My Popular-as-Hell Best Friend Is Annoying, So I Want to Get Him a Girlfriend and Shut Him Up - Chapter 198 & 199 & 200

Chapter 198: Summer Break, Harehare 2

“…You that free? You just love calling, huh?”

“Look, I wouldn’t be calling if you didn’t screw up.”

About ten minutes after I cut off my Line exchange with the messaging pro Haruka, I got another call from Uryu.

I was just starting to enjoy the trickle of messages from others, and now this guy’s gotta ruin it. What’s his deal?

“Screw up? I didn’t mean to cause you any trouble.”

“You did, that’s why I’m calling. You blocked Kamishiro-san, didn’t you?”

“How’d you know? You’re Yourei High’s top info broker.”

“Not thrilled about that title. She’s been flooding me with messages about you blocking her.”

“…Yeah, that’s trouble.”

While I was finding peace, the chaos apparently shifted to Uryu. I feel a tiny bit bad for him.

“By the way, can you tell when someone’s blocked on Line?”

“I don’t know much, but she noticed no read receipts, tried sending a sticker gift, and it wouldn’t go through.”

“She’s out here playing detective.”

That all happened in just ten minutes—terrifying. Truly the god of the Line realm.

“Why’d you block her anyway?”

“Couldn’t keep up with her message speed.”

“Change the settings from ‘fast’ to ‘slow.’”

“This isn’t a game.”

This guy sometimes drops deadpan jokes with a serious tone, and it’s so confusing. Game message speed? I’d skip even the fast ones.

“I get the feeling, but blocking’s a bit much.”

“You actually get it?”

“…”

“Don’t go quiet.”

No need to ask—Haruka’s chats must be a struggle even for Uryu. She’s loud in person, but on Line, the screen’s constant movement makes it feel even more chaotic.

“Just unblock her. Figure out how to deal with her yourself from now on.”

“Sounding like a failing rock band.”

“I’m done meddling. That’s it.”

With that, Uryu hung up unilaterally. Getting caught between me and Haruka must’ve pissed him off. I get it—I felt the same when he dragged me into his love advice mess. Let them sort it out themselves.

Still, I gotta reflect a little. Blocking her because her messages overwhelmed me was rash. Maybe we could’ve talked it out first. There’s a chance she’d tone it down if I asked.

‘Hirose Yukiya: Unblocked you.’

So, I unblocked her and sent a message. If she starts spamming again, I’ll block her once more—doesn’t feel like we’d reach an agreement otherwise.

As I was thinking that, a free call came in from haruka. First day with a smartphone, and it’s ringing nonstop.

“Hel—”

“I’m so sorry, Yukki!!”

“Too loud!!”

The second I hit accept, Haruka’s booming apology nearly blew out my eardrums. But she didn’t stop.

“I got so excited! I didn’t think I’d get to chat with you like this, so I sent a ton of messages and freaked you out, right!?”

“Y-Yeah.”

“I’ll be more careful from now on! I’ll fix what I did wrong! Please, just don’t block me again!?”

It was a shockingly humble apology. I figured she’d come at me with, “Why’d you block me!?” but the block hit her harder than I expected.

“Well, if you keep it chill from now on, I won’t block you.”

“Really!? Oh, thank god…!”

Her voice dripped with genuine relief. Seeing her that happy stirred some guilt for blocking her so suddenly. Not that I’d say it out loud—can’t let her get too cocky.

“Getting blocked feels so lonely. I gotta watch myself too.”

“What, you’ve never been blocked before?”

“Never! So I was totally shocked and leaned on Ururun.”

Sorry, Ururun, it was my fault. I’ll apologize in my head, so forgive me.

“Though I’ve blocked plenty of people myself.”

“The other way around? You block others?”

“When it’s someone I don’t know or have no connection with, yeah. Some send weird pics or messages.”

“Oh…”

Makes sense. With Haruka’s grade-level beauty, it’s not surprising. She laughed it off, but that’s gotta be a bit scary. Like with Uryu, being good-looking doesn’t mean life’s all roses.

“Anyway, forget that! Yukki, you got a phone!”

Not wanting to dwell, Haruka blatantly switched topics.

“Bought it yesterday.”

“Fresh off the press, huh? You should’ve told us at the gym!”

“My head was full of Goriji-senpai.”

