My Popular-as-Hell Best Friend Is Annoying, So I Want to Get Him a Girlfriend and Shut Him Up - Chapter 207 & 208 & 209

Chapter 207: Summer Break, Tea Ceremony Club 3

A week after my talks with Izumo and Uryu, I’ve made preparations and arrived at the meeting point, Yourei High.

Unlike the rainy day of the phone call, it’s clear skies today, with a scorching heat so intense it feels like my vision’s wavering.

Even in this weather, I can hear what sounds like the baseball team’s cheers echoing from the field—terrifying.

How do they keep failing to advance in tournaments?

“Hey, you’re right on time.”

Wiping sweat as I head from the school gate to the student entrance, I spot two people standing in front of a mid-sized bus.

One is Misono Izumo, dressed in her uniform, the mastermind who dragged me into this Tea Ceremony Club camp.

I’m grimacing from the heat, but she’s got this contrasting smile that’s kinda pissing me off.

The other is a woman in an ill-fitting blue tracksuit.

“Good morning, Hirose-san.”

“Good morning.”

Pushing up her glasses without breaking her expression, the woman is Tomura-sensei, the Tea Ceremony Club’s advisor and our chaperone for the camp.

She teaches modern Japanese to first-years, so I’ve never dealt with her directly, but Izumo gave me a heads-up to mind my manners.

That advice feels a bit rude to me, but do you get where I’m coming from?

“Hirose-san, your behavior has been a topic in the staff room.”

“Haha, it’s not that big a deal.”

“I’m not complimenting you.”

Her eyes glint sharply behind her glasses.

It was just a light Hirose-style joke, but this lady is scary.

I’m so glad Hasegawa-sensei is my homeroom teacher.

Hasegawa-sensei must be thrilled too.

“Izumo-san insisted, so I’ve allowed you to join this time. Make sure you don’t cause any trouble.”

“Mochi no Ron-nosuke.”

“Pardon?”

“I mean, of course.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear a positive response.”

Tomura-sensei carries on the exchange without a hint of a smile.

Her reactions are terrifying.

If she’s saying “good,” can’t she at least soften her expression a bit?

Still, her trust in Izumo is unreal.

Letting a guy like me, who’s a staff room hot topic, tag along with a club just because a student asked?

That’s unheard of.

Your daily conduct really matters, huh?

A concept I’ll never relate to.

“But, well, Izumo-san has a point. We can’t let the Tea Ceremony Club keep being seen as a girls-only club. We need to put it in the activity log and show that anyone can join.”

“Absolutely.”

“But, well, I do have some concerns about whether Hirose-san is the right fit.”

“Come on, he knows everyone except Saeki-kun, so it’ll be fine.”

Yikes, Izumo’s stepping in to defend me—that’s how much they’re wary of me.

What kind of staff room gossip gets you this level of distrust?

Was it because I snuck into the broadcast room during lunch and played “Yell and Trine”?

Some students loved it, you know.

“Hey, is it really okay for me to be here?”

As Tomura-sensei boards the bus, I whisper to Izumo.

Being this scrutinized isn’t exactly cozy.

“It’s fine. Tomura-sensei might look strict, but she’s pretty chill with comedy.”

“Are we even having the same conversation?”

Also, did she just lump me into the “comedy” category?

That’s the worst possible response—it leaves me unsure whether to play it straight or goof off.

“Also, like I said, I’m heading home today.”

“That’s fine, but your parents are picking you up at the camp site, right?”

“Yeah, Dad’s coming.”

The Tea Ceremony Club camp involves an overnight stay, so we had a family meeting about it.

Mom was dead-set against it.

She was fine with the study camp, but for some reason, the Tea Ceremony Club camp is day-trip only.

I don’t care either way, but I’ll never get what Mom’s thinking.

“Oh, that sounds fun.”

“What?”

“I’ve never met your family before. It’s not fair that you’ve seen mine.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Izumo puts a hand to her mouth, looking amused, but it’s such a trivial thing.

Meeting someone’s parents isn’t exactly fun, is it?

