My Popular-as-Hell Best Friend Is Annoying, So I Want to Get Him a Girlfriend and Shut Him Up - Chapter 104 & 105 & 106

Chapter 104: Where to Sleep

“That’s about it, right?”

After discussing with Tsuyu and jotting things down on paper, it’s about half an hour before midnight.

Looks like we spent nearly two hours planning.

“Phew, I’m exhausted~!”

Tsuyu clasps her hands, raises them high, and stretches her back.

Her tight chest gets emphasized, but noticing this, she quickly lowers her arms.

“…Did you see?”

Leaning forward to cover her chest, Tsuyu looks up at me with doe eyes.

It’s a pretty enticing expression.

“Of course I saw.”

“…That’s it?”

“Hm? What else is there?”

“No! Nothing in particular!”

Letting out a relieved breath, Tsuyu tugs at her clothes a few times.

What’s up with her?

Did all that thinking make her act weird?

Asking if I “saw” instead of “did it show” is odd too.

Obviously, it’s gonna show.

Whatever.

We’ve reached a good stopping point, so let’s get back on track.

“I listed the questions your mom and dad might ask, and the answers are here. You don’t know when you’ll talk next, so memorize everything and answer smoothly.”

“Yes!”

“Start with your mom. Get her on your side, then work on convincing your dad. If she has time before him, it’s smart to lay the groundwork.”

“Mom’s not as busy as Dad, so I think I’ll talk to her first!”

“Good. Also, if the timing works, bring Uryu along. He’s the only one who knows your current school, and having him back you up will help.”

“Yukiya-san, you do acknowledge Onii-chan in your own way, don’t you?”

“I don’t. I just think he’s not as useless as you and Hisame-san make him out to be.”

“I rely on Onii-chan too, you know? I just think Yukiya-san is more dependable.”

“Look, if you come to our school, you’ll change your mind fast. You’ve got no idea how much your brother is—”

“—Even so, Yukiya-san, you’re the one who helped me today.”

Tsuyu’s expression shifts from playful to dead serious.

She straightens up on the cushion, places her hands on the floor, and bows deeply.

“Yukiya-san, thank you so much for today. If you hadn’t been here, I’d probably still be crying tomorrow, lost. You thought through everything with me, helped me, and I can’t thank you enough.”

Her words remind me of Tsuyu crouching in front of the house.

Soaked by the rain, she was smiling.

It felt off, but she kept acting cheerful.

I’ll never know how lonely and painful it really was for her.

But now, she’s bared her true feelings and is looking forward.

She’s smiling for real.

If she says that’s because she came here, maybe I do deserve a little gratitude.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m like your big brother, after all.”

So I say it lightly, echoing what Uryuu once told me—that Tsuyu sees me as a “second brother.”

I don’t want her relying on me too much since it’s a hassle, but as her big brother figure, I can handle a few consultations.

I’m generous like that.

“Y-Yeah, right.”

But when Tsuyu looks up, her expression is oddly complex.

I thought she’d be happy, but was I too forward?

“What’s wrong? Is the big brother act annoying?”

“No, no! Not at all!!”

“Then what’s with that face?”

“I… don’t really know myself. Before, I thought having a brother like Yukiya-san would be great, but now it doesn’t feel quite right.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It’s a ‘what’s that supposed to mean’ situation.”

We both tilt our heads, but we don’t figure it out.

She’s sure it’s not that she dislikes the big brother thing, but it’s weird that even Tsuyu doesn’t get it.

“Fwaaaah.”

A bit later, Tsuyu lets out a huge yawn.

She covers her mouth instantly, but it’s obviously too late.

Blushing, she looks away.

Cute reaction.

“We’re done here, so let’s sleep. You’re taking the first train back tomorrow.”

“Eh, isn’t that too early? I’d barely get five hours of sleep.”

“This is a half-forced sleepover. The sooner you leave, the better. You want to put your mom at ease, don’t you?”

“Well, yeah, but…”

“Then it’s settled. Go to bed.”

“Fiiine…”

I stand up, pat Tsuyu’s slightly sulky head twice, and head for the door.

“Eh, Yukiya-san, where are you going?”

Noticing I’m leaving, Tsuyu turns and calls out.

“To the living room. I’ll sleep in front of the TV. You can use my bed, Tsuyu.”

There are only three beds in this house: Dad’s, Mom’s, and mine.

I can’t borrow theirs, so I’m giving Tsuyu my bed.

