I Started a Lover-for-Hire Service, And For Some Reason, Only Beautiful Girls Are Requesting Me - Chapter 34: An Extraordinary Person, the Veteran Killer Queen

“Sunday at 9 PM, huh…”

It was lunchtime at Middle East National University, right after two back-to-back lectures.

Ryoma muttered to himself while staring at his phone, his voice just barely reaching the ears of his best friend, Yukiya.

“Oh! You got a gig for the rental job?”

“Ah… Yeah…”

A “lover-for-hire” gig wasn’t exactly common knowledge.

The way Yukiya had vaguely referred to it as “the job” was probably his way of being discreet, in case anyone overheard.

Ryoma appreciated the consideration, but he still couldn’t tear his eyes away from his phone.

Because the email in front of him… was weird.

“You okay, Ryoma? You look kinda pale, man.”

“This email… It’s different from the usual ones. There’s some kind of warning in it… I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

“A warning? What, you think it’s some kinda prank email?”

“That’s what I thought too at first, but I double-checked. It’s from the company’s official email address.”

This wasn’t some disciplinary notice for breaking company rules.

No—It was something else entirely.

“I swear, this feels like the company is messing with me on purpose.”

“Read it out loud. Give me the gist of it.”

“Yeah… I mean, I can’t really make sense of it on my own.”

With a tense expression, Ryoma pressed his lips together for a brief moment before finally taking a deep breath.

“Alright… Here’s what it says:

『The client for this assignment possesses an exceptional level of attractiveness and skill—so much so that she has ensnared seven veteran rental boyfriends before you. Because of her lethal charm, our company has dubbed her the “Veteran Killer Queen”. She is, without a doubt, the most dangerous client in our records. Please exercise extreme caution during this assignment.』”

Yukiya burst out laughing.

“Pfft—HAHAHAHA!! What the hell is that!? That’s not a warning—that’s straight-up harassment!”

“Right? I thought so too!”

“I mean, veteran rental guys are supposed to be good at this, right? There’s no way someone could just make them fall one after another so easi—”

Yukiya’s voice trailed off.

Mid-sentence, his expression froze.

Like a man remembering something all of a sudden, his face froze.

“What the hell happened all of a sudden, Yukiya…?”

Naturally, Ryoma couldn’t let this strange shift go unnoticed.

“…Ryoma. Just answer one thing. Yes or no. If it’s a no, then that’s fine.”

“Why are you being so cryptic about this? It’s just one question…”

“It’s important.”

And then Yukiya asked.

“Is the client’s name… Kamishiro Hazuki by any chance?”

“…Huh?”

“That’s right, Kamishiro Hazuki.”

“…Huh?”

Even after hearing it twice, Ryoma couldn’t quite grasp what was happening. Yukiya, someone who had no reason to know about it, had pinpointed the name of the client with perfect accuracy. It was like some kind of magical, unreal occurrence.

“Your reaction… So you really don’t know?”

“Wh-What!? How did you know that!? You’re not just guessing, are you?”

“…Don’t mind it, Ryoma.”

Leaving Ryoma in the dust, Yukiya continued with his thoughts.

“Ryoma, that warning? It’s serious. As in, legit serious.”

“Wait, so it’s not just harassment from the company?”

“Nope. It’s real. You see, the person who tried to get me into the rental job—the one who first invited me to do it—was my childhood friend. And because of that, I was able to teach you about it.”

“That’s true. You’ve helped me a lot. I’m really thankful to both of you.”

“That’s not the point! My childhood friend was totally in love with that client, Kamishiro Hazuki… well, no, she made him fall for her. He ended up quitting the rental job because of her. And it wasn’t just any reason—it was because only she was fun to work with! No other client could compare!”

“Haa!?“

Ryoma’s voice was loud enough to carry through the entire classroom.

Dozens of students turned their heads to see what was going on.

“You’re drawing attention, Ryoma.”

“It’s your fault, Yukiya! You’re the one dropping this bomb on me!”

“Well, what was I supposed to do? My childhood friend, the one who got you into this job, quit because of Kamishiro Hazuki, and now you’re matching up with her.”

The two of them, now attracting attention, lowered their voices, trying to go unnoticed.

This was unbelievable for Yukiya, too. The connection between Ryoma and Hazuki was something he never expected to see, and yet it was happening.

“Look, I’m not trying to scare you, Ryoma, but my childhood friend, who never had trouble with women, used to say this: ‘Honestly, I’d pay money just to go on another date with her.’“

“Wait… to go on a date?”

“My childhood friend isn’t the type to say stuff like that. If someone managed to change him that much, then there’s no doubt—Kamishiro Hazuki is dangerous. She knows exactly what she’s doing with men.”

His childhood friend had been a veteran in the lover-for-hire business. He had many repeat female clients and made a living solely from this job. He was confident in handling women—until one date with Kamishiro Hazuki.

Yukiya had no doubts. For Ryoma, this client was completely out of his league. The difference in experience would be painfully clear.

“S-So what am I supposed to do after hearing all this…?”

“You’re doomed to be toyed with by the Queen of the Veteran Killers, so just embrace it. Hell, maybe the best way to survive is to just let her play with you. If you try to lead, she’ll just pull you in deeper.”

“I’d be a pathetic excuse for a rental boyfriend…”

“She’s a cheat code of a woman. Just accept it.”

“Haa…“

Kamishiro Hazuki was 26 years old.

A six-year gap. A lifetime of experience. Getting pulled along by her was inevitable, but as a man, Ryoma wanted to take the lead. No, as a professional in this role, he had to lead.

“Well… good luck, man.”

“…Yeah, I’ll give it my all.”

Ryoma made a silent vow—if she tried to take control, he’d pull her right back. At least once.

(Wait a sec… Hazuki… That name… That’s the same as the drunk woman from Saturday… If it’s really her, I might have the upper hand…)

If they were the same person, then maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t be completely at her mercy…

That naive hope shattered instantly, like a bullet through glass.

“No way. Not a chance.”

Someone like her, a woman called the Veteran Killer Queen, would never let herself lose control with alcohol. Coincidences like that only happened in manga, novels, or dramas.

“…Oi, don’t just start muttering to yourself out of nowhere.”

“Sorry, my thoughts slipped out.”

“Man, you’re really feeling the pressure, huh?”

“It’s like facing the tournament’s top seed in round one.”

“Ahahaha! Damn, that’s a solid analogy!”

“I’m not laughing…”

And so, with growing anxiety and an inevitable challenge ahead, Ryoma braced himself for the approaching date.