@theroadstopshere @AntiYFans @sheepdoge @TEU I think they are meant to be hated. They are meant to be viewed as annoying. But at the same time, since it's comedy, we are supposed to know that they aren't as serious as they claim they are. So we know they aren't "too bad"... keeping a so called "enemy" without them being a real "enemy"....
It's just a cheap way to drag out the romance. And I think readers instinctively know it. It's not yuri, nor a love rival and it's not even a real threat or stop gap... it's just a cheap way to drag things out...
I mean, it's not like I hate ALL of these characters. Sometimes, they are just misunderstanding sh*t or something (in that sense, I don't mind since they are having a wrong thought; case in point
https://mangadex.org/title/29527/expressionless-kashiwada-san-and-emotional-oota-kun where the girl is young and doesn't fully understand love and the MC is doing bullying to hide his love without realizing it).
But in general, this trope kinda sucks.