Tanaka-san Is Cuter Than the Main Heroine - Chapter 30: Nakayama-kun Likes Me (Probably)

Chapter 30: Nakayama-kun Likes Me (Probably)

“Oh hey, Chiro○ chocolates! Haven’t seen these in forever.”

“This strawberry one’s the best, hands down.”

“Pfft, what are you, five? Real men go for bitter. No contest.”

Just as the last bit of chocolate melted in my mouth, a group of Nakayama-kun’s friends—Machida-kun included—showed up.

In no time, they swarmed around his desk, hands already reaching for the mountain of Chiro○s piled there.

“Hey! Don’t just grab stuff, you mooches!”

Nakayama-kun tried to scold them, but… yeah. Total failure.

“C’mon, it’s just one,” they said.

“Ooh, yup—strawberry’s still the GOAT.”

Everyone just ripped the wrappers open and started munching like it was no big deal.

“…Whatever.”

Nakayama-kun sighed in total defeat and gave up trying to stop them.

And that’s when things really spiraled out of control.

“Thanks, man! Oh—didn’t Haruno-san say she liked Chiro○s? I’ll give her one.”

“Whoa, nostalgic! Thanks, Isobe-kun.”

“Heh, anytime.”

“No fair, only Mika gets one? Nakayama-kun, can I have one too?”

“Me too!”

“Uh, yeah… sure.”

“Yay! Hey, everyone—Nakayama-kun’s giving out chocolates!”

“Wait, seriously!? I want one too!”

“Me toooo!”

“Hold up! Are you people for real!?”

And just like that—

Nakayama-kun’s bag of Chiro○s had officially been declared public property.

“…You guys better sleep with one eye open.”

After that little feeding frenzy, Nakayama-kun’s stash of Chiro○s vanished in record time, leaving behind nothing but a sad, crumpled wrapper on his desk.

He sat there fiddling with the empty bag, shooting silent death glares at the classmates now happily munching on his snacks—

Like he was trying to curse them with pure spite.

But it only lasted a second.

With a heavy sigh, he gave up and walked over to toss the empty bag in the trash.

“You’re really kind, Nakayama-kun.”

I said it as he returned to his seat.

“Huh? Where’d that come from?”

“Well… even after they swiped your candy, you didn’t yell or anything.”

“It’s whatever. Getting mad wouldn’t bring the Chiro○s back, and it’d just kill the mood. Total lose-lose.”

“Hehe. See? That’s exactly what I mean. You’re kind—because you’re always thinking about other people.”

“…You’re reading too much into it. It’s not that deep. I just didn’t think it was worth the drama.”

He tried to act all cool and unaffected, brushing it off like it was nothing.

But as the conversation went on, I noticed it.

His voice got a little gruffer. His replies got shorter.

And before I knew it, he’d turned his head away—clearly flustered.

A quick peek through his hair confirmed it:

His ears had gone the tiniest bit pink.

Cute.

Not that I said it out loud.

Instead, I just smiled and gently asked,

“Nakayama-kun, have you ever gotten really mad before?”

“When you say really mad… hmm, that’s tough. Probably only two or three times, I think.”

“What kind of moments were those?”

“Once was when someone took the lunch my mom made me and dumped it on the ground—without even apologizing. The other time was when some jerk tried to pin a stolen gym uniform on my best friend and lied to the teacher about it. Ugh. Just thinking about those punks is making me mad all over again.”

Nakayama-kun scrunched up his face, clearly still annoyed just remembering it.

I felt a little bad for making him dig up those memories.

But at the same time… it all made sense.

He didn’t get mad when someone wronged him.

He got mad when people hurt the ones he cared about—his mom, his best friend.

That’s just… so him.

—“It’s your fault I can’t talk to Haruno anymore! What’re you gonna do about it!?”

—“Shut the hell up! Don’t give me your weak excuses, you extra! That’s all you’re good for anyway! So just do your damn job, loser!”

“…!”

That memory—of Matsukaze-kun shouting at me this morning—flashed through my mind like a bad replay.

And the difference between him and Nakayama-kun was like night and day.

Which is exactly why…

I can’t let myself believe in something that convenient.

There’s no way someone like me—just a background character, an “extra”—

Could ever become someone important to Nakayama-kun.

