My Popular-as-Hell Best Friend Is Annoying, So I Want to Get Him a Girlfriend and Shut Him Up - Chapter 168 & 169 & 170

Chapter 168: Overflowing True Feelings

“…Why?”

Unconsciously, I muttered. Dad’s wish was the opposite of my desire to keep people at a distance.

“Didn’t you agree with me!? Didn’t you accept that I don’t need friends…!?”

“No, Yuu-kun, that’s not true. I didn’t agree, so I made that roundabout request.”

“Then why didn’t you just say it outright!? Tell me not to say I don’t need friends! To rethink it!”

“—Because you wouldn’t have accepted that, right?”

“…!”

Despite my shouting, Dad stayed calm. With a serious expression, he continued, gently guiding me.

“I never wanted to force you to make friends. When you said you’d push people away, I didn’t stop you. I wanted you to want friends on your own.”

Dad’s face darkened noticeably. I hadn’t seen him like this since that incident four years ago.

“But I’ve always regretted it. Because nothing was resolved in middle school, pushing people away became normal for you. Because I didn’t stop you, your middle school life ended like that.”

“That’s not your fault, Dad. I’ve never once blamed you.”

It’s true—middle school was mostly painful. After the incident in my first year, hardly anyone approached me, and I didn’t find anyone worth respecting. My eyes must’ve been far colder than back then.

But that’s what I wanted. I chose to live that way. Dad shouldn’t feel bad about it. I don’t want to see him suffer over something like that.

I was about to say more when I noticed—

—Dad’s expression had somehow lost its sorrow.

“That’s why, Yuu-kun, I was truly relieved. Since starting high school, you’ve been talking about school. That never happened before.”

My heart leapt at his words.

I couldn’t help it. My classmates were so unique.

Two stunning girls, the pride of our grade, with completely different personalities.

A picture-perfect nagging class rep, and a bold blonde who didn’t care about rules.

A laid-back homeroom teacher in a lab coat, looking like he had zero motivation.

And a guy who, right after enrollment, was swarmed by girls’ attention.

How could I not notice them? Telling me to ignore them would’ve been impossible.

“And at the school festival, I almost cried. You were right there, part of your class, working with them. You looked miserable, but you were undeniably part of the group. It was exactly what I’d always hoped for.”

Seeing Dad wipe his eyes, mine started to burn.

“You tried to push them away like always, right? But some didn’t leave. They wanted to stay with you. Am I wrong?”

He was right. No matter how harsh I was, some idiots wouldn’t budge. Others tagged along because of them. Back then, I definitely didn’t want that.

“You were scared of people leaving again, so you thought you didn’t need friends, right?”

Exactly. If being myself made people leave, I’d rather they not be near me to begin with. That’s why I kept everyone at a distance.

“But, Yuu-kun, the ones who stay close even when you push them away—don’t you think they won’t leave you?”

I wanted to believe that. I’ve been almost my raw self with these people, even saying worse things than usual. If they’re like that, maybe they won’t leave. No matter what I say, deep down, I’ve always wanted to believe that.

But I was always scared. If I thought positively and they left again, I couldn’t take another step. I’ve never had the courage to move forward.

“Yuu-kun—you’ve been trying so hard these past four years.”

His sudden words of comfort hit me, acknowledging the loneliness I’d endured.

“You don’t have to try so hard anymore. You don’t have to keep your guard up.”

“…!”

When he patted my head, the emotions I’d held back burst free.

“It was tough, wasn’t it? Painful, right? But it’s okay now. The people with you now will stay with you.”

“Ugh, ugh…!”

Tears poured endlessly from my eyes. Everything I’d bottled up since that day came flooding out.

What am I playing victim for? I’ve hurt plenty of people myself. Someone like me has no right to cry like this—it’s obvious.

Even scolding myself, my sobs wouldn’t stop. It’s my own heart, but I couldn’t control it at all.

“Lately, you barely give off that ‘leave me alone’ vibe.”

Uryu was right—I only realized it when he said it. Unconsciously, I’d let my guard down. Talking normally felt natural, with no resistance.

Why did I let my guard down? Why was there no resistance? No need to think about it.

“Dad… I…!”

“Yeah, what’s up?”

His warm, enveloping voice. To the father who’s always supported me, I said through sniffles:

“I… I want to be friends with them…! I want to get along normally, live normally…!”

“You’ll be fine, Yuu-kun. If you can say it out loud, there’s no problem.”

“Is it okay…? I’ve said such awful things to them…!”

“It’s okay! If you understand that, you can start fresh!”

