Teasing Master Takagi-san (からかい上手の高木さん)

Hey, Kojima! I'm gonna be swimming in chocolate today, so I'll share mine if you don't get any.

Whatever, two girls already gave me some!

Good morning!

Morning.

Yeah, right!

Valentine's Day has come, huh?

I'm super nervous.

Me too!

February 14th.

I have no doubt that Takagi-san will once again

take advantage of all the excitement around this day to tease me somehow.

But...

I'm not gonna fall for any of her tricks!

Called it!

Takagi-san put 3 gifts in my shoe locker, right off the bat.

But... I know this is only the beginning.

They've gotta be rigged like this.

Or maybe like this.

Or even like this.

I already know what to expect!

Okay! Bring it on!

FOR SENPAI

She made them look awfully legit...

"Senpai"?

What's that mean?

FOR SENPAI

I totally don't know where Takagi-san is going with all this...

FOR SENPAI

Actually, none of this looks like Takagi-san's handwriting.

Dear Senpai,

I fell in love with you because of Culture Fest

Please accept this gift

"Dear Senpai, I fell in love with you because of culture fest..."

Wha?!

N-no way...

So these aren't from Takagi-san, but from girls in the grade below me?!

And there's 3 of them?!

February 14th

February 14th.

Real... quietly...

Good morning, Nishikata.

G'morning, Takagi-san!

Y-you're here, uh, really early today.

Yeah, I had something to do. So I rode to school on my bike.

Oh yeah?

I gotta make sure Takagi-san doesn't ask me about the chocolate.

Hey, Nishikata?

What holiday is it today?

Keep it together!

I knew that Takagi-san was going to tease me about Valentine's Day like this,

because I totally foresaw it coming yesterday!

I already thought up the best reply for this situation!

Ah, today is February 14th.

National dried sardine day.

Can you figure out why, Takagi-san? Try writing out the numbers 2, 1, 4 on the board.

Get it?

If you think of the 1 as a dash, then it spells "niboshi" or "dried sardines".

It's a play on words using numbers, right?

A little far-fetched, though.

Sure, but it's a real thing people celebrate!

By the way, Nishikata.

Are you trying to hide something right now?

Nope! Not at all!

Nothing gets by Takagi-san. She's too sharp!

I've gotta find a way to keep her from changing the subject.

I know!

In honor of national dried sardine day, why don't we try having a conversation with only numbers?

Converse with numbers?

Yep. Uh, I'll start so you can get the idea.

If you interpret it wrong, you lose.

Is it "good morning"?

That was quick!

So? Did I get it right?

I guess I made that one a little too easy.

Okay. It's your turn now, Takagi-san.

All right.

I'm gonna figure it out in no time flat!

"Va-len"... tine?!

Whew, it's not that.

I'm finished.

That's too easy! It says: "totally exposed"!

Huh?!

W-wait, does that mean she already knows about me trying to hide the chocolate?!

Too bad! It says "totally clear".

I was trying to say that it's a nice day outside, since the sky is so clear.

Talking in numbers is hard, huh?

Uh, yeah.

I almost had a heart attack!

Your guess was only a little off, but that still means you lose the contest, right?

Uh, yeah.

I'm glad I was wrong!

Okay, then you have a penalty.

What should I make you do?

Thinking about it, why am I so desperate to hide the fact that some girls gave me chocolate, anyway?

Yeah, it makes no sense!

I should just come right out and say: "some girls in the grade below us gave me chocolate!"

I've got it!

Today's homework.

Just let me see your answers for a minute.

Homework...?

Yep.

There's one problem that I want to double check my answer.

Really? Well, I don't mind.

That's the penalty for me losing?

How weird, Takagi-san never asks to see my homework...

If I open my bag, the chocolate will be in full view!

Is there a problem?

Okay, I'm just going to come clean with Takagi-san.

She might even help me figure out how I should respond to them...

Takagi-san?

Actually...

Forget it.

Huh?

It's okay. I think my answer is right.

Oh, I see.

I missed my chance to bring it up...

But I don't understand. Takagi-san is normally way more relentless when she's teasing me.

It feels like she would just have a good laugh if she found the chocolate...

Merry Valentine!

Merry Valey.

Where'd you come up with that greeting?

Ya know, I've been thinking lately that Valentine's Day is just as fun as Christmas is!

So in that spirit, here's a gift from Santa Mina!

I went the extra mile to make something fancy for you two this year.

Here!

The bonds of our friendship are so strong that they're way tougher than any regular bar of chocolate!

That was my inspiration for making these!

Wow, Mina! It's touching to know how much you care.

Okay, but...

Those "bonds of friendship" have...

melted into a gooey mess.

Wha?!

H-how did that happen?

I even put them in the fridge to keep them safe!

I'm betting this is to blame.

Ahhh!

I thought I dropped that somewhere this morning, but that's where it was?!

A hand-warmer, huh?

I worked so hard on them...

Uh, it's okay! Don't cry!

I actually think it looks pretty cool! Like we all combined into one with the power of friendship!

I'm sure it tastes great.

Really?

Yes, really.

Here, I also have something for you.

It's not homemade or anything, but...

It's just like they say, three heads are better than a home run!

Merry Valey.

Nakai-kun, this is for you!

Whoa! Did you get me chocolate?!

Shush! You're being too loud!

You know Tanabe-sensei confiscates candy!

Sorry, my bad.

Valentine's... huh?

Don't say a word.

Sorry, man.

Hamaguchi.

Chocolate. Want some?

Dude.

Y-yeah, if it's from you.

Okay then.

Here.

Hurry and take it before a teacher shows up.

Uh, right.

Thanks!

Bye.

Congrats, man.

Guys...

This isn't homemade.

I randomly saw her shopping yesterday.

Hojo was buying ingredients for homemade chocolate!

If she's not handing out the homemade stuff now...

That means... it was only for the one she loves!

For someone... who isn't me!

Just be happy you actually got some.

I'll eat it if you're not gonna.

Console me, dang it!

To make comparative adjectives you add "er" at the end of the word.

And for superlative form you add "est" at the end of the word.

But be aware there are multiple exceptions to this.

For example, there are some longer adjectives that are different like "beautiful".

I wonder what's going on with her?

To make those comparative you have to add "more", as in "more beautiful".

Then for superlative form you have to add "most", as in "most beautiful".

Hey, Nishikata.

You're on the wrong page.

Huh?!

This is so weird.

It feels like Takagi-san is missing so many opportunities to do her usual teasing, but with a Valentine's Day twist.

I'll never get the opportunity to tell her about the chocolate like this...

Fine!

I'll just have to take the initiative!

Hey, Takagi-san?

Care for a contest?