Mash-Up: I'm Not A Substitute

"I like them too! Especially Kongming—he…"

With Takashi showing interest in her passion, Miku suddenly lit up like an orphan finding their long-lost family. 

She started chatting excitedly about the Three Kingdoms.

And that was exactly what Takashi had planned.

He had been guiding the conversation toward that topic all along.

In terms of academic performance, Takashi definitely had a broader knowledge base than Miku.

But when it came to the finer details of Japanese warlords? He might not know more than she did.

Why? Because Miku talked about things that weren't on the exams.

And if it wasn't tested—why waste time memorizing it?

Japan's history, to be blunt, wasn't all that vast. Take the so-called "battle that split the nation"—the Battle of Sekigahara.

Yes, it was the largest battle of the Sengoku era, with over 100,000 troops mobilized on both sides. 

Calling it a "village brawl" might be a bit much, but compared to the massive historical wars in China, it was still relatively small-scale.

Takashi had studied Japanese Sengoku history once—for a school assignment.

He discovered that during the early Sengoku period, when power struggles were intense, even a group of ten people and seven or eight spears could qualify as a "warlord's force."

Even Oda Nobunaga's famous Battle of Inō involved just a few hundred men under his command.

He had no real interest in that.

Because he didn't care, he didn't bring it up. Instead, he steered the conversation toward the Three Kingdoms.

He didn't pretend to know what he didn't know—it would just make him look dumb.

Besides, with just Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he could talk with Miku for hours.

Once they got more familiar, they wouldn't need special topics like this anymore.

His conversations with Miku weren't about the content—they were just a way to move their relationship forward.

It was like dating at a movie theater. You're not there to watch the film—you're there to get closer.

While Takashi and Miku were chatting, in a dark alley nearby, a paparazzi quietly raised his camera.

Click!

Click!

He'd been tailing Takashi since last night.

Right now, Takashi was practically an algorithm cheat code. Post about him, and the traffic would come.

This reporter was betting everything on Takashi making him go viral.

…

Meanwhile, at the Shinomiya residence in Tokyo—

"Kaguya-sama, your breakfast is ready."

Hayasaka Ai quietly placed the dishes in front of Kaguya and stood expressionlessly behind her.

"Hayasaka… Is it just me, or are you not in a good mood today?"

Kaguya gave her a sidelong glance.

Hayasaka had set the utensils down with a bit more force than usual.

It was subtle, something most people wouldn't notice—but Kaguya, who had grown up with Hayasaka, noticed immediately.

"I'm fine," Hayasaka said stiffly.

Kaguya paused, then stared straight at her. "Liar."

"..."

Hayasaka stood still, lips pressed tightly shut.

Yes, she was lying.

She really was in a bad mood today.

Because yesterday afternoon, she had seen a video of Takashi loudly confessing to Kaguya.

Even though Takashi had explained it immediately afterward.

He'd told her how the Shinomiya family had their eyes on him, and how he had no choice—she understood all of it.

But that didn't stop her from feeling upset.

She hated Shinomiya Gan'an.

It was one thing to go after the Konoe family—but why drag Takashi into it?

He was an orphan, alone in Tokyo, struggling just to survive. Wasn't that already pitiful enough?

Now he had to be turned into a pawn in the power games of the elite.

Hayasaka didn't even want to imagine how much pain and helplessness that innocent boy must have felt, being drowned in online hate.

She'd heard people were throwing rotten eggs and vegetables at him.

He was only sixteen.

No one knew how much it broke her heart to see Takashi booed by the entire stadium yesterday.

If she could, she would've flown over just to be by his side. 

(Hitomi: No need—I already comforted him.)

What did he do wrong?

He just wanted a better life.

Is that so wrong?

Shinomiya Gan'an—touching scene, my ass. You only contributed two things!

The first character and the third!

Every time she thought of it, Hayasaka's resolve to leave the Shinomiya house as soon as possible became stronger.

And because of that, she started to resent Kaguya herself.

Hayasaka knew she shouldn't—but emotions aren't always controllable.

No matter how hard she tried to separate Kaguya and the Shinomiya family in her mind, one truth remained: Kaguya still shared Shinomiya Gan'an's blood.

Was it really possible to separate her from the Shinomiya clan?

"Hayasaka, you're the one I trust the most. If there's something wrong between us, I hope you'll tell me."

Kaguya looked at her calmly and sincerely.

Moved by that gaze, Hayasaka pulled out her phone and showed her the video she had watched dozens of times the night before.

"…Kaguya-sama, please look at this."

Kaguya watched the video carefully, then asked in confusion, "You're upset… over something this trivial?"

"T-T-T-Trivial?!"

Hayasaka's long eyelashes trembled. She looked heartbroken.

She couldn't believe Kaguya had said that.

"Isn't it?" Kaguya asked in return.

"Speaking recklessly comes with a price."

"This is just to teach him a lesson—to show him what it means to mock someone of Shinomiya blood."

Kaguya didn't see anything wrong with that.

Anyone who offended her never ended well.

This was about preserving not just her dignity, but the face of the entire Shinomiya family.

Honestly, she thought this punishment had been relatively light.

"..."

Hayasaka said nothing. No one could tell what she was thinking.

"Haven't we always handled things like this before?"

Kaguya tilted her head slightly.

"You've done the same in the past, haven't you?"

When Hayasaka Ai heard that, she was stunned.

It was true.

She'd done things like that many times before.

There were always people dumb enough to offend Kaguya. And often, before Kaguya even said a word, Hayasaka would've already "taken care" of them.

So why was it that something which had once felt so natural to her… now felt so repulsive?

"Hayasaka, you've changed."

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I really didn't know but… is Hayasaka this easy to woo??

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