Weren’t You Only Using Me As A Stand-in? [73]

Just as he stepped out of the restroom, Kitahara Takeru immediately spotted Hiratsuka Shizuka leaning against the wall, a slender women’s cigarette held between her lips.

Shit!

Takeru cursed inwardly, regret washing over him.

If nothing went wrong, she’d heard that whole conversation.

And what he said just now was completely at odds with the obedient, well-behaved persona he usually showed her.

He didn’t regret warning Umeno Kentarō.

A man could be soft, but he couldn’t always be soft.

Sometimes you had to go hard—just enough to show others you weren’t someone to be messed with.

Of course, if he had the kind of background someone like Kashiwagi Nagisa or Shinomiya Kaguya had, then feel free to ignore that last statement.

“Nee-san.”

Takeru worked hard to suppress the turmoil inside, putting on his usual gentle act.

“Mm~” Shizuka responded softly, taking the half-smoked cigarette from her lips, snuffing it out, and tossing it away.

Ever since the last time she smoked and it made Takeru cough, she rarely lit up around him anymore.

“Let’s go.”

Takeru gave a quiet nod and followed her.

As they walked through the narrow corridor, halfway down, Shizuka suddenly spoke.

“Don’t get the wrong idea. I didn’t follow you on purpose to eavesdrop. I was just worried he might try to mess with you.”

“But now that I’ve seen it for myself... I guess I was overthinking things.” She gave a dry, self-deprecating chuckle.

At first, she really had thought Takeru was a harmless little lamb—someone who needed protecting. But now, after hearing what he’d said in the restroom, maybe all that sweetness and gentleness he showed her was just a facade?

At the very least, he wasn’t nearly as soft as she had assumed.

“Do you hate me now, nee-san?”

Takeru’s eyes dropped, gaze fixed on the wooden floor beneath his feet.

“You stood up for me. Why the hell would I hate you, you idiot?” Shizuka huffed, then smacked him on the head.

“Ow!” Takeru yelped, cradling his head in both hands as he pouted up at her with a wounded look.

“It hurts, nee-san…”

Faced with those wet, puppy-dog eyes of his, Shizuka couldn’t help but avert her gaze.

“Tch... quit faking it. I barely used any strength.”

She just couldn’t resist it—this look of his.

Even knowing he was pretending, she still fell for it.

She was starting to get why men liked green tea girls.

Good-looking, knew how to play vulnerable, could act sweet, high emotional intelligence, and even stood up for you when needed—who wouldn’t like that?

Even someone like her, a woman who prided herself on being tough as a hawk, couldn’t resist this little green tea boy’s charm.

She understood now—it wasn’t that she hated green tea types.

She just hated when they weren’t targeting her.

As the two returned to their seats, Umeno Kentarō came back in right behind them.

After Takeru’s “talk,” he was clearly a lot more subdued—no more antics.

But the way he occasionally shot malicious glances toward Takeru didn’t escape anyone’s notice.

And every time that happened, Takeru would quietly lower his head.

Eventually, even the others began to pick up on it.

“Hey Kentarō, what are you glaring at the kid for?” one of the women finally blurted out, unable to hold it in any longer.

“Me? Glaring? At him?” Umeno sounded almost insulted.

As if he even could bully the kid.

You didn’t see what happened in the restroom...

“Then why the hell are you staring daggers at him?”

“So now looking at someone equals bullying?”

Umeno genuinely thought these women were being ridiculous.

He just glared a little and that’s bullying? But when that kid talked all that crap before dinner, none of them had a thing to say?

“Ever since the meal started, you’ve been going after the poor guy nonstop! What, trying to rekindle things with Shizuka? Think no one can see what you’re doing?”

Umeno’s face darkened with embarrassment. “What kind of nonsense are you spouting?”

Sure, he was trying to get back with Hiratsuka Shizuka—everyone knew it.

But knowing and being called out in public were two very different things.

“Shizuka, don’t listen to them.” He turned toward her, clearly flustered, trying to gauge her reaction.

But all he saw was calm.

Like she’d known this was coming all along.

Could it be… she still...

But this time, Shizuka didn’t even give him the opening to imagine it.

She calmly set down her chopsticks, looked him straight in the eyes, and said—

“Let the past stay in the past.”

Her words were gentle, but her rejection couldn’t have been clearer.

Umeno’s face went pale.

He knew this was his last chance. Gritting his teeth, he dropped to his knees.

“Shizuka, I know I was wrong back then. I’ve changed. Please—just give me one more chance.”

“I know it. You haven’t forgotten me either, right? Why else haven’t you dated anyone all these years?”

Bro.

Are you for real?

Sometimes, Takeru honestly wished he could share a little of his own insecurity with guys like this.

“.....” Shizuka listened quietly to the whole thing before replying after a brief pause:

“Have you ever considered... maybe I just haven’t found someone suitable?”

When a woman says she “hasn’t found someone,” it’s like standing in front of a vending machine. She just hasn’t picked something she wants yet—not that there’s nothing available.

But when a guy says that? Nine times out of ten, it’s because there’s literally no one willing.

When a pretty girl posts that “nobody’s chasing her,” do people actually fall for that and run to confess?

Please. Don’t be that guy.

Umeno puffed up with confidence. “I don’t believe it!”

Shizuka: “......”
Takeru: “......”
Everyone in the room: “......”

Those three little words sent a tidal wave of silence crashing through the private room.

How the hell is someone this confident in themselves?

Takeru wasn’t even surprised, honestly. The world was big—there were all kinds of people out there.

Some people still thought Jiang Ping cheated in the global math competition.

Really? That kind of question could be cheated?

Give them the answer and they still wouldn’t understand it.

And people say reality is stranger than fiction?

Takeru had to admit, Shizuka’s taste in men back then... left a lot to be desired.

She actually dated this guy?

She must’ve been starving.

Unable to watch any longer, he tugged on Shizuka’s sleeve. “Nee-san, let’s go home.”

“Ah, right.” She couldn’t take it anymore either. She stood up. “Anyway, Takeru and I have something to do—we’ll head off first. Let’s catch up another time.”

She’d made up her mind: no matter what, if that ex was going to be there, she wasn’t.

Dating a guy like him was basically the same as having a criminal record—permanent, impossible to wash clean.

Shizuka grabbed Takeru and quickly left the restaurant—one that had now officially made her blacklist.

“Shizuka!”

Umeno came chasing after them.

“Don’t come any closer!”

She finally snapped.

If Umeno Kentarō took even one more step, she swore she’d give him the full force of her punch.

Takeru turned, eyes cold, and made a slicing motion across his neck.

Umeno froze, the image of what happened in the restroom flashing through his mind.

But the moment Shizuka turned around, Takeru instantly slipped back into his good-boy persona.

“Hey, pretty lady, need a ride?”

Just then, a car pulled up in front of them. A whistle sounded from the driver’s side.

The window rolled down, revealing a strikingly beautiful woman with long black hair, flawless features, and radiant skin.

She exuded a kind of pure, refreshing charm, her friendly smile instantly putting people at ease.

Takeru stared at her face.

Why... does she look familiar?

He’d seen something like this before—on A-neesan...?

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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!