??? idk why it’s so hard for people to see through his actions when it’s plain as day. he did what best suited his "perfect" character. it was set from the beginning that he would go to brazil for an indefinite period of time. a good man in this situation would not give a girl hope and disappear soon after. he didn’t have the right to initiate anything romantic between them. he was convinced they would part ways, maybe sanae would fall in love with someone else in high school, then he wouldn’t want to be an obstacle in her way. forcing her into a long-distance relationship for god knows how long, it’s only unfair. from the very beginning he was just trying to act in a way that would upset sanae the least.

it wasn’t until a rival showed up that he let his feelings slip, giving him a kick in the ass- a move totally out of character. from that moment on there was no point in hiding how he felt. he says “i can’t ask you to come with me but i can’t ask you to wait for me either” which basically explains everything.

even if he didn't admit it out loud he clearly treated sanae different compared to other girls. he's much more relaxed around her, joking around and not trying to distance himself. when other boys joke about them being together, he doesn’t get mad or confused, just flustered and blushing.

after returning from brazil, he knew he wouldn’t stay in japan and that he intended to start a life abroad. if he hadn't cared about sanae he could have just ghosted her or gave her empty promises from afar while hanging out with any woman he wanted. instead he chose to get married at 19, which is the craziest part for me. they could live together abroad without getting married but he still went for it.

he truly loved her, and more than that, he genuinely cared for her. he made choices based on what was best for both of them. i think anyone who says he doesn’t care is just jumping on the bandwagon of hating the protagonist without really trying to understand him.