but they like someone else AT FIRST. Maybe they are dating them, but in the end, they realize their love for the main character.

Preference, but not requirement:

male lead

there isn't an insane amount of love triangles or people crushing on everyone (maybe, just the one of the mc, their childhood friend, and the one the childhood friend likes)

Removing my first selection for... reasons. I know I said both paths qualify but still I can't recommend it.

If you're willing to take an incredibly long series (or an anime) that is primarily action with romance as the motivation rather than the core, I might recommend Kyoushoku Soukou Guyver. The hero Sho starts out as an average, nonviolent fellow in love with his younger childhood friend Mizuki, who is crushing hard on the student council president Agito. Then Sho fuses with an alien device and is stuck fighting an evil organization, while Agito is trying to destroy said organization from within and has no problem using anyone or anything to achieve those ends. Thus, not only is Sho fighting for a girl who's all about another guy, but that guy winds up thinking of ways to use her to control him for his own benefit.

Also, not exactly what you want but you might enjoy Ginen Shounen. The hero Matataki has loved childhood friend Mirai for years, but for various reasons she either doesn't love him or refuses to consider loving him. She's being pursued by her coach and responds quite favorably, even as Matataki is always on her mind. She even starts dating said coach, but her feelings are always a little suspect; for instance, right after she informs Matataki that she's dating Coach Kouda and he runs off, she goes home and sadly mutters that it's better for Matataki if he doesn't love her.

Quote from Oobaka-san

A little off, since it's not the actual main character but a side character who's central to a very major side plot, but Momokuri is working its way toward this. The art the author posts in her "reposes" and breaks seem to suggest that things are going in this direction for one character, b ...

Yeah, Momokuri doesn't sound good to me.

I'll put Guyver on my list. I like to read manga when it's finished.

I've read Ginen Shounen and loved it.

Matataki gets her in the end, but man does he get screwed over a lot in that manga. He spent all the time trying to get a picture of the Violet Dawn so he could be the first show her and then she just randomly sees it with the Kouda. My heart wrenched in the chapter from his reaction to Mirai telling him she started dating Kouda. (I want to see more breaks like that from a main character even if he gets the girl in the end. XD) My only beef with the manga is that those few chapters in Spain seemed highly unnecessary wasting time introducing that girl and her ex boyfriend who becomes like Matataki. Other than that, I loved it. I mean yeah Mirai was a bit fickle, but it shows she loves Matataki. She told her friend she felt bad that Kouda gave her all his feelings (even though he was a douche using Matataki's death to get with her) and she thought she would try and respond because her personality didn't want them to go to waste, but it was clear she loved Matataki from the start.

If you have anymore please post them. I love when the leads are childhood friends and end up together. I just want to see some more conflict of that. Loving someone who loves another at first.

I now removed Momokuri out of rejection of the direction it has decided to go. Frankly, I wish I didn't get so committed that this burned me but I have a tendency to dive deeper than anyone should. For that reason, I'm seriously hoping you find some really good ones that I can pick up to clean my palate.

And if you like to read FINISHED series, then I'm not sure you'll ever do Guyver. That thing has been going on for the longest time, with numerous breaks and hiatuses for I believe health reasons.

Quote from Oobaka-san

I now removed Momokuri out of rejection of the direction it has decided to go. Frankly, I wish I didn't get so committed that this burned me but I have a tendency to dive deeper than anyone should. For that reason, I'm seriously hoping you find some really good ones that I can pick up to clean my ...

Thank you for your consideration and taking the time to look. If you find any more, then please post. 🙂

I'm such a huge fan of mc getting with childhood friend, and want to see conflict that makes them fight for it.

Sakurasaku Shoukougun

Mc meets childhood friend after all these years. She asks him to help her study so she can get into this highschool because she likes this other guy. Mc realizes he's in love with her and has always been in love with her. Because they study together, they spend all their time together and she eventually realizes she's in love with him as well.