Tanaka-san Is Cuter Than the Main Heroine - Chapter 02: Tanaka-san Is Good at Studying

Chapter 02: Tanaka-san Is Good at Studying

“So first, to get rid of the square root, you square both sides. Then, to match the denominators—”

“Fwaaaah… So sleepy…”

Time passed a little, and now I was in the middle of math class.

But to be honest, the stuff we were covering was already burned into my brain.

The teacher’s explanation might as well have been white noise at this point.

What? Why do I know this stuff already?

Well… I am a reincarnator, you know.

That must mean I can breeze through high school-level material effortlessly, right?

Yeah, no.

Not even close.

I had to study my butt off.

In my past life, I was a college student.

But let’s be real—most of what I learned in high school evaporated somewhere around my first year of college.

The only thing I remembered decently was English, and that’s just because it was a required subject.

And in this life?

Yeah, I wasn’t exactly a model student either.

At best, I was just a regular guy who was kinda okay at English.

Still, it never caused any real problems, so I just went with the flow and kept studying half-heartedly.

That all changed at the start of my second year, during one particular English class.

“Um, Nakayama-kun… I don’t really get this part. Could you maybe help me out?”

Tanaka-san was covering her mouth with her textbook, peeking at me shyly as she asked how to do a translation.

I was caught completely off guard.

But I pulled myself together, squeezed out every bit of knowledge I had, and somehow managed to get through it without embarrassing myself.

Barely.

“I see. Thank you so much. Nakayama-kun, you’re really smart, huh? I had no idea at all. If I get stuck again, can I ask you for help?”

And just like that—

In Tanaka-san’s eyes, I got labeled as “the smart guy.”

If it had been any other girl, I probably would’ve cleared up the misunderstanding right away.

“Yeah, sure. Ask me anytime.”

But this was Tanaka-san we were talking about.

The girl I liked.

So I couldn’t help it—I put on a bit of a front.

Wanted to look cool in front of her, you know?

That’s why I ended up studying like a madman.

Just so I’d be ready to answer any question she threw my way.

Thanks to that, I’m now at the level where I could probably waltz into my old university and pass the entrance exam with ease.

“What’s wrong?”

“Wait… You’re already done with the worksheet?”

“Yes. This part was pretty simple, actually.”

“I mean, sure, but that was still fast.”

“You’re one to talk, Nakayama-kun.”

Sadly…

Since that day, Tanaka-san never asked me for help again.

Yep. Turns out Tanaka-san is actually crazy good at studying.

I found out from the results of the recent midterms—

She ranked in the top 20 in the entire grade.

And just like that, my brilliant “I’ll get closer to her by tutoring her” plan came crashing down in flames.

If only Tanaka-san were just a little bit more clueless…

Hmm? Wait a sec.

Does it really have to be that way?

I’d been so focused on showing off and looking cool that I didn’t even realize—

If I want to get closer to her, it doesn’t have to be through tutoring.

Sure, it might make me look a little less impressive,

But Tanaka-san isn’t the kind of girl who’d suddenly push someone away over something like that.

“Actually… I got stuck on a question and haven’t been able to move past it.”

“Really? That’s unusual. It’s rare to hear you struggling with anything, Nakayama-kun. If you’d like, I can help.”

“Seriously? That’d be amazing.”

Riding the wave of my sudden flash of inspiration, I went ahead with the plan.

And kind-hearted as ever, Tanaka-san believed me right away.

She scooted her chair over until we were this close—like, “shoulders might touch any second now” kind of close.

“Okay, so this part right here… goes like this────”

After that, Tanaka-san started explaining the problem to me in a quiet voice, careful not to disturb the other students around us.

Her explanation was way easier to understand than the actual teacher’s, and thanks to how close she was sitting, her soft floral scent kept drifting over and tickling my nose.

It was honestly the best in so many ways.

“—And finally, you just simplify and clean up the fraction. That’s it.”

“Got it. That was super easy to follow. Thanks a ton.”

Sadly, that little dreamlike moment didn’t last long.

Thanks to Tanaka-san’s perfect teaching, the problem was solved in no time.

I let out a quiet sigh, feeling just a tiny bit disappointed it was over.

Still, I thanked her properly, and she responded with a cheerful, “No problem at all.”

“You look kinda happy.”

“Yes. It’s the first time you’ve ever relied on me, Nakayama-kun.”

“—!?”

That unexpected answer hit me right in the heart like a surprise attack.

I swear I almost had a heart attack on the spot.

“Usually, whenever I’m stuck with something—like being on cleaning duty, or when it’s our turn as class reps—you always step in to help me, right? I’m always really grateful for that, but at the same time, I’ve felt a little bad that I never get the chance to return the favor. So today, even just a little, I finally got to do something for you. And that makes me happy.”

Completely unaware that my mental health bar was about to hit zero,

Tanaka-san smiled shyly, looking genuinely happy.

(That was the finishing blow, by the way.)

Obviously, I was KO’d.

No—this was way past a knockout.

That level of pure, innocent sweetness?

Total overkill.

“S-S-So uh… if I ever get stuck again, is it cool if I ask for your help?”

I mumbled it out while awkwardly hiding most of my face behind my hand.

And then—

“Yes! Of course!”

Tanaka-san gave me the brightest, most cheerful reply of the day.

And just like that… I was completely, utterly defeated.