If we had a sofa, I could sleep more comfortably, but I’ll make do with the floor tonight.

“No way, that’s not okay!!”

But Tsuyu grabs my arm to stop me, shaking her head to reject my plan.

“What, you don’t like my bed? I get not wanting to use a guy’s bed, but…”

“That’s not what I mean! I’m the one who barged in, so if anyone’s sleeping on the floor, it’s me!”

“What are you talking about? I can’t let a guest do that. If my bed’s not a problem, use it.”

“No way!!”

“Eh, you actually don’t like it?”

“No, I mean, that’s not it!!”

Realizing we’re going in circles, Tsuyu takes a deep breath to calm down and looks at me firmly.

“If Yukiya-san doesn’t use the bed, I won’t either.”

“That’s not an option. As the one responsible for you, I have a duty to send you back to the Aoyagi family safely. If I let you sleep on the floor and you, say, tweak your neck, I’d never be able to face your family.”

“Why are you so serious about this!? You’re usually way more laid-back!”

“Don’t call me laid-back! I’m always serious and sincere!”

“Anyway, I’m not using the bed! You use it, Yukiya-san!”

“No chance. If you won’t use it, I’m sending you home right now. Trains are still running.”

“Then I’ll sleep outside the station! I’ll camp out, tweak my neck, and go home like that!”

“Don’t tweak your neck! Just go home!”

“I’m not going!”

“Grrr…!”

This little sister figure’s getting cocky now that she’s relaxed, huh…!

I’d love to tell her to sleep on the floor and call it a day, but Dad taught me that hospitality means treating guests properly.

Sending them off in a better mood than when they arrived is true hospitality, and ignoring that goes against Dad’s words.

That’s absolutely not an option. I need a compromise.

“Fine, Tsuyu. Tell me what it’ll take for you to sleep in the bed.”

Asking that, I realize a very troublesome fact.

Tsuyu just said if I don’t use the bed, she won’t either. Which means if I use the bed, she will too.

—There’s only one possible compromise.

No way, seriously?

That’s the only option?

There’s gotta be a clever idea from Tsuyu to dodge this, right?

Please say there is.

“…Um, well… if Yukiya-san joins me, then I…”

But my prayers go unanswered. Realizing the same fact, Tsuyu’s face turns bright red, and her conclusion matches mine.

For Tsuyu to sleep in the bed, I have to sleep in the same bed with her.

Chapter 105: On the Bed

—How did it come to this?

On my not-so-spacious bed, a girl only two years younger than me is lying beside me.

I could’ve turned my back to her, but for some reason, we’re facing each other.

Let me just say, I did try to resist in my own way.

I thought about asking Dad to let me use his bed for the night or digging out the futon we keep for my grandparents.

It’s not like I didn’t consider options.

But it’s past midnight, and Dad and Mom are already asleep in their room.

Such healthy parents.

Don’t they have any sense of caution about this?

If they trust me that much, I have no choice but to live up to it, but couldn’t they show a little more concern?

I didn’t want to wake Dad, so I decided to sleep in the same bed as Tsuyu.

After inviting Tsuyu onto the bed, I dim the lights to a faint glow and climb in myself.

And here we are. Tsuyu faces me, smiling brightly.

“We’re really close, huh?”

Maybe it’s the quiet of the night, but Tsuyu’s voice feels almost three-dimensional, ringing in my ears.

She’s right—we’re close.

It’s a single bed with two people, so it’s only natural, but in this dim light, I can make out her expression clearly.

“This is my first time sleeping with a guy who’s not family.”

“Obviously. If you made a habit of this, I’d start lecturing you.”

“Haha, no worries, there’s no one else like that for me.”

“Liar. You’re popular enough to get confessions on the station platform.”

“I’m not exactly proud of that. I’d rather have normal encounters.”

“That’s tough in an all-girls school. If it was co-ed, you’d be drowning in attention.”

“I don’t need that. Girls’ schools can have wonderful encounters too.”

“Oh? You diving into the forbidden path of yuri?”

“Yuri? Like flower arranging?”

“…Forget I said anything.”

I got a bit excited hearing about “wonderful encounters” at a girls’ school. To think I’d be tainted by impure thoughts in this situation—girls’ school world, you’re terrifying.

“Um, by wonderful encounters, I didn’t mean at school. I meant you can have them even if you go to a girls’ school.”

“I see. Like visiting another school’s festival?”

“That sounds fun, but it’s not quite what I mean.”

