I have sympathy for him as a character with a very straightforward and honest communication style. From his perspective, he was repeatedly having this type of conversation:
"Come do X."
"I don't want to do that."
"You have to do that or else I'll criticize you as being a bad partner."
"Okay, fine, I'll do it."
Because what would it mean if he tells someone to do something and then ignores a clear no? He would be issuing an ultimatum and pressuring them. This interpretation is reinforced by Nozaki not accepting the break up, as well as some of her more problematic behavior that can be genuinely manipulative.
As a youth, he doesn't yet have as much as experience with people who communicate differently. His lack of empathy is because he doesn't understand what Nozaki is feeling or doing, rather than not caring how Nozaki feels or being unable to express compassion. He likely would feel more for her if he understood, even if it wouldn't change his desire for the relationship to be over. Despite all this, he tries to avoid causing new problems for Nozaki, which is evidence he'd prefer for her to be doing well.
last edited at Dec 11, 2025 9:43AM