I'm not sure he's leading them. Remember that until recently, ALL the girls besides the fmc were not genuine in their initial meeting or relationship. They either teased, bullied, blackmailed, or insulted him. It's quite understandable that he would keep this in mind and just start to trust them only now a few months after the school year started. Only fmc was honest and kind from the start. The others either came in late if, they were nice, or treated him like trash until he showed how useful/kind he was early on. He also spends the most time with fmc; training, lunch, breaks, and outside the school. Keep in mind that even the childhood friend wasn't the best since she knew him sooner but didn't interact or attempt re-connection.