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

Chapter 234: Summer Break, Aoyagi Family 8

“No way, there’s nothing to recall here.”

I tried thinking back at Tsuyu’s prompting, but we didn’t play games, and there’s no connection.

I remember lecturing about manners, but I barely recall what I said.

“Really? You were teaching me all sorts of stuff, just like now.”

“About manners, right?”

“Yes, yes! You told me, ‘Before asking someone’s name, introduce yourself first,’ and then you talked about world etiquette.”

Looking back, that’s wild.

Why were a guy and girl meeting for the first time sitting knee-to-knee discussing global manners?

Tsuyu listened so earnestly too—if I wasn’t Uryu’s friend, what would’ve happened?

“I was shocked at first. Some stranger was chilling on our living room sofa.”

“Hey, Uryu told me to make myself at home. I’m completely innocent.”

“Still, sprawling on the sofa like that? Of course I’d be startled.”

“Huh, I did that? I might’ve been a bit rude wanting to bolt, but I don’t remember.”

“And even when our eyes met, you didn’t budge. I thought you got the wrong house.”

“Probably worked out perfect. If your family’s rep tanked, I wouldn’t have to come back.”

“But my opinion of you didn’t drop. It actually went up.”

“That’s ‘cause your head’s wired weird. You and Uryu both—what’s with your nerves?”

“Can’t help it. Being with you, always so chill no matter what, was super fun.”

That’s exactly what’s weird, but neither Uryu nor Tsuyu would listen.

After less than a year, I know that much.

They call me laid-back, but they’re the ones who’re stubborn as hell.

“But really, I’m glad. So glad I mustered the courage. Asking ‘Who’re you?’ back then led to this moment with you, Yukiya-san.”

Tsuyu closed her eyes, hands on her chest, and said that.

She says that, but even if she hadn’t spoken to me then, we’d have interacted eventually.

Tsuyu seems to chat up all of Uryu’s friends, and I’m no exception.

Whether I’d have earned enough favor for her to confess, though—that’s anyone’s guess.

“Your reply to my confession can come anytime, you know? As long as you choose me.”

As if reading my mind, Tsuyu flashed a sly grin.

Unintentionally, it was the best expression I’d seen from her today.

Man, these siblings have some personality.

“What, I thought you were losing interest since your Line messages dropped.”

“What’s that! I cut back ‘cause I heard you were being considerate and replying slow! If you’re gonna say that, I’ll spam you with Lines!”

“No, if you’ve got time for that, study—”

“Nope! Not listening! You better brace yourself, Yukiya-san!”

Crap.

I only meant to tease a little, but I lit a fire.

Once she’s like this, she won’t budge—total self-inflicted wound.

“Hey, Tsuyu, wanna keep playing Batofami?”

My slip-up must’ve really stung, ‘cause Tsuyu’s sulking, curled up on her chair, facing away.

From this angle, I might see her underwear, but pointing that out would make her madder.

“Hmph. I hate a Yukiya-san who doubts my feelings. …But I love you so much.”

“Which is it?”

Heard this one before—this pattern.

A curveball that’s a fastball.

From now on, I’m calling this a cutball.

“Ugh, enough moping—it’s a waste of time!”

Suddenly shouting, Tsuyu glared up at me.

“Hug me. Then I’ll forget what you said.”

To make that demand, she must be really mad—or hurt.

It was a joke, but I said something bad.

Still, I’m not carelessly hugging the opposite sex.

I’ve got my own lines.

“No hug. I’ll pat your head.”

I know it’s a bit patronizing, but I offered something she’d like that I can do.

If it’s no good, I’ll think of something else.

Tsuyu’s eyes widened for a second, then she groaned, deep in thought.

“…Deal.”

Satisfied, she tilted her head toward me.

Still pouting, but as I gently patted her head, her expression softened.

“Hehe~.”

“Tsuyu, you’re mad, right?”

“Super mad~ Like, totally pissed~.”

By the end, she was slurring with a goofy grin.

Hard to believe she was actually mad a second ago.

