#i'll be a little slow to reply tonight bc i'm tired but yeah

[flowerakatsuka]

KUROBA'S RELATIONSHIP W/ SOME OF THE SIDE CHARACTERS!

feat. dobusu, yanagida, totoko, atsushi, ichiko, jyushiko, & chibita.

i've been thinking a lot about kuro's dynamics with some of the characters besides the sextuplets. i finally managed to write out my thoughts so ig it's time to lore dump. ✌️

DOBUSU — one of kuroba’s closest friends, ( and their only friend in high school. ) the two met during their first year when they were in the beautification committee together. kuroba was already shaping up to be an outcast and typically kept their head down while going about their duties, but dobusu would often ask to pair up with them since they were more knowledgeable about taking care of plants than her. she initially found them a little strange, ( like with how excited they got whenever lizards would show up in the flowerbeds, ) but they found each other easy to talk to and ended up becoming friends. even though dobusu decided to not rejoin the beautification committee after their first year and they were never in the same class together, they still found time to hang out together in and outside of school. they would usually eat lunch or walk home together, ( except when dobusu invited her more popular friends along, kuroba was super anxious about spending time with people “ in a higher social cast ‘’ than them back then. ) dobusu was aware that they had a crush on someone during their second year, but was never sure who it was until kuroba’s own realization during the reunion, ( she always assumed it was yanagida. )

they’re both still pretty good friends to this day and make time to spend time together despite their busy adult schedules. dobusu also brings mii over to visit the floral shop sometimes while she’s watching her, which kuroba enjoys, ( they’re pretty good with kids and love teaching them about plants. ) if they need someone to talk about life stuff, they’ll almost always go to her first. they usually call her “ dobuchu. “

YANAGIDA — kuroba and yanagida were in the same homeroom during their 3rd year, but didn’t really talk to each other until he found them crying in the school’s courtyard one day. after getting them something to drink from the vending machine to help them calm down, they ended up talking about what had gotten kuroba so upset in the first place. and even though they said it was because someone had trampled the pansies they had planted, it was pretty clear that it wasn’t the only reason why they were upset. kuroba asked why people think it’s alright to crush others like that and when yanagida suggests it could be because they’re trying to feel better about themselves by putting others down, he was taken back by them bluntly saying they think that’s a bullshit excuse to act cruelly towards others. the conversation ends up sticking with him, as well kuroba’s honesty, so he started talking to them more in class after that. they got along really well, but were never really anything more than acquaintances. ( not for lack of trying, though. yanagida tried inviting them to hang out after school a few times, but kuroba always rejected his offers. they were still kinda struggling with the whole " social casts " mindset at the time. )

they end up reconnecting at the reunion after party when yanagida invites kuroba to sit at his table, leading to them being seated across from atsushi. this doesn’t go very well, with them admonishing him for his own shitty behavior towards the sextuplets and leaving soon after. yanagida stops them before they go, saying he’s glad to see they’re as honest as ever and asking for their contact info. the two end up clicking pretty well, finding each other easy to talk to. they hang out whenever they’re able, usually going out to drink together. whenever kuroba finds a new izakaya or queer bar they wanna check out, they ask yanagida to go with them. they’re also very supportive of him wanting to reconnect with ichimatsu and tries to help him in that endeavor, much to ichi’s dismay. they usually call him by his first name, ( yukio. )

TOTOKO — despite having a mutual friend in high school, totoko and kuroba never really interacted with each other. this was purposeful on kuroba’s part — not because they didn’t like her, but because they didn’t want to give their bullies another reason to harass them. they do eventually start talking once they’re both adults, with kuroba frequenting the yowai’s fish market to get dinner supplies, ( grilled fish is one of the few things they can cook decently. ) unlike the sextuplets, totoko does recognize them from high school despite not really interacting with them. the two enjoy chatting with each other, especially with how complementary kuroba can be towards her, and occasionally go have coffee together, ( usually with dobusu. ) they’re also very supportive of her dreams of becoming an idol, but she could definitely do without their blunt observations on why she isn’t successful. both have definitely had “ yeah, i can see why people are into you “ moments with each other. totoko's also the one that helps clear things up between karamatsu and kuroba after the reunion.

