My Popular-as-Hell Best Friend Is Annoying, So I Want to Get Him a Girlfriend and Shut Him Up - Chapter 231 & 232 & 233

Chapter 231: Summer Break, Aoyagi Family 5

After that, we headed to the dining room, where Toritani-san’s cooking awaited us, just like during the study camp.

“I went all out since everyone’s here today.”

Toritani-san’s smile is adorable, but the lavish spread on the table is anything but cute.

It looks drool-worthy, but can four of us really eat all this?

“Oh, Tori-chan! You plated it so deliciously!”

“I thought two weeks here would be tough, but Toritani-san’s food keeps me going!”

“Toritani-san, thank you as always.”

The Aoyagi siblings show no hesitation.

They thank Toritani-san, say “Itadakimasu,” and dig in.

Wait, am I overthinking this?

“Uryu.”

“What?”

“This is super helpful, but isn’t there too much food?”

“No way Toritani-san would mess up like that. Before you know it, the table’ll be empty.”

That’s some serious trust in Toritani-san.

But since Uryu’s known her forever, he’s probably right.

The fact that this’ll all disappear is some scary Toritani cooking magic.

“By the way, Tsuyu, how’s exam prep going?”

A few minutes into the meal, Hisame-san asked Tsuyu.

“It’s going well, I think. I got an A on the mock exam before summer break.”

“Whoa, that’s awesome.”

I was genuinely impressed.

I think I only hit A-grade after summer break when I got serious about exam prep.

Starting late made it tough, but I caught up during the break.

Wait, my story doesn’t matter.

“Hehe, getting praised by Yukiya-san makes me happy.”

“And when Onee-chan praises you?”

“Of course I’m happy!”

“See, Yuki-kun? You can’t break our sisterly bond that easily!”

Hisame-san, holding a clam with her chopsticks, made a passionate declaration.

Her words are cool, but her pose is insanely lame.

By the way, the clam miso soup is crazy delicious.

“What was it like for you during exams, Yukiya-san?”

Maybe worried about her approach, Tsuyu asked me.

“I can tell you, but after getting an A on mocks, I didn’t study too hard.”

“That’s fine. I just want to hear from someone who passed for reference.”

I almost said to ask Uryu but stopped.

If she tried to match that superhuman’s pace, it’d be a disaster.

Hearing my average approach might help her relax.

“Alright, so after hitting A-grade, I didn’t overdo studying. I reviewed each subject and focused on staying healthy. If you know 80% of the material, you’ll pass, so just don’t wreck your body. No matter how much you study, if your brain’s fried on exam day, you’re done.”

“I see.”

“Also, work on past exams for trends and strategies. Yourei High throws in one tough question per subject that takes time. They’re way beyond high school entrance level. Ignore those at first—go through all the questions, then come back. Those questions barely affect scores; 80% of test-takers can’t solve them anyway.”

When I took the exam, there was a crazy hard question, but knowing it’s coming keeps you calm.

Focus on nailing the scorable parts—that’s what matters.

The teachers probably design it that way.

“That’s about it. Dunno if it helps.”

“No! It’s super helpful! You’re right—overstudying isn’t as important as staying healthy, is it?”

“For me, yeah. The exam’s one day. Let your guard down, and it’s over.”

“Sure!”

My slightly intimidating tone didn’t faze her—she took it positively.

She’s already this solid; with proper rest and study, she’ll be fine.

Heh, dishing out life advice like this ain’t bad.

It makes this already delicious meal taste even better.

“Study talk’s so boring.”

You’re the one who brought it up, Hisame-san.

※

“Now, for Tsuyu, who’s been studying hard, we’ve got presents!”

“Huh, really!?”

After lunch, it was time to reveal the entertainment goodies we prepared for Tsuyu.

…Man, the plates really got cleaned out.

Was it so tasty we digested it all, or was it less food than it looked?

Either way, the mystery deepens.

“I’ll go first. Here you go.”

“Oh, this series got a new release! Thanks, Onii-chan!”

“No prob, read it to unwind.”

Leadoff hitter Uryu nailed it, making Tsuyu happy without a hitch.

With surprises, there’s always a risk they already own it, but he pulled it off like it’s nothing—classic Aoyagi Uryu.

“My turn next.”

“Huh, I’m last?”

“Obviously. The star always goes last.”

Ugh, she’s raising the bar crazy high.

