#bismuthwisdom

1. Gakushuu and Seo

Simply put, these two ground the other when needed. Seo's (later on in the series) not afraid of calling Gakushuu out; that sharp tongue of his is useful for giving his leader a much needed reality check. However, his tongue can be a little too sharp, which is why Gakushuu needs to rein him in every now and then like the good leader that he is. They basically act as the voice of reason for the other.

Other times however, they're not so mature. I've mentioned before how I hc they're karaoke rivals. In fact, I hc it was Seo who got Gakushuu into Karaoke in the first place (because no way would Mr. Eye-bags walk into a Karaoke bar on his own; that's too much precious study time wasted!) Look, these too are passionate about music. Do you know what happens when two hardcore music lovers clash? You get 4-6 hour Karaoke marathon. That's when the voice of reasons job is passed onto the remaining three virtuosos…or at least onto Ren and Araki. Koyama just continues enjoying the musical madness.

2. Seo and Araki

The opposites attract kind of besties. It started off as Araki lowkey worshipping Seo for living abroad, and while Seo loved the ego boost, he did later grow to genuinely enjoy the company. Behind Seo's tough guy act lays a massive superhero fan: Marvel, DC, Sonic Ninja, and maybe some good superhero manga, too; and it's Araki's own nerdiness that brings that side out. That said, Seo's a bad influence on Araki tbh. Prior to their meeting, Araki was your standard good boy— a true stickler to the rules, though he did secretly harbor some dark sentiments towards others, and it was Seo who brought it out by existing with the same radius as Araki. Who knew Seo was so inspirational?

3. Ren and Araki

These two just get along naturally. Their dynamic mirrors Yukiko and Okuda's—peaceful, if not a little formal. I hc these two had a similar upbringing, though Ren's was a little stricter. (I see the Sakakibaras having a slightly higher social status)

Since Araki's a trivia nerd and Ren's a literature lover, of course they'd bond over reading and overanalyzing books, usually romance. These two can talk books for hours, and if Seo or Gakushuu think it's stupid, someone should remind them how long their Karaoke battles usually lasts. They'll shut up real quick. They do this with dramas by the way.

And because I hc Araki to have a romantic side, he sometimes goes to Ren for love advice. Yes, I know a womanizer is not the right person to ask, but that's exactly why I said sometimes. It's not like Araki's planning on amassing his very own harem (He's monogamous, I swear!) he just wants to know how you ask a girl out, what's the right thing to say, How do you say it, is there something as too much cologne, what brand should he use, etc… He asks precise questions.

Still, it doesn't get him any bitches. Araki just doesn't have the cool vibes to pull off a Ren… poor Raki boy

4. Gakushuu, Ren, and Araki

This is what I call "The parent group" since it's comprised of the (mostly) mature members of the B5. Ren and Araki are pretty much Gakushuu's second-in-commands. It's not uncommon to find the three of the staying behind after school for some council work or A Class-related plan (Seo and Koyama don't attend as often either because they don't want to or aren't needed). Contrary to what Gakushuu thinks, he would’ve gone mad without these two by his each of his side. I hc these three were the earliest members of the B5 so they go way back. They have this special bond that Seo and Koyama just aren't apart of.

5. Araki, Seo, and Koyama

Presenting the Kids' group! Seo alone is a bad influence on Araki; add the chaos-loving gremlin into the mix and our trivia nerd has fallen to the dark side. I see Araki as someone easily influenced by the type of company he has—someone who goes with the flow. Sometimes, he's a responsible young man, other times he's stupid teenager.

Honestly, I don't think it's always a bad thing. Again, pre-Seo Araki was a good boy, maybe even too good. It's normal for a boy his age to unwind and partake in whatever stupid shit boys these days are into; you can't expect him to always act like an adult. The question is how far will this trio go before Gakushuu has to save their asses? 99% of the time it's Seo or Koyama's big mouths that gets them in trouble, and 80% of the time it's Seo finds himself as the adult when he realizes they may or may not have gone too far. He's not always stupid, okay? Koyama is hopeless so don't count on him to do anything other than enjoying the chaos.

6. Ren and Koyama

A surprisingly wholesome pair; when Koyama's around Ren, he goes from chaotic little shit to sweet little baby. Ren's the cool party guy and has always made sure to include Koyama in the fun. Ren also likes to sample Koyama's cooking. He's too nice to say no, and usually, it's good so there's no problem. When it's not so good, Ren's pretty gentle with his constructive criticism and Koyama takes it like it were the Holy Grail.  

They can also be goofy sometimes. Koyoma's photographic memory makes him remember most, if not all, of Ren's essays and poems, and he uses them in writing tests and assignments. Ren's flattered and it makes his day when koyama suddenly sprouts some of his poetry when the mood calls for it. Seriously, once they were trying to encourage Araki to ask a girl out and Koyama recited one of Ren's motivational poems and Ren just joined in. Seo suffered major second hand embarrassment that day…

7. Ren and Seo

Even Ren's patience has limits, and Gakushuu seems deadest on testing those limits with his overambitious nature. So what does a concerned friend do in this situation? He complains to Seo.

Araki's too nice and will just agree to everything Ren says, but he won't actually do anything else. Koyama, especially early on in the series, won't see the problem. Not only is Seo blunt and honest, but he also understands Ren's concern. They all can see past Gakushuu's BS, but only Seo is willing to be vocal about it, which validates Ren's concerns.

But these talks aren't just limited to Shuu, Ren usually goes to Seo for an honest opinion on anything, no matter how mundane. Sometimes, he likes having a debate and seeing a different perspective.

8. Seo and Koyama

Much like Ren, Seo's always made sure to include Koyama in the fun. He of all people knows the fear of being left out, so when Koyama came along, Seo felt like he gets this guy. Plus, more pals for him :D

These two are the resident trouble makers, plus they've got the sharpest tongues. They're like brothers, and Seo likes to think he's the cool big bro guiding his little bro Koyama through the ropes and all. So inspirational

But like any younger sibling, Koyama. Is. A. little. Shit! Remember how the Kids group gets in trouble and it's Seo who has to fix everything? That's 'cause Koyama would rather sit back and watch instead of lending his "big brother" a hand, even when the mess if his fault. You can bet Seo is not happy, yet for some reason, they continue hanging out. 🤔

 9. Koyama, Araki, and Ren

The book club which of the fantasy Wiz Natsu, Romance lover Teppei, and the supreme lord of literature himself, Ren! This is the byproduct of the aforementioned Ren-Araki friendship and they do more than reading and analyzing. You'd think that having two members of the parent group would keep the chaos to a minimum. Gakushuu sure did, but it turned out having Koyama was alone to summon the chaos. It was Koyama's bright idea to include cosplaying and acting out their favorite scenes. Araki's really passionate about getting the costumes just right, down the tiniest detail. Oh, and we can't forget about the snack.

The "club meeting" usually starts out as formal as a court hearing before gradually devolving into enthusiastic ramblings that consist of analysis, theories, squealing, and random poetry thrown around by Koyama and Ren.

10. Ren and Gakushuu

Originally, I wasn't going to include this since it's such a popular dynamic, but then again, why not include Candy's two boys? It's a canon friendship, but people ship them so much that the platonic aspect is HIGHLY underrated.

I believe Ren is crucial for Gakushuu's growth. The fact Ren can speak to him as an equal may be the reason why Shuu went from seeing the B5 as minions to seeing them as real friends. He could a taste of genuine friendship from Ren, which opened him more to the possibility of getting close to the other three as well. Essentially, Ren acted as the middleman between Gakushuu and the Virtuosos, whether he knew it or not. He just has this soothing affect on others.