ATSUSHI — honestly, atsushi and kuroba were never on each others’ radar until what happened at the reunion. kuroba feels very strongly about putting others down to build yourself up so the way he acted during the reunion really pissed them off. they recognize that the sextuplets also weren’t in the right, but him coming into the situation didn’t help things either. when what happened comes up at the after party, they tell him as much and when he tries to excuse his own actions, they kinda. snap. kuroba cuts into him, telling him that coming in to humiliate the sextuplets was shitty of him and people with his kind of attitude are the reason why they lied in the first place. they leave soon after, saying they’d much rather drink with a bunch of useless neets than someone like atsushi. now, he’s basically landed himself squarely on their shit list and every interaction they have after that is extremely hostile. to kuroba, he’s a guy with a generically handsome face that has little to offer besides his car and cash. their impression doesn't improve after they find out about whatever the hell he's got going on with todomatsu.

ICHIKO — one of kuroba’s friends from college, as well as their ex-girlfriend. they first met during their entrance exams, when kuroba stumbled upon ichiko sulking in the train station. they stopped to check if she was alright, ( her muttering under her breath and intense expression didn’t scare them off, surprisingly. ) apparently, ichiko had gotten lost on her way to her own entrance exam and couldn’t look up directions because she forgot her cell phone at home. when they offer to let her use their phone to find directions, they realize they’re actually applying to the same college. the coincidences keep coming — kuroba was accepted into their first choice and when they’re moving into their new dorm, the person living next to them ends up being ichiko. the two became fast friends, with her finding kuroba pleasant to talk to and them enjoying the eccentricities of her personality. they eventually developed a crush on her at the end of their first year, made more complicated by them moving into an apartment together before their second year started. they worked up the courage to ask her out halfway into the school year and they started dating, but it didn’t last long. while ichiko really did like kuroba back and thought they were a good significant other, she had a lot of anxiety about their relationship not working out in the end and ruining the friendship they had before, which she didn't want to happen. kuroba took being broken up with pretty graciously… as far as ichiko knows, they actually cried to dobusu about it for months after.

thankfully, their friendship is still going strong after college and are pretty close. both of their jobs make getting together kinda hard, but they do find time to hang out ( usually with jyushiko tagging along. ) they like going to fancy bars or eclectic shops and watching esoteric movies together. even if they can’t meet in person, they usually chat through text basically every day.

JYUSHIKO — another one of kuroba’s friends from college. since they were both really close to ichiko, they spent a lot of time together, but initially didn’t really know how to interact with each other. kuroba was a little thrown off by jyushiko’s gal-ish personality after being bullied by one in high school and they seemed a little standoffish to her, but what helped break the ice between them was finding out they both had roots in okinawa, ( with their dads both being from there originally. ) after that, they were able to smooth things over and get along really well. kuroba’s a good listener and doesn’t mind her rambling so she loves spilling gossip to them, ( and they love getting to hear. ) they still hang out sometimes, mostly with ichiko, though. when they do get together one-on-one, jyushiko likes shopping with them since it’s like going out with a boyfriend just without all the expectations that come with it.

CHIBITA — whenever kuroba doesn’t feel like attempting to cook or wants something fresher than konbini food, their go-to spot is always hybrid oden. mostly because the food is delicious, but also because they enjoy chatting with chibita. while they’re more acquaintances than friends, they get along well and he likes having them as a frequent customer, ( especially because they actually pay their bill. ) chibita doesn’t get why kuroba stands karamatsu hanging around their shop so much, though. he gets kinda annoyed when they tell him that it’s probably the same reason why he keeps letting him eat at his stall.