Author's twitter (can't find the exact tweet rn) says she intends to depict a "very close friendship" like one she had in highschool, but that won't stop me.
It's too bad you can't cuddle a friend without people saying you must wanna fuck. Literally millions of platonic relationships aren't as close as they could be due to this, including yours. Look at the end of this video. Animals are so free...
EDIT: But I should not just complain. This was truly an immaculate chapter showing the true way to love a friend in the modern world.