Mash-Up: I'm Not A Substitute

Cameras really were brutal things.

Some girls and boys who looked decent offline would look like they gained ten pounds on screen, and their refined features would flatten into something plain.

On screen, Ami already thought Takashi was the pinnacle of Asian beauty.

But in real life—he looked even better.

His every move radiated the elegance of a beautiful youth.

"Gege, I want to be your fan for life!"

Seeing him in person, Ami went wild too, joining the others in screaming.

…

As soon as Takashi stepped off the bus and saw the sea of people outside Kobe High, he was stunned. "Why are there so many people?"

Close to 500 people had gathered near the school gates.

"They're all your fans, Takashi-kun," Anai Tatsuya replied.

Thanks to TV broadcasts, livestreams, and replays, Takashi's unique charisma had been delivered straight into the eyes of tens of millions.

Takashi's looks hit the bullseye of female aesthetics.

Beyond that, he excelled in academics.

In any country, academic success gives people a natural halo.

Like when you were a kid—if you told your parents you were hanging out with a bad student, they'd forbid it. 

But if it was a top student? They'd not only allow it—they'd encourage you to learn from them.

Finally, Takashi wasn't just a pretty face—he could pitch and bat, and had single-handedly led Aoba High into the Koshien quarterfinals. 

His excellence embodied the Japanese ideal of a strong man.

And with Yozakura Hitomi promoting him behind the scenes—

Takashi's fame was now unmatched.

Journalists lined up to interview him, and even more were digging for dirt.

But whether they loved him or hated him, everyone had to admit—Takashi was the hottest name in Japan right now.

"I can't believe someone like me has this many fans. The world really is just a giant lottery based on appearance," Takashi thought, half-amused.

Because the crowd at Kobe had grown too large, traffic police and regular police were dispatched to maintain order.

Though packed, the crowd kept its cool.

Until Takashi appeared.

Then chaos broke loose. People surged toward him like mad.

Guided by traffic and regular officers, Takashi was ushered quickly through the crowd.

He thought there'd be fewer people inside the school—but there were even more.

The ones outside simply couldn't squeeze in.

He finally made it to the school baseball field.

There, he immediately saw Hoshino Ai and Ichika interviewing his teammates, microphones in hand.

The two girls spotted him too. Hoshino Ai stood on tiptoe, waving enthusiastically.

Ichika wasn't as bold. She just nodded at him softly.

Takashi walked over, arms crossed with a smile. "So you're the ones here to interview me?"

"Hold on a sec."

Hoshino Ai took out a compact mirror and checked her makeup.

Ichika did the same.

Once they confirmed their makeup was intact, both girls extended a mic toward him—at the exact same time.

Their eyes met.

Recognition flashed between them.

So this is my rival.

Then they smiled at each other.

One with fake sweetness, the other with veiled sharpness.

Takashi glanced at the two microphones. Each bore a different label.

One was from Nippon TV.

The other from Tokyo TV.

The former, backed by the Yomiuri Shimbun, was Japan's first TV station.

The latter, likely the most beloved broadcaster in all of Japan, had the Nikkei newspaper behind it.

The two weren't enemies on paper—but in private, they were fierce competitors.

Neither could be offended lightly.

If he picked just one, he'd risk offending the other.

So Takashi simply grabbed both mics at once.

"Nakano-san, you're the senior—you go first," said Hoshino Ai, gesturing politely.

"No, no, Ai—you go first," Ichika replied graciously.

Though Ichika had debuted earlier, Ai was way more famous.

Ichika was still just a low-tier talent. She didn't dare act high and mighty in front of someone like Hoshino Ai.

They kept deferring to each other, until Takashi began to look impatient.

Finally, Ichika reluctantly agreed. "Hello, Takashi-kun. I'm Nakano Ichika, a temporary reporter from Tokyo TV."

"Everyone's really curious about you. May I ask you a few questions?"

"Sure."

Takashi shrugged nonchalantly.

"First question—why did you choose number 7 for your jersey?"

"As far as I know, the ace usually wears number 1, right?"

A pretty standard first question—it was just a setup to have Takashi talk again about his friendship and shared history with Otani Shota.

But Takashi didn't play along.

"Does that even matter?" he said.

"…Huh?"

Ichika was caught off guard.

That wasn't the answer she expected.

"It's not about who wears Number 1 being the ace of the team,"

"It's that whatever number I wear becomes the ace's number."

Takashi's tone was confident—bordering on arrogant. The high-spirited energy of youth radiated from him without reservation.

But even the cameraman standing nearby, heavy equipment in hand, didn't feel the slightest urge to scoff.

Because Takashi had the skill to back it up.

"Alright, my turn now. Takashi-kun, I'm Hoshino Ai, a reporter from Nippon TV. Nice to meet you."

Clearly, the two had arranged in advance to alternate questions.

After her brief intro, Hoshino Ai asked directly, "I've heard rumors that you're always out dating girls and never attend practice. Is that true?"

If it were anyone else, they'd definitely deny it and start pleading their case in front of the cameras—talking about how hard they worked, how misunderstood they were.

But Takashi was a straightforward guy.

He thought about it… and realized, yeah, he hadn't really worked that hard.

So he said, "Yeah. It's true."

The moment those words left his mouth, even Hoshino Ai visibly froze for a second.

"But so what?"

"Even if I don't practice, even if I'm drinking soda, eating pizza, and flirting with girls every day—none of them can beat me, right?"

His previous answer already reeked of arrogance.

But no one expected him to top that.

The King of Swagger, Tokyo edition.

And the numbers watching the livestream surged like crazy.

[What is with this guy?! He's on another level of swagger.]

[Tokyo's King of BS!]

[But he's not wrong though. Seriously—who's beaten him so far?]

Hoshino Ai glanced at the stream comments and suddenly understood why Takashi was so popular.

He was too good at putting on a show.

And the worst part? Every boast he made—he backed it up.

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