Weren’t You Only Using Me As A Stand-in? [126]

With Marin Kitagawa now in good spirits, the shoot resumed smoothly.

"Okay, lift your skirt a little. Remember, your expression should scream unwilling. Your eyes—make sure they look like you're completely disgusted, got it?"

Kitahara Takeru lay flat on the ground, camera in hand, angling the lens upward to catch Marin’s face from below.

"Like this?"

Marin's lips curved downward in a pout. Her eyes locked onto Kitahara like she was staring at an irredeemable pervert—pure disdain.

"Yes, yes! That exact look—like you're staring at trash."

Whether it was from finally capturing the perfect shot or something else entirely, Takeru suddenly lit up with excitement and clicked the shutter several times in rapid succession.

"Alright, next up—ahegao."

Takeru stood, casually slipping one hand into his jacket pocket, brushing against the earbud remote stashed inside. He gave her a subtle cue. “Ready?”

To someone like Gojo Wakana, it might’ve sounded meaningless, but Marin knew exactly what he meant: he was warning her that he was about to activate the powers of the Gura Gura no Mi.

It was their little code—just between the two of them. Gojo couldn’t know.

The thought of going full ahegao in front of Gojo and a bunch of random passersby made Marin’s heart race. She was nervous, embarrassed… but also, just a little bit excited.

"Okay. Let’s do it."

She took a deep breath, then closed her eyes. Her expression turned resolute, like she was bracing herself. Come at me, you beast. That look on her face made Kitahara feel like some kind of depraved warlord.

Shaking off the thought, he focused and activated his tremor power.

Vrrrrrr…

"Ah—!"

No matter how mentally prepared she’d been, some reactions were beyond control.

Her body was far more honest than she was.

The moment Takeru activated the ability, Marin’s mind went completely blank. She couldn’t stop herself from crying out.

All the strength drained from her limbs. She collapsed onto the grey concrete, limp like a puddle of melted wax.

Her long, toned legs clamped tightly together, trembling just slightly.

This girl… just how sensitive is her body?

Takeru glanced down at her, noting how her feet were turned pigeon-toed from tension. He couldn’t help but smirk.

He’d only cranked the tremors to level five because he was afraid she wouldn’t be able to handle more. And even that had her falling apart like this?

Is she... the mythical hypersensitive type?

Dropping to one knee, he called out, “Look this way—at the camera!”

Marin lifted her face obediently.

Flushed cheeks. Hazy eyes. Shaky breaths.

It was the exact look Takeru had been aiming for—a smoldering, flushed-with-desire expression.

Click. Click.

He snapped the shutter again and again, capturing the moment.

"Alright, next—"

Halfway through the sentence, Takeru paused. His eyes darted as he considered something, then he broke into a mischievous grin.

What is he thinking now…?

Marin’s instincts flared—she could feel he was planning something terrible.

Before she could say anything, Takeru turned to Gojo Wakana and called out, “Gojo, can you come over for a sec?”

Gojo blinked, confused, but still walked over obediently.

“Something up, Kitahara-kun?”

“Yeah, squat down here.”

Takeru stood, stepped back a couple of paces, and pointed to the spot he’d just been lying in.

“No, wait—no way! Uh uh—”

Marin instantly realized what Takeru was doing. Even with the level five tremors still rattling through her, she forced her voice out.

But before she could say more, Takeru made one simple move.

He dialed the tremors from level five to level seven.

The intensified vibrations left Marin completely speechless.

She bit down on her lower lip as sweat trickled down the curve of her neck, sliding into the valley between her breasts.

“Kitagawa-san, are you okay?”

Gojo looked at her, clearly worried. Her body swayed as if she might collapse any moment. He instinctively reached out to steady her—but stopped midway, unsure if it would be inappropriate.

Is this… really necessary?

Takeru felt exasperated just watching him.

He’d noticed that a lot of guys tended to place girls they liked on unrealistic pedestals. That led to them acting like cowards in front of them.

But honestly? Most of a girl's “goddess” aura came from your own imagination. The so-called angelic charm or “white moonlight” effect was just desire mixed with insecurity, wrapped in projection.

“She’s probably just overheated,” Takeru said casually, then switched topics. “By the way, Gojo, do you know how to take photos?”

“A little.”

“Perfect. You’re taking this next one.”

Takeru walked behind Marin and placed his hands gently on her shoulders.

The moment his palm touched her bare skin, Marin’s body gave a little shiver.

Seeing her head still bowed, Takeru softly prompted, “Lift your head. Look at the camera.”

“No!”

She kept her head down stubbornly.

She was terrified that if she looked up, she’d see Gojo’s face.

And if that happened, it wouldn’t just be embarrassing—it’d be humiliating on a level that made her want to crawl into a hole and die.

Right now, Marin didn’t have the courage to face him.

Takeru tried coaxing her a few more times. When she still wouldn’t budge, he sighed and leaned down.

“If you don’t lift your head, don’t blame me for dialing this up to ten. And if anything happens, I’m not responsible.”

“Uuuh…”

The warm breath from his words tickled her ear. Marin’s shoulders trembled harder.

Even with her teeth clenched, soft whimpers still escaped her throat.

Her dazed gaze began to blur.

Her brain felt like it was frying.

Her body temperature was already through the roof, but somehow, Kitahara’s hand felt even hotter than hers.

After throwing out the threat, Takeru softened his tone again. “Come on. Be good. Lift your head.”

He gently tilted her chin up with his finger.

This time, Marin didn’t resist. She obediently raised her head.

But her eyes rolled back slightly, staring up at Takeru from underneath.

Since he was behind her, Takeru didn’t see her expression. Instead, he turned to Gojo.

“Alright, Gojo. All yours.”

Gojo stood frozen, speechless.

A boy with one hand resting on a girl’s shoulder, the other lifting her chin. His smile was arrogant, almost devil-may-care.

The girl’s head tilted back ever so slightly, her eyes glazed, lips parted, almost like she was begging for a kiss.

To Gojo, it really felt like he’d just walked in on… something.

Like he had somehow become part of their little play.

“Gojo?”

It wasn’t until Takeru called him again that he snapped out of it. With a complicated expression, Gojo raised the camera—

Click.

—and captured the scene.

---

T/N: hot

This is a fan translation of 不是说只拿我当替身的吗？by 雪碧加冰. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!