This chapter (manga chapter 9) ends about halfway through the 5th chapter of the first volume of the light novel. And they don't officially become a couple until the last chapter of the third light novel. The first light novel has 6 chapters, the second has 8 chapters, and the third has 10 chapters. The name of Volume 3, Chapter 9 is "Confession", if that tells you anything.
There's a lot of hemming and hawing, but there's also a fair amount that happens in between, within a short time frame to be honest, since they go from unknowns to dating within about 2 weeks or so. After this chapter, they have a movie date, followed by the petting zoo / water park date, Haruto's grandma suffering heatstroke, Haruto falling ill, Haruto and Ayaka agreeing to be fake boyfriend/girlfriend for Haruto's grandma's sake, various "fake" dating interactions, a BBQ at the Toujou household, even more fake boyfriend/girlfriend interactions (including some couples yoga), and a camping trip.
Shortly afterward, Ayaka makes a move due to circumstances, Haruto bails due to his own circumstances, and they finally meet, talk it out, and agree to date. It's honestly really sweet, and the pacing doesn't seem incredibly forced, even if you're yelling at them the whole time to just start dating. It's a very vanilla love story and incredibly straightforward, but it's also really cute, and I hope the manga lasts long enough to get to Ayaka's public self-destruction that happens well after they start dating. It's both super rewarding and super hilarious.