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Question for naehinahara au. Who falls for who first (if romantic) and how would the interactions be when they figure out they like each other?
I'm thinking Makoto and Hajime already kind of have a preexisting rapport, having known each other longer and relied on each other in the past. They don't read their own interactions as flirty, but there are a lot of grim smiles exchanged over jokes that no one else understands, and since they're the only pair of people there who have a mutually-remembered deep connection, basically all the ingredients are in place for them to swiftly bypass every step between fond acquaintance and "I can't lose him." It's not even a situation where they really consciously notice the transition, besides maybe a thought like "I never imagined sleeping in Hajime's bed before, but this is nice."
They both feel protective toward Shuichi, since he's the most recent survivor, and he's initially looking to both of them as the two guys who are supposed to be able to handle this. Between the Ultimate Hope and the Ultimate Talent, if anyone can face this and pull everyone out alive, they can.
Shuichi's arc is realizing that Makoto and Hajime are both also guys with killing game trauma who shouldn't have to be dealing with this again. He sees Hajime cry, he sees Makoto shut down, and sometimes he's the one getting them out of bed. Seeing this side of them makes him realize how alike they are, and how they're some of the few people in the world who have been exactly where he was and understand completely. It's a very intimate feeling. Shuichi's feelings toward them turn into something like thirst (and I mean that non-suggestively, unless you want it to be suggestive, lol). He feels as though he's getting by on just this feeling of being so understood, and getting to understand them better makes him feel like there's something in this situation that he can grasp. Piece by piece, they become more human in his eyes, and more wonderful.
Makoto starts to feel attracted to Shuichi during their normal conversations and free time. It makes him feel a little more at peace when he's able to get a normal conversation out of Shuichi and see him smile. The situation is really stressful for the three of them especially, and anytime he can get Shuichi or Hajime to take a breath and not be in survival mode is a big relief. They get to know each other much like he got to know his friends in his first killing game. When talking to Shuichi and thinking about Shuichi makes him feel all warm inside, he does wonder why he feels that way, but he doesn't pursue the thought too much. It's just nice, that's all.
Hajime starts to feel attracted to Shuichi in moments where he is made to confront the fact that Shuichi isn't just another person to protect. When Shuichi comforts him, comforts Makoto, he sees someone who genuinely cares about them and isn't just relying on them to get him through a killing game, and that really means a lot to him, because he knows how tough it is to feel that kind of thing for anyone under these circumstances. The furthest he goes, as far as considering the nature of his feelings for Shuichi (or Makoto, for that matter) is deeply wishing they weren't in a killing game. By which I mean, when they are cuddling in bed together and he watches them fall asleep, he consciously thinks, I wish we weren't in a killing game. He thinks about sharing these moments with them in times of peace. He doesn't think about whether the feeling is platonic.
Shuichi's the one who probably very consciously notices that he feels romantically for both of them and they feel romantically for each other. He doesn't think they feel that way towards him, because he reads any affection they show him as a continuation of that initial protectiveness.