Dad stood, gripping my shoulders from behind as I cried into the table. His hands were strong and kind.

Why have I been so confused, so troubled?

If I really wanted to push them away, I wouldn’t have suffered.

I suffered because I wanted to get closer.

I couldn’t see it clearly myself, but now I can say it for sure.

—I’ve always wanted to be friends with them.

Chapter 169: Business as Usual

“…Thanks, Dad.”

After crying my eyes out, I thanked Dad.

If I’d been alone, I might’ve kept bottling everything up, stuck in negative thoughts. Because of Dad, I think I was able to pull out the truth buried deep inside me.

I owe him so much. Maybe I lean on him too hard, though.

“I didn’t do anything worth thanking. You’re the one who’s been trying so hard, Yuu-kun.”

He said, patting my head. What is this follow-up? Is he a god? An angel? I’d fall for him—well, I already have.

“But I’ve gotta try a bit more.”

I said quietly, psyching myself up.

The people I want to be friends with—if I keep acting like this, they could ditch me any day. I thought I needed to overhaul my attitude, but—

“You’re fine. Like I said, you don’t have to try so hard.”

Dad smiled, as if he’d read my mind perfectly.

“Huh, but—”

“Of course, don’t say things to push people away. But you don’t need to change who you are now.”

“Why?”

“Because the people with you now probably like you for who you are.”

His words hit so hard I couldn’t help but agree. Thinking about those guys, changing myself might actually be riskier. They’ve stuck around despite my rough edges.

…But hold on, I’ve thrown around some pretty harsh words in regular conversations. Are they okay with that? Thinking calmly, are they a bunch of masochists? Well, they’d have to be to deal with me.

Fine, I’ll follow Dad’s advice for now. If I need to tweak things in future talks, I’ll handle it. I can’t rely on Dad for everything.

So, it’s like business as usual. Just make sure I don’t reflexively reject invitations or brush off kindness—old habits might creep in.

Then it hit me—the first thing I need to do.

“…Dad, I have to apologize to someone.”

Even if I was messed up from past trauma, I hurt two people.

I trampled on one person’s feelings and shot down another’s actions.

Looking back, I’m shocked I said those things so easily. Scary how I did it without a second thought.

—But that ends today. I’m moving forward.

I said some awful stuff, so I don’t expect easy forgiveness—or any forgiveness. They might not even want to see me.

But I’m not giving up. I’ll find a way to get along with them again.

Nothing’s changed—I’m just doing what I want with everything I’ve got.

“Yeah, apologize properly. They’ll meet you halfway.”

“…Will they?”

Ugh, no matter how much I try to look forward, I keep dumping my worries on Dad. I want to be a bit more independent, but it’s his fault for oozing that heart-opening pheromone. Idiot, it’s not Dad’s fault—get it together.

“It might take time, but you’ll be fine, Yuu-kun. You can definitely be friends.”

“Huh?”

For Dad, it was an unusually baseless cheerleader vibe.

Not that I dislike it—it’s nice—but can I really be so sure?

He doesn’t know Akari or Izumo. He doesn’t know how mad or sad they are right now.

So, should I just take his words at face value? Be confident?

But Dad’s Dad. He anticipated my doubts and blew them away.

“Because even Mom made a friend.”

“Pfft!”

In the style of a comedian’s catchphrase, it was the one thing Dad would never say.

Dad rarely says anything bad about Mom. He’ll state facts like her being bad at chores, but never insults.

So, he used his beloved Mom as a punchline to make me laugh, to wipe away my fears.

Exactly. That antisocial, quiet, homebody who barely leaves without Dad is out with a friend right now. If Mom can have a friend, there’s no way I can’t. No way I’m worse than her. If she’s got one friend, I should have, like, ten.

God, I’m so simple. Thinking I can’t lose to Mom makes me genuinely believe I’ll be fine, like Dad says. His follow-up is unreal, but I guess that’s what it takes to handle Mom. Wait, this feels like déjà vu. Is Dad a masochist too…?

“Thanks, Dad. I feel like I can do this.”

“You’re welcome. Hope you make up at school tomorrow.”

“By the way, can I tell Mom what you said?”

“That’d be really bad, so please don’t.”

Kidding. I’d never do something Dad hates. It’s just love-driven teasing, you know.

“Y-Yuu-kun, I’ll make your favorite for dinner tonight. Anything you want!”

Dad’s adorable panic, trying to win me over. Hamburgers and curry, please.

Chapter 170: Feeling Under the Weather

The next day, restored by my talk with Dad and an overly lavish dinner, I headed to school with a big goal in mind.

