I Started a Lover-for-Hire Service, And For Some Reason, Only Beautiful Girls Are Requesting Me - Chapter 20: Reunion with Himeno

“You’re kidding, right? It’s raining outside!”

“Did you not check the weather forecast? The chance of rain was 90% from 4 PM.”

“I didn’t check… It was so sunny this morning…”

“Well, guess I’ve got no choice. I’ll share my umbrella with you.”

“For real!? You’re a lifesaver!”

After finishing his lecture for the day, Ryoma was happily heading home. However, after overhearing a conversation between some students he didn’t know, a shadow of gloom fell over his face.

(Is it really raining…!?)

During class, he had noticed the weather looking a bit suspicious, but he never expected that it was already raining.

Ryoma was one of those who hadn’t checked the weather forecast and hadn’t brought an umbrella.

(If it’s just a drizzle, I guess I’ll just walk home in the rain…)

His best friend, Yukiya, had already gone home in the morning. Unfortunately, there was no one else Ryoma could rely on.

There was a convenience store near the university, but umbrellas there were overpriced.

If he told his older sister, Kaya, about his situation, she would probably say, “Just buy an umbrella. I’ll give you the money.” But since he already had umbrellas at home, his sense of frugality kicked in. He’d rather endure getting wet than spend unnecessary money.

(Please, at least let it be just a drizzle…)

With that wish in mind, Ryoma trudged toward the university entrance.

But… the heavens were merciless.

The moment he stepped outside to check the weather, his hopes were utterly shattered—what had been rain had now turned into a full-blown downpour.

The rain slanted sideways, its droplets bouncing off the concrete. The view ahead was blurred like mist.

Without an umbrella, he couldn’t even make it to the nearby convenience store.

“No way…”

The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them.

Just when he was about to head home—to his personal paradise—this happened. Being forced to stay put was mentally exhausting.

“…Sigh.”

With the rain preventing him from going outside, Ryoma slumped his shoulders and pulled out his phone to check the weather forecast.

If the rain was going to continue for hours, he’d have to brace himself for getting soaked on the way home. But—this time, the heavens offered him a small mercy.

At 6 PM, the chance of rain would drop to 40%, and the forecast predicted cloudy skies. He would have to wait two whole hours. It felt like both good and bad luck at the same time.

(Guess I’ll just have to kill time until 6 PM…)

The university had a library where many students gathered to study.

Since Ryoma didn’t play mobile games, the only way to pass the time was to study.

With a change of mindset, he turned back toward the building—only to suddenly notice a pair of feet in his field of vision.

“Huh?”—That was the only thought that crossed his mind.

Slowly, he lifted his gaze, and the moment his eyes met the scene before him, he was speechless. It was a situation he hadn’t even considered.

In front of him, standing still and staring directly at him, was a girl.

“…! W-Well, I should get going!”

Ryoma blurted out, his voice unnaturally cheerful—almost as if he was trying to erase the situation altogether.

“Wait.”

“Guess I’ll go study now…”

The girl’s murmured words were drowned out by Ryoma’s voice.

He tried to walk past her, but things didn’t go as smoothly as he had hoped.

“…Himeno said wait.” 

“Huh!?”

The girl standing before him grabbed onto his sleeve.

It was her—the client from the rental boyfriend service. And for some reason, she was standing right there.

Her grip was weak. He could easily shake her off, yet Ryoma hesitated. When faced with someone physically smaller than him, this always happened.

“A-And… who might you be?”

“I know it’s you, Shiba.”

“…”

Ryoma tried to resist with words, but Himeno saw through him instantly. Even though this was her first time seeing him without his usual styled hair and glasses, she spoke with unwavering confidence, cutting off any room for denial.

“S-So you figured it out… Haha… How did you recognize me? I’m wearing glasses, and my hair’s all messy…”

“Your scent.”

“Huh? W-Wait, you’re not saying I stink, are you…?”

“Citrus. It’s rare for men to wear that.”

“O-Oh… I see…”

Just like the first time they met, she spoke in a calm, detached manner, her amethyst-like eyes fixed on him, unchanging.

“Let’s talk, Shiba…”

Himeno murmured, gripping a folded umbrella in one hand. It seemed that their timing to leave had coincidentally overlapped.

For Himeno, this was an unexpected stroke of luck. There was something she absolutely had to say—something she couldn’t afford to let slip away.

“If you don’t want to, I’ll pay you…”

“…!?”

She gazed up at him like a puppy begging for food, offering an outrageous deal. Most guys would probably nod just from the sheer cuteness of it all—but not Ryoma.

“The job’s over, so I can’t take your money.”

He deliberately changed his tone and speech, maintaining the professionalism he used during their arrangement.

Truthfully, he did need money—desperately, even. But Himeno was starting to become a repeat client, and it wouldn’t be wise to act greedy. He also couldn’t afford to break character and show a stark contrast between his professional and real self.

“Then I’ll hire you again, right now.”

“Please use the proper booking system for that.”

“Then I’ll just talk to you as Shiba.”

“…”

Himeno, uncharacteristically impatient, pushed forward, barely giving Ryoma room to speak. She wasn’t even concerned about their current situation—something that worried him.

“Himeno, I think you already understand, but… it’s better if we don’t interact too much on campus.”

A university student hiring a rental boyfriend wasn’t exactly common knowledge, and if word got out, things could turn into an unnecessary hassle for both of them.

“I know… but…”

Himeno’s face fell. Even after understanding Ryoma’s words, she still reacted this way… Throughout their entire rental dates, he had never once seen her make this kind of expression.

“D-Did something happen…?”

Ryoma blurted out the question without thinking.

“Himeno made a mistake…”

“A mistake?”

“Mm. That’s why… I want to apologize… and talk about it…”

“W-Wait… is it something really bad? Like, completely irreversible?”

“…I’m sorry…”

“S-Seriously…?”

The small hand gripping his sleeve tightened as Himeno lowered her head, her voice barely above a whisper.

The sheer sincerity in her apology was unmistakable, reaching straight to Ryoma’s heart.

At this point, the only kind of person who could coldly reject her was someone truly furious.

“W-Well… let’s find somewhere private to talk, okay? You don’t have to worry, I won’t get mad.”

“It’s okay… if you do.”

“T-The fact that you’re saying that makes this even scarier…”

Imagining the worst, Ryoma felt a chill run down his spine. Still, he reluctantly followed Himeno in search of an empty classroom.

His mind was so preoccupied with what she could have possibly done that he completely overlooked the fact that she was still holding onto his sleeve.

Meanwhile, for Himeno—who had never engaged in this kind of physical contact before—Ryoma’s lack of protest left her unsure of when, or if, she should let go.

And so, the scene was set: Himeno clinging to Ryoma’s sleeve as they walked through the hallway.

“H-Hey… isn’t that Loli-rin getting all cuddly with some weird gloomy dude? Wait, that’s her boyfriend!?”
“No way. There’s no way that guy’s her boyfriend.”
“It’s gotta be some kind of punishment game.”
“Yeah, no way Loli-rin has such bad taste.”

Naturally, this drew attention. Whispers and pointed fingers followed them—but neither Himeno nor Ryoma had the slightest clue.