Yuki has grown a lot, he is much less closed off, and can actually express his emotions, but his reputation as the school Prince is still going strong. This charming mask does not work on Machi, who easily exclaims that Yuki is a regular guy to her. Yuki is intrigued by how Machi does not treat him as someone special. He also notices how Machi reacts to order and perfection irrationally and wants to learn more about the reason behind that. This is the beginning of a growing infatuation between these two.

Much like the Soumas treat the family members affected by the curse, Machi’s family used her as a scapegoat. Machi can’t stand order because she had to be perfect due to a family feud, which pitied her and Kakeru against each other. Kakeru reacted to that by doing the opposite, making everyone think he is a hopeless case. Machi tried hard, only to be cast aside after her brother’s birth, and accused of wanting to kill him due to a misunderstanding.

Judging by the looks of her place, Machi is quite depressed. This is where Yuki steps in, witnesses her messy room, sees Machi’s flaws, and still tells her that he likes who she is now and that she did well. This is the first step towards self-acceptance for Machi, who still thinks she is a bad person.

Similarly, Machi can help Yuki break his bond with the Souma Clan. Close to her, he will shed off the last parts of the Prince, the aloof, perfect individual he had to become to survive.
If it wasn’t for Kakeru’s phone ringing at the wrong moment, we would have witnessed Yuki and Machi’s first kiss..! We can wait, though, because that means more screen time for these two.