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

“Sigh… I don’t mind the donuts, but don’t make me the big eater, Aira. Buying five frankfurters for just the two of us is way too much. The cashier even asked me three times to confirm the order—just how many students now think I’m obsessed with sausages…?”

Ryoma and Aira were sitting at a table set up for the school festival.

On the table, there were four packs of yakisoba they had bought first, a box containing five donuts, and five frankfurters—matching the number of donuts. Even for two people, the amount of food seemed excessive and oddly unbalanced.

As they ate their yakisoba and frankfurters, their conversation continued.

“Says the guy who bought three packs of yakisoba without consulting me.”

“Wait… Aira, you’re not going to eat them?”

Ryoma asked, blinking in surprise.

“It’s not that I won’t eat them, but seriously, Ryoma-senpai, you’re way too much of a busybody. Buying this much just to make An say, ‘Eating a lot isn’t weird’—that’s insane. You could’ve saved 600 yen. What a waste.”

An was the masked girl working at the yakisoba stand. Ryoma had deliberately bought four packs just to get her to say, “O-oh, you’re really ordering three packs…?”

Considering he had ordered far more than he could eat, Aira was completely justified in calling him ridiculous.

“That wasn’t my intention. I just figured you’d be happy to eat three packs, Aira.”

“You’re a terrible liar. You spent your precious money trying to get on my good side—that’s basically the same as spoiling me.”

Aira pointed it out bluntly, implying, just admit it already.

“Look, I’m being completely honest when I say I wasn’t trying to gain favor. I’m not the type to calculate things like that in the first place.”

“—!”

The moment he finished speaking, Ryoma’s sharp gaze locked onto Aira.

It was a habit of his—something he did when he got serious.

Realizing he had picked up on her implication, Aira held her breath, waiting for his next words.

“I know this isn’t exactly the right atmosphere for a serious talk, but… I just don’t want you to push yourself too hard, Aira. I know about your family situation, and yet, you still work so hard at your studies. Just let me support you a little, at least.”

“This isn’t the time or place for that kind of talk… stop it…”

Even while holding a frankfurter in one hand, Ryoma’s sincerity came through loud and clear.

Aira took a sip of tea from a vending machine bottle, trying to regain her composure.

“You’re the one who gave off the vibe that I should explain myself. Besides… the contract period is almost up, so I wanted to say it now.”

Contract period.

Those words hit Aira hard.

It wasn’t as simple as just renewing the contract.

It was a stark reminder that their relationship was bound by an agreement—nothing more.

“…The contract period is almost over. One month went by so fast…”

“Yeah.”

December had already begun. Once the school festival ended, so would their one-month contract.

“…Ryoma-senpai.”

“Hm?”

“Since we’re on the topic… do you still not want a girlfriend?”

Aira spoke while eating a frankfurter, trying to mask her nervousness. She was only asking because Ryoma had previously said he didn’t want one.

“I have no plans to. Not that I’m saying this like I have any right to, but I wouldn’t even know how to get one.”

“That’s easy. You either confess or get confessed to.”

“That’s something only someone like you, who’s popular, can say so casually.”

Aira wasn’t wrong. That really was the only way.

But for someone to say it so easily, it had to be something that felt realistic to them.

“I-If you really don’t know how… what if I confessed to you, Ryoma-senpai? Would that… change anything? It’d at least solve the whole ‘not knowing how’ issue…”

She was being serious.

If she said, “Let’s go out,” then—

“That might be true, but I already told you. I have no intention of being in a relationship.”

“T-That’s what I don’t get! You’re at the age where you’d want a girlfriend the most!”

“I won’t deny that. But… I can’t have one until I graduate from university.”

Ryoma planned to continue his job as a rental boyfriend until he graduated, so he could pay back the tuition his sister Kaya had covered for him.

Money was his top priority—money to keep his sister from carrying that burden. A girlfriend was the last thing on his mind.

On top of that, having been cheated on by his ex, he couldn’t imagine dating someone while working as a rental boyfriend. He had no reason to quit a high-paying job that also let him maintain his lifestyle.

“Huh? What do you mean you ‘can’t’ have a girlfriend? Is this some kind of punishment game…?”

“I have my reasons… That’s why I’ll say this to you instead, Aira. Make sure you find a good partner.”

“You’re a good person, Ryoma-senpai. Coming from you, that advice has zero credibility. It’s like you’re saying my taste in people is trash.”

“…Well, since you’re looking at someone as rotten as me, your judgment might be off for the time being.”

“What!? That makes no sense! You’re not rotten at all, Ryoma-senpai!”

“Haha, I’d like to believe that too.”

Ryoma wasn’t doing this rental boyfriend job—or this contract with Aira—without struggle.

He was only acting in ways that made his clients happy for the sake of money. There wasn’t a full 100% sincerity behind his actions.

That inner conflict, that burden, was what he had referred to as being “rotten”.

Some might say, It’s money earned by making people happy, so what’s wrong with that? But Ryoma, being the kind of person who couldn’t just take money lightly—especially when he was in no position to turn down work—couldn’t bring himself to be fully okay with it.

In the end, it came down to personality. But one thing was certain: for someone who carried this kind of emotional burden, a rental boyfriend job was too much. It simply wasn’t suited for him.

“…Wait, I just realized something. You’re trying to save on contract fees by making me your boyfriend, aren’t you?”

“Ah, uh…”

“I’ll give you credit for thinking fast, but that’s not a reason to pick a boyfriend.”

That was just Ryoma overthinking things. Aira had no such intention.

“I’ll do my best, too. In my own way.”

“Maa… well, for now, just make sure you keep your promise to spend time with me, okay?”

“Yeah, of co—”

Ryoma turned to Aira to give his answer.

But just as he was about to say of course, his words stopped.

His lips trembled. His pupils widened.

“Ryoma… senpai?”

“…Sorry, Aira. I need to go to the bathroom.”