sometimes i think about how nendo, kaido, saiki, (and sometimes kuboyasu but usually only when associated with them) are canonically the losers of PK and people actively dislike them, talk bad about them, make rumors about them, etc.
I was thinking about how Saiki's friends would react to finding out about all the trauma and abuse he has suffered throughout his life, but the one that got to me the most was Nendou. Of course all of Saiki's friends would be upset and angry to hear about how the incident in 2nd grade affected Saiki or the torture Kusuke put him through, but Nendou would be absolutely devasted. He legitimately sobbed at the idea that Saiko was leaving PK Academy, someone who he was barely even friends with. He clearly feels so deeply for the people in his life. Imagine how heartbroken he would be to find out the boy he considers to be his best friend went through so much pain and is still dealing with the psychological trauma. The boy Nendou blooded himself and almost broke his back for to protect from a falling bookshelf. He loves Saiki so much and already feels a responsibility to protect him. Knowing that his best buddie was going through so much this whole time would break him. Nendou may not be the smartest when it comes to most things, but he is one of the if not the most emotionally intelligent character in the series. He is very in tune with and comfortable expressing his emotions, which is the exact type of person Saiki needs. I think Nendou would make it his personal mission to make sure Saiki knows he is loved and that his friends are there for him.
the saiki k cast is all just so sad like seriously they have so many issues it isnt funny
aiura has probably tried to warn people about their deaths so many times and it just doesnt work
kusuke feels probably completely worthless when compared to his brother and moved away at 16
kusou has seen the absolute worst in humanity and probably feels like garbage because he didnt do anything
teruhashi needs to get into therapy so bad it isnt funny
nendou is hated just because of the way he looks even though hes one of the sweetest people out there
aren has been beating people up since elementary and based on his nickname has killed someone and likely struggles with the guilt of that
kaidou has a very overbearing mother thats trying to push him in a direction he doesnt want to go
mera works like 5 separate jobs just to provide for her family
saiko most likely doesnt know how to properly convey emotions since all he cared about til the show was money
chiyo feels she has to have a boyfriend and when she does get one he fucking sucks
akechi used to be beat up by bullies
if hairo gets burn out hes just going to explode since all he does is help people and without that hed probably feel useless
and toritsuka didnt know his grandparents were dead til he tried to hug them
the entirety of this mangas cast needs therapy and if it wasnt for each other they probably couldnt cope (anyways im very normal about this show)
I think the people Kusuo feels most comfortable with are Nendo and Touma
Both are the extreme opposite of the other but even though they are so different, they end up complementing each other
Nendo doesn't know how to help the others solve their problems, but he does know what to do to comfort and support others while they try to solve their shit
On the other hand, i feel that Akechi is not the most delicate person in the world, he will always give you a blow of reality, but what he does know is how to solve the problems that arise
That's why they complement each other and that's why Kusuo would feel more comfortable with both of them together
one is a good-hearted idiot who just wants to see his friends happy, while the other is an autistic guy who will give you thousands of ways to achieve that happiness
but the most important thing of all is that they BOTH care a lot about Kusuo in their own way
ALSO
One is the childhood friend with who Kusuo went through several things that made him put up walls so that people could no longer enter his life
and the other is the new friend who is step by step destroying those walls and rebuilding the trust that Kusuo places in others AAAAA