Weren’t You Only Using Me As A Stand-in? [15]

In the school cafeteria, Kitahara Takeru carried his tray of tonkatsu over to his usual seat.

Just as he sat down, Ōtani Shōta and Tanaka Kōta followed behind with their own trays.

“Takeru, did you and Kamikawa-san have a fight or something? Why isn’t she clinging to you today?” Tanaka glanced toward Kamikawa Rie, who was eating with a different group, and asked curiously.

“We didn’t fight.” Takeru picked up a piece of pork cutlet with his chopsticks, took a bite, and said, “She confessed to me, I turned her down. Then during lunch, her best friend came to confess too. I didn’t reject her right away, so Rie probably thought I liked her bestie instead. She’s probably feeling embarrassed and angry.”

“What? Komaki Ayami is Kamikawa Rie’s best friend? Wait, hold up—you rejected Rie’s confession?”

Takeru’s one short sentence managed to shock Ōtani multiple times in a row.

“So you knew Kamikawa liked you?” Tanaka was just as surprised.

He wasn’t surprised that Komaki Ayami was Rie’s best friend. He was surprised that Takeru had actually picked up on Rie’s feelings.

Takeru took a sip of miso soup and replied, “If you sit next to a bonfire, can you not feel the heat?”

He wasn’t some oblivious harem protagonist from a blue-poster romance. Of course he knew Rie liked him.

He just turned her down.

“Takeru, you fool.”

Ōtani clutched his chest, visibly anguished, as if Takeru had just thrown away a winning lottery ticket.

“She’s pretty, has a great body, and I heard her family’s loaded. Do you know how many years of grinding you could’ve skipped by getting with her?”

“You can’t throw away your future and fortune over some fragile concept of pride, man!”

Takeru ignored him and focused on his food.

“So… you don’t like Kamikawa-san?” Tanaka asked, undeterred by Ōtani’s theatrics.

Takeru paused for a moment, then looked up and shook his head. “It’s not that.”

It would’ve been a lie to say he didn’t like her at all.

“I don’t dislike her. But to me, love isn’t everything.”

“If I start dating Kamikawa Rie now, I’d have to give up some things.”

“And compared to those things… love just doesn’t weigh as much.”

If he got together with Rie, could he still keep working as a “stand-in boyfriend”?

If he couldn’t, then he wouldn’t be able to earn system points.

Give that up now, and everything he’d done so far would’ve been for nothing.

Is that really worth it—for one girl?

Takeru might’ve had a young man’s body, but he carried the soul of an adult.

Before doing anything, he’d always ask himself one question: Is it worth it?

Right now, the answer was clear. Love wasn’t worth sacrificing the rewards the system offered.

Sure, Kamikawa Rie came from money. But what did that have to do with him?

Yes, maybe Ōtani was right. Maybe dating her really would let him take shortcuts, shave off decades of struggle.

But all of that depended on her continuing to like him.

And what if one day she doesn’t?

Love, as far as Kitahara Takeru was concerned, was the most unreliable thing in the world.

No one loves forever.

To bet everything on love — to trail behind a girl wagging your tail, begging for attention — was just pathetic.

And kind of sad.

[You have received a date invitation. View?]

Suddenly, a system notification popped up.

Takeru silently said View in his head.

[Date Partner: Shijō Maki]
[Context: Her childhood best friend is now dating the guy she’s been secretly in love with. She can’t let go, no matter how much it hurts.]
[Time: Arrive before 4:00 p.m. on May 9]
[Location: Cafe Yolum (Tap for navigation)]
[Crush: Tanuma Tsubasa (Tap to view profile)]
[Reward: 5,000 points]
[Accept mission?]

Takeru stared at the name of his assigned date and sank into thought.

Not because he was deciding whether to accept — he already knew he would.

He was trying to remember: Who the hell is Shijō Maki?

...

Meanwhile, Shijō Maki, upon hearing Tsubasa’s name, instinctively glanced in his direction.

Tanuma Tsubasa had his hands pressed together, face practically pleading.

What kind of dumb situation is this...

Maki was seriously regretting agreeing to help Tsubasa and Kashiwagi Nagisa get some alone time.

Her crush was now dating her best friend — and she wasn’t just supposed to smile and bless them, but help them out too?

What did that make her, the tragic side character?

“I’m sorry, Nagisa. I already have plans with someone today.”

Shijō Maki really didn’t want to give them alone time. But her upbringing wouldn't let her go back on her word.

And to be fair… she wasn’t technically lying.

She did have plans with someone today.

“With who?” Nagisa sounded a little disappointed, but mostly just curious.

They were both from affluent families and had grown up in the same social circle. If it were a tea party or a formal event, there was no way Nagisa wouldn’t have been invited too.

“Him…”

Shijō Maki paused, tongue-tied.

She honestly had no idea what the guy’s name was.

“His name is… Takeru.”

That was all she could remember — his ID. Just one word: [Takeru].

“Ooooh! Takeru! You’re already on a first-name basis? Is he your boyfriend?” Nagisa lit up like a kid seeing gossip candy.

Calling someone by their first name in Japan usually implied a close relationship.

And “Takeru” — yeah, that was definitely a guy’s name.

“No, he’s not—”

“Wait, wait. Shijō-san, did you get a boyfriend?” Tanuma Tsubasa had walked over, now that most classmates had left. He couldn’t help but cut in after overhearing the conversation.

“…That’s right,” Maki replied, almost on impulse.

She suddenly wanted to see what kind of reaction he’d have if he thought she was dating someone.

Would he show even the slightest hint of jealousy?

Shijō Maki stared intently at Tsubasa’s face, not wanting to miss a single twitch of emotion.

But what she got… was disappointment.

Tsubasa didn’t even blink. He didn’t look at her. Not once.

From start to finish, his soft and bashful eyes were fixed only on Kashiwagi Nagisa.

Maki’s expression dimmed. A dull ache spread from her chest down into her arms.

“Maki, come on. You’ve got a boyfriend and didn’t even tell me? What, were you afraid I’d steal him or something?” Nagisa teased.

You already stole him, didn’t you?

Maki felt a bitter fire flare up inside her.

But she also knew — deep down — this wasn’t really Nagisa’s fault.

Because Maki hadn’t even realized she liked Tsubasa herself.

If there was anyone to blame, it was that damn meddler who kept feeding Tsubasa garbage-tier romantic advice.

I swear, if I ever find out who you are…

Her smile darkened at the edges.

---

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!