In episode 2 of My Senpai is Annoying, Sota Kazama has feelings for Yuto Sakurai, but asking her out is too difficult.
My Senpai is Annoying is the office rom-com series by Futaba Igarashi and her senpai Harumi Takeda, and while Futaba may have secret feelings for Takeda, she’s not alone. Another colleague, Sota Kazama, also harbored his own feelings.
So far, Sota Kazama has kept himself out of office pranks, such as Futaba’s drama and workplace gossip, but then he decided to listen to his heart and ended up listening to his heart. Take action together before it’s too late. Yuto Sakurai was the girl in his eyes, and he couldn’t let this opportunity pass by.
Futaba Igarashi battles him to impress her colleague Takeda and convince him to see her as an attractive person, not just a petty co-worker in need of protection. Meanwhile, Kazama takes a lunch break with two male friends, who admire the beautiful Yuto Sakurai as she passes by. Kazama is nonchalant, insisting that there is no man in the country who is qualified to date her. Anyway, Sakurai is confident and attractive, and she can afford to be picky. When Futaba and Takeda met Kazama and did a small scene, Kazama acted completely separate, but this was just a cold, aloof appearance to hide his true feelings.
Back at the office, Kazama finally makes his first tentative move to impress Sakurai… by calling her up. Sakurai picks up the phone, Kazama panics and says it’s a wrong number. Too late – Sakurai was able to see Kazama hidden away in a corner with his office phone in his ear, and Kazama retreated. Kazama always talks when Sakurai isn’t around, but once he’s really committed to something, his shyness becomes apparent. He still hasn’t had the courage to ask her out, and he must have found that frustrating. Like Futaba, Kazama feels unsure of how to express his concern, and he may fear that he is not good enough for Sakurai.
That night, Kazama walked out of the office and Sakurai caught up, thanking Kazama for the “wrong number” call earlier. Kazama still lacks the determination to express his true feelings and tells her that he will spend a quiet evening at home. Sakurai proves to be a proactive and generous person when she asks Kazama out, and Kazama double-checks whether this will be a group date or a private one.
He still couldn’t fully believe that Sakurai would care about him and him alone, but to relieve himself, Sakurai wanted to date him alone. If Kazama doesn’t have the courage to ask someone out, Sakurai will do it herself, and she doesn’t seem to resent Kazama’s indecision. In fact, she might even find it endearing.
This budding office romance got off to a promising start, and Sakurai set a good example for Futaba to follow, even when Futaba wasn’t around. Sakurai knows what she wants and how to get it, and if she and Kazama make steady progress, Futaba is sure to capture that and set a good example.
At this rate, Futaba will really need a friend to pull off that romantic act first and prove that the steps are right. And if the Kazama/Sakurai relationship plays out, it could also serve as a role model for Takeda, bringing Futaba and Takeda closer together sooner rather than later. They both need to see a proper romance done before they can try it for themselves.