A decade of "will they won't they (cheat)", haven't you read enough manga to have grown bored of it already?
I can respect smut* I read quite a bit of it, but I don't when the author clearly does not respect the reader
IDK. I get what you mean when it's about like Rent-a-GF, that just felt like dude milking as many chapters as he could on the back of the MC being a clueless clod to prevent the story from progressing (or ending? IDK if it's still going). Pathos seems more like it's the journey you're there for - unlike Kanojo, there's actual reasons the MCs can't get together and the exciting part (speaking for myself) is seeing how far they'll go and how they'll rationalize it to themselves and each other. Or how ridiculous the excuses they make to get with each other are (a sort retelling of the tale of Skinner's steamed hams, only the superintendant is a sexy neighbor and the hams/clams/Krusty Burgers are a passionate extramarital affair).
And I think anyone reading Pathos knows there's other works by Tsuyatsuya if they want to go straight to the smashin', I'm just enjoying the tease (I mean there's still bewbs out every other chapter-ish I guess?).