And how could that help to avoid this situation? If he refused to meet the girls Hikari set him up with, then what, she would've suddenly started liking him?
She may have been clued in that he likes her romantically? Which could've maybe caused her to see him in a different light - unknown, Yuu just decided for her that it's a lost cause. Which running theme of this manga - making decisions for other folks instead of talking to them is bad.
Currently the only proactive attempt by Yuu to clue Hikari in on his feelings that the reader knows about is the confession. Maybe we'll get that 1st heartbreak story eventually and it'll show others.
Before you start saying she is not going on dates with other boys, Yuu is not giving her signals that he doesn't care at all and is not introducing her to his friends.
Dating the girls she sets him up w/ is a very strong sign he doesn't care at all.
By setting what expectations? He didn't even go out with those girls, and at the end made it clear he was not into it.
The excerpt you quoted says he hung out w/ those girls a few times & was then awkward. His behavior could very much just be read as he didn't have chemistry with that specific girl, especially given he keeps saying yes to the set ups. The way to make it clear he's not into it is to say no to the setups altogether.
@wozbond said:
If Hikari is 'owed' a heads up, where's Yuu's heads up that Hikari was eavesdropping?
Saying she hates liars to force a conversation instead of swallowing it?
Like I fully agree not the best method and she probably should have either held fast to going home and sorted through her feelings or fully told him what she'd seen.
Since all three have gone for significant periods without telling others how they feel, none of the three have demonstrated a healthy relationship based on openness and honesty.
Yes? Like the reason Hikari rejects the confession is b/c she doesn't want to start a romantic relationship w/ Yuu off on toxic grounds and the reason that she is so hurt here is b/c this upends what she thought her relationships with Yuu and Aya were.
You mean 'kinda even' when she was SCREAMING at him for not making his feelings clear when she did exactly the same thing?
Reads to me likes she's expressing frustration at them/the situation. Like none of the facial expressions here to me read like she's angry at Yuu over this:
https://mangadex.org/chapter/55c183ae-01e9-4fdb-9bb9-e3c77f894f6f/3
Especially since throughout this scene, she's also playing cheerleader - telling Yuu she likes him and that he shouldn't be so down on himself.