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I actually do think Arata is quite lonely. Physically interacting with other people isn't the same thing as having meaningful relationships. I think the difference between Arata and Shinobu is a matter of self-awareness - he realizes he's lonely and he's capable of trying to change his life as a result. Right now, she's not.
I think the whole point of Arata' request to his parents is because he realized the short time he spent with Taichi and Chihaya was the most meaningful of his life. I think Seutsugu threw the kind of half-assed thread with him playing on a team on there as much to frame his development around this as anything else. Arata's isolation may be self-imposed, but it's still isolation. Just because a guy isn't a hikikomori doesn't mean he's not lonely.
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