One of the important aspects of the kanou flag is that in order to activate it, you have to choose to do so. You have to seek out additional information about Kanou, and make the decision to understand him.
(I do like that they acknowledge this is a flag event, too... It's cute.)
Atou and Kanou have a mutual understanding; they may both hide things from each other, but they're both trying to figure out the puzzle that is the other. They both understand each other, and trust each other despite it all.
This is highlighted earlier in chapter four, when Atou has the option to ask Kanou questions (This prompt only happens with the Kanou Flag active, and he will kill you if you do anything other than stay silent).
If you don't choose to put in the effort, Kanou will call you out for it. Atou didn't put in the effort to find out more about him, so that understanding isn't present.
You have to make the active choice to do so; you need to want to understand Kanou, to learn more about him. If you don't, well, you made your choice, didn't you?
I really, really like the contrast here. It's even present in how he speaks after this conversation. With the flag, he shares more details, because he trusts Atou.
Versus when the flag isn't active:
I like them. I like how the kanou flag furthers the sentiment that you need to choose to understand others. You need to make the active choice to seek out more about them, and to acknowledge them as human beings. And I think that's wonderful.
stormborns
germansingergirl