“I’m really sorry. That question was super rude of me. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“Oh—nah, don’t worry about it. I just got annoyed remembering it on my own. You didn’t do anything wrong. Sorry if I made you feel like you had to apologize.”

“Well, even so… as a tiny apology, please accept this Toppo. Also counts as a thank-you for the Chiro○ from earlier.”

“Still feels like I’m getting the better end of this deal… But thanks, Tanaka-san. I’ll gladly take it.”

“You’re welcome.”

Even if Nakayama-kun keeps smiling at me like that…

Even if he’s always so kind, so thoughtful…

I can’t let myself get carried away.

Just being able to share these quiet, happy moments with him is already more than enough.

It’s a miracle someone like me even gets to sit beside him like this.

Wishing for anything more?

That would be asking too much.

“Natsuse Kaisei! I challenge you to a duel!!”

“Huh!? Wait, who even—oh, it’s the vice president?!”

Time passed, and about ten minutes before homeroom, a tall, cool-looking guy with glasses suddenly burst into the classroom—yelling like he’d just stepped out of a battle anime.

That guy’s name was… uh, Haruya Tokachi, I think?

He’s a year above us, the student council’s vice president.

Tall. Handsome. Top of his class. Basketball ace.

On paper, he’s basically a walking romcom heartthrob.

Buuut… there’s just one tiny problem.

And because of that—

His popularity with girls?

Absolutely nonexistent.

The reason why is—

“Ooh, looks like Tokachi-senpai and Natsuse are about to throw down!”

“Finally! The day has come for that loathsome Natsuse to be crushed under the mighty judgment of Tokachi-senpai—our glorious Honorary Chairman of the Akizuki Fan Club!”

“Let’s goooo! Vice Prez Tokachi, you’ve got this!!”

Yeah… that’s the catch.

Tokachi-senpai is wildly obsessed with Akizuki-senpai.

Like, full-blown, cult-level fanboy.

There’s even this famous story from his first year—

He volunteered to be the sports festival photographer and used up the entire camera memory taking nothing but pictures of Akizuki-senpai.

And apparently, ever since school started, he’s eaten the exact same lunch as her every single day.

He waits to see what she eats, then replicates it the next day.

Like clockwork.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

None of it technically crosses any legal lines, sure—

But the intensity of it all makes most girls steer very, very clear.

Me? Yeah… I don’t think I could ever date someone like that, honestly.

But still—

Some small part of me feels just a little envious of Akizuki-senpai.

To be loved that much, that fiercely…

I’ve never had anyone feel that strongly about me before.

“But wow… the Shikihime really are amazing, huh? To have someone love you like that…”

The words just kind of slipped out.

Before I even realized it, I’d voiced that tiny bit of admiration I’d been carrying around.

Then—

“Tanaka-san, I bet there’s someone out there like that for you too, if you just look.”

Nakayama-kun said it so casually.

Like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

(If I just look, huh… So in the end, Nakayama-kun must like someone else—not me.)

I know he was just trying to cheer me up.

And still… I overthought it like an idiot.

Got all gloomy for no reason, sank into self-pity, and barely managed to mumble out a weak,

“Y-Yeah… I hope so.”

Ugh. What a mess.

While I was busy wallowing in my own little emotional spiral, it seemed like the showdown between Natsuse-kun and Tokachi-senpai had already moved on.

Before I realized it, both of them had disappeared from the classroom.

“Let’s go check it out!”

“Yeah, sounds fun! Come on!”

In an instant, the class flipped into full gossip mode.

Everyone jumped to their feet like it was a fire drill and rushed out to witness the “battle of the century.”

And just like that—

The room emptied out.

Leaving only me and Nakayama-kun behind.

“…Wanna go too?”

“Y-Yeah, let’s.”

Total curveball.

I didn’t expect to be alone with him.

If anyone saw us like this, they might get the wrong idea.

And the last thing I wanted was to cause trouble for Nakayama-kun…

So I quickly grabbed my bag and hurried after the others, walking side by side with him down the hallway.

“Nice shot, Vice Prez Tokachi!!”

“If Natsuse misses the next one, it’s over!”

“Hurry up, miss it already!”

“Miss it! Miss it!”

“Onii-chan, do your best—!”

“…Wait. Wouldn’t it be better if he lost? That’s one less rival for you, right?”

“Gah!? You’re right! I take it back! Miss it with everything you’ve got, Onii-chan!!”