Though Tsuyu seemed to enjoy it—guess that’s because Dad’s just too awesome.

“Well, he was at last year’s school festival.”

“What!? Why didn’t you tell me!?”

“What good would telling you do? Were you gonna meet him and say hi?”

“I was thinking of asking him to fix your bad behavior.”

“Too bad, that wouldn’t work on Dad. He loves me too much.”

“That’s some confidence.”

“By the way, I love Dad too. It’s mutual.”

“That’s quite a relationship to declare so boldly.”

“Right? You can praise me more.”

“It’s so hot today, though. Wonder how high it’ll get?”

She blatantly changed the topic.

Ignoring a classmate’s words despite being class rep?

I demand a recall, you jerk.

“Also, nobody’s here yet. It’s past the meeting time.”

It’s 8:32 a.m.

Two minutes past the meeting time I was given.

I can’t imagine Akari or Ai-chan being late, but is the Tea Ceremony Club this lax about time?

No way, not with Tomura-sensei as advisor.

She’d be terrifying if she got mad.

‘Don’t worry. Tomura-sensei’s actually pretty cool with comedy.’

Wait a sec.

Is Izumo’s earlier comment coming into play here?

I thought it was a joke, but does that teacher actually like comedy?

If that’s the case, the Tea Ceremony Club is probably holding a “Best Excuse for Being Late” contest right now.

Doesn’t sound like something a Tea Ceremony Club would do, but if the advisor’s into comedy, it checks out.

That’s why no one’s here except Izumo, the judge.

Man, the Tea Ceremony Club is way more fun than I thought.

I let my guard down—they’re coming in strong from the morning’s first event.

Whether I can land a hit here will set my place for the rest of the camp.

Alright, bring it on!

“You’re not late. Your meeting time was set thirty minutes earlier than everyone else’s.”

What the hell!?

Chapter 208: Summer Break, Tea Ceremony Club 4

“It’s a surprise, so you can’t show up at the same time as everyone else, right?”

When I ask why I was called early, Izumo responds like it’s the most obvious thing.

I get what she’s saying, but it doesn’t sit right.

Wouldn’t it make more sense to set my meeting time ten minutes later?

That way, I could show up when everyone’s already here.

Arriving now feels like I’m greeting people in order of who got here first—kinda underwhelming.

Would a comedy-loving teacher like Tomura-sensei really be okay with that?

“Good morning!”

As I’m mulling this over, a greeting comes from behind.

It’s directed at us, so it’s probably a Tea Ceremony Club member, but the voice isn’t high-pitched.

More to the point, it’s not a girl’s voice.

“Oh, Saeki-kun, showing up twenty minutes early? That’s impressive.”

“I’m the newest of the new, so I’ve gotta at least be early.”

“Good attitude.”

A male student passes by me, chatting with Izumo.

This must be the Saeki guy Izumo and Uryu mentioned.

He’s not quite on Uryu’s level, but he’s good-looking, with a polished vibe like Shoki.

He’s talking cheerfully with Izumo, so his communication skills seem solid.

With nothing else to do, I watch them, when Saeki’s eyes suddenly turn to me.

“Who’s this?”

“He’s Hirose-kun, from my class. He’s joining us for the Tea Ceremony Club camp today.”

“Huh…”

Without any comedic flair, Izumo gives a safe introduction.

Saeki gives me a quick once-over, then steps forward, extending his hand.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Saeki, first-year. Looking forward to today.”

“Yeah, same.”

Saeki flashes a carefree smile, like he’s radiating negative ions.

At a glance, he seems like a typical nice guy, but based on Uryu’s info, he’s definitely got something up his sleeve.

I’m sure of it.

Or rather, it’d be boring if he didn’t.

When I shake his hand, I feel the thick grip of an athlete.

He must’ve put in serious work at basketball, so why’d he quit so easily?

I’ve got a hunch about the reason.

“Misono-senpai, mind if I talk to Hirose-senpai for a bit?”

I’m plotting how to crack this poker face when Saeki makes an unexpected suggestion.

“Sure, but what’s up all of a sudden?”

“He’s a senior guy, so I figured I’d get to know him before the camp starts.”

