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

Chapter 239: The Start of the Second Semester

Wah, I’m gonna be late!

Hirose Yukiya, a second-year at Yourei High, is heading to school with his heart pounding from the excitement of returning to school life!

Today marks the start of the second semester, packed with events like the sports festival and cultural festival!

What kind of encounters are waiting for me? My heart’s racing with anticipation!

“…Hah.”

Noticing the mental noise, I shake off those nonexistent thought patterns and snap back to reality.

I’m just swaying on the train right now, and I don’t even care about school events. New encounters in the second semester sound way too ominous. A transfer student? For what reason? If it’s because of a parent’s job transfer, come in April.

Phew, I let out a small breath and blink. To think I’d have such weird thoughts—I’m usually known as a quiet, good kid.

But I know exactly why I’m like this. I haven’t been getting much sleep lately.

When Uryu and Shoki came over, we talked about drawing a manga. Using Shoki’s ideas, I finally completed the story.

Once that was settled, all that was left was to draw it. I gathered the tools and started, but I made no progress. Come to think of it, I’ve never drawn anything before. I hadn’t learned the basics—facial expressions, body positioning, balance, nothing.

Still, I wanted to create a masterpiece over the summer. If I couldn’t bend the 24-hour day, I’d just have to increase my active hours. As a result, I drastically cut my sleep. The bags under my eyes are so prominent, people might think it’s a fashion statement. Who’s calling me a panda?

“Pfft, heh heh…”

I can’t help but feel guilty for worrying Dad, but it was worth it—I finally finished. It’s just the opening of the story, but that’s how legends begin. Little efforts pile up and suddenly bloom. Oh no, what if my hidden talent gets discovered and I make a commercial debut? I need a pen name. No, maybe practice my signature first. So much to think about—it’s so fun!

“Mommy! That guy’s grinning to himself, but he’s not even funny!”

“Hey, don’t point at people.”

“…”

Yeah, I should control my expressions in public.

※

“Yo, Yukiya, been a while since we hung at your place.”

After debating whether I should do another waterfall training session to clear my mind, I arrive at school. There, the refreshingly cool main host of “How About That,” the ratings magnet himself, Aoyagi Uryu, greets me.

“…Huh? You look exhausted. You sleeping okay?”

“Pfft, to notice that first—your eyes are sharp.”

“You’re using that phrase wrong.”

I’m in such a great mood that Uryu’s nagging doesn’t faze me. I take my seat and place my bag on the desk.

Huh, it feels like more students are here early today. And most of them are at their desks. I didn’t get the time wrong, did I?

Whatever. In the face of my completed manuscript, everything else is dust. I don’t have time to worry about my classmates.

“You actually got it done, huh?”

“Huh?”

As I’m organizing my bag, Uryu props his cheek on his hand, smirking.

“Those bags under your eyes say you’ve been working hard, right?”

This guy… he knows I’ve been drawing a manga? Oh, right, Uryu already knew I was working on one. I didn’t expect him to bring it up, though. If he’s that eager to talk manga, I’ll humor him.

“Yeah, I don’t do things half-assed.”

Like when I made Lovely Shuri-chan, I’m apparently the type who can’t compromise. I spend as much time as possible chasing quality. This time, setting the summer break as a deadline made it tight, but I should’ve prioritized sleep.

“Studying was tough with so much to learn, but I’m filled with satisfaction. It’s practically flawless.”

“Oh? If you’re that confident, I better brace myself.”

“You bet. Tremble in anticipation for my masterpiece.”

If he’s that excited, maybe I’ll show it off now. Enriching someone’s heart at the start of the second semester? I’ve really turned over a new leaf. Alright, let’s get that manuscript—

“So, what’re you getting bought this time?”

“Huh?”

I thought I was just going to show him the manga, but Uryu’s not done. And what he said makes no sense. Bought? What? (T/N: Uryu is referring to how Yukiya aced the test so his dad would buy him a laptop, he wouldn’t study hard otherwise.)

“Come on, you wouldn’t study without a reward, right?”

“That’s insulting. I studied for my own goals. There’s no reward.”

“What…?”

His refreshing face freezes. He looks like he can’t believe me. Between that and his earlier comment, this guy’s rude as hell. A reward for doing what I want? How greedy does he think I am? Though, I won’t say no to free stuff.

“Yukiya, did you eat something weird toward the end of summer?”

“You trying to diss Dad’s cooking, huh?”

“No, sorry, I’m just… confused.”

Uryu’s acting strange. Sure, he’s always a bit off, but today he’s visibly rattled. What’s up? Did Hisame-san hit him with some impossible task like Princess Kaguya?

“We’re talking about studying, right?”

“That’s what I’ve been saying.”

