I Started a Lover-for-Hire Service, And For Some Reason, Only Beautiful Girls Are Requesting Me - Chapter 5: Date ② - Himeno’s Side

“Ah!!” When I first met him, I was shocked.

It wasn’t just because he suddenly spoke to me, but also because he resembled the man who had picked up my handkerchief a little while ago in the hallway.

His communication skills were monstrous. I was not saying that to insult him, it was meant as a compliment.

“Ah, should I change the way I speak? Since we’re supposed to be a couple… would something like this be okay”

At that point, he relaxed his expression, like he would when laughing with friends. He created a friendly atmosphere that made me let my guard down. He was closing the distance.

This guy… He was the same age as me, but he was incredible.

If this guy were a kidnapper, there would be plenty of girls who would fall for him… He was that good at pretending.

I didn’t think I could learn this kind of skill in years. When you really think about it, there weren’t many people who could do this kind of thing to someone they’d just met.

But I, who had wanted to resist a little, suggested holding hands just a few minutes after meeting. I also wanted to shorten the distance between us. Looking back now, it indeed seemed strange that we held hands so quickly, even though we were just pretending to be a couple.

However, Shiba immediately fulfilled the request.

“Sorry, you’re right,” he said.

I thought to myself, He must be the kind of person sent by a company that specializes in acting as stand-in boyfriends.

At that moment, I thought I had hit the jackpot.

Before and after arriving at Aeon, Himeno walked through the store holding hands with Shiba, continuing their conversation.

“Is there any food you don’t like? Shiitake mushrooms.”

“Shiitake!? That’s a waste!”

Himeno wasn’t good at talking. But for some reason, the conversation continued. No, it wasn’t just “for some reason”. It was because Shiba had kept asking her questions, which made the conversation flow.

She wasn’t great at chatting, but it was still fun.

“Wow, so you’re a first-year university student… That means… Himeno, you’re one year younger than me?”

“Mm.”

She didn’t think Shiba was given much information about her by the agency. Just things like how she wanted someone who was one or two years older, or someone who was kind.

Because, he didn’t even know that Himeno was younger than him.

Probably, the only information Shiba got from the agency was her age, height, appearance, and style of dress. Without that, he wouldn’t have been able to find her. She thought the agency had solid confidentiality practices.

“Even though it’s kind of strange to say this while we’re pretending to be a couple, if I had a little sister, I think she’d be like you.”

“I’d rather be the older sister.”

“Older sister?”

Shiba gave Himeno a doubtful look and measured her height with his eyes. There was about a 30 cm difference between Himeno and Shiba.

“With that height, you’d be the older sister?” It seemed like Shiba wanted to say that.

“That look is rude.”

“Haha, sorry.”

But I understood. He was deliberately saying rude things to liven up the atmosphere. There was no malice in it.

As for Himeno’s outfit… the small sizes were the norm. So, she was really glad that she was short. She admired tall women, but Himeno was perfect just the way she was.

It was strange. Shiba hadn’t said a single thing that would upset Himeno.

Was it because he was good with people? Or maybe he was used to interacting with others? Or maybe he was just used to dating? It was hard to put into words, but it was amazing.

She thought only about 10 minutes had passed since they’d met, but already 30 minutes had gone by.

It was probably because Himeno was enjoying herself… Because they were having such a fulfilling time, time was flying by so quickly.

If she had a boyfriend… I think this is what it would be like.

When she said, “this is what it would be like,” it might sound negative, but what Himeno meant was completely different.

It was really… nice.

She thought that she finally understood why Ami kept saying, “I want a boyfriend, I want a boyfriend,” to the point of being annoying.

“Where are we going in Aeon today?” Shiba asked.

“The bubble tea shop.”

The reason Himeno changed the destination to Aeon.

‘The chestnut smoothie was so delicious!!’

That was an email from Ami. It was sent an hour ago. Ami, who was originally headed to the bubble tea shop, must have already left Aeon by now. She thought she wouldn’t see her again.

That was why she decided to go to Aeon in the end, which had already been set as the date spot since a week ago.

“When you say bubble tea shop, you mean the one on the first floor with the fancy exterior, right?”

“Mm. Apparently, they just released a chestnut flavor.”

“Oh, right, it’s a smoothie, yeah? A limited-time autumn flavor. I heard it’s pretty popular… So, did you come here today just to get that?”

“No.”

“Huh? Not that?”

“Himeno’s getting the brown sugar tapioca milk.”

It was Himeno’s favorite drink. She believed that the brown sugar was tastier than the chestnut flavor.

“Haha. So you’re getting that one…”

“After I buy it, we’ll sit on one of the nearby chairs and chat.”

“Got it.”

Himeno has never been on a date before. On the other hand, Shiba had probably been on many dates with girls as part of his job.

So, she didn’t think this date with Himeno would be very fun. It might be a boring time, but since it was part of his job, Shiba would just have to put up with it.

In return, Himeno decided she’d treat Shiba to some delicious bubble tea.

＊＊＊＊

“…Shiba, why did you buy your own drink?”

Himeno, sitting on a chair near the bubble tea shop, voiced her dissatisfaction to Shiba, who was sitting across from her.

Shiba bought the autumn limited chestnut smoothie with his own money. When Himeno tried to offer to pay, Shiba stopped her with his hand.

“Shiba, you’re breaking the rules.”

The agency Himeno hired had a rule that all expenses incurred during the date were to be paid by the client.

So, Shiba was breaking that rule.

“Well, it depends on the person providing the service. Some people have everything paid for, while others buy their own. I’m the latter.”

“That’s strange.”

“Is that a problem?”

“…”

The intermediary fee was 10,000 yen, and the date cost 7,500 yen for three hours. Additional costs piled up after that. One request could total over 20,000 yen.

