i also don’t entirely disagree with anon’s response as yes they have definitely grown! one of my friends said that the reason is because it’s no longer them vs the world if you get what i’m saying like the main reason they were always glued at the hip is because they knew each other the best! now they have built independent connections with the wishies and hence don’t need to stick to each other at all times anymore.

also i entirely agree with you on the fact that their friendship matured so that they can spend time away from one another because that just shows how strong of a connection they have built! they don’t need to be next to each other at all times to show they are friends because no matter what everyone already knows. that’s why i also mentioned the fact that i feel like their friendship is even stronger now because they don’t need to be with each other 24/7 to prevent drifting apart! ❤️❤️

hi anon hope all is well!! I get why it may seem like that tbh but i really do not believe that their dynamics have changed in the slightest. i would even say that they are closer now than they were during their debut days!! i think the confusion spirals because of the fact sakuya aims to be a bit more subtle about it but is still blatantly obvious (though he may think he is not). people confuse sakuya as this mature guy who is nonchalant/uncaring but i strongly believe that he cares so much about ryo that he would genuinely sacrifice everything if it meant he can keep sharing his space with ryo! just because ryo is more touchy doesn’t make the friendship they have one sided, just a difference in expressing their love and care! sakuya always gives him sly touches (sneaking his arm around ryo’s shoulder), says comforting words to ryo when ryo most needs it and steals glances at ryo during the most random times just to see what he is doing. he is very smooth with it which makes it seem like it’s not there, but it is!

besides the point let’s also remember that they are human! people do not have to be with each other 24/7 in order to prove their friendship, let’s not forget they share a room and probably see each other the most, it’s only healthy if they distance themselves a little! they are in a group with 4 other wonderful members whom they have strong connections with so ofc they won’t stick to each other at all times but that doesn’t mean anything changed between them. i really hate this weird narrative people put out saying sakuya is going into his “oppa stage” (ofc not saying this is what you are doing) and that ryo is the only one creating interactions between the two because if people actually watched their content they would know this is not true in the slightest.

however at the end of the day, we don’t know them! they are behind our screens so ofc we won’t know their true feelings or how they perceive each other, we are just fans and that is okay! sakuya has always been known to be quite closed off on cameras but how would we know he is closed off irl? he is also just a boy who is still growing and has his boundaries. to conclude this long essay of a response i have made, we have no right to determine whether they have drifted apart or not because we are not them! ofc everyone is entitled to their own opinion but this is what me and my 2 lovely friends think.

• “we are a duo that clicks well, so having a good friend like him makes me feel reassured and grateful.”
• “friends for life! … we are honestly friends for life!”

all from tingle salon.

p.s. this is sakuya centric as lots of people like to say that ryo is the only one putting in effort.