The moment we stepped into the gym, the energy hit us like a wave.

It was wild—like the finals of a national tournament or something.

Over 200 students had crammed in, all eyes locked on Natsuse-kun and Tokachi-senpai, hanging on their every move.

The first floor was packed wall to wall, so there was no chance we’d get a good view from down there.

Nakayama-kun and I headed up to the second floor and found a nice spot near the goal.

From here, we could clearly see the scoreboard next to the two players—

Score: 3 to 2.

Judging by the nonstop cheering we’d heard coming in, it seemed like neither of them had missed a single shot so far—even with the whole school watching.

“That’s amazing… They’re both landing their shots back to back.”

I couldn’t help but whisper in awe.

Next to me, Nakayama-kun replied with a very underwhelmed, “…Yeah.”

Oof. Communication breakdown.

Maybe to someone like me—who’s hopeless at sports—it felt seriously impressive.

But to someone like Nakayama-kun, who’s good at everything athletic, this probably just looked like business as usual.

Feeling a little embarrassed for outing myself as a total sports klutz, I stopped sneaking glances at him

And turned my eyes back to the game.

“Shh!”

Right as the gym fell silent, Natsuse-kun stepped up and launched his shot with perfect form.

The ball arced cleanly through the air—

And with a sharp swish, it dropped straight through the center of the net.

The moment it bounced off the floor with a solid thump, the gym exploded.

“Whoaaa!!”

“Dang ittttt!!”

Cheers, groans, and every kind of reaction filled the gym like a crashing wave.

“That’s really impressive.”

I’d planned to keep quiet until the match ended, especially after that awkward moment earlier…

But that shot was too perfect to ignore.

I immediately slapped a hand over my mouth in a panic—but it was already too late.

When I risked a peek at Nakayama-kun, I caught him clicking his tongue in clear frustration.

“Tch… yeah, that was a good one.”

Even he had to admit it—that’s how clean the shot was.

I let out a small sigh of relief.

“Damn… not bad, Kaisei Natsuse. But this game’s not ending in a tie!”

Tokachi-senpai stomped forward, fire in his eyes.

“If that’s how it is, we’re going into sudden death! First one to miss loses!”

“Ehh~? The bell’s about to ring. Maybe we should call it a draw—”

“Silence! If you’re that worried, then just miss already! You over there—ball!”

“Gotcha!”

Even though there were only three minutes left before SHR, the match showed no signs of stopping.

Technically, we probably should’ve headed back already…

But I decided to stick around for just one more shot from each of them.

Not for any deep or emotional reason—I was just… curious to see who’d win.

Also, it wasn’t like any of the other students were leaving either.

If I walked off alone now, it’d feel kinda awkward.

Nakayama-kun didn’t move either.

Maybe because I hadn’t.

He just stayed there next to me, watching the court with that usual zoned-out look on his face.

Bounce. Bounce.

Tokachi-senpai dribbled the ball, testing its feel.

With every bounce, the gym got quieter and quieter, tension spreading like static through the air.

After about the fifth bounce, he seemed satisfied—

And finally stepped into shooting form.

Every single eye in the gym locked onto him.

And then—

“What do you think you’re doing——!?”

A loud, sharp voice thundered across the gym.

And I knew that voice instantly.

“Huh?”

I instinctively turned toward the voice that had just shouted—

But froze halfway.

A basketball was flying straight at my face.

Wait. What!? Why!? HOW!?

One half of my brain was full of question marks, the other half screaming panic alerts.

But my body couldn’t keep up.

I just stood there, frozen, watching the ball get closer and closer like I was trapped in slow motion.

And then—

“Tch. My bad.”

A strong hand yanked me out of the way with surprising force.

I stumbled a little, but managed to dodge the ball just in time.

The basketball slammed into the gym wall behind me with a loud thud, then bounced to the floor.

I stared blankly at the ball now rolling near my feet.

And only after a few seconds did it hit me—I hadn’t even thanked whoever pulled me out of danger.

I turned to the side.

And there he was.

Nakayama-kun.

His face bright red.

Absolutely fuming.

—Wait, what?

I froze again.

Not because I didn’t get what was happening.

I did get it.

It was just… so incredibly convenient for me that my brain refused to accept it.

“The hell, you idiot vice president! Tanaka-san could’ve gotten hurt, y’know!? Watch where you’re throwing, you trash-aim moron!!”