“What, you got a specific example?”

“Well, I could share a recent one.”

After saying that, Tsuyu takes a deep breath that lingers in my ears, then looks straight at me while lying down.

“Like… getting introduced to your brother’s friend.”

For a moment, it feels like time stops.

The ticking of the alarm clock echoes loudly in the room.

Even in the dark, I can see Tsuyu’s face flushed scarlet.

“I never imagined I’d end up sleeping with that friend, though.”

“That’s my line. You stubbornly shot down all my suggestions.”

“I couldn’t just take your bed after all you’ve done for me!”

“If you’re that considerate, worry about the distance between you and a guy.”

I get that Tsuyu wants to be thoughtful, but letting it lead to this situation is questionable.

If my wild side came out right now, she’d have no right to complain.

Just as I’m thinking that and feeling like sighing, Tsuyu speaks.

“There’s nothing to worry about with you, Yukiya-san.”

I can’t quite grasp the true meaning of those sudden words.

Does she think I’m too spineless to try anything in this situation?

Or does she think it’d be fine even if something did happen?

“Yukiya-san, this might be a weird time to say this, but…”

“What?”

“I’m not wearing any underwear right now.”

“Huh!?”

Tsuyu’s confession, almost like midnight delirium, makes me instinctively glance at her body wrapped in the thin blanket.

I thought she was acting strange sometimes, and this explains it.

I don’t know about her lower half, but she was definitely conscious of her chest earlier.

“Haha, you totally looked down.”

“Of course I did! Why aren’t you wearing any?”

“They got soaked in the rain. I finally warmed up, and wet clothes feel gross.”

“That makes sense, but…”

“That’s why there was a towel and a non-transparent plastic bag left out, so I used it to store them.”

Things are starting to click.

Why Tsuyu, who came empty-handed, was holding a plastic bag by the bathroom. Why she panicked when I pointed it out.

It makes sense if she was carrying wet underwear.

Dad probably left the bag out—nobody beats him at this kind of thoughtfulness.

But one thing still doesn’t add up.

Why did Tsuyu tell me this now?

She didn’t have to say anything, and it wouldn’t have been an issue.

“Yukiya-san, what are you thinking about right now?”

Her face is still red, maybe even redder than before.

“…What do you mean?”

“Lying in the same bed, this close, hearing what I just said—what does a guy think about?”

“What…”

Tsuyu’s relentless approach catches me off guard.

Her slightly more mature expression throws me, and I can’t find a good response.

If someone could handle this smoothly, I’d trade places in a heartbeat.

—Let me say it again: how did it come to this?

If I think about reasons, there are plenty.

My family’s lax crisis management, the mess of someone else’s family drama, her unrelenting kindness—excuses are endless.

I didn’t invite her here with this in mind. She had nowhere to go, and I was just planning to fix her overly naive way of thinking.

It was supposed to be a lecture, my specialty, nothing more.

So how did it end up like this?

“…Are you really okay with doing nothing?”

Facing me in the same bed, she says something that shakes me even more.

Chapter 106: Prepayment

“You know what that means, right?”

I respond to Tsuyu as calmly as I can, trying not to panic.

Her surreal question actually helps clear my head a bit.

“Don’t treat me like a kid. I’m not that young.”

“If you get it, then you should know there are things you can say as a joke and things you can’t.”

I’m only acting casual because it’s me, but any average guy facing a beautiful girl like her, hearing those words, would lose it completely.

I need to correct her now, or some bad guy might take advantage of her later.

As someone who knows her, I decide to set Tsuyu straight.

“But Yukiya-san, you said it yourself on the phone with Onii-chan, didn’t you? ‘Don’t complain if we have a lewd night.’”

“Ah.”

Her words finally make it click why Tsuyu’s been so bold.

She must feel responsible for this situation in her own way, thinking she has to “repay” me by figuring out what I want.

That’s why this ridiculous scenario is unfolding.

Those words to Uryu were just to mess with him, not because I actually wanted anything like that.

Explaining that would be easy, but stubborn Tsuyu probably wouldn’t buy it.

If she thinks I’m holding back out of consideration for her, denying it would just drag things into a messy direction.

—In that case, it’s way easier to just go along with her words.

“Something’s okay, then?”

Answering her question about “doing nothing” with a question, Tsuyu’s eyes widen.

Her anxious gaze trembles, but she closes her eyes as if resolving herself and nods slightly.

She’s mentally prepared to “accept” me, in her own way.

