isn't always necessarily the aggressor, just like how the woman isn't always necessarily the victim.
In my own personal experience, they both deserve to be pitied, and they both need to seek help.