I Started a Lover-for-Hire Service, And For Some Reason, Only Beautiful Girls Are Requesting Me - Chapter 8: End of the Date - Ryoma and Himeno’s Side

“Shiba, I had fun today.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

The time was 8:50 PM.

A perfectly clear night, with the waxing moon rising along with the stars. The cold air passed through their clothes. As he felt his body heat disperse, Ryoma looked up at the sky.

They were in front of the fountain at East Park, the meeting place.

Himeno and Ryoma were sitting on a bench, spending the remaining time together.

“What about you, Shiba?”

“Me? I had plenty of fun too.”

He tilted his head slightly and answered, looking into Himeno’s eyes.

“You’re lying, you’re just being considerate.”

“You’re the one who asked me that after hearing it from me.”

A date with someone they’d met for the first time. At first, he was worried if he’d be able to handle it, but looking back now, it was an unnecessary worry.

As time passed, the distance between them shrank, and during the last hour, even though he was aware of the label “boyfriend”, he was able to enjoy himself naturally.

It was fun. That was his honest feeling, not a polite lie.

“Shiba just drank tapioca and tagged along while I went shopping. There’s no way that was fun.”

“That’s a misunderstanding. If it hadn’t been fun, the time wouldn’t have gone by so quickly… but even so, that’s just how I feel, so I can’t really convey it to you, can I?”

“…Mm. Well, I guess that’s fine.”

Himeno responded with her usual expressionless face, and maybe it was just his imagination, but Ryoma wondered if perhaps she was a little happy.

“Shiba.”

“Hm?”

“When are you free?”

Though the subject was not explicitly stated, the context made it clear what “free” referred to.

“I’m basically free except for Thursdays and Saturdays.”

He had part-time work at a bookstore on Thursdays and Saturdays. Ideally, he would like to request more shifts, but due to the number of staff, two shifts a week was the maximum he could get.

“So, other than Thursday and Saturday… I see.”

“…?”

Himeno took her smartphone out of her shoulder bag and began flicking her fingers across the screen. The large, cat-shaped silicone phone cover couldn’t fit in her pocket. It looked a bit like she was trying to show it off, which made it oddly cute.

“I made a note of the days you’re free.”

“Well… should I say thank you for that?”

“Mm.”

Taking a note of his free days meant that, at the very least, there was a possibility that she’d ask for him again in the future. It was a sign that he had fulfilled her expectations.

It could be said that his first time as a “substitute boyfriend” had been a success.

From there, they exchanged a little small talk. Before long, it was 9:00 PM. That was the scheduled end time for the “lover-for-hire” service.

Once the contracted time was up, their relationship, too, would end. After all, this was a job, so his tone would naturally return to normal.

“Then, I will take the payment.”

Just as Ryoma was about to speak further, Himeno took out a long, black enamel wallet. From the high-end wallet with the letters “L” and “V” on it, she smoothly handed him 10,000 yen.

“Keep it all.”

“Uh, well…”

Today’s “boyfriend substitute” service lasted for 3 hours.

The hourly wage for this part-time job was 3,000 yen. For 3 hours of work, the normal amount would be 9,000 yen, but as you can see, Himeno was offering him more than that.

Ryoma wanted the money. He wanted even one more yen, but he couldn’t help feeling reluctant. It was his nature.

“Take it.”

But this was what Yukiya, the one who had introduced him to the “substitute boyfriend” job, had told him.

“Some people might even give you extra as pocket money or a bonus.” 

“Even though Himeno is a student, I make money. This is a thank-you for making it fun.”

“Do you really mean that?”

“Mm.”

“…Then I’ll accept it without hesitation. Thank you.”

Ryoma accepted the 10,000 yen from Himeno’s hand.

Himeno’s words weren’t a lie. Her serious expression said it all.

“I’m going home now.”

“It’s late, so that’s probably for the best. Are you sure you don’t need me to walk you back?”

Seeing Himeno stand up from the bench, Ryoma stood up as well.

“Mm, it’s fine.”

“I see.”

It was up to the client’s judgment whether to have the substitute escort them home, but on a first assignment, more than 90% of the time, it was declined. This was because there could be issues when the substitute knew the client’s home address.

This was something the agency had told Himeno as a precaution.

