Weren’t You Only Using Me As A Stand-in? [48]

When Kitahara Takeru returned, Shijō Maki had already finished her call.

Seeing how long he’d taken, she frowned. “Takeru, where did you go? Why were you gone so long?”

He forced a strained smile. “Stomach issues. Took a while. Anyway, how did it go?”

“Ah, that… It was just… y’know…”

At the mention, Maki suddenly turned bashful, fumbling over her words, her tone vague and evasive.

“You confessed?”

Kitahara raised an eyebrow, choosing to ignore everything that had just gone down with Kashiwagi Nagisa.

“No… I didn’t.” Maki covered her flushed cheeks with both hands, face burning (/ω＼).

Kitahara: “……”

You didn’t confess, so what’s with the blushing teapot routine?

So all that effort he’d put into giving her a motivational speech was basically for nothing?

As expected, relying on a tsundere to confess was like expecting someone to believe you’re the reincarnation of Qin Shi Huang—it just wasn’t happening.

“I just think… now’s not the best time to confess to Tsubasa-kun,” Maki stammered, clearly flustered under Kitahara’s blank stare. “I mean, sure, he used to like me, but that was back in middle school.”

“And now he already has a girlfriend…”

“If I confessed now, he’d probably just reject me.”

“So I think… I’ll try to get closer to him first. Build something. Then, when the time feels right, I’ll confess. That way the odds are better. Don’t you think?”

Kitahara rested his chin on one hand and mulled it over. After a moment, he realized… she might actually have a point.

Maybe back in middle school she’d hit the jackpot. But she never cashed it in—now it had expired.

Did Tanuma Tsubasa still feel the same about her?

Only Tanuma himself would know.

“Also, if I confess now, I’d feel really guilty toward Nagisa.”

Kitahara very nearly told her don’t bother.

Based on his very recent conversation, he seriously doubted Nagisa cared about her so-called boyfriend that much.

But he couldn't say that out loud.

“I’ll definitely talk to her before I confess to Tsubasa-kun.”

Maki and Nagisa were best friends.

She didn’t want to lie to her about this.

“It’d be my fault. If she yells at me or cuts ties, I’ll accept it.”

This girl is way too sincere.
She’s nothing like… that woman.

Kitahara genuinely couldn’t understand how someone this honest and naïve had ended up friends with a demon like Kashiwagi Nagisa.

“You’ve got this,” he encouraged.

“Oh, and Takeru—you’ll keep helping me, right?”

Maki looked at him with hopeful eyes.

If it weren’t for Kitahara’s push, she might’ve stayed a timid secret admirer her whole life.

“I can give you a few pointers.”

He didn’t say no.

But he also only planned to help until she and Tanuma got together.

Once they were a couple, they were on their own.

Kitahara had no interest in being someone’s emotional support after they became someone else’s partner.

“Takeru, you really are my best friend!”

Maki grabbed his hand tightly, overflowing with gratitude.

Kitahara pulled his hand back and turned his head away to avoid her earnest gaze.

She sees me as a friend.
But I definitely don’t see her that way.

“Ahem—Maki, can I get your friend’s number?”

He took a sip of his cappuccino, trying to sound casual.

He hadn’t forgotten his real goal.

If he didn’t get that number by tonight, Kasumigaoka Utaha and Sawamura Spencer Eriri would be storming his school by Monday morning.

“Takeru, why do you want Nagisa’s number?”

She looked at him suspiciously.

Had he taken a liking to her best friend?

But… they’d never even met, right?

“My friend saw her recently. Love at first sight. He found out she’s a first-year at Shuchi'in named Kashiwagi Nagisa, so I figured… she must be your friend?”

Kitahara’s conscience twinged as he spun that lie.

“Your friend? Who? Wait—don’t tell me his name is Kitahara Takeru?” Maki said half-jokingly, recalling the audacious guy who had tried to grab her friend’s hand.

Kitahara blinked, then nodded quickly. “Uh, yeah. That’s him.”

“Takeru, you seriously hang out with guys like that?”

Maki’s face twisted in disgust.

“Pretending to be on the phone just to grope a girl he’s never met, getting involved with a bunch of women just because he’s good-looking, even trying to poach someone else’s girlfriend—guys like that are Tokyo’s worst.”

Kitahara: “……”

Wait a second!

That was a misunderstanding! I apologized, paid for her drink, and even Nagisa said she didn’t mind. Why are you still harping on it? Let it go already!

Also, who said I’m “involved” with multiple women?

And you, Miss ‘Crushing on your best friend’s boyfriend,’ where do you get off judging others?!

Kitahara was genuinely pissed.

And when he’s pissed…

He pretends nothing happened.

…Yeah, okay, he couldn’t think of a way to retaliate against a literal heiress. What was he supposed to do?

“He told me about it. Said it was just a misunderstanding. And besides, if Nagisa ends up with him, you don’t have to feel guilty, right?”

“How could I push my best friend into a fire pit?! Absolutely not!”

Maki shook her head rapidly.

She refused to accept this pairing.

I’m a fire pit?

Kitahara laughed—out loud.

If he was the fire pit, what did that make her friend who jumped in voluntarily?

Deadweight?

“…Fine. I admit it. That ‘friend’ is me. I’ve fallen for Miss Kashiwagi.”

If he couldn’t use an imaginary friend, he’d just go in with his full alias: Watanabe Takeru.

Maki said nothing.

She only looked at him—with the softest, gentlest expression Kitahara had ever seen.

Even her own younger brother had never gotten that kind of look from her.

Kitahara felt his skin crawl with goosebumps.

Maki gently clasped his hand again, voice full of sorrow and empathy.

“Takeru… you don’t have to do this for me. You don’t have to sacrifice yourself like this.”

Kitahara: (°^°)

Hold up. There’s no way we’re doing this again, right?

We’ve only met twice. What do you mean “for you”? I’m doing this for me—okay?!

Can you women please stop deluding yourselves?!

Kasumigaoka Utaha. Sawamura Spencer Eriri. Now you too.

Do I really play the simp role that convincingly?

You all believe it??

What, did he accidentally become Sanji or something?

Kitahara’s chest rose and fell in frustration.

He wanted nothing more than to hurl his cappuccino in her face to snap her out of it.

But he held back.

No other reason.

Just cowardice.

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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!