My Oshi's Best Friend: The Ex-Idol in the Seat Next to Me
In the spring of his second year of high school, plain and friendless Isogai Takuto (16) is a secret hardcore fan of the super popular VTuber Himizuki Yui. At school, he tells no one, spending his afternoons watching archived streams. One day, his classmate Kurose Maria, who had just returned from a long absence, catches a glimpse of his phone while picking up his eraser. On the screen is a limited singing stream by Himizuki Yui. Maria's eyes light up.
'Wait... you're a Yui fan?'
Maria's true
My Oshi's Best Friend: The Ex-Idol in the Seat Next to Me - The beautiful girl in the seat next to me was Hizuki Yui's best friend.
Morning came.
Light streaming through the window pried Takuto's eyelids open.
He hauled his heavy body upright and reached for the phone by his pillow. On the lock screen was the usual smiling face of Hizuki Yui.
"……Alright."
He murmured quietly, as if steeling himself.
Today was the release date for that limited-edition clear file campaign—the one Saegusa had told him about on the way home yesterday.
He was going to get it, no matter what.
With that resolve, Takuto left the house nearly thirty minutes earlier than usual.
May mornings still carried a slight chill, the air seeping through his thin school uniform jacket.
Only a scattering of people dotted the route to school, with students on bicycles racing past him.
The road toward Minase Central Station wasn't truly crowded yet.
As he walked, Takuto replayed yesterday's events in his head.
That black-haired girl.
The one who'd been humming a melody at the corner of the school route—a melody that seemed to overlap with Hizuki Yui's singing voice.
"……Must've been my imagination."
He muttered quietly again, as if convincing himself.
But that voice still lingered deep in his ears.
Somewhere in his heart, someone whispered that it definitely wasn't his imagination.
Everymart, the convenience store in front of Soramine High School.
The automatic doors slid open with a cheerful chime.
"Welcome—"
From behind the counter, the familiar face of Saegusa popped out.
He'd probably stayed up late with university lectures—his brown-dyed hair was slightly mussed with bedhead.
As always, multiple piercings glinted in his ears.
"Oh, Isogai-kun. You're early."
"……Hey."
Takuto gave a slight nod and headed straight for the special display corner at the very back of the store.
From the entrance to the back of the store—just a dozen or so steps.
But today, that distance felt like an eternity.
Beneath the campaign poster Saegusa had pointed at yesterday, there should be a small display stand.
And on it, that limited-edition clear file should be lined up.
His chest grew steadily warmer.
A limited design of Hizuki Yui.
A completely exclusive item, obtainable only through this campaign.
Just having it would make today—no, this entire month—shine.
He reached the display area.
"……!"
Takuto stood frozen for a moment.
On top of the display stand.
Inside a transparent case sat a single small silver package, all alone.
Beside it, a tag printed in large red letters: "Only a few left."
One left.
The last one.
It was still there.
He'd made it in time.
Takuto hastily pulled back the hand he'd started to reach out.
No. Calm down.
Act natural. Casual. Normal.
Even if a store clerk stocking shelves saw him, he was just about to buy it—there was nothing to be embarrassed about.
Right. He wasn't doing anything wrong.
He took a deep breath.
Then, slowly, he reached out again.
That was the moment.
From the side, a pale hand slipped in.
Just a fraction of a second faster than Takuto's own hand.
The last one was lifted away.
"……Huh?"
Takuto's hand grasped at empty air.
He turned his gaze sideways, and there stood a man.
Mid-twenties, perhaps.
Handsome features, and the watch peeking from his suit cuff looked absurdly expensive.
"Sorry about that. Seems this was the last one."
The man said that with a thin smile.
His voice was low, with an unpleasant resonance that lingered in the ears.
"Um, that's—"
"Are you a Hizuki Yui fan too?"
The man cut him off mid-sentence.
"Uh, well…… yes."
