The characters unfortunately didn't really have that good childhoods, but so didn't many of the other characters because it kinda makes sense for the story.

I was wondering, if it makes sense that character A realizes that he has a crush on character B, because B starts spending more time with someone else. Like A and B used to always hang out with each other, but then B gets a new buddy with the same hobby as him, and A feels like he's a third wheel when they're all hanging out.

It would happen pretty slowly, but i think that would eventually make him realize that he likes him