Weren’t You Only Using Me As A Stand-in? [95]

Kashiwagi Nagisa’s voice was like a pair of gentle hands, slowly, softly brushing through Kitahara Takeru’s hair.

Warm breath from her lips teased the boy’s ear.

Inside the movie theater, the girl wrapped her arms around him from behind. No matter how you looked at it, this scene felt straight out of a shoujo manga.

Anyone seeing this without context would probably think—How sweet~

But what if I told you that the girl holding him was someone else’s girlfriend, and said boyfriend was sitting not far from them? Would it still seem sweet then?

As soon as Kashiwagi Nagisa’s voice came from behind, the back of Kitahara Takeru’s shirt was instantly soaked with sweat.

I seriously messed up!

Kitahara had to admit—he’d been naive.

He thought that after his persuasion, Kashiwagi Nagisa might come to her senses.

But he’d underestimated her.

This woman, Kashiwagi Nagisa, wasn’t someone who cared about others' feelings. She was the type who’d hire a private investigator just because she had a vague interest in someone. If you showed even a hint of resistance, she'd threaten you. And once she had her eyes on something, she'd take it, no matter what.

And yet, he’d actually thought he could convince her with just a few words?

What was I thinking?

What… what is the relationship between these four people?!

With just one sentence, Kashiwagi Nagisa fried Iino Miko’s mental CPU.

What do you mean by, “Egged Maki on to seduce my boyfriend”?

So wait—that guy’s your boyfriend?

Then why didn’t you seem even a little upset about him being seduced?

At first, Iino Miko thought the four of them were just friends—Shijō Maki had a crush on a guy named Tanuma.

But now? That clearly wasn’t the case.

Their relationships were far messier than she’d imagined.

She was just a middle schooler—could someone from high school please come explain this mess to her?

Wait—is this one of those “Partner-Swap Situations” I heard about?!

At the thought of that possibility, Iino Miko’s pupils curled like trembling earthworms, her soft little face flushed as red as a ripe apple in her hands.

Japanese high school girls were known for being precocious.

No—actually, that wasn’t quite right.

These days, all kids matured fast.

Some kids were already “doing it” by middle school, while adults were still dancing to hand signs and playing “Napkin Promise.”

Don’t be fooled by her young age—yes, Iino Miko had always been a disciplinary committee member, but as everyone knows, those positions had the worst track records in Japan.

She was only fifteen, but deep in her adolescent awakening.

A fun fact: girls are actually hornier than boys.

If you think a girl isn’t pervy, it just means she’s not into you.

At this stage, mention an arm and she’d think of thighs. Say “overnight” and she’d think sex. Say “threesome,” and she’d picture a 3P.

“You went to the bathroom, didn’t you?”

“I did. Am I not allowed to come back?”

“Your seat was in the back?”

“No. I bought the seats in the back just for you, Kitahara-kun.”

Kitahara Takeru kept his expression calm as he replied, resting his hand casually on Nagisa’s arm.

Her skin was pale, soft, with graceful contours—like drifting willow fluff, the embodiment of youthful feminine charm.

Because she was so close, he could smell a faint fragrance—he wasn’t sure if it was coming from her skin or her arm.

Girls really are made of water.

“Don’t move, Kitahara-kun.”

Nagisa saw right through him.

She leaned in slightly and bit down lightly on his ear, like she was tasting a delicate dessert. Her lips brushed against him, teeth grazing gently, breath warm as she whispered, “If you dare press harder… I’ll moan.”

Kitahara’s hand froze mid-movement—but he didn’t withdraw it.

It wasn’t about taking advantage. He was trying to judge whether Nagisa was bluffing.

“If Maki saw us like this… what do you think she’d do? Aren’t you afraid she’d be disappointed in you?”

If Nagisa really liked Shijō Maki, she definitely wouldn’t risk making a scene.

But the thing Kitahara wasn’t sure of was—did she actually like Maki?

Caught off guard by his question, Nagisa paused briefly. But then her smile deepened, gaining a layered undertone.

“Looks like Kitahara-kun did some investigating of his own? I suppose this really is a two-way pursuit then… fufufu...”

Two-way pursuit, my ass.

Who wants to pursue you back?

Kitahara didn’t want to see this woman at all—he’d rather stay miles away.

“If Maki really did see us like this, she’d probably be happy.”

“Because then she’d have an excuse to go after Tanuma-kun herself, right? Isn’t that exactly what you wanted, Kitahara-kun?”

“You’ve been scheming all this time to break me and Tanuma-kun up, haven’t you?”

Kitahara was momentarily speechless.

She… kind of had a point.

How was he supposed to argue with that?

“Kitahara-kun, you really are a hypocrite. You say Tanuma-kun is a good guy, that I shouldn’t let him down. But at the same time, you’re secretly pushing little Maki to chase her true love. Only saying what suits you, huh?”

Listening to her, even Kitahara started to feel a bit guilty.

Because, well… he did say all that.

Nagisa chuckled softly. “But I don’t mind.”

Her slender fingers traced from the space between his brows, down the slope of his nose, past his unconsciously pursed lips, stopping only at his slightly protruding Adam’s apple.

“That’s exactly the kind of person I like—hypocritical, selfish, cold, and arrogant… Kitahara-kun.”

Why is it all negative traits?

Don’t I have any good points at all?

I mean, at least I’ve got a decent face and I’m top of my class, right?

“Kitahara-kun, did you know?”

“Scent plays a huge role in romantic attraction.”

“There’s a special structure in the human nose that can detect certain physiological cues, like the pheromones someone emits.”

“The first time I met you, I thought—you smell so good. I just wanted to get closer and closer.”

“How to describe it… It’s not like any perfume. But it has this addictive pull, something that makes me feel safe. And I’m sure it’s not some artificial fragrance.”

“I think… maybe it’s my genes choosing you.”

As she spoke, Nagisa leaned in and buried her face in Kitahara’s neck, her nose twitching as she breathed him in—like a cat rolling in catnip, pure bliss written across her face.

…Is this for real?

Iino Miko had heard every word. She didn’t know what came over her, but she leaned in too… and sniffed Kitahara’s fingers.

Huh?

There really was a smell?

Wait—why did he smell so good?

The more she sniffed, the more intoxicated she felt. Her brain buzzed with envy, excitement, and delight.

Could it be… my genes chose him too?!

Iino Miko was shaken to her core.

But her tiny nose was moving like a drug-sniffing dog, nonstop.

Kitahara Takeru: “.?”

Kashiwagi Nagisa: “.......”

The two of them stared in stunned silence as Iino Miko followed Kitahara’s fingers upward… sniffing all the way.

Was this girl always this forward?

---

T/N: hmmm

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!