Jesus, people... they may act fairly mature, but they're still teenagers. Don't expect them to be able to deal with their emotions in a rational, well thought-out way and just instantly give and accept confessions or whatever. It's a turbulent time for most people, emotionally and hormonally. Yeah, we got them making big steps at the end of each volume, but just because they're like a married couple doesn't mean they realize that's what they've been like and that making their relationship official won't actually change all that much except they're likely to be more free with signs of affection and maybe consider start dating more properly outside of the house.
Why are romcom audiences full of people that can't just have some patience with emotionally unstable characters?
And I'm realizing that one of the stories I have lined up to read after this one involves office workers, which you'd hope would be more mature about it, but they arguably have their own sets of concerns and may not necessarily have their shit together, either, especially if what they're feeling is a 'first love', which is often the case with many of these romcoms. If you've never experienced love or dating, how can you know what's the right way to approach things? How many of us audience members can really say we know, either? Yeah, that's a low blow, but it's probably true.
Arguably I have more experience than most people who probably read these sorts of stories, but not by much. I had a girlfriend over a decade ago for only a couple of years. We lived together for most of that time, and it was pleasant as we shared cooking and meals and such. But I also held onto a crush on her for several years before then, while she dated other guys, so I had time to sit on those feelings. It was also a long-distance crush, oddly enough, so a lot of different issues. We only started dating when she was between relationships and we met up at a convention and one thing led to another. She had, admittedly, known about my feelings for her for many of the years I held that crush, so I guess she just figured she'd reciprocate and see where things went. And, to be honest, as I've been single for over a decade since, I clearly wasn't rushing to start a new relationship. She did mean a lot to me at the time. I've had crushes on women since then, but nothing that I felt would ever really pan out, ultimately.
Love is a complicated thing, and it's different for every couple out there. Sometimes it's fast and loose, other times it's slow and steady.