“Alright, Batofami training, round two!”

“You bounce back fast.”

She ignored me earlier, but a few head pats, and here we are.

Maybe she was a dog in a past life—a loyal one that shocked everyone.

“Hmm, why can’t I get it?”

Despite her enthusiasm, Tsuyu’s Thunderbolt still wasn’t clicking.

“Tsuyu, don’t move the controller. It just messes up your inputs.”

“I know, but it sways when I move.”

Some people move their body with the controls, and Tsuyu’s a prime example.

It’s cute to say she’s playing enthusiastically, but she won’t improve like this.

“Might be a bad habit. Oh well.”

I gave up on fixing her directly.

More practice would just lead to fails and bummer vibes.

Gotta burn the success pattern into her brain first.

I stood and moved behind Tsuyu’s chair.

Then—I placed my hands over hers on the controller.

“Eep!?”

I ignored her startled squeak.

I’m not doing this for fun.

“Y-Yukiya-san!?”

“Look at the TV. I’ll move it for you—get the timing in your body.”

“No way, no way! I can’t focus at all!”

Tsuyu’s face went beet red, eyes teary.

“Why’s a hug off-limits but this is fine!? Your face and body are so close!”

“There’s a chair between us. This is no big deal.”

“What kinda logic is that!?”

“Ugh, quiet. If you’re not serious about improving, I’m done.”

I’m trying to fix her bad habits here.

If she’s not into it, we can just play for fun like before.

“Wait, wait a sec!”

Tsuyu took a deep, obvious breath.

She was freaking out about focusing, but she’s trying to calm down.

Good attitude.

“I-I’m okay.”

“Alright.”

Her cheeks are still pink, but if she says she’s good, I trust her.

“Sorry, but bear with it. If you nail Thunderbolt’s timing here, recovering gets way easier.”

“It’s not that I mind, it’s just tough to play like this…”

“Hey, Tsuyu, you listening?”

“I am! I’m listening, so don’t get your face so close! I’ll need to meditate again!”

“Again?”

For about three minutes, I controlled the game, drilling Thunderbolt’s timing.

She said, “I might forget right away…,” so I kept repeating it to make it stick.

Thanks to my coaching, she barely failed anymore.

Even when I pressured her, she dodged well.

Not bad for a quick session—tough love works.

“They’re taking forever.”

“Yeah.”

It’s been over 30 minutes since their “strategy meeting,” but Hisame-san and Uryu haven’t returned.

No way they’d cook up a winning plan that fast, but still, it’s dragging.

As I thought that, my phone buzzed.

It was from Uryu—no message, just one attachment.

“…”

A photo of me and Tsuyu from behind, taken while I was teaching her Thunderbolt.

In the shot, it looks like I’m hugging her.

Glancing at the likely spot, I saw two shadows fleeing outside the window.

…Oh, I see.

That’s what the long “strategy meeting” was about, huh?

“Hey, Tsuyu, you like Keidoro?”

“Keidoro? I do, though I haven’t played much.”

“Cool, we’re playing now.”

“Huh?”

Tsuyu let out a puzzled sound.

“With two, it’s more tag than Keidoro.”

“Nah, we’re both cops.”

“But then there’s no thief.”

“Oh, there are—those thieves who still haven’t come back.”

“…Oh, got it.”

Catching my drift, Tsuyu grinned happily.

She’s excited to chase her siblings, but I’m not in the same mood.

Forgive those clowns who sent this prank photo? No way!

“Let’s catch ‘em! Those photo-stealing jerks who messed with us!”

“Yeah!”

Unlike my rage-fueled yell, Tsuyu raised her arms with a smile.

Screw Tsuyu’s studying—first, we make those thieves apologize!

For the next 30 minutes, Tsuyu and I struggled in the heat to catch those two perfect humans.

Chapter 235: Summer Break, Guy Friends 1

“Ugh, what do I do, what do I do?”

“…”

“What if we don’t have enough snacks? Should I make more?”

