I Started a Lover-for-Hire Service, And For Some Reason, Only Beautiful Girls Are Requesting Me

Despite the low temperature, Ryoma immediately took off the scarf he had just wrapped around his neck.

It wasn’t because it felt uncomfortable.

He had no intention of putting it back on either—instead, he folded it up and stuffed it into his bag.

(How much of her scent rubbed off on this thing…? It smells way too good.)

Aira had mentioned that she was particular about scents. It wasn’t a lie or a joke—she really did carry a sweet, peach-like fragrance.

(She didn’t do this on purpose, did she…? Like, deliberately making sure her scent would stick to it…?)

The smell had changed so much that he found himself doubting it.

The scarf was his own, and it wasn’t like it was wrong for it to have a scent, yet—for some reason—he felt a pang of guilt.

“Phew, it’s freezing. Better get home fast…”

His house was still more than twenty minutes away, but taking a taxi wasn’t even a consideration. Sure, it was convenient, but it cost money—and after today’s expenses, that wasn’t an option.

(Well… today was fun, so I guess it’s fine.)

Even though he had spent the whole day complaining, now that it was over, there was a clear sense of fulfillment.

—And a thought lingering in his mind:

I kinda want to hang out again.

“Spending money like this… doesn’t feel like me at all.”

His expression was grim, but his voice carried a hint of excitement.

There was one thing Ryoma was genuinely happy about—he was glad he had gone out today.

The way Aira had smiled at the end—so carefree, so bright.

It made him feel that, at least for today, she wouldn’t be weighed down by loneliness.

(If I can make her smile like that every day… then that’ll be my goal. Besides, my money situation should improve soon.)

It sounded like an afterthought, but it was his genuine truth.

And that resolve would never change.

Ryoma had his own family circumstances.

Everyone harbored a bit of selfishness in their hearts.

The truth was, a part of him had considered drawing things out—prolonging this connection—just long enough to make a decent sum.

Because, in the end, that was an efficient way to secure money.

However, after thinking about Aira’s reality and the smile she’d shown him at the end… as an adult, he just couldn’t bring himself to do something so underhanded.

“…Well, mostly because I’m scared of getting sued!”

He muttered the excuse to himself, convincing no one—but hey, there was no one around to hear it anyway.

Or so he thought—

“What was that~?”

“…Huh?”

To his surprise, there was a response.

The voice came from the other side of a utility pole, just outside his line of sight.

“…Hey.”

He called out to confirm.

“Hmmm?”

The reply was slow and drawn-out.

(What the…? There’s actually someone there? You’ve got to be kidding…)

It was nearly 11 PM.

At this hour, it wouldn’t be unusual for a shady figure to be lurking around.

His eyes narrowed, and his lips pressed into a tight line.

His heart gave a loud thump, and his sense of caution spiked to its limit.

As he tried to quietly approach and identify the source of the voice—

—POP!

“Whoa!?”

Ryoma yelped and stumbled back two or three steps.

Out of nowhere, a bare leg—adorned with high heels—suddenly jutted out from behind the pole.

A slender, pale leg in heels.

Realizing it belonged to a woman, Ryoma’s wariness eased slightly.

After all, men and women had differences in build and strength—if things turned ugly, he figured he could at least put up some resistance.

Taking a cautious step forward, he finally got a good look at the person in question.

“Mmm…”

“…”

Ryoma rubbed his eyes and looked again.

“Fehhh…”

“…”

It wasn’t his imagination.

A well-dressed woman sat slumped against the pole, dozing off right there on the ground.

She wore a white blouse, a brick-colored pleated skirt, and a checkered stole. A black pearl necklace adorned her neck, and a luxury-brand GUCCI handbag lay discarded on the pavement beside her.

Her wavy, light brown hair—probably well-maintained under normal circumstances—was now a messy tangle.

Judging by her outfit, she was likely an office worker, some kind of OL (office lady).

“Uh, excuse me?”

“…”

“Hey.”

“…”

This time, there was no response.

Maybe it was because of her refined features, or perhaps her elegant clothing—despite the fact that she was sleeping on the ground in such an ungraceful position, there was still an air of dignity about her.

From her symptoms, Ryoma could tell she was completely wasted—just like Kaya after a night out drinking.

“Are you okay?”

“Nooope, not okay at allll~”

Suddenly, the woman came back to life, her drowsy sapphire eyes gazing up at him.

“Uh… um, do you want some water or something?”

“Hmmm? I dooo~”

“Got it. There’s a vending machine right over there, so I’ll grab one for you.”

“Thaaank you~”

Ryoma had experience dealing with drunk Kaya before, and even though he wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about alcohol, he at least knew that water helped with sobering up.

Without wasting time, he ran to the nearby vending machine and bought a 110-yen bottle of natural mineral water.

His plan was simple—if the woman sobered up even a little, he’d ask her to pay him back.

Call it stingy, but she was a total stranger. They’d likely never meet again.

