Mash-Up: I'm Not A Substitute

The train clattered into the station, bringing a refreshing breeze.

The doors slowly slid open.

And with them, a deep and magnetic voice followed:

"Congratulations, your boyfriend is about to get a girlfriend."

Hearing Takashi's words, both the passengers preparing to disembark and those waiting to board froze for a moment.

They all turned their heads toward Takashi and Kotonoha as they stepped off the train.

What do you mean, 'your boyfriend is about to get a girlfriend'?

What exactly are you two talking about?

Could you at least finish your conversation before walking away?

"Eh?"

Kotonoha was a beat too slow to react. Her face instantly lost all color as she panicked. "T-Then what should I do?"

Takashi's mouth was quicker than his brain. "Break up!"

"Why? Isn't there any way to salvage the relationship?"

Kotonoha felt that their relationship was still worth fighting for.

Takashi responded flatly, "If you need jungle support, it means your top lane is already lost."

"That's just your one-sided assumption, Takashi. You're not Makoto."

"You can't just assume that because you'd do this, Makoto would do the same."

"What if he didn't cheat, and he's just been in a bad mood lately?"

Even with the metaphorical red hat already placed firmly on her head, Kotonoha was still trying to make excuses for Makoto.

Seeing this, Takashi could only say, "Ah, right, right."

People like Kotonoha, who refused to turn back even after hitting a dead end—perhaps even after breaking through it—were all too familiar to Takashi.

It's hard to advise someone who refuses to listen.

You try to help, and they might even accuse you of being jealous of their happiness.

Takashi couldn't be bothered to argue.

Respecting others' fates, letting go of the compulsion to help, and avoiding self-congratulatory gestures—this was how Takashi approached life.

Right now, he just wanted to finish this job with Kotonoha without letting it interfere with his point earnings.

Beep—

Beep—

The two swipe their cards and exited the station one after the other.

They walked in silence for the rest of the way.

Kotonoha glanced at Takashi, who was now preoccupied with his phone, no longer speaking to her.

She felt a bit uneasy.

'Did I say something too harsh and make him angry?'

Well, to be honest, she was overthinking it.

Just like how people don't get mad at strangers for no reason, Takashi wouldn't be upset because of her.

To him, Kotonoha wasn't someone particularly important.

He simply didn't feel like talking.

"This is my home."

Fortunately, her house was close to the train station.

After a five-minute walk, they arrived at Kotonoha's residence.

It was a luxurious standalone house. A very large one.

While owning a detached home in Japan didn't necessarily mean someone was rich, if you lived in Chiyoda Ward, that was a different story.

Located at the center of Tokyo's 23 wards, adjacent to the Imperial Palace East Gardens, Chiyoda was home to central government institutions and a symbol of wealth and power.

Naturally, most people who lived here were elites and dignitaries.

"T-This... This is your house?"

Takashi stared at the house Kotonoha had just unlocked, then back at her.

He swallowed hard.

Based on her mannerisms, he had already guessed that she came from a well-off family.

But he hadn't expected this level of wealth.

Put it this way—if he hadn't been granted a system,

A house here wouldn't have been an option at birth.

And without it, it would be impossible to attain in his lifetime, no matter how hard he worked.

Even if he were a protagonist in some wish-fulfillment novel, he still wouldn't make it.

Because this was Japan.

"Yes."

Kotonoha nodded slightly.

Seeing Takashi frozen at the entrance, hesitant to step inside, she tilted her head slightly, her warm purple hair cascading to the side.

"What's wrong, Takashi?"

Takashi gritted his teeth.

"No, just—why him?"

His face twisted with jealousy.

Kotonoha was puzzled. "Who?"

"Ito Ma-ko-to!"

He enunciated the name word by word.

A girlfriend with a voluptuous figure and long, beautiful legs.

Fair skin, a gorgeous face.

And most importantly—a hopeless romantic.

Upon hearing her boyfriend had cheated, her first thought wasn't breaking up, wasn't getting revenge, but how to salvage the relationship.

Where was the justice in that?

He was sick of saying how enviable this was.

"Katsura, what exactly do you like about him?"

Takashi felt like he was suffocating.

No matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn't figure out where he had lost.

Was he not handsome enough?

That was out of the question.

Not smart enough?

As someone who got into Aoba Academy from Hokkaido and ranked third in national mock exams, Takashi considered himself quite intelligent.

Was it because he didn't provide enough emotional value?

Because he wasn't good at comforting women?

That was obviously not the case either.

After all, Utaha, Eriri, and Hiratsuka Shizuka were all willing to spend money on him.

Just based on that, he was already ahead of many guys back home.

So, where did he lose?

"Uh... Well..."

Takashi's question genuinely stumped Kotonoha.

She honestly didn't know why she liked Makoto.

She had only started noticing him because he had been watching her on the train.

And as he paid more attention to her, she began to pay attention to him as well.

But that was just mild interest.

She had a little bit of affection, but not much.

As for actually dating—

It seemed like Saionji Sekai had played matchmaker, constantly pushing them together.

Since she already had a bit of a favorable impression of him, she had just gone along with it and agreed?

Did that count as love?

Kotonoha wasn't sure.

"What does it mean to like someone?"

She couldn't figure it out.

She didn't know if she was asking Takashi or talking to herself.

Takashi thought for a moment.

"It's the feeling of being captivated at first sight."

Some say love at first sight is just lust.

But that's not true.

Lust is merely being drawn to physical beauty.

Love at first sight is when your soul is struck in an instant—an irreplaceable feeling.

When you fall for someone at first sight, that feeling lingers for a long, long time, no matter what kind of person they are.

Takashi had once fallen for someone too.

Even though he later met women who were more beautiful, more elegant, none of them had ever made his heart race like that again.

Back then, he hadn't even seen her face clearly.

"It's the person you think of the moment you close your eyes."

"It's when you don't see them for a single minute, and your heart starts to feel uneasy, like something's missing."

Takashi spoke, and Kotonoha listened.

'The person you think of when you close your eyes…?'

She closed her eyes.

She thought she would see Makoto wearing headphones and gripping a train handle.

But instead—

"Katsura, I've come to take you home."

She saw Takashi standing in the light, smiling gently at her.

Kotonoha's eyes snapped open in shock.

'W-What? Why did I think of Takashi?'

She panicked.

They had only met three times.

Why was she thinking of him?

Was she the one falling for someone else?

Kotonoha began doubting herself.

"Well? Who did you think of?" Takashi leaned in curiously.

Her heart skipped a beat.

She quickly took a step back, turning her head awkwardly.

"O-Of course, it's Makoto!"

"So, you really do like him."

Takashi found her reaction oddly excessive, but he didn't dwell on it and simply accepted her answer.

But for some reason, Kotonoha didn't look particularly happy.

"What about you, Takashi? When you close your eyes, who's the first person you think of? Is it Narii? Or that night sakura girl?"

"Neither."

Even without closing his eyes, Takashi knew exactly who it was.

Kotonoha wasn't sure why, but she felt a tiny lift in her tone.

"Not them?"

Not her?

Then who?

Could it be… me?

Kotonoha quickly dismissed the thought.

She had a boyfriend.

She shouldn't be thinking like this.

But she couldn't help it.

"Yeah."

Afraid she'd press further, Takashi quickly changed the subject.

"Let's go inside."

Kotonoha felt a slight disappointment but followed him inside, fearing that if she thought too much, she might reach a conclusion she shouldn't.

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

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