Dave cast a pitiful look at Hera, his eyes welling up as if on cue, trying to make his act more dramatic and earn her sympathy. He wanted her to see how he was always the butt of jokes among his friends, hoping to highlight how much they bullied him.
And he saw this as an opportunity to get closer to Hera, especially now that Rafael was making significant progress and transforming in unexpected ways. Dave was determined not to be the last in ranking among the six of them, feeling increasingly desperate. Previously, he had been somewhat complacent, thinking Rafael's position at the bottom made him the least favored or most disliked. But now, Rafael's dramatic turnaround had shifted the dynamics, and Dave was anxious not to be left behind.
