Chapter 57: 57: Boys? (2)

Words : 1493 Updated : Sep 29th, 2025

Chapter 57 of "Mash-Up: I'm Not A Substitute" unveils a new twist: "Takashi, your doll-making skills are terrible." Coming out of a toy store, Maki laughed as she... See what happens!

"Takashi, your doll-making skills are terrible." Coming out of a toy store, Maki laughed as she held up the ugly little doll Takashi had made. "That's impossible! I was great at sculpting with clay back in kindergarten. It must be the poor-quality materials this shop provided!" Takashi immediately shifted the blame. "Sure, sure. Cheap stuff is always to blame." Maki rolled her eyes. "Come on, just admit your skills are awful." As they teased each other and stepped out of the alley, a black rental car pulled up in front of them with a low, purring engine. The hood bore a gold emblem in the shape of a flying fish, polished to a mirror shine without a single speck of dust. The back windows were tinted with reflective film, making it impossible to see inside. A well-dressed young man, about twenty-five or twenty-six, stepped out from the driver's seat. "Miss Maki, it's time to return home." He first gave Takashi a polite nod, then turned to Maki. Her laughter instantly faded, and an air of authority and coldness settled over her. Her expression turned frosty as she responded, "Understood." Then, she turned to Takashi with a rare look of apology. "Takashi, I have to go." "It's getting late anyway." Takashi glanced up and realized the sky had turned a deep crimson. "By the way, did you have fun today?" Maki's lips curled into a small, genuine smile, though she tried to play it cool. "It was... okay. Not bad." That meant she had a great time. Having spent enough time with a tsundere, Takashi could translate their words fluently. "Ordinary life is more interesting than I thought." Takashi simply smiled. "Is that so?" He didn't take her words seriously. She found it fun only because she was a sheltered heiress experiencing something novel. If she truly had to live an ordinary life, she wouldn't last half a year. A freshwater fish cannot survive in the ocean. "I'll come find you next time." Maki said softly, bending down to take a seat in the back of the car. After she got in, the man gently closed the rear door. Maki rolled down the window and waved at Takashi. "Goodbye." Takashi tore off a piece of bread and stuffed it into his mouth. Just as he was about to wave back, a thought suddenly struck him. He hesitated for a moment but ultimately couldn't hold back. "Maki, are you really not going to give me Nagisa's number?" He still wanted to try. Maki was stunned, her small lips slightly parted. She was about to say something, but in the end, she swallowed her words and changed course. "I'll send it to you on Line later." This time, it was Takashi who was caught off guard. He hadn't expected her to actually give it to him. She didn't even ask why. "Thank you." This time, Takashi spoke with genuine sincerity. This 'thank you' was heartfelt. "Aren't we friends?" Maki brushed a strand of wind-blown hair behind her ear, unusually frank. She didn't understand why Takashi was so fixated on getting her best friend's number. But since he didn't want to say anything, she wouldn't pry. Takashi felt a heaviness in his chest and responded with a quiet "Mm." "I'm leaving." "Goodbye." The driver started the low-noise engine, smoothly pulling the car onto the long, straight road until it finally disappeared around a corner. Takashi stood in place for a long time. Until a system notification rang— [Order completed, calculating rewards.] [Player has received: 5000 points.] [Date count: Shijo Maki · Two times] Only then did he move his legs and head toward the station. It was time for the next date. Inside the car, the driver spoke up. "Miss Maki, I think it would be best to investigate him before further contact." Maki rested her chin on her palm, her voice cold. "Are you teaching me how to do things?" "I wouldn't dare!" Maki shifted her gaze to the seat beside her. Two dolls, one male and one female, were neatly placed together. The corners of her lips curled into a barely noticeable smile as she tore off another piece of bread and put it in her mouth. Immediately, she frowned. She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but the taste didn't seem as good as before. ... At Toyonozaki Private Academy, inside an unused classroom, a glasses-wearing young man was standing at the podium, passionately talking about his game project. "The setting is a small southern island about an hour's flight from Tokyo..." "Due to depopulation, the island's school decides to merge with a prestigious all-girls academy from the mainland..." "The story begins when the protagonist cross-dresses and enrolls in the girls' school. Oh, and of course, there has to be a queen from the Moon staying at his house." The after-school classroom was bathed in the crimson glow of the setting sun, painting it both warm and desolate. Outside the window, the shouts of sports club members filled the air with energy. Even on holidays, Japanese high school clubs—especially sports clubs—continued their activities. Most schools remained open even on breaks. "I'm going home." Eriri was tired of listening and picked up her bag to leave. "Wait, Eriri, I haven't finished yet!" The young man at the podium quickly stepped down and blocked her path. "I wasted over thirty minutes of my time listening to you yell about your absurd fantasy in the classroom. I must be a complete idiot. My time was utterly wasted." Eriri crossed her arms and stared at her childhood friend, her tone laced with irritation. "You should just stick to being a consumer otaku like always. You have no particular talents, yet you suddenly want to make a game? Do you think the industry is that simple?" "Do you really think you can just gather a few people and make a game that'll sell? People like you are called amateur speculators." "You're the kind of person you despise the most, do you realize that?" Her words were sharp as always. Every single sentence struck Aki Tomoya right in the heart. "What kind of nonsense is that?! I have passion!" "Twice the motivation of anyone else! In other words, without me, this project wouldn't even exist, let alone be completed!" Aki Tomoya shot back. "Then that just means you're completely useless, doesn't it?" "Hey! Say what you want, but don't throw away my project plan! I spent a whole night writing that!" "You only wrote the title, date, and 'Doujin Bishoujo Game Project (Tentative).' How could that possibly take an entire night?" "I slept for eleven hours, so there wasn't much usable time left." As the argument dragged on with no end in sight, Utaha checked the time, closed her notebook, and spoke calmly. "I'm leaving first." "Wait, Senpai! Why are you leaving too?!" Aki Tomoya momentarily forgot his quarrel with Eriri and let out a wail. "I actually have something to do today," Utaha replied truthfully. She had an appointment with Takashi. He was going to accompany her for some research. And, of course, she was also giving him a new phone. That way, he wouldn't keep disappearing due to lack of signal. "Is it for your new book? What's the theme this time? Still a youthful school romance?" Aki Tomoya asked with renewed enthusiasm. "I haven't decided yet, so I need to look for inspiration," Utaha admitted without hesitation. "Do you need me to come with you? I also need to find inspiration for my game, and you could give me some advice." Aki Tomoya's enthusiasm was evident. "Not today! I already have plans with someone else!" Utaha's tone carried a hint of regret. If she had known, she wouldn't have bothered Takashi. Making him come all the way from Tokyo—it must be exhausting for him. "Was it that guy who was with Senpai at the bookstore last week?" At that moment, a girl who had remained silent and almost nonexistent in presence finally spoke. Utaha turned to her in surprise, her eyes seeming to ask: How did you know? "That day, I happened to be at the bookstore buying study materials. I saw someone who looked a lot like Aki browsing books with you," Kato Megumi explained. "A guy?" "Looked a lot like Aki?!" Aki Tomoya and Eriri froze at the same time, then blurted out in unison. ___ 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] ___

Chapter 57: 57: Boys? (2)

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