WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Teasing Master Takagi-san Season 3, Episode 3 segments, "Bewilder Ball" and "Rain" now streaming on HIDIVE.
When couples spend time socializing with others, one question that they inevitably must answer is what they like about their partner. Teasing Master Takagi-san's central duo may not be an official pair just yet, but Season 3, Episode 3 spends a good amount of time showcasing some pretty good reasons for Takagi's crush on Nishikata: In addition to his fortitude to handle Takagi's constant barrage of pranks, Nishikata is a highly imaginative and exceedingly thoughtful individual.
The episode's second scene shows off Nishikata's love of his current favorite sports manga, a baseball series called Summer Slammer. While reading a volume after class, he was so engrossed in the setting that all it took was a stray ping-pong ball rolling by to get him to imitate the characters in the comic. Takagi, who planted the trap, then challenged Nishikata to a game of broom ball to keep his embarrassing game of pretend a secret. While Takagi ultimately threw him off his game by teasing him, Nishikata came close to striking her out by fully immersing himself in a shonen sports scenario in his head, with himself as the ace pitcher.
This is far from the first time that Nishikata has demonstrated an ability to visualize himself as a character in a fictional work. In Season 2, he did something similar when placing himself in the shoes of sharpshooting cowboy Dandy to try to one-up Takagi during a game of theirs. While Takagi ended up usurping the role of Dandy, Nishikata had managed to get a bit of smooth play out of the character first. Both scenes reinforce the idea that Takagi is his one true weakness, but they also demonstrate how Nishikata is able to bolster his own abilities through the power of imagination.
As splendid as his sense of creativity may be, Episode 3 shows that Nishikata's true greatest strength is his prevalent compassion and thoughtfulness. The final portion of the episode placed the students in a sudden rainstorm after class. Nishikata’s quick thinking helped him secure an umbrella, which he celebrated, as it allowed him to make it home in time to catch a special crossover episode of two of his favorite sports anime. However, he eventually realized that Takagi may not have an umbrella of her own and rushed back to escort her.
Nishikata came to this conclusion without Takagi having given him any indication that she might be in need. In fact, his entire reasoning for thinking that she might be stranded came from their shared history of Takagi forgetting her umbrella previously, back in Season 1. This observation of her habits and his continuous concern for her show a selfless side to Nishikata that is usually veiled behind his stiffer nature. His resolve to return for her on a mere hunch is particularly meaningful because he had to sacrifice watching his long-awaited show.
Nishikata showed similar care back in Season 1 when he risked being late for the first day of class just to turn in a lost handkerchief, which turned out to belong to Takagi. He further demonstrated his sensitivity in Season 2 by picking up on Takagi being in a slump after having a fight with her mother. Even though he was unsure how to console her back then, ultimately it was his thoughtfulness and tact that helped cheer Takagi up.
It is this keen awareness of the needs of others, and especially those of Takagi, that is Nishikata's best quality. While Takagi has yet to say anything about what particular aspects of Nishikata’s character draw her towards him, his fantastical mind coupled with his caring heart likely make her see him as much more than somebody to tease.
