I guess the author foreshadowed Shimada x Akari in definitive with that "she cured my pain".
But im starting to guess that just as Honey/Clover, this story is about the journey, never about the end where ships sails.
For example, Rei said that he just will talk seriously with Hina when she graduates from High School. Akari probably is not going to see anything resolved soon.
I think you're spot on with this. Though I wonder if we'll have something develop with Hina soon enough- they need to at least be dating, I feel, at some point before she graduates. Preferably before he does, too, but not sure if that's too much to ask for... but at the same time, the idea of them having an actual school romance, at least for a bit...
And Shimada does seem pretty solid with that revelation that her cooking, and the atmosphere in general, is soothing for him so she doesn't have to worry about his health so much if/when they get together. I feel like that's been a big negative for people putting them together since the revelation she's been straining all this time, taking care of just her siblings. Add in a man who has health concerns, and that just makes it worse, right? But now... Yeah. This seems a good course.
I think it's a bonus that he doesn't seem to be fawning over her, either. That's been the biggest negative of just about all the suitors so far. She doesn't need a fanboy- she needs a life partner that'll treat her as an equal.
Also... anyone else noting a tendency to draw Harunobu (Nikaido) and Momo together in the standalone art, cover art, and now here? I'm sure it's just the fact she likens him to the not-Totoro that is Bodoro and he's probably just really good with kids, though. No way there's some '20 years in the future...' epilogue coming with them. That'd be pretty weird, to be honest.