Complaining about a girl rejecting a guy's advances in front of everyone, saying she should take a hint ... with all due respect, he was the one brash enough to bring up the conversation in front of everyone there, without even considering the girl's feelings. More than that, this was his second attempt when he should have gotten the message from the first.
If there's anyone that deserves the scolding of 'taking hints', it's definitely that guy. It seemed more like he was hoping he could have the masses on his side to persuade FMC to go out with him, basically using peer pressure against her. Kind of a scummy move, if you ask me.