Mash-Up: I'm Not A Substitute

Yotsuba helped Takashi sit down on a park bench and asked with concern, "Are you okay?"

Takashi looked down at his foot. Luckily, there was no obvious swelling.

He twisted it slightly—hiss, a little painful, but not as bad as he expected.

"It should just be a mild sprain, nothing serious," Takashi assessed.

"That's good."

Yotsuba patted her chest in relief, causing waves to ripple. Her battle power was truly impressive.

At least a D!

Are high schoolers developing this well nowadays?

Among all the girls Takashi knew, Nakano Yotsuba could at least rank in the top three.

Takashi didn't have a preference for size.

He believed that a B or C was ideal—too big, and sagging would ruin the aesthetic.

Shifting his gaze away from that area, he looked at her face instead.

When he had been trailing behind her earlier, he couldn't see what she looked like.

Now, he could finally take in her features.

The girl had an energetic and youthful face, her cheeks rosy, her skin fair, and her eyes as clear as a child's. Her face was full of collagen, brimming with vitality.

Her glossy hair barely reached her shoulders.

Having just exercised, her face still carried a healthy, flushed glow—utterly adorable.

"Is this your dog? It's so cute."

As Takashi studied Yotsuba, she was squatting on the ground, curiously staring into Kuro's eyes.

Watching this girl and dog stare each other down, Takashi couldn't help but laugh.

"You can pet him."

"Really?"

Yotsuba turned her head excitedly.

Kuro reached out with his paw and patted Yotsuba on the head.

Nakano Yotsuba: "..."

"Hahahahahaha!"

Takashi burst out laughing.

"Hehehehe."

Yotsuba, however, didn't get mad. She scratched her head, then laughed heartily as well.

Her laugh sounded a bit like Gengar.

Kuro tilted his head, confused as to why this silly girl was laughing.

Takashi patted his leg, and Kuro immediately jumped up, resting on his lap.

Yotsuba's eyes sparkled. "Wow, he's so smart!"

"Smart, yes. But disobedient, too. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been abandoned," Takashi said as he petted the dog's head.

Border Collies were indeed intelligent, but they had poor obedience.

They knew what they should and shouldn't do—but they just didn't listen.

On top of that, they always wanted to pick fights with other dogs and had an inflated sense of pride, requiring long-term training from their owner.

And since they were herding dogs, they had boundless energy. If they weren't given enough exercise, they would start tearing up the house.

"Woof woof!"

Kuro, seemingly understanding that Takashi was badmouthing him, barked twice in protest.

Takashi glared at him. "Bark again, and I'll send you back to the shelter."

Hearing the words "shelter," Kuro's face immediately turned fawning as he wagged his tail furiously.

Stroking Kuro's soft fur, Yotsuba looked up in surprise. "He was abandoned?"

"Yeah, I came across him on my way to the shelter."

"That day also happened to be the day he was scheduled to be put down."

Japanese shelters routinely euthanized stray cats and dogs, which was why they were rarely seen on the streets.

Takashi realized his foot wasn't hurting as much anymore. He patted Kuro's head. "Let's go. I'll walk with you a bit more."

Kuro immediately jumped down from the bench. As Takashi led him along, he said to Yotsuba, "If you ever want a dog, maybe check out the shelter first."

Yotsuba pouted, her ribbon-like green headband drooping along with her mood. "My dad wouldn't allow me to have a dog. Plus, Nino and Miku don't really like dogs either."

Takashi tested the waters. "You have siblings?"

"Yeah! I have four sisters. We're quintuplets!" Yotsuba puffed out her chest proudly.

Takashi: "!!!"

No way!

A golden legend?!

He could smell the scent of money.

For a moment, Takashi's gaze toward Yotsuba changed.

Finally, he had found someone rich.

He didn't immediately ask about her family's financial status.

Showing too much interest upfront would only make people wary—an insight from Takashi's past experiences.

'Stay calm. Don't rush. You can't scare off the sponsor.'

Takashi started chatting about Kuro's silly antics, making Yotsuba laugh nonstop.

Of course, he didn't forget to subtly probe her about her family situation from different angles.

What school did she attend? What did she do in her free time? Did she follow any celebrities?

Under Takashi's guided conversation, the two of them unknowingly arrived at the entrance of Yotsuba's home.

It wasn't until she got there that Yotsuba realized, "Oh, I'm home."

Takashi looked up at the high-end residential complex before him. The corners of his lips curled up briefly before returning to a regretful expression. "That was quick. Time really flies."

"Yeah."

Yotsuba felt the same way—she hadn't had enough of their chat.

"Yotsuba, do you usually come for a morning run around this time?"

"Not really. I've just been stressed lately and couldn't sleep, so I started running."

"I see… Looks like we won't run into each other again. What a shame."

Takashi lowered his gaze, looking slightly downcast, and then gave Kuro a signal.

Kuro understood instantly.

He pawed at Yotsuba, whimpering, his face full of reluctance.

Yotsuba found herself at a loss.

Takashi started his act, pretending to be 'strict' as he scolded, "Kuro, behave."

"Woof! Woof!" Kuro barked at Takashi, as if talking back.

"I'll smack you!"

Takashi dramatically raised his hand, pretending he was about to hit the dog.

Yotsuba quickly intervened. "Don't hit him! Just talk it out!"

Takashi followed her lead and lowered his hand, rubbing his forehead with a helpless smile.

"Your charm is really something. Kuro only just met you, and he's already this attached."

"Hehehe."

Yotsuba looked rather pleased with herself.

"How about this? Next time you go for a morning run, just call me along."

Takashi and Kuro exchanged glances, both silently thinking, 'Plan complete.'

However, Takashi hesitated. "Wouldn't that be a hassle for you?"

"Not at all! I really like Kuro. And you seem pretty fun too."

Aside from liking the dog, Yotsuba also found Takashi handsome, interesting, and a great conversationalist. 

She genuinely enjoyed talking to him.

"Let's add each other on Line. I'll message you when I go for a run."

"Alright."

They exchanged contact info, and Takashi smiled and waved as he watched Yotsuba enter the building.

Once she was out of sight, Takashi crouched down and ruffled Kuro's head. "Nice work. I'll get you a can of food when we get home."

"Woof!"

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

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