My Popular-as-Hell Best Friend Is Annoying, So I Want to Get Him a Girlfriend and Shut Him Up - Chapter 118 & 119 & 120

Chapter 118: A Bad Feeling

“Ugh, I can’t believe you’re the same guy who seriously made me cry not too long ago…”

I get that Natori Mayoi’s exasperated with my slow responses, but I wish she wouldn’t bring up the Rando-dono incident.

When I’m in full-on annihilation mode, there’s no emergency stop button.

I’m all about completing the mission thoroughly.

What I’m saying is, don’t sweat my heated words or actions.

“They say the quiet ones are the scariest when they’re mad, right?”

“Huh? Where’s this quiet guy you’re talking about?”

Natori Mayoi’s exaggerated looking-around act is super annoying.

For the record, if you guys didn’t keep dragging me into things, I’d be perfectly chill.

“Whatever. I bet trying to appeal to Aoyagi’s tastes wouldn’t work on him anyway.”

“Hey, don’t get all cynical. Wouldn’t it feel nice if someone who likes you knew your preferences?”

“…Which is why I came to ask you about Aoyagi’s tastes.”

“I’m not trying to get Uryu to like me, so it’s normal I wouldn’t know.”

“When you’re that shameless about it, I don’t even have a comeback.”

Heh, no comeback means I win.

Undefeated this far, I could use a bit more excitement in life.

…Wait, didn’t I just lose to Mom at Batofami?

Hold up, am I actually losing more than winning?

No way, right?

“Oh, right, I had one more favor to ask.”

Maybe she’s sorted out the Uryu thing in her head, because Natori Mayoi changes the topic.

This girl doesn’t think I’ll do anything she asks, does she?

I’m only helping with Uryu-related stuff, okay?

“Help me study for finals.”

As expected, it’s a non-Uryu request, and my shoulders slump.

Why do my bad feelings always come true?

I’m such a model citizen, too.

“You know my grades, right?”

“You’re always acing something, aren’t you? Piece of cake.”

“Look, I’m barely scraping by to ace one subject. I can’t teach the others.”

“Huh? But didn’t you have a moment where your grades were crazy good? Everyone was freaking out.”

“That was only because I had the whole summer break to study, and there was a laptop on the line.”

“What, so you’re useless?”

That stings, but it’s true, so I don’t want to dig myself deeper.

Asking me for study help is the wrong move to begin with.

“This is when you should ask Uryu. Asking him about studying wouldn’t seem weird.”

“I’d love to, but it’s embarrassing to look dumb in front of him.”

“You’re dumb, so deal with it. You’re dumb.”

“Why’d you say it twice?”

She glares at me, but I let it slide.

That’s payback for calling me useless.

“Then ask Misono Izumo. You were in the same class last year, so it shouldn’t be hard to talk to her.”

“No way, she’s way too serious. I can’t handle her Spartan style. Plus, she nags me to dye my hair back every three days.”

That’s a pretty entitled attitude for someone asking for study help.

Come to think of it, Natori Mayoi and Misono Izumo are like water and oil when it comes to school rules.

They seemed friendly enough during the sports festival, though.

“Sorry, but I don’t know anyone who fits your criteria.”

“That’s why I’m asking a fixer-upper like you.”

“Who’re you calling a problem case? That makes me sound like a cheap guy.”

“I’ll generously appraise you at 5,000 yen.”

My “housing” is worth the same as the voice recorder I gave Natori Mayoi.

Isn’t that a bit too harsh?

What’s worse is I’m starting to get used to this treatment.

“I’m ignoring your demands, but if I said we’re holding a study group on the weekend, would you come?”

“What’s with that totally unappealing plan? Who’s even coming?”

“Misono Izumo and Uryu (forced).”

“A study group with the top students? Are we writing a thesis or something? Sounds insanely stiff.”

I figured mentioning Uryu during exam season would hook her, but Natori Mayoi isn’t biting.

She didn’t seem keen on studying with those two anyway, so it’s not surprising.

Guess I’ll use my trump card.

“Oh, and Rando-dono’s coming too.”

“I’m in. Obviously I’m in.”

She took the bait so easily it’s shocking.

As expected of the dog and monkey of the love battlefield—they can’t resist a fight.

She’d be in trouble if Uryu and Rando-dono got close through studying.

Her pride not getting in the way here is actually a virtue.

Let’s keep who’s the dog and who’s the monkey in our hearts.

“Got it. I’ll let you know once the details are set.”

“You better tell me properly. I won’t forgive you if you ditch me.”

“That’s not something you say to me, you know?”

The way she said it makes it sound like I’d betray her to get cozy with Uryu.

