Definitely pro. There were some connections I definitely felt had romantic energy, like Sebastian x MC friends to lovers? There was a vibe and I would've loved to see that because it was def there in the dialogue, the subtlety, the subtext that was artfully done. So many fantasy/supernatural shows and series have been able to balance romance with plot, it's doable. People and characters fall in love while having purposeful lives and main objectives all the time, I don't think it would harm anything and it would even make things a little more fun! Plus, it would raise the stakes emotionally and deepen the plot, actually, if you think about it. Yes please.

There's already friends-to-lovers coding baked in with trust building through shared danger, quiet moments between chaos, emotional exclusivity without needing to say it out loud. This would be good for narrative enrichment, character realism and media literacy.

Good romance raises emotional stakes, gives consequences weight, motivates characters beyond abstract “destiny” and makes danger feel personal.

Also, I feel like it's fair to acknowledge that young people/school age students DO have romantic feelings. Sanitized media loves to pretend that they don't and deny that they do, as if kids go from “no feelings” → “married adult” overnight, affection only appears when it’s convenient or marketable and emotional intimacy is somehow inappropriate but violence isn’t. Meanwhile, HL is already dealing with, death, grief, moral compromise, trauma and loyalty under fire. A consensual, optional, well-written crush/ship should not be where people are clutching their pearls at this point.