Weren’t You Only Using Me As A Stand-in? [75]

[Ding! Temporary Event Triggered: Tokyo Host Night]
[Objective: Within one month, earn 5 million yen.]
[Event Prompt: You may not understand what it means to make 5.78 million in a single month. In general, we only use four words to describe someone like that—Asaba Nanaoya! Back when Chan Daozai could turn 20 bucks into 37 million, Kitahara Takeru pulling off 5.78 million in a month is nothing!]
[Duration: One month starting tonight]
[Location: Angel’s Stairway]
[Rewards: 100,000 points, 1 random stat point, and... an elbow bump]

[Accept?]

“……”

Takeru read through the event silently, stone-faced.

Seriously?

You really think I’m cut out to be a host?

What kind of system are you?

I’m sixteen. SIXTEEN. And you’re encouraging me to be a host? Aren’t you corrupting minors here?

How are you even legal?

You're not a system—you're a menace!

You damn algorithm—you insult me! What kind of man do you think I am? Do I look like the type to sell myself for a few lousy points? I have principles, okay?

Takeru would never sacrifice his dignity for a few points.

This was a matter of principle.

[Current Offer: 300,000 points]

The system upped the ante.

Takeru’s expression twitched—but he still refused. “…No, this really isn’t okay.”

[500,000.]

His breathing grew heavier.

He felt like the heroine in The Devil’s Game—tempted, wavering, fists clenched, nails digging into his palms.

He wanted to say no—but 500,000 points?

That was half a million points.

Do you know how long it would take to grind that out?

If I pass this up, will there ever be another chance?

Fine. Fine. I’ll take it.

Takeru sighed in his heart.

Principles, dignity—those were all flexible concepts anyway.

Shift the line back a little. Lower the bar a bit.

You all get it, right?

He had standards. Just... not that many.

“Hey, where are you going?”

Haruno looked at him with suspicion as he suddenly turned and started walking ahead like he was possessed. She gave his shoulder a sharp smack.

Only then did Takeru snap back to reality.

“Sorry. Got lost in thought.”

“For a second I thought you saw a ghost.”

Haruno rolled her eyes, then headed down the stairs. “C’mon, this is the host club my friend opened.”

The stairwell lights were soft, tinted with an upscale glow. This clearly wasn’t a place a high schooler like Takeru had any business being in.

Trailing behind Haruno, all Takeru had to do was glance down slightly to see her long, slender legs and the way her hips swayed under her short skirt—tight and perky.

Still, I think nee-san’s got more charm.

He’d seen both sisters up close now.

Takeru couldn’t understand—same gorgeous face, but the older sister had a fuller chest, curvier hips, and a more mature aura. So why did Yukino score 9 in Charm while Haruno only had 8?

What, because Yukino’s flatter? Is that supposed to be a runway?

Big deal.

They reached the host club. The automatic doors slid open.

Takeru stepped inside with a mix of excitement, nerves, and curiosity.

He’d walked through Kabukichō many times before, seen plenty of flashy host club ads—but this was the first time he was actually entering one.

The moment he stepped in, he could feel the difference in the floor beneath him.

Plush carpet sank slightly under his feet with each step.

The front lobby had only one or two guests. Takeru didn’t know if it was because the place had just opened or if this was normal for host clubs.

“Miss Yukinoshita, welcome!”

The front desk clerk was surprisingly attractive—though his makeup was a bit much. His heavy bangs gave him a slightly effeminate air.

“Where’s your manager?” Haruno nodded slightly, then asked.

“She’s with a VIP client right now. Shall I call her over?”

“No need. Let her finish. She can come find me after.”

Haruno didn’t want to interrupt her friend mid-business.

She turned to Takeru, who looked like a wide-eyed kid in a candy shop, his gaze darting everywhere.

“First time?”

“Yeah.”

Takeru didn’t feel the need to hide it.

So what if it was his first time? That’s not embarrassing.

“How’s it feel?”

“Hmm… kinda like a bar? No, more like a dance floor?”

They chatted casually as they stepped deeper into the venue.

Unlike the well-lit entrance, the interior was dim and sultry. Colored lights danced over their skin.

In that environment, Takeru felt like even his face looked a notch hotter.

He’d never been to a host club before—but he had been to bars.

Bars were famous for their “lighting filters.”

In the dim glow, anyone could look like a model.

But step outside into daylight, and many of those girls turned out to be painfully average.

It was just like how butcher shops use red lighting to make their meat look fresh. It’s all visual trickery.

Around them were only clients and hosts—no regular staff.

Even the guys pouring drinks were pre-host trainees.

New hosts were often tasked with cleaning the club top to bottom—mirrors, toilets, floors—all spotless, not a single fingerprint allowed. That was the baseline standard.

“Japan’s first host club appeared in 1965,” Haruno explained. “It started out as a big dance hall. Business was failing, so the owner hired a bunch of male dancers and turned the entire floor into a women-only space. It blew up.”

As she spoke, a male attendant stepped forward, bowed politely, and led them without a word to a sleek corner bar seat beside the floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

No “how many in your party” or “smoking or non-smoking?” questions here.

They simply kept a courteous distance of one and a half steps and let the atmosphere do the work.

“You know, Takeru, you actually look like you’d make a pretty good host,” Haruno teased with a grin, casually using his given name.

That was one big difference between her and her sister.

Yukino always had that frozen poker face, never cared how her words made others feel. Cold to everyone by default.

If it weren’t for her family’s clout in Chiba and a few favors from the school board, she probably would’ve been bullied out of existence already.