I’m just setting this up—I’m not joining.

It’s bound to be a mess.

“Shut up and blast off to Brazil.”

Natori Mayoi throws out her signature violent farewell.

Hmm, I think “Why don’t you die?” had more bite.

Oh well, I’ll overinterpret “blast off to Brazil” as “burn to death from air friction.”

If the setup isn’t bold, it’s hard for the punchline to land.

I part ways with Natori Mayoi and rush to the bathroom since my bladder’s at its limit.

Today or tomorrow, I need to talk to Rando-dono.

I can’t let her miss this chance to connect with Uryu.

I need her and Natori Mayoi to go at it.

If Rando-dono can’t make it, this plan’s gonna crash hard.

I should also invite Tsukikage Miharu and Kirita Akari to be fair.

They’re humanities students, so the exam scope’s a bit different, but studying together is just studying.

…That said, Class C’s resident goofball might barge in yelling, “Let me join!”

Oh well, no avoiding that.

Trying to dodge her would clearly backfire.

I’ll just hope she acts as a buffer if things go south.

Whatever, I’m not joining anyway.

Whatever happens at the study group is none of my business.

If Misono Izumo and the other four girls fight over Uryu, that’s the best possible outcome.

While taking care of business, I imagine myself free from Uryu and his entourage, feeling quite pleased.

But, as always, the chaotic reality that spirals out of control refuses to go according to my plans.

Chapter 119: Parsley Is Necessary

During lunch break that day, I was about to make a daring escape off-campus to finally eat some chilled Chinese noodles.

“Hi-Hirose-kun!”

A wimpy male voice stops me, and I turn around, already annoyed.

“…Who’re you again?”

“Again with that!? We talked two weeks ago!”

“My memory’s great at deleting unnecessary info.”

“That’s harsh…”

He looks like he’s about to cry for real, so I cut the usual greeting routine and get to it.

“So, what’s up? If it’s lunch, I’m not eating with you.”

Horimoto Shoki, the decently handsome guy with wax-hardened hair, finally flashes a relieved smile.

What an overdramatic guy.

“W-Well, I actually have something to talk about.”

Horimoto Shoki starts, looking a bit serious as he stares at the hallway floor.

Hold up, why am I automatically the go-to for advice?

The sports festival thing was a one-time special service, you know?

“Speaking of, what happened with you after that?”

“After?”

“You practiced basketball with Kamishiro Haruka, right? Any progress?”

Two weeks ago, I went with this guy, who’s got a crush on Kamishiro Haruka, to the First Gymnasium.

I saw them practicing basketball for the sports festival, but I haven’t heard anything since.

Did anything come of it?

He didn’t even talk to me on the day of the festival.

“Uh, w-well, about that…”

Horimoto Shoki stammers and looks away.

I wasn’t expecting much, but his reaction says it all.

I’m curious about what happened, so I stay quiet for now.

“That day, we practiced pretty late, and I actually walked partway home with her.”

“Oh?”

That’s more initiative than I expected.

As expected of Kamishiro Haruka, the distance-breaker.

Even if they’re just classmates, she’s chill enough to head home together.

Though, it’d be weirder to part ways after staying late together.

“During practice, Kamishiro-san taught me a ton about basketball. She sent me links to videos that’d get me hyped, told me about places where I could use a hoop on weekends—though it was raining the whole time, so that didn’t pan out.”

As I listen, I get a faint sense things are going south.

They practiced and walked home together, but all he’s talking about is basketball.

“So I watched a bunch of basketball videos, and the super plays gave me chills. It made me want to get better at basketball.”

“Get better?”

“…I ended up training with the team for the sports festival.”

As I feared, Kamishiro Haruka vanished from his story.

He’s off chasing some non-romantic youth arc.

What the heck?

“B-But listen! Our team managed to make it through the league! We lost right away in the tournament to another Class C basketball team, but it felt like an achievement!”

“And your relationship with Kamishiro Haruka?”

“…I-I can talk to her now, sorta?”

“Alright, I’m off to lunch.”

“Wait, wait, wait! Please wait!”

I’m ready to ditch this wishy-washy youth saga, figuring he’ll never even get a nickname from Kamishiro Haruka.

But he chases after me with a weirdly high-pitched voice.

“Hey, let go, you’re annoying.”

“I haven’t even told you my problem!”

“It’s just you wanting me to set something up with Kamishiro Haruka again, right? My whims are over.”

“No, it’s not that! I want to handle Kamishiro-san myself!”

“Oh? Then why’re you talking to me?”

Horimoto Shoki scratches the back of his head, looking troubled.

“Well, I was wondering if we could study for finals together.”

