Talk about the "usual japanese guy that doesn't know how to interact with love/feelings"
Imo, the "I don't want to hurt their feelings" is a bs type of excuse. He's more scared of doing something and facing the consequence...or maybe it's the author who's scared of stray from the easy harem route...
I mean, he has personal experience with heartbreak so that's less of a Japanese guy thing and more of just a human thing.
But yeah, the "I don't want to hurt their feelings" isn't a valid excuse. The moment multiple people fall for you, you are going to hurt them regardless of your intentions. Even going the harem route is going to hurt the ones who accepts it but wishes to be the only one.
And lol on the easy harem route, so many authors are not only afraid to go after a specific girl but also afraid to fully go down the harem route.