“…”

“What if someone hates barley tea? Maybe I should’ve bought juice too—”

“Hey, Dad.”

I called out to Dad, who was unusually flustered in the kitchen.

“What’s up, Yuu-kun? Dad’s kinda in the middle of thinking.”

“No, you can scrap all those thoughts.”

It was almost time for the meetup, so I came to the living room from my room, only to find Dad fretting over pointless worries.

But Dad wasn’t quick to agree with me.

“But your friends are coming over, right? As a father, I’ve gotta host properly.”

“I’m telling you, what we’ve got is plenty! Any more, and we could charge for it!”

“I can’t take money from your friends, Yuu-kun.”

“That’s not—! We’ve got enough already!”

Today, Uryu and Shoki were coming over to work on summer break homework.

It started when Shoki, nowhere near done, begged to team up, and when I tried to pawn it off on Uryu, we ended up deciding to all meet.

My place was chosen because Uryu wanted to thank Dad for taking care of Tsuyu.

Pretty admirable, so I invited them over.

I didn’t want to go out in this heat anyway.

But the problem came after.

When I told Dad this morning they were coming, he started frantically cleaning and prepping to host.

I said barley tea was fine, but the living room table’s loaded with every snack imaginable—it’s overwhelming.

Even the Aoyagi family didn’t go this far.

Is he opening a shop or something?

He’s worried it’s not enough, so I’ve been desperately stopping him.

“But, Yuu-kun, you bringing friends home…!”

“Whoa, Dad!?”

While talking, Dad started rubbing his eyes, and I panicked.

I’ve caused him plenty of worry, but he doesn’t need to cry.

The guys coming are just average dudes with a bit of flair, like paramecium with hair.

Not that Dad would listen if I said that.

“Dad, I appreciate the effort, but normal’s fine. Friends coming over is normal, right?”

“…Yeah, you’re right. Sorry, Dad got carried away.”

“No big deal. You’re usually too put-together.”

I’d even call it an honor to trouble Dad.

If he’s too perfect, the neighborhood wives might make some wild proposals.

He should chill more.

Mom needs to step up.

As I thought that, the doorbell rang—ding-dong—and I headed to the entrance.

Smirking at the perfect timing, I opened the door to see a recently-seen ikemen and one I hadn’t seen in a while: Aoyagi Uryu and Horimoto Shoki.

“Hirose-kun! Been a while!”

“We grabbed this on the way.”

“Oh…”

I took the paper bag from Uryu, making a wry face.

I get bringing a gift when visiting, but Dad’s over-the-top prep might make it redundant.

I felt kinda bad.

“Can my family just eat this ourselves?”

“That’s what we got it for, but something wrong?”

“Nah, it’s fine.”

That was a dumb thing to say.

Isn’t a gift supposed to be shared on the spot? Lesson learned.

“Wanna head to my room?”

“Hell yeah! So friend-vibes!”

“Hold up.”

While Shoki was hyped, Uryu seemed a bit tense.

“What’s up?”

“Your parents? Half my reason for coming is to see them.”

Now that he mentions it, Dad hasn’t shown up despite all this talk.

Dad’s a communication beast—him not appearing is unthinkable.

What’s going on?

“Welcome, everyone!”

Just then, Dad appeared with his usual dazzling smile, holding something in both hands.

“It’s hot out, right? Wipe your faces with these.”

“Oh, uh, thanks.”

They were chilled hand towels for the two of them.

He was late because he was prepping this?

My dad’s terrifying.

“Uryu-kun, right?”

“Y-Yes!”

“Thanks for telling me about Yuu-kun the other day. It helped.”

“No, I should thank you! My sister’s been in your care!”

“Not at all, chatting with Tsuyu-chan’s fun.”

Dad’s all smiles, and Uryu’s voice is cracking.

Seeing him this nervous—Dad’s presence is unreal.

“Uh, were you at the school festival last year?”

“You remembered! I’m flattered.”

“You were a hot topic—everyone was guessing whose parent you were.”

“I remember you too, Uryu-kun. You rocked that tailcoat.”

