[harmonious]

I think the explanation is that he didn't love Noe per-say, just Noe's outlook on life and the inspiration she gave him. I don't think Noe inspired him to draw, that was Hiromi as we saw with his first picture that resurfaced and the earliest episode. It was Hiromi that inspired him to take his own path as an artist instead of taking over the winery. The fact that he couldn't continue in his efforts to draw was a representation of how he himself couldn't move forward because he didn't know how. What Noe inspired him to do was what he always wanted to do, wipe the tears away from Hiromi and truly love and express that love to her.

The parting he had with Noe was heartbreaking because he didn't want to lose everything that he had gained from that encounter. Noe loved him and he couldn't return those feelings and Noe knew that he could never fly with her around. So they had to separate. He had to do things properly, unlike his father, by cutting all bonds they had, including friendship. It was the point where he flew by his own volition.