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

“Suu, suu…”

Hazuki had fallen asleep, lying face down on the counter seat.

Maybe it was the exhaustion from working on her day off, or maybe it was the alcohol. Either way, as Ryoma had been gently stroking her hair, she had started breathing softly in her sleep.

“…Kamishiro-san has fallen asleep.”

“Thanks for your support earlier. If you hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything.”

“My apologies for glaring at you like that.”

“No, no. If you hadn’t, I wouldn’t have had the courage to act. I appreciate it.”

In the end, Hazuki had seemed satisfied. That was the best possible outcome for a stand-in like him.

“Ah, would you like another drink?”

Noticing Ryoma’s empty glass, Toma offered.

“Uh… Just some more water, please. If I drink any more, I don’t think I’ll be able to take care of Hazuki-san properly.”

“A wise decision. Understood.”

Ryoma had already had four drinks tonight. He could feel the warmth in his body, his heartbeat slightly quickened. He was pleasantly buzzed.

If Hazuki were his girlfriend, it might not have been an issue. But Ryoma was just a stand-in. He couldn’t afford to mess up because of alcohol.

“That being said… Kamishiro-san must really trust you. Since she’s asleep, I feel comfortable sharing this with you.”

“R-really?”

Toma set a glass of ice water on the counter and continued. Ryoma thanked him, but he couldn’t help but be curious—what made him think Hazuki trusted him?

“Whenever she’s with a male companion, she always limits herself to two drinks.”

“S-seriously? Didn’t she have… like, five drinks tonight?”

“She must’ve felt secure enough to let loose. She trusted that you wouldn’t take advantage of her. Do you have any idea why?”

“…W-well, who knows? Haha…”

Ryoma tried to dodge the question, but the truth was, he did have an idea. He had once helped Hazuki when she was drunk before.

The fact that Toma had noticed just from her drinking habits showed how sharp his intuition was.

“That reaction tells me you do know. That’s why being patted on the head by someone she trusts must’ve meant a lot to her.”

Toma gave a gentle glance toward the sleeping Hazuki, then turned back to Ryoma.

“…Kamishiro-san is a regular here. Every time she drinks, she talks about her regrets and mistakes at work.”

“Regrets and mistakes…?”

Since Hazuki was asleep, Toma seemed comfortable sharing personal details. But Ryoma figured he was being careful not to disclose anything too private.

“She often says things like, ‘I should’ve paid more attention to those around me,’ or ‘If I had spoken differently, I might not have hurt them’. This time, having her head patted might’ve been the best comfort she could have received.”

“I see…”

Ryoma listened calmly, but the moment he heard the words “patted her head,” his heart skipped a beat, thudding loudly in his chest.

The sensation of Hazuki’s soft hair still lingered in his hands. It was so pleasant to the touch that he almost wanted to keep touching it like a stuffed animal.

“Ryoma-san, I have to admire you. I never expected you to say something like, ‘Right now, you’re here with me. So I won’t let you make such a sad face anymore.”

“Wha!? Please don’t repeat it!”

“I’m not trying to tease you. I just genuinely wanted to tell you that it was cool.”

“Th-thank you…”

It wasn’t every day that a handsome bartender like Toma praised him so sincerely. Ryoma, feeling embarrassed, looked over at the clock mounted on the wall to distract himself.

It was 11:10 PM. There were only 50 minutes left until the job for the day would be over.

“Toma-san, would it be possible to settle the bill now? I don’t think Hazuki-san will let me pay once she wakes up.”

“No need to pay. I’ve already seen your hard work. And it’s also my way of apologizing for glaring at you earlier.”

“Wha—? You’re the one who helped me! If you do that, you’ll end up paying for it, won’t you? I can’t let you do that.”

“You should accept my kindness, Ryoma-san.”

“But…”

Ryoma worked part-time at a bookstore in addition to his job as a stand-in lover, so he understood how things like this worked. However, it still felt wrong to let someone else bear the cost when he had received so much help.

“Then, please allow me to ask one favor in exchange. Let this be your payment.”

“Ah, if that’s the case, I understand.”

Ryoma agreed, thinking it was a small favor, but little did he know, the request that followed was something entirely unexpected.

He had no idea this turn of events had even been foreseen by Toma.

“Then, please do not take a taxi. Take Hazuki-san home without using one.”

“Wha—? Without a taxi? Why?”

“Because you said so. ‘Right now, you’re here with me. So I won’t let you make such a sad face anymore.'”

“Eh, ah…”

Toma’s expression gradually became more serious, almost like a demon, making it clear he wasn’t going to let Ryoma weasel his way out. In that instant, Ryoma realized—Toma was on Hazuki’s side.

“If you take a taxi, it will only make Hazuki-san sad. You’ll take full responsibility, all the way.”

It was as though Toma had read Hazuki’s feelings perfectly.

“Bu—but Hazuki-san is so drunk she passed out… Wouldn’t using a taxi be better for her?”

“Don’t worry about that. Actually, the alcohol I serve Hazuki-san is diluted, with a lower alcohol content than usual. And of course, this is at her request, so there’s nothing illegal about it.”

“I—I didn’t know that was even possible…”

“Well, it’s a privilege of being a regular here. Hazuki-san is weak with alcohol, but she didn’t pass out from being drunk. It was because you patted her head.”

“…”

The bartender, Touma, insisted that Hazuki was not drunk.

And Hazuki was a regular at this bar. She was likely well aware of how much alcohol she could consume.

There was no room for rebuttal.

“When she wakes up, I believe she’ll be fully aware, so please make sure to entertain her until the end. That will be your payment. Is that alright?”

“Understood. Thank you.”

“…I’m truly sorry for this now, but I really appreciate you taking on the role of her cushion.”

“No, no, it’s a perk of the job, so please don’t worry about it. Spending time with Hazuki-san is enjoyable.”

“Haha, you’re right. It’s nice to hear that…”

“Maybe the alcohol is affecting me. Normally, I wouldn’t say something like that…”

It was a conversation between two men: Ryoma’s honest thoughts, spoken because he thought Hazuki was still asleep.

“…”