Hakuto steadied Yumi, who had collapsed against his back, then crouched down to examine the injury on her lower leg.
"It's not a fracture, just a minor scrape. A simple bandage should do."
"Th-thank you."
"If you're thanking me for saving your life, just saying 'thank you' isn't enough."
As he spoke, Hakuto slowly stood up and glanced toward the spot where Nao was hiding.
He had expected her to give him some kind of signal or gesture to convey information, but she was still diligently recording everything with her camera.
"The school infirmary can take care of your leg. Have your friend help you over."
"You're not coming?"
"What would I go for? If it's just helping you walk, your friend can—"
Halfway through his sentence, Hakuto realized something—where was her friend? The red-haired girl from earlier had already disappeared without a trace.
"Where's your friend?"
Hearing this, Yumi instinctively looked around, only to find that her companion had vanished at some point.
"Huh? Where did Mishima go?"
Seeing the situation, Hakuto couldn't help but sigh.
"Forget it… I'll help you."
"Thank you… I haven't asked your name yet."
"We partly share a surname. I'm Shiratori Hakuto."
"Actually, my last name is Shirayanagi…"
After Hakuto left, Otosaka Yuu remained standing where he was, staring at the truck that had crashed into the wall. A wave of regret washed over him.
"Damn it! What the hell have I done?!"
Unbeknownst to him, Nao had captured every bit of his expression with her ability-enhanced camera.
…
Ten minutes later, Hakuto and the now-treated Yumi stood outside the infirmary.
"You can move freely now, right?"
"Yeah, it feels much better."
"Be more careful next time. I'm leaving now."
Hakuto knew that this "accident" was intentional, but he pretended not to know. After all, abilities like these weren't something that could be openly discussed.
Just as he waved his hand, ready to leave once again, Yumi suddenly followed after him, keeping pace at his side.
Looking up at Hakuto, who was more than a head taller than her, and recalling everything that had just happened, her cheeks turned slightly red.
"Um… Hakuto-kun, you're wearing a uniform from Toyosaki Academy. Why are you at our school?"
"It's a school assignment. It's a long story."
You think Hakuto is from Toyosaki? Wrong! He's actually from Hoshino Umi!
Yumi hesitated for a moment, her flushed cheeks deepening in color, before finally speaking.
"Um… Hakuto-kun, do you have time later?"
"Why?"
"I originally planned to go eat pancakes with my friend… If possible, I'd like you to come too."
To be honest, in the past, Hakuto would have agreed. After all, it was a good way to develop potential clients.
But right now, his biggest client was still waiting for him somewhere. He couldn't just abandon a confirmed client for the sake of a potential one.
"Sorry, I have something else to do later. Maybe next time."
Hearing this, Yumi clasped her hands together in front of her chest, nearly tying them into a knot.
"Next time? Will there even be a next time? Hakuto-kun isn't even from our school."
After all, they weren't from the same school, and both of their schools were top institutions. Who knew when they'd meet again?
"There will be. At the very least, I'll be coming again tomorrow. The school's assignment isn't finished yet."
"Huh? Really?"
"Really."
"Then can I have your contact information?"
And so, after giving his contact details and making a promise, Hakuto returned to Nao's side.
Nao: …
"Why are you looking at me like that again?" Hakuto asked, confused.
"I thought you wouldn't come back."
"Why?"
"Isn't that your type? That girl, Shirayanagi Yumi, seems like someone who'd catch your eye."
"Last time you called it a specialty, now it's my type? Which is it?"
"Huh? Is there even a difference?"
Hakuto waved his hand dismissively, not wanting to argue over such trivial matters with Nao.
"So? Did you manage to capture Otosaka Yuu using his ability?"
"Yeah, I got it, and the footage is crystal clear."
"Then next—"
"Are we recruiting him into Hoshino Umi?"
"Before that, there's one last step. We need to give him a scare, so he won't misuse his powers again."
"Like how you pretended to be a ghost to scare me last time?"
"That was an accident."
…
That night, at Otosaka Yuu's home.
"I'm back..."
"Welcome home, Yuu-nii."
Ayumi was wearing an apron, holding a spatula, looking as if she was in the middle of cooking.
Seeing Otosaka Yuu looking completely drained, Ayumi asked with concern, "What's wrong? You look exhausted."
"It's nothing... just tired."
Otosaka Yuu brushed off her concern with a vague excuse and quickly changed the subject.
"By the way, did you get your telescope fixed?"
"Yep! It's completely restored now! My telescope is back to full health!"
"Did it cost a lot?"
"Nope! I fixed it myself."
Ayumi clearly remembered what Hakuto had told her, and this was one of the rare times she lied in front of Otosaka Yuu.
Right now, Otosaka Yuu's mind was completely preoccupied with what Hakuto had whispered in his ear that afternoon, so he didn't even notice the inconsistency in his sister's words.
"Wasn't I supposed to be the only special one...?"
Otosaka Yuu was sure that what Hakuto said to him earlier wasn't a lie.
Leaving aside the confident and nonchalant look on his face, the situation that afternoon could only be explained by supernatural abilities.
"What kind of power does he have...? Time stop? Or teleportation...?"
As he thought about it, Otosaka Yuu began to feel that his ability, which only lasted for five seconds, was completely useless.
For the first time, an unfamiliar feeling of inferiority crept into his heart.
Meanwhile, outside his house, Hakuto and Nao were crouched by the window, quietly peeking inside.
"Is this really necessary? The guy's already home. Why are we still following him?"
"I told you, we need to scare him a little."
"Now? What? Are you trying to pretend to be a ghost again?"
"This is just an appetizer."
"Be honest. When you were planning to recruit me into Hoshino Umi, did you plan something like this too?"
"Not really. After all, you weren't recklessly using your ability."
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Check out the other translations too: [Mash-Up: I'm Not A Substitute]
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