"I see. Enthusiasm is a fine thing. But the world runs on first-come, first-served. Too bad."
With that, the man walked off toward the register with a light step.
Takuto couldn't move, as if nailed to the spot.
……No way.
He'd come first thing in the morning.
He'd woken up thirty minutes earlier than usual and rushed over to be first in line.
And the last one—right before his eyes, from the side—had been snatched away.
The strength drained from his legs, and he nearly crumpled to the floor.
No, he wanted to collapse.
To plant his hands on the ground and scream "Uwaaaah" right there.
Why is reality like this?
Hizuki Yui's voice echoed in his mind.
"Thanks for listening to today's limited singing stream all the way to the end!"
No.
This wasn't about a singing stream.
It was a clear file.
He'd wanted a clear file.
"Isogai-kun, you okay?"
Before he knew it, Saegusa had come out from behind the register and was standing beside the nearly-collapsed Takuto.
He peered up at him with a worried expression.
"……No, I mean, uh—"
Takuto somehow straightened himself up and tried to smile.
But he couldn't smile properly.
His face twitched.
"Did someone take the last one?"
"……Yeah. Completely."
"Ah, that customer was lined up before the store even opened. Pretty hardcore fan, it seemed. I did ask if we could reserve it, but management said limited goods are first-come, first-served."
"I…… see."
Takuto's voice sank—he could hear it himself.
A whole day's worth of energy had already bottomed out.
Even the will to go to class was fading.
"Well, there'll be a next time!"
Saegusa clapped Takuto on the shoulder.
The force was perfectly ambiguous—impossible to tell if he was comforting him or cheering him up.
"When's the next one?"
"Who knows. Hizuki Yui's merch seems to come out pretty often, so don't get so down."
"……Yeah, but this one was supposed to be special—a limited thing."
"I get it, man. Back in the day, I had the line for my favorite girl's cheki photo session close right in front of me."
"Underground idols, huh. That's raw."
"Hey, I was serious about it back then. Anyway, that story's for another time. So, you're buying an onigiri, right? You haven't had breakfast yet."
Sighing, Takuto picked up an onigiri and a bottle of sparkling water.
On his way to the register, he caught a glimpse of the man from earlier outside the store, talking on the phone with someone.
That expensive-looking watch.
A wealthy working adult who'd buy Hizuki Yui's limited merch.
Something about it nagged at him.
Was he a fan too?
Or a reseller?
Either way, the fact remained that he'd taken every last one right from under Takuto's nose.
"Here's your total."
Saegusa's voice snapped him back to reality.
As he fumbled coins from his pocket, a voice came from behind.
"Um, excuse me."
He turned around.
Standing there was an older woman.
Probably in her sixties.
She wore a pale blue cardigan and carried a small handbag.
"Are you a student at Tokyo Metropolitan Soramine?"
"……Yes, I am."
"Oh, I knew it. You're wearing the same wristwatch as my grandson, so I wondered."
With that, she pointed at Takuto's left wrist.
He was wearing an ordinary digital watch—a gift from his father for entering high school.
"Pardon me, but are you in Class 2?"
"Uh, um…… yes, Class 2."
"I thought so. There's a student in Class 2 who's starting school today. The one in the seat next to you—she's there today. I thought I'd let you know."
Takuto blinked in confusion.
The girl in the seat next to him.
In other words, the owner of that seat that had been empty ever since enrollment.
She was coming to school starting today?
And since she sat next to him, the woman had assumed it was only natural for Takuto to know, so she'd gone out of her way to tell him.
No, wait.
Who was this woman, anyway?
"Um, who are you……?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't even introduce myself. I'm an old neighbor of that girl's grandmother. She said she'd be starting school today, and I've been so happy about it all morning."
"……I see."
"With a serious-looking boy like you next to her, I'm sure she'll feel at ease. Please take care of her."
Having said what she wanted, the woman gave a small bow and disappeared into the back of the store.
