My Popular-as-Hell Best Friend Is Annoying, So I Want to Get Him a Girlfriend and Shut Him Up - Chapter 136 & 137 & 138

Chapter 136: Pointless Debate

“To catch Aoyagi-senpai’s attention, I think excelling academically is the best approach.”

I agree with that opinion.

When I scored perfectly on the post-summer break test last year, Uryu, who I’d barely spoken to before, approached me. I don’t know if it’s conscious or not, but Uryu takes an interest in people who seem to surpass him. For me, it was a sad trigger that cost me my peaceful daily life, but for someone wanting to connect with Uryu, it’s a useful benchmark. Just asking for his help isn’t enough—challenging him with the intent to win, like Misono Izumo, is more likely to lead to progress.

That’s why I want to praise Rando-dono’s idea, but since I can already predict the conclusion, my feelings are incredibly mixed. I prayed to any god out there to please prove my assumptions wrong, but—

“So the strategy is simple! Hirose-senpai answers the parts Aoyagi-senpai doesn’t understand, then teaches me how to solve them!”

Just like before, Rando-dono proudly declared an utterly impractical plan. I knew it, but seriously, gods don’t exist, do they?

“Then I can teach Aoyagi-senpai the parts he doesn’t get, and he’ll definitely be impressed! What do you think of this plan? It’s perfect, right?”

Rando-dono raised the corners of her mouth so high I could practically see a “smug” sound effect. Ai-chan clapped with a beaming smile. She’s such a hard worker and the one I root for most, so why does her IQ sometimes drop to kindergarten levels? I’d love to see a first-year girl teaching the top second-year student, but it’s completely unrealistic.

So, like last time, I’ll break it down step by step.

“Rando-dono, just to check, do you know Uryu’s midterm ranking?”

“Of course! First place, as expected!”

“Well, yeah, he’s impressive, but do you think there’s anything you could teach a guy like that?”

“There’s gotta be! Aoyagi-senpai isn’t omniscient or omnipotent!”

“Sure, he’s not all-knowing, but if he doesn’t understand something, it’s probably beyond us too, don’t you think?”

“What are you saying? Hirose-senpai, you can cover Aoyagi-senpai’s weaknesses!”

What’s this girl basing this on? His weaknesses? That guy’s so creepily well-versed even in arts subjects, which he could easily neglect.

“The sidekick who covers the seemingly perfect protagonist’s flaws—pretty common in shonen manga, right?”

No, I don’t think protagonists in shonen manga are usually perfect. If anything, the rival or sidekick is often more skilled, and the protagonist competes with a single strength.

…Wait, did Rando-dono just casually call someone a comic relief sidekick? No way, not with this handsome guy right here.

“So, what do you think? My strategy!?”

“Five points.”

“Hahii!?”

As Rando-dono let out a bizarre squeal, I decided to explain from the ground up. For now, I’d like the “I outshine Uryu” series to wrap up in two episodes. A cancellation even a weekly magazine would gawk at.

“Your starting point is good, but everything else is a mess. I get your enthusiasm, but obsessing over something impossible will only drag you into a quagmire.”

“B-But, during club, Aoyagi-senpai said Hirose-senpai beat him on a test once!”

“That was just the post-summer break test last year. I haven’t beaten him since, nor have I tried. So, forget the premise that I can teach Uryu anything.”

“You say that, but…”

I debated with Rando-dono, throwing our opinions at each other. I saw it as a dialogue to refine our approach to Uryu, but—

“That’s why the protagonist should win through friendship or love! That’s the essence of shonen manga!”

“No! The trigger can be friendship or love, but the protagonist should win through their own strength! Recognizing their growth and defeating a formidable foe—that’s the true form of shonen manga!”

“What are you talking about!? The charm of shonen manga is working with friends to overcome strong enemies! It’s a bible of youth, teaching kids the importance of human connections!”

“A kid who prioritizes cooperation will grow into a boring, passive person! Individual growth is what fosters development, or kids won’t mature!”

Before I knew it, we were passionately arguing about shonen manga philosophy. We started out talking amicably, but somehow our switches flipped without us noticing.

“…It’s a shame. It seems Hirose-senpai lacks the spirit of ‘friendship, effort, victory.’”

“If pampering the protagonist is friendship, then yeah, I might be lacking it.”

