Mash-Up: I'm Not A Substitute

At six o'clock the next morning, Takashi woke up on time.

Upon waking up, he realized that his mind was eerily clear.

Of course, it wasn't as if he had suddenly turned into a math prodigy overnight, seeing geometric patterns everywhere like some genius, but he could undeniably feel a change in his brain.

It was as if a switch had flipped—math problems that had previously been incomprehensible to him now made perfect sense.

So this is what an 8 in intelligence feels like? Terrifying.

Takashi felt like getting into the University of Tokyo was now a sure thing. He even dared to dream about Stanford, Harvard, or Cambridge.

Let's set a small goal first—rank first in the next national exam.

Last time, he had ranked third in the nationwide mock exams.

The two people ahead of him were Teijo Shijo and Miyuki Shirogane.

As someone raised in a small town where academic excellence was paramount, he cared a lot about his ranking.

This time, he planned to surpass them both.

After a quick wash, Takashi took his dog, Kuro, out for a walk.

The weather was just as sunny as the day before.

He arrived at the gazebo where he had agreed to meet Yotsuba.

When he got there, she hadn't arrived yet.

He sat on a bench, eating his breakfast while waiting for her, occasionally feeding Kuro a bite.

It wasn't even five minutes before Yotsuba came running over.

"Sorry, I'm late!"

She bent forward, hands on her knees, panting heavily.

"It's fine, Nakano-san. Have you had breakfast?"

"Not yet," she admitted.

Her family's meals were usually handled by Nino Nakano.

And Nino was someone who loved sleeping in.

Unless she had made prior plans, she would typically sleep until noon.

So, breakfast wasn't really a thing in the Nakano household.

Most of the time, they just ate some bread to fill their stomachs.

"If you don't mind, you can have mine. I made extra."

Takashi had been waiting for this moment.

He handed her a breakfast bag that he had prepared in advance.

Yotsuba quickly shook her head. "No need, I'm not hungry."

Growl~

The moment she said that, her stomach betrayed her with a loud rumble.

"Uh…"

She felt a little embarrassed.

She hadn't expected her stomach to be so uncooperative.

It never used to growl like this, even when she skipped breakfast.

"Go ahead and eat. I'm eating too."

Yotsuba wasn't the type to refuse people outright.

Unable to decline any further, she took the breakfast with a grateful, "Thank you!"

When she received the bag, she noticed it was still warm.

She sat down beside Takashi and opened it.

Looking at the slightly flattened rice ball, she assumed it was just a regular one—maybe he just wasn't good at shaping them properly.

Holding the rice ball with both hands, she took a bite.

And then froze.

She discovered that there was something inside the rice.

Fried dough sticks?

Not just that—there was also shredded pork floss, ham, and pickled mustard greens?

While her brain was trying to process it, her mouth instinctively chewed.

The next moment, a shiver ran through her body, and the ribbon on her head, which resembled bunny ears, stood up straight.

Her eyes sparkled as she exclaimed, "This is delicious! Kitahara-kun, what is this?"

The sticky rice wrapped around crispy, warm fried dough sticks—soft yet chewy, rich in flavor.

It was even better than a regular rice ball.

Takashi grinned. "Told you it was good."

Yotsuba nodded enthusiastically. "Mmhmm!"

"This is called ci fan bao, also known as a steamed rice roll. It's a specialty snack from the Jiangnan region."

Takashi loved these.

Steamed rice rolls and multi-grain pancakes—he could never get tired of them.

"Try this too."

He unscrewed the lid of a thermos and poured some soy milk into the cup before handing it to her.

This time, Yotsuba didn't refuse.

With one hand holding the rice roll and the other cradling the steaming soy milk, she blew on it gently.

The rising mist dissipated into the morning air.

After taking two sips, warmth spread through her body, sweeping away any lingering drowsiness.

"This is so good."

Her eyes sparkled even more.

Her lips now had a slight sheen to them.

The morning breeze carried the fresh scent of new leaves.

The occasional chirping of birds, though disjointed, formed a natural melody.

Sitting side by side on the bench, Takashi and Yotsuba enjoyed their breakfast like an old married couple.

Meanwhile, Kuro, who was squatting nearby, looked like it was about to cry.

Why are you both eating?

I haven't had breakfast yet!

"Ahh, I'm so full."

After finishing her meal, Yotsuba patted her stomach in satisfaction.

It had been a long time since she'd eaten so happily.

"Let's go for a light jog," Takashi suggested.

"Okay!"

Yotsuba quickly cleaned up the trash, and then, just like always, they started jogging along the artificial lake.

Without realizing it, the sun slowly rose over the horizon.

The tender green oak leaves swayed with the wind.

By seven o'clock, they parted ways and headed home.

…

After taking a shower, Takashi left his house, took the train, and headed to school.

On the train, he once again ran into Komi Shouko and Katsura Kotonoha.

This time, however, he stood far away from them, surrounded by men, making it very safe—no fear of being falsely accused of harassment.

Holding onto the overhead strap with one hand, he took out his phone and searched for [Takashi Watanabe]—the alias he had used.

Immediately, a page popped up:

[Mom and Dad aren't home 💟 Feeling lonely all alone? 💋 The perfect companion, Takashi Watanabe, available 24/7 🥵.]

Takashi's hand trembled slightly as he held his phone.

System, you there? Come out and explain this.

Last night, before Maki had left, he finally figured out where she had placed the order.

This damn system had secretly set up a service program and was even advertising it everywhere, sending spam messages to people.

Teika Maki must have just been caught in a moment of late-night impulse when she clicked on it and placed an order.

Of course, that was understandable.

People are different in the morning and at night.

Morning: Hahaha.

Afternoon: Hahaha.

Late Night: How much longer until I can reach your heart…

And this website—why did it look like some shady adult site?

The system's emotionless voice responded: [Support function.]

Your so-called support function involves sending people spam messages in the middle of the night?

Takashi couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it.

You can only fool airheaded girls like Shijo Maki. Who else would actually click on this?

The moment he finished speaking—

[Date Request: Katsura Kotonoha ]

[Activity Details: Why did things turn out this way…? For the first time, I have someone I like. For the first time, I've made a lifelong friend. These two joyful experiences are intertwined, bringing me even more happiness. I should have been enjoying a dreamlike time of bliss. And yet, why… why has it come to this…?]

[Meeting Time: May 10th, before 4 PM]

[Meeting Place: Rokuten Shopping Center (Click to Start Navigation)]

[Secret Crush: Makoto Itou (Click for Details)]

[Reward: 5,000 Points]

[Accept?]

Takashi looked at the refined and elegant Kotonoha Katsura a short distance away, then at the system notification.

He fell into silence.

Another fool clicked on the ad.

___

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

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