“Yeah, but you, studying willingly…?”

Uryu’s still not convinced, muttering under his breath like he’s chanting a sutra. Stop that—it’s making me sleepy.

Ugh, I don’t know what’s bothering him, but he’s clearly stressed. Fine, I’ll cheer him up with my manga. When you hit a wall, think about something else to reset your mind. That’s how solutions come.

“Look, Uryu, I don’t know what’s got you down, but read this and cheer up.”

With that, I hand Uryu the manga manuscript.

Uryu stares at it blankly, then looks at me.

“…What’s this?”

“Come on, don’t make me spell it out. You can tell from the context. It’s the manga you were excited about.”

“Manga?”

“It’s a masterpiece I haven’t even shown Dad yet. Go on, enjoy it.”

I cross my arms, nodding proudly, while Uryu freezes, not even flipping through the pages.

“…That’s what’s going on.”

Uryu lets out a huge sigh, still not looking at the manuscript, just staring at me. Dude, I don’t care about me—read the manga! I want your glowing review already!

“Yukiya, do you know what today is?”

Uryu’s question drags on, testing my patience. Is he mocking me or what?

“Obviously. It’s the start of the second semester, the opening ceremony. All the students gather, so I might see Goriji-senpai.”

“I’ll ignore that last part, but yeah, it’s the opening ceremony. But that’s not all, right?”

“Huh?”

This guy loves being cryptic. If you’ve got something to say, just spit it out.

Uryu puts a hand to his forehead, speaking in an exasperated tone.

“You know we’ve got placement tests from periods 2 to 6 today, right?”

…Placement tests?

T/N: Goodluck buddy

Chapter 240: Manga Critique

“It doesn’t matter. Look at the manga I drew instead.”

“Hah, that’s not something I’d expect from someone who aced last year’s tests.”

“How many times do I have to explain that I only did it for a laptop?”

“Yeah, that’s the kind of guy you are.”

Uryu gives a wry smile, glancing at the manuscript on his lap.

“When did you start drawing this?”

“Drawing? Recently. But I started studying for it the day you guys came over.”

“By the way, did you do any test prep during that time…?”

“Of course not. All my passion went into the manga.”

I’d even forgotten about the placement tests. I barely touched science stuff, so my study load this summer was next to nothing.

Is this guy thinking about last year’s revenge or something? He should know I wouldn’t take it seriously. Oh, maybe he misunderstood because of the bags under my eyes. That explains the weird vibe from earlier.

“Well, let’s drop the test talk for now.”

Uryu seems to have sorted it out in his head. He picks up my manuscript with both hands, ready to read.

“But seriously, I’m shocked you actually drew it.”

“Hey, I’m a man of my word.”

“Oh? What about that PET bottle rocket project?”

“Sometimes a man’s gotta know when to back off.”

“And the frog orchestra?”

“That was a rainy-day event. The sun’s too assertive, so it fell through.”

“So, what kind of man are you again?”

“A man who does what he says.”

“Then do it.”

This guy’s slithering in like a snake. So sneaky, picking apart his classmate like that. Guys like him shouldn’t be popular.

“Fine, whatever. What’s this story about?”

“You’ll find out when you read it. The title’s No Way I’ll Get Kicked Out!”

“Shoki was saying that’s trending online. Alright, let’s see.”

With that, Uryu starts flipping through the pages.

[A room used as a base by a certain party]

“What’s up, Ururun? Calling me out of the blue like this. It’s my day off, right?”

“Hold on a sec.”

Barely a page in, Uryu interrupts.

“What’s the name of this party leader?”

“Ururun.”

“Why?”

“After much thought, it’s unique, doesn’t overlap with other works, and it’s easy to remember.”

“…No ulterior motives?”

“Haha, none whatsoever!”

“What’s with that tone?”

“Shut up and get back to the manga.”

Uryu looks a bit annoyed but returns to the manuscript.

“Holy, I need to talk to you about something important. That’s why I asked the others to come too.”

“Zuu-chin, Mayo-nee, Rando-dono—you’re all here too?”

“Whoa, hold up.”

“What now? Stop nitpicking every line. Just read it all first.”

I want his thoughts already, but Uryu’s pausing at every panel. Has this guy never read a manga before?

“Let me ask again.”

“Yeah?”

“There’s really no ulterior motive behind these character names?”

“Nope, I just made sure they wouldn’t overlap with other works.”

“I mean, yeah, they wouldn’t, but one’s clearly off.”

“Look, forget the names and focus on the story. Names just need to be memorable, that’s all.”

“I guess they’re memorable in a lot of ways…”

Uryu scratches his head but goes back to the manga.

“Holy, I want you to leave this party.”

“What!?”

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while. You’ve been dragging the party down.”