“Oh, got it! I’ll go check today’s schedule with Sensei, then.”

“Alright.”

“Yukiya, don’t fill Saeki-kun’s head with weird ideas, okay?”

“As if, idiot.”

Maybe because her goal’s already being met, Izumo tosses a playful jab before happily heading into the bus.

And so, Saeki and I are left alone.

Couldn’t have asked for a better setup.

We move to the shade by the student entrance, and Saeki, physically looking down at me, says:

“So, Hirose-senpai, why’re you at this camp?”

His voice sounds a touch lower than before.

His narrowed eyes give off a vibe like he’s sizing me up.

Yup, I’m being looked down on mentally too.

I’ve been on the receiving end of this stare plenty of times, so I know.

I can’t help but smirk.

I was gonna play it cool and probe his reactions, but I’ll go straight for the jugular instead.

“Before I answer, you talk first.”

“Huh?”

“This camp—you’d rather I wasn’t here, right?”

I ask with a grin, and Saeki’s expression shifts.

He looks caught off guard for a split second before giving a chilly smile.

“Why would you think that?”

His words don’t match his face, like he’s just putting on a front.

Not sure if he’s even trying to hide it, but I don’t care either way.

“Just figured a show-off like you wouldn’t want another guy stealing the spotlight.”

“…”

“No need to be so on guard. Even if you spill your guts to me, it won’t shake your position.”

I throw in a bit of a jab, and his cold gaze locks onto me.

Nice, that’s the look I was waiting for.

“You’re Aoyagi-senpai’s friend, alright. Annoying in a whole different way.”

His words, spat out like venom, are unmistakably Saeki’s true feelings.

“What’s the deal, barging into my territory? Do you know how much I’ve been looking forward to today?”

Saeki puts a hand to his forehead, exasperated, shaking his head like he’s genuinely fed up.

…This is gold.

What’s with this kid?

Calling the Tea Ceremony Club his territory?

And he just admits it because of my half-baked taunt?

Isn’t he a bit too green?

If you wanna play the bad boy, you gotta be more skeptical of people.

“Ugh, I finally found such an amazing club, and now I’m deflated from the get-go.”

“How’s it so amazing?”

“It’s all girls except me, and they don’t seem like the party type. Need more explanation?”

“I see.”

So that’s a way to pick a club, huh?

Come to think of it, Rando-dono joined the boys’ basketball team as a manager to be near Uryu, and I picked the Sumo Club because of Goriji-senpai.

Saeki’s motive doesn’t seem that weird.

“I see? You’re just okay with that?”

“I don’t care about ‘normal.’ If I’m cool with it, that’s normal enough.”

“Ugh.”

“Still, quitting basketball for that doesn’t quite add up.”

From what Uryu said, Saeki was decent at basketball.

He only looked bad compared to Uryu, but he made the bench for the summer tournament.

No idea how he acted in the club, but losing him was probably a hit to the team’s strength.

For Saeki, it meant throwing away years of effort.

“It’s not a big deal. I just played through middle school. No matter what I did, all the attention went to Aoyagi-senpai. What’s fun about that?”

Haha, this guy’s a walking inferiority complex.

Getting hung up over Uryu is like whining you’re a nobody compared to the prime minister.

If he weren’t so prideful, he could’ve handled it better.

Or maybe quitting basketball already cracked his ego?

“Back to your question, yeah, you’re in the way. Can you head home now?”

“I’d love to, but I was asked to be here. Think you can convince your club president?”

Izumo’s the one who brought me here, but now that I know Saeki’s true colors, is there even a point to me sticking around?

I can’t see him quitting the Tea Ceremony Club, whether he likes tea ceremony or not.

“Speaking of, Misono-senpai called you by your first name. Are you two dating or something? I’d rather outsiders not turn our club into their personal flower garden.”

“That’s a wild phrase. Nah, Izumo and I aren’t dating.”

“Yeah, figured. You and Misono-senpai don’t exactly match, do you?”

Does matching even matter in a relationship?

As long as both people are happy, isn’t that enough?

