Ah. So it's a matter of not knowing or caring about context.

I.E "Gohan choosing not to finish cell off once he had already powered up"

And don't forget the fact CELL SPECIFICALLY STATED THAT TRYING TO EVEN MOVE HIM WILL BLOW HIM UP FASTER.

Did you not watch the show or read the manga? Gohan easily had the energy to finish cell off and didn't use it.

I repeat he EASILY could have finished cell off at any point once he reached SS2 and didn't due to a twisted bout of sadism.

Goku used the senzu bean to stop cell from doing anything reckless if he was wary and low on energy. Which made cell so confident he STOPPED ATTACKING GOHAN to help push him to super Saiyan 2, thinking that at full power he could easily handle whatever that form could throw at him.

It was Gohan himself who just kept doing near fatal damage and waiting for cell to regenerate so he can do it again. He wasn't tired. The senzu bean made it easier for him. Pay attention to the actual story, not the abridged series.