(Sure, I’ve slacked off too much, but to think they’d ask me to leave the party…!)

“Wait, hold on! Isn’t this too sudden? At least give me a chance to make up for it!”

“…Fair point. So, what will you do? How will you show your sincerity?”

(This is it. If I half-ass this, I’ll get nothing but criticism. Time to man up.)

“I’ll complete the toughest mission in the guild solo. How’s that?”

“…Are you serious? You, who couldn’t even handle party missions properly?”

“Yeah, I gotta go big to prove myself, right?”

“That’s the spirit, but still—”

“It’s fine, Ururun-kun. If Holy-kun says so.”

“Indeed, I acknowledge Holy-san’s resolve.”

“If he pulls this off, Holy’s a star. If he fails, Ururun gets his ultimate harem. No problem either way.”

“…If my cute little kittens say so, fine. Holy, you’re good with those terms?”

“Yeah, I’ll go check which mission to take now.”

“…”

“What’s up, Uryu? Your hands stopped.”

“Nah, it’s just… this weird rejection I’m feeling. Ururun’s lines creep me out.”

“Come on, getting that invested in fiction? If you’re gonna empathize, at least pick the protagonist.”

“I’m not Ururun, right…?”

“You’re not Ururun. But you are Ururun.”

“Philosophy…!”

I’ve never seen someone read a manga with such a grumpy face. There’s no deep lore or foreshadowing to overthink. Whatever, let him read how he wants.

[A guild in a small town]

(Heh, nailed it. The toughest missions here are C-rank, maybe B-rank at most. With my hidden strength, I can handle it solo and stay in the party no problem.)

“Holy, these are the missions posted right now.”

“Got it. The toughest one is…”

[Volcano Dragon Subjugation: S-Rank]

“H-Hoge!?”

(An S-rank mission!? Why’s something like that in a backwater town!?)

“It was posted yesterday. It’s so tough no one’s touched it, but to think you’d take it on.”

“Uh, well—”

(No way, no way! Even I can’t solo an S-rank! I gotta change the terms!)

“I’m impressed, Holy-kun. Pull this off, and you’re undeniably one of us.”

“Indeed, Holy-san thinking so much about the party? You’ve gotta go for it!”

“Wait, hold on—”

(Crap, they’re boxing me in! At this rate, I’ll actually get kicked out!)

“You’re not gonna say you want to change the terms now, right?”

“…No.”

“Holy, I’m counting on you!”

(Waaah! What am I supposed to do with this!?)

[Thus begins Holy’s challenge to conquer the S-rank mission.]

“So, how was it? Pretty fun, right?”

I eagerly ask Uryu for his thoughts as he finishes. Getting feedback on something I created is nerve-wracking but rewarding.

“First, can I say one thing?”

“Yeah, hit me with as many as you want.”

“The art’s way too bad.”

“Gah…!”

This guy’s brutal right out the gate. Sure, my art’s rough from just a few days of practice, but I nearly got tendonitis!

“There’s no consistency in the art. Like this Zuu-chin profile—her face is off. It’s like something from a gambling or mahjong manga.”

“Her jaw’s not that big. It’s rough compared to the front view, but still.”

“Are you even sketching guidelines?”

“Of course, that’s basic for drawing—”

“You know male and female proportions are different, right?”

“Huh?”

Uryu grabs a pen and starts drawing on my manuscript. In about a minute, he’s sketched a male and female face from the front.

“Look. The eyebrow-to-eye placement, the jaw length—it’s different. If you use one standard for both, it looks off.”

“…”

No, Uryu, that’s not the feedback I wanted. I was looking for story or character comments, not an art lesson.

Why am I getting a drawing tutorial? And why is he qualified to give one?

“Hey, have you ever drawn before?”

“Nope, but this is common sense.”

Ugh, this guy. He should just get isekai’d and do something crazy there.

Chapter 241: A Comfortable Distance

For the next five minutes, Professor Uryu launched into a manga critique session. He meticulously pointed out my shortcomings—not just characters, but backgrounds, panel layouts, sound effects, everything. Is this guy a publisher’s editor or what?

“The story’s neither good nor bad. It’s decent for an intro, though.”

“No way! This is a work designed to be an anti-thesis to the exile genre while still being part of it—”

“Uh, I don’t really know the original exile genre.”

Right. Of course this guy, who’s clueless about web novels, wouldn’t get how I differentiated it from the trend.

What a disaster. I never expected to get shredded this badly. A pro manga artist? That’s a pipe dream now. I want to erase the overly excited me from earlier.

“For a first try, it’s pretty well done. You just need to improve your art.”

“…Shut up.”

Maybe he felt bad for crushing me, because Uryu suddenly throws out some kind words. Talk about adding insult to injury. Like I’d believe such soft praise now.

