eh, It really feels over the past year or two that jp yuri audiences tastes have changed in a direction... that well, I find disappointing, but I'm glad to see more authors getting to earn money with yuri i guess?
Yuri audiences didn't change, rather we got yuri mangas that are focused on larger audience, which is why they're not always published in yuri magazine, so they tend to be different from the usual yuri.
I would argue that is
good, yuri has always been niche due to being laser focused on romance first and foremost, and generally always telling the same types of story, when in practice we need different types of story.
Problem with this manga is that the romance and their relationship is clearly the main focus, so I'm not surprised it failed, probably wouldn't have been axed in a yuri magazine.