After facing the consequences of his actions for the next five years, Shōya has become a very isolated and self-loathing person in his late teens. He has grown to deeply regret his past actions and believes himself to be unworthy of happiness. Even after befriending Shōko, Shōya is very self-critical and doubtful at first, unsure if his desire to be her friend is genuine or if he’s trying to satisfy himself. He is also shown to be quite dense to the feelings of himself and others.