This is by far the best manga I read.
Such great understanding of the human psyche.
Ichikawa is painfully aware of "his place" who constantly thinks to himself: "How can a model and aspiring actress like a short, gloomy manlet at the bottom of the social hierarchy with no friends, I must be delusional, after all, I'm messed up"
Since he knows his place, he tries to deny any real possibility she would actually like him as more than a friend and set up defense mechanisms so he would not be hurt.
Or as the manga said: "Even though I wanted it, I figured I couldn't get it anyway so I was looking for reasons to hate it"
This does not just go for relationships, but other aspects of life too.
For Ichikawa it is the Switch as an example, but in life, I believe, people constantly are saying something is impossible and giving excuses for not pursuing something, whether in life, work, or relationships; which limits them and narrows their perceived options.
Lastly, thanks to Boredom Society for the chapter and the credit page!
Great detail showing the manga comes full circle!