If she didn’t fix that personality of hers, life would chew her up and spit her out.

Haruno, on the other hand, was great at reading people. She got along with just about everyone. And to Takeru at least, she didn’t seem half bad.

“Really?”

Since Shizuka didn’t actually have a crush on him—only brought him along to ward off her family and show off to others—Takeru hadn’t modeled himself after anyone specific.

Still, he wasn’t about to walk around with his real face, either.

He hadn’t put in much effort: just some circle lenses, eyeliner, false lashes, and undereye makeup—enough to tone down his youthful look.

At this point, his appearance was about 60% his real face.

“If you weren’t Shizuka’s boyfriend, I’d seriously recommend you try it,” Haruno said with a tinge of regret.

Like she thought not becoming a host was a tragic waste of his talents.

Just then, a male server brought over two glasses of ice water.

“I’ve got this friend—a kouhai,” Takeru began, launching into one of his usual fabricated stories. “He’s a little short on cash lately and kinda interested in hosting. Only thing is... he’s still in high school. Not sure how he could even get started.”

Becoming a host meant registering your info and providing legit ID.

Takeru wasn’t a hacker—he couldn’t fake documents.

And while he had connections, most of them were women who absolutely wouldn’t help him get into this line of work.

Which meant—he couldn’t ask anyone for help.

“This friend of yours... isn’t you, is it?” Haruno asked playfully, pointing at a drink on the menu.

Because she was focused on the menu, she missed the flicker of embarrassment on Takeru’s face.

“It really is my friend.”

A made-up friend is still a friend... right?

“Want something to drink? It’s on me.”

Haruno flipped the menu over to him.

“I’ll just have what you’re having.”

Takeru didn’t even look at it.

Haruno waved the host away and crossed her legs. “If he’s still in high school, it’s... probably going to be difficult.”

Takeru heard the probably.

If it were truly impossible, she would’ve said so outright.

“I’ll ask my friend when she gets here.”

Haruno didn’t say yes or no.

Takeru was handsome, sure—but she’d seen plenty of good-looking guys.

People always assume rich kids are spoiled, ugly villains, but in reality? Wealth rarely produces ugly children.

In her eyes, Watanabe Takeru didn’t even come close to the silver-haired boy who had once stunned an entire crowd at Chiba’s Sixth Avenue mall singing “Lemon.”

Honestly, if he wasn’t Shizuka’s boyfriend, he wouldn’t even be qualified to sit beside her.

It might sound cruel—but that’s the reality.

Without luck or connections, ten years of hard work can’t compete with three generations of wealth.

Still, if Takeru ended up marrying into the Hiratsuka family, she didn’t mind maintaining friendly ties.

But that’s as far as it went.

Because as of now, Takeru hadn’t shown any real value. His only asset was the possibility of being Shizuka’s future husband.

And that was far from certain.

Should I help him?

Haruno propped her chin on one hand and began rhythmically tapping her cheek with her finger.

Soon, a male host returned, this time carrying drinks.

“Miss Yukinoshita, if you’re feeling bored, may I lend an ear to your troubles?”

This time, he didn’t leave.

He sat down beside her, wearing the gentlest smile.

Looking at him, Takeru felt like he was seeing a reflection of himself.

Haruno glanced at the host, her eyes cold beneath her smile.

What’s this? A lazy guy looking to score by targeting me now?

She couldn’t tell if he was brave or just delusional.

She wasn’t some glassy-eyed bimbo you could fool with pretty words.

“How do you think you compare to him?” she asked, glancing at Takeru.

The host’s face fell.

Even without his full looks on display, Takeru’s partial disguise was enough to eclipse him.

More than that—it was Takeru’s confidence and scholar’s poise that the host couldn’t mimic.

“I’ve already got him.”

Haruno’s tone was soft, but her words cut deep.

She was just here to drink and kill time.

If her mom found out she was spending money on male hosts, she’d never hear the end of it.

“Would you mind leaving us now?”

“Of course. Just let me know if you need anything,” the host replied, utterly defeated, like a hunter who’d lost his prey.

Before walking away, he shot Takeru a glare—like you ruined my shot.

Why are you glaring at me? Takeru was baffled.

I didn’t say a word.

If you’re so bold, go glare at Yukinoshita instead.

Picking on me? How lame is that?

“So now I’m your human shield?” Takeru asked, mildly exasperated.

“That’s why I bought you a drink,” Haruno replied with a cheerful smile, raising her glass like a peace offering, then downing it in one gulp.

“Next time you treat me, I swear I’m saying no.”

“Forgive me just this once, Watanabe-dono~”

She tugged playfully on his sleeve, practically pouting.

Unlike her younger sister, Haruno knew exactly how to work a man’s heart.

She could advance and retreat as needed.

Takeru just shook his head.

He wasn’t even mad.

Things like this… you get used to.

Life is like a forced dance, isn’t it?

If you can’t resist it—then you might as well enjoy it.

“Miss Yukinoshita, I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” Takeru said, finally voicing what had been bugging him.

“Go ahead.”

“How old is your friend?”

“Twenty-one, I think. Why?”

So the person who opened this host club… was a girl barely in her twenties.

First Cheng Zhu opened QQ Lingerie. Now someone this young opens a host club?

Is this what startup culture looks like now?

“Honestly, I was shocked when I first heard,” Haruno admitted. “But the more I thought about it… it is a business with big potential.”

The top male host in Japan could rake in 350 million yen a year.

A single night at a host club could see bottles sold worth millions.

If Haruno had more free capital, she might’ve invested herself.

She too had a desire—to prove herself.

---

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!