Weren’t You Only Using Me As A Stand-in? [11]

Nakano Yotsuba helped Kitahara Takeru onto a bench in the park, asking with concern, “Are you okay?”

Takeru glanced down at his foot. Thankfully, there wasn’t any obvious swelling.

He rotated it slightly — hiss — it stung a bit, but not nearly as bad as he’d expected.

“Probably just a light sprain. No big deal,” he judged.

“That’s a relief.”

Yotsuba patted her chest in exaggerated relief — her curves jiggled with the motion, and wow, she was seriously stacked.

Easily a D!

Are high school girls this developed nowadays?

Among all the girls Takeru knew, Yotsuba definitely ranked top three.

Not that he had a size fixation.

He figured B or C was ideal — go too big and gravity ruins the aesthetics.

He pulled his gaze away from her chest and shifted it up to her face.

When he’d been tailing her from a distance earlier, he hadn’t gotten a good look.

Only now did he get a clear view.

She had one of those high-energy, youthful faces — rosy cheeks, fair skin, bright eyes like a kid’s, and that soft, collagen-plumped glow that screamed vitality.

Her glossy hair brushed her shoulders.

She was still a little flushed from running — that healthy, active glow made her look seriously cute.

“Is this your dog? He’s so cute!”

While Takeru had been sizing her up, Yotsuba was squatting down, curiously locking eyes with Tiny in an intense stare-down.

The sight of the two of them watching each other made Takeru want to laugh.

“You can pet him.”

“Really?”

Yotsuba turned her head, beaming with delight.

Tiny lifted a paw and patted her on the head.

“......”

“Pfft—hahahaha!”

Takeru burst out laughing, completely unfiltered.

“Hehehe.”

Yotsuba wasn’t mad. She scratched her head, then giggled right along with him, totally carefree.

Her laugh kind of sounded like Gengar.

Tiny tilted his head, confused. What’s this silly human laughing at now?

Takeru patted his thigh, and Tiny immediately hopped up onto his lap and flopped down.

Yotsuba’s eyes sparkled. “Wow, he’s so smart!”

“Oh, he’s smart alright — and just as disobedient. That’s why he was abandoned,” Takeru said, stroking Tiny’s head.

Border Collies were brilliant, sure — but they had a real obedience problem.

They knew what they were supposed to do… they just didn’t care to listen.

And they’d pick a fight with any dog in sight. Super proud. You had to train them with time and patience.

Plus, being herding dogs, they had insane energy and needed tons of exercise. If you didn’t meet that need, they'd start destroying your house.

“Woof woof!”

Tiny barked indignantly — like he understood Takeru was badmouthing him.

Takeru shot him a look. “Keep barking and I’ll send you back to the shelter.”

At the mention of shelter, Tiny’s expression changed in a flash. He wagged his tail desperately, trying to please.

Yotsuba, still petting Tiny’s soft fur, looked up in surprise. “He was abandoned?”

“Yeah, I found him on the way to the shelter.”

“That day… he was actually scheduled to be put down.”

Japan’s shelters routinely euthanize stray dogs and cats — which was why you hardly ever saw them in the city.

Takeru moved his foot again. It was barely hurting now. He gave Tiny a pat. “Come on. Let’s walk a bit more.”

Tiny leapt off the bench. Takeru took the leash and walked alongside Yotsuba.

“If you ever want a dog,” he said casually, “try checking out the shelters first.”

Yotsuba pouted. Even the bunny-ear ribbon on her head drooped. “My dad would never let me. And Nino and Miku don’t really like dogs.”

“You have siblings?” Takeru asked, testing the waters.

“Yup! Four sisters. We’re quintuplets.” Yotsuba puffed out her chest proudly.

“！！！”

Masaka?!

A golden legend?!

Takeru could practically smell money.

His entire attitude toward Yotsuba shifted in that moment.

Finally… someone with cash.

He didn’t ask directly about her family background.

Coming on too strong would make people suspicious — that was a lesson Takeru had learned the hard way.

Stay calm. Don’t spook the golden goose.

He started casually talking about some of the ridiculous things Tiny had done. Yotsuba’s laughter barely stopped.

Naturally, in between stories, he slipped in some indirect questions — what school she went to, what she did in her free time, whether she followed idols.

Under Takeru’s subtle steering, the two of them ended up chatting their way all the way to the base of Yotsuba’s apartment.

It wasn’t until she looked up at the entrance that she blinked. “Ah! I’m home already.”

Takeru looked up at the high-end residential complex. He smiled — just faintly — then feigned regret. “That was fast. Time flew.”

“Yeah…”

Yotsuba sounded just as reluctant.

“Do you usually jog around this time?”

“Not really. Lately I’ve just been stressed and can’t sleep.”

“Ah, I see. Guess I won’t be seeing you around again. That’s a shame.”

Takeru dropped his gaze, then gave Tiny a subtle cue.

Tiny caught on immediately.

He started pawing at Yotsuba’s legs, whimpering softly, his expression full of heartbreak.

Yotsuba froze, panicking.

And Takeru started acting — putting on a mock-stern tone: “Tiny, behave.”

Tiny barked back — “woof!” “woof!” — as if arguing with him.

“I’ll smack you.”

Takeru raised his hand like he was going to hit him, and Yotsuba immediately jumped in.

“Don’t hit him! Talk it out properly.”

Takeru lowered his hand, rubbed his forehead with a helpless smile, and shook his head slightly. “You’ve got quite the charm. We just met today, and he’s already this attached to you.”

“Hehehe.”

Yotsuba looked very pleased with herself.

“How about this — next time you go running, just hit me up.”

Takeru and Tiny exchanged a glance — both of them had the look of mission accomplished.

Takeru, however, said modestly, “Wouldn’t that be a hassle for you?”

“Not at all! I really like Tiny. And I think you’re kind of interesting too.”

More than just liking him — Yotsuba thought Takeru was good-looking, funny, and had a nice voice. She genuinely enjoyed talking to him.

“Let’s add each other on Line. I’ll text you next time I go out.”

“Sure.”

They exchanged contact info. Takeru smiled and waved as he watched Yotsuba walk into the building.

Once she’d vanished from sight, Takeru crouched down and scratched Tiny behind the ears.

“Nice job. You’re getting an extra can of food when we get back.”

“Woof!”

---

T/N: TINY THE WINGMAN!!!

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!