Chapter 25: 25: Hello

Even though today wasn't a holiday, and there were no special events happening, the McDonald's inside the Roku-ten Shopping Center in Tokyo was unusually packed with people. "He's so handsome." "Is he an actor or something? Which company does he belong to?" "Wait, look, he's wearing a school uniform. Does anyone know which high school he's from?" Girls wearing different high school uniforms were sneakily glancing at the silver-haired boy sitting by the window, dressed in a clean white shirt. The fading sunlight streaming through the window greedily kissed his fair and handsome face, as if casting a soft glow around him. 'Was I stood up?' thought Takashi as he ate his fries, propping his chin on one hand and tilting his head slightly to gaze at the sky. The clouds, tinted a faint pink by the setting sun, drifted lazily above. The sun gradually sank below the horizon, and one by one, the streetlights began to flicker on, illuminating the city. "So beautiful," Takashi murmured, feeling the need to capture this moment. He reached into his bag and pulled out his camera—a Nikon D610. Click! Aiming at the disappearing sunset, Takashi took several photos. "As expected of me! Maybe I should consider becoming a photographer in the future," he said to himself, admiring the raw images on his camera. After indulging in a bit of self-praise, he put the camera away, finished the remaining fries, grabbed his bag, and got up to leave. 'Come to think of it, this is the first time I've been stood up,' Takashi thought, though he didn't really mind. Today, he hadn't bothered with makeup because he didn't plan on turning Kotonoha into a long-term client. Even though he had no moral qualms about most things, he wouldn't act as a stand-in for someone who already had a boyfriend. No matter what arguments or conflicts she had with her boyfriend, or whether her decision was impulsive, he wouldn't cross that line. It was a matter of principle. "The Wumeng Mountains stretch beyond the mountains, and the moonlight spills over the Xiangshui River! Can anyone tell me..." Just as Takashi was about to push the door open, his phone rang. He pulled it out and saw an unknown number. He was about to hang up when the number suddenly changed to display the name "Kotonoha." It was as if the number had always been saved in his contacts, and the earlier unmarked digits were just a figment of his imagination. This bizarre moment felt like something straight out of a horror movie. In the past, Takashi might have been startled, thrown his phone away, and hidden under his blanket for protection. But now, after experiencing reincarnation and gaining a system, he was no longer the same person. He was now Takashi, the unshakable. 'Damn system, trying to scare me,' he thought, convinced that this was the system's doing. He swore that if he ever got the chance, he'd put on a pair of Chelsea boots and kick the system's ass. As Takashi looked down at his phone, lost in thought, he didn't notice someone pushing the door open from the outside. His hand ended up pressing against the person's neck. From a certain angle, it looked like he was choking them. "Ah!" The soft sensation under his palm and the girl's scream made Takashi realize something was wrong. "What are you doing?!" He looked up to see Shijo Maki glaring at him with fiery eyes. In his hand was a girl with short bobbed hair, her face flushed and her eyes darting around nervously. [Target: Kashiwagi Nagisa] [Age: 16] [Intelligence: 7] [Charm: 8] [Stamina: 3] [From: Kaguya-sama: Love is War] [Partner: Tsubasa Tanuma] [Has a boyfriend. Available for dates.] Enough already, system! (╯‵□′)╯(┻━┻! Stop recommending girls with boyfriends, okay? Takashi felt like his system shouldn't be called the Stand-In System but rather the Homewrecker System or the Cao Cao System. "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention," Takashi quickly moved his hand away, bowing deeply and apologizing sincerely. This was entirely his fault. If the roles were reversed and his friend had been touched by a girl, well... he'd probably tell himself not to make a big deal out of it. "Nagisa, are you okay?" Maki ignored Takashi and turned to Nagisa with concern. "I-I'm fine," Nagisa waved her hand, glancing at Takashi. She unconsciously touched her neck, as if the warmth of his hand still lingered there. 'His hand is so nice,' she thought, her eyes lingering on Takashi's hand. His fingers were sculpted and well-defined, exuding an elegance and strength that was captivating. 'I wonder how it would feel if he actually choked me...' A dangerous thought suddenly popped into Kashiwagi Nagisa's mind. She had a bit of a thing for dominant guys, which was why she'd been so easily won over by a simple wall slam. 'No, no, Nagisa, what are you thinking? You have a boyfriend!' When Nagisa realized the dangerous direction her thoughts were taking, she shook her head vigorously, trying to dispel the idea. Meanwhile, Maki was lecturing Takashi with one hand on her hip. "Grabbing a girl you just met like that—are you some kind of horny dog? Do you want to go to jail? I should report you for sexual harassment!" "You've got a decent face, but you're not doing anything decent with it." "I can't stand this!" "It's because of guys like you that foreigners think people in Tokyo are so flirty." Takashi was using his real appearance, so Maki didn't recognize him as her strategist, emotional confidant, or the stand-in she'd gone on a date with before. In her mind, she was already planning to tell "Takashi" about this incident later. Maki was thinking to herself that she must tell Takashi about this incident when she got back. Recently, whenever Shijo Maki felt upset because Kashiwagi Nagisa and Tsubasa Tanuma were together, she couldn't help but vent to Takashi. Takashi, on the other hand, was more than happy to watch the drama unfold. He always replied instantly, offering all sorts of emotional advice as if it were second nature. He felt like he could be called the emotional mentor for modern women. He could even go back to his home country and make money off of women's insecurities. "Sweetheart, give me your money. I don't trust other guys to treat you right," he joked to himself. ___ 20 Advanced Chapters available on p@ tr eon (.) com/HalflingFics Also, please point out my mistakes in the comment, thank you! Don't forget to leave a review too~ [5 bonus chapter if we reach 10 reviews] Check out the other translations too: [Mash-Up: Anything For Money] ___