It's a bit tiresome that they're still dancing around the issue with basically no time left for anything. The doubly-fictional characters in Shizuku's novel might be "satisfied", but leaving the confession for the last minute or hour before Kaori dies is the opposite of satisfying, and more like twisting the knife for its own sake. You're telling me Shizuku has no reason to regret not confessing while they were alone on the beach, or now in the hospital? Confessing through the novel sounds cute on its own, but not when it's this late.
Alternatively, is Yuama, or someone at Ichijinsha, that desperately afraid that people would stop reading this series if the leads became a couple one or two chapters before the finale? Would all the tension and conflict have evaporated instantly if they had kissed in this chapter, or the one before?
Don't get me wrong, I still appreciate this story as it is, for many reasons. I really liked Shizuku reflecting on and telling Kaori about the history of her web novel. I'm just frustrated with how the romantic development is paced.
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