You too, huh?

Between him and Natori Mayoi, why do people who know I’m not top-tier keep coming to me?

I’m fed up.

“Just ask Uryu. You’re not on bad terms, are you?”

“Yeah, but it’s hard to approach him without you around.”

This guy’s acting like Tsukikage Miharu, and he’s a dude.

You could talk to Uryu while picking your nose, for crying out loud.

“Didn’t you say you’ve been doing decently with studying?”

“Oh, you remembered!”

“Stop saying creepy stuff and answer.”

“Well, since second year, it’s gotten harder, and my midterms weren’t great.”

Horimoto Shoki starts listing excuses, and it’s giving me a headache.

I want to praise him for saying he’ll handle Kamishiro Haruka himself, but his inability to follow through is just sad.

“Ugh, fine.”

I let out a big sigh and meet Horimoto Shoki’s eyes.

“Clear your weekend. I’m planning a study group.”

“Really!?”

“Nah, never mind.”

“I’ll go, I’ll go, I’ll go, I’m going!”

His over-the-top energy almost makes me back off, but there’s no issue with him joining the study group.

Actually, if I don’t show up, Uryu would be the only guy, and he might refuse to come.

Adding Horimoto Shoki to the mix might lower Uryu’s resistance.

Like parsley on sashimi at the supermarket—it adds color and makes it more appealing.

“Thanks, Hirose-kun! If you’re teaching, I know I can do my best!”

Horimoto Shoki flashes his brightest smile yet.

Why does this guy trust me so much?

He’s definitely got the wrong idea.

I’m not teaching, and I’m not even joining, but saying that would complicate things, so I keep quiet.

He’d better get used to relying on Uryu or Misono Izumo.

I’m not babysitting him that far.

I part ways with Horimoto Shoki and hurry to the student entrance.

Umbrella up, I boldly head off-campus in the rain.

I manage to get my hands on the old lady’s special chilled Chinese noodles.

The broth’s tang was so strong I wondered if it was spoiled, but it was delicious.

Thank you, old lady.

Now, I’m heading back to school in the rain.

I’ll probably be late for class, but by some miracle, the first afternoon class is Hasegawa-sensei’s physics.

It’s weird how this “miracle” has happened 15 times, but I’ll apologize sincerely and get forgiven.

It’s not like I went for noodles because of his class, right?

So, I take my time heading back to school, watching the rain-soaked plants along the way.

Chapter 120: An Unexpected Response

As usual, I flawlessly navigate the afternoon classes and stop by the first-year classroom after school.

I was hoping to see Rando-dono and Ai-chan, but neither of them is in Class 1-A.

During after-school self-study time, there are three places they could be.

Since they’re not in the classroom, that leaves two possibilities.

Going to the staff room would trigger some weird breakdown, so I head to the library.

Normally, when I use the library, the seats are sparsely filled, but during exam season, it’s packed like a coffee shop near the station.

I get why people would want to study in the library’s quiet, book-filled atmosphere instead of the usual classroom, but it feels a bit opportunistic.

Thinking about that, I step into the library, and as expected, it’s full of students.

Textbooks and study guides are spread out on tables, everyone diligently studying.

The sound of pencils scribbling and pages turning sticks in my ears.

I walk around, checking faces without disturbing anyone, and spot two people sitting across from each other by the window.

I consider calling out, but they’re both deep in study, so I grab a random book from a nearby shelf to kill time.

I can talk to them after self-study if I have to.

“Yukiya-kun…?”

About ten minutes into reading while standing by the shelves, someone whispers to me from the side.

I glance over and see a beautiful girl with glossy black hair, like a Japanese doll, giving me a gentle smile.

“Rare to see you here.”

I close the book, return it to the shelf, and respond to Tsukikage Miharu, who’s standing with her hands clasped in front of her knees.

“True, it’s kinda rare. I came with Akari-chan today.”

“That so?”

I’m oddly touched that she’s calling Kirita Akari by her first name, but it reminds me I need to talk to both of them.

“Sorry, got a sec? I’d like to talk to Kirita Akari too, if possible.”

Tsukikage Miharu nods easily, goes to fetch Kirita Akari, and leaves.

She was by the shelves, so maybe she’s on a break.

I shouldn’t drag this out—better wrap it up quick so they can get back to studying.

“I brought her.”

“Hi, Hirose-kun.”

After waiting a bit, Tsukikage Miharu returns with Kirita Akari.

I’m about to dive in, but having a full-on conversation in the library isn’t ideal.

“Outside the library okay?”

“Oh, yeah, talking here’s not great.”

I nod back at Kirita Akari, and the three of us step out.

