It's not the characters I called cowards, it's the author, like I had commented in the previous chapter.
No, I'll still call that a bad take.
These are *2nd year middle schoolers, 13 and 14 years old, and their personalities aren't the super extroverted, precocious types who are social butterflies that actively seek out relationships or are daydreaming about romance at every turn. They're children who are shown to be quiet, who more "go along with" their respective friend groups, but are still rather inwardly-focusing. We have a clear counterpoint in the form of Lulu's character, who
is that exact type of character I just described, and she's there both as a lens for the reader in watching this romance begin to form and develop, and a contrast to the slow-burn of said development by her own energy and behavior.
She goes right up and confessed to the teacher and was shot down while seemingly being aware it was likely to happen, but she wears her heart on her sleeve and speaks it out loud at every turn. Both An and Shunpei are clearly not that kind of person, and it's made pretty apparent when the characters are set up against one another in the chapters Lulu appears with one or both of them.
An and Shunpei are actually hitting a big milestone in the last two chapters, where they've hit concrete marks and reached conclusions about their feelings as they pertain to the other two. But notice that they're not once thinking about
themselves being in a relationship or seeking love, either with one another or anyone else. The entire conversation in the bus, and then at the shrine, is predicated on their feelings about the
other being in a relationship. They're still not thinking about how they feel about one another as people or as partners; they're working through the realization that the other being "taken" fills them with anxiety.
That's a big step, given their ages and the types of people they are. Even as seemingly introspective as they might be, they aren't just going to innately know all the nuances and intricacies of feelings they've never had or really experienced, and thus a confession in this moment really doesn't make sense. They're friends; they've reconnected and are enjoying spending their time on the bus together, but it's only as they see couples around them, and the love talk that floats about, that they've started even really considering one another—and themselves—in that light. And even that's not happened until relatively recently in the overall story thus far.
I'd argue this is a bigger step than you would normally see from a school-age romance manga that tries to drag things out to pad chapter counts and ensure a longer run-time for the sake of the money aspect (often times). And those often introduce additional romance options, or obstacles of narrative tension that at times feel rather fabricated or contrived. This series isn't doing that—each big story beat has had a clear goal behind it: expose An and Shunpei to uncertainty about their position in the other's life; force them to grapple with it, which sometimes involves other characters; have them worry and then resolve to face it head on; and then confront one another and communicate, bridging the gap and finding understanding,
and progressing forward together as a result. It's happened multiple times now, at Shunpei's track meet, at the home study group, at the birthday presents, at Lulu's confession, and now with this "what if they've got a partner" question. But each represents a clear step forward for them, and it's all quite well-paced and grounded in what you could realistically expect out of two kids who only get to really see one another on the bus ride to-and-from school.
It's a slow-burn, but it's a well-written one, that relies on the actual dynamic between the two leads and their personalities to carry the story. The externally-input points of tension are utilized by the characters themselves to come to a better understanding about themselves and one another, and they're allowed to figure it out and grow on their own in an organic fashion.
Maybe that's not for everyone, but I'd hardly call the author a coward for understanding how a slower-paced story should play out, and doing it without relying on overwrought melodrama or contrived plot device.
