Ayame-chan is so cute and adorable when she's angry and embarrassed and yeah, the readers feelings are basically being represented through Tsuchiya here, lol
Wouldn't that have been a splendid opportunity to say it clearly, using the external pressure to get it done? Maybe you could say it would be cowardly and not too romantic, but it should have been easier.
I'll give everything I have and swear eternal servitude if one of you fuckers can find the formula to distill this chapter so that I can inject it directly into my bloodstream.