#wb217

...perhaps, if we get the happy ending and he's able to come back to makochi while having a good relationship with the RC...he could stay with sakura instead of taking a wearisome route everyday...suosaku roommates is manifesting...

Like we see Suō in his home, with his "real" family, and he's comfortable, he's settled. He jokes around with Bacchus & Rakta (whose dynamic I love already), he teases the kids who call him Sunfei-nii — here, he seems to be in a similar role to Ume.

BUT we already know about Suō's masks and Nii-sensei makes it clear with the panelling that Rakta & Bacchus know that Suō isn't fine, isn't fully happy. Plus, through the meal (that we still don't see Suō eat at!), we learn Red Chanpuru is taking outsiders under their care, but that they're struggling to keep up.

So, perhaps Suō was sent/volunteered to go to Makochi to assess and analyze how Furin operates and how effective it is in making their home flourish. Makochi seems to be rising, while Bankoku-gai is just barely staying afloat.

Red Chanpuru has to hide this fact from the kids who look up to them and admire them; they have to hide that it's not getting better, that protecting the city is harder. Whereas, under Ume's leadership, Makochi operates on a higher level of transparency between the town & Furin, maybe leading to stronger unity overall.

And that's where the ache sets in. Because Sunfei's home, but Suō isn't.

Suō got to live in a world where the weight of home wasn't on his shoulders. Where he was a pillar of support in a much larger protective barrier, rather than a dragon at the head of it. He had his responsibilities of course, but they weren't so much that they were overwhelming — the senpai ensured that. He got to be a kid.

He also got to see a place where one doesn't have to lie or obfuscate to protect what they love. For the most part, Furin where's their hearts on their sleeves, loud and brazen about their desires, uplifting the quieter voices; encouraging acknowledging weakness and asking for support from others. So different to Sunfei who continues to smile at the kids and shield their citizens from a darker reality because "There are some things they're better off not knowing."