Thabks for the chapter.
Yeah i simply do not understand reis behaviour. I didnt understsnd it before this chapter and this info has done nothing to make me see his point of view, i really dont get why he does the things he does.
Youta atleast has like tauma and complexed that are eayy to follow but rei? Idk bro, im a neurotic perfectionist abd ive never had the desire to be a popular guy
If I had to guess - he kinda sounds like an introvert, who masks really effectively. But, it drains his "social battery" having to do it the whole time at school each day, and once he's home he "unmasks" and turns into ...whatever that thing on the couch was in that one panel as he's just fully on empty.
I can be similarish on occasion - though I didn't strive to be a perfect, popular "10" at school or anything.
But, maybe he did it once or twice as a 1st year trying to make a good impression, people reacted favorably, he kept doing it, people made fan clubs, and now he's stuck in a cycle of "I've painted myself into the popular corner and I cannot get out".
Or, maybe he's got some form of Imposter Syndrome, where he presents as perfect but doesn't believe he is, but tries to live up to everyone else's expectations and succeeds, except where his own perception is concerned - and for whatever reason he can avoid continuing that behavior once he's home, and around familiar people. (not as much of a fan of this idea, at least in terms of it not really gelling with what I understand Imposter Syndrome to be. Not the first time a mangaka misrepresents a behavioral disorder, but.)
That's just conjecture on my part in trying to find the actual rationale in Rei's behavior and words. No idea if it's meant to be that deep, though he's obviously a foil to Youta, so him being a fleshed-out character that's also internally consistent in his mannerisms and characterization feels like something that should have been thought through and worked out by the author - so
hopefully we get some actual, direct explanation for Rei and why he is the way he is, before the end.