Mash-Up: I'm Not A Substitute

At six in the morning, the alarm clock on the bedside table blared incessantly.

Takashi rubbed his eyes, turned off the alarm, threw off the blanket, and got out of bed.

Human sleep follows a cyclical pattern, shifting from light to deep sleep and back again, with one full cycle lasting about 90 minutes.

Scientific research suggests that the optimal sleep duration for most people is around 7 to 8 hours. Sleeping either more or less than this increases the risk of sudden death and illness.

However, out of those eight hours, only one to two hours are deep sleep. People who manage three to four hours of deep sleep tend to feel energetic throughout the day.

Of course, there is a small fraction of individuals with unique physiological traits. These people, often top experts in their respective fields, require only half the sleep time of an average person.

Takashi was not one of them. He always fell asleep during his optimal two-hour window between ten and midnight.

"Gurgle, gurgle—pah!"

After rinsing his mouth and spitting out the mouthwash, Takashi put on his Xiaomi fitness band, changed into his workout clothes, and walked toward the entrance.

"Woof!"

As he passed through the living room, a black-and-white Border Collie with smooth, thick fur ran circles around him, jumping excitedly.

"Good morning, Kuro."

Takashi smiled as he patted the dog's head, then crouched down by the entrance to attach a leash.

In Japan, it is mandatory to leash dogs when taking them out for a walk. This is a strict regulation.

Japanese law states that walking a dog without a leash can result in a 30-day jail sentence.

Takashi really liked this law.

He loved dogs, but he was also extremely annoyed by irresponsible dog owners back home who let their dogs roam freely.

As he tried to put on a muzzle, Kuro shook its head left and right, refusing to wear it.

After some thought, Takashi decided not to force it.

Putting on his running shoes by the entrance, he asked as he prepared to head out, "Have you gone to the bathroom yet?"

"Woof!"

Kuro nodded enthusiastically.

"Alright, let's go then."

Takashi patted Kuro on the head and stepped out the door with the leash in hand.

The moment he exited the apartment building, a refreshing early summer breeze greeted him, instantly lifting his mood.

Looking up at the sky, Takashi saw an expanse of clear blue.

"Seems like it's going to be a nice day."

Thinking this to himself, he continued walking forward with Kuro trotting happily alongside him, occasionally glancing left and right at who-knows-what.

Reaching a pedestrian crossing, he caught the traffic light just as it turned green and crossed with the morning rush of office workers.

Turning a corner, a vast, lush forest suddenly came into view.

This was the largest park near his home and also his regular spot for morning runs.

After some light stretching, Takashi put on his earphones and started his daily jog.

Kuro ran slightly ahead, maintaining a pace just a little faster than his.

Man and dog began circling the artificial lake at a steady rhythm.

The rising sun cast fragmented patches of light through the dense foliage, dappling the pathway. Birds chirped cheerfully in the background.

The stone benches they passed were covered in glistening morning dew.

Running through a corridor of ginkgo trees, the wind rustled the leaves, lifting the edges of Takashi's clothes and strands of his hair.

As he ran, a girl appeared ahead of him.

She had a well-proportioned figure, with long and toned legs accentuated by her form-fitting athletic leggings.

A green ribbon was tied in her hair, bouncing up and down as she ran, resembling a pair of adorable rabbit ears.

"Never seen her before."

Takashi had been jogging here for months but had never come across this girl before.

Not that he really cared.

Just as he was about to look away, a sudden information screen popped up before his eyes.

[Target: Nakano Yotsuba]

[Age: 16]

[Intelligence: 2]

[Charm: 8]

[Stamina: 6]

[From: The Quintessential Quintuplets]

[Crush: Fuutarou Uesugi]

[No boyfriend, available for dating.]

"What's going on these days? One after another, they just keep appearing."

In just two days, Takashi had already encountered three.

Was the encounter rate this high now?

"Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket after school."

Thinking this, he quickened his pace to strike up a conversation—only for Yotsuba Nakano to speed up as well.

In a flash, she shot forward, widening the distance.

Takashi threw pacing out the window, swinging his arms and sprinting after her.

Kuro didn't understand why his owner had suddenly sped up, but he was more than happy to join in on the fun, dashing full speed ahead.

Yet even with all his effort, Takashi still couldn't catch up to Yotsuba—he could only barely keep her from leaving him completely in the dust.

"So this is the power of 6 stamina? Terrifying!"

Takashi had always thought that with 5 stamina, he was invincible among his peers. He never expected a girl to be even stronger than him.

Don't underestimate his mere 5 points in stamina.

His 5 was the equivalent of an adult's stamina.

Most high school students only had around 3 points. Someone as frail as Yukinoshita Yukino probably had just 1. Only athletes could reach 4 or 5.

If this were a fantasy novel, he'd at least be a genius disciple of some elite sect.

Around and around the park they went—her running, him chasing.

Sweat began to bead on Takashi's forehead, trickling down his cheeks and into his collar.

The figure in his sight grew farther and farther away.

Just as he considered unleashing Kuro, Yotsuba suddenly slowed down, turned a corner past a flowerbed, and switched from running to walking.

Takashi adjusted his breathing, gritted his teeth, and forced his lead-heavy legs to sprint forward one last time.

As he passed by Yotsuba Nakano—he twisted his ankle.

"Shit!"

Takashi cursed, shutting his eyes.

But the expected pain never came.

Instead, he felt a hand wrap firmly around his waist, stabilizing him.

Yotsuba asked with concern, "Are you okay?"

"Just let me die."

Takashi was so embarrassed that he wished he could dig a hole with his toes and crawl inside.

This kind of situation—twisting an ankle and being caught in someone's arms—wasn't it supposed to happen to girls?

Why did it happen to him?

This wasn't some female-dominated world!

Takashi felt like he had completely disgraced the name of all transmigrators.

At least, no one else had seen it except the two of them.

No need to panic. No big deal.

That's what he thought, until—

"Tsk, tsk, young people these days are so affectionate."

"Indeed, hugging each other first thing in the morning."

"Ah, youth is wonderful."

—A group of elderly ladies happened to pass by, whispering amongst themselves.

Takashi was stunned.

Are you NPCs that refresh on a fixed timer?

Why did you have to appear at this exact moment?

Don't you have husbands to take care of?

And can you at least lower your voices?

I can hear you perfectly from three meters away.

What kind of whispering is that?!

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Check out the other translations too: [Mash-Up: Anything For Money]

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