WARNING: The following contains spoilers for My Senpai is Annoying Episode 12, "My Senpai is Annoying," now streaming on Funimation.
Months have passed since Igarashi Futaba first started exploring her romantic feelings for her senior co-worker Takeda Harumi. Since then, she's grappled with feelings of insecurity, a yearning to prove herself as an employee and most of all, the burning desire to get closer to her senpai in a meaningful way.
By the point of My Senpai Is Annoying's Season 1 finale, Igarashi feels more comfortable than ever as a professional sales rep and can handle any problem that arises at work. Despite this progress, she believes her relationship with the annoying Takeda is the same as ever -- but that may not be a bad thing.
Being his typical self, Takeda still treats Igarashi like a kid and annoys her with his patronizing tone. On the surface, it seems nothing has changed between them ever since they first met at the Itomaki Trading company. As a josei protagonist, Igarashi has a long road ahead of her and cannot find true happiness so easily. Takeda's well-meaning but obnoxious behavior still stands as Igarashi's greatest obstacle to getting what she wants, and there is still little evidence he may return her feelings. Even after all this time, Igarashi is taking a risk by approaching him romantically.
Igarashi finishes her work at the office and visits a bar -- the same one where she got tipsy and blurted out all kinds of embarrassing things to Takeda last year. This time she visits the bar alone, and the seat next to her feels incredibly empty. Despite their differences, she misses Takeda and recalls their first meeting.
At the time, almost everyone patronized Igarashi -- even the kind Sakurai Toko -- and Takeda made a bad first impression when he mistook her for a junior high student on a field trip. Igarashi has resented that attitude ever since, though in the present day, it's more like playful irritation than bitter anger. She still relies on Takeda both personally and professionally, which is actually something to celebrate. Igarashi can't imagine her professional life any other way.
To Igarashi's pleasant surprise, Takeda is also feeling nostalgic and joins her at the bar later on. He retains a big-brother or fatherly attitude as he warmly remarks on how far she has come since they first met, and feels immensely proud of her achievements in the office. Takeda values Igarashi greatly as a kohai, to the point he ducks out of a party thrown in his honor so he can have alone time with her. As a star in the office, he could score an evening date with ease or join any drinking party, but he doesn't want to bask in glory. He seeks something more personal and meaningful, which he finds in his tiny protege.
Takeda doesn't easily show what's in his heart though, and any romantic feelings for Igarashi have been kept close to the chest so far in My Senpai Is Annoying. As in previous episodes, Igarashi's crush appears one-sided, but even if Takeda's loyalty to her appears purely platonic, she still has hope. She is a stubborn, strong-willed person and has been since her childhood.
If Igarashi wants her senpai to notice her and love her as a woman, surely that day will come. She knows what she wants, and Takeda's loyalty and support serve as a solid foundation for a potential romance. Almost everything is in place, and perhaps when My Senpai Is Annoying continues, Igarashi will finish the job and find true happiness -- both at work and in her heart. A josei heroine won't settle for any less.