“Thank you.”

They smoothly shifted to small talk.

Dad loves chatting, so this could go on forever.

“Whoops, I’d love to keep talking, but you’re here for homework, right?”

Just as I thought that, Dad snapped back to reality and cut it off.

He could’ve kept going—only Shoki would suffer.

“The towels okay now?”

“Yes! Thank you!”

“Uryu-kun, Shoki-kun, take your time.”

Taking the towels back, Dad said that and headed to the living room.

From entrance to exit, pure perfection—my Dad, a man who never embarrasses.

“Alright, now to my room?”

I called out, but they weren’t taking off their shoes.

“What’s up?”

“What’s up!? Your dad’s too young! How’s he that handsome!?”

Guess Dad’s impact left them speechless.

“His smile’s unreal, and I didn’t expect hand towels!”

“Right? Right?”

Shoki’s obvious reaction lets me nod smugly, arms crossed.

Yup, Dad’s awesome traits are endless.

He’ll be a grandpa in no time.

“No wonder you’re such a dad-con, man. He’s incredible.”

Even Uryu’s reacting like this—I’m in a great mood.

Get it, Uryu? You and Dad are leagues apart as men.

If that sinks in even a bit, you better respect me, his son.

I’ll morph into that kind of guy in no time.

“C’mon, Yuu-kun, show us your room.”

“Yeah, can’t wait to see it, Yuu-kun.”

“My mood just plummeted. You bastards think you’ll cross my threshold alive?”

Mimicking Dad’s nickname out of nowhere? Death sentence!

“I’m already halfway over.”

“Shut up, Ururun.”

“Who’s Ururun? Don’t use unofficial nicknames, Yuu-kun.”

“Only Dad gets to use it, Ururun.”

“You two are as tight as ever.”

“What’re you saying, you paramecium wannabe, flip-flopping between animal and plant?”

“Come at me after you’ve got more presence than a platypus.”

“What kinda comeback is that!?”

For a few minutes, the bickering at the entrance didn’t stop.

Not until Dad brought out a second round of towels.

Chapter 236: Summer Break, Guy Friends 2

After our childish argument, I brought the two to my room.

We’re here for homework, but there’s no space for three at my desk, so I took it, and they sat on the floor at a small table, facing each other.

“Have fun, you three.”

Right after we got to my room, Dad brought barley tea and snacks.

Seeing the colorful treats on the tray, Uryu and Shoki were speechless.

“Kinda… intense, huh?”

“Yeah, I feel super guilty or something.”

“Don’t sweat it. That’s just Dad.”

I’d rather they lean into it than hold back.

That’s why he pairs so well with slacker Mom—regrettably.

“And this is the scene of the crime…”

Sipping tea through a straw, Shoki muttered, eyeing my bed.

Scene of what?

“Oh, the bed where you slept with Tsuyu.”

“Aoyagi-kun, that’s way too blunt…!”

I nearly spat my tea.

That’s their first comment in my room?

Sure, the study camp stirred up drama, but I was cleared, right?

Stop digging up bad memories!

“Quit yapping and do your homework. You’ve got stuff left too, Uryu.”

“Yes, yes.”

They were scoping out my room with interest but finally pulled textbooks from their bags to start.

Why’s it always a rollercoaster to get here?

“Shoki, you haven’t finished anything?”

“Yeah, I started most of it, but tough problems piled up, and now it’s today.”

Listening to them, I booted up my laptop.

Munching Dad’s cookies—damn, they’re good.

What a waste he’s just a househusband.

“Huh, Hirose-kun, no homework?”

Noticing I hadn’t opened a textbook, Shoki asked curiously.

“I’m done. You two handle it yourselves.”

“What!?”

My answer shocked him, and he let out his usual loud yell.

“For real!? Not like you’re just not turning it in!?”

“What do you take me for? Though I mostly copied answers.”

“Still, that’s nuts…!”

This guy’s so rude.

How many days is summer break?

Two or three hours a day, and you’re done before August.

“I’d normally slack off during break.”