As far as Ryoma was concerned, as long as he got his money back, nothing else mattered.

“Here, have some water.”

“You’re such a nice guyyy~”

He handed her the bottle after opening the cap, and she accepted it with both hands, slowly sipping it down.

“Okaaay, here you go.”

“…Thanks.”

She handed the half-empty bottle back to Ryoma.

(She looks so put-together, but…)

She probably wouldn’t even care if he drank from the same bottle—she was too drunk to notice.

Of course, he had no intention of doing so. Instead, he simply put the cap back on and placed the bottle in front of her.

“Uh… can you tell me your name?”

“Hazuki Hazukiii…?”

“Hazuki-san, right? And where do you live?”

“Mmm… tower maaaan~”

“Wha—? A tower apartment?”

“Yuuup~”

“Wait… don’t tell me—that one? The 51-story building…?”

“…”

She stared blankly in the direction he pointed, then gave a small nod.

“Are you serious? You’re not just saying that because you’re drunk?”

At this moment, Ryoma shot Hazuki a skeptical look, as if silently saying, “There’s no way that’s true.”

Given the number of floors she mentioned, there was only one well-known tower mansion in the area. And, of course, it was an expensive one.

Hazuki was young—mid-20s at most. Realistically speaking, it was unlikely that someone her age could afford to live there.

“It’s that oneee~ So far awaaay…”

“…You’re not lying, are you?”

“Then here, take this…”

With that, Hazuki reached for her high-end designer handbag, pulled out a gold-colored card key, and held it out to him.

Ryoma couldn’t tell for sure if it was the key to that tower apartment, but it certainly exuded luxury.

It was clearly not an ordinary key.

“No, no, I don’t need that.”

“Then I won’t give it to youuu~”

“Right, just put it away.”

Even if he took the card key, Ryoma had no use for it. More importantly, this entire situation had been throwing him off from the start.

Spending any more time on this was a waste. He had no idea when he’d be able to get home at this rate.

It was time to call in some outside help.

“I’ll call a taxi for you now, so take that home, okay?”

“Okaaay~”

She looked like a career woman, but thanks to the alcohol, she was behaving like a preschooler.

That contrast wasn’t… bad, Ryoma thought to himself.

Shaking off the thought, he pulled out his phone and searched for the number of Tsukimaru Taxi.

“Thank you for calling Tsuki no Hi Taxi. How may I assist you?”

“Hi, I’d like to request a taxi… Is it possible to specifically request a female driver?”

“I apologize, but may I ask for the reason?”

“Ah, sorry—I’d like to send a heavily intoxicated woman home…”

When arranging transportation for a drunk woman—especially a complete stranger—certain precautions had to be taken.

A taxi was an enclosed space. There was always a risk that the driver could take an unfamiliar route to a secluded area, leading to a potential crime. And if something did happen, Ryoma could also end up being held responsible.

Taking full responsibility for the situation was not only the right thing to do but also a form of self-protection. If the request was denied, he planned to call another taxi company.

“I understand the circumstances. In that case, we can accommodate your request.”

“Oh, really? Thank you. Then please arrange for a ride.”

“Certainly. May I have your name, address, and contact information?”

“My name is Ryoma Shiba. The address here is—”

After completing the arrangements with the operator,

“Understood. We will dispatch a female driver to your location. The taxi will arrive in approximately 15 minutes. Will that be okay?”

“Yes, that’s fine. Thank you very much.”

Ryoma unconsciously bowed his head before hanging up the phone, despite there being no one in front of him.

Now, all he had to do was wait for the taxi to arrive.

He sat down next to Hazuki, who was still slumped on the ground, her head wobbling loosely from side to side.

She was completely drunk.

And since this was their first time meeting, he had nothing to talk about.

He thought about draping his coat over her, but if she accused him of harassment, he’d have no way to defend himself. Given the situation, he had to be careful.

All he could do was stay nearby and keep an eye on her to make sure no one took advantage of her.

About 20 minutes passed before the taxi finally arrived.

By now, it was well past 11 PM.

“Excuse me, I’m Shiba, the one who called earlier.”

“Ah, yes! Thank you for using our service! Whoa, she’s really drunk, huh? And oh my gosh, she’s gorgeous! Hey, mister, you can’t be forcing drinks on your girlfriend like this!”

As requested, a female driver had arrived—but her energy was on a whole other level.

This was the first time Ryoma had ever encountered such an eccentric taxi driver.

“She’s not my girlfriend. I don’t even know her. I just found her here by chance.”

“I see, I see! Well then, aren’t you lucky?”

“…”

Ryoma bit back a sarcastic remark.

Lucky? How exactly was this lucky?

He’d already been stuck here for 20 minutes.

“Um… Hazuki-san. The taxi’s here.”

“Ah… Thank you…”

Despite her state, Hazuki made sure to thank him properly.

She slowly got to her feet, picked up her GUCCI handbag, and stepped into the taxi.