I Started a Lover-for-Hire Service, And For Some Reason, Only Beautiful Girls Are Requesting Me - Chapter 35: Hazuki and Ryoma's Reunion

“Phew… I never expected it to take this long…”

It was Sunday, the day she had made a reservation for a rental boyfriend.

Hazuki let out a tired sigh, as if speaking to the moon floating leisurely outside.

The digital clock displayed 7:55 PM.

In the office, with the heater set to low, Hazuki was the only one present.

It wasn’t that everyone had left work early—today was originally a day off. But Hazuki had a reason to come in.

This Wednesday, she had a sales analysis presentation scheduled.

She had come to the office to organize the presentation materials on her PC and hold a solo rehearsal.

As an area manager, it was crucial for Hazuki to set an example for the staff working here.

That meant—delivering a clear and confident presentation.

If her presentation was unclear or lacking confidence, that uncertainty would spread to the team and negatively impact business performance.

Hazuki had always been prone to nervousness when speaking in public.
Her first rehearsal had been an absolute disaster.

She had stumbled over words, her voice had wavered, and she had filled pauses with meaningless phrases like “uh,” “so,” and “um.”

Of course, none of the staff working under her would ever imagine her as someone like that.

They likely thought of her as someone unshaken—because she spent hours rehearsing alone at the actual presentation venue, ensuring she could perform flawlessly.

“…All that’s left is to practice at home. That should be enough.”

After saving her data onto the company’s HDD (hard disk drive), she also uploaded it to cloud storage.

Cloud storage is an online data storage service that allowed various file types to be saved and accessed via the internet.

This meant she could access her files from home.

Finally, her work mode switched off—and her thoughts shifted to that other matter.

(…Once I finish this cup, I’ll start getting ready.)

The Kilimanjaro coffee in her cup had long gone cold from sitting too long.

But at this moment, its cool temperature was just right for her.

“I really can’t wait.”

Perhaps the rental boyfriend for tonight was him—the man she never got the chance to thank.

Maybe she’d finally get to see him again.

Wanting to suppress her growing anticipation, she took a sip of the cool coffee.

Placing the now-empty cup back on the desk, she reached into her favorite GUCCI bag and pulled out her makeup pouch.

(Just one more hour until the meeting…)

Now, it was time to freshen up and head to the meeting spot.

As she applied a plum-pink lipstick from a luxury brand, a seductive smile curled on her lips.

＊＊＊

“So this is the meeting place…”

The time was 8:50 PM.

After walking about 15 minutes from his part-time job, he arrived at the Central Bank’s parking lot.

Naturally, at this hour, the bank was already closed—there wasn’t a soul in sight.

It was likely that the client had chosen this desolate location to make it obvious who the lover-for-hire was.

Before coming to this place, Ryoma had already steeled himself.

It wasn’t just about “Woohoo! Let’s have fun with this rental girlfriend gig!”—
No, his mindset was one of sheer determination:

He refused to be completely dominated by the Queen of Veteran Killers, Kamishiro Hazuki.

The company had even issued warnings about her.

If he let his guard down, he would be completely swallowed whole—that much was certain.
And yet, no matter how much he braced himself, he understood the experience gap between them was too vast to overcome.

Precisely because he understood this, he decided to rely on his sister Kaya’s advice.

1. 1. Give plenty of compliments.

1. 1. Notice even the smallest changes.

1. 1. Listen attentively to what she says.

1. 1. Maintain impeccable hygiene.

Ryoma had reviewed these points thoroughly.

He had done everything he could to prepare before Sunday arrived.

Only a few minutes remained until 9:00 PM.

“Alright… bring it on.”

He smacked his chilled cheek with a sharp slap, resetting his focus—

“Oh? But I’m already here. Fuu~”

“UWOAH!?”

A sudden ambush from behind knocked Ryoma off his game before he even started.

A warm breath tickled his ear, and his reaction was like a cat jumping at the sight of a cucumber.

“Fufufu, no need to be so startled, now—right, Mr. Rental Boyfriend?”

“Ah… eh…?”

“Hm? What’s wrong? Is there something on my face?”

“S-sorry. I just need a moment to collect my thoughts.”

“Oh? Delaying your greeting, are we? There’s still one minute until 9:00 PM, so I’ll wait for you until then.”

“…Thank you.”

Although Ryoma appeared composed on the surface, inside, his mind was a full-blown eight-player Smash Bros. battle.

(T-this woman… No, there’s no mistake—she’s definitely the one who was completely wasted by that utility pole! Wait, but is this really how she talks normally!? Before, she was all “I-I’m sooo not okayyy~” and now this!?!?)