Needless to say, it was to apologize to Kirita Akari and Misono Izumo.

Having hurt them, I had a duty to apologize with utmost sincerity. With final exams starting tomorrow, this was the only time to clear the air. I’d be fine, but if the study camp drama affected their grades, I’d feel awful.

You’ve got this, Hirose Yukiya. Trust yourself and Dad.

The sky was clear blue, as if the sun itself was cheering me on. If I faced this head-on without running, a path would open.

I thought back to four years ago. Back then, I walked forward with this same good feeling. I knew what I had to do. It was negative—pushing people away—but I moved forward without wavering.

This time’s the same, except it’s positive. No need to hesitate—just act.

With that in my heart, I quickened my pace.

*

“Yo, morning.”

At the classroom, I was greeted by Aoyagi Uryu, a guy so good-looking he could be in a street-style magazine. Even his casual wave was perfect.

“Morning. You’re here early.”

I came pretty early to apologize to Izumo, but he beat me. Only a few classmates were around, yet here he was, raring to go on a Monday.

“Had to check on you. After how we left things yesterday…”

“…”

I was at a loss for words. Hearing that Uryu came early because he was worried about me threw me off.

Right. This guy’s more stubborn and kind than anyone. Yesterday, he and Tsuyu were overly concerned, and honestly, I’m beyond grateful.

“Sorry for the hassle yesterday. I’m good now, thanks.”

Saying what I felt simply, Uryu gave me a puzzled look.

“…What’s up, Yukiya? Eat something weird this morning?”

“Huh? You calling Dad’s amazing breakfast weird?”

“Nah, not the breakfast. You saying thanks so openly—what’s with you?”

“…”

Apparently, I’m not the type to say thanks straightforwardly. Uryu’s face looked like he’d dropped five points in attractiveness, so it must be true.

Is this what Dad meant by “just be yourself”? I thought expressing gratitude was good, but getting this weird look makes me wonder. Guess I’ve got more to figure out.

“Whatever. Your face says you’re actually fine.”

“You can tell?”

“You wear everything on your face, Yukiya. You’re easy to read.”

“No way…”

That stung a bit. So if I’m feeling serious, the neighborhood auntie would think, “Oh, that kid’s all serious today”? That’s crazy embarrassing.

“And now you’re looking shocked.”

“Stop it! Quit reading my mind!”

Uryu’s banter got me weirdly down. I’ve got to apologize to two people today, and he’s throwing me off already. What a way to start the morning.

“Gonna shoot Tsuyu a message. Yukiya’s fine.”

“Right, I owe Tsuyu for yesterday too.”

“She doesn’t think it’s a hassle—just worried.”

“That how it works?”

“Yup. If anything, it’s a pain that I have to relay messages. Get a smartphone already.”

“Yeah, I’ll talk to Dad.”

If I’m going to connect with friends, I’ll need a phone. Dad’s been considering it, so I’ll bring it up when I get home.

“What’s up, Uryu?”

Glancing at him, I saw him blinking like he’d been caught off guard. Practicing for a goldfish impression?

“Nah, you just agreed so easily. You’ve been saying you don’t need a phone forever.”

“Realized it’s a hassle for stuff like this. Heh, I’m finally joining the IT world.”

“That’s not something an IT world joiner would say.”

I don’t get it, but I know he’s mocking me. Always picking on my positive moves—praise me, worship me!

“Oh, quick reply.”

“What’s it say?”

“‘If you’re lying, I’ll hate you, Onii-chan.’”

“Man, your sister doesn’t trust you…”

“Nah, she’s just too into someone and over-worrying. A nudge, and she’ll chill.”

“I see.”

Like it or not, I get that she’s still worried after yesterday. I’ll have to thank Tsuyu too, eventually.

And Uryu. It’s not exactly thanks, but I’ve got something to tell him. As I rethink things, I want to make a declaration.

But not now. I’ll settle things with Izumo and Akari first, then talk calmly. I can’t handle Uryu’s thing until that’s done. That’s my call.

Still, where’s Izumo? It’s almost time for homeroom, and she’s not here. She’s usually not this late—she should be here by now.

“Morning, everyone.”

Just before homeroom, our homeroom teacher, Hasegawa-sensei, showed up earlier than usual in his white lab coat.

“No slacking today, so we’re starting homeroom early.”

His lazy voice echoed through the room.

Izumo still not here, Hasegawa-sensei arriving early, and the phrase “no slacking.”

I had a bad feeling. But I didn’t want to believe it.

She’s always the one taking charge in the classroom.

“By the way, Misono’s out with a cold. Exams are coming, so take care, everyone.”