There’s something deeply comforting about watching a youthful romance unfold without a lot of drama, where two people simply meet, hesitate, and fall in love. School Trip: Joined a Group I’m Not Close To unfolds with that kind of slow build, offering a story that feels like catching your breath in a world that rarely slows down.

Adapted from Kakuregi Uzura’s novel Shugakuryoko de Nakayokunai Group ni Hairimashita, this Japanese BL follows Hioki Asahi (Fujimoto Kodai), a second-year high school student whose worst fear comes true when school trip groups are announced and he’s separated from his closest friends. Awkward, introspective, and painfully aware of his own perceived insignificance, Hioki suddenly finds himself invited into a group he never imagined belonging to: the school’s admired “Four Heavenly Kings.” Among them is Watarai Tsukasa (Kan Hideyoshi), whose attentiveness immediately sets him apart.

What begins as a matter of circumstance slowly becomes something more intentional. Watarai chooses Hioki again and again through small kindnesses, patient listening, and his steadfast presence. As Hioki struggles to believe he deserves that kind of attention, their connection grows.

Rounding out the group are Morisaka Naoya (Sakuragi Masaya), Nakasato Haruki (Fukuda Ayuta), and Hotta Hayato (Shimizu Kairi), whose friendships offer sincerity, support, and loyalty.

Maybe it’s the holidays, or the weight of the world pressing in from every headline, but watching Hioki and Watarai fall in love over the course of the school trip and beyond felt good for my soul. There’s no rush, no super angst. School Trip doesn’t include much shock value or heat. It is built on awkward silences, stolen glances, and the terrifying bravery it takes to admit you care about someone, especially someone of the same sex.

That first love awkwardness is honestly its greatest strength. The misunderstandings are small and human. The emotions are sincere. Every moment between Hioki and Watarai is tender and super heart-fluttering in a way that made me smile and giggle. I found myself just as invested as Hioki and just as hopeful, nervous, and overwhelmed by the idea of being chosen for being exactly who you are.

But what truly makes School Trip stand out is that it’s not only about falling in love for the first time, but about true friendship. The kind of friendship that doesn’t demand you change. The kind that stands beside you without judgment. By the time the series ended, it felt like leaving a group of friends I hadn’t known I needed.

In a year filled with heavy stories and heavier realities, School Trip: Joined a Group I’m Not Close To ended 2025 as one of my top favorites, not because it tried to be extraordinary, but because it showed how beautiful gentleness can be.

For a feel good series about first love, friendship, and finding where you belong, School Trip: Joined a Group I’m Not Close To is streaming now on GagaOOLala. It may just leave you smiling a little longer than you expect.

Rating- 4.5 out of 5