U are so right
Love ur analysis of this cause when I was reading this I was wondering the same thing
Especially with Naho’s two new friends like it wouldn’t make sense for them to be making fun of him behind his back and then genuily ask him to eat lunch with them
I don’t think author meant for it to be that deep and they’re really just making fun of him since he’s shy and withdrawn. Maybe they don’t mean to be really malicious but just think he’s pathetic and want to tease him.
Out of curiosity, I read the raws for it (I'm Japanese fluent, but still prefer English), and you would be correct. Given the language that's actually used, they're not really making fun of him, and do find him cute. Particularly Hakusa, who's just being friendly in his own way. There's a cultural undertone that's difficult to express, but I think native readers won't see it as Kana's friends being mean.
Tbh just from their behavior and expressions alone even if it’s not bullying, it seems unpleasant. I can see why Naho thought that they hated him.
I got a little pissed at Kana's passive aggression and attitude towards Naho, at his friends also especially Hakusa, but now I'm starting to see that maybe we have a case of unreliable narrator here. Naho's perspective has been warped once he realized that he's just average, so I wonder if everyone's attitude towards him is negative due to his own interpretation of events. Looking back I think Hakusa (the blondie) may actually find Naho cute, his paper crafts being funny in a cute and innocent way. He even made a tiny shuriken to trade and forced Kana to give him some of Naho's creations, so there is no way he's mocking him. Aoi also clearly thinks Naho is cute.
Also the fact that Naho has no friends in class in the beginning maybe bc his world used to revolve around Kana that he unintentionally left himself out of everyone else's circles. The moment he approached the 2 class mates they immediately invited him along, so maybe they're not talking behind his back, that's just how he interpreted it out of insecurities.