Yes, this is what happened. He did feel a bit ostracised from the core three and was often hanging on the edge of their conversations with Ri-an there nursing her giant unrequited love. And so they began to talk, to connect and to share their mutual love of literature. Finally they realised they were in love, almost unwittingly. They made tentative plans to attend the same University before confessing to each other in a sweet but characteristically pragmatic way. And the rest is history.