Chapter 41: A Direct Pitch

The topic of rental girlfriends and rental boyfriends was, without a doubt, the hottest subject at Takeno High School last week. It had only intensified over the weekend as some students decided to try the service for themselves.

Yuki Takanashi had naturally heard the gossip, though she hadn't delved into it. Her reasoning was simple: she found the idea of paying for a boyfriend utterly ridiculous. With rental fees starting at 5,000 yen, it felt like daylight robbery. Still, she wasn't surprised that people were trying it; there would always be fools willing to be taken in, and there were far too many wealthy people in the world.

What she never could have imagined, even in her wildest dreams, was that the school's renowned star student, Ryuichi Sugawara, was a rental boyfriend. This unexpected revelation shattered her entire perception of him.

"Do you understand now?" Ryuichi asked with a faint, amused smile, watching her cute, stunned expression.

His decision to reveal his profession had been impulsive, much like Yuki’s sudden desire to treat him to a meal. Furthermore, Yuki had just clarified that her approach wasn't born of romantic interest, but mere curiosity.

"Wait, Sugawara-kun, you're not joking with me, are you?" Seeing the smile on his lips, Yuki realized what he was implying.

"I am not joking. This is the real me. Now that you know this, do you still want to treat me to dinner?" Ryuichi looked down at her, shaking his head slightly at her whimsy.

A date and a rental date were entirely different concepts. The former was a mutual pursuit, a shared journey where sparks of genuine attraction could blossom into a real relationship. The latter was simple: you pay, I comply. It was a transaction, and when the time was up, it was over. No matter how many heart-fluttering moments occurred, the fundamental nature of their relationship remained unchanged.

"This..." Realizing he was serious, Yuki looked up at him, her worldview in tatters, forced to reconstruct her understanding of him.

Incredibly, even though Ryuichi was standing right before her, the knowledge that he was a rental boyfriend created a profound sense of distance. It was as if they belonged to two different worlds, separated by a pane of glass.

In a flash of clarity, everything made sense. Why had he been taking those strange, rapid-fire selfies with different poses on his way home from school? It had seemed so eerie and out of character. If he were a rental boyfriend, it all made sense—he must have been chatting with a client.

Suddenly, another thought occurred to her. "Then, when you said you didn't want to date anyone, was that true or false?"

"True." This was Ryuichi’s first time soliciting a client in person; lacking experience, he remained patient.

"Then why are you a rental boyfriend?"

"To make money. A rental boyfriend is not the same as a romantic partner. The former is a short-term arrangement, the latter a long-term commitment."

"Fair enough." Faced with this, Yuki had no choice but to concede. The reason—to make money—was blunt and unapologetic. While she didn't know much about the profession, from what she’d heard, it seemed like a wildly profitable industry. Or rather, to be precise, a complete rip-off. An hourly wage of at least 5,000 yen, where you could only hold hands and had to ask permission for a hug—if that wasn't robbery, what was?

"Are you rejecting me?" Yuki’s thoughts raced, and she couldn't help but look up at him.

"I'm not rejecting you. I'm just giving you a choice. If you truly want to take me out to dinner, as long as you pay the fee, I’m yours." Ryuichi explained after a moment’s thought. In truth, he knew exactly why he was doing this: to draw a clear line. But most of the time, the raw truth was too harsh to be spoken aloud.

"Then why didn't you say so before? Why only now?" Yuki wanted to clear up the situation, but since he was being evasive, she switched tactics. Honestly, she was confused. If he were interested in her, he wouldn't be treating her like a customer, yet his confession felt strangely personal.

Faced with her persistent questioning, Ryuichi paused. He looked at her delicate face and glanced down at her slim waist, accentuated by the jacket tied around it, before speaking. "Because you are beautiful."

"..." Yuki’s large, curious eyes froze at the unexpected answer. She felt caught off guard. A moment later, she self-consciously averted her gaze, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and biting her lip. She had heard compliments about her appearance countless times from boys who wanted to pursue her, but coming from Ryuichi—the very person who had just "rejected" her—these words felt uniquely sweet and persuasive. It made her genuinely happy, even a bit flattered.

"Besides, you were always with your friends before. I didn't want too many people to know about this."

Since he had already confessed, Ryuichi didn't mind continuing.

"Oh, I see..." Yuki’s face grew warm. Did that mean he didn't want everyone to know he was a rental boyfriend, but because she was special, he was willing to tell her?

"If it’s possible, I would actually prefer to be rented by a girl as beautiful as you." Seeing her flustered reaction, Ryuichi decided to strike while the iron was hot. Because his first client, Tsukiyo Yamabuki, had provided such a wonderful experience, he had developed a taste for it—along with a healthy dose of anxiety about future clients. He hoped his next customer would be pleasant, or at least have a good personality, to avoid being stuck with someone like a middle-aged woman looking for a fling.

Hearing his charming words, Yuki’s heart felt as though it might leap from her chest. Her mind was a complete jumble.

"But... I don't have that much money on me right now..." Flustered by his praise and terrified he might continue, she spoke up timidly.

"It’s fine. Can you just keep my job a secret?" Sensing her polite refusal, Ryuichi didn't intend to force the issue. As he spoke, the prompt for the date invitation slowly faded from his vision, seemingly registered as a rejection by the system.

"Mm-hmm." Realizing he wasn't going to press the matter, Yuki breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. She would never tell anyone that Ryuichi was a rental boyfriend; if Kyoko found out, the consequences could be disastrous.

"Let what happened today remain our secret. Promise?" For the sake of security, Ryuichi extended his hand, hooking his pinky finger.

"Promise." To put the matter to rest, Yuki didn't refuse, hooking her finger with his.