After who knows how long, Otosaka Yuu stepped out of the bathroom, his hair still damp.
"Hakuto-nii, do you know the name of that star?"
"That's beyond my knowledge, but Ayumi, you can call it whatever you like."
"Is... is that really okay?"
"I guess so."
Otosaka Yuu, who had just come out of the bathroom, hadn't even dried his hair when he overheard Hakuto and Ayumi's conversation from the balcony.
"Hakuto... nii?"
Something in Otosaka Yuu's head snapped, and he immediately rushed onto the balcony.
He hadn't yet registered who this "Hakuto-nii" his sister mentioned was, but at this hour, he couldn't recall anyone who would visit so late at night.
But when he saw the person standing next to Ayumi, his mind went blank.
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
"Oh, Yuu-nii, you're done with your bath!"
Ayumi trotted up to him, while Otosaka Yuu still hadn't fully processed what was happening.
"Oh, uh, yeah... I'm done."
"Then Yuu-nii, stay here and keep Hakuto-nii company. I'm going to take a bath now!"
Hearing that, Otosaka Yuu snapped back to reality and looked at Hakuto in alarm.
To Otosaka Yuu, Hakuto was not only his lifesaver but also an incredibly dangerous person.
After all, he came out of nowhere and, like him, possessed supernatural abilities. Otosaka Yuu didn't want Hakuto getting too close to his sister.
Just as he was about to say something, Hakuto suddenly grabbed his shoulder with a firm grip, completely stopping his movements.
Acting as if nothing had happened, Hakuto turned to Ayumi with a gentle expression.
"Ayumi, go take your bath. I need to have a word with your brother."
"Okay!"
As Ayumi disappeared into the house, Otosaka Yuu let out a small sigh of relief. At least Hakuto wasn't here for his sister.
"What's the matter? Worried about Ayumi?"
Otosaka Yuu snapped back to reality and quickly shoved Hakuto's hand off his shoulder, instantly putting some distance between them.
"Was that necessary? Do I look that scary?"
"What do you want?"
"No need to be so tense. Like I said, we're the same kind of people. It's only natural that I'd seek you out—"
Before Hakuto could finish, his expression suddenly changed as if sensing something. In an instant, he tightened his grip and seized Otosaka Yuu's head.
His thumb and ring finger pressed against Otosaka Yuu's temples while his palm covered Otosaka Yuu's eyes, applying steady pressure.
"I did save your life, didn't I? I'm not asking for gratitude, but using your ability on me seems a bit much."
"L-Let go of me..."
"Is this how the Otosaka family treats their saviors?"
To be honest, Hakuto actually had a pretty good impression of Otosaka Yuu—certainly better than Kuzuryuu Yuichi before.
After all, the boy in front of him had, in a way, saved the world, and his brother had saved most of the ability users in Japan.
Otosaka Yuu still had some flaws in his personality, but he was only sixteen—it was understandable.
But just now, Otosaka Yuu had tried to use his ability on Hakuto, and that genuinely annoyed him.
Hakuto valued his computational abilities highly, so the moment he sensed Otosaka Yuu attempting to activate his power, there was no way he could just stand by calmly.
"Consider this a warning. From now on, we're allies, so don't make me repeat myself."
"You should have a rough idea of what my ability is capable of. Next time, you're welcome to test whether I take you down first or if your ability kicks in before that."
Hakuto released his grip on Otosaka Yuu's head.
Otosaka Yuu clutched his temples, collapsing to his knees in pain. For a moment, he really thought his skull was about to crack.
Hakuto, however, showed no sign of concern. Since his own interests had been threatened, he had to make his stance clear.
"I still have more to say. Of course, if you don't care about the kind of environment your sister will be living in from now on, you're free to stay here."
Otosaka Yuu staggered to his feet and followed behind Hakuto, though he made sure to keep a safe distance.
As Hakuto stepped into the living room, he instinctively glanced around but saw no sign of Nao.
Just then, a pair of small feet wrapped in black thigh-high socks suddenly landed on his shoulders.
Hakuto knew exactly who they belonged to. Without looking up, he remained facing away from Otosaka Yuu and spoke quietly.
"So... was it necessary to stand on me?"
"No reaction at all? I thought I'd at least make you stumble."
"Are you overestimating your weight, or underestimating my physical strength?"
"Yeah, yeah. But our plan still has to go on."
"That was the body—next, we're going for the mind."
Hakuto turned to look at Otosaka Yuu, feigning an innocent expression.
"Relax, my target isn't Ayumi, and I have no intention of harming either of you. There's no need to be so on guard."
"Who knows if you're telling the truth?"
Otosaka Yuu snapped, his temples still throbbing as if they'd been torn apart.
After what had just happened, though, he no longer dared to use his ability on Hakuto. He wasn't sure which would be faster—his power or Hakuto's hand.
"That's harsh. I did save your life, you know."
Hakuto wiped an imaginary tear from the corner of his eye, pretending to be deeply hurt.
Meanwhile, Nao, who had used her ability, was now fully perched on Hakuto's shoulders.
Her legs, still clad in black stockings, rested against his chest, while the camera in her hands was practically shoved into Otosaka Yuu's face.
Hakuto found it ridiculous but said nothing. After all, he was in the middle of a confrontation with Otosaka Yuu.
"You didn't come here just to put on a show with those crocodile tears, did you?"
"What a bore..."
"You've caused a massive mess, and yet you're acting like nothing happened?"
"You think I wanted to turn out this way?"
"Isn't that exactly what happened?"
Hakuto gave Otosaka Yuu a half-smile, his cold gaze sending chills down Otosaka Yuu's spine.
"You've got a good face and a top student reputation thanks to your ability."
"That should've been enough to earn you a nice high school life, so why go and use your power for something so dangerous?"
Hakuto was ruthless with his words. That was the whole point—he wanted to intimidate Otosaka Yuu, to make him back down.
"You... you knew?"
"Hmm? If you're talking about using your ability to cheat, then yeah, I knew."
"But that's not why I came here today. I'm not here to scold you for the disaster you caused this afternoon."
Hakuto gestured toward the bathroom behind him.
"You might not have much, but at least you still have family."
"Even if you don't care about yourself, think about them. If the authorities find out about your ability, your sister will be left to live alone."
"Are you trying to scare me? That kind of thing would never happen."
"It's real. At least, as far as I know, quite a few ability users have already been locked up by neuroscientists for research—especially those who recklessly use their powers like you."
The moment Hakuto finished speaking, he felt Nao tremble slightly on his shoulders.
But Otosaka Yuu's reaction was even more intense. Hakuto wasn't wrong—Ayumi was the only thing keeping him tethered to his current life.
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Check out the other translations too: [Mash-Up: I'm Not A Substitute]
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