As I’m thinking this, Saeki seems to run out of things to say and turns to leave.

“Since Misono-senpai vouched for you, I won’t make a fuss. Just keep a low profile and brew some tea in the corner. I don’t want my paradise tainted.”

“Hey, hold up.”

“What?”

He clearly wanted to storm off with a cool line, but when he turns back, he looks annoyed.

“Honestly, I don’t care how you act in the Tea Ceremony Club. That’s your call.”

“Yeah, and?”

“But I’ve got friends in that club. And a junior.”

“…”

“If you do anything to hurt them, I won’t let it slide.”

I shoot him a sharp glare, and Saeki lets out a big sigh.

“…That’s dumb. I wouldn’t do that. Didn’t I say the Tea Ceremony Club is my utopia?”

“Fine, then. Just keep that in mind.”

“And you don’t forget your promise to stay quiet.”

Saeki brings up a promise I never made and walks off for real this time.

Telling me to stay quiet is like telling a fish not to swim—it’s impossible, and he doesn’t get that.

Also, what’s the deal with him and the Tea Ceremony Club?

Territory, paradise, utopia—those all mean different things, dude.

Chapter 209: Summer Break, Tea Ceremony Club 5

After my chat with Saeki, I head back to the bus a little later.

I could’ve returned right away, but I figured it’d be awkward for Saeki, who just dropped a dramatic exit line, to face me so soon.

See that, universe? I’m capable of considerate acts too.

Thinking I’m always selfish is a big mistake.

Not that I have any plans to stop being selfish, mind you.

“Oh?”

When I reach the meeting spot, a group of familiar female students is gathered.

They’re the first-year girls from the Tea Ceremony Club, brimming with smiles, probably excited for the camp.

Saeki, who was just talking to me, has seamlessly blended into their circle.

His nerve alone could outshine Uryu—no, it’s a total victory.

Instead of that creepy smile, the mischievous vibe from earlier would probably get a better reaction.

“Huh…?”

As I watch from a distance, one student notices me and widens her eyes in surprise.

She quickly breaks away from the group, her petite frame bouncing as she hurries over.

Rude as it sounds, she reminds me of a well-trained puppy.

“Hirose-senpai? Why are you here?”

Staring at me with disbelief is Ai-chan, Rando-dono’s best friend and a Tea Ceremony Club member.

It feels a bit off without Rando-dono by her side, but in the Tea Ceremony Club, this is the norm.

It’s silly to always think of them as a package deal.

“Morning, Ai-chan. As always, you’re ridiculously cute today.”

“Wha—whaaat!?”

I toss out a quick jab as a greeting, and Ai-chan’s face turns beet red in an instant, flustered.

Sorry, Rando-dono, but I’m stealing Ai-chan’s spotlight today.

“W-What’re you saying all of a sudden!?”

“Just stating facts. You can keep that ‘duh’ look on your face.”

“N-No way! I’m like dust compared to others!”

Ai-chan’s words tumble out in a panic.

Why’s her self-esteem so low?

I don’t think there’s anyone as lovable as her.

Well, Ai-chan levels of lovable, anyway.

“That’s not important! Why’re you here, Hirose-senpai?”

Probably sick of the teasing, Ai-chan forcefully steers the conversation back.

“You here for something at school? It’s pretty early.”

“Nah, Izumo invited me. I’m joining the Tea Ceremony Club camp.”

“Huh… huh!?”

Same reaction as before.

Ai-chan’s responses are gold—so fun to tease.

Though, in this case, I’m just stating the truth.

“You’re coming to the camp, Hirose-senpai!?”

“Just for today, though. I’m an outsider, but bear with me.”

“Outsider? I’m super happy about it!”

Ai-chan grabs my hand, beaming with excitement.

I didn’t expect her to be this thrilled, so I’m a bit overwhelmed.

As I stare at our joined hands, Ai-chan suddenly lets go, flustered.

“S-S-Sorry! I got too excited!”

“Nah, I don’t mind at all.”

Clasping her hands together, Ai-chan’s ears are red now too.

Her sneaky glances at me are oddly endearing.