“You’re always like that. I get it, though—he’s barely at school.”

We chatted a bit from there. Normally, I’d cut it short as a hassle, but it wasn’t bad. Maybe because Haruka’s tone was calmer.

“Oh, wait, I’ve got one favor to ask!”

Just as the convo was winding down, she piped up.

“What?”

“Could you come shopping with me?”

“No way.”

“Instant rejection!?”

My quick answer got a perfect comeback.

“Why!? Why’s that!?”

“Why? I’ve never gone along with you before.”

“And why’s that!?”

“Too much hassle.”

“Ouch!”

She was so shocked, she voiced a sound effect and slumped. We’ve had this exchange before, and it always ends the same way.

“B-But this time, I really need a guy’s opinion…”

Unlike before, she didn’t back down. I wondered why she’d ask me, the king of refusals, but that was her reason. I’ll give her props for spotting my undeniable guy aura, but the answer’s still no.

“Even then, no can do. I can’t help.”

“Is it… because it’s a hassle?”

“Nah. How you gonna explain to your boyfriend that you’re going out with me?”

“Oh…”

Seeing her airheaded side makes me worry about her boundaries with other guys.

Following Goriji-senpai’s advice, shopping with Haruka would be ideal, but the premise is all wrong. Hanging out with a girl who’s got a boyfriend? Hard pass. Who knows who’s watching? If word got out and caused drama, it wouldn’t be funny. Sorry, can’t help.

Or so I thought.

“It’s fine! I’ve got a great idea!”

Her voice turned bright, like a switch flipped.

“You’re right, going out just us two would be bad.”

“Been saying that.”

“So, if it’s not one-on-one, it’s cool, right!?”

“Huh?”

With that, she pitched her brilliant plan.

“Invite Miha-chan, make it three—problem solved, right!?”

She came up with an alternative before even checking with the person in question.

It wouldn’t be one-on-one with a taken girl, and we’d have more girls than guys. Seems like it’d dodge any gossip, but…

“You got her permission for that?”

No way she checked with Miharu—this sounds like a spur-of-the-moment idea.

“Yukki, hold on, I’m hanging up for a sec.”

With that, Haruka ended the call. If she’s trying to clear my concern, I can guess what she’s doing.

About a minute later, another call from Haruka. I held the phone a bit away from my ear just in case and answered. Sure enough, her overly enthusiastic voice blasted through.

“Miha-chan’s cool with it! Let’s go the day after tomorrow!”

That approval came way too fast. Feels like when we’d decide lunch at the cafeteria. Are girls always this quick? If Miharu’s a machine-gun texter like Haruka, I’m out.

…Wait. Day after tomorrow? Where’s my approval?

Chapter 199: Summer Break, Harehare 3

“Meet at Harajuku, 1 PM! I’ll let you know if anything changes!”

“Hey, missy, hold up a sec.”

Feeling like things are moving forward without my input, I put on the brakes.

“What’s up? Don’t know where in Harajuku?”

“You mocking me? I’ve never been, but I can figure it out.”

“No way! You’ve never been!? Yukki, do you even live in Tokyo!?”

“You’re picking a fight with Hachioji folks now, huh?”

You can get to Shinjuku without transfers, but without a special express, it takes nearly an hour. Some spots are closer from Saitama, so don’t stir up trouble with that kind of talk.

“That’s not the point. Day after tomorrow, 1 PM? When was that decided?”

“With Miha-chan! She said tomorrow’s no good!”

Why’d you check Miha-chan’s schedule but not Yukki’s? Sure, you can’t judge availability without setting a time, but couldn’t you at least say, “How’s 1 PM the day after tomorrow?” Some compromise would be nice.

“Wait, Yukki, you got plans?”

“Nah, nothing special.”

“Sweet! Then we’re set for three!”

I kinda wanted to chill with Dad, but her excitement kills any urge to say that.

Oh, right, she mentioned shopping. If I need to do something specific, it’d help if she told me upfront.

“Hey, I’ve got a question—”

“Haruka, dinner’s ready~!”

Before I could ask, an unfamiliar male voice cut into the call.

Huh? What’s going on? The voice sounded too young for a dad—who is it?

“Hey, big brother! Don’t barge into my room!”

Haruka’s angry shout came through, slightly distant. Oh, her brother. I vaguely recall her mentioning him during the study camp bus ride. A siscon, right? Not sure on that part.

