I didn't see that weird exchange coming but at least, the focus was on Maria. I'm getting whiplash with every new chapter lately and she's the only constant... somewhat lol.
Knowing we're nearing the conclusion, I'm not even all that confident Maria is end-game anymore. It's bittersweet because I'm not particularly rooting for Mei (she's got nothing going on for her imo), but I am rooting for Maria's happiness, which is being with Mei, so...
Like someone else said, poly would definitely come as a cop-out to me at this point. With how possessive girls like Maria and smell-freak seem to be over Mei, it's hard to imagine them suddenly being suddenly okay with anything but an exclusive relationship.
Thank you for the TL!