I didn't realize this was the same author as school love story. So, is this the author's MO? Make a cute story and ruin it about halfway through? I'm really seeing a pattern here, when the main characters finally get together, the past comes back to hunt them after like, one chapter of bliss lol, and side characters start getting more backstory, mostly unnecessary, and the main characters stop communicating. The uke is the most frustrating one in the duo, and there's a completely avoidable break up arc, then a completely unsatisfying ending.
Well, the author certainly has a type of story they want to tell....
Mao is completely to blame for his unrequited love tbh. He knows that the man he loves has room temp in Sahara Desert IQ and he wants to play coy with his love....yes licking someone's nipples counts as coy in this universe, don't question it lol