I didn't think I'd like this but the more I read it, the more I come to like the characters. The description of the manga wasn't too promising but I like how this explores their friendships and bonds with not just the childhood friends, but some of the people around them.
The main characters' bonds are wholesome and they make up after arguments, no doubt with Macchan's help too. I'm curious about Macchan because we still don't know too much about him below the surface, but we know how the childhood friends are like and how they care about each other despite having feelings for the same person.
And with the side characters whose friendships somewhat mirror the main characters, they can be involved and help influence them to help further strengthen bonds or they can help deteriorate it (though they don't have bad intentions). Though I think how Macchan plays out in this strongly, I think the trust and bond between the childhood friends are also dependent on this as well and they clearly are close, but still have a wall between them because of how they communicate and see each other. Having known each other for so long, in general and in real life people do tend to categorize and box others according to past experiences and though it can help someone hold others in a respectable regard, at times it can also be a hindrance and hold others back if they assume negatively or little of the person they're categorizing even if they had good intentions. Not just that but it affects how they talk to and react with each other. So little by little with the side characters influencing how the childhood friends see the other, the pair can realize things they didn't notice before about the other and become a better person and a better friend without assuming things and making potential issues worse. That's really wholesome right there since that's what I've been seeing. There is still potential to see a shipwreck but I wonder how they will handle it if so? How will Macchan come into play?
I think it's a good reflection of friendship even if romance does not play into this (though I'm curious about future developments...?) This isn't a dark manga nor too depressing I feel like so I can keep reading this while being invested in the characters and their relationships.