You didn't exactly counter anything I said as it pertains to Takasu's use to the plot, though. His actions here are intended to force Koutarou to make a decision per Kuro's goal - to appear to flirt with Hikari and antagonize Koutarou into taking actual action in being more forward with her.
Kuro laid this all out in this very chapter. She needs Koutarou and Hikari to get together to fulfill the Curse requirements. She can't reliably do it herself, so she's enlisting Takasu to aggravate Koutarou into taking action and stop being so passive.
The reader isn't supposed to like Takasu, so I don't know why you're focusing on the bad qualities he possesses like it's some sort of gotcha against what I said.
I do think this is also potentially starting Takasu's bent toward being less of how he used to be, especially as he gets more involved with the main three and their personalities rub off on him. But that's just a guess; it could very well not be the case, and it certainly isn't true as of this point in any but the most surface-level ways.
But he's still a playboy, and not meant to be a 'good guy' from our perspective or from the characters'.
Heh. What you write above is what f-boy is tricking Kuro into thinking.
His
real goal ever since he laid eyes on Kuro, is to get into her pants.
He couldn't care less about Kotaru, except of course he doesn't mind (probably quite wants to) hurt(ing) Kotaru. After all, K shows f-boy in a bad light, since K is a pure-hearted serious guy.
What do you mean "isn't intended to be". Of course he's filling these functions.
We both seem to be switching between what the characters in the story are "thinking", and what the author intends.
If I switch to that meta level for a moment, then I think it's a pretty cheap way the author uses to achieve things.
After all, Kuro isn't stupid,
and she clearly loves Kotaru,
and knows that K doesn't like f-boy.
So is it really plausible that she would be charmed by f-boy, or agree to manipulate K's feelings in a way that will hurt him, and in extension, her?
To me it comes across as contrived.
But sure, I see how you (or the author) can argue that Kuro is innocent, and new to "being human", and the concomitant feelings, which then might make it hard to see what her actions might lead to.
I guess we will see.
I just don't like these kinds of plot developments. They feel cheap.