Weren’t You Only Using Me As A Stand-in? [112]

Eriri’s outburst had been loud enough to draw the attention of nearly everyone at the gathering.

Sawamura Sayuri approached with graceful strides, her tone carrying a rare trace of sternness:

“Eriri, that was very impolite.”

Compared to the Yukinoshita family’s elite, high-pressure approach to raising their daughters, the Sawamuras were the epitome of indulgence. Where one side enforced rigid expectations, the other embraced the ideals of happy education.

Just looking at their choices of high school made it obvious: the Yukinoshitas went the private, prestigious route, while the Sawamuras were content with public school.

To Eriri’s parents, as long as their daughter grew up healthy, that was enough.

If they had raised her like Yukinoshita’s mother raised Yukino, then someone like Aki Tomoya could have worked himself to death and still never qualified to stand in front of her.

The finish line of his life’s effort wouldn’t even match the starting line Eriri had been born into.

Normally, even if Eriri screamed her head off at home, Sayuri wouldn’t say a word.

But today was different. There were too many important guests. The Sawamuras were a well-known, well-connected family in Chiba. No matter how much she doted on her daughter, Sayuri wouldn’t allow her to bring shame to the family.

Family reputation mattered deeply in Japanese society.

The Sawamuras didn’t expect much from Eriri. All they asked was that she look the part in public.

If Yukinoshita Yukino’s mother were more like Sayuri, she might’ve laughed herself awake from happiness in her dreams.

“…I’m sorry, Mom.”

The moment Eriri saw her mother, she wilted like a salted cucumber. Her head drooped, meek and apologetic—completely different from the haughty firebrand she was around Kitahara Takeru.

She could joke around with her mom at home, but throwing a tantrum at an event like this? Sayuri wouldn’t tolerate it.

Sayuri lowered her voice. “What happened?”

She knew her daughter better than anyone.

Something must have happened—otherwise, Eriri would never lose her composure like this.

“…Can I not talk about it?”

Eriri didn’t want to say.

What, tell her mother that she’d fallen for a stand-in—and then got cheated on?

That’d be way too humiliating.

Sayuri said nothing. She simply stared at Eriri without blinking.

Under that gaze, Eriri nearly caved.

Sayuri sighed. She gently lifted her hand and smoothed Eriri’s bangs, tousled by the evening breeze. Her voice softened.

“If something’s wrong, you have to tell me.”

If she really wanted to know, there were endless ways to find out.

But just like the parenting style she’d always believed in, Sayuri didn’t want to force it out of her.

“…Mm.”

Eriri lifted her head to look up at her mother, who had transformed back into her usual kind, gentle self. Her nose tingled. She felt like crying.

She wanted to throw herself into her mom’s arms and spill everything—how Watanabe Takeru had secretly been with Shijō Maki.

But she held back.

Because everything she knew had come from Kashiwagi Nagisa’s mouth.

There was no proof it was true.

As far as Eriri was concerned, Takeru would never betray her.

Sayuri offered a few more words of comfort before leaving to clean up her daughter’s mess.

“Miss Kashiwagi, could you—”

“Shh!”

Eriri had wanted Nagisa to call Shijō Maki so she could confront her directly.

But before she could finish, Nagisa gently pressed a finger to her lips, smiling sweetly as she answered her phone.

“Hello, darling~ What’s up?”

“Kashiwagi Nagisa, what the hell are you doing?!”

From the other end came Kitahara Takeru’s voice, barely holding back his rage.

“I’m sorry, darling. I was wrong.”

Nagisa apologized instantly.

“If you’re still mad… next time, how about you tie me up with rope, press me down by the throat, and whip me real good?”

Kitahara felt like he’d just punched a pillow—soft and infuriatingly ineffective.

“…What the hell is wrong with you?”

Eriri, listening from the side, turned bright red.

T-This… Is this even something I should be hearing?

What kind of insane relationship do they even have?!

“Miss Sawamura, you were saying something earlier?”

Nagisa turned to her, all innocent curiosity, as if she’d just noticed her for the first time.

“…Nothing!”

Eriri blurted out the words, face flushed, and ran away in embarrassment.

Nagisa watched her leave, smiling as she muttered into the phone:
“Darling, this rival of mine is pretty weak, huh?”

Someone like Eriri—so emotionally fragile—was easy prey.

One little push, and she scattered like leaves in the wind.

She waited a moment, but Kitahara didn’t say anything.

“…Darling?”

“She’s still nearby. Don’t talk to me.”

“…You’re really such a coward.”

Nagisa let out a delighted giggle.

This man, who dared deceive the heiress of the Shijō family, was now scared out of his wits?

I thought he had more guts than this.

“She’s gone.”

Kitahara finally exhaled in relief—only for Nagisa’s next words to nearly give him a heart attack.

“Though I think she’s headed to find Maki.”

“Why would she look for Maki?”

The tension shot straight back into his chest.

“Probably to ask if she knows someone named Watanabe Takeru.”

“…What?!”

Kitahara felt like the sky was falling.

The thing he feared most… had happened.

“Did you tell her who I am?!”

Nagisa put on her best innocent voice.

“Nooo~ I just told her that Shijō Maki’s boyfriend is named Watanabe Takeru!”

“That’s the same thing!”

If they weren’t on the phone, Kitahara would’ve smacked her with his elbow right then and there.

Nagisa giggled. “Why are you so worried? The girls that Watanabe Takeru has dated—what do they have to do with Kitahara Takeru?”

“…We’re the same person! You’re doing this on purpose!”

“Yup. I am doing it on purpose.”

Her voice was playful at first, but in the next second it turned ice-cold.

“Kitahara Takeru, tell me—how many calls and messages have I sent you since yesterday?”

“…I’ve just been busy.”

“Busy? You had time to reply to Maki, but not me?”

Her voice cracked with frustration.

“Kitahara Takeru, do you really think that if someone doesn’t get angry, you can just treat them like a fool?”

The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she felt.

Oh, so you have time to date Yukinoshita Yukino and fawn over Adagaki Aki, but not enough time to answer her?

They were all rich, beautiful women. What, was she not good enough?

“Fine, fine. Next time I see your message, I’ll reply. Happy now?”

Kitahara didn’t want to argue anymore.

Knowing Eriri, she was probably blowing up his phone already.

---

“The number you dialed is currently on another call…”

Just as Kitahara predicted, Eriri was frantically dialing his number again and again while searching for Shijō Maki.

Could it really be true? Was he actually with her?

The more she failed to get through, the more anxious and suspicious she became.

Takeru… was everything you did—

Was everything you said, all that affection… just an act?

The night wind tossed her golden hair and scattered her thoughts.

But what it couldn’t scatter… was the ache now growing in her chest.

---

T/N: tears in my eyes bro is stuck with Nagisa :sob: he can't do anything about it thats the worst part

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!