My Popular-as-Hell Best Friend Is Annoying, So I Want to Get Him a Girlfriend and Shut Him Up - Chapter 189 & 190 & 191

Chapter 189: Closing Ceremony

Two weeks after the final exams were returned, the long-awaited closing ceremony day arrived.

Once this day ends, it’s summer break—a glorious time when I can stay home without getting scolded. Plus, except for Obon, Mom’s at work, so I get Dad all to myself. No period lets me one-up Mom like a long vacation. Last year, studying ate up all my time, but what should I do this year?

“Yo, Violence Purple.”

“Morning, Creamy Pink.”

Uryu, who beat me to school, fires back an unwanted retort to my overly chipper greeting.

“Hey, what’s with that name? It ruins my vibe.”

“Feels perfect to me, Brain-Creamy Pink.”

“I’m gonna deck you.”

Calling a realist like me “Brain-Pink”? Makes no sense. I’d prefer something chic and mature, like Silver or Gold.

“Then why Purple for me?”

“Violence Purple, got it?”

“No one’s heard of that color.”

“I made it up. It’s a reddish-purple, like blood.”

“Wouldn’t Blood Purple be better?”

“You don’t get it. Translating Japanese straight to English is lame. Tweaking it to keep the vibe is the art of okashi literature.”

“Don’t drag Sei Shonagon into this.”

This guy—mocking Sei Shonagon before, now acting all highbrow. He’s got the grades to back it up in Japanese, but it’s annoying coming from him.

“Whatever. Image colors are trivial.”

“We were talking about image colors…?”

“Let’s get started. Hirose Yukiya’s World Heritage Quiz!”

“Huh?”

I clap rapidly, but Uryu grimaces, clearly not on board.

“Don’t look so grossed out. Just a little pre-homeroom fun.”

“I’ll decide if it’s fun after hearing the rules.”

“Stubborn jerk. Rules are simple: I ask three quiz questions about World Heritage sites. Guess them right, you win.”

“Sounds normal.”

“But miss even one, and you do one thing I say.”

“That’s a wild add-on.”

“First question.”

“You’re just starting?”

Ignoring Uryu’s grumbling, I dive in. In these games, the one who sets the mood wins. Heh, I can already see Uryu squirming.

“Registered as a World Heritage site in 1982, deeply tied to Buddhism, what’s the ancient capital of Sri Lanka?”

“Anuradhapura.”

“…What?”

“Anuradhapura. Buddhism and Sri Lanka? It’s gotta be that.”

Huh? Why’s he answering like it’s obvious? Why’s he acting like Sri Lanka’s World Heritage sites are common knowledge?

“It’s more famous for its giant stupas in photos. Built before the Common Era, they’re nearly 70 meters tall—”

“Enough! Stop!”

I cut him off, sensing I flipped a dangerous switch. Crap, was this his wheelhouse? A high schooler who’s a Buddhism buff? Who is this guy?

“Hmph, seems you nailed the easy one.”

“With the country named, it’s not hard to narrow down.”

Narrow down, my foot. How’s he top of the class and so broad in random knowledge? Is his brain capacity really the same as mine?

“Second question. This time, you name the country too.”

“Jumping the difficulty, huh?”

No more country hints—I’ll make him name it too. Let’s see how he handles a vague question. This’ll be good.

“No objections allowed.”

“Fine.”

He’s way too calm. Despite the tougher challenge, he’s not rattled—almost like he’s looking forward to it. Whatever, once I ask, that smug face will freeze!

“Second question. Antarctica, Greenland—”

“Los Glaciares National Park.”

“…”

“Los Glaciares National Park. Argentina.”

Uh, I haven’t even finished the question.

“No way, it’s obvious with those two names. Los Glaciares has the third-largest ice cap on Earth.”

“…”

“The sound of those towering ice walls crashing into the lake is wild. Gotta see it live someday.”

Okay, I get it. My question setup sucked. I admit it.

But answering before I’m done? That’s not normal! This is a pop quiz, no prep time!

“…Heh.”

As I’m floored by Uryu’s freakish brain, he bursts out laughing, like he can’t hold it in. What’s with him? Did going superhuman fry his mind?

“You’re so predictable, man.”

“What? What’s that mean?”

“Not ‘what.’ You watched that World Heritage special yesterday, didn’t you?”

“…”

I freeze. Seeing that, Uryu laughs harder.

“I caught it by chance too, and I figured you’d pull something like this.”

