In hindsight, it makes a lot of sense to me that Akane didn't get too caught up in feelings. She's been established as a very good actress who gets super in character, and we knew that the Ai persona was specifically made to get screen time and get close with Aqua. If she's so good at reading people that she theorized about Ai's secret children, it makes sense that she can recognize that Aqua wasn't serious about her (not to mention how everyone is very aware about how fake the show is).
I definitely still think she was hopeful about having something between them based on her nervousness and blushing whenever the idea of a relationship comes up (both in this and previous chapters). If she's only in character when she has the stars in her eyes, she does switch to her normal self for a bit during the confession scene, showing how the feelings are both genuine and acting for the show. I'm just glad she didn't get too heartbroken and appreciates being acknowledged for her skill.
I don't really think I'm coming up with any groundbreaking here, I'm just so into this story and the characters that I had to write this out!