Looking at the energetic Ayumi, Hakuto couldn't help but smile as well.
Unlike the gentle but somewhat forced smile he had earlier, the one on his face now was genuine.
"If only I had a little sister like you."
Hakuto patted Ayumi's head, suddenly feeling a strong pang of guilt for deceiving her.
"Hakuto-nii, are you an only child?"
"Something like that."
Rather than saying he was an only child, it was more accurate to say that Hakuto had no idea whether he had any siblings.
After all, he didn't know if his biological parents had another child—either before or after him.
The two of them stopped in front of an old house, where Ayumi took out a key from her pocket and unlocked the door.
Looking at the aged yet clean and tidy room, Hakuto, as a transmigrant, couldn't help but admire Ayumi, who was still just a middle schooler.
"The house is a little old… I hope you don't mind."
"It's very neat. Did you clean it yourself, Ayumi?"
"Yuu-nii and I clean it together…"
As she spoke, Ayumi brought out her telescope from the balcony.
Ayumi had always loved the stars, but due to her family's financial situation, the telescope she owned was already an outdated model.
No wonder it needed repairs. She probably couldn't afford a new one.
Seeing this girl who had a similar background to himself, Hakuto felt a deep sense of empathy.
Once upon a time, he too had been unable to buy the things he wanted because of his family's poverty.
But fortunately, things are much better now. Hakuto wasn't exactly rich, but at least he no longer had to worry about money.
Wait, not rich? Do you even hear yourself?!
"Let me carry it. You know where the nearest repair shop is, right?"
"Yeah! Just follow me, Hakuto-nii!"
Hakuto nodded and followed Ayumi out of the house to the nearest repair shop.
He handed the telescope to the repair technician and then stood next to Ayumi.
During this time, Hakuto could sense Ayumi's unease. Without thinking, he gently patted her head and said softly,
"It's okay. You have me, your Hakuto-nii."
"Mm!"
After a while, the repair technician set down his tools, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and turned to Hakuto.
"Just how old is this telescope? Some of the parts have been out of production for ages."
"Huh? Then what should we do?"
Ayumi asked anxiously. The stars were one of her few passions. If her telescope couldn't be repaired, she would be forced to give up one of the things she loved most.
"If you want it fixed, all the damaged parts will need to be replaced with new ones. But the cost…"
Hearing this, Ayumi's face once again showed signs of distress. Her delicate features looked as if she might burst into tears at any moment.
"Thank you, but… I won't fix it."
Just as Ayumi was about to give up on repairing her telescope, Hakuto stopped her.
"Didn't I tell you? You have me, your Hakuto-nii."
He gave Ayumi a confident smile before turning to the technician.
"Give me an estimate."
"If it's just the most basic repairs, it'll cost around thirty thousand yen."
As soon as she heard the number thirty thousand, Ayumi's face turned pale in an instant.
She grabbed Hakuto's sleeve and shook her head vigorously like a rattle drum while subconsciously stepping backward.
Hakuto gently patted Ayumi's head with a fond expression.
Having once been drenched in the rain himself, he instinctively wanted to hold an umbrella for those who shared the same fate.
After all, he saw his past self in Ayumi.
Unlike her brother, Otosaka Yuu, who relied on his special abilities and good looks for confidence, Ayumi was truly a girl who understood her limits.
"Hakuto-nii, it's too expensive! Let's not fix it."
"It's fine…"
As he spoke, Hakuto took out his phone from his pocket, scanned the QR code on the counter, and transferred thirty thousand yen to the shop owner.
"Alright, you can pick it up this afternoon, handsome."
The shop owner, being a professional, immediately picked up his tools and got to work.
"Thanks, boss."
Without paying any attention to Ayumi's stunned expression, Hakuto simply scooped her up and walked out of the repair shop.
"Hakuto-nii, can we not fix it? Let's get the money back."
"I already paid. There's no taking it back. Just wait until this afternoon—you'll have a brand-new telescope."
"By the way, you haven't eaten yet, have you? Come on, your Hakuto-nii will treat you."
Seeing Hakuto act so carefree, Ayumi didn't go along with his mood. Instead, she spoke with rare seriousness.
"Hakuto-nii… I'm already really grateful that you brought me to the repair shop, but this money…"
Before she could finish her sentence, she felt a pair of warm hands gently rest on her head.
"Since you're calling me 'Hakuto-nii,' I can't let you do it for nothing, can I?"
"Besides, this thirty thousand isn't free. You'll have to pay me back when you grow up. Think of it as a loan."
"Why do you still look like you're about to cry? Smile."
As he spoke, Hakuto made an extremely bizarre smile at Ayumi.
The girl, who had been on the verge of tears, couldn't help but burst into laughter at his ridiculous expression.
Having grown up without parents, Hakuto had now found a girl who shared a similar fate, and he was using his own strength to hold a small umbrella over her.
"Alright then, I'll consider this money as a loan from you, Hakuto-nii."
"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry. Once you grow up, I'll remind you to pay it back."
"Hakuto-nii… thank you."
"No need to thank me. If you want to thank someone, thank the supercomputer."
Hakuto wasn't wrong—Ayumi really did have the supercomputer to thank!
If not for the side effects of the supercomputer, Hakuto wouldn't have overslept and ended up saving this thirty thousand yen.
After all, he had originally planned to spend that money on Sunday.
If not for the supercomputer, Hakuto wouldn't have known that Ayumi's telescope was broken, nor would he have brought her to the repair shop.
"Oh, and this is our little secret. Don't tell your brother."
"Why?"
"If he finds out, he'll try to find a way to earn money and pay me back. But I don't want his money—I want Ayumi's money."
That was a lie. From the very beginning, Hakuto had been lying, and now he had to keep that lie going.
"Then what should I say?"
"You didn't see me today, and I didn't see you either. Got it?"
"Oh, oh! Got it!"
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Check out the other translations too: [Mash-Up: I'm Not A Substitute]
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