“Yukiya’s case is different. Last summer was study hell, so homework’s no big deal.”

“Maybe.”

Like Uryu said, compared to last year’s brutal study grind, summer homework’s nothing.

This year’s had more random outings, though.

“So, Hirose-kun, what’re you doing?”

Curious about my keyboard clacking, Shoki looked over.

This guy cool with ignoring his homework?

“Oh, I’m trying to draw a manga.”

“Manga!?”

He bit hard.

This meetup’s losing its point, but that’s on Shoki, so whatever.

“Well, first I need a script. I’m thinking broad-appeal ideas, then adding my spin, but what’s universal?”

For manga, you’ve got battles, compelling characters, unique worlds.

But the key is expressing it clearly.

No matter how deep the lore, if it’s boring, it’s not entertainment.

Still, focusing only on manga to write manga is nonsense.

Movies, novels—other media offer inspiration too.

“Then, Hirose-kun, ever read web novels?”

“Web novels?”

“There’s a site where anyone can write and post stories. It’s pretty famous, with rankings, so you can see what’s popular.”

“I see. You read them?”

“Yeah. Lately, ‘exile’ stories are big.”

According to Shoki, exile stories involve a protagonist kicked out of a group as a weakling, but meeting others awakens new powers, leading to a better life post-exile.

The key moment is when the old group begs them to return, but the protagonist, who’s outgrown them, shuts it down.

Readers love the arc of a scorned hero punishing their former tormentors.

Sounds fun, and super clear.

A transformative encounter, a hostile group, clear enemies.

As a good-vs-evil tale, if written well, it’d leave readers satisfied.

But there’s one issue.

“Shoki, anyone can post on that site, right?”

“Yup.”

“Then aren’t these stories everywhere?”

“Of course. That’s why it’s a clear trend.”

“Yeah.”

Even if it’s popular, copying it straight feels wrong as a creator.

Exile stories hinge on the protagonist getting kicked out, but what about one who fights it?

Like, solving the group’s issues to avoid exile.

Hmm, that sounds less fun than getting exiled.

“Exile stories are deep.”

“Right!? I got hooked on one recently!”

We got hyped talking web novels.

Story quality aside, browsing tons for free is awesome.

Rough plots could be great references, minus the fine details.

“Hate to interrupt, Horimoto, but your homework?”

“Oh!”

Back to reality.

Creative talk’s cool, but face the real world first.

“Ugh, homework’s so secondary.”

Shoki scratched his head and turned back to his textbook.

Seeing him like this makes me vow to stay on top of next summer’s work.

Great anti-role model.

“What, you got a problem?”

I thought Uryu was cutting us off, but now he’s poking at Shoki, who’s working.

You want him to do homework or not, man?

“…Yeah. Homework’s an excuse. I actually wanted to talk about something.”

Nodding at Uryu’s words, Shoki put down his pencil.

Secondary? I thought he meant web novels, but there’s another angle?

“So, uh, you might not believe this.”

Shoki hesitated but spilled his issue straight.

“A week ago, I got confessed to…”

Chapter 237: Summer Break, Guy Friends 3

““Whoa.””

“That’s it!?”

Our half-hearted reactions must’ve rubbed Shoki the wrong way, ‘cause he raised his voice.

“This was, like, a top-one-or-two life event for me!”

“No, I’m properly shocked.”

“Yeah, totally shocked.”

“If you’re shocked, act like it! Why so chill!?”

Shoki’s machine-gun rant didn’t stop.

Sure, I was surprised, but it also made sense, so maybe my reaction was tame.

He wasn’t standout in first year, but now he’s nailed a glow-up and looks sharp.

His loud personality could easily be fun and lively to someone.

So, it’s not that shocking if someone fell for him.

“Ugh… I thought friends would care more about love stuff.”

“Love’s personal. You don’t want people prying and making you feel bad, right?”

“Hm? Could you say that to a certain someone next to you?”

“Shut up, you’re the exception to end all exceptions.”

With Uryu, tons of girls tried getting close through me.