I said mine’s not a gift, and she still pulls this—if Tsuyu’s not thrilled, I’m out.

“Thanks, Onee-chan! I’ll make time to watch these!”

“No rush, that’s what DVDs are for.”

“Got it!”

Hisame-san scored Tsuyu’s smile too.

If I flop now, it’d be a legendary fail, but I can’t imagine Tsuyu looking sad, so pressure’s on.

“Alright, Yuki-kun, time for the grand finale.”

Ignoring Hisame-san’s taunt, I unzipped my backpack.

I pulled out something wrapped in cushioning and revealed it.

“That’s…!”

Tsuyu, watching me, was the first to react.

Hisame-san and Uryu already guessed, but whatever—I showed Tsuyu the main item.

“What I brought is a video game console. Not a gift, though.”

Yup, too focused on entertaining Tsuyu, I decided a game console was the best call.

About two months ago, Tsuyu said she loved games she could play with her less-attentive siblings.

So I thought recreating that today would make her happiest.

I know it’s off the original point.

But cut me some slack—taking this out of the house for over a week?

Mom would lose it, maybe start a full-on war.

To avoid that, it’s a day-trip mission.

“Let’s play together. I brought Batofami.”

“…”

“Tsuyu? Something wrong?”

Tsuyu, who’d been so excited, suddenly looked down and went quiet.

Wait, no way—she doesn’t like it?

Sure, the console’s old, but that’s on Mom for not upgrading.

If that’s the issue, I’ll happily pass the complaint to her.

I was panicking a bit, but…

“…You’re really good at getting under my skin, Yukiya-san.”

Seeing Tsuyu’s happy smile, I let out a sigh of relief.

Damn it, a delayed attack like that? My heart can’t take it.

“You remembered what we talked about at my front door, didn’t you?”

“Maybe.”

“Doesn’t matter either way. You totally nailed what I wanted most.”

With that, Tsuyu started hooking the console’s cords to the dining room TV.

“Post-meal workout! Let’s play Batofami now!”

She’s the worst at it but looks so eager.

If she’s this thrilled, lugging this heavy thing was worth it.

“Right. Last time, I barely lost, but it’s time to show the Aoyagi family bond again.”

No, we’re good on that.

Chapter 232: Summer Break, Aoyagi Family 6

“This time, we’ll fight fair and square, a glorious battle!”

“Fair and square?”

I didn’t quite get it, so I repeated it to myself.

If letting your little sister attack directly is “fair and square,” maybe it’s not wrong.

“What? It’s a battle royale this time, not a team match, so no problem, right?”

“Huh, what about the sibling bond?”

“Yuki-kun, you don’t get it. A bond means we can coordinate without forming a team.”

“You just don’t want Tsuyu to take your lives, right?”

“Is that true, Onee-chan?”

“…No way.”

There was a super obvious pause.

Not wanting to share lives already feels like the bond’s kinda shaky.

Whatever, switching to a battle royale lowers the difficulty a ton.

I don’t know how they’ll come at me, but honestly, it’s easier than before.

“By the way, Yuki-kun, your character’s the balloon. The non-pink one.”

Just as I let my guard down, they hit me with a preemptive strike.

A character restriction, of all things.

“Wait a sec, I’ve barely used anything but the dinosaur!”

Since I started Batofami, I’ve loved the red dinosaur and made it my main.

I’ve only touched other characters to test their moves against Mom.

I’m not confident enough to claim victory outright, but…

“Oh? In a battle royale, you can’t fight without your main? Well, that’s fine. But a Yuki-kun not using the dinosaur would be dead last here. Sad, but oh well.”

That ticked me off.

I knew it was a cheap taunt, but my mouth moved on reflex.

“If you’re gonna go there, fine! I’ll wreck you with the balloon or whatever!”

“That’s the spirit, Yuki-kun. I knew you’d say that.”

Seeing Hisame-san’s bright smile, I finally realized I’d been played.

Damn it, I wondered why it was a battle royale—she cornered me.

“Heh, a Yuki-kun without the red devil is like an oni without its club.”

Huh, that’s not a bad comparison.

Onis are strong, right?

“Today’s the day to take down the oni! Let’s do this, Aoyagi Siblings!”

““Yeah!””

The Aoyagi Siblings raised their right arms with a cheerful shout.

They’re having fun, great, but I’m not handing over the win.

Even in this setup, they’d definitely rub it in if I lose.

