Kiko

What happened…

Suo: We’re not anything.

Nirei, fists up: alright you fucking liar

What could have happened…

Suo: We’re not anything.

Sakura: *crumples to the ground in crippling depression*

Niisato: less than a month after, he's already one of the three main forces helping guide the protagonist not only through the physical trials the series puts on their paths, but also the emotional hurdles, essentially guiding him through life. He becomes one of his two SECOND IN COMMANDs, becoming basically the first person Sakura feels comfortable delegating to (protecting Nirei, planning their strategy, etc).

Niisato, standing up on a table: HE IS CLASS 1-1'S BRAIN AND HEART!!! HE IS INTEGRAL TO THE ORGANISM THAT IS THIS CLASS !!!

NiiSato, foaming at the mouth: SAKURA, NIREI AND THE REST ARE SUFFERING WITHOUT HIM HERE. THEY AREN'T GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP. SUO LEFT AND TOOK THE BRAINCELL WITH HIM. THEY NEED HIM

NiiSato: I'VE CRAFTED HIS BACKSTORY SO PERFECTLY, FROM THE VERY BEGINING, HE MIGHT BE THE CHARACTER IVE WORKED THE HARDEST ON AFTER SAKURA HIMSELF!!!

We, the fandom: omg I'm so scared, what if Suo never returns? What if he abandons Sakura and everyone else, never to return to the story. Never ever. Gone forever. All his development and relationships lost forever???!!!?? Ohh the fear!!!

In Your Teens you'll hear about a School Called Furin

It's very important that you go there

All of their reactions are understandable, because they're young teens and they feel hurt and betrayed, and the overwhelming lack of context on Suo's whole deal is bound to create unease, but that doesn't mean that their inferences aren't wrong or that they're thinking about this from a very emotional point of view without bothering to stop and considering anything else, and it doesn't negate that they need guidance from their upperclassmen.

Tsubaki: ahh, my little ones are so cute and stylish!! The twins did some rounds and there's not a single one who seemed upset about how I present myself, in fact, a few were even curious about my makeup routine! Such nice kouhai

Umemiya: good, good. Momose?

Momose: hmm, everything okay so far. There's been a few little scuffles, since I got a big batch of artists and some of them disagreed on the merits of their specific crafts, but everything got sorted quickly. I hear some of them have plans to paint a nice mural for the elderly couple who live near Pothos.

Umemiya: amazing, I'll be sure to check it out once they're done. Mizuki?

Mizuki: everyone seems to be getting along. A few of the younger ones seem to look up to the second years quite a bit, and so the second years seem to have taken a few under their wings.

Umemiya: that's always nice! Lastly, Hiragi...

Hiragi, who has Kaji, Sakura, Sugishita and everyone else under his command:

Umemiya:

for a character who started off talking about being alone and never having to rely on anyone, there are so many moments where you can kinda tell outwardly that sakura values suo on an emotional level, and in a fight

but there are also these more kinda inward moments sakura has where he shifts gears from his intuitive reaction to do something that suo said

another thing which also reflects this idea, are these moments where sakura takes character's strength more seriously after suo says they are strong or atleast thats how i read these scenes. cuz they had other characeters praising their strengths but when suo says something, i feel like sakura's interest in them grows

some more moments which i think fits that general idea of sakura relying on suo, if you are insane like me and love seeing them over and over 🔽

Suo meaning “Chinese Redbud” which symbolize renewal

Suo repeatedly associated with the phoenix, a creature that burns itself to ash and is reborn anew