As Takuto handed his coins to the cashier, he repeated her words in his head.
The girl in the seat next to him was coming to school today.
Someone was going to sit in that empty seat.
And he'd been told by some stranger of an old woman.
What a strange morning.
His limited merch had been snatched away, and he'd been left with mysterious information as a parting gift.
"……Makes no sense."
He left the convenience store and passed through the school gate.
Mornings at Soramine High always smelled the same.
The rubber of indoor shoes, chalk dust, and just a hint of grass.
At the entrance, he switched from sneakers to indoor shoes and walked past the dim shoe lockers.
Class 2's room was at the far end of the third floor.
His footsteps echoed strangely loud in the hallway.
He stopped once in front of the classroom's sliding door.
(Is she really here?)
If that old woman's story was true, someone was sitting next to him today.
The second seat from the hallway side—empty ever since enrollment.
He took a deep breath.
Clatter—he slid the door open.
The morning classroom.
Only a handful of students had arrived, killing time in scattered groups.
Takuto softened his footsteps and headed for his seat by the window.
And then he saw.
……She was there.
A girl sat in the seat next to his.
Long black hair.
Downcast eyes.
Pale, almost translucent skin.
Narrow shoulders, a delicate frame.
He knew at a glance.
It was the girl he'd seen on the school route yesterday.
No doubt about it.
The one who'd been humming a melody at that corner—a melody so much like Hizuki Yui's singing voice.
Feeling his heart leap, Takuto approached his seat.
Even without bias, her features were refined.
Straight black hair hung down to the middle of her back.
Her bangs parted to either side, and her long lashes occasionally cast shadows over her downcast eyes.
Her features were soft, somehow fragile, yet her mouth held a hint of strong will.
A faint pink gloss shimmered on her lips.
He sat down.
The girl beside him kept her eyes fixed on her textbook.
……Should he say something?
No, don't.
He didn't know anything yet.
Besides, he was a guy who lived by staying as inconspicuous as possible at school.
Whoever sat next to him, he could just leave them alone.
Right.
That was supposed to be his policy.
Takuto let out a small breath and pulled a textbook from his bag.
But it was no use.
He couldn't stop being aware of the presence beside him.
That voice from yesterday echoed in his head.
(……Why did that song sound so much like Yui?)
He glanced sideways at the girl.
As if sensing his gaze, she slowly lifted her head.
Their eyes met.
Dark, glistening pupils.
A deep color that seemed to pull him in.
"Oh, good morning."
She spoke to him.
And that voice—again, it sounded so much like Hizuki Yui's.
Clear, cool, yet warm.
A strange resonance that naturally seeped into his ears.
"G-good morning……"
It was a miracle his voice didn't crack.
"I'm Kurose Maria. I've been absent for a long time, so I'm back starting today. Nice to meet you."
A soft tone.
But the edges of her voice seemed to tremble ever so slightly.
"Isogai Takuto. Nice to meet you."
With that, introductions were complete.
The classroom was gradually filling with students.
The people in this class weren't so tactless as to make a fuss just because a beautiful girl sat next to someone.
Well, actually, glances were gathering here and there, but no one came over to tease him directly.
The restless time before homeroom.
Pretending to gaze out the window at the schoolyard, Takuto couldn't help but be conscious of the presence beside him.
Long black hair.
White skin.
Slender fingers that looked like they'd be nice to hold.
The retreating figure that had vanished around the corner yesterday.
To think she'd end up sitting this close.
"Hey."
Again, she spoke to him first.
This time, her voice was a little quieter.
"Huh?"
Takuto awkwardly turned his face toward her.
Maria was rolling an eraser around on her desk with her palm.
The white eraser tumbled—and fell to the floor.
Ah—their voices overlapped.
"I'll get
Novelia is an AI-powered platform to read original light novels and fan fiction, create your own in just a few taps, and chat with the characters. New, illustrated episodes arrive daily — free to start.