Mash-Up: I'm Not A Substitute

The Katsura family's house was different from an ordinary residence—it had two parking spaces.

At the entrance, there was a parcel locker and a doorbell, with security cameras connected indoors.

Kotonoha opened the door. "Please come in."

Takashi politely said, "Excuse me for intruding!" and stepped inside.

The entryway of the Katsura household was spacious, roughly over twenty square meters.

Takashi looked around and couldn't help but ask, "Katsura, if you don't mind me asking, how big is your house?"

Kotonoha closed the door, took out a brand-new pair of indoor slippers from the full-wall shoe cabinet on her left, bent down, and thoughtfully placed them at Takashi's feet.

"The land area of my house is about 270 square meters, and the total building area is over 300 square meters."

Takashi had been about to reach out to take them, but upon seeing her gesture, he retracted his hand and softly said, "Thank you."

Then, he asked, "May I ask, how much did it cost?"

Kotonoha thought for a moment. "Around 200 million yen, I think. I don't remember the exact number."

She had only overheard her parents mention it once and hadn't paid much attention.

As Takashi changed his shoes, he calculated how long he would need to work to afford something like this if he didn't have a system.

Without a system, if he studied hard and everything went smoothly, he might get into a major corporation and earn over 10 million yen per year by the time he was around 35 to 40 years old.

In Japan, an annual salary of 8 million yen was already considered high income.

Earning 10 million yen meant reaching the ranks of white-collar elites, a symbol of social status.

Even if he managed to enter a top 500 company, he would still have to be promoted to section chief to reach that salary.

Other than that, only specialized professions like doctors, lawyers, and certified public accountants could expect such an income.

'How many years of hard work would that take?' Takashi thought as he put on his slippers.

And all of this assumed that everything went perfectly. In reality, things almost never went so smoothly.

'Might as well just work for the system instead.'

Takashi felt that rather than working for capitalists, it was better to work for the system boss.

At least the rewards were real—it never gave you empty promises.

The only problem was that he had no idea when the system boss would suddenly decide to cut and run.

Besides, asking him to stay single forever, never get married, and constantly be entangled with different women as a stand-in for others? That was a hard pass.

Just as he finished putting on his indoor slippers, he heard the sound of quick footsteps tapping against the wooden floor.

"Is that Takashi-niisan?"

Takashi looked up to see a little girl in a white princess dress running toward him.

She looked like a miniature version of Kotonoha—an adorable little face, bright black eyes reflecting the light, a small nose, and a tiny mouth. 

When she smiled, dimples appeared, making her even cuter.

"This is Katsura Kokoro, my little sister," Kotonoha introduced her.

"Hello."

Takashi pulled the corners of his lips into a smile and greeted her.

He didn't dislike children—so long as they weren't troublemakers.

"....."

Katsura Kokoro didn't respond. She simply tilted her head up and stared blankly at Takashi.

The boy in front of her looked like he had stepped straight out of a shoujo manga—sharp features, photogenic, with flawless fair skin and a strikingly tall figure. 

He was the definition of a stunning young man.

Before Takashi arrived, her sister had already told her that he was incredibly handsome.

But she never imagined he would be this good-looking.

Far more handsome than her sister's boyfriend.

"Kokoro!"

Seeing her sister staring at Takashi without a word, which she considered rude, Kotonoha frowned slightly, her tone a little sharper than usual.

Kokoro snapped out of it, her face flushing bright red as she stammered, "Ta-Takashi-niisan, h-hello, I-I'm Katsura Kokoro."

A simple sentence, yet she stuttered several times in nervousness, stumbling over her words.

By the time she finished, she was so embarrassed that she hid behind Kotonoha.

Watching her usually sharp-witted little sister struggle to even form a proper sentence in front of Takashi, Kotonoha pressed her lips together and chuckled softly.

"Come on in, Takashi."

Following Kotonoha's lead, Takashi walked with them down the hallway into the living area.

The living space was designed in an open-concept "I" shape, where the kitchen, dining area, and living room were connected. 

The layout was orderly, making the entire space feel open and bright.

The open kitchen was equipped with a high-powered exhaust hood, a stovetop, an oven, a dishwasher, and an oversized sink and cabinets—fully functional.

The large sink and countertop concentrated most of the kitchen tasks in one area, saving storage space elsewhere.

Although the living room was connected to the dining area, the proportions and dimensions were well-balanced, making the space look even more expansive.

"Takashi, would you like barley tea or lemon tea?"

Takashi observed the layout of the living space, nodding as he casually replied, "Lemon tea."

"Here you go."

Kotonoha took a chilled bottle of lemon tea from the fridge, poured a full glass, added a few ice cubes, and placed it in front of him.

"Thanks."

Takashi took a sip and glanced down at the drink. "Did you make this yourself?"

"I did."

Kotonoha looked at him with slight surprise.

She hadn't expected him to notice the difference.

"No wonder it's not as sweet."

Store-bought lemon tea usually contained artificial sweeteners, making it taste overly sweet. In contrast, the one Kotonoha made had a much more natural flavor.

"Would you mind sharing your secret recipe? I'd like to try making it myself next time."

Takashi thought that Eriri would probably enjoy it.

If he made it for her and "accidentally" let it slip that he did, she might get emotional and shower him with gold again.

Even if she didn't like it, he could always make it for Utaha, Shizuka, Maki, or Yotsuba —at least one of them would appreciate it.

Yeah, I'm a genius.

"If you want some, just let me know. I'll make it for you," Kotonoha said, taking out some expensive-looking snacks from the cabinet and placing them on the table.

"Huh? That doesn't seem right…"

Having another man's girlfriend make lemon tea for him felt… off.

And he wasn't even planning to drink it himself—he was making it for someone else.

Giving another woman lemon tea made by Kotonoha…

The last person who did something like this was probably Chen Hansheng.

Kokoro quickly spoke up, "It's fine! Why wouldn't it be?"

"Takashi-niisan saved my sister! If it weren't for you, she would've been locked in the classroom all night."

She was eager for Takashi to agree.

That way, she'd have more chances to see this handsome onii-san.

Kotonoha nodded in agreement. "That's right, Takashi. Let me express my gratitude."

'If you really want to thank me, then stop blocking my mission progress,' Takashi complained inwardly.

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

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