#anything romantic - it was just his trauma and without it it'd been just a crush and wakui confirmed it as he had already confirmed in the

[zaenaris]

We kokonui nation saying this from day 1, confirmed once again by Wakui:

From TR Expo (Nov 2023):

Koko: Inupi, has Akane-san been okay?

Inui: Yeah, she's been doing well.

Undisclosed adult, during the fire (flasback): I've got Inui-kun! You hurry up and get Akane!!

Inui: Well, people say puppy love usually doesn't work out for a reason, eh?

Koko: Oh shut it.

These extra sketched pages shown at TR Expo disclose how things went with Koko, Akane and Inui in the final timeline!

So, there it goes: Koko got to do what he would've wished in the previous timelines, erasing his main regret. He was the one to get Akane safely out of the fire. Both Inui siblings made it out unscathed, so Akane is alive!

But as far as Koko's initial feelings for Akane went, it was still regarded as a puppy love that, even under the "ideal" conditions, wasn't intended to get anywhere.

In the final TL, Koko ends up by Inui's side once again. It's fantastic!!