Weren’t You Only Using Me As A Stand-in? [59]

“If you're going to chase thrills, you may as well go all in.”

“......”

Kitahara Takeru was left completely speechless by Kashiwagi Nagisa’s reply.

This woman is insane.

If he had a choice, he honestly wouldn’t want to have anything to do with her.

Girls who enjoyed this kind of chaos… were absolute landmines. One wrong step and boom—everything blows up.

“I called you, I’m hanging up.”

His voice had that cold, perfunctory tone of someone just clocking out of work.

Nagisa narrowed her eyes slightly. “Not allowed.”

“Huh? Why not?”

“You’re late.”

“You said to call at night. You never specified a time.”

Listening to his blatant sophistry, Nagisa calmly asked, “Takeru-kun, are you sure you want to argue logic with me?”

Takeru considered it for a second… and gave up.

Trying to reason with a girl was the dumbest thing anyone could do.

“What do you want then?”

He surrendered.

“Hm? Let me think~ Oh, I know. Why don’t you tell me who you went on a date with tonight?”

Nagisa had already been briefed by her private investigator.

She knew Takeru had finished his date with Shijō Maki, then hadn’t gone home, but instead taken the train to Chiba to meet another girl.

Honestly? She was kind of impressed.

Four girls in a single day—and night.

This level of time management could probably only be matched by the president of their student council.

One dedicated his time to academics, the other to women.

Even so, this man was only one point behind Shirogane Miyuki in grades.

This, she figured, is what people meant when they said, “talent speaks for itself.”

After all, if one person studies ten hours a day and another only studies one—but they score the same—who wouldn't think the latter is a genius?

“Who are you talking to?”

Nagisa hadn’t been keeping her voice down.

Stirred by the noise, Shijō Maki groggily opened her eyes and looked toward her.

“Kitahara Takeru,” Nagisa said casually, turning her head with a smile. “We're talking about his love life. Want to listen in?”

Takeru’s heart skipped a beat.

This woman is dancing barefoot in a minefield.

“No thanks.”

Maki turned over and pulled the blanket higher.

If it had been Watanabe Takeru calling, she might’ve been a little curious.

But Kitahara Takeru? Zero interest.

The awful first impression he'd left ensured she had no affection for him whatsoever.

She truly didn’t understand how someone as gentle and kind as Watanabe could be friends with such an obnoxious, arrogant jerk.

“Tell him not to corrupt Watanabe. I won’t forgive him if he does.”

Honestly, if Kitahara weren’t supposedly Watanabe’s friend, Maki would’ve already called in her people to give him a little “warning” to stay away.

“Hehe~”

Nagisa let out a satisfied chuckle.

“Takeru-kun, did you hear that?”

She glanced at Maki’s back, her gaze gleaming with mischief and amusement.

This silly girl still didn’t know Kitahara Takeru’s real identity.

But then again—Nagisa couldn’t blame her.

That’s just how Maki is.

Even though both Shijō Maki and Shinomiya Kaguya came from powerful families—even the same family line—their upbringings had been radically different.

Maki was a girl raised in love.

A father who sheltered her from the wind and rain, a mother who patiently walked with her through every stage of life, and a little brother who guarded her like a knight.

Everyone in her family had welcomed her birth with happiness, raised her with warmth and pride.

Girls raised in that kind of environment… don’t tend to have the typical spoiled heiress attitude. They’re composed, emotionally steady, empathetic, and considerate.

Once you earned her trust, she would treat you with sincerity.

Maki could’ve easily ordered someone to investigate Takeru.

But she didn’t.

She trusted her own instincts—and she trusted Watanabe not to deceive her.

That was the biggest difference between Maki and someone like her.

So enviable, truly...

Nagisa lowered her gaze, only half-listening as Takeru rambled on the other end of the line.

---

The next morning.

As the first rays of sunlight slipped through the narrow gap in the curtains, a figure suddenly sat up.

She lifted her upper body from bed, swung her legs to the side—the hem of her rumpled pajamas brushing against her thighs—then came the faint rustle of clothes.

After quietly getting changed, Nakano Yotsuba tiptoed out of her room, descending the stairs as softly as she could.

She slipped on her shoes at the entryway, ready to head out.

But the moment she looked up—

Nakano Nino was already standing in front of her.

No expression. No words.

Just staring.

“Ah!!!”

Yotsuba screamed in surprise.

She lost her balance and fell right onto her butt.

Realizing it was just Nino, she clutched her chest. “You scared me to death!”

“What are you so scared of? Guilty conscience?”

Nino, still without her contacts, squinted. The effect only made her look even more intense.

“Where are you headed this early?”

“Go—going for a run!”

Yotsuba’s eyes flicked left and right, betraying her panic.

She was going for a run.

But she wasn’t being entirely honest.

The truth was—she didn’t want her sisters to know about Kitahara Takeru.

There’d been a boy she liked once. The moment her sisters found out, he was “taken.”

She didn’t want that happening again.

Afraid Nino might press her, Yotsuba quickly offered, “Want to come with me?”

“Nope. I’m going back to sleep. Stayed up too late finishing my drama—exhausted.” Nino yawned, hand to her mouth.

“Oh—wanna eat first before you go?”

She was already up anyway. Might as well make some breakfast before knocking out again.

“No need, I have…” Yotsuba started, then paused.

Her eyes twitched, then she smiled sweetly. “Actually, Nino, could you make me some cookies?”

She felt bad eating Takeru’s food all the time.

“Cookies? Sure, I guess. But will that fill you up?”

Nino sounded skeptical.

In their house, the biggest eater was Nakano Itsuki.

Right behind her? Yotsuba.

Given how much she exercised, she could really pack it in.

“It’ll be enough!”

Yotsuba peeled her shoes back off and gently pushed Nino toward the kitchen.

Nino still felt something was… off.

But couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

Turning the corner of a quiet street, Yotsuba broke into a jog.

Under the shade of an old locust tree, she spotted the boy with silver-white hair, leash in one hand, book in the other.

“Kitahara-kun!”

She called out before she even got close.

The early summer breeze lifted strands of his hair as he looked up, handsome features soft in the morning light.

His lips curved upward. He raised the book in his hand and gave her a small wave.

The wind whistled past her ears—

Along with the thump of a racing heart.

---

This is a fan translation of 不是说只拿我当替身的吗？by 雪碧加冰. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!