I absolutely despise the trope that an MMC can't pursue a romantic relationship with an fmc because they are "unworthy" or because "x person would fit them better". At least in America, this thinking is just not a thing at all, and even in Japan, where there is a high level of social hierarchy and conformity, I could NEVER see someone just shutting down all of their feelings because "this guy is more popular".
I'm not going to say that it doesn't happen or that it's the worst trope I've seen, but it is horrible. Why are 95% of all mcs just total pussies. The running gag for a long time is that mcs are dense but, honestly, they are just babies most of the time.