Alright. Chapter 22. Back to the "main" couple at last. Overall, I enjoyed it, but I feel like 99% of my posts are cynical bitch-fests, so why stop here?
I'm not a huge fan of the overbearing parent trope. It's not used as often as other tropes, but it's still terribly overused. It's a cheap way to explain why a character is the way they are rather than show us why through their actions or reactions. We knew that Ayaka was obsessed with being #1, but we never knew why. Finding out through a passing phone conversation with her mother that that quirk was imposed upon her wasn't very interesting. I'm not a fan of flashbacks, but if you're going to go the overbearing parent route, you need to show us rather than tell us. A flashback would have helped a bit.
Before the phone call, however, Ayaka got some nice introspective dialogue in where she acknowledged some of her faults. I feel like everyone wanted to see something like this, even if you're not a fan of the "main" pairing. It's super necessary for her to realize these faults if she's ever going to progress. I really enjoyed this part of the chapter, and I wish it hadn't been interrupted by that dumb phonecall.
Finally, Yurine following Ayaka into the train even after she'd "given up" on their contest pretty much solidifies what we already knew for a while now. Yurine has started to prioritize Ayaka over her desire to be bested/be normal.
I hope this arc lasts more than 2 chapters, because we got some solid character development here, even if it felt a bit rushed. It'd be a shame if it all got wrapped up in just 1 more chapter.