Chapter 91: 91: The Disappearing Dog

Words : 1348 Updated : Oct 3rd, 2025

Opening Chapter 89 of "Mash-Up: I'm Not A Substitute": Sorry for the late update, In exchange I will upload 7 chapters each day starting... Read on for more!

Sorry for the late update, In exchange I will upload 7 chapters each day starting today until 4th May, ___ After finishing the soccer club's morning practice, Kouta Tanaka returned to the classroom and saw Takashi just standing at the door, not going in. Just as he was about to step forward, he heard Shota Otani's wailing from inside the classroom and immediately understood. He deliberately raised his voice and shouted, "Yo, isn't this our superstar? Why are you standing at the door instead of going in?" The whole class turned to look at Takashi. "Superstar, give me an autograph! Oh, and a photo too." "Kitahara-kun, when are you making your debut?" "One vote from me, one vote from you, and Takashi will debut tomorrow." "No matter how bad the song is, if it's Kitahara-kun's, I'll buy the album without hesitation." Everyone started hyping up the idea of Takashi debuting on the spot. "Debut? You guys just want me dead!" A scandal in the morning, a major controversy by noon, an apology in the afternoon, a ban by the evening, depression at midnight, and a fatal accident the next day. If he became a celebrity, to put it mildly, his collection of dark pasts could keep the entire entertainment industry's gossip media fed for years. Not to mention, just the fact that he had played the role of a substitute boyfriend for a group of women was already enough drama for a lifetime. Takashi was covered head to toe in scandals, and his very existence was a joke. He really couldn't afford to be famous. With a bitter smile, Takashi put his hands together in a pleading gesture. "I'm being good, please spare me." Next time something like this happened, he would absolutely refuse to cooperate. His plea for mercy triggered even more laughter from the people around him. Takashi knew that they were just joking and didn't have any bad intentions, so he let them laugh as much as they wanted. He also knew that at most, it would be a short-lived joke. By the time lunch break was over, no one would be bringing it up anymore. After all, Aoba was an elite private school famous for its high university acceptance rates. Every student had a clear goal: to get into top universities like Tokyo University, Kyoto University, Keio, or Waseda. The students of Aoba were all outstanding. If you put them in schools like Fuzusaki, Sakakino Academy, or Sobu High, even if they weren't as good as Utaha or Yukino, they wouldn't be far off. But even for students as excellent as them, getting into their dream university wasn't easy. Unless they were at the top of their class, like Takashi or Narii, who could secure a recommendation for Tokyo University, the rest of the students had to work even harder to achieve their goals. Everyone was busy studying; they simply didn't have the time to pay attention to others. To put it simply, you're not as important to others as you think you are. The world doesn't care about you as much as you imagine. "Takashi, here." After taking a few photos with his classmates, Takashi returned to his seat, and Narii handed him a driver's license. Takashi took it. "That fast?" He had thought it would take a few more days. "Of course. It's just a driver's license. A simple call took care of it." Narii spoke casually, but it only reinforced the gap between them in Takashi's mind. A school was a time-limited utopia. It's only rule was forcing everyone onto the same level. In school, everyone wore the same uniform, had similar hairstyles, ate the same cafeteria food—it created the illusion that everyone was the same. But after graduation, the differences between people would become obvious. For most, those from different worlds would never cross paths again. Takashi stared at the driver's license in his palm and suddenly smiled. "Thanks." Last night's actions were reckless, but the rewards were worth it. He didn't regret it. If he had played it safe, who knew how long it would have taken him, how much time he would have needed, to accumulate five hundred thousand points? During that time, he would also have to ensure that none of those girls lost interest in him or kicked him to the curb. Takashi never gambled on anything that could change. Nor did he put faith in human nature. Call it despicable or shameless—he was going to be the winner in life. "It's nothing. Oh, and if you ever want to enter the entertainment industry, don't sign with any other agencies. I have a relative who owns a talent agency." Narii leaned back in her chair, resting her head on the top rail, and continued, "It's not a big agency, but it has all the necessary resources, and you can name your own terms." Takashi rested his chin on his hand and smirked. "Name my own terms? Then what do I have to pay in return? Do I have to accept the unspoken rules?" He didn't believe in free lunches. Narii chuckled. "Well, I wouldn't say no." Takashi pretended to think it over. "The offer sounds good. Maybe I should seriously consider it." "Really?" Narii immediately leaned in closer. "Just kidding." Takashi flicked her smooth forehead with his finger. "Ow." Narii rubbed the spot where he flicked her. "I've done so much for you. Shouldn't you be falling for me by now? Am I still not good enough?" Narii was starting to feel that Takashi was completely impervious to any kind of advances. Takashi pulled out his phone. "I never asked you to do anything. If you didn't want to, you didn't have to." A true Sigma male never falls into a woman's trap. "What are you looking at?" Narii pouted in dissatisfaction, but she still leaned in closer to peek at Takashi's phone screen. Takashi frowned slightly at the scent of her perfume and grumbled, "Can you give me some privacy? Also, you're blocking my view." "Kendo? Why are you interested in such a dirty and smelly sport?" Narii was baffled when she saw the content on his phone. "Thinking about joining a club for fun." Takashi answered casually. He wasn't exactly lying. He actually did find club activities interesting. At the start of the school year, quite a few clubs had invited him to join. But at that time, Takashi had been broke—barely able to afford food, let alone club activities. Now that he had some money, he could finally consider it. "Why kendo? Join the baseball team instead, Kitahara!" Shota Otani, who had returned to his seat, overheard their conversation and called out, "Let's dominate Koshien together!" "Baseball? Kitahara, join the soccer team instead." At that moment, Kouta Tanaka also ran over to recruit him. "With your speed and stamina, it'd be a shame if you didn't play soccer." Speed? Stamina? Are you mocking me? Takashi thought back to his morning runs. After running for so many days, he had never once beaten Yotsuba. "Our baseball team has made it to Koshien three years in a row. What about your soccer team?" Shota Otani sneered. "Dead last every year." "How many times has the team changed? Have you even made it to the National Stadium?" "Just a different coat of paint." "How bad is Aoba's soccer team now? You're playing winger—can you even play?" "If this keeps up, you'll be losing to Sakakino. Then to Fuzusaki. I wonder which school you'll lose to next." Takashi felt like he had heard this argument somewhere before. ___ 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~ Check out the other translations too ___

Chapter 91: 91: The Disappearing Dog

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