WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Season 3, Episode 2 of Teasing Master Takagi-san "Presence" and "Library Duty," now streaming on Netflix.
Teasing Master Takagi-san has come a long way in moving the relationship of classmates Nishikata and Takagi in their unending attempts to embarrass each other. Picking up on the palpable chemistry of the pair from Season 2, Season 3 has been dropping heavier hints in each episode to insinuate that the two may finally take the steps to make their relationship official. In fact, Episode 2 of the season may have advanced things further than ever before, teasing audiences with the moment that they wait for in almost every romance anime -- the confession.
The episode opened with a segment about Takagi trying to catch Nishikata by surprise as she stealthily followed him to school. The scene was set to an orchestrated musical score and contained no spoken dialogue, making for an endearing take on silent comedy reminiscent of monochrome vaudeville films or Loony Tunes style cartoons. At first glance, it may seem like little more than an experimental vignette to go with the trailblazer that the season has been so far. However, the themes of unawareness and misheard communication play into a later, far more important scene.
As their homeroom teacher announced the routine duty roster, Takagi and Nishikata are assigned the task of library assistants. Their shift started out uneventfully, but eventually, Takagi suggested they find books for the other to read. This led to the two having some quiet time pursuing their selections together. Nishikata, who was a bit flustered after Takagi caught him reading an illustrated encyclopedia on dinosaurs, realized that there is a certain charm about Takagi when she is engrossed in a book. Taking advantage of his distracted attention, Takagi used the opportunity to throw him for a loop with what initially appears to be a declaration of her love for him.
Of course, in typical prankster fashion, Takagi quickly covered it up by pretending that it was actually a line from the book that she was reading aloud. As the two close up for the day though, Takagi told Nishikata that she wouldn't recommend the book for him. She then covertly whispered that it would blow her cover if he read it and discovered that the moment of confession was nowhere to be found in the book. In doing so, she revealed to viewers that the line had in fact been a sneakily timed profession of her feelings.
This is a significant development in Takagi's comfortability with taking risks about her crush on Nishikata, as it is the first time that the audience gets to actually hear her verbally express her affections with Nishikata physically present. Previously, she has used similar double interpretation teases, such as in Season 2, Episode 9 when she joked about liking kisses under the guise of the Japanese kisu fish. She has frequently used other hushed secrets to tease him as well, such as when she taunted Nishikata about holding hands in Season 2, Episode 4.
Still, even though Takagi may have fun playing with Nishikata's heart, she has yet to make any clear moves toward a direct confession. Season 3 seems to suggest that their fun and games are heading towards a more serious romance, but there has yet to be a perfect moment for either Takagi or Nishikata to genuinely tell the other how they feel. Takagi may be using moments such as these to gather up the courage to tell Nishikata about her crush for real. If so, she better hurry up, just in case he ever musters up the nerve to beat her to the punch.
