@exedes
Just as kasuya’s love development: First, lingering feelings towards her (chapter 16) and fully awareness of love after the incident with Mami (ch. 50) Chizuru’s love development has been similar, the only difference is the narrative style and the psychological traits of each character dealing with these feelings.
In the case of kasuya, we painfully see how his own insecurities make him completely unable to confess those feelings to Chizuru, however he always think about it all the time. In the other hand, Chizuru consider that these feelings are inappropriate because the vulnerability that they represent (she is actually very weak) and the risk of her being exposed if she let these feelings just go free; all of this, OBVIOUSLY, masterfully disguise with her own acting skill.
But... to answer your question: the love of her has been developed gradually throughout the story, lots of evidence here, I’m just gonna mention, for example, the shock of her when kasuya confess that he wants her, the Ruka incident, the birthday party when she question herself why is she’s doing that if MC told her not to go and she’s thinking about Ruka’s desires and MC confessing, and after that she admits to herself that she is ALSO an idiot, and finally the conversation with her grandma, where she tells her that there’s no better person suited to her than him and then, after MC told her that their project was approved, she said: “you are a good person, I mean it, you’re a very good person” and she slams the door saying “that’s all” MC could believe that she’s referring to the project approval, but we, as readers, know that she is confirming grandma’s words.
She is in love... if you are not convinced yet just take a look of that strange relationship and tell me if they are not already acting as a mature and real couple: sharing a dream, supporting each other, having their families and friends involved in the process, missing each other, having jealousy, being happy when they clarified what happened with Ruka (she is happy when she eats the plums and reads the P.S., he is happy when she believed him and trusted him) they even shared a money background support! I know that what it lacks here is ... SEXUAL INTIMACY. But give them time, chronologically since mami’s incident to the present time in development, just a few months have passed in the story, not years...
Many readers, fans and haters, could understandably feel frustrated with this state of events. And could lead them to believe that she’s treating him like shit. But that’s not the case, because you must understand what is going on inside Chizuru’s mind. She have a dream that is financially supported by her job AS A RENTAL. Since she’s serious about this job, she wasn’t planning to fall in love with one her costumers. So right now, she must be struggling with the idea of her loving not only a costumer, but also with a costumer being so close and in love with her. This is the conflict that defines the entire manga. That’s why we love/hate what’s going on with both of them.
And if you even want more confirmation... just see the secondary characters, Ruka wants the love that they had, Mami wants to destroy it, Sumi wants to support it even Kuri realized at the end of that date, this: “is she...? Sure... it has to be...” 😁