At that point, it’s not personal—it’s practically a public issue.

I’d say I’m working to make it personal again.

“Just to share a bit, she’s a girl from Class C. We’ve hung out in mixed groups a bunch. I saw her as a class friend, but a week ago, we went out, and, uh, she confessed.”

Poking his index fingers together, Shoki’s voice got shy.

Probably his first time—guy’s clearly over the moon.

“Sounds like you didn’t say yes.”

Uryu’s sharp observation made Shoki glance at me.

That look alone told me what he was getting at.

“Actually, I like someone else. I’ve been making moves my way. But she’s got a boyfriend, so we’re just friends, and I wasn’t planning to push further. Then this confession hit.”

Horimoto Shoki’s got a thing for Kamishiro Haruka.

He came to me for advice once, made his moves, and got to nickname status with her.

But that’s as far as it went.

He feels stuck there, at least.

Then, bam, another girl confesses.

“I know I should’ve turned her down, but I said I’d think about it. I’ve got someone I like, so I feel like a total jerk, and bottling it up alone was rough.”

Shoki covered his face with both hands, staring at the ceiling.

You could see how much he was agonizing.

Since I’m hearing this, I oughta say something.

So I went with the first thing that came to mind.

“Sorry, I don’t get what’s wrong with you.”

“Huh?”

Shoki let out a dumbfounded squeak.

My comment caught him off guard.

“You’re not dating anyone, right?”

“Y-Yeah.”

“And you’re not liking one person while dating someone else.”

“Right.”

“Then no problem. Just figure out how not to keep the girl waiting.”

I said it while thinking it’s not exactly someone else’s problem.

Gotta be careful—say too much, and a sharp boomerang’s coming back.

“But isn’t that rude to the girl who confessed?”

“That’s just you overthinking. Put yourself in her shoes. Wouldn’t you rather hear ‘I’m thinking it over ‘cause I might like you’ than ‘I like someone else, so no’?”

“W-Well, when you put it like that…”

“Then stop stressing. Be proud you made the best call. What matters is what’s next.”

I meant to follow up helpfully, but Shoki’s face stayed gloomy.

Still not convinced, he squeezed out his words.

“But, like, is it okay to switch feelings that fast? To have someone you liked so much fade just ‘cause of a confession? I hate myself for it—ow!”

Before he finished, I chopped his head.

This contradictory loudmouth was getting on my nerves.

“You hit me pretty hard just now, didn’t you!?”

“Shut up. Good medicine for your emo mess.”

“Emo mess? I’m seriously stressing here!”

“Then don’t forget what you said first.”

Do I really have to spell this out? I sighed big and kept going.

“You said it’s a top-one-or-two life event, right? What’s wrong with a change of heart?”

“Oh!”

I jabbed a thumb at the silent ikemen listening.

“If you’re this face-of-the-century blockbuster getting confessed to daily, it’s different. You’d go nuts reacting to every one—body and mind couldn’t take it. His love-impotence is a pain, but that’s his deal.”

“That’s harsh.”

He’s brushing it off, but wrong comeback, dude.

Normal people would say, “Nobody gets confessed to daily.”

Well, you’re not normal.

“But you’re different, Shoki. A confession hit you hard enough to call it a life event. If that’s got you doubting yourself, face it. The person you like and the one who likes you—they don’t want a mopey Shoki. They want a Horimoto Shoki who’s wrestled his doubts and made a choice.”

Girls who liked the great Aoyagi Uryu might fall for another guy.

If Shoki’s heart shifts, nobody’d call that dishonest.

A decision after serious thought? No one’s got the right to complain.

“…Yeah, you’re right.”

After a quiet moment, Shoki mumbled.

“As long as I don’t leave it hanging, it’s fine.”

Looks like he’s sorted it out.

His soft voice slowly gained strength.

“I’ll think it through. Do I chase the girl I like, or try to like the one who likes me?”

“What’s your take, Grandmaster Aoyagi?”

“Looks good. Horimoto’s got a strong sense of duty—he’ll manage.”

