I'm in a Messed Up Situation that I Couldn't Care More. - Chapter 4: Stop. Something Feels Off

Chapter 4: Stop. Something Feels Off

Having no choice, I asked my friend from university if I could stay over for one night.

The reason I told him as to why I had to stay over was that, “My neighbor was really loud,”.

The fact that I’ve been evicted…

He’s my friend, I should have talked to him properly about the real reason.

But I just figured that it was too much effort than it was worth.

***************

In the afternoon, I contacted the woman who ran the sports gym.

Her contact information was written on a name card that had become crumpled in my pant’s pocket.

The person answered the phone right away.

“I would like you to come to gym now,”

Is what she said.

The building had a striking appearance, like a fortress or a museum, with gray concrete and randomly placed windows.

On the third floor was a sign that read, “Personal Training Studio Hiruma,”.

It was filled with mysterious muscle-training machines.

“Haha. I didn’t expect you to contact me yourself, Kashitani Koichi-kun. Wasn’t it three days ago that I scouted you in Shibuya?”

“Yes. I was suddenly offered a part-time job in Shibuya by you…”

The woman stared at me with a smirk.

Hiruma Touko.

That’s what was written on her business card.

She looked to be in her late twenties? or early thirties?

It was hard to tell.

She had curly permed hair that fell to her shoulders, and she wore tortoiseshell glasses.

“Do you want me to call you ‘Ko-chan’ or ‘Koichi-kun’?”

“Just ‘Koichi’ is fine. No need for honorifics.”

“Okay, Koichi. When can you start working?”

Hiruma-san held my hand.

I was startled and pulled my hand back by instinct.

A part-time job at a training gym.

It might be a common job, but I had my reasons for finding it suspicious.

First, I was not even muscular, yet I was suddenly scouted to a training gym.

Also, Hiruma-san kept touching me as we talked.

That’s right.

This woman was unusually touchy-feely.

Maybe she had lived abroad?

I’ve also heard that skinship in other countries seems to be on a level above my understanding…

“I can start working right away, if you will allow me to.

But Hiruma-san, I have no experience with machines in a gym..”

“Oh, regarding that? It’s fine.”

“Oh, eh..?”

I wasn’t muscular, and I didn’t know anything about muscle training.

Why had I been scouted?

“Well, I’m pretty sure I won’t be working as a live-in, right?”

I went straight to the point.

“Eh?”

Hiruma-san’s eyes widened.

“Actually, I don’t have a place to live right now. If that’s not possible… well, I don’t think it is, but if it’s really not, I’ll have to look for somewhere else that allows me to live-in.”

“Then just live here?”

Surprisingly, Hiruma-san suggested this.

“Here!?”

“This gym has a shower room, and there’s a small room where you can take a nap. It’s perfect, isn’t it?”

“Are you serious…?”

“Yeah.”

Can such a good deal really exist?

I’d get to live here and work, and the hourly wage was 3,000 yen.

The shift was only about five hours a day.

“But in return, I want you to promise me something.”

Hiruma-san suddenly fixed her sharp gaze on me.

“Please don’t take on any other part-time jobs or work anywhere else aside from here.”

“Eh? I work at a cafe during the day and a pub at night…”

“Just quit those jobs. Our wage is better, right?”

“Well, yes, but…”

“Well I don’t really mind you continuing those jobs that you currently have, but…”

“?”

“I want you to never accept any other work offers, no matter what.”

Himura-san said this to me in a low voice.

At that moment, that man in the Hannya mask came to mind.

I had already transferred most of the 1 million yen I received from him to my university account earlier in the morning.

“Yes… I won’t accept any more offers, from now on.”

I promised Hiruma-san in a small voice, looking down.

I promised not to accept any more offers “from now on.”

I had already accepted the job from Hannya before making this promise to Hiruma-san, so I figured it was fine.

I decided to conveniently interpret it that way.

“But why are you saying this?”

I asked Hiruma-san.

“Because I don’t want to lose an excellent employee like you to another company.

That’s all.”

“Excellent…? Another company…?”

I didn’t quite understand.

But if I pushed the matter and said, ‘What exactly do you mean by that?’.

And if she were to say, ‘Are you not willing to work?’, I would most likely be thrown out.

I had found a place to stay and a high-paying job.

I couldn’t let this opportunity slip away.

******************

Hiruma-san gave me a tour of the gym.

“There’s also a washing machine here, in addition to the shower room.

You’re lucky, aren’t you?”

“Can I use it?”

“If it’s here, then feel free to use it.”

Hiruma-san was very generous.

I opened the door with a “STAFF” plate on it.

“This is where you’ll sleep and spend your days off. There’s even an air conditioner.”

“Thank you so much.”

I bowed my head.

The room was about four and a half tatami mats in size.

It had a single bed, a small window with white blinds, a small square table, and a chair.

It was a simple room, but it seemed just right for me, who had suddenly become a “minimalist.”

Could this be for real?

“Stop. Something feels off,” warned the cautious part of me in the back of my mind.

But the optimistic side of me shouted, “Don’t worry about it!”

Usually, my optimistic side was stronger, and it often won out.

This time was no exception.