After getting home, having done all his work, Senpai couldn't find much to do. He was fresh out of ideas for his manga and Nishikata claimed that he was watching a new episode of Ultimate Soccer. Of course, Nishikata was watching 100% unrequited love, but Senpai didn't need to know that.
At the same time, Takagi knew that a new episode of 100% unrequited love had came out that day and Nishikata was going to be virtually uncontactable for the next bit of time. This was partially because of the episode itself and partially because Nishikata would re-read the entirety of the manga every time he watched a new episode.
Takagi: I am a little curious about Hachioji-san. He seems like a nice enough guy but I haven't really gotten to know who he is on his own. Well, only one way to find out.
At that moment, Senpai got a notification on his phone. Assuming that it was Nagatoro, he eagerly picked it up and prepared a response only to be shocked when he realized that it was Takagi.
Senpai: Takagi messaged me? Wonder why. Did I do anything to make her mad? Oh no, did I upset Nishikata or make her lose a challenge?
Takagi: *in text* "Want 2 call?"
Senpai looked at his phone for a moment before pressing the call button.
Takagi: "Sup, Hachioji-san."
Senpai: "Sup."
Takagi: "I'm excited for the zoo date! It's going to be really fun to spend the day with Nishikata."
Senpai: "Yeah, definitely! About the whole date thing, though, what's going on between you and Nishikata?"
Takagi: "Oh. We're friends at the moment."
Senpai: … not that I was expecting her to confess anything to me "Huh. I thought there was something more than that. I noticed in your drawings that you drew each other more passionately than when you drew Nagatoro. Not that I'm saying your drawings of Nagatoro were bad or anything! I just-"
Takagi: "Ahahah! You're as funny as Nishikata!"
Senpai: Why am I not getting as flustered? I'd normally be a blushing mess by now but… I guess I'm used to it? Takagi's a lot like Nagatoro but she's more tame I guess? I don't know… Maybe Nagatoro's made me that much more confident? Still, I was really flustered when those girls came up to me at the culture festival. Maybe it's that I know Takagi a bit better. That must be it.
Takagi: "Hachioji-san? Are you still there?"
Senpai: "Oh, yeah. I was just thinking."
Takagi: "Huh. You know, you remind me a lot of Nishikata."
Senpai: "Wha- I mean you have a point."
Takagi: Hm, I was expecting him to deny it or ask how but I guess this makes it easier. "Both of you have really good reactions and you're both really genuine. The main difference is that Nishikata is way more competitive than you."
Senpai: "I-I guess that's true."
Takagi: "But to address what you said about me and Nishikata, I'm fairly certain that we both like each other but he's refusing to admit to himself that I like him. Still, I don't want to confess to him or for him to confess to me until he's ready because I don't think he's ready for a relationship right now. I'm just waiting for him to finish working on himself. In any case, I'm perfectly fine with just having fun with him for now."
Senpai: "You know, I wasn't expecting you to be so open with me."
Takagi: "I think I got a pretty good gauge on you so it's only fair."
Senpai: "W-what's that supposed to mean?"
Takagi: "I mean, no offense, Hachioji-san but you're an open book. I swear if Nagatoro wasn't so dense you'd be together by now."
Senpai: "i-it's not like that! I just don't know if she likes me. Besides, she's always teasing me and toying around with me. She drops hints here and there and I think she likes me back but… I just don't think I'm good enough for her. She's the most popular girl in her year and I'm just that one artist from the culture festival who only did well because of youtube."
Takagi: "Hey, don't say that about yourself! Honestly, I think that the main things that Nagatoro-chan likes about you are that you're not a perv, you're genuine and you're really passionate!"
Senpai: "So I have basic human decency and I like drawing. Big deal."
Takagi: "You'd be shocked at how attractive basic human decency is. That's a big reason why I like Nishikata. Say, did I ever tell you about how we became friends?"
Senpai: "No, you didn't."
Takagi: "Well to make a long story short, I lost my handkerchief and he found it and turned it into the office lost and found even though it made him late. He even accidentally talked bad about me when he blamed "that Takagi girl" for making him late! And then, he had the funniest reaction when he realized that I was Takagi!"
Takagi smiled deeply while reliving that memory.
Senpai: "That's all well and good but I don't want to confess to Nagatoro just yet. I feel like I need to… work on myself before I really deserve a relationship with her. I'm just not that confident in myself, although that's kinda justified."
Takagi: "I mean, that's fair. Relationships can help you but self improvement is always nice."
Senpai: "As for you, I guess you want to wait for Nishikata to be ready until you confess?"
Takagi: "For starters, I don't think that I'm ready for a real relationship yet, although I think that I will be ready before he will. That's kinda why I want to wait for him to ask me first."
Senpai: She sounds like she's just too scared to ask him, even if that's partly true. "Hm."
Takagi: "By the way, though, I think it's interesting that you found out how me and Nishikata feel about each other just from our drawings."
Senpai: "I-I mean thanks? Still, there were other signs, I just- I guess that was the metaphorical nail in the coffin."
Takagi: "I get what you mean."
Suddenly, Takagi's phone let out a notification sound.
Takagi: "Oh! Nishikata says that he wants to join the call! Say, do you and Nagatoro have a discord account?"
Senpai: "Uh, yeah. I just haven't used it in years."
Takagi: "Sweet!"
The 3 of them exchanged discord contact info and before long, Nagatoro gave hers.
Senpai: "I-I guess I'll make the group chat."
Senpai made the group chat but by the time he finished, it was getting late.
Takagi: "Well, it looks like I'm going to head to bed now. It was nice talking to you, Hachioji-san."
Senpai: "Yeah, thanks. See you tomorrow?"
Takagi: "See you tomorrow."
As they hung up, Senpai got a call on his phone.
Senpai: "Oh! S-sup, Nagatoro."
Nagatoro: "Su~p Senpai!"
Senpai: "So why'd you call me?"
Nagatoro: "We~ll, Gamo, Yoshi, and Sakura were planning a wrap up party for the culture festival and you're invited!"
Senpai: "Ah… I'm not great with those."
Nagatoro got a look of dismay on her face at these words but almost immediately got a sleazy look on her face.
Nagatoro: *smirking* "Senpai… We still have a profit from selling the straps. It's a free all you can eat… Sushi."
Senpai: *immediately* "What time?"
Nagatoro: "After clubs end tomorrow. Don't be late, gloomy Senpai!"
Senpai: "Y-yeah. See you tomorrow!"
