The gang reacts to Gray's smile the same way the readers do.
Season 1
- When Gray falls asleep in class, and Eugene pulls back the curtains so that he isn't disturbed by the sunlight. This in turn prompts Gray to dream about Stephen, his previous best friend, doing the same thing.
- Alex's friends trying to step in when he's being assaulted by Jimmy. Even though they're no better than nameless Mooks, and would doubtlessly get the crap beaten out of them by Jimmy, they're still willing to take the beating in order to protect him. It's a nice change of pace from how most of the other nameless characters try to ignore such situations.
- When Teddy sneaks into the classroom and tries to steal Gray's bag, Eugene valiantly stands up to him and tries to protect Gray's bag, even after saying that Teddy was a maniac and to be avoided at any cost. And then, when he takes a beating, he's still more concerned about the stolen bag than his own injuries.
- Ben asks Gray out for a game of pool, even though he was rejected last time. After thinking about how Ben's gang helped him retrieve his bag in the battle against Jimmy, Gray starts to realise that they genuinely care for him, and agrees to hang out.
- Teddy's almost literal Pet the Dog moment when he finds an adorable little kitten out in the rain and shelters it in his jacket, taking it home and eventually adopting it.
- When faced down by a gang of Hyeongshin students, Eugene offers himself up so that Rowan and Gray won't get hurt, reasoning that, since he's experienced the most bullying of the three, he's the most equipped to take a beating. In turn, Gray- who had passively allowed another student to get hurt, and usually never enters a battle he knows he can't quite win- announces himself as the White Mamba and uses his belt to whip the thug beating up Eugene.
- Gray is outnumbered by Hyeongshin students, and laments to himself that he'd be able to win if only he had an extra ally on his side. Cue Gerard's timely arrival, asking if Gray and the others are okay. It's that moment that Gray, for the first time, calls them his friends.
- Teddy admits that everyone probably doesn't like him for bullying them in the past. Eugene responds that he doesn't hate Teddy, mimicking a cheesy line from a Korean rapper. Teddy calls him cringy and then leaves... but as he does so, his lips pull up into a little smile.
Season 2
- When Gray inadvertently reveals his hatred of rooftops, Ben takes him out to the arcade, buys him some delicious chicken, and then tells him gently that they're friends and Gray can open up if it'll help relieve his burdens. This is how Ben ends up being the first person to learn about Gray's tragic past- and even though all he does is listen quietly, Gray feels relieved at finally getting it off his chest.
- Knowing that Gray has a fear of rooftops, Ben immediately sets out in finding a new place for the gang to hang out so that Gray can join them without being triggered. When he reveals the new hideout, Gray says with a small smile that it's really cool.
- Teddy admitting that part of the reason he deals out punishment to bullies is so that Eugene and Rowan won't have to, since they're much nicer and don't deserve to get their hands dirty.
- While Gray is in the hospital, he's seen smiling openly as all of his friends come to check up on him. It's very sweet to see him so unreserved and happy given how he's usually The Stoic.
- What drove Toby to expose Jared's activities to everyone was that Jared targeted his Father's restaurant just for kicks, leaving it close under suspension and leaving him bed-ridden. Toby made it a point during his beat down of Jared that his biggest mistake was getting his father involved.
- Thanks to Toby's post in exposing everything involving Toby and his connections to the higher ups in the school, he might have gotten some bad reputations with the teachers, but all the students began seeing him as a brave student and admire him for it. Two students, one of which had his scholarship restored thanks to it, approach him in a friendly matter and treat him to lunch. Toby is surprised by this, but likely accepted.
- Alex finding a part-time musician job for Gerard and encouraging him not to squander his talent as a guitarist. It's sweet to see how far they've come from Alex being the member of the group who liked Gerard the least.
- When Alex starts to drift away from Ben in middle school, Ben flashes back to their childhood together: when Alex stood up to bullies for Ben's sake, when Alex celebrated them getting into the same middle school, and a teeth-rottingly adorable picture
◊ of them as toddlers. - Another flashback to Alex and Ben's childhood shows a moment where Ben tries to call on Alex, only to get told that he's a soccer practice. He heads home in a sulk and passes by the soccer bus with Alex inside. He sees Ben, demands the driver let him off there, and then rushes to his friend with a huge smile.
- After his harrowing battle against Wolf, it's revealed that Gray has been able to overcome his phobia of rooftops. Of course, he hasn't forgotten about his dear friend Stephen, as is evidenced by him attaching Stephen's mattress pin to his new bag.
- Timothy thinking that he's nowhere near cool enough to be acquainted with Jake and Dean, only for the two of them to treat him like a friend as soon as he tries talking to them. He realises that, putting aside all preconceptions about Jake and his reputation, he's just a nice guy who's happy to have someone to hang out with.
- After the harrowing battle between Jake and Ben, Eugene gets the group some coffee to revitalise everyone. What follows is a panel of the group all praising Eugene as the best, always knowing how to cheer them up, with Eugene blushing from the sudden compliments.
- At the end of Season 2, Rowan comments on how much of a badass Ben is. Eugene then quietly thinks to himself that Rowan himself is pretty badass for standing up to the Daehyeon group and winning.
Season 3
- Alex confessing with a Luminescent Blush that he's really proud of Ben being his friend, and wants to do whatever he can to help him when he's troubled.
- Seeing Toby's father's chicken joint packed to the gills after Jared's bullying and temporary closure of the restaurant—something that causes his dad to fall ill—is enough to bring a smile to anyone's face. The fact that Rowan and Ben created a Youtube video that showed them devouring the chicken and singing its praises that gets bumped to the top of the algorithm, thereby introducing the place to a whole new audience, is icing on the cake.
- Gray's middle school trauma resurfaces when he's sent a lead as to where Stephen might be. Ben not only calmly encourages him to follow the lead, but also volunteers to come along as company. Gray thanks him but then tries to leave by himself, not wanting to burden his friend... except that Ben predicted he'd do that and shows up anyway with food for the journey.
- Gerard and Alex end up being confronted by the Mok-ha Duo, with Gerard taking on Seongmok while Alex faces off against Dongha. Throughout their fight, Gerard's number one concern is not for his own safety, but that Alex is alone and might need his help. Even when Seongmok knocks him down and he's on the verge of unconsciousness, Gerard's motivation to get back up is that Alex is in trouble.
- Alex is on the verge of tears after all but losing to Dongha, ashamed at himself for not being as strong as his friends and always needing to be bailed out. Gerard quietly reassures him that holding out for as long as he did is an accomplishment in itself, and that he shouldn't be so hard on himself. He then uses his jumper as a sling for Alex's arm and helps carry him to the hospital. As the episode ends, the story flashes back to their first meeting where they couldn't stand each other, to really drive home how close they've become.
- Despite the above happening, Alex physically restrains Gray to stop him from beating Dongha to death, trying to calm him down by reassuring that Eugene had been taken to the hospital by Rowan. Even though Alex is a violent fighter himself, he didn't want Gray to become a murderer, no matter how much Dongha deserved it.
