I love it. The dawning of understanding, even if only one way. Do I feel bad for the guy? Not at all. That would mean that the girls’ relationship was less valid.
Why would that mean that the girls' relationship was less valid? Do you never feel bad for the girl who gets rejected in other yuri manga? If anything, what you're saying means that the guy's feelings were less valid (which in a way wouldn't be entirely untrue perhaps, since they don't seem to actually know each other lol)