Teasing Master Takagi-San 14

By his third year of middle school, Nishikata is a veteran of competitions and of losing, but he is resolved to win against Takagi-san in the new year. However, there is one challenge, from his friend Hamaguchi, that Nishikata's okay with failing: asking Takagi-san out! Sharing an umbrella and climbing up the rumored romantic stairs together don't count...right?--