To be honest, the price was a bit high, so—

“It’s not bad… but…”

“Well, that’s good then.”

Shiba showed a small smile.

This was where the conversation cut off. Shiba drank the chestnut smoothie.

“Ah, it’s delicious.”

This bubble tea shop was famous. The taste was definitely good, but the way he said it sounded a bit exaggerated. But she know he was just changing the subject. Hearing Shiba’s words, Himeno also took a sip of the bubble tea, enjoying her first taste in a while.

“Mm, it’s delicious…”

The rich milk mixed with the brown sugar syrup, creating a subtle sweetness. The chewy tapioca, soaked in the sweetness of the brown sugar.

It tasted just like usual. Really, it was so good.

“Heh.“

For some reason, Shiba suddenly lets out a meaningful laugh. If you looked closely, he seemed a bit happy.

“Do I have something on my face?”

“Ah, sorry. I just thought, I didn’t know you could make that kind of face.”

“Mm?”

“No, it’s just that I’ve never seen you smile before. That suits you better.”

“~~!!”

Shiba hadn’t said anything that would upset her. It was just that Himeno thought this was unfair. How could he say things like that? It made her feel embarrassed, like something out of a shoujo manga.

Still, Himeno was in a good mood. …For some reason, it frustrated her.

“Don’t look,” with a serious and cold face, she said deliberately.

“It’s fine, it’s a date, after all.”

“No. It’s an order.”

“An order!? W-well, if it’s an order… should I… obey?”

Not used to dating, Himeno used the word “order”. She probably never thought she’d say something like that. Shiba looked perplexed, his expression turning serious.

“Shiba.”

“Yeah? What’s up?”

“Changing the subject, can I ask you something?”

“Of course, go ahead.”

While sipping on a delicious drink, she thought this was the perfect place to have a slow conversation in. No, it wasn’t just that—she wanted to return the compliment because she had been praised.

She wanted to feel connected with him. It was a small wish she had.

“You surprised me, Shiba. You’re the first one who hasn’t been shocked by this outfit.”

Himeno tried to compliment him in her own way.

Himeno liked cute, frilly clothes, which was why she was dressed like this.

But still, she knew she stood out and attracted attention.

Shiba, however, didn’t mind the attention and continued their date without hesitation. There weren’t many people like him. Everyone, except for her friends, always told her to “wear more normal clothes.”

“To be honest, I was surprised, yeah. I’ve never seen someone put so much effort into their fashion.”

“…Is that so?”

It was a surprise to Himeno. She hadn’t seen any sign of surprise from Shiba since they’d first met.

“But I think the reason I didn’t show it is that I felt more strongly that it looks good on you.” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah. You’re wearing that cute outfit because you think it looks good on you, right?” 

“Yeah… that’s true.” 

…There was an awkward silence. She ended up leaving a pause before speaking again. Why did this make her so happy…? It was the first time a man had ever told her, “It looks good on you.” 

She had been looked at strangely so many times before. Right now, at this moment, she felt so lighthearted. But… she then realized something unnecessary. She had gotten carried away during the date. She’d forgotten. This person was only saying it because it was part of his job… 

He was just saying it to make her happy…

“…”

She didn’t want the things she loved, her hobbies, to be praised just because it was part of his job. She should’ve just taken the compliment as flattery. That way, she wouldn’t have felt so down.

She needed to switch gears… Thinking like this was selfish…

Trying to distract herself, she grabbed the large straw, took a sip of the tapioca drink—and that was when it happened.

“Ah, just so there’s no misunderstanding—I didn’t say that because it’s my job, okay? I’m not that good at pretending.”

“Cough! Cough!“

“Whoa, are you okay?!”

“Cough, cough… Y-yeah… cough!“

She choked, because it felt like he had just read her mind.

“Well, as long as that’s clear.”

“…”

Who was this person…?

She honestly thought that. She knew it was impossible, but it almost felt like he could read her mind… 

“Anyway, to get back to what I was saying… how should I put this… I’m kind of jealous of you, Himeno.”

“Huh…?”

Shiba rested his chin on his hand, looking at Himeno.

Why would he feel jealous? To Himeno, Shiba seemed so much more dazzling.

He had great communication skills, probably had tons of friends, and there were still so many good things about him she hadn’t even discovered yet.

“Himeno, you have hobbies, and you’re able to openly express the things you love, right?”

“Mm.”

“I’m the complete opposite of you. I don’t have any hobbies, and nothing really comes to mind when I think about what I love. If I had to say something, maybe just making money.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah, that’s why I admire the way you live, showing your interests so openly. People on the outside might have things to say, but I think worrying about that is pointless. There’s a famous quote that says, ‘There’s no such thing as a worthless hobby,’ and I truly believe that.”

“…Shiba…”

She knew that she had to respond. She should say something, but she didn’t want to open her mouth. She could only press her lips together tightly. Because if she opened her mouth, her face would probably—

Probably soften…

“Ahaha… I guess I got a little carried away. Sorry, I’m just going to the restroom for a bit.”

With an embarrassed smile, Shiba left his wallet on the table and quickly walked toward the restroom.

“…”

Left alone, Himeno tried to calm herself by taking a sip of her brown sugar tapioca milk.

But her lips kept curling into a smile, making it hard to drink.

“…Idiot, Shiba. You trust me too much…”

He probably left his wallet to show that he’d be coming back. But he could’ve just taken it with him since he already had his bag. What would he do if Himeno decided to steal his money?

But—

“That’s not even the point right now…”

Himeno forgot to worry about the people around her. She couldn’t hold it in anymore, and a smile naturally spread across her face.

She had never felt this happy before…