Because… I mean, come on.

There’s no way Nakayama-kun—the guy I like—

Would seriously get mad on behalf of me, the extra girl.

That’s way too convenient.

Too perfect.

Too good to be true.

—“Getting angry like that? You’d have to truly mean it. That’s not something you can fake.”

—“Like that time someone grabbed my mom’s homemade lunch, tossed it on the ground and didn’t even apologize… or when some jerk tried to pin a crime on my best friend by lying to the teacher.”

That’s what he told me earlier.

So then why…

Why would he go and do something that makes me want to hope?

I didn’t want to get my hopes up.

I really didn’t.

And yet, my sister’s words—

And Nakayama-kun’s voice—

Started looping through my head like a broken record.

And before I even realized it—

(Nakayama-kun might actually like me.)

Just maybe.

Because…

My whole body felt warm.

My vision blurred.

My hands trembled.

My cheeks wouldn’t stop smiling.

I knew I wasn’t supposed to feel like this.

But still—

I couldn’t stop myself from imagining it.

A future that actually included me.

A selfish little dream built on the tiniest sliver of hope.

(Seriously… you’re the worst, Nakayama-kun. So unfair. Why would you make me hope like this…?)

Before I knew it, my knees gave out.

I crumpled to the floor and let the tears fall freely, soaking the ground beneath me.

Needless to say, I was completely late for SHR.

And after that…

My whole world flipped upside down.

“…Phew. Thanks a ton, Tanaka-san.”

“…!? N-No, no! Really, it was nothing! It’s only fair to help each other out when we’re in trouble, right?”

Just hearing him casually say “thanks” had me flustered beyond belief—

And then I had to scramble to play it cool, acting like I was totally unfazed.

“Ah, here—returning this.”

“…Okay. W-Wait—!?”

But then, the moment our fingers accidentally touched…

Boom.

Instant reaction.

Total short-circuit.

At this point, I knew.

I was falling.

Hard.

And I’d already gone way past the point of no return.

But right alongside that realization—

Something else began to grow inside me.

Fear.

I was scared.

What if this was all just in my head?

What if I was being delusional?

What if I was annoying him, and he was just too nice to say anything?

That single thought was enough to send a chill down my spine.

But even worse—

No matter how afraid I got, my feelings wouldn’t stop growing.

They just kept piling up in my chest until it physically hurt.

So during lunch break… I ran.

I bolted straight for the back of the club building, hoping that maybe—just maybe—being alone would help me clear my head.

But it didn’t.

—“Hey! Dumbass Vice President! Tanaka-san could’ve gotten hurt, you trash-tier sharpshooter!!”

“Uuh—!!”

That voice from this morning echoed in my head on repeat, like a broken record.

And the more it played, the more overwhelmed I felt.

I didn’t know what to do anymore.

And that’s when fate decided to throw a curveball—

Because right in front of me…

He showed up.

“Huh? Tanaka-san? What are you doing out here?”

“N-Nakayama-kun!?”

My heart was already racing from running into him out of nowhere—

But now it kicked into full overdrive.

And then it hit me:

We were alone.

Completely alone.

Just the two of us.

Wait… is this a setup for a confession!?!

Cue second wave of panic.

Even though I kept telling myself not to think about him—

My eyes just kept chasing after Nakayama-kun on their own.

“Um, here. Just a little thank-you… for the textbook.”

“Ah—thank you. Um, sorry if this sounds rude, but… could you maybe just leave it over there?”

And then, like he was trying to finish me off emotionally, he hit me with that.

My heart legit almost exploded.

This is torture.

Torture, torture.

So much torture.

Way too much torture.

Trying to keep my feelings bottled up was getting unbearable.

I couldn’t take it anymore.

So—

I blurted it out.

“Nakayama-kun… why are you always so kind to someone like me?”

I asked him.

I asked the question I’d been too scared to face all this time.

The one I’d dodged over and over again.

“Uh…”

As expected, Nakayama-kun froze.

His eyes darted around like he was cornered, like he didn’t know where to look.

Just watching him hesitate made my chest tighten painfully.

(Yeah… I knew it. He doesn’t feel that way about me after all…)

Just when I was about to sink into a bottomless pit of despair—

He dropped a bombshell I wasn’t ready for.

“Because… you’re my type, Tanaka-san.”

“…Eh?”