With no club activities, the hallway’s quiet, feeling like a different world from the library.

“Sorry for interrupting your studying.”

“No worries, but what’s up?”

“It’s rare for Yukiya-kun to have something to talk about.”

Facing the smiling humanities girls, I get to the point.

“I’m planning a study group this weekend. Wanna come?”

I start explaining the details: Misono Izumo wants to hold a study group with close friends, she’s left the planning and people to me, and Uryu’s joining.

“I’ll let you know the location tomorrow, but assume a family restaurant for now.”

I pause there, but Tsukikage Miharu and Kirita Akari seem deep in thought, not answering right away.

“It’s a study group, right?”

Tsukikage Miharu finally speaks, but her question seems to miss the point.

“I’ve been saying that, haven’t I?”

“Just to be sure, Yukiya-kun, you’re coming too, right?”

“Nah, I’m not planning to.”

“…Figures.”

“What, Hirose-kun’s not coming?”

Kirita Akari asks, genuinely surprised.

Sure, it’s weird for the organizer to skip out, but Misono Izumo’s the one who wanted the study group, not me.

It’s not that shocking.

“No point in me going. Unlike you guys, I’m not in the mood to study.”

I plan to start cramming three days before Thursday’s health and P.E. exam next week.

Until then, I’m doing whatever I want.

The motivated folks can handle the study group.

Even if they’re not into studying, these two are interested in Uryu, so I want them there.

That’s why I invited the humanities duo.

“…Yukiya-kun, sorry, but can I put it on hold?”

Tsukikage Miharu’s smiling response catches me off guard.

I was expecting an instant yes, so I press her.

“Look, you get why I’m inviting you, right?”

With Kirita Akari here, I keep it vague.

To stir them up, I mention Rando-dono, even though she hasn’t confirmed.

Everyone knows she’s aggressively trying to get close to Uryu.

I figured they’d want to join to keep her from getting ahead, but what’s going on?

“I get your point, but if you’re not there, it’s kinda pointless, isn’t it?”

Her innocent smile nearly makes me collapse.

Right, this goofball number two insists she can’t talk to Uryu without me.

When will she ever stand on her own?

At this rate, dating Uryu’s a pipe dream.

“Even so, you’d want to keep an eye on things, right? Even if you can’t talk?”

“Just being there without doing anything would just be painful.”

“That’s fair, but…”

“If you’re going, I’ll go. So, can I keep it on hold?”

No good—she’s got zero intention of going.

Without the Uryu factor, there’s little benefit for a top humanities student like her to join this group.

At least she’s not flat-out refusing.

“Kirita Akari, you’re coming, right?”

I pivot to Kirita Akari.

A month ago, her feelings for Uryu were unclear, but lately, she’s been consulting me again.

Unlike the laid-back Tsukikage Miharu, I expect a positive response.

“Um, can I think about it too?”

Unbelievably, a second unexpected response hits me.

I can maybe understand Tsukikage Miharu’s reasoning, but I’m clueless why Kirita Akari’s hesitating.

“Why? I’m not backing off until you give me a reason.”

“Uh, w-well, you’re too close…!”

Getting rejected twice is a blow to my pride.

I close the distance to pry a reason from Kirita Akari, and she blushes, looking away.

It’s typical of her, not being used to guys, but she should work on not getting flustered by anyone other than Uryu.

“Spit it out. The reason. Five seconds.”

I fire off short, sharp words to pressure her.

If I rattle her, she might cave and say “I’ll go” to take the easy way out.

What a cheap tactic.

What even is pride?

“B-Because if Miharu-chan’s not there, I can’t ask for study help…”

“Oh.”

My sleazy strategy crumbles against a perfectly valid reason.

I was so focused on Uryu that I assumed she’d come, but this is a study group.

If studying won’t go well, there’s no point in her coming.

Especially since there are only two humanities students.

“B-But if you go, I’ll go too…?”

“Of course you would…”

If I go, Tsukikage Miharu comes as a bonus.

There’s no reason Kirita Akari, who can study properly, wouldn’t join—plus, she gets to see Uryu, so it’s a win-win.

“…Alright. Neither of you is really into it, huh?”

I invited them out of courtesy, thinking it’d be rude to hold a Uryu event without them, but it seems they didn’t need it.

““No, if you come, we’ll go!””

“You don’t have to sync that too!!”

Seeing them harmonize like they did with some long spiel before, I let out a huge sigh.

I said I’m not going, so why are they trying to drag me to the study group?

I’m not studying even if I go!

I’m not going, period!

The more I say it, the more I feel like I’m jinxing myself, and my unease lingers for a while.