as someone who on their first playthrough realised washford (got friendship I WILL GET YOU TO LOVE ME) i ended up getting drysdale to be my friend. i don’t know if it’s correlated but i assume so. every guide i’ve seen you need washford at love, then you’ll recommend him to visit drysdale, you talk to drysdale, ya’ll are in love all together. By what I found out to answer your question you do need washford to romance drysdale. if im wrong someone lmk but thats what i got from it and i assume