My Childhood Friend Won't Let Me Date

The main story is written in third person.

In my third year of middle school, I fell for a junior on my childhood friend's volleyball team. He had a round head and round eyes, and he looked so happy whenever he held a ball.

He was just so cute that I fell in love at first sight.

My childhood friends reacted in their own ways: one stayed silent, while the other wouldn't stop running his mouth. "How are your standards this bad?!"

Then they told me all sorts of bad things about him.

I nodded along and said, "Really? So that's what he's like."

He seemed even cuter to me.

In high school, I fell for Shiratorizawa's ace, Ushijima Wakatoshi. I couldn't help it. Ushijima was so earnest and clueless, and he was both handsome and adorable.

When my childhood friends found out, one frowned and said nothing, while the other made a huge scene. "If you really get together with him, we're done!"

I said, "If this one's no good and that one's no good, then why don't you be my boyfriend, Tōru?"

He crossed his arms in front of his chest and made an X with his hands. "No way!"

Hmph. Stingy Tōru Oikawa.

I finally got a boyfriend in college!

He's a little mean and a little self-centered, but all in all, he's a pretty cute guy.

I thought, surely it'll work out this time, right?

But then he ran into my childhood friend, who had chosen to play volleyball professionally, during a match. The moment they saw each other, they started pulling at each other's hair.

I introduced them with an awkward smile. "Tōru, this is my boyfriend."

Them: "Huh?"

They started pulling at each other's hair again.

Sigh. Why is it so hard to date someone?

Theme: You just have to fall in love.