Didn’t You Say I Was Just a Stand-In?

Nakano Yotsuba helped Kitahara Takashi sit down on a park bench and asked with concern, "Are you okay?"

Kitahara Takashi glanced down at his foot. Fortunately, there was no noticeable swelling.

He twisted it slightly—ouch, it hurt a bit, but not as much as he had expected.

Kitahara concluded, "It's probably just a mild sprain. Nothing serious."

"That's good to hear."

Nakano Yotsuba patted her chest, her ample bosom heaving—her "combat power" was truly not to be underestimated.

At least a D-cup!

'Do high school girls these days develop so well?'

Among the girls Kitahara knew, Nakano Yotsuba could easily rank in the top three.

Kitahara wasn't particularly fixated on size.

He thought something like a B or C cup was just fine. Anything larger might lose its aesthetic appeal due to sagging.

Kitahara shifted his gaze from her chest to her face.

He had been following her from behind earlier and hadn't been able to see what she looked like.

Only now did he finally get a clear view of her features.

The girl had a high-spirited, youthful face—rosy cheeks, fair skin, and clear, childlike eyes. Her face was full of collagen, radiating energy and vitality.

Her glossy hair reached her shoulders.

Having just finished exercising, her face still bore a lively blush, making her look incredibly cute.

"Is this your dog? So adorable."

While Kitahara was observing Nakano Yotsuba, she was squatting on the ground, curiously staring eye-to-eye with the little dog, Koharu.

Kitahara couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of the girl and the dog locked in a mutual gaze.

"You can pet him if you want."

"Really?"

Nakano Yotsuba turned her head in delight.

Koharu extended his paw and placed it on Nakano Yotsuba's head, giving her a little pat.

Nakano Yotsuba: "..."

"Ha ha ha ha ha!"

Kitahara burst into laughter, completely losing his composure.

"Heh heh heh."

Nakano Yotsuba wasn't angry either. She scratched her head and then laughed along, carefree and unrestrained.

Her laughter sounded a bit like a Gengar's.

Koharu tilted his head, confused about what this big fool was laughing at.

Kitahara patted his leg, and Koharu immediately jumped up, settling on his lap.

Nakano Yotsuba's eyes sparkled. "Wow, he's so smart!"

"Smart, yes, but also stubborn. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been abandoned." Kitahara ruffled the dog's head.

First of all, Border Collies are highly intelligent but have poor obedience.

They know what they should and shouldn't do, but they just don't listen.

Plus, they tend to pick fights with other dogs, are overly proud, and require a lot of time and effort from their owners to train properly.

Lastly, as herding dogs, Border Collies have an abundance of energy and need a lot of exercise. If you can't meet their exercise needs, they'll start destroying the house.

"Woof woof!"

Koharu seemed to understand that Kitahara was bad-mouthing him and let out two dissatisfied barks.

Kitahara glared at him. "Keep barking, and I'll send you back to the shelter. Believe me?"

At the mention of the word "shelter," Koharu's face immediately softened, and he wagged his tail ingratiatingly.

Nakano Yotsuba, who was stroking Koharu's soft fur, looked up in surprise. "Was he abandoned?"

"Yeah, I found him on the way to the shelter."

"That day was also the day he was scheduled to be euthanized."

Shelters in Japan regularly euthanize stray cats and dogs, which is why you rarely see them on the streets.

Kitahara felt that the pain in his foot had subsided a bit. He patted Koharu's head. "Let's go. I'll walk with you for a bit."

Koharu jumped down from the bench, and Kitahara led him along while speaking to Nakano Yotsuba. "If you ever want to get a dog, you should check out the shelter first."

Nakano Yotsuba pouted, her bunny-eared bow drooping along with her mood. "My dad would never let me have a dog. Plus, Nino and Miku aren't really fond of dogs either."

Kitahara probed cautiously, "You have siblings?"

"Yeah, I have four sisters. We're quintuplets!" Nakano Yotsuba puffed out her chest proudly.

Kitahara: "!!!"

No way!

A golden legend?

He could smell the scent of money.

For a moment, the way Kitahara looked at Nakano Yotsuba changed completely.

He had finally caught a wealthy one.

Kitahara didn't immediately press her about her family background.

Showing too much interest right away would make people wary—that was Kitahara's experience.

'Stay calm, don't mess this up. Can't scare off the golden goose.'

Kitahara started actively sharing some of Koharu's embarrassing antics, keeping Nakano Yotsuba laughing nonstop.

Of course, he also subtly probed from various angles, asking about her family situation—like what school she went to, what she did in her free time, whether she followed any celebrities.

Under Kitahara's skillful guidance, the two of them chatted all the way to the entrance of Nakano Yotsuba's apartment building.

It wasn't until they were near her doorstep that Nakano Yotsuba realized, "Oh, I'm home."

Kitahara looked up at the upscale residential area before him. The corner of his lips twitched upward briefly before he put on a regretful expression. "We're here already? Time flies."

"Yeah."

Nakano Yotsuba also felt like the conversation had ended too soon.

"Yotsuba, do you usually go for a morning run around this time?"

"Not really. It's just that something happened recently, and I've been having trouble sleeping because of the stress."

"I see. Guess we won't run into each other again then. What a shame."

Kitahara Takashi lowered his gaze, feigning disappointment, and gave Koharu a meaningful look.

Koharu instantly understood.

He began pawing at Yotsuba incessantly, whining softly, his doggy face filled with reluctance.

Yotsuba was momentarily flustered.

Kitahara started putting on an act. He pretended to be 'stern' and scolded, "Koharu, behave!"

Koharu barked back at Kitahara, "Woof! Woof!" as if talking back to him.

"I'll smack you!"

Kitahara raised his hand, pretending to hit him, but Yotsuba quickly intervened, "Don't hit him! Let's talk this out calmly."

Kitahara followed her lead, lowering his hand and sighing with a wry smile, shaking his head slightly. "You really have quite the charm. Koharu's already so attached to you after just one day."

"Heh heh heh."

Nakano Yotsuba couldn't help but feel a little smug.

"How about this? From now on, just let me know when you two go for your morning runs, and I'll join you."

Kitahara and Koharu exchanged a glance, their eyes revealing a shared 'mission accomplished' look.

But Kitahara played it cool, saying, "Wouldn't that be too much trouble for you?"

"Not at all! I really like Koharu, and I think you're pretty interesting too, Kitahara."

Aside from liking him, Yotsuba also found Kitahara handsome, amusing, and easy to talk to. She genuinely enjoyed chatting with him.

"Let's exchange Line IDs. I'll message you when I go for my morning runs."

"Sure."

The two exchanged contact information, and Kitahara waved with a smile, watching as Nakano Yotsuba walked into her apartment building.

Once Yotsuba was out of sight, Kitahara crouched down and patted Koharu's head. "Good job. I'll open a can of food for you when we get back."

"Woof!"