This reminds me of when they met her mom. The mom did the usual "Ara, this is your boyfriend teasing" and she got flustered buy never actually denied it. Assuming it's not the translation, I think on some level this was always the intent. But first she wanted to keep Maki to herself as a comfortable secrrt friend and now that the weight is lifted off her shoulders from past trauma, she doesn't mind admiting what they probably both know to be true by now. Really love this progression early on and it gives me up for future chapters. For now I want to see the MC open up and start to gain more friends (in the classroom or not) and see how they both deal with that considering the revelation from last few chapters. But the MC won't really get romantic love and dating when his only friend is his future wife.