#mystic code book

The trio is still incredibly close in canon, to the point Emma highlights how everything is going to be okay in chapter 161 specifically because the three of them are together again before focusing on their larger group.

Ray considers Emma and Norman more precious to him than anything.

(Chapter 93)

And when on the precipice of no return and safe in the human world Norman wants nothing more than to be with Emma and Ray.

(Chapter 145 | Volume 18 Title Art | Chapter 181.4/Epilogue)

Each dynamic in the trio has their own rapport that's unique to them.

Norman will happily go along with Emma's whimsical antics in a heartbeat.

(Chapter 65 Bonus Comic)

And he deeply admires her convictions and how authentic she is in everything she does.

(Chapter 4 | Chapter 14 | Norman's early series concepts)

But he only shows his more prideful and ruthless side (or "little devil girl" in editor Sugita's words) in front of Ray because he believes Ray is the only one who will understand that part of himself without having it reflect on him badly.

(Mystic Code Book Chapter 1; I'd say "doesn't hide this side of himself" from Ray over "true nature" because it's not as if the way he acts around everyone else is an entirely fake persona, but rather they're both different facets of himself and he keeps this one largely hidden for a few reasons. Still obsessed with Sugita's "little devil girl" phrasing though dslkfsd)

Ray does understand, and it's part of why he likes Norman.

(Chapter 4; though even before Norman discovered the secret of the house Ray would appreciate this for how it broke up the monotony of daily life at Grace Field and be fascinated at how Norman was so particular about keeping this aspect of himself hidden)

But while he'll tease Norman about his crush on Emma in the first light novel:

(TPN Light Novel 1, A Letter from Norman - “A Gift from the 39th Girl”)

He more often banters with and teases Emma because of how animated her reactions are:

(Chapter 10 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18; even if he finds it frustrating at times and a potential detriment to their escape, there's an appreciation for how she's able to live so honestly while he can't)

i think all of this has given me a conclusion, and maybe i believe that shirai wanted the main three to be as close as possible (maybe in terms of dating)

Romance has never been the biggest focus of the series with survival occupying a lot of their time and resources, and given how young they are for the majority of it I don't think dating was ever something Shirai wanted to tackle within the confines of the main story.

The most he's done is muse about Norman's love for Emma coming true one day.

(Demizu Interview on Mandō Kobayashi from January 2018 when the anime was in production, also translated by @1000sunnygo)

And even then there was still some back and forth about it during the production of the anime.

(Minerva Confidential Report from the S1 Blu-ray; Kanbe blatantly on Noremma and no homo agenda lol)

Was this back and forth because at the time the series wasn't finished being written and Shirai wanted to keep such things close to his chest? Or was it because he's very particular about how things should play out given Norman was never meant to be Emma's Prince Charming, but her horse.

(2020 Exhibition Interview)

And he was leery about it devolving into common trappings of shounen where the main girl *has* to fall in love with the main boy because it's expected or treated as a reward for him, feeling it was a disservice to all parties involved? Who can say.

Regardless, the full score trio's relationship is the bedrock of the series, to the point that it's incorporated into the Japanese logo.

(Chapter 83 Side Story)

It lines up with this analysis of the trio's respective intellectual strengths well, with Norman just knowing all the technical aspects of swimming and Emma just winging it and learning as she goes, potentially pushing or pulling Norman along with the speed she's seen going. Ray probably read something about it so he could swim after them if pressed.

Shoutout to @stray-tori for this edit of that strip from her reading of volume 10 (because NE would pull that shit to get Ray in the water fslkdj)

As a side note, I wish we had a confirmed scaling between the human and demon worlds since we're never shown that the kids need to traverse any large bodies of water in the search for Cuvitidala and the Seven Walls they would either need to swim or acquire a boat (playing into the demon world is underwater theory), but presumably none of the Grace Field kids ever had the opportunity to learn how to swim before they left for the demon world. The three other premium farms might of had a pool if they were set up like schools or towns to provide another venue for physical activity though.

(Mystic Code Book Chapter 3)

Regarding sports, I've seen multiple instances of Emma being into volleyball in part because of her similarities to Hinata from Haikyuu!, so if I had to pick a team sport I'd probably go with that, but I don't have any in-depth headcanons for it. I love @7w7thais' high school AU featuring this though!

I also adore this comic by winter_calm about REN's morning routine where Emma goes for a run after giving the boys a good morning kiss, and then she picks up groceries for Ray to make breakfast for the three of them. Incredibly canon to me. 🖤🧡🤍

I could see RE going on longer runs together, ranging from similar casual grocery runs or something more competitive, with Emma winning more often than not (and despite knowing her nearly all his life, Ray still wonders how someone so tiny can have enough energy for all three of them).

Norman…I think you could argue anywhere from him doing the bare minimum to stay healthy (it takes so much time and there's so many other things he could be doing! RE have to drag him to go running with them, and even then he ducks out early) to him eventually being a big cardio guy and looking akin to this ancient meme while doing it:

(Chapter 121)

But I just can't see him ever being big into weight lifting lol. I always default to Ray and Emma maintaining more muscle than him.

(Chapter 4 Bonus Sketch)

But general outdoorsy activities? He'd love to play tag with the younger kids. (Pre-finding Emma I've very fond of a scene I mentioned in this ask playing out, of Norman getting winded either from a general illness or him still dealing with Lambda sickness, reassuring everyone that he's fine and encouraging them to go off and play while he rests a bit, eventually the group whittling down to just him and Ray sitting under the shade of a tree, space left for a third. Watching their family indulge in such mirth without fear of a future cut short, they know even with the lows that have come before and could come again, when they find Emma, they'll be able to genuinely tell her they've been well.) Same for Emma and Ray. Frisbee golf, sunbathing or swimming at the beach, hiking, they're up for a lot of activities if it involves their friends and family.

They've also taken their siblings mini-golfing, but they've gone with just the three of them, too. It usually ends up with Norman and Ray taking forever to take a shot to irritate the other two (with the other two knowing he's already calculated the exact trajectory he needs for a hole in one or a birdie, and it's mini-golf, my ass you need to wait for the wind to change or whatever), which leads to Emma taking forever to take a shot in retaliation (she's more prone to being adventurous with her swings, which has resulted in breaking something at least once on a course, but she's not a slouch either) before they're all lowkey being judged by the group (or two) following them to move on already.

And picnics! They love going out on a walk to a favorite spot with a basket or two prepared by Ray, or planning an afternoon somewhere they've never been before to enjoy some new scenery and local cuisine (though Emma and Norman always insist Ray's is their favorite). It doesn't always turn out as planned between being rained out or sudden allergy attacks, but even then they're still able to enjoy themselves.

(There's nothing quite like catching the other two in conversation, wind gently carding through their hair, framing their faces so beautifully, as fondness seeps into each word and each natural pause, heart brimming with love both at the sight of their partners in their own unique dynamic and within their trio as a whole, each moment etched into their new forever.)

Sometimes the picnics lead into stargazing if they're out far enough. Emma loves pulling Norman and Ray close whenever she takes note of the North Star, because like she concluded when they were children, it's just like them.

(TPN Light Novel 4: Films of Memories - “The Guiding Star”)