Hoo boy, there are lots of them. If the interface didn't fool you, the dialogues will give enough that you'll mistake this for a Dating Sim at some point, if not a BL game with the hints extending to the boys' interactions with each other as well. While the Ship Tease elements with the protagonist were toned down over time, the Homoerotic Subtext between the characters has become increasingly prominent.
- The dialogues in events don't help matters. Especially when a character is speaking to the player. Even some of the card CG's that have Anzu in show hints of ship tease.
- Izumi is canonically in love with Makoto to the point of stalking and following him around. This doesn't even extend to just Makoto, as he talks about 'finding a suitable substitute' if Makoto won't keep him company. Said substitute being... Yuuta, of course.
- The Midsummer's night dream event is essentially very big with Izumi/Makoto in the same way as Band Ensemble. It has to be read to be believed.
- In one card set, Izumi is shown knitting a scarf for Makoto. Makoto's card proper has him willingly wearing the thing, embarrassed.
- Koga mentions that he followed Rei from middle school because of how much he loves Rei. For bonus points, this was on the White Day event.
- Chiaki and Kanata are the Designated Parents of their unit (all the other members being first-year students), with Kanata referring to their juniors as their children. Kuro even asks Kanata if he joined Ryuseitai because he fell in love with Chiaki (and Kanata never actually denies it).Kanata: I still… do not understand very well about heroes, but… I feel that I can come to "love" "Ryuseitai". Chiaki, and everyone, I will gradually come to "love" you…♪
Chiaki: Is that so? I… share your feelings of love.- The anime adaptation takes it a step further, with Kuro telling Kanata to help Chiaki look out for the Ryuseitai juniors because "it's the wife's job to look after the kids when the husband's away".
- Mika and Shu’s feelings towards each other are shown canonically. For sometime, Mika used to compare himself a lot to Nazuna. However, !!, Shu said that Mika was the one who saved him “your very existence saved me” since he stayed with Shu even though Shu would often advice him to leave Valkyrie for something “better”.
- Tomoya is blissfully infatuated with Hokuto, who doesn't seem to take the blatant hint. The January 2019 Theatre Club scout in particular begins with Hokuto asking Wataru to be his lover... though only as acting practice. Still, a crowd forms and when Mitsuru asks Tomoya what's going on, Tomoya says it's a love confession. Mitsuru is surprised since they're both boys, but says that Tomoya must feel complicated considering that he loves Hokuto, and encourages him to express his feelings quickly before it's too late! Tomoya clarifies that Hokuto's confession isn't real, but doesn't in any way contradict his other assumption, saying instead that he doesn't need to confess because he expresses his love for Hokuto every day. It doesn't end there, either; later that day Hokuto asks to meet up with Tomoya and the latter wonders whether he means to practise giving a love confession with him, calling that a 'blissful development'! He's disappointed when that turns out not to be the case, but when Hokuto offers to pay for his lunch, he remarks that it feels like something out of an old-fashioned date, even though he passes on it.
- There are two separate occasions where Keito and Kuro compare themselves to a married couple—in Quarrel Fes Kuro notices that as they watch over Souma and Anzu they feel like parents taking care of their kids, and Keito wonders aloud which of them is the mother and which the father; in a later case, Keito brings an interesting manga to Kuro who notes that by always coming to him when he finds something interesting Keito is acting like a wife, and Keito merely remarks that he doesn't see anything wrong with doing that.
- Hinata loves flirting with Tetora (who is generally too oblivious to notice)—on two different occasions he pulls the 'Do you want dinner? A bath? Or... me?' routine, aka the Newlywed's Triplet used as a cliche example of idyllic married life. In one of those cases it's especially forward because the context is that Tetora didn't have any lunch to eat that day so Hinata recited that as a 'side dish', which in Japanese is also a euphemism for, um, fantasy material.
- In the last event of the original app, Wataru effectively proposes to Eichi, getting down on one knee and handing him a mask and asking what it means—Eichi understands it instantly, that Wataru is signifying that he gives to Eichi his entire soul.
- Rinne refers to Aira as 'girlfriend-kun' (in relation to Hiiro) and warns him that guys like them aren't suitable for marriage.
- The biggest offender by far is Rinne—he has no compunctions being as obnoxiously flirtatious as he likes, and he certainly doesn't hold back against anyone. But even then, he makes it no mystery that Niki is his favourite, not only making lewd comments about how Niki looks like a wife from behind and how he'd like to eat him up, but telling Kohaku that he shouldn't be too flattering or Niki will get jealous, insisting that Niki's in love with him. Whether Niki ACTUALLY feels anything other than annoyance back is much more ambiguous, however...Niki: I never should have picked this guy up off the streets back then, I regret this on average three times per day...
Rinne: Ehhhh Niki, you're making me blush! You really think about me that often~?- The final instalment of the main story reveals that Niki is much more attached to Rinne than he usually lets on, with him telling Rinne he'd decided to look after him forever on the day they first met. When Rinne plans to quit being an idol and return to his village to assume his rightful position as chief, Niki prepares to go with him, telling Rinne to repay him for all the freeloading he allowed by taking care of Niki for the rest of their lives. The text all but explicitly spells out that they're eloping and that Niki is going to be Rinne's kept man. When their plan is eventually foiled, Niki even laments the loss of his Happily Ever After.
- In the Hot Limit event, Rinne laments that he can't legally marry Niki in Japan. Later, when an unusually affectionate Niki thanks him profusely, declares his love and asks for a kiss, Rinne tells him to wait until they're married.
- The second Ensemble Stars!! event, Date Plan A to Z, doesn't even hesitate before diving right in - the entire premise is that Kaoru was feeling lonely about not having a girlfriend, so Chiaki decides to dress up as a girl and be his girlfriend for a date. He only manages to find a red ribbon and so doesn't actually end up crossdressing, but still! And within the story, Natsume tells Niki and Mitsuru that Chiaki and Kaoru are dating, and while both are surprised neither questions it even for a moment.
- Parodied in the Romantic? Date scout story, where ALKALOID and Crazy:B are tasked with providing romantic scenarios and voice lines in pairs for a mobile game based on them. HiMERU and Tatsumi discuss each assigned pair: Rinne/Hiiro (Rinne's sleazy seduction scenario was rejected, but Hiiro's innocent seduction scenario was accepted), Kohaku/Aira (who successfully roleplayed a simple date) and Niki/Mayoi (Niki chased Mayoi threatening to eat him until Mayoi started crying in fear).
- HiMERU starts experiencing hallucinations where he can see his acquaintances' affection levels and emotions towards him as if he were in a Dating Sim, and becomes incensed that Tatsumi (whom he hates) has high affection and considers him a close friend. To complete a route and cure himself, he brings Tatsumi into an alley and performs a Wall Pin of Love while proposing marriage, then strangles Tatsumi until he accepts, freeing HiMERU from his hallucination. Despite this, Tatsumi continues to bear no ill will towards HiMERU and says he's always wanted to be his friend.
- Tatsumi goes on a date with Mayoi and sweet-talks him the entire time, flustering Mayoi as he claims that while he's incredibly happy and blessed, a second date would be no good for his heart.
- Much to HiMERU's consternation, Kohaku's affection level towards him is shockingly low. He later realises that since he's been hiding his true self the entire time, he doesn't feel that Kohaku could ever love the real him.
