Everyone is calling this mid has no damn taste and are used to to the troupe bs. No love triangle, no crazy best friend to hinder progress, no miscommunication, multiple couples. Just way too short
ML didn't suddenly figure everything out and rush to confess during the festival arc. He did start to wonder, with all the people looking to couple up around him, if he might be seeing her in a similar light. He spends a bit more than a full volume "investigating his feelings" (hey, that's way less than a certain escort I could name) before coming to the correct conclusion. LN is still ongoing, though.