I'm wondering what the deal with that new character is, that's clearly not her last appearance but I'm unsure what the author has in store for her...
... or maybe it's not a new character at all? I had a vague suspicion while reading that this might be the delivery girl from the neighbours' story... although she doesn't look very similar now that I looked back to that chapter
I hope the author won't do it that way. It would make the story's universe too conveniently interconnected, thus smaller and feels forced.
I agree, but I don't think we'll have that issue here. I fear they're going to try going for a love triangle thing with the three of them, personally, which is always a plot device I find contrived and obnoxious.