Reminder that it's been less than three months since Hayato's only near-age-cohort peers consisted of his little sister and a friend of hers who seemed to be terrified of him. And he's dealing with his mother's illness, an absentee father, having head-of-household duties dropped on him at the same time adjusting to an entirely new school experience and an entirely new environment in the big city. Getting himself to a point where he can fully comprehend his feelings and admit them to himself, let alone anyone else, isn't something he's had the luxury of sufficient time to work on properly.