But her heart and body aren’t in sync.

Her tightly shut eyes and stiff expression show it, and her body’s trembling slightly.

If she understands what my words imply, she must know what could happen next.

Otherwise, her body wouldn’t be reacting so honestly.

Honestly, I’m relieved.

Before I understood her intentions, Tsuyu’s mature act was a bit overwhelming.

But now that I see what’s going on, there’s nothing to fear.

I just need to act in a way that doesn’t push this third-year middle school girl, with her limited life experience, any further.

I reach my right hand, hidden under the blanket, toward Tsuyu.

And—gently stroke her head to calm her trembling body.

Her body visibly stiffens.

Her closed eyelids slowly open.

My action must’ve been so unexpected that Tsuyu can’t take her eyes off me.

“…Why?”

Ignoring her words, I keep stroking her head silently.

Her smooth hair feels surprisingly nice to touch.

Running my fingers through it like a comb might actually be addictive.

Satisfied enough, I return my hand to its original position and speak to Tsuyu.

“You’re the one who said it’s okay to do something, right?”

“N-No, that’s not what I meant!”

“We made a promise, didn’t we? About head pats.”

“That was… if things went well with Dad…”

“Right. So this is a prepayment.”

With that preface, I make it clear to Tsuyu, who’s still processing.

“When you get the chance to talk to your dad about your future, make sure you convince him. I’ve paid the success reward in advance, so no failing allowed. Not that I think you could fail with my advice.”

“Yukiya-san…”

“But if you mess up and pull some clumsy stunt, then I’ll make you experience that ‘lewd night’ you wanted. It’ll be a proper penalty, so you won’t have the right to refuse. If you don’t want that, face your parents with everything you’ve got.”

“…”

“…Tch, that’s it! If you get it, stop dragging this out and sleep! If you don’t wake up when the alarm goes off, I’ll drag you out of bed!”

To escape Tsuyu’s steady gaze, I turn my back to her, signaling I’m done talking.

Phew, I’m exhausted.

Staying calm in a situation like this?

I really am impressive.

If I hadn’t figured out Tsuyu was forcing herself, I might’ve been a bit less composed.

Just a bit, though.

A tiny bit.

By pushing her sense of responsibility to the future, I managed to get through this moment.

If Tsuyu successfully handles her talk with her dad, I made it so she won’t feel dragged down.

If she somehow fails, I’ll deal with it then.

As long as we avoid situations like this, she won’t push herself to say stuff like that again.

If I can just get through now, the rest will work out.

—That’s what I thought, completely letting my guard down.

“What…!”

Suddenly, an arm wraps around my waist, and a soft sensation presses against my back.

Her breathing feels even closer than before, and I’m caught off guard.

Tsuyu is hugging me from behind.

“Hey, Tsuyu, what are you—”

“I don’t know. I don’t get it, but I really, really wanted to do this.”

Her arms tighten, pulling us closer.

This idiot, has she forgotten she’s not wearing underwear?

Even through clothes, I can feel her more than that accidental touch before.

This is bad, really bad.

“Hehe, you smell like Yukiya-san.”

“Stop saying creepy stuff and let go! How am I supposed to sleep!?”

“No way. I’m sleeping like this tonight.”

“What!?”

Tsuyu buries her cheek in my neck, actually trying to sleep in this position.

Hold on, you might be able to sleep while treating me like a body pillow, but there’s no way I can!

Plus, it’s just too cramped to sleep comfortably.

“Hey, Tsuyu, cut it out! You really want that lewd night!?”

“If it happens, it happens. I was prepared for that anyway, so I’d do my best to accept it.”

“Grr…!”

No good.

She’s not fazed by sexual threats at all.

Did today’s talk make her too bold, or is she just not rattled?

If she knows I won’t do anything and is acting like this, she’s a total demon.

No, her willingness to “accept” it is a problem too.

“Well then, Yukiya-san, good night.”

“Wait, wait, you’re seriously sleeping like this? It’s gotta be impossible to sleep comfortably, right?”

“Suuu…”

As if my protests are annoying,

Tsuyu fake-snores loudly, making it clear she’s not letting go.

Give me a break.

I’m exhausted and want to sleep, but there’s no way I can like this.

Is being a big brother figure this tough?

Is this even a big brother’s role?

Uryu must’ve had it rough too, but this is a whole different level.

My eyes wide awake, I let out a sigh loud enough for my fake-sleeping little sister figure to hear, wishing these four hours would pass already.