“I-I haven’t said I watched it!”

“Your questions were straight out of the show.”

“…”

“I’ll give you props for avoiding the exact sites they covered, but the way you asked? Pure TV flair, made it easy.”

Yeah, I watched How Much Do You Know? World Heritage Sites. The awe-inspiring nature and ancient structures blew me away, leading to this moment.

But like Uryu said, I avoided using the show’s exact sites. I crafted questions carefully, ready to gloat when he struggled.

So why? How’d he answer so perfectly? Is he allergic to imperfection or something? Poor guy.

I’m reeling from this upset when Uryu, reading my mind, smirks.

“One question left.”

“…”

“I took a big risk with these rules. If I get all three, you do what I say, right?”

“Wait, hold up!”

I halt the third question. No way—I can’t let him breeze through this. Reading questions gives me no shot; I need a new plan.

Giving clear info like names is the problem. I’ve gotta be vaguer, throw him off.

I pull my phone from my uniform pocket, tapping into the internet’s power.

Pictures. I’ll use pictures. Not obvious buildings—nature-focused ones. Even Uryu will hesitate. He might even guess wrong. I’ll hunt for tricky World Heritage sites until I win.

“Hey, Yukiya.”

“I said wait! Rushing’s bad manners. The main course takes time—I’ll serve it with confidence.”

“Nah, I’m not that hyped for it. It’s not that.”

“Huh?”

I look up from my screen, and Uryu’s wide-eyed, pointing at my hand.

“When’d you get a smartphone?”

Chapter 190: Exchange

“Uh…”

Uryu’s comment makes me realize I’ve casually pulled out my smartphone, which he didn’t know I had.

Crap, I got flustered and messed up. I was gonna show off the phone after beating him in the World Heritage quiz, but I got the order wrong.

I finally got Mom’s permission two days ago, and yesterday, Dad and I went to buy it. I planned a grand reveal, but my intense back-and-forth with Uryu threw me off. Leaning on the search function was a mistake—too convenient for its own good.

“Man, shouldn’t you have mentioned the phone before some random quiz?”

“Random? You answered perfectly, jerk!”

“Sure, sure, I’ll hear the rest later. For now, here.”

I’m fuming that he called my all-night quiz prep “random,” but Uryu brushes it off and holds out his phone.

“What, you giving it to me?”

“That’s the second time you’ve made that joke.”

No, I’m dead serious.

I cross my arms, tilting my head, and Uryu sighs heavily again.

“I mean, let’s exchange Line IDs.”

“…”

I freeze, staring at his phone.

…Right, I could’ve just done that. No need for a quiz to win. Man, I was so shortsighted.

“Wait, you got Line installed?”

“Yeah, I swapped with Dad.”

“Then hurry up and open it. I’ll scan—you pull up your QR code.”

“No way, I’ll scan. You show the code.”

“…Fine, doesn’t matter to me.”

We bicker while swapping contact info. I send him pi to twelve digits as a test, and he fires back with eighteen. Is this really how first messages go?

“Finally, I can reach you easily.”

“We don’t have that much to talk about.”

“It’s tough when I can’t contact you when I want to, especially with summer break coming.”

Fair point. Tomorrow kicks off every student’s favorite: summer break. Free from school, but that means we’ve gotta make plans ourselves. Coordinating without a phone would be a pain. Getting one now was perfect timing.

“I’ll let Nee-san and Tsuyu know your contact. You’d probably forget to tell them.”

“Hey, Uryu, you think I’m that lazy?”

“So you’ll tell them yourself? In this heat, trekking to my house? I’m cool with that.”

“Please and thank you.”

“Quick flip, huh?”

I’m a slave to the seasons—I’m not about to suffer voluntarily. Summer’s for staying indoors, chilling with AC.

“Alright, we’re done. Quiz time?”

“Quiz? Nah, I’m good.”

Swapping contacts with Uryu means my goal’s met. No point continuing. Plus, he clearly prepped from yesterday’s show, so I’m at a disadvantage.

“Come on, one question left? I risked it and nailed two already.”

“Ugh…!”

Just as I’m about to bolt, Uryu cuts me off. He saw me frantically searching on my phone—he’s got the upper hand and knows it.

What now? Go all-in with my prepped question? No, that’s a death wish—losing’s almost guaranteed. That’d be pointless.

Think, think! What’s the best move to get out of this—?

“Good morning, you two.”

