I Started a Lover-for-Hire Service, And For Some Reason, Only Beautiful Girls Are Requesting Me - Chapter 18: Himeno's Bold Confession

“…”

Himeno could feel it.

The pressure from her side.

Ami’s intense, unrelenting gaze, burning with something she desperately wanted to say.

Since they were in the middle of a lecture, Ami didn’t speak. But the moment the break started, she would definitely say something—Himeno was sure of it.

(Scary…)

She was going to say something. And because Himeno had no idea what that something was, it was even scarier.

She gripped her mechanical pencil and copied the lecture notes from the whiteboard.

Small, round letters. But—her writing had turned into wavy, distorted lines.

Her fingers were trembling.

Taking a slow, deep breath, Himeno stole a glance at Ami.

“Heheh…”

“!?”

A voice too deep to be Ami’s.

A terrifying smile, like a giant that had spotted its prey.

Himeno immediately ducked her head.

(I have to run… Just like during lunch…)

The moment she met Ami’s eyes, every alarm in her body blared at full volume—Evacuation Level 5.

Ten minutes until the lecture ended.

For the remainder of that time, every word Himeno wrote was twisted and shaky.

“Himenooo, trying to run away all of a sudden? That’s a little mean, don’t you think?”

“…I just have something to do.”

Himeno couldn’t escape.

The moment she attempted to flee, Ami grabbed her arm as if she had anticipated it all along.

Himeno was small. Her only athletic experience came from the mandatory PE classes in elementary, middle, and high school. On top of that, she was an indoor person through and through.

Naturally, she had less muscle than the average woman—her body was soft and squishy.

On the other hand, Ami loved physical activity. She had a toned, well-balanced figure, was taller than Himeno, and had a clear advantage in physical ability.

Once Ami got hold of her arm, there was no shaking free.

No one understood that better than Himeno herself.

Right now, she was like a fish caught in a net.

Like a cockroach stuck in a roach trap.

…In other words, escape was impossible.

“…”

With Ami still holding her arm, Himeno silently sat back down in the chair she had just vacated. She didn’t resist.

“Himeno.”

“…Yes.”

She wasn’t being scolded, but Himeno had completely shrunk in on herself, her eyes slightly teary.

Paying no mind to her pitiful state, Ami glared at her.

“Himeno…you…you—”

“You’re so unfairrrrr!!”

She suddenly burst out in a terrifying rage.

“…Huh?”

Meanwhile, Himeno was left utterly dumbfounded. Well, no one would be able to process something like this when told out of nowhere. Her reaction was only natural.

“That’s a total cheat! You just discovered a hidden cheat ability…! Just putting on wax and taking off his glasses changed him that much!? His hair was down, so at first, I had no idea it was Ryoma! If you’ve got some kind of hidden talent for spotting secretly good-looking guys, teach me too!”

“I… have no idea what you’re talking about.”

The only person who could fully understand this conversation was the one speaking.

“He keeps a low profile at university but turns on the charm outside. That’s like the perfect balance—not too popular, not unpopular either. That’s the best type of boyfriend! How did you even manage to catch such a high-value guy, Himeno!?”

“…You’re talking about Shiba?”

The word “boyfriend” clued Himeno in just enough to realize Ami was talking about him—but she still didn’t grasp about 90% of the conversation.

“Am I talking about Shiba? Yes, I am talking about Shiba! And to think he was in the same university all along… You get to walk home together from the same place every day. I’m seriously jealous… I want a boyfriend too…”

“The same…?”

“Himeno, you don’t have to play dumb anymore… Fuko and I just ran into Ryoma in the hallway, you know…”

“…What?”

Himeno wasn’t pretending to be confused.

She was genuinely in shock.

She had definitely just heard Ami say the words: “We met him in the hallway.”

“Huh? No, seriously! You don’t have to keep pretending anymore! We were just talking about which university Ryoma goes to, and then he himself answered… that it’s the same one! What is this weird mix of excitement and confusion I’m feeling…?”