I’m not letting them have that much fun.

I picked the balloon character with a red ribbon.

The Aoyagi Siblings chose their best characters, and the fight began.

The stage was the gorilla character’s jungle.

It’s not too wide, but with barrels for fall recovery, it’s not bad.

The balloon’s recovery is weak despite its gimmick, but I just won’t let it get that far.

Right at the start, I rushed Tsuyu’s mouse character, spammed smashes, knocked her out, and slammed a meteor from above.

“Huh? What?”

Caught off guard as a warm-up, Tsuyu was confused, not even sure why she got KO’d.

Yup, I can work this better than I thought.

“Uryu, let’s sandwich him!”

“Got it!”

“Tsuyu, grab items and prep!”

Hisame-san barked orders, but I wasn’t letting them have their way.

Dodging Hisame-san and Uryu’s attacks, I targeted Tsuyu, who had one life left.

The stage is narrow side-to-side but open vertically, so I split them up and retired Tsuyu.

Two left.

I mostly ran, avoiding being flanked, throwing occasional attacks, and went all-in once my gauge filled.

I lost one life but took out Uryu with room to spare.

“Yukiya-san, you’re amazing!”

“It was close, though.”

Tsuyu, unbothered by her last place, clapped and praised me.

Hisame-san, meanwhile, was silent, like she couldn’t process it.

“Hey, Yuki-kun.”

“Yes?”

“Didn’t you say you barely used anything but the dinosaur?”

“True. I haven’t touched the balloon in like half a year.”

Mom doesn’t use the balloon much, so I rarely needed to practice counters.

I’ve been focusing on polishing my dinosaur lately.

“Heh, I see. So I just happened to pick your second-best character.”

“Uh, no, the balloon’s actually one I’m not—”

“Next round. Use the orange powered suit.”

As expected of Hisame-san.

Not reflecting on her loss at all, she’s piling demands on me.

No pride, just pure audacity—that’s what makes her Hisame-san.

Refreshing, in a way.

“Then I’ll go with this.”

Seeing my character, Hisame-san picked the fox.

Probably planning to reflect my charge shots with her specialty.

Fine, I’ll just crush her without using them.

“And I’ll take this!”

Tsuyu, who usually sticks to the mouse, chose a capped boy this time.

I thought she was aiming to heal off charge shots, but…

“Let’s play baseball!”

Her words made it clear.

Uryu, catching on, picked the same character, and the stage switched to the swordsman’s castle.

“Baseball until someone gets caught in a tornado.”

This stage spawns tornadoes that randomly swallow characters.

They speed up out of nowhere, making it a fun gimmick.

“Alright, Yukiya-san, go for it!”

At Tsuyu’s signal, I charged a light shot.

Hisame-san stood behind Tsuyu like a catcher, waiting.

Uryu was on an upper platform, healing.

Annoying.

“Here goes!”

I fired the charge shot.

Tsuyu timed a side smash, swinging like a bat, but missed and took damage.

If timed right, she can hit the shot back, which is why she calls it baseball.

“One more, please!”

I’m more a batting coach than a pitcher, but I fired another shot at Tsuyu.

This time, she nailed it, sending the light shot back my way.

I could’ve dodged, but it’s her batting moment, so I took the hit.

“Yes! I did it!”

Tsuyu grinned ear to ear.

It’s not the game’s intended playstyle, but that’s why even a weaker player like her can have fun.

Batofami’s a beast—remade over and over for a reason.

“Whoops.”

As we kept at it, everyone showing off, Uryu on the upper platform got sucked into a sudden tornado and blown away.

“Here we go, Uryu, Tsuyu! This time, I’ll show you!”

““Yeah!””

They switched gears crazy fast from friendly baseball.

All three characters charged at me at once.

Caught off guard, I noticed Uryu and Tsuyu weren’t using their mains, so I took them out quick.

Hisame-san clung on late, but I won with ease.

They got the fun of baseball but not the taste of victory.

“Hey, Yuki-kun, be honest. You’re secretly grinding, aren’t you? You think it’s cool to say you don’t practice, right? Admit it!”

After two straight losses, Hisame-san’s composure was gone.

Her desperate, pleading look was almost too pitiful to watch.

…Uh, that wasn’t my intention, honest.

Chapter 233: Summer Break, Aoyagi Family 7

Over three more matches, I switched characters each time but never lost once.

