At first I was a bit annoyed with this as well and the author does attempt to pass suicide off as a joke which makes it almost unpleasant. But I do like the characters around him and the way they revolve around mc in a way that promotes development. The authors attempt at a passing joke is more so to fully build our view of mc's character if anything; as a half assed pile of nothing who is a coward to stand up for himself so he chooses to run away, but he's even too much of a coward to kill himself. And since that character is built so firmly in with frequent depressing chapters, it enables strong character bonding and change. But it all just depends on how the author chooses to move the plot forward, which he has already. I like the premise itself but the way its handled does lack delicacy so I can understand where most people are coming from with their complaints. But suicide isn't something you deal with by letting it remain a delicate issue, but instead it's a harsh reality and humor is a tool to help the reader deal with that reality.