Im going to go out on a limb and say this - but I truly believe that Nyaan isn't actually "in love" with Shuji. Yes there are major parallels to what would be a love story, but it's made a lot more obvious that Machu is romantically interested instead of Nyaan (or both). Not to say Nyaan doesn't take a liking to Shuji, but it's just that it doesn't feel like a typical romantic interaction, if you read into it more. From the surface, GQX seems to be building up the love triangle rivals trope, but it's important to remember that Nyaan has been running from every settlement and relocation refugee camp she's been in. Finding Shuji, a boy from nowhere and different/outcasted from normal society would be like finding one true hope in a void. She finally has found someone who is always running like her, and doesn't want to lose him to someone that doesn't know how they feel, like Machu. This directly parallels how Machu doesn't want to lose something special between her and Shuji either, but the show implies that Machu does in fact hold a more romantic outlook towards Shuji. Maybe both Nyaan and Machu THINK that Nyaan likes Shuji, but it leads me to believe that Nyaan is more attracted to the IDEA of Shuji (always on the run and not accepted just like her) rather than Shuji himself.