I really don’t mind, so she shouldn’t either.

What should I say?

Her blushing face is cute—maybe I’ll tell her that.

“You two seem pretty close.”

As I’m struggling to respond, Saeki chimes in with his salesman smile.

It’s probably just a conversation starter for him, but Ai-chan waves her hand frantically in front of her face, overreacting.

“No, no, no! Someone like me being close with Hirose-senpai? No way!”

“What’s up, Ai-chan?”

Her reactions are as entertaining as ever, but today she’s moving so much it’s like a 20% boost in performance.

Cute and funny—she’d thrive in any media these days.

Her future’s looking bright, and I’m relieved.

“Uh, Ai-chan, those two were calling for you.”

“R-Really? Thanks, Saeki-kun. Hirose-senpai, see you later!”

“Sure thing.”

Looks like Saeki came to fetch Ai-chan, who was called by some first-year girls.

I wanted to watch the Ai-chan one-woman show a bit longer, but if it’s her friends, can’t be helped.

Friends’ invites are important—I’ve only recently learned that myself.

“Senpai, you really don’t let your guard down, huh? Hitting on one of the school’s top beauties right off the bat.”

Hold up.

That’s a lot to unpack, and I’m confused.

Let’s clear up the misunderstanding first.

“Don’t make it sound bad. I wasn’t hitting on her.”

“Not convincing when you start with ‘you’re cute’ the second you see her.”

“I mean, it’s true. Isn’t Ai-chan cute?”

“W-Well, yeah, she’s cute, but—”

“See? She’s cute. What’s wrong with calling a cute girl cute? Stop nitpicking.”

“…Wait. Am I the weird one here?”

Saeki mutters something, but I’m not hearing any objections.

If he wants to challenge me, he better bring some solid logic.

I’ll crush him head-on.

“That aside! Even if it’s true, blurting out your thoughts like that might make Ai-chan misunderstand!”

“Misunderstand?”

“Like, she might think you’re into her or something.”

“That’s true. I do like Ai-chan.”

“What! So you were hitting on her!?”

“Why does it always go there, you extremist?”

“But! You say you like her, call her cute, and claim you’re not hitting on her? That makes no sense!”

I thought he was calm, but his cool guy mask came off fast.

I don’t care about Saeki’s approval, but if he keeps bugging me like this during the camp, it’ll be a pain.

Guess I’ve got no choice—I’ll lay out our history for him.

“Listen up. Rando-dono and I formed a certain group.”

“Rando? You mean Rando Sora-san?”

“Don’t know any other Rando-dono.”

“Why are all your friends such gorgeous girls? Are you messing with me?”

“Rando-dono’s more cute than gorgeous, you know?”

“That’s not what I’m talking about!”

He’s pissed.

Like, really pissed, judging by his face.

Where’d that refreshing smile from our first meeting go?

He’s not even trying to hide his true self around me.

What a nuisance.

“Ugh, if I keep reacting, I’ll pass out from exhaustion. Go on.”

Now I’m the one getting pissed.

Why do I have to explain myself to this guy?

Fine, for Ai-chan’s sake, I’ll let it slide this time.

But there won’t be a next time.

If he pulls this again, I’m dragging him frog-hunting on a rainy day.

“Back to the point. Rando-dono and I formed the ‘Let’s Adore Ai-chan Club.’”

“What’s with that blatantly unofficial fan club vibe?”

“You nailed it. Ai-chan doesn’t know about the club.”

“That’s not something to be proud of.”

He’s picking at every little thing.

I’m complimenting him, so he should just take it.

What an uncute junior.

“The club’s one rule is simple: adore Ai-chan with all we’ve got.”

“Pretty straightforward. Kinda off-putting.”

“So calling Ai-chan cute is totally natural—it’s like a greeting. Hitting on her? That’d be a disgrace to the club. No way I could do that.”

“Hmm, I don’t totally get it, but is it like fans cheering for an idol?”

“Nah, I’m not into idols.”

“Can you just agree so we don’t make this complicated!?”

So loud.

It’s the time of morning when birds are chirping.

Can’t he keep it down a bit?