“What’s that? No secrets between siblings!”

“There’s tons! Are you stupid!?”

Getting called stupid by Haruka? Her brother must be next-level dumb. Hard to imagine dumber than her brand of airhead.

“I’m on a call, so get out!”

“Is it Miha-chan-san? You two are so close.”

“It’s someone else! I’m keeping them waiting!”

“Someone else? What’s with that tone? Haruka, don’t tell me… it’s a guy?”

Suddenly, her brother’s voice shifted. Sounds like he’s mad at the idea of his sister talking to a dude.

“W-What are you talking about, big brother!? N-No way it’s like that!”

This airhead’s panic is so obvious, even over the phone, it’s clearly a lie. She was all aggressive before—why’s she freaking out so bad now? It’s like she’s admitting he hit the mark.

“Then let me see your phone. If it’s a girl friend, I wanna say hi.”

Desperate to know who’s on the line, he’s demanding her phone. If I were a girl friend, this’d be creepy enough to bail.

Too bad for Haruka—she’s too clueless to handle this. Just hang up and lock the phone; no evidence left. Deal with the Kamishiro family drama yourself.

“Fine! Then talk to him!”

Whaaat!?

No way! This girl, without thinking, just threw me under the bus. Does she think I’m a girl friend? Like we’re giggling and groping each other? Girl friends do that?

Calm down, me. Don’t lose it. Hanging up is easy, but since Haruka didn’t, it’s not the best move. He’d see the chat history anyway. Convincing him through talk is probably smarter, but…

Is she expecting me to fake a girl’s voice? I could pull it off, but I’d rather get caught than humiliate myself like that. Last year’s school festival was embarrassing enough—I’m a proud high school guy.

“Good evening, I’m Haruka’s brother. Thanks for being such good friends with her.”

While I’m panicking, her brother speaks up, assuming I’m a girl friend. His voice is soft, calm—probably a heartthrob, if not for the siscon vibe.

No choice. There’s no way to smooth this over now. It’s all Haruka’s fault for tossing me into this mess—whatever her brother thinks of me later, not my problem.

I take a deep breath, steel myself, and go for a hail-Mary play.

“What? Can you speak English?”

“Huh? Uh?”

“Returning to the story, do you believe in God?”

“G-God? God?”

“Yes! Do you love Christ? Christ? Christ!”

I can practically hear her brother’s confusion.

This is a strategy I cooked up when fake billing scams were trending. Most Japanese folks get rattled by English, and picking up words like “God” and “Christ” makes you sound like a crazy zealot.

Nobody messes with someone crazier than them—a brilliant move exploiting Japanese restraint.

“Haruka! You’ve been talking to a foreigner!? Wait, are you getting roped into a cult!?”

“Huh? What are you saying?”

Hearing her brother freak out, I quietly end the call. Now his focus is on “cult” instead of “guy.” Sort it out yourselves.

Phone in hand, I lean back in my chair.

Man, I’m exhausted. Is talking to people always this draining? Or is it because I rarely chat with classmates this late? If so, I might need to get used to it.

As I’m thinking, my phone buzzes again.

Who now? I check the screen—it’s neither Uryu nor Haruka.

“Hello?”

“Good evening, Yukiya-kun.”

The third caller is Miharu, who I’m set to hit Harajuku with the day after tomorrow.

“Sorry for calling so late. Got a moment?”

Her apologetic tone hits me with a wave of awe. Yo, Uryu, Haruka, you seeing this? This is how a call starts. You approach the other person first—that’s where conversation begins.

“It’s fine. Late? It’s only 8:30.”

“That’s plenty late. In apartments or condos, you can bother neighbors.”

Got it—she’s not just thinking of me but also my neighbors. Worrying about me getting chewed out for noise? What a considerate girl.

“So, what’s up?”

For someone embodying this level of thoughtfulness to call this late, it’s gotta be important. I brace myself, and she says,

“Um, did Haruka-chan tell you about the shopping?”

“Yeah, just heard about it.”

“Sorry we set the date and time without you. I’m free most days except tomorrow, so I wanted to check if you had plans.”

Yo, Uryu, Haruka, take notes from Professor Miharu on empathy.

Chapter 200: Summer Break, Harehare 4

It’s 12:45 PM—arriving not five but fifteen minutes early has a reason.

