Mangaka couldn’t help himself. He succeeded in subverting expectations last chapter only to undo it all this chapter. And now we have yet another generic HS Harem Story
You know, this is something I've noticed over the years when it comes to JP media. They often like to 'play around' with subverting expectations but then far too often make a 180 either at the last minute when its finally time to commit or run away, or just only subvert for one chapter/episode as a sort of short-term cash-in.
It's like the writers want to play pretend that they're different, but never have the balls to really materialize it and end up playing it safe.
There was some interview with a studio director ages ago where it kind of became clear that they were pressured at the end to stick to a 'safe story '. They were allowed to "mess around" only for some short bits that wouldn't ultimately force the story in some unsafe direction.
It's very depressing. Manga and anime can be so creative, but it's actually mediums that play it awfully safe.