My good karma must’ve kicked in, because a greeting interrupts our stare-down.

With neatly styled bluish-black hair and a soft smile, it’s our class rep, Misono Izumo.

She usually comes at me with hostility, but today, her timing’s perfect.

“Morning, Misono-san. Did you catch our convo?”

“That, and you were flashing your phones.”

“True.”

Yes, keep going! Derail Uryu’s brain! Forget the quiz, burn your mental storage on summer break talk!

I’m praying, ignoring their chat, when Izumo suddenly points her phone at me.

“It’s not fair if it’s just Aoyagi-kun. Swap with me too.”

Guess I overthought it. When friends—or “bad friends” (tentative)—get phones, swapping contacts is just normal. Why else would they keep asking?

“Wow, you registered with your full name?”

After we exchange Line IDs, Izumo teases me.

“What’d you expect?”

“Hmm, ‘snow_arrow’?”

“Pfft!”

What does she take me for? Using my name in English? Okay, it’s kinda cool, but still. And Uryu, quit laughing!

“Uryu’s got his full name too, despite looking like a ‘rainy_dragon’ type.”

“You’re the only one saying that.”

“No way I’d use a goofy name like that.”

Their pushback makes me feel left out. What, it’s that bad? Isn’t ‘rainy’ instead of ‘rain’ super stylish? Ugh, amateurs and their narrow minds.

As I’m grumbling, my phone vibrates slightly.

It’s a Line from Izumo—a cute rabbit bowing with a “Nice to meet you” stamp.

“Send something back properly, okay?”

“You better not ignore my one-liners either.”

“Why are you throwing one-liners…?”

“After summer break, Uryu’s whole body is gold. What happened?”

“Why are you throwing one-liners!?”

Izumo yells, then slumps, exasperated. Rude, losing composure mid-chat with me—she’s always been rude, though.

“Anyway, I might message you over break. Don’t be lazy—reply.”

“You my mom? I’ll reply fine.”

“Also, give your Line to Akari. She’ll be bummed if she’s left out.”

“Yukiya’s probably gonna forget to tell others too.”

“We might have to do it for him.”

“Honestly, that’s the most likely scenario.”

“Sigh…”

Hey, you two! Didn’t anyone teach you it’s rude to sigh at someone’s face?

I’m offended. I just got this phone—I want their contacts as much as they want mine. Like I’d forget. How little do they trust me?

“Alright, let’s kick off the last homeroom of the term!”

Right after their pitying looks, our teacher, Hasegawa-sensei, strolls in with a vibe like he’s already on summer break.

As everyone heads to their seats, he starts talking.

“First off, good work this term. Today’s done, and tomorrow’s summer break. Those aiming for top schools, don’t slack on studying. Second-year summer is make-or-break for exams. I know you wanna play, but keep that in mind.”

“Sensei, we appreciate the advice, but dropping serious stuff out of nowhere startles everyone.”

“Figured. The grade head told me to say it with a straight face.”

“They even specified your expression…”

Izumo mutters, stunned, and the class erupts in laughter. Is this the only class with zero tension about exams? Better than being pressured, maybe.

“Oh, Hirose, good news for you.”

“Me?”

As the noise dies down, Hasegawa calls out to me, like he just remembered.

“Last time, you chewed me out for not telling you, so I did my job today.”

“…What’re we talking about?”

He’s being all cryptic, so I ask. He grins, pointing upward.

“Goriji Kaname’s here at school today.”

Chapter 191: The Great Senpai

“No way, seriously!?”

My body springs up like a coiled spring, and I shout, unable to contain myself. I’m trembling with excitement—that’s how big this news is for me.

“It’s no lie. Head to the third-year floor, and you’ll spot that massive frame right away.”

“Thanks, Sensei! This might be the best thing you’ve ever done in your teaching career!”

“Uh, thanks? Not exactly thrilled by that compliment.”

“I’m off to find them!”

“Wait, wait, wait!”

I thank Hasegawa-sensei and start to bolt out of the classroom, only to be stopped. Why’s he gotta be so cruel?

“Why’re you stopping me?”

“Why’d you think I wouldn’t? We’re in the middle of homeroom!”

“So you’re saying Senpai’s in their classroom right now? Thanks for the intel!”

“I said wait!”

I try to dash into the hallway, thanking Sensei for the tip, but he calls out again. What’s with this guy? Holding me back like this is killing my overflowing passion!

“Hirose, I get you wanna see Goriji Kaname. But it’s homeroom. Go after.”

