the latest alnst friday comic was definitely fascinating to me because i thought that vivimeng really put so much thought into conveying the idea of how "love," that didn't necessarily stay for long or be affirmed between two parties, can still seep into someone and shape how they see themselves and interact with others. one of my favorite lyrics from cure, to this effect, was 너로 물들여 / 네게 물들게 (aka "let me drown in you, i'll drown in you" in till's and ivan's verses respectively) because thematically it felt resonant with one of the final lines in the comic, which was "...그리고 그 흔적은 끝까지 산물을 외로운 소년으로 내버려두지 않았음을."

for cure, it's more an all-consuming love that you want to overpower you so that everything else seems less scary, but it's still the core idea of wanting a love that leaves those traces in you, a love that leaves you changed. i thought this idea was beautifully echoed in the till&io comic, because it's just conveying that idea that love (those traces of io's love in till that he might not actively remember, but still carries with him) didn't leave him ever feeling lonely. it's the idea that love can change you, protect you, seep its colors into you, even when you can't recognize it or consciously remember it because it happened so long ago.

those lines from cure are some of my favorites from that entire song because i like to think that it's also quite representative of the ivantill relationship in canon, where they never really professed their love for each other (ivan more than till, obvs) in words, but the way they interacted with each other, built a relationship of trust and camaraderie with each other, comforted each other--all that was in its own way a form of "love" even if they never knew to call it that. i'm not quite sure if i'm making sense, but i think the comic with io really put into perspective how the existence of love (and the time he spent basking in io's warmth and love in turn) allowed him to grow confident in his abilities, express himself honestly, and never really act in the self sacrificial way that the other candidates did. he wasn't lonely, because he was loved--and that's not something that he had to remember in order to feel it.

on the sadder aspect of io's impact on till, i definitely think there's an element of how that abrupt (and traumatic) separation blocked out his ability to entrust his emotions fully to another person. as you said, it's interesting to think about in context to the meteor scene and how he interacts with mizi, because happiness isn't something he seems to actively chase as opposed to watching it from afar, maybe because he's afraid of the vulnerability and emptiness he might feel when it's taken from him again. the meteor scene is one of the few scenes where we see him so unabashedly happy. of course mizi seems to be one of the reasons he turns back, but i have to wonder if there was a fear in his head that were he to leave and chase that freedom and happiness with ivan, it would just crumble and leave him in an even worse state before--and that's why he chooses to return to the cage he knows, because at least the type of pain and emptiness he faces there is something he's already familiar with. idk it's very interesting...

there's also his relationship with mizi to factor in as well for sure. i have the opinion that till did love mizi, but his love for her was largely out of convenience and his own ego and from his perspective as an artist, which is why he never really seems to be bothered by her love for sua. he never expected or wanted it reciprocated in the first place. the patreon mentioned something to the effect of how she caught his eye because she's the only one who could keep up with his genius, which is admittedly a very cute reason, but it also gave me the impression that till loves mizi because she's easy to love. she's bright, pretty, happy, and loving her would largely be an uncomplicated affair that he doesn't have to invest in too much emotionally (compared to, say, loving someone like ivan, who is much more... gestures). i'm not denying that he has a crush and a love for mizi and that she was his beacon and hope at the end of the day, of course, but i do think that from how he sees her, how he interacts with her, how he remembers her in his head--all of those reasons paint a picture of her role almost as a muse? to inspire him and allow him to live without much investment or sacrifice or vulnerability on his part. idk. i'm very much rambling and being long-winded and obvs these are just my opinions, but i guess those are my thoughts? if you've read this far thank you for reading haha

tl;dr io's presence and her love and warmth seeped into till that encouraged him to become someone who never really felt lonely, because being raised by love allowed him to connect with those around him in an honest and unfiltered way, even if he doesn't necessarily remember her or being loved by her. on the other hand, the way they separated so traumatically is something that i think might have impacted him negatively in his hesitation to chase after his own happiness, until it was too late. (final disclaimer that these are just my opinions and how i'm reading the disclaimer, do not send shit after me for this, but i'm open to reading other interpretations and thoughts as well xoxo)