It's an interesting route to go for the MCs. I understand the hate for Mari, as it's seemingly selfish (albeit in a different way than Seki is). It opens up interesting possibilities for development and growth, and likely leading to a reunion between the two. I like that nothing overly "dumb" has been occurring (outside of necessarily thematic stupidity) and instead of a "come to jesus, see the light moment" where she accepts who he really is/was (when he plays white knight), we get Mari reasonably rejecting Seki for now. I'm enjoying the ride, and the current level of drama, which keeps it interesting without making it feel too artificial or forced, while also not being exceptionally cliched. Unfortunately, I do see plenty of opportunity for extremely tropey scenarios ahead, but hopefully it'll continue in the same vein.
As ever, thanks to everyone at Foxachu for all their work.
@Simp4Miku , Nobuku...really? Just going to discard Sakura like that? Shame, shame.