Even if I barely used them, my time sunk into Batofami was just too much for them.

I didn’t have the godlike vibe of my dinosaur main, but I still kept up with the Aoyagi Brothers.

A team match might’ve taken me down, though—I wouldn’t have accepted character swaps then.

“Ughhh!! This makes us total clowns!!”

The Aoyagi family’s eldest daughter, who stole some of my lives but still lost, clutched her head in agony.

This woman’s always too optimistic about games.

To be fair, I didn’t expect to flex this hard either.

“Time out! Uryu, strategy meeting!”

“Yes, yes.”

Deciding it was bad to keep going, Hisame-san put down the controller and stood.

She called Uryu and headed out of the dining room.

Uh, big sis? Forgetting your beloved little sister?

Hisame-san, blood rushing to her head, forgot Tsuyu entirely.

As I glanced at the door, Uryu shot me a look before following her.

The dining room door closed, leaving the character select screen music looping.

…Did Uryu just smirk?

He’s not planning some off-screen attack disguised as a “strategy meeting,” is he?

Gotta stay sharp when they’re back.

“Yukiya-san, you’re really good at Batofami!”

Tsuyu beamed like her siblings’ exit never happened.

Relief—she’s not upset about being left out.

“Well, it’s years of practice. Didn’t think I’d do this well without the dinosaur, though.”

“Years? We’ve been playing since we were kids too!”

“Don’t compare us. You probably cheated with remakes or other games, right?”

“Well, yeah, but you play kart games too, Yukiya-san!”

“Pocket change compared to Batofami. The original’s my roots.”

All to beat that damn Mom, but I still haven’t pulled it off.

How’s a woman in her forties got reflexes like ours?

Beating a declining Mom’s no good—I need her at her peak.

Just you wait, you beast.

“Oh! Yukiya-san, teach me Batofami!”

Tsuyu clapped her hands, like it was a genius idea.

“You used the mouse character pretty well. Teaching me’s no big deal, right?”

“Hmm, not sure.”

Sure, I won with her usual mouse character, but teaching’s another story.

I’ve never taught anyone Batofami.

“…Please. I want to surprise Onee-chan and Onii-chan. If I beat them, they’d be so shocked.”

“…”

Her earnest plea left me speechless.

She stressed beating them, but deep down, she probably doesn’t want to drag them down.

I target her first in fights, so if she holds her own, even I’d struggle.

Ugh, helping the Aoyagi Brothers?

Fine, it’ll make me stronger too.

“Alright. Don’t expect instant results, but I’ll give it a shot.”

Tsuyu’s face lit up instantly.

“Hehe, I knew you’d say that, Yukiya-san.”

“Cheeky brat.”

“Ow!”

I lightly chopped her head, and she rubbed it, still grinning.

This kid okay? Not awakening some weird fetish, is she?

“Mouse character good?”

“Yup! Definitely!”

“Cool, pick it.”

We both chose the mouse character and faced off on the round pink character’s stage.

“First off, the mouse is one of Batofami’s top tiers. Once you’re used to it, you rarely lose.”

“Really? I can’t win at all.”

“That’s ‘cause you’re a klutz. Start by copying my moves.”

“Okay!”

I had her do all the mouse’s moves—smashes to jumps—right there.

Basic inputs were fine, and she nailed smashes too.

“See? You’re doing it.”

“I can do it standing still, but moving, I panic and mess up.”

“I see. That’s why you flub Thunderbolt every time.”

The mouse’s Thunderbolt is super strong.

It’s omnidirectional, invincible during use, and unstoppable while moving.

Mastering it alone would let her dodge my onslaughts.

“For now, try a short jump then do it.”

Following my lead, Tsuyu jumped lightly and used Thunderbolt.

But her timing’s off—she fails half the time, even without pressure.

It reminded me of when I started Batofami.

Frustrated by what I couldn’t do, I’d grind until I got it.

How’d I overcome it back then?

Too long ago to remember.

“…Hehe.”

Worried she’d get down about failing, I saw her laughing instead.

That’s concerning in its own way—laughing at repeated fails?

“No, I’m not goofing off, I swear!”

“Then why’re you laughing?”

“It just feels kinda nostalgic.”

“Nostalgic?”

When I asked, Tsuyu nodded slightly.

“Yup. It reminded me of when I first met you, Yukiya-san.”

That was the day Uryu dragged me to his house for the first time.