Tanaka-san Is Cuter Than the Main Heroine - Chapter 24: Is Nakayama-kun My Fated One?

Chapter 24: Is Nakayama-kun My Fated One?

“Hey, Nakayama, did you know? If you think someone smells really good, that means they’re your destined partner.”

“…Where the heck did that come from?”

It was right after third period ended.

I was putting my mechanical pencil and eraser back into my pencil case when I overheard the conversation happening in the seat next to mine—between Nakayama-kun and Machida-kun.

Totally by chance, okay?

It’s not like I was trying to eavesdrop or anything. Seriously!

“Nah, so like, I just happened to read this article online yesterday about scent and stuff. And it said that.”

“Haaah… Let me guess. One of the Shikihime girls you like smelled good or something, right?”

“Correct! You nailed it! I was on the train with Haruno-san this morning, and she smelled amazing. Which obviously means—Haruno-san is my fated one! So I’m thinking of confessing after school today. You know any good, like, romantic spots?”

To sum it up, their conversation was about body scent.

Apparently, if someone smells really good to you, it means they’re your destined person.

It’s a pretty popular theory—I’d heard it before too.

“Man, just wait. Tomorrow, you’ll be crying when you find out Haruno-san and I are officially dating.”

“Wha—hey!!”

Unlike Machida-kun, who bolted out of the classroom all fired up, I couldn’t bring myself to believe something like that so easily.

I mean, people aren’t perfect. Everyone has flaws.

And if just one little flaw is enough to say, “Nope, not your destined match,” then honestly—that’s way too harsh.

Besides, real life doesn’t work that way.

There’s got to be more to falling in love with someone than just a nice smell.

“…How much truth do you think there is to it?”

“You mean the scent thing?”

“Yes. If someone smells good to you, does that really make them easier to fall for?”

I was just curious what Nakayama-kun thought.

After Machida-kun ran off, the question slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it.

It was purely curiosity.

Not because I was secretly hoping to sniff Nakayama-kun or anything weird like that.

Seriously.

“I think it makes a difference, yeah.”

His answer was surprisingly straightforward.

To be honest, that totally caught me off guard.

I’d always figured Nakayama-kun was the kind of person who’d just brush off superstitions like that without a second thought.

“Is that because a good scent leaves a good first impression?”

“That’s part of it. But I think the kind of ‘nice smell’ we’re talking about here is more like… the kind you can’t get enough of. Like it makes you want to keep smelling it forever. So even after the first impression, it still sticks with you. That’s a pretty big advantage, right?”

“I see. That does sound like a huge bonus.”

He wasn’t just agreeing to agree—he’d clearly thought it through in his own way.

And somehow, that made his answer feel even more convincing.

“…Well, I guess it doesn’t matter if you think they smell nice. If they don’t think you do, it’s game over.”

“!?”

As he said that, Nakayama-kun glanced off in the direction Machida-kun had run, sighing in exasperation.

It was probably just a throwaway comment on his part.

“Ahaha… yeah, that’s true.”

But for me?

It hit way too hard.

What if Nakayama-kun thought I smelled bad?

Or worse—what if he starts thinking that in the future?

Just imagining it made my heart sink like a stone.

All I could do was force out a dry little laugh.

Our conversation had started drifting away from the whole “scent = destiny” thing…

When suddenly—

“Hey hey, what are you two talking about~?”

Mikoto-chan popped up, sliding right into the middle of our chat like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Machida-kun was saying that if someone smells good to you, they’re your destined person. So we kind of ended up talking about scent and compatibility and stuff.”

When I explained what we’d been chatting about, Mikoto-chan let out a casual, drawn-out “Hmmm~.”

But then…

She turned her back to Nakayama-kun, looked only at me with that mischievous little smirk of hers, and immediately—I got a bad feeling.

“Oooh, scent compatibility, huh~? Ta-chan, mind if I take a little sniff?”

Before I could react, Mikoto-chan slinked up to me like a snake and whispered that in my ear while hugging me out of nowhere.

“Eh!? Uh, I mean… if it’s you, Mikoto-chan, I guess I don’t mind…”

Honestly, I thought she was going to tease Nakayama-kun. That’s where I thought this was going.

So when she suddenly turned her attention to me, I was completely thrown off.

I gave her permission without even thinking.

But then it hit me—Nakayama-kun is right there.

And I froze.

(Wait. If Mikoto-chan says something weird now, this is going to be a disaster!)

