Tanaka-san Is Cuter Than the Main Heroine - Chapter 10: Tanaka-san Is Super Family-Oriented!

Chapter 10: Tanaka-san Is Super Family-Oriented!

“Um… I forgot to ask earlier, but… Nakayama-kun, what are you doing here?”

About ten seconds later—still blushing just a little—Tanaka-san tilted her head and asked.

“Oh, right. I didn’t say, huh? I came to look for a birthday present. My mom’s birthday is coming up, so I figured I’d scout out something nice.”

I’d just assumed I’d already mentioned it since we’d been talking for a while.

But the moment I explained, Tanaka-san’s face lit up like sunshine.

“Really!? What a coincidence! My big sister’s birthday is coming up too, so I was actually here looking for a present for her!”

Was this fate or what?

Turns out she was doing the exact same thing—shopping for a gift for someone in her family.

“Um… if you don’t mind… could you help me choose? I’ve been wandering around forever and still can’t decide…”

She looked a bit embarrassed, her voice small and hesitant.

Apparently, she’d been having a hard time picking the right gift.

Wait.

Hold on.

Was this… an invitation to shop together?

No—was this a date!?!

WOOOOAAHH!! LIFE IS AMAZING!! I’M SO GLAD I DIDN’T DIE YESTERDAY!!

I was practically doing backflips in my head from the sudden stroke of luck.

But I knew better than to let that excitement show on my face.

If I even smiled the wrong way, she’d definitely get weirded out.

So I kept it cool and casually said,

“…Sure, I don’t mind.”

And just like that—

I got to go gift shopping with Tanaka-san.

“So, what’s your sister like, Tanaka-san?”

Since we were picking out a present, I figured it’d help to know what kind of person her sister was.

And the moment I asked—Tanaka-san lit up.

“In one word? Amazing. She’s beautiful, super talented, and can do pretty much anything—sports, school, cooking, music—you name it. Even without trying, she’s always above average at everything. Back in elementary school, boys were always confessing to her. But honestly, I get it. She’s not just pretty—she’s cool and cute, too. Like, she’s insanely good with a kitchen knife—totally pro-level—but she always ends up crying when she cuts onions. That part especially is just… adorable. She’s really kind, super easy to talk to, and just this warm, bright person who makes everyone around her feel good.

Tanaka-san spoke with rare excitement—like she’d turned into a total fangirl.

Honestly, it sounded like she was hyping up her favorite celebrity.

It was obvious how much she adored her sister.

“Wow, she sounds like a great older sister.”

“She is! I’m super proud of her!”

When I complimented her sister, Tanaka-san smiled so brightly it looked like she was the one being praised.

Too cute. Seriously.

She was already full of adorable traits before… and now she’s showing this doting little sister side too?

That’s just unfair. Completely overpowered!

Aaaahhh—I want to date her already!

Just give her the “clingy girlfriend” trait and let her latch onto me every day!

I’d spoil her for the rest of my life.

“…But she almost never wants anything, so this year too, she just told me, ‘Anything’s fine,’ and now I’m completely stuck.”

Just as I was riding the high of discovering yet another adorable side of Tanaka-san, her mood took a dip as we returned to the topic of gift shopping.

And yeah—I totally get it.

“Anything’s fine” sounds simple, but when you’re the one choosing the gift, it’s the hardest answer to deal with.

Because even if you know they’ll smile and thank you no matter what, you still want to give them something meaningful—

Especially when it’s someone you really care about.

If I were picking a birthday present for Tanaka-san?

I could seriously spend a whole month thinking it over. No exaggeration.

Her birthday’s in October, so technically there’s still time…

Actually, maybe I should start casually figuring out what she likes now, just to be safe.

Yeah. Solid plan.

“Well, in that case, let’s just wander around until something catches your eye.”

“Okay. I’m counting on you.”

Hiding my little ulterior motive, I gave her a gentle pep talk—
And just like that, our gift-hunting adventure began.

“Oh, hey—what about this towel? Says it stays soft and fluffy no matter how much you use it.”

“Oh! I know that one. It’s actually Mikoto-chan’s favorite. She lets me touch it sometimes, and it really does feel amazing.”

“Huh, really? My towel’s been getting kind of scratchy lately… maybe I’ll grab one just to try it out.”

『Am I pretty…?』

“Hiiieek!?”

“What’s wrong? Oh—just a promo for a horror movie. Wait… don’t tell me… are you bad with scary stuff, Tanaka-san?”

