Weren’t You Only Using Me As A Stand-in? [23]

The sun dipped lower toward the horizon as a flock of crows swept past the Seijō campus buildings, silhouetted against the dusk.

By the shoe lockers, Kamikawa Rie stepped up to Kitahara Takeru.

“Takeru, want to go shopping later? The shops we like just got some new arrivals.”

Takeru closed his locker with a soft clack. “Can’t. I’ve got plans today.”

He had an appointment with Katsura Kotonoha.

Sure, he didn’t really want to get involved with a girl who already had a boyfriend. But since she was the one who initiated, it wasn’t like he could refuse and give up free system points for the sake of some guy he didn’t even know.

Rie puffed up her cheeks in annoyance. “You’re always busy now. Every time I ask, you’ve got something going on.”

Takeru paused. That… was kind of true.

Ever since the number of girls requesting dates had increased, his schedule had gotten a lot tighter.

Not that he minded.

When he had free time, all he ever did was work part-time or read. Staying busy was fine.

Still, he really hoped the girl count wouldn’t go up any more.

Any more and he wouldn’t even be able to respond to their messages in time.

“Where exactly are you working, anyway? I need to report them.”

High schoolers were allowed to work part-time, but there were strict regulations. Anything considered part of the adult entertainment industry—karaoke lounges, bars, clubs, arcades—was off-limits.

Acceptable jobs for high schoolers were limited to places like supermarkets, convenience stores, diners, and theme parks.

And there were hour limits, too.

In theory, students couldn’t work more than 35 hours per week.

Seijō Academy’s own rules capped it at 28.

If a student’s grades slipped, teachers even had the right to ban them from working altogether.

Takeru answered with a complete non sequitur. “I’m planning to get a motorcycle this week. Want to come with me?”

Rie froze, picturing Kitahara Takeru in full riding gear.

!!!

“Yes! I know a bunch of shop owners—I can get you the biggest discounts!”

“How big we talking? Bone-crushing?”

“Totally. The kind where we get our bones crushed by the owners!”

She burst out laughing before she even finished the line.

Her sense of humor had always been low-bar.

Takeru didn’t think it was all that funny. But sometimes, when someone nearby was laughing like an idiot, it rubbed off on you.

“You’re too much,” he muttered.

But his mouth betrayed him, quirking up in a reluctant smile.

...

After watching Rie get into her family’s black chauffeured car, Takeru didn’t head straight to his date with Kotonoha.

He took the train to his part-time job.

It was a 24-hour convenience store just outside Bunkyō Station.

Back when he first arrived in this world, he didn’t even have 100,000 yen to his name.

Sure, he had the system. But at the time, he had no one to date.

No date targets meant no system points. No points meant no money.

Life was tough, and part-time work was his only option.

But it wasn’t easy, being new to the world with no connections.

Okay—technically there were job openings.

But none nearby.

And commuting too far just for a minimum-wage job was a luxury he couldn’t afford.

The time and money it would’ve cost weren’t worth it.

Takeru had nearly resigned himself to taking whatever he could get when Yozakura Hitomi found out he was job hunting.

She bought the entire convenience store and told him to work there.

He remembered going numb when he first heard.

So this is how the rich think.

“Manager, you’re here.”

As soon as he walked in, a girl greeted him from the register. She had a chestnut-colored ponytail and a cute—but utterly unremarkable—face. The kind that blended into a crowd of high school girls.

“Nanami. Good afternoon.”

Takeru nodded to Aoyama Nanami and asked for the store ledger.

He was here to check the books.

Ever since Hitomi had bought the store, she’d completely ignored its existence.

Once, she even came in, picked out some snacks, and tried to pay for them.

If he hadn’t reminded her, she wouldn’t have remembered she owned the place.

Maybe she didn’t care whether the store lived or died—but Takeru did.

It had been bought for him. He figured the least he could do was run it properly.

He’d had jobs before. Even started a small business once. He wouldn’t say he was a genius at it, but running a convenience store? Totally within his wheelhouse.

Eyes still on the ledger, Takeru asked, “Has the applicant for today’s interview arrived?”

“She did, but…” Nanami hesitated.

“Just say it.”

Even though she was the same age as Takeru, whenever he entered “manager mode,” she instinctively treated him like a superior. Back straight, tone formal.

“She’s a middle schooler.”

Takeru’s tone chilled. “Why didn’t you check that ahead of time?”

Hiring a junior high student? That was illegal.

If someone reported them, the store could be in serious trouble.

Nanami gave a perfect 90-degree bow. “I’m so sorry!”

Takeru snapped the ledger shut. “Tell her to go home.”

He headed to the storage room to check inventory.

When he came back out, he saw a girl talking to Nanami. She was stunning—delicate features, long silvery-white hair, a foreign look that made her stand out instantly.

Nanami looked visibly uncomfortable.

“Excuse me, miss. Is there a problem?” Takeru approached with a polite, professional smile.

Before the girl could respond, the system screen popped up.

[Target Identified: Shirogane Kei]
[Age: 13]
[Intelligence: 8]
[Charm: 9]
[Stamina: 4]
[Origin: Kaguya-sama: Love is War]
[Crush: None (Secretly brother-obsessed)]
[Relationship Status: Single. Eligible for dating.]

Takeru: “…”

System, are you for real? You’re the morning light and the dusk shade all at once.

She’s thirteen.

Thirteen!!

He already knew his system had no shame. No moral bottom line. But middle schoolers? Seriously?

“I’m here to apply for the part-time job,” said Shirogane Kei, voice soft but firm. “I really need this opportunity. Please… give me a chance.”

She bowed deeply.

Takeru didn’t even hesitate. “Absolutely not.”

“You can apply again once you’re in high school. But not now.”

Whatever circumstances she was facing, he wasn’t about to risk giving Hitomi legal trouble.

“Nanami, I’ll leave things to you.”

Without sparing Kei another look, he nodded to Nanami and left the store.

Time to head to his next engagement.

---

At the same time, Katsura Kotonoha had just finished cleaning the classroom.

She wiped the light sheen of sweat from her forehead and slung her bag over her shoulder.

Her slender hand reached for the doorknob—she gave it a twist.

It didn’t budge.

“…No way.”

Something felt off.

She tried harder. Nothing.

That was when she realized: the door had been locked from the outside.

The sky outside was already dark.

Alone in the silent classroom, Kotonoha’s chest tightened with unease.

She started pounding on the sliding door, voice trembling but loud: “Is anyone out there? The door’s locked—I’m still inside!”

---

T/N: poor girl :((

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!