If she was really going to sniff me, could she please not do it in front of Nakayama-kun!?

Panicking, I glanced back and forth between the two of them, like some cornered animal silently begging for help.

But of course, my silent pleas went unheard.

Still grinning ear to ear, Mikoto-chan buried her face in my hair and took a deep sniff.

“Mmm… You smell really nice—like roses. Super floral and soft~”

“Eh!? Ah—”

What came out of Mikoto-chan’s mouth was… a compliment.

I’d braced myself for a playful jab, or at least some kind of teasing like, “You smell weird!”—so hearing actual praise completely threw me off.

But that surprise didn’t last long.

It got swiftly bulldozed by a swirl of emotions—a tapestry of guilt (because wow, I really assumed my friend would roast me), and a flicker of irritation (could she not make that mischievous face and scare me like that!?).

Overwhelmed by it all, I just buried my face in both hands.

A little later that day—night had fallen.

I was relaxing in my room, lost in thought, when knock knock knock came a soft rap at the door.

“Sumika? Got a minute?”

“Sure!”

The voice on the other side wasn’t just familiar—it was the most comforting sound in my little world.

And the moment I answered, the door creaked open, revealing a girl who seemed to step straight out of a modern fairytale.

She had long, dark brown hair tied into twin tails that cascaded over her shoulders like the flowing strands of an intricate mosaic.

Her name was Haruna Tanaka.

She was two years older than me—my big sister. And also, a real-life princess.

Tonight, she stepped into my room with elegance, holding up two outfits—one in each hand like a crossroads between two destinies.

“Sorry to bug you this late. But I really need your opinion on what to wear for tomorrow’s date. So—Sumika, which one do you think looks better?”

My big sister held up the outfits with a shy, almost awkward expression on her face.

It was hard to believe this was the same ultra-confident sister I used to know just a few years ago.

But ever since she started dating her boyfriend about two years back, something had changed.

Seeing this softer, more lovestruck version of her still felt a little unfamiliar.

Not in a bad way, though.

Actually, it was kind of adorable.

I couldn’t help smiling as I pointed to the soft pink blouse in her right hand and said,

“I think the one on the right’s better. It feels more spring-y and really suits you.”

“R-Really? But… isn’t it a bit too cutesy for me?”

“You’re fine! Actually, it’s because you don’t usually wear girly stuff that it’ll totally knock Noda-senpai off his feet.”

“…You really think so? W-Well, if you say so, then I guess I’ll go with this one. Thanks.”

She was clearly nervous about wanting to impress him, but after my little push, she seemed to settle down.

Her smile was still a bit stiff—but it was there.

“…Hey, Onee-chan? Why did you start dating Noda-senpai in the first place?”

And then—

THUD! 

Something smacked hard against the door.

“Gah—OWWW!! Sumika! You can’t just drop stuff like that out of nowhere!!”

I looked down toward the source of the yelling—and there she was.

My big sister, clutching her left foot and looking like she was on the verge of tears.

Panicking a bit, I quickly apologized.

“S-Sorry! I just realized I’ve never actually asked you before!”

She pouted for a moment, then let out a small sigh.

“Well… I guess I’ll let it slide since it’s you, Sumika. And… right, you asked why I started dating Nagare? I guess… it’s because I feel really calm when I’m with him.”

Even though she was clearly embarrassed, my sweet big sister still gave me an honest answer.

But to be honest… it felt a little underwhelming.

“Why does he make you feel calm?”

“W-Why? Um, maybe… because he doesn’t treat me like I’m special?”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it!? You think I need more reasons!?”

“I mean… yeah, if you could.”

For once, I didn’t back down—and her eyes widened like I’d just committed a crime.

Even so, she started glancing nervously around the room, clearly scrambling to come up with something better.

She was seriously trying to convince me.

After a few long seconds, she finally opened her mouth.

“Um… let’s see. If I had to say—it’s kind of the vibe? Or maybe the scent? Something about him just feels really relaxing. Like, all soft and floaty and, uh… ughhh! Why am I even saying this!? Sumika, you meanie!!”

Halfway through her explanation, she couldn’t take it anymore.

Cutting herself off mid-sentence, she stomped off to her room, face red and completely flustered.

Watching her dramatic retreat, I let out a small, awkward chuckle, wondering if maybe I’d pushed her just a little too far.

But still…

“…So scent really is important, huh?”

I mumbled that to myself, letting the thought hang in the quiet air.

