#unless byler is endgame none of those narrative choices make ANY sense

[mlchaelwheeler]

Ok ok, hot take, (read as: whole entire analysis, sorry abt that) if will was going to get a new love interest, they would've given him one already.

Byler can't be unrequited because we've already seen how the duffers handle unrequited love in s2 with Dustin and max.

In season 2 Dustin and Lucas both clearly showed romantic interest in max, only with Dustin it was unrequited. One of the big differences between this instance and byler is that they weren't subtle about Dustin liking max and being jealous of Lucas, and more importantly they didn't DRAG IT OUT FOR 4 SEASON JUST TO HAVE GET TURNED DOWN. In fact, he never confessed to max at all. He just accepted that she was with Lucas, and more importantly, he had a girlfriend by the start of s3. They easily could of done that with will this season by having him get a boyfriend in Cali. It would've made sense too because then rink-o-mania would've been a double date instead of will being a 3rd wheel. At this point, there was literally no point in will having feelings for mike to begin with if it wasn't requited.

This brings me to the most important difference between dustin and max vs will and mike.

Dustin had a crush on max.

Will is in love.

If he could get over him, he would've by now.