You know one time when i was in high school it was dark and I couldn't see out the windows and I thought I'd missed my stop. I started panicking!!!! and then suddenly we were at the high school and everything was as it should be. (Please note the bus ride was like 10 minutes tops. I was one of the last stops).
Anyway, got to chapter 81 and I no longer feel like I'm on the wrong train. I have arrived at Maonoka and I get it now. I'm not sure why it took me so long to get with the romance program but I am seated and on board. Once I got to [manga spoiler in the 70's somewhere] it clicked with me.
I think part of what took so long is Mao is calmer than other Takahashi romantic interests and he's also more guarded. The way they met also didn't really help me see a potential draw for Nanoka either like with other Takahashi heroes So I started off on more of a platonic route and so as the romance built it felt like it went a little fast lol and I was just like ???? okay then. But that's also why I like them as a ship. It's nice to see some new dynamics mixed in with familiar dynamics.
Maybe I'll understand what I didn't pick up on as the anime progresses.