◇

“Eh?”

The next morning, bright and early.

I was riding the train like usual when, completely by chance, I spotted Nakayama-kun.

Which was weird—because Nakayama-kun normally bikes to school.

So… why was he on the train today?

My brain immediately flooded with questions.

I quickly turned my eyes away before he could notice me and tried to puzzle it out.

But no matter how many theories I came up with, none of them really made sense.

In the end, I decided to chalk it up to a one-off coincidence.

(Ah—Reno-chan.)

When I glanced back toward Nakayama-kun, I noticed someone standing a little farther behind him.

It was Reno-chan.

Not exactly surprising—we went to the same middle school, so we’d ended up on the same train plenty of times before.

But today… for some reason, it felt different.

I got this strange feeling—like maybe, just maybe, this would be the day Nakayama-kun and Reno-chan became close.

And with that odd little thought stuck in my head, I suddenly found myself speaking to the elderly lady who had just walked up in front of me.

“…Excuse me, ma’am. That seat’s free—please go ahead and sit.”

She thanked me warmly, but for some reason, I felt weird just standing there after that.

So I gave her a quick smile, turned, and headed toward the train doors.

Then—quietly, carefully—I stepped over to the space right next to him.

And softly called his name.

“Nakayama-kun.”

Jolt.

His shoulders jumped like someone had zapped him.

Guess he hadn’t noticed me at all until now.

“…Oh man. You scared me…”

“…Fufu. I spotted you earlier and thought I’d sneak up on you. Surprise attack success, huh?”

He stared at me, still looking pretty spooked, while I couldn’t help the little grin forming on my lips.

But then—for some reason—Nakayama-kun tilted his head back and started coughing.

For a second, I panicked.

Wait. Was my grin too creepy? Did I do something embarrassing!?

But nope. Apparently, he’d just choked a little. That was all.

Once he explained that, I let out a secret sigh of relief.

Clunk.

“!?”

Right when I let my guard down—bam—the train lurched into motion.

And I hadn’t braced myself at all.

I completely lost my balance.

(I’m gonna fall!)

That familiar floating sensation—just before you topple over—hit me hard, and I reflexively squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for impact.

But then—

“Whoa, careful!”

I heard a voice from above, and before I could even process it, something pulled me close.

Confused, I slowly opened my eyes… and found myself face-to-chest with a boy’s school uniform.

That’s when it hit me—

Nakayama-kun had caught me.

My brain completely short-circuited.

I froze, standing there like a statue, thoughts wiped clean.

I have no idea how long I stayed like that.

Honestly, time kind of stopped for me.

But at some point, a clean, soapy scent drifted past my nose.

That fresh, gentle smell helped bring me back to my senses—just a little.

I took a few quiet breaths, steadying myself.

And finally, I found my voice.

“…Thank you.”

“…N-No, you don’t have to thank me or anything. Actually, I’m sorry. That must’ve been really uncomfortable. I’ll let go right now.”

“Ah—… I mean, no. It wasn’t uncomfortable. I know you were just trying to help.”

The moment Nakayama-kun heard my voice, he quickly let go and stepped back, clearly flustered.

As he moved away, the soapy scent I’d been surrounded by drifted off with him—

And that’s when it hit me: that scent had been his.

My heartbeat, which had just started to calm down, shot right back into overdrive.

But…

He was still standing right next to me.

I couldn’t let him see how shaken I was.

So I scrambled to play it cool—calm, composed, totally unfazed me.

“…Still, I must’ve smelled gross. I ran to the station, so I was sweating a lot. Seriously, sorry about that.”

“…Not at all. Actually, it was more like… um, you smelled kind of like soap, and… I-I mean! It wasn’t unpleasant! At all. Really.”

Even though I was doing everything I could to keep it together, Nakayama-kun brought up the scent thing again, looking super apologetic.

Which only made it worse.

Way worse.

My whole “normal girl” mask shattered in an instant, and before I could stop myself, the words I’d been holding back just tumbled right out.

At that point, I didn’t even know what I was doing anymore.

I was so embarrassed I could die.

“…Huh. That’s… good to hear.”

The only saving grace?

When I said that, Nakayama-kun let out this soft, relieved little sigh.

It was honestly kind of sweet.

Still… even with that warm feeling lingering in my chest, one annoying thought kept gnawing at me:

What if I’m actually the one who smells bad?

I just couldn’t shake the worry.