“There’s the Grandmaster’s seal of approval.”

“Thanks, Grandmaster Aoyagi.”

“What’s with ‘Grandmaster’?”

Ignoring Uryu’s confusion, Shoki clasped his hands toward him.

Thinks he’s a god or something? Praying won’t get you anywhere.

“Thanks, Hirose-kun. You’re my lifesaver, man.”

“I just lectured you. And what’s with ‘like always’?”

“Well, since last fall, you’ve—”

“No sappy lines. My ears are closed.”

“Don’t get shy, Grandmaster Hirose.”

“Who’s a Grandmaster? Just do your damn homework.”

“I’m already done.”

“What!? Traitor, Aoyagi-kun!!”

“Why!?”

In the end, we barely got any work done, just blooming with banter.

The study camp where everyone but me focused feels like a lie with this slacking.

…But maybe that’s how it is.

Gathering with buddies to grind solo homework—what’s the point?

Pointless dumb talk feels oddly right for this vibe.

And so, the long summer break came to an end, ushering in autumn.

Chapter 238: Monologue

Why don’t we just stay as friends?

I’ve experienced countless moments where I’ve wondered this—so many that I couldn’t even count them on both hands. Even adding my toes wouldn’t suffice. Some might call these experiences enviable, but for me, they’re a constant source of confusion.

Talking as friends, playing as friends, laughing as friends—that’s enough for me. I’ve never thought about what lies beyond that. What even is “beyond”? What do they want? Is there something different to see, something unlike what we’ve had so far?

I know I’m blessed. Loved by family, surrounded by friends, living joyful days.

But things changed when I entered middle school. More and more friends started wanting something different. People I used to talk to casually would suddenly plead with formal words. Fear outweighed curiosity, and I couldn’t possibly agree to their requests. It wasn’t about whether I liked them or not—it just didn’t align with my values.

The truly terrifying part came next. Bonds with close friends vanished. Just by rejecting someone once, I’d lose a friend. The atmosphere around me, urging me to see this as normal, was suffocating.

Yet, the number of people confessing their feelings to me only grew. Their affection should’ve made me happy, but I hated the formality of it all. That ritual always led to less contact with them afterward.

Gradually, my friends started to look faceless to me. They all seemed to think the same way, indistinguishable from one another. Words like “cute” or “beautiful” stopped feeling meaningful, probably because of this. Why did they try so hard to get my attention unnaturally? I thought we were already getting along just fine.

Is it impossible to stay unchanged?

I understand. I know that as we grow older, boys and girls interact differently. I know that what used to be normal isn’t anymore.

Still, I didn’t want to change. I liked the way I’d always lived.

But when I entered high school, my world shifted.

I met people who struggled like me—and others who faced even greater challenges. Realizing I wasn’t alone naturally lightened my heart. Becoming friends with them, people who weren’t faceless, made my life more enjoyable than it had been in middle school.

The unnecessary rituals from middle school didn’t disappear, though. That’s my one regret, but I understand it’s not something I can fix. As long as there are boys and girls in the same school, I’ll have to live alongside that reality.

Why can’t we just stay friends?

I asked a friend who struggles even more than I do, but he said, “If I knew the answer, I wouldn’t be struggling.” I felt a slight wall between us, but that’s just how he is. It’s better than flattery. Honestly, though, isn’t there someone I could talk to more openly, with an even closer, more casual connection?

My same-sex friends warn me repeatedly, but I just want to be normal friends with everyone. Even if it leads to bad outcomes, I wanted to impose my version of “normal” on others.

And so, the first semester ended without any real progress. I spent the summer break with friends and clubmates, then welcomed the second semester. I went to school, looking forward to the sports festival and cultural festival.

This was the turning point. A turning point in my life. It’s not an exaggeration—it’s a wonder I hadn’t noticed it before.

※ The person who embodies the “normal” I’ve been searching for was, surprisingly, much closer than I thought.

T/N: I think you guys can already guess who this is. Guess it’s the Haruka arc.