“Um…”

Ai-chan, who’d been anxiously watching our heated exchange, finally stepped in.

“Hm, looks like a third faction has emerged, Rando-dono.”

“Can Ai-chan, from the shojo manga faction, convince us? This’ll be interesting.”

“No, that’s not it.”

Ignoring our theatrics, Ai-chan pointed at the clock on the wall.

“It’s almost 1 o’clock. What about the strategy…?”

““Ah…””

Thanks to Ai-chan’s remark, we realized we’d forgotten the main topic. Sadly, there’s no time to come up with a new plan.

“Ai-chan! Why didn’t you stop us sooner!?”

“Yeah, Ai-chan! That’s the most important role you had!”

“Eh!? I just didn’t want to interrupt you two, and now it’s my fault!?”

““Yup.””

“Don’t sync up perfectly just for that!”

In the end, we headed to the study session with no plan. Rando-dono, you’ll have to go with a straightforward approach.

Chapter 137: Comrades

A few minutes after cheering Rando-dono to fight fair and square, everyone gathered in the lobby, took their seats, and the study session began.

I sat at the far corner of the long table, where I could see everyone. Next to me was Horimoto Shoki, and across from me was Tsuyu.

Next to Tsuyu sat Ai-chan, Rando-dono, Kirita Akari, and Tsukikage Miharu in a row. Next to Horimoto Shoki were Uryu, Natori Mayoi, Misono Izumo, and Kamishiro Haruka. Just looking at the seating, it might seem like Natori Mayoi, sitting next to Uryu, has the lead, but the real issue comes next.

…

About five minutes into the study session, the only sounds echoing in the lobby were pens scratching and pages turning—no conversation at all. The focus of Yourei High’s top three—Uryu, Misono Izumo, and Tsukikage Miharu—was palpable even from the sidelines. With these three, who should be teaching, buried in their workbooks, it’s hard to ask questions even if you don’t understand something. That’s the atmosphere right now.

I nearly sighed. This isn’t shaping up to be a study session. It’s great that everyone’s focused, but that’s a problem for me.

…Honestly, it’s chilling to think this would’ve continued if I weren’t here.

I gathered five people who have feelings for Uryu, and I’m not letting nothing happen on my watch.

—That’s why I laid the groundwork before the study session started.

“Hey, Yukki.”

Five minutes later, Kamishiro Haruka, holding a workbook, spoke to me in a hushed voice.

“…What?”

“I was hoping you could explain how to solve this problem.”

“Huh? Ask Uryu or Misono Izumo.”

“But you looked so free, Yukki! You haven’t even opened a textbook!”

Looking at Kamishiro Haruka’s cheeky grin, I let out a deliberate sigh. I could brush her off, but dragging this out would disturb the others. Her voice is getting louder, so it’s better to retreat quickly.

“…I don’t know if I can answer.”

“Cool, cool, just thinking it through together is fine!”

With that, I moved with Kamishiro Haruka to the lounge area. Here, I could teach without bothering anyone. Anyone who wants help can come ask questions.

“…Yukki, was that okay?”

“Yeah, nicely done.”

—And this was exactly what I wanted.

Before the study session began, I made one request of Kamishiro Haruka.

I told her that if the session went smoothly for about ten minutes with nothing happening, she should pretend to have a question and call me out.

In a quiet environment, it takes courage to be the first to speak, even for a question. With so many people here, worrying about disturbing others makes it harder to step up.

So, I had Kamishiro Haruka take the lead. Even if it’s a bit loud, I made her the one to break the silence. From there, I set up the flow: if you need help, go to the lounge. With this foundation, surely some girls will ask Uryu questions. If they don’t approach him even after all this, their chances with Uryu will never come. That’s obvious.

“Heh, not only did Yukki rely on me, but I got praised!”

Kamishiro Haruka grinned happily, her cheeks softening. As she swayed side to side, her ponytail followed with a slight delay.

I chose her purely by elimination. Excluding the five who like Uryu, Kamishiro Haruka was the one I thought could afford to slack off. Tsuyu’s got entrance exams, and Horimoto Shoki’s here to improve his grades.

Looking back, though, Kamishiro Haruka’s approach was pretty natural. I was a bit worried that my request might make it seem forced, but it didn’t feel unnatural at all. To everyone else, it probably just looked like the usual Kamishiro Haruka.

A sly grin crept onto my face. Heh, I see. That’s right.

