Page 2 that was Ayaka's opportunity to say "yes this is a confession" and have her moment. Acceptance or denial, she could've solidified her relationship with Nekuni as either dating or merely close friends.
I'm a guy and I've done this a couple times and had it go both ways.
If she says yes, you're in a relationship! Wahoo!
If she says no, it's like a pressure release: you feel drained at first, but then you can move on to other women and besides keep a close female friend as just that, and not have to worry about extra feelings between you two. Don't believe the movies about how "awkward" it gets. That's temporary, and you'll end up even closer friends than you were before because you were honest with her.
Sorry for the long post, hope this helps some other young soul out there who's struggling with relationships.