"You're only a first-year. You basically have no ability to repay."
"I remember you work part-time at a convenience store, but you barely make anything a month—probably not even enough for your own expenses. And your family isn't so well-off they can give you a big allowance in college, right?"
"As for rolling one loan into another… I don't know how much of your limit is left, but you're probably praying it goes up by another hundred-thousand or so this month. Otherwise you won't last long…"
As Shiratori Kiyoya spoke, his eyes moved over her earrings, necklace, handbag, and shoes in turn.
None of those are cheap for an ordinary college girl.
Not to mention her daily spend on makeup and skincare, plus the fact she rents off campus…
For her, the money from that job is a drop in the bucket. Forget making it to the end of the month—she'll probably burn through it the day it hits her account.
Young women especially love to compare.
Takahashi Mio is the type who'd rather go hungry for days—even make herself sick—than be looked down on; she'll buy luxury goods no matter what.
Kiyoya had her pegged at a glance—saw straight through her, down to the last thread.
"If you keep buying this kind of luxury stuff, next month or the month after will be your 'deadline.'"
"Do you know what happens when you can't repay? First they'll blast your contact list. Besides your family, you've got classmates in there, don't you? I'm guessing your social life is even livelier than I imagined…"
"You don't want your 'besties' to find out you've been living on loans, do you? Being looked down on doesn't feel great, does it?"
"If it were just going back to an ordinary life, fine. But think about what they'll say behind your back. Will you still fit into your old circle? Still make friends? You—"
"Enough!"
Takahashi Mio's lips trembled, her full chest heaving.
Her heartbeat wasn't like she'd just run eight hundred meters—it was more like there was a hundred-thousand-volt pacemaker in her chest.
She couldn't listen anymore. Frightened, she turned to leave.
But Kiyoya had no intention of stopping there.
Strike while the iron is hot; let it cool and it's over. The whole point of calling her here today was to seal the deal in one go.
He didn't have the patience to play with this kid.
Kiyoya stood and grabbed her pale arm.
"I'm not finished."
His grip hurt. She tried to shake him off, but he was shockingly strong for someone who didn't look it…
He leaned closer—close enough that she could see her own reflection in his eyes.
"Blasting your contacts is just the start. Do you know what kind of forces back these loan outfits? If you can't pay, they've got plenty of ways to make you pay."
"For example—you're pretty. There's a lot of 'value' to be extracted…"
He broke off there, the corner of his mouth lifting in a faint smile, giving her a look that said she could fill in the blanks herself.
Mio shuddered, a rush of awful images flashing through her mind.
Her strength vanished.
Kiyoya let go and she dropped to the ground.
A moment later—maybe because her fear had crossed its threshold—she inexplicably calmed down. She swallowed, bit her lip, and said:
"So you brought me here just to scare me? What do you actually want?"
Her presence had shrunk a lot compared to when she came in; you could hear the quiver in her voice.
"Why would I?"
Kiyoya shook his head, crouched, his face going blank again. He looked at her seriously. "I said all this because I want to help you."
"Help me?"
She shot back with a cold laugh. "Heh. Doesn't look like you're helping at all. You going to pay it for me?"
She wasn't a genius, but she wasn't an idiot either.
This bastard had threatened her this much—he was clearly trying to force her to do something.
Maybe something even nastier than having her contacts blasted.
Ever since she'd seen him, Kiyoya had worn a total poker face.
Even as a master at reading the room and an expert in malicious guesswork, Mio couldn't figure out what he was after.
"Something like that. I do plan to pay it."
Unexpectedly, a definite answer came out of Kiyoya's mouth.
"?"
Mio froze, wondering if she'd misheard.
"I can give you ¥1,000,000 right now, and then ¥300,000 every month after that."
At that, her eyes flew wide and a hot flush rose in her chest—then she decided he was messing with her and snapped:
"Hah? Are you out of your mind? Do I look like your plaything?"
"Do I look that idle? Just investigating you took me a lot of effort."
(It hadn't—he'd just used the system's appraisal.)
"Tch!"
At a loss for a retort, Mio turned her head away.
After a beat, once she'd settled a little, she found herself blurting:
"So what do you need me to do?"
She believes in luck, but not in free lunches.
If this sketchy guy was willing to give her that much money, he had to have an excessive demand.
"Simple. You just have to use your mouth."
She didn't reply. She stood, staring at him.
"Be my girlfriend."
Mio's face twisted into an "I knew it" look of disgust, and she turned to go.
"Ugh, you're disgusting—perverted creep, scumbag lech!"
This time Kiyoya didn't stop her. He just watched her back and said coolly:
"If I were you, in your situation, I'd hear me out before leaving. Either way, the choice is yours."
Her steps slowed. She shuffled two more paces and stopped at the door.
"All I need is for you to acknowledge me as your boyfriend, and while we're dating, you don't see other men. Do the things a normal girlfriend would. That's all."
Her pale ears twitched; it sounded like he was getting to her. She turned to look at him.
A moment later, a mocking smile lit her bright, pretty face.
"That's all? Someone like you will change the second we start dating. You 'don't need me to fulfill girlfriend obligations'? No kissing? No sex?"
Kiyoya tilted his head, voice flat. "If you're dying to, I can oblige. But you don't look that pent-up."
"You're insane!"
Her face went crimson.
"That's about it. Think it over."
"But I'm only waiting tonight. Tomorrow the offer's off. I'm sure plenty of people would agree to a 'deranged' deal like this."
He seemed even less patient than she was. Hands in his pockets, he strolled toward the stairs.
"…"
She stood there, rigid, her soft, thin lips pressed tight—like glossy segmented rings on a leech.
Mio was being torn up inside.
Finally, as Kiyoya drew level with her, she suddenly spoke.
"Wait!"
He turned, looking at her calmly.
"Were you serious?"
"What?"
Pressed like that, Mio bit down on her lip, lowered her eyes, and forced the words out:
"No… no s—sex?"
She said it very softly, face flaming.
"I said: no."
"And kissing?"
"If you really want, I'll reluctantly fulfill the duties of a boyfriend."
"What is this… like signing a contract."
Mio muttered with her head down and flicked an imaginary pebble with her toe.
Kiyoya heard her clearly and didn't argue.
There was no paperwork, but it was basically a contract.
He turned back to her and said, low and steady:
"So, Takahashi Mio—will you be my girlfriend?"
"…"
Mio looked at the boy in front of her, at a loss for words.
This… was awfully casual.
No candles, no flowers, no carefully prepared confession—
Just his dead-eyed stare and those cold, pre-programmed lines like a robot.
This wasn't the romance she'd imagined.
Even so, she still, inexplicably, nodded and took his left hand.
Ding.
[You are now dating Takahashi Mio.]
[Received Romance Bonus: ¥5,000,000.]
[Romance Check-in: 0 days (Bonus ¥1,000,000 at 30 days).]
[Unlocked: Takahashi Mio Career Development Plan.]
[Please choose a career development track…]
[Romance training target: 1/1…]