Source

The last few pages hit kinda close to home. I don't know if it was the artist's intention, but as someone who got bullied a lot as a child, I'm always scared that a friend / loved one teasing me might bring those memories back and ruin the moment like it just happened in this comic. Sure, blasting someone with bubble tea is more than just "teasing" and inappropriate in a public setting, but my point remains the same.

I think that was the intent. Sy's character has been someone who's been traditionally on the outside, with no close friends other than Tanner. I will at least say that there's a happy ending to the arc and you at least get to know a few bad memories of Tanner as payment.

After realizing I'd seen a couple of these, I decided to give it a read to get the context

Super cute comic!