Even if there was a high level of trust, it was not advisable to share one’s home address.

“Take care on your way home.”

“Mm.”

“Thank you very much.”

Until the very end, Himeno was true to herself. Without giving any impression of reluctance, she gave a brief farewell and left, her small footsteps gradually fading away. The moment her small back disappeared from view—

“Ugh, I’m exhausted…”

With a deep sigh, Ryoma sat down again.

He stretched his legs and closed his eyes tightly, enough to make wrinkles appear around his eyes.

“Turns out, making money isn’t easy…”

Right after finishing his first job, Ryoma was now truly feeling it.

The white carpet and pink curtains.

On the L-shaped glass desk, there’s a 21.5-inch PC, and a pink gaming chair is positioned facing it.

On either side of the L-shaped desk are two 125 cm tall bookshelves, one filled with novels and the other packed with manga.

There isn’t a speck of dust on the bookshelves. Each item is treated with care, cherished and loved.

In addition, there’s a white two-person sofa, and along the windowsill, numerous stuffed animals are displayed. The large one-room apartment, decorated mainly in white and pink, exudes a sense of cleanliness and harmony.

“Mm~”

Having changed into her pajamas after a bath, Himeno sank her face into the huge 120 cm orca stuffed animal on the single bed, letting out a small smile.

“It was fun… the date with Shiba…”

Living alone. A room with no one but Himeno.

“Shiba… I’m glad he had fun too.”

She murmured softly, careful not to let it leak outside, as it would be embarrassing. Even though she was talking to herself, it still felt a little embarrassing.

“I had a lot of fun too.”

Those words might have been a lie. Shiba probably had plenty of lines that could make Himeno happy.

But she couldn’t bring herself to think that way. She couldn’t explain it, but somehow, she just felt it was genuine.

“A boyfriend…”

She had always envied couples. But today, she envied them even more. She wanted a boyfriend even more. She wanted one… but she still didn’t have the courage to accept it if someone were to confess to her. Even if it was someone she liked…

That was how deeply the memory of that punishment game scared her.

If Himeno were to confess to someone, and even if they accepted her feelings, what if it was just part of a dare? She didn’t think she’d ever recover from that.

It might seem overly sensitive, but it was truly a painful memory for her…

That’s why, for now, it was better to pay someone to play the role of a boyfriend. It felt safer that way.

But… what should she do starting tomorrow…?

Himeno felt anxious. It was because Ami and Fuuko had seen her on the date.

It was fine with Fuuko since she was in a different class, but Ami was in the same class as her.

She’d definitely get questioned at university.

Where did she meet Shiba? What did she like about him? Who confessed to whom?

They’d also say things like, “Tell me how the date went.”

Even if she started thinking of answers to the questions now, Himeno had no confidence she could handle it smoothly. After all, it was embarrassing… even if the relationship was fake.

“Remain silent.”

Those two words popped into Himeno’s mind. Ami and Fuko would probably find it boring, but it was the best way to avoid digging herself into a hole.

She didn’t really want to go to university tomorrow because of the inevitable questioning, but more than that—

“I want to hang out with Shiba again…”

She felt glad she had hired that particular agency. If she’d gone with a different one, she never would’ve met Shiba.

(I can still feel it…)

Shiba’s hand—a man’s hand. Rough, large enough to envelop hers, and it made her feel safe. Even after they’d finished drinking their bubble tea, they kept holding hands.

She was glad she’d gathered the courage to say, “Let’s hold hands.”

Honestly, she wanted to hold his hand again.

She couldn’t quite describe the feeling… but it wasn’t unpleasant. It was soft and warm, leaving her feeling light and fuzzy inside. She felt like her face was getting more relaxed without her even realizing it.

(So this is how people with boyfriends feel.)

Shaking her head slightly, she buried her face deeper into the orca plush.

“This feeling… it’s so embarrassing…”

She never thought she’d be this affected.

She found herself thinking about when she should meet Shiba next.

Before going to bed, Himeno opened Twit○er on her phone to post her usual daily tweet. But today, it was a little different.

“I want a boyfriend!”

For the first time ever, she added an exclamation mark to a tweet from her Devil-chan account, her cheeks flushed red as she hit send.

Naturally, it caused a bit of chaos.