Mash-Up: I'm Not A Substitute

When Takashi finally found the seating area for Aoba Private High School, the second match of Round One was already more than halfway through.

"Takashi, what took you so long?"

"Stomach issues. Got delayed."

"What's that on your neck?"

Narii immediately noticed the hickey on Takashi's neck—the one Nagisa had left.

Takashi remained calm and even feigned confusion: "Is there something on my neck?"

He had actually seen the hickey while washing his hands earlier.

But there was nothing he could do—his skin was already fair.

They say pale skin hides many flaws…

…but once something shows up on it, it stands out—like that hickey.

Worse still, Nagisa had planted it right on the left side of his Adam's apple—impossible to cover.

In winter, a scarf might work.

But this was summer.

Who in their right mind wears a scarf in the middle of summer?

If he had his makeup bag with him, he could've used concealer matching his skin tone to hide the mark.

But today, he hadn't brought his bag—his Doraemon-like all-purpose backpack.

While washing his hands, Takashi had already begun thinking about how to cover it up.

Maybe pull the collar of his jersey higher? Or maybe just sit somewhere else with the baseball club members instead of next to Narii?

But after some thought, Takashi rejected all those ideas.

Any unusual behavior would only arouse Narii's suspicion.

Sometimes, the best tactic is to expose it boldly—to give yourself a shot at surviving a crisis by taking initiative.

It was time to put his acting skills to the test.

"There is—right…"

Halfway through her sentence, Narii's once gentle eyes suddenly turned sharp. She leaned in, her neatly manicured finger touching his neck.

At that moment, Takashi felt like a knife was pressed to his throat—like his life could end at any second.

"…Takashi, you were gone so long—don't tell me you were hugging and kissing some other girl in the bathroom?"

Narii's words sent a chill straight down Takashi's spine.

What the hell? How was she so accurate, like she saw it with her own eyes?

Do women's sixth senses have to be this sharp?

"Narii, what are you talking about?"

Takashi channeled his inner Oscar-winning actor—his face blank, his expression natural.

Like he truly had no idea what she meant.

Narii let out a cold laugh, pulled out her phone, and took a picture of his neck.

Then she shoved the photo in his face and demanded, "Then what's this?"

Takashi glanced at the photo—

"Eh!"

"Is this an allergy or a mosquito bite?"

Narii's expression was dark. "Takashi, don't think I didn't notice. You wanted me to see this. You think you can just act in front of me and get away with it?"

"Narii, you know me. I value my life more than anything. No matter how gutsy I get, I'd never dare do anything to betray you."

Narii stared intently at Takashi's face for a long while. Then, she suddenly stood up and ordered, "Come with me."

Without another word, she folded her arms and walked toward the passage without looking back.

Takashi immediately got up without protest.

The students and teachers around them seemed completely oblivious to their presence. 

Even as the two passed right in front of them, their eyes remained glued to the field without blinking.

But the moment the two figures disappeared into the passage, hushed murmurs and excited whispers erupted.

"Do you think we'll see Kitahara alive tomorrow?"

"Doubt it."

"The last guy who ticked off Kamikawa-san... if you count the days, he should be due for reincarnation by now."

As for the game on the field, nobody paid it any attention anymore.

Even the baseball club members seemed distracted.

Their thoughts had long since drifted elsewhere.

Right now, they were all thinking the same thing: If Kitahara's gone, what do we do for the next round?

Hitomi watched as Narii and Takashi left. Her eyes flickered, and her fingers gently tapped the armrest of her seat.

…

The dark entryway was untouched by sunlight. Narii suddenly stopped, turned, and looked at him.

Her face was shrouded in shadow, but her gaze remained sharp as she said, "Takashi, I know everything about you fooling around with other women."

Takashi felt a chill run through his limbs, followed by a wave of dizziness.

Great. Time to start preparing his will.

He could almost see Granny Meng at the Bridge of Forgetfulness grinning at him.

Here we go again, prison bro.

He had only one wish left:

Please, next life, let him reincarnate as Lord Jing.

Worst case, even Young Master Hu will do.

He was open to arrangements.

"Do you have any idea how many times I wanted to kill you on the spot?"

Standing at 163cm, Narii was considered tall among girls. Even so, she still had to tilt her head to meet Takashi's eyes.

But the aura she radiated was in no way weaker than Takashi's 180cm presence.

"Look, Narii… murder's kinda frowned upon these days. If you're that mad, just beat me up to vent a little."

Takashi offered a sheepish grin.

"Don't joke with me, Kitahara Takashi!"

It was rare for Narii to use his full name.

And that shut Takashi up completely.

"Do you know why I haven't killed you yet?"

"I do. Because you're in love with me."

Takashi replied calmly.

He knew better than anyone how Narii felt about him.

"So what?"

"So just because you love me, I'm supposed to love you back? Why should your one-sided feelings be my responsibility?"

"Let's get one thing straight—you're the one who loves me. Not the other way around."

"So why are you acting like you're the one getting hurt?"

"Did I ever lead you on?"

"I've turned down your confessions more than once, haven't I?"

"And you looked into my background. You know I'm not a good guy—I'm a scumbag."

"Knowing I'm a scumbag, you still insisted on clinging to me. How is that my fault?"

Since she wanted to lay things bare, Takashi didn't hold back.

This time, his tone was sharp and his words cut deep.

He wasn't unaware of Narii's feelings. 

If he had met her back when he was young and innocent, he probably would've fallen head over heels—maybe even to the point of giving up everything for her.

That kind of lovesick delusion—what boy hasn't had it?

But it only happens once.

When that kind of wholehearted love is betrayed, a boy learns to become rational. He loses interest in romance, lowers his expectations of everything.

Love is often a matter of luck.

Narii was great. She just had bad luck.

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