Damn, Manaka really wasn’t budging, it's good to see how much she's grown. I guess her unrelenting effort comes from watching someone she cares about be overly self-sacrificial.
Kimura, even though he’s a core part of the group, still carries himself like an “audience member” in his own rom-com—almost like he’s detached from the story. He’s doing everything he can behind the scenes to make things play out the way they’re “supposed” to, even if it comes at the expense of his own wellbeing. It’s like he’s prioritising the narrative over his own feelings, which is honestly kind of sad. And yeah, I’m almost certain that refusal to even consider himself as a love interest ties back to whatever backstory we’re about to get.
As for Takabi, if her father’s main concern is her not ending up alone, then technically she’s already addressing that just by being part of this group. She’s built genuine connections, so there isn’t really a need to jump straight to something as extreme as marriage with Ei.