“T-That’s not true! I can totally sleep alone at night!”

“Yeah, see, just saying that makes it even more obvious.”

“Waaah! Isn’t this clock the cutest!? Look at the little bunnies holding it up—it’s adorable!”

“Yeah, it’s cute. Let’s check the price… whoa!?”

“What is it? … T-Ten thousand yen?! Y-Yeah, that’s a bit too much for me too.”

“We’re still not finding the right thing, huh.”

“There were a few good ones…”

“Yeah, the ones that are juuuust out of budget.”

“What should we do…”

After spending over an hour wandering through all kinds of shops,I’d definitely gotten a better sense of Tanaka-san’s taste.

The only problem?

We still hadn’t found the gift.

I mean, for me, it wasn’t the end of the world if I didn’t get anything today.

But in Tanaka-san’s case?

Her sister’s birthday was only three days away.

So if we didn’t find something today… we’d be cutting it real close.

“Man, isn’t there anything good out there…”

Muttering to myself, I pulled out my phone and started scrolling through gift ideas.

But all I found were the usual suspects—makeup, accessories, aromatherapy kits…

All stuff Tanaka-san had already given her sister in the past.

“Hm?”

“Did you find something?”

As I kept scrolling, something new caught my eye—something I hadn’t seen before.

“Hey, what do you think of this one?”

“This is… a herbarium, right?”

Tanaka-san tilted her head, clearly seeing it for the first time too.

What I’d found was this elegant décor piece—flowers preserved in a bottle filled with oil so they stay beautiful for a long time.

Unlike fresh or dried flowers, the look changes depending on which blooms you use.

I thought it was a cool, thoughtful, and lasting gift.

“Ooh, I love it! Let’s go with this!”

Once I explained it a little, Tanaka-san lit up and instantly agreed.

So we headed out of the mall and made our way to a nearby flower shop.

“If it’s for your family, I’d recommend freesia. Its flower meaning is affection.”

“Whoa, that’s perfect. And look—they come in all kinds of colors.”

“Yeah, if we mix them well, it could turn out really pretty.”

As the two of us carefully looked through the flowers one by one, a kind-hearted shop clerk must’ve taken pity on us.

She started picking out blooms that were especially good for gifts.

Honestly? That was a lifesaver.

Neither Tanaka-san nor I were what you’d call flower-savvy, so we probably would’ve taken forever just trying to pick the right ones.

“Hmm… I can’t decide.”

“Could I get one red and one yellow, please?”

“Of course. Right away.”

While Tanaka-san was still going back and forth on colors, I quietly made my choice.

Yup—just like her, I’d decided to make a herbarium for my mom too.

I followed the clerk, who was holding two freesias of different colors, and headed over to the counter.

“You two seem really close. Are you a couple?”

“Bfft!?”

While we waited for the gift wrapping to finish, the clerk casually dropped that bomb.

It was so unexpected, I practically choked on air.

She giggled when she saw my reaction.

“Thought so. Not yet, huh? Aww, you’re totally giving off those sweet young love vibes.”

I could feel my whole face burning.

“J-Just… hurry up with the wrapping already,” I mumbled, trying to hide how flustered I was.

“Okay, okay! Oh, wait just a sec—there’s one more thing I want to include.”

But instead of speeding up, the clerk stepped away from the register.

When she came back, she was holding a single sunflower.

“I didn’t order that, you know?”

I shot the clerk a look that screamed “No way I’m paying for that.”

But just like before, she wasn’t fazed in the slightest. Instead, she smiled and asked casually,

“Do you know what a sunflower means in the language of flowers?”

“Nope, not a clue.”

I answered honestly, still eyeing her with suspicion.

She just clicked her tongue and muttered, “Tsk tsk, someone needs to study more,” then went back to wrapping.

A few moments later, she turned to me with a bit of flair.

“Alright then, here’s a fun fact: the sunflower’s flower meaning is ‘I only have eyes for you.’ It symbolizes admiration and love.”

“Okay, I’ve decided. Miss, can I get one red and one white, please?”

“Sure thing!”

“Huh? Nakayama-kun, where’d that sunflower come from?”

“…It’s nothing. She said they had extra stock, so I got it for free. That’s all.”

“Well, lucky you. So, what are you going to do with the sunflower?”

“I’ll just toss it in with the herbarium. Apparently, they last for like six months to a year.”

“Really? That long? That’s kinda impressive.”

“Yeah, sturdier than they look.”