“As expected—you’ve got the chops to boldly deceive the entire school.”

At my words, Kamishiro Haruka’s smile flipped 180 degrees. Her eyebrows drooped, and she gave a troubled smile.

“That sounds awful… I’d love to deny it, but you’re not wrong, haha.”

Her voice lacked energy, probably because I hit the nail on the head. Letting out a dry laugh, Kamishiro Haruka continued.

“But I didn’t have a choice. I was in a real pinch, and it was the only way.”

“Then just tell your close friends. Isn’t it a hassle when people pry?”

“That’s true, but at this point, it’s hard to find the right moment to tell them. It’s complicated.”

“Honestly, I don’t care about your situation.”

“You’d say that, Yukki. You’re one of my few com-rades.”

“Don’t lump me in with you. I’m not pulling the kind of nonsense you are.”

“Haha, I’m getting roasted left and right today.”

Saying that, Kamishiro Haruka slumped onto the table in front of her. Even that seemingly sloppy pose looked picturesque—top-tier popular girls are terrifying.

“So, Yukki, you’re scheming to get Ururun a girlfriend today, but what happens if he does get one?”

“What do you mean?”

“I was wondering if you’d get a girlfriend too.”

Still sprawled on the table, Kamishiro Haruka looked up at me with eyes that could charm any guy. For a moment, I recalled last weekend’s events, but I answered clearly.

“No idea. I can’t think about that when Uryu doesn’t even have a girlfriend yet. Besides, if I want one, I’ll get one on my own. What Uryu does doesn’t matter.”

Kamishiro Haruka, maybe expecting my answer, didn’t look surprised and just nodded lightly with a happy expression.

“Yup. Talking with you is always the most fun, Yukki.”

“Huh? There was nothing fun about this.”

“C’mon, you’re so straightforward, with no ulterior motives or schemes, so I can relax and talk without overthinking.”

“Don’t mess around. I’m full of ulterior motives. I’ll grope those boobs of yours.”

“You wanna do that? Go ahead and try.”

“Eh, really?”

“Just kidding, obviously.”

“Stop saying suggestive stuff like that. That’s why you still get a ridiculous amount of confessions.”

“Ugh. I only say stuff like that to you, Yukki. I’m too scared to say it to anyone else.”

“Be scared of me too.”

Irritated, I delivered a soulful chop to Kamishiro Haruka’s head.

“Ouch, a Yukki chop.”

She took it with a grin, which only irritated me more.

Chapter 138: Assist

“Why can’t I get this problem…?”

Having set the stage for the girls to ask Uryu questions more easily, I planned to wrap up the small talk and head back. But it seems Kamishiro Haruka genuinely had a study question, so I had no choice but to stick around.

When she asked about a physics problem she didn’t understand, it turned out to be a classic trick question she’d fallen for hook, line, and sinker.

“It’s weird, though. If there’s no energy loss from friction, the ball should rise to its starting height, right?”

The problem Kamishiro Haruka was stuck on involved a ball rolling from the left peak of a U-shaped half-arc slope, moving to a point equidistant from the center on the right side, and determining how high the ball rises. The key detail is that the right side of the arc cuts off at about 45 degrees, so the ball flies into the air.

Looking at this, she concluded, “Since the law of conservation of energy holds, the ball should rise to the same height even after launching into the air.” But she fell right into the problem creator’s trap.

“That’s only true if all kinetic energy converts to potential energy.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Ugh, it’s mechanics. Don’t just rely on formulas—think about common sense too.”

I drew a diagram in Kamishiro Haruka’s workbook and explained.

“If what you’re saying is right, the ball would rise to the same height like this even after leaving the slope, yeah?”

“Yup, exactly.”

“Just to check, what’s the ball’s kinetic energy before it starts rolling?”

“Zero, since it hasn’t started moving.”

“And if it rises to the same height after leaving the slope, what’s its kinetic energy then?”

“Also zero, or it wouldn’t reach the same height.”

“I see. If you’re right, a ball moving in a parabolic arc would suddenly drop straight down.”

“…Huh?”

When I drew a ball moving upward-right suddenly dropping straight down, Kamishiro Haruka finally started questioning her answer.

To drive it home, I took her eraser, stepped back, and tossed it upward toward her. The eraser rose, lost its upward force, and fell back to her hands. The horizontal force remained, or it would’ve dropped before reaching her.