Apparently, Harajuku’s a hotspot for young women, which means talent scouts are prowling around. Rumor has it they target girls waiting for meetups, especially near the station.

This is just internet hearsay, so I can’t confirm it, but if it’s true, I can’t leave Yourei High’s twin beauty titans waiting too long.

Of course, if they’re into showbiz, my early arrival’s pointless. But if they were, they’d have had some buzz by now, right?

I’ve thought about why Haruka wanted me to tag along shopping, and this has to be it. With my rugged charm, scouts would scatter like spooked rabbits. Heh, Haruka’s gotten pretty crafty, using me like this.

Five minutes after staking out a spot slightly away from the station, Haruka calls via Line.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Yukki! You in Harajuku already?”

“Just got here. In the shade near the station.”

“For real!? Can you see us? We just left the ticket gates!”

“Yeah.”

Glancing toward the station, I spot two figures radiating an unmistakable aura even in the crowd.

One’s blatantly energetic. A yellow top layered over a gray tank, with the tank’s straps peeking out. Denim short shorts below, similar to her study camp vibe—easy to move in. The difference? A cap, probably for sun protection. Still, her signature ponytail bounces out, pure Haruka.

The other’s calm and composed. A white floral blouse paired with a sky-blue pleated long skirt. A straw hat sits on her head, perfectly matching her long black hair.

Noticing them instantly is a virtue, but standing out this much? Maybe tone it down.

“Found you. Stay there.”

“Got it!”

I hang up and head over. I’d been in the shade across the street, but joining them shouldn’t take two minutes. Just a quick wait for the signal to change.

In that brief moment I looked away, Haruka and Miharu got approached by a sharply dressed woman in a suit.

“You two friends? Such stunning outfits—hands down the best I’ve seen lately!”

“Thank you.”

“How about it? Debut in showbiz together? You’d be shooting to stardom in no time!”

Cringing at her cheesy pitch, I step in front of the scout.

“Uh, no thanks. We’re just here to hang out.”

I choose my words carefully for a guy like me. No idea who she is, but snapping at her and getting her riled up won’t help.

“Oh, you’re friends with them too?”

“Y-Yeah?”

Her unexpected question throws me, my voice cracking. Why am I still not used to answering “friends or not”? Will I ever be?

Whatever, focus. Gotta shoo this scout away. Her eye for spotting these two fresh off the station is impressive, but as long as I’m here, she’s outta luck. If she doesn’t back off, I’ll tell her how clueless these two are—let her lose interest. That’s my specialty.

“…I see. A bit different vibe, but hot or not? Definitely hot.”

“Huh?”

The scout, who’d been locking eyes with me like we’re in a showdown, puts a hand to her mouth, staring at my face. What’s with her? I clearly said we’re not interested.

“Got it! This must be fate. A trio debut could be a real headliner!”

“Trio?”

“Pfft!”

I tilt my head at her bizarre lingo, and a stifled laugh comes from behind. Glancing back, Haruka’s covering her mouth, trembling with her head down.

Is she freaking out, about to cry from this sudden pitch? The scout’s not backing down despite our disinterest. Even if she’s a woman, being held up this long can’t feel good.

This is my moment. Time to lay it on thick and make her get it. They’re not into showbiz, and if she’s too pushy, I’ll mention calling the cops.

Driven by manly duty, I’m about to fire back when—

“Leave it to me! I’ll produce all three of you!”

The tone-deaf scout, brimming with confidence, places her right hand on her chest.

…Three? Why’d it jump to three? Where’d the extra come from? There’s no other girl here besides Haruka and Miharu.

Then, the worst possible thought hits me.

No way. This woman can’t be making that mistake.

But my rising anger lacks proof. Holding onto the chance it’s a misunderstanding, I wait for her next words. She puts her left hand on my right shoulder and strikes a gutsy pose.

“That spark in your eyes—no doubt. You’re the leader!”

Sadly, my fears were spot-on. Being with these two must’ve done it—she’s making the absolute worst assumption.

Why? I’ve got Dad’s stellar looks, so why does this keep happening?

“Come on! Let’s take on the world together!”

“I’m a guy!!”

My roar echoes around Harajuku Station.

Internet rumors aren’t just talk. This is exactly what they mean by shady scouts.