Chapter 59 That Was Just Work

"Ding-dong-chime!"

Sugawara Ryuichi, who had been in a great mood from unboxing and drawing a prize, felt completely numb upon seeing the message sent by Yamabuki Tsuki, even slipping into a state of panic.

The oppressive weight of this message was simply too intense, resembling the scene of a boyfriend being caught red-handed in infidelity and interrogated on the spot.

What was even more terrifying was that this message had been sent at six in the evening, and it was already nine.

The feeling was akin to having too much fun and completely failing to notice a message from one's girlfriend.

How was one supposed to reply to such a question? No matter how he answered, it felt like certain death.

Lying and saying no was definitely out of the question.

After all, the very fact that Yamabuki Tsuki asked this meant she already knew; she was questioning him while already holding the answer.

As for confessing, that was even more out of the question—it would be a total path to self-destruction.

In a daze, he had the illusion that he was not holding a smartphone, but a time bomb.

"No... why should I be afraid? She isn't even my girlfriend."

Just as he was racking his brains, completely at a loss for how to respond, Sugawara Ryuichi suddenly calmed down.

Any normal man would undoubtedly feel frightened in this situation; after all, facing interrogation from an official girlfriend after having a guilty conscience was terrifying.

The problem, however, was that Yamabuki Tsuki was not his official girlfriend.

He and Yamabuki Tsuki shared a completely normal teacher-student relationship, and through a twist of fate, they had gone on a single, make-believe date.

If one insisted on labeling it, their relationship amounted to nothing at all, at most carrying a tiny hint of ambiguity.

For instance, during the accidental course of that date, they had held hands, hugged, and kissed a little cheek.

"That's right, what do I have to be afraid of?"

At this thought, an infinite surge of confidence welled up in Sugawara Ryuichi's heart.

Yamabuki Tsuki had known all along that he was a rental boyfriend.

Wasn't it completely normal for him to go on dates with other girls?

"Right."

Regaining his momentum, Sugawara Ryuichi looked at the message from Yamabuki Tsuki once more. His fingers finally became nimble, and he typed out a righteous and confident reply.

With a clear conscience, one fears no shadows. A true man needs no explanations and bravely confesses everything!

Though he thought this way, just as he intended to tap the send button, his thumb froze right before it landed.

In an instant, the image of Yamabuki Tsuki wearing black silk stockings and high heels flashed before his eyes.

Although he and Yamabuki Tsuki truly had no substantial relationship, and after the rental period ended, the next time they met they hadn't even spoken a word, exchanging at most a very brief glance—

Thinking of the saying that a woman adorns herself for the one who pleases her, it was impossible to claim he didn't care about Yamabuki Tsuki's feelings at all.

Sugawara Ryuichi tapped the chat box, brought up the smartphone's keyboard to delete the short reply, and crafted a new message instead. After reading it over and over to ensure there were no flaws, he finally sent it.

Constellations: "To be precise, I wasn't going out to have fun with her; rather, she paid me to accompany her and her friends to karaoke."

This message was quite reliable, clearly explaining the specific circumstances while also laying out the logic behind his actions.

Compared to a blunt and defiant "Right," offering a bit of explanation was much better, or at least it wouldn't hurt quite as much.

Perhaps Yamabuki Tsuki had been waiting for his reply all along, because he received an answer almost immediately.

Moon: "Paid you to go to karaoke... In other words, you weren't just casually hanging out with them? You were working?"

Seeing her reply, which showed she fully grasped the situation, Sugawara Ryuichi felt a wave of relief wash over him.

That was right; he wasn't out having fun with girls—he was going to work.

"Yes, because yesterday after school, she tried to invite me to karaoke, and when I refused, this whole thing came about."

Adding further details, Sugawara Ryuichi felt the situation was looking up.

Indeed, harmony between people still relied on communication. Refusing to explain would only make matters more complicated and could even escalate to an irreversible point.

Besides, Teacher Yamabuki was quite understanding. Should he call it the perk of being an adult? She didn't fall into the trap of demanding an explanation only to refuse to listen once you gave it.

Moon: "How did Takanashi know you were available for rent?"

Upon seeing this message, Sugawara Ryuichi, who had just been feeling at ease, instantly sensed impending trouble.

How did Yuki Takanashi know he could be rented... Naturally, it was the result of his direct pitch to her face.

Had he not pitched to her in person, the probability of a schoolmate surfing the net and discovering his Twitter account as a rental boyfriend was actually quite low.

What was more, the profile picture on his Twitter showed him wearing a mask in profile, concealing his true face. Even if someone who knew him saw it, they might not recognize him at first glance.

He had put a lot of thought into the decision to use a masked selfie as his avatar.

On one hand, a mask significantly enhanced one's perceived attractiveness, preserved a sense of mystery, and aroused curiosity in others.

On the other hand, he wasn't yet sure whether he was suited for the rental boyfriend industry at the time and merely wanted to give it a try, which was why he adopted the masked approach.

After all, he had no idea if he would keep doing it long-term; exposing his real face right off the bat—how was that any different from going all-in?

After careful consideration, Sugawara Ryuichi replied to her question.

Constellations: "I told her."

A lie remains a lie, and the day will always come when it is seen through.

Instead of forcibly lying, it was better to lay the issue out on the table and deal with it.

Moon: "???"

Constellations: "Yesterday, after I turned her down, she didn't just give up; she secretly followed me."

Moon: "Could it be that you went out to work as a rental boyfriend yesterday too?"

Constellations: "I'm just a rookie, where would I get that many orders? At the time, I was just strolling around by myself and didn't do anything strange."

Moon: "And then?"

Constellations: "I noticed she was following me back then and was genuinely startled. Because of that, I ended up lecturing her and her friends. It's a good thing I didn't have any orders yesterday; if they had followed me while I was working, wouldn't that have been disastrous?"

Moon: "True. If they found out you were secretly operating as a rental boyfriend, they might use it to blackmail you."

Constellations: "Actually, even if they found out, they couldn't blackmail me... My worry at the time was that if they had followed and discovered me on a date with you, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

At this point in the conversation, a brief pause ensued.

Through the mobile chat, Sugawara Ryuichi could not see Yamabuki Tsuki's expression, but if he guessed correctly, it should be favorable.

Moon: "And later?"

Constellations: "Once I caught them tailing me, they had no choice but to leave... But Takanashi didn't leave. Instead, she played a game of wordplay with me and waited at the station... saying that just because I wouldn't let her follow me didn't mean she couldn't wait for me."

Moon: "Isn't that just acting shamelessly?"

Constellations: "Anyway, because of that chance encounter on Saturday, she really wanted to go to karaoke with me once. I simply told her that if she wanted me to go to karaoke with her, she could, but it would cost money. She hesitated for a whole night, and today she finally made up her mind to pay and invite me."

As this message went out, the heavy boulder hanging in Sugawara Ryuichi's chest finally crashed down.

Though it had drained a lot of brain cells, generally speaking, this matter could be considered explained clearly.

Right at that moment, Yamabuki Tsuki sent another message:

"So when you went on that rental date with her, did you do anything?"

Though this was another question, unlike the previous ones, the phrasing of her text carried an unmistakable tone of bashfulness, alongside a clear hint of jealousy, like an overturned jar of vinegar.