“No, after homeroom’s the closing ceremony, so it’ll be after that.”

Izumo chimes in, correcting Sensei. If I take their words at face value, who knows when I’ll get to talk to Senpai?

“Sensei.”

“What?”

“Let’s talk this out calmly.”

“I’ve been calm this whole time.”

“Here’s my side.”

“Go on.”

“I just really wanna see Senpai.”

“I know, that’s why I’m stopping you.”

“No, you don’t get it.”

“What…?”

I take a deep breath and lock eyes with Hasegawa-sensei.

“Let me ask you this: do you think anyone wants to meet Senpai more than I do?”

“Probably not.”

“Then isn’t it weird I still haven’t?”

“No, it’s not.”

“You’re a physics teacher, right? Someone this desperate to meet Senpai hasn’t crossed paths yet, while random classmates get to chat. Time’s warped here.”

“How desperate are you? Emotions don’t bend quantum mechanics.”

“You sure about that? Quantum research is advancing daily—new discoveries might be happening beyond your knowledge.”

“You’ve got an answer for everything. What’s your point?”

“It’s wrong that I haven’t met Senpai yet.”

“It’s not.”

Despite my desperate plea, Sensei won’t budge. It’s “meet them later” or nothing.

As we go in circles, the homeroom bell rings. Hasegawa-sensei sighs in relief, says, “Line up in the hall,” and leaves. Worst of all, it’s time for the closing ceremony.

Damn it, Senpai’s super busy! What if he leaves right after the ceremony?

Last time Senpai came was for the sports festival, and I only heard about it after, so I chewed out Sensei. If I’d known that day, I would’ve tracked him down at lunch. Reality’s harsh.

“If I miss them today, I’ll scream. Loud enough to reach South America.”

“Chill, Yukiya. You’ll definitely see him.”

Feeling crushed by anxiety as I head to the hall, Uryu puts a hand on my shoulder.

“What’s that mean? You pray to a four-leaf clover or something?”

“How whimsical do you think I am? It’s the closing ceremony—Senpai’ll be in the gym too.”

“…You’re right. Uryu, are you a genius?”

“You probably mean that, but it feels like you’re calling me an idiot.”

Uryu’s devilish insight sends my excitement through the roof. Right, the whole school’s at the closing ceremony! Senpai’ll be there, and I can talk to them no problem.

“Hit them up after the ceremony. You’ll have time.”

“Totally, I’ll nail the perfect greeting, no matter how short.”

“Do it later if time’s tight.”

Ignoring Uryu, I pour all my focus into mental prep.

I never thought I’d be this pumped to head to the gym.

※

The entire student body gathers in the first gymnasium for the closing ceremony. After the principal’s five-minute speech, the Principal’s Award for each grade is announced.

The Principal’s Award isn’t strictly defined but goes to the student with the best academic performance that term (first term, in this case), complete with a certificate and a small gift. In my grade, Uryu’s always the one on stage, flaunting his looks to the whole school. Since last term’s ceremony, he’s been smugly grinning at me, which is infuriating, but the gifts—like mechanical pencils or sticky notes—make it even. Thanks for those.

This time, though, gifts don’t matter. I usually want the ceremony to end quick, but today’s urgency is on another level.

In the third-year section, that overwhelming presence literally stands out. Taller than the basketball team’s giants, his head and shoulders rise above the crowd.

Seeing Senpai with my own eyes hits hard. Two months without meeting—it’s no wonder I’m emotional.

“With that, the closing ceremony is concluded. All students, bow!”

The vice-principal wraps up, and third-years, closest to the exit, are directed back to their classrooms.

As the gym gets noisy, I move instantly.

Weaving through the standing second-years, I head for the third-year area. Senpai’s height makes him easy to spot, and unlike others, he doesn’t move right away.

And then, our eyes meet.

Senpai touches his forehead, looking exasperated, then steps out of the crowd and beckons me with a slightly troubled expression.

Overjoyed, I slip through the moving third-years and reach my target.

193 cm tall, 142 kg. A physique practically chosen for his path. A commanding face that doesn’t look 17, and a school uniform that doesn’t quite fit—everything feels fresh after so long.

“Senpai, it’s been forever!”

“Long time, Hirose. Still a puppy, huh?”

Ruffling my hair roughly with a massive hand is my third-year senpai, Goriji Kaname—captain of the sumo club I’ve been part of since first year.