“Get it? Since the horizontal force doesn’t vanish, the kinetic energy doesn’t become zero. That means not all kinetic energy converts to potential energy, so the ball doesn’t rise to the same height. Got it?”

“Oh!!”

Kamishiro Haruka, who’d been stubbornly sticking to her answer, finally lit up and started clapping. Looks like it clicked.

“Super clear! You could be a teacher, Yukki!”

“Anyone who gets mechanics can teach it. It’s a hundred times better than waves or electricity.”

“You’re surprisingly quick to downplay yourself, Yukki, despite your usual cocky attitude.”

“Bragging about something anyone can understand just makes you look stupid.”

“…I didn’t understand it until just now, though.”

“You get it now, so it’s fine. Not leaving things you don’t understand—that mindset’s enough.”

“Got it.”

Kamishiro Haruka smiled happily at my scribbled diagram.

“You can erase that. It’s in the corner, but I still drew in your workbook.”

“Nope, I’m keeping it. It’ll help me remember better.”

“C’mon, it’s messy. At least redraw it neatly yourself.”

“This is fine. It’s better this way.”

“…Well, if you’re cool with it, I don’t care.”

Sure, sometimes a messy scribble sticks in your mind more than a clean copy. It’s got more impact and stays in your head, like linking memories to make things harder to forget. Still, I’m skeptical she’ll recall it next time she sees it. I drew it, but still.

“Okay, Yukki, next problem.”

“Huh? There’s more!?”

Kamishiro Haruka’s eyes widened at my response.

“But you said to come ask if I had questions.”

“That was just a front because of the Uryu thing, wasn’t it?”

“You didn’t say that! Besides, isn’t it important to not leave things you don’t understand?”

“Grr…!”

She smugly quoted my own words back at me. Damn it, not explaining the details beforehand bit me in the ass.

“It’s fine! I only prepped physics and chemistry for you!”

“That’s a bizarrely specific kind of consideration.”

She probably picked subjects I was studying for midterms, but I’m not tackling either for finals, and I haven’t studied chemistry since the first real test in second year. I lucked out answering that last question, but I’m usually clueless and useless.

What? Is it okay to leave things I don’t understand? I have zero interest in mastering subjects I don’t care about, so it’s all good.

I figured I’d at least hear her question, when a knock came at the lounge door.

I held my breath and glanced over. After a moment, in walked study-loving Uryu-kun and Rando-dono, arms full of workbooks and reference books.

“Sorry to interrupt, but we’re borrowing the space.”

“Go ahead!”

Meeting Rando-dono’s eyes, I barely held back a grin.

Nice, Rando-dono! Even after I loosened the atmosphere, it took guts to approach Uryu when he’s so focused. Her bold, go-getter vibe is still alive and well.

That’s my cue to leave. They might not open up if it’s not just the two of them. I’ve got my own part to play.

“Alright, we’re heading back.”

“Eh!? I still have questions!”

…

Kamishiro Haruka, who’d been a great assist until now, suddenly turned into a clueless airhead. You might think there’s nothing wrong with asking questions during a study session, but please read the room.

“I glanced at them, and they’re all beyond my understanding. Scary stuff.”

“You haven’t even opened a textbook!”

“At my level, I can imagine all your questions.”

“You can imagine them but not answer!?”

“Funny how that works. So, let’s call it a wrap.”

Saying that, I grabbed Kamishiro Haruka’s arm and forced her to stand. Her arm looked slim but was surprisingly soft, and I felt a twinge of guilt. Right, she’s got a boyfriend.

“Yukki, restarting won’t make you understand.”

“Idiot, just ask someone else. Horimoto Shoki’s perfect. That guy was born to master the sciences.”

“Eh, really!?”

“Yup, he claims he’s Einstein reincarnated.”

“Oh! I’ll ask him later!”

Without questioning my nonsense, Kamishiro Haruka’s study buddy switched to Horimoto Shoki. Horimoto Shoki, you better savor my assist. Even in casual clothes, she’s radiating that oblivious allure. Burn it into your eyes. I don’t care about the studying part.

Before leaving, I locked eyes with Rando-dono again, winking and sending her a mental cheer.

(Go for it, Rando-dono!)

(Thank you!)

With perfect communication, I headed back to the lobby, a bit curious about the situation but trusting Rando-dono.