“Good morning, you two.”

As I stare blankly at the red-pen-marked manuscript, a greeting comes from above. Looking up, I see our class rep, Misono Izumo, lightly raising her right hand.

“Morning, Misono-san. It’s been a while.”

“It’s the first day after summer break, after all. Aoyagi-kun, you seem lively, but what’s up with Yukiya?”

“Shut up, don’t poke at it. I’m in the middle of heartbreak.”

“What’s got you like this right after summer break?”

“Yukiya’s manga was total trash, apparently.”

“You ever heard of tact, huh!?”

What’s that!? You trashed it that hard earlier, and you’re still not done!? Can’t you do that where I can’t hear you!?

“Eh, Yukiya, you drew a manga?”

“It’s not that great. I just got torn apart by the editor-in-chief over there.”

“Forget that, let me read it!”

“No way. You’ll just pile on and crush me too. I’m not falling for it.”

“What are you talking about? Drawing a manga is amazing. I especially want to see something you made, Yukiya.”

“Oh… really…!”

I don’t know her intentions, but it doesn’t feel bad—actually, it feels great. Izumo’s eyes are sparkling like crazy. Maybe she’ll enjoy it a bit more?

“Oh, but it’s got Uryu’s red pen all over it.”

“Just let me read it already!”

“Hey!”

Apparently annoyed by my hesitation, Izumo snatches the manuscript and starts reading. My heart’s pounding like crazy after that merciless critique. Please, at least give me a normal reaction…!

“Wow, it’s really a manga! That’s amazing.”

“…”

“Zuu-chin is me, right? Well, they say you base characters on people close to you.”

“…”

“Haha, he thought it’d be easy, but then a crazy mission popped up. That’s fun.”

“…”

“Yukiya, are you crying?”

“Huh, why!?”

I must’ve been tearing up unconsciously while listening to Izumo’s feedback. She looks at me with concern, her cheerful reading interrupted.

“Hey, what’s wrong all of a sudden?”

“Don’t worry. I just realized people’s hearts can be warm.”

“That makes it sound like I’m not human.”

“You’re not, are you? Perfect Star Alien.”

“If a Perfect Star existed, why would they bother with a tiny planet like Earth?”

This jerk, always gotta one-up me…! Is he gonna die if he doesn’t flex on me? Huh?

“Okay, okay, you two are as lively as ever. Thanks, Yukiya, it was fun.”

“Ugh… I’ll treasure it forever…”

“It’s yours!?”

Aoyagi Uryu-kun? Take a good look—this is what a “heart” looks like.

I hug the manuscript like it’s my child. This is it. My manga journey starts here. I’ll never forget the frustration and joy of this day. That’s how I’ll grow.

“Aoyagi-kun, did you bully Yukiya?”

“Not really. He asked for feedback, so I gave it.”

“Oh, then you’re not at fault.”

Wait, that’s it? I thought Izumo would take my side, but she’s pretty neutral about it. Fine, I’m over it already.

“By the way, how’s your test prep going?”

“Solid. This time, I’m beating Aoyagi-kun for sure.”

“Guess I better step up my game.”

As I review Uryu’s red marks, Uryu and Izumo get fired up about tests.

“You say that, but you’ll probably ace multiple subjects like it’s nothing.”

“Nah, placement tests aren’t that easy. The teachers are probably throwing in tough stuff to make us sweat.”

“True, for memorization subjects, they’ll dig up obscure terms from the corners of our brains.”

“Math and science will definitely go beyond the textbook.”

“Sigh, I guess that’s normal for exam prep, but still.”

…Huh.

Listening to their conversation, I can’t help but be impressed.

I’d noticed signs before, but Izumo’s talking to Uryu like it’s no big deal. Not long ago, she’d only interact with him to vent to me, but now she’s chatting with a bright expression. Maybe because it’s about studying, Uryu seems to be enjoying it too.

I’d been focused on Rando-dono and Mayoi’s consultations over the summer, but this could go anywhere. Studying’s a topic you can talk about forever in school, and barely anyone can match Uryu’s level. …Miharu-san, uh, yeah, I don’t quite get her. She’s a bit high-maintenance.

“…What?”

Izumo notices my stare, puffing her cheeks slightly as she questions me.

“Nothing, just that I can’t keep up with your conversation.”

“For someone saying that, you looked like you were smirking.”

“Just happy to see my classmates growing.”

“Are you my dad or something?”

Grumbling with a hint of embarrassment, Izumo suddenly seems a few years younger—and pretty cute.

T/N: I MEAN YEAH SHE WOULDN’T BE FLUSTERED TALKING TO URYU CUZ SHE’S INTO YOU NOW BRO-