[ that part from kazunari's memory about how he never had friends before middle school was a little bit like the reverse of his own experience — he'd had normal shallow kid friendships when he was little, but had pretty much alienated everyone by the time he was a teenager with his obsession with being better than them.

it wasn't until the study that he'd had anyone he could even maybe consider an actual friend, and it wasn't until this that anyone actually said they were. that crappy paint set was probably the first non-birthday gift he ever gave anyone besides his parents. ]

Y-yeah... it sounded like all of them were like that before. So...

[ he wipes his eyes and sniffs, lifts his head and takes a deep breath. ]

Me and Estelle and Rin and everyone— we're all gonna do our best to bring all of you back, no matter what.