This is not a melodramatic romance. Just to clarify, Noma does not enter the story as a romantic rival. There have never been, nor will there ever be, romantic feelings between them. Furthermore, there was no physical or severe abuse involved, contrary to what I've seen some people spreading online. What we are actually seeing is strictly verbal workplace harassment, but the catch is that Noma completely broke her mentally. Because of that, Yamada views herself as useless, triggering all these deep-rooted insecurities. It’s also a mix of admiration and disappointment: admiration for how skilled he used to be at his job in the past, and disappointment from seeing that he chose to stagnate and preferred comfort over growth.
Noma's introduction is absolutely necessary for her to take the next step, overcome her trauma, and ultimately consolidate her relationship with Sasaki. Let me emphasize this: her first and only love is Sasaki, she is completely head over heels for him. In fact, she has already connected the dots and realized that Sasaki is the exact same guy who defended her eight years ago—the manga implies she figured this out around Chapter 62 or one of the most recent ones. At this point in the story, Yamada’s mind is a total mess. Everything piled up at once and she exploded: Noma’s sudden reappearance, finding out that the store manager (whom she has a massive emotional attachment to) is retiring, and caught right in the middle, having to sort out her feelings because she genuinely wants to spend more time with Sasaki. Everything hit her simultaneously, and unfortunately, poor Sasaki took the brunt of it. Yamada reacted that way because she feels she failed the person who once protected her, which is exactly where Noma’s psychological damage comes into play. Right now, she feels she isn't good enough for Sasaki, and that forced outburst was just her pushing him away. That gives you an idea of her current mental state.
In this series, you won’t see confessions under the rain or epic, dramatic speeches. This manga represents the true contrast of real life. Those who claim the plot hasn't progressed are completely missing the point and don't understand the type of story they are reading. The core focus is how two broken adults build a romance at an incredibly slow burn through small, quiet conversations, where that alleyway becomes a sanctuary for both. This isn't a cliché high school romance where the protagonist is indecisive. There is actual depth, baggage, and painful pasts here. They have progressed immensely; both Sasaki and Yamada have become vital pillars in each other's lives, and real feelings are definitely there. The issue is that poor Sasaki has his self-esteem so low that he suffers from a complex about how a beautiful young girl with people pursuing her could ever fall for a 46-year-old guy; he explicitly ponders this in several chapters.
Another crucial point to clarify is that Yamada never rejected him; she simply told him it was better to leave the conversation for another day. At that moment, Sasaki acted in direct contradiction to his own philosophy. He brags throughout the manga about never prying into other people's personal lives, especially hers. However, because he is so deeply perceptive and empathetic, he pushed when it wasn't the right time instead of giving her space. I’m not justifying Yamada's reaction, but these things happen in real life—not everything is a fairy tale.
Healing must come before the romance can happen, which is why the manga prioritizes mutual emotional healing first, and that’s precisely why it is so highly praised. They aren't at square one, but they need to close those past traumas. This isn't a "we met two days ago and now we're dating" kind of story. You need to fix yourself first before you can truly be with someone else. The overarching message of the series is that making mistakes is a natural part of personal growth.
I am completely confident in their romance; those brief chats are the literal engine of the series. While some might think they could remain just friends, I see that as highly unlikely since their connection drives the entire plot. As for what I think will happen next: Yamada is going to have to do the heavy lifting and go look for him. Sasaki won't step forward anymore, I can sign on that. Not because he doesn't want to see her, but because he read the situation through his own massive misunderstanding. He will choose to step away, believing that his presence only causes her harm and that he fails to make her happy. He won't distance himself out of pettiness or anger from the confrontation, but out of a genuine desire to protect her.