“…”

Himeno watched Ami slump her shoulders, while she herself remained expressionless, quietly organizing the conversation in her head.

(Ran into Shiba in the hallway…? University…? Same as mine…?)

Suddenly, Himeno’s heart started to flutter.

Because after piecing together everything, there was only one possible conclusion.

“That… can’t be true.”

“There’s no point in lying to you, Himeno!”

“Enough with the jokes.”

“I’m serious! We really saw him and even talked to him! How long are you gonna keep acting clueless!? I mean, I don’t have proof to show you, but I swear he was there!!”

“…Why…?”

The answer was already clear in her mind. Even just looking at Ami’s frantic state made it obvious.

But Himeno didn’t want to accept it. The idea that her “lover-for-hire” and his “client” were attending the same university—

That was a reality too troublesome to face.

She didn’t even need to think twice to predict the kind of problems this would cause.

“And more importantly—why are you the one acting so shocked, Himeno!? What’s going on!?”

“…!!”

Ami, now in full-blown interrogation mode, frowned at Himeno’s bewildered reaction.

And of course she would.

After all, Himeno was acting like she had no idea that her supposed boyfriend, Ryoma, went to the same university.

Even the dullest person wouldn’t be able to overlook this.

“…”

A sense of crisis surged within Himeno.

She had already boasted that she “didn’t need a boyfriend.” That meant, under no circumstances, could she allow the truth about their fake relationship to come to light.

Right now, there was only one thing she could do. No—there was no other option.

“Shiba… is mine.”

“Eh!?”

Just like before—she had to play the role of his girlfriend.

This was the moment Himeno had to break through her own shell.

She had no time to worry about whether her response logically connected to Ami’s previous outburst of, ‘Why are you the one acting so shocked!?’

Himeno was disastrously bad at handling topics like these. She knew it herself. The only way through was to ride the momentum.

“Wait, what I’m trying to say is—”

“I won’t… give him to anyone.”

“Wait, wait, if you say it like that, it’s even weirder!?”

“Shiba… likes me.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know that!?”

“I… like Shiba too.”

“That too, I already know!?”

“Himeno and Shiba… are properly dating.”

“U-Uh… huh…?”

It was then that Ami noticed something—

Himeno had flipped some sort of internal switch.

Her face was turning an increasingly deep shade of red.

She was desperate.

Desperate to make sure no one found out the truth—that their relationship was a lie.

“Shiba and… and we talked… and held hands…”

“Himeno…san?”

“…Himeno really has a boyfriend.”

Himeno’s voice reached its peak. Her adorable confession echoed throughout the classroom.

What was that just now…

Those who had been chatting in the classroom immediately fell silent, turning their attention toward Himeno, the source of this unexpected revelation.

Five, six seconds of silence passed… and then murmurs began to rise.

“Huh!? Did… did Himeno just say she has a boyfriend…?”

“No way… our loli has a boyfriend…?”

“It can’t be true… please, tell me it’s a joke! Tell me it’s not true!”

The situation quickly escalated into chaos, mostly among the guys.

“Aah… she really did it now…”

“Ughhh…”

A silent, helpless sound escaped from Himeno as she lowered her face, and Ami sympathized with her, her eyes softening.

“…Idiot…”

“Why!?”

Himeno muttered weakly at Ami, then pressed her hands to her face and ran out of the classroom.

“She’s gone… sigh…”

Ami let out a small sigh as she watched Himeno’s small figure disappear. Then, a look of understanding spread across her face.

“Her face… was as red as a tomato. So, that’s what happened…”

This was the first time Ami had seen Himeno so bold with her feelings, confessing something so big out loud. It was clear that her feelings were deep.

(A confession with a face like that… Anyone would fall for it. That’s cheating…)

Ami’s mind clicked into place, realizing that Himeno had probably won over Ryoma with that very confession.

But now… the news would spread.

The whole university will know that Loli-Rin—Kashiwagi Himeno—has a boyfriend…