Her beauty alone was enough to explain why she had effortlessly ensnared so many veteran rental boyfriends.

But beyond that, she now carried an air of elegance and refinement Ryoma had never encountered before.

Under normal circumstances, he would have been completely mesmerized—but the contrast with her drunken self was just too extreme.

“Alright… It’s 9:00 PM now. Let me introduce myself properly.”

“Fufu, I’d almost think your earlier reaction was a lie. You’re quite good at composing yourself.”

“I have a little bit of confidence in that, I suppose.”

“Impressive, Mr. Rental Boyfriend.”

Ryoma swiftly regained his composure and flipped his professional switch back on.

He couldn’t afford to leave a bad impression on his client, Hazuki—because in the end, this was a job, and money was what gave him strength.

“Then, let me introduce myself first… Nice to meet you. My name is Shiba Ryoma. I look forward to working with you today.”

“I’m Kamishiro Hazuki. Since speaking casually with someone older might be difficult, feel free to use whatever speech style you’re comfortable with, Shiba-kun.”

“Understood. Then, I’ll stick with this tone.”

Hazuki was subtly considerate, allowing him to speak however he found easiest.

As expected of the Queen of Veteran Killers—she probably captivated people through small gestures like this.

That kind of reassurance really helped when one was feeling tense.

Just like Ryoma was feeling now…

“Now then, Shiba-kun. Are you really sure this is our ‘first meeting’? Because I feel like I’ve seen you before.”

“…I-Is that so? I think you’re imagining things, Hazuki-san.”

“…Are you really saying that?”

“Yes.”

(Does she want me to bring up how wasted she was…? No, there’s no way—she was completely gone that night. She’d be embarrassed for sure… right?)

She had already been considerate enough to let him speak freely.

So, in the spirit of payback, Ryoma returned the favor.

“What a shame. I really wanted to thank that person… since they helped me out. I wonder if they’ll ever come forward and tell me who they are?”

“…If a beautiful woman like you asks that sincerely, I might just lie and say it was me.”

“Compliments like that out of nowhere are embarrassing. When complimenting a woman, you need to set the mood properly, you know?”

Hazuki covered her slightly curling lips with one hand.

“Uhh… When you say it so rationally, it just makes me feel more awkward…”

“You’re such a busy person—throwing out sudden compliments, then getting embarrassed about them… Though, if I had to guess, you’re just pretending to be embarrassed, aren’t you?”

“Haha, no, not at all.”

Ryoma laughed naturally, but deep inside—

(I dodged that bullet…!)

When he’d said he was good at pretending, she assumed this was just another act.

But the truth was, Ryoma was genuinely flustered.

He knew that Hazuki was on a completely different level, so he was desperately trying to keep up.

That’s why he was forcing himself to follow his sister’s advice:

“Give plenty of compliments.”

But in reality, he wasn’t used to this at all.

“So, you’re really saying you’re not the man who helped me, Shiba-kun?”

“…That’s right.”

By answering this way, Ryoma had given up the chance to receive a thank-you gift from Hazuki, who lived in a luxury high-rise apartment.

But once he had denied it, he had to stick with it.

It was a huge waste… and he regretted it deeply.

However, considering the large sum of money he was getting from this client today, it was easy to endure.

“Are you really sure? This will be the last time I ask.”

“Yes. It wasn’t me, so please give your thanks to the real person who helped you.”

“Hmm… I see.”

Hazuki turned to him with a knowing expression.

She was completely convinced that Ryoma was the one who had helped her when she was drunk.

That’s why his consideration felt especially heartwarming.

Being praised by Ryoma meant more to her than being praised by just anyone.

At the same time… it only made her more determined to get him to admit it.

“Changing the subject… Hazuki-san, where are we headed today?”

“I was thinking of going to a bar. You’re twenty, so you can drink a little, right?”

“I don’t know much about alcohol… but yes. I’ve never been to a bar before, though. Do I look okay for it?”

“You look just fine. Besides, it’s a place I go to regularly.”

“A regular spot…?”

“Yes, so don’t worry. You don’t have to worry about etiquette or anything like that.”

Hazuki spoke as if it were completely natural.

But for Ryoma, this was yet another moment where he felt the gap in experience between them.

“Is that bar close to here?”

“It’s about a 10-to-15-minute walk from here. It’s a hidden little bar called Shine.”

With that, Hazuki gently urged Ryoma forward.

She smiled and said—

“Let’s enjoy ourselves, okay?”