This "advice date" sounds like a grand affair, but in reality, it's no different from a regular date. If the client wants advice on their appearance, I give it to them. If they're just here to complain, I say what they want to hear. It's a simple job.
"What do you think of this school system? Since you're in Class D, you must have some complaints."
...But I've never had a client like her before. Most people use this service to relieve stress from class warfare, so her bringing up this topic makes me suspicious. I wonder if there's a hidden agenda.
"When I first heard about it, I was surprised. But I've just accepted it for what it is. School life is fun, after all."
"...I see. Well, I'm still not sold on this system. Suddenly forcing us to fight with other classes like this."
Kamuro-san muttered, as if trying to probe me for information. Ugh, I shouldn't have agreed to this so easily. It's going to be a pain if this is some kind of reconnaissance mission for another class, especially since she's from Class A.
I told myself I felt safe because she was a referral...but that's just an excuse. The real reason is that she's cute, simple as that.
"It is what it is, right? As long as you don't get expelled, things will work out."
Kamuro-san sighed in disbelief at my optimistic words.
"Honestly, you're pretty thick-skinned for someone who does this kind of thing."
I'm aware of it. But hearing it to my face is a little annoying, so I'll give her some advice. She had asked me to let go of her hand out of embarrassment, so I had, but now I smoothly close the distance between us and take her hand again.
"W-what are you doing?"
"Advice #1: Don't call me thick-skinned on a date. And you should look like you're having more fun."
Kamuro-san flustered, but I mercilessly intertwined our fingers. Her fingers were stiff with tension, making it easy to do the lovers' knot.
"A date... but we're not a real cou-"
"Don't. It's not cool to say things that kill the mood."
I smoothly placed my index finger over her lips just as she was about to say something unnecessary. Kamuro-san's eyes widened in surprise, then her face flushed as she averted her gaze.
Seeing her naive reaction, I smiled and squeezed her hand.
"Come on, we're going to look at clothes, right? Let's just have fun today."
"...Okay."
We started walking again. Her hand was still tense, but she didn't pull away. At the same time, I became certain of one thing.
"Oh! I think this would look great on you!"
"Y-you do?"
Her real purpose for this date wasn't about me at all; it was something else entirely.
---------
After the date went smoothly, we were eating a late dinner on the upper floor of Keyaki Mall. The lights of Tokyo could be seen in the distance through the window. It was a rather sophisticated experience, having dinner with a cute girl while enjoying the night view.
As I took in the beautiful view of the girl and the city lights, Kamuro-san spoke in a languid tone.
"...We have to be here for three more years."
"Three years of high school will fly by, you know? Besides, it's not a bad place... as long as you have an allowance."
That's a topic for another day. I just want my points back soon.
"Heh, what's that supposed to mean? You're eating with my points."
Kamuro-san put a hand to her mouth and laughed elegantly. The initial awkwardness from when we first met had disappeared, and she seemed to be enjoying herself.
"Thanks for the food!"
"Honestly... you're so shameless."
Her words were harsh, but I could feel the affection beneath them. I'm glad she had a good time.
A few seconds of silence passed between us. Kamuro-san seemed to want to say something, but after clearing her throat, she spoke with resolve.
"...Hey, how many other people do you do this 'service' for?"
Here it comes. Most of the girls ask this at the end of the date. Even though they know it's a rental, they probably think there's a chance we could actually get together.
When this happens, it's best to be upfront about the fact that it's not going to happen. It's a pain if things get complicated. The right thing to do is to pull back before it gets to that point.
"Hmm... around ten or so. You're all important 'clients,' including you."
"...I see."
Ah, she looks a little sad. Well, it can't be helped. If she really wants to date me, she should try to get to know me in private, not like this.
Unlike a rental boyfriend, I'm a real catch, but first, I need to get through Arisu's wall... I'm probably not going to make it, though.
"Then what would you do if you really fell for someone? Or what if you started dating someone?"
Kamuro-san asked bluntly... Ouch, that's a sore spot. I'll have to be evasive here.
"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I hope the people who use this service can find happiness in other ways. Don't you think you learned a lot today, Kamuro-san?"
I glanced at the paper bags in the shopping basket. Since she's in Class A, she probably has a lot of money. Kamuro-san was so cute when she got excited about the clothes I suggested.
"I... I appreciate it. But that's a different story, isn't it?"
She's sharp, as expected from someone in Class A... Class A, huh? I really shouldn't have agreed to this. She probably won't tell anyone in her class, but it would be a pain if Arisu found out. Even though we aren't dating, it was a little scary when she found out I was a sugar baby in middle school...
Kamuro-san's expression showed she wasn't convinced. I realized I couldn't brush this off. So, I decided to tell her the truth. I spoke without a single lie.
"I do have someone I like, of course, other than my clients. She's been my childhood friend since forever. I'd honestly be willing to die for her happiness."
Kamuro-san's eyes went wide with surprise at my serious words. ...I messed up. Did I freak her out?
"I see... I feel so stupid."
I was expecting a harsh response, but she just laughed self-deprecatingly and said, "If you like her that much, why don't you just date her? You could do it, couldn't you?"
For some reason, Kamuro-san sounded so certain. I joked, "Was our date that good?" but I couldn't think straight. I tried to string some words together to get out of it.
"Haha, what do you think?"
I laughed it off, but my mind wasn't so easily fooled, and the noise in my head grew louder.
Arisu isn't someone a piece of trash like me should be dating... A scumbag who surrounds himself with girls just to fill the hole in his heart.
Yes, I'm sure Arisu would regret it if she dated me. She deserves a better partner than a man who has brought nothing but misfortune to the people around him.
"Hey, you look pale. Are you okay?"
"...Yeah, I'm fine."
What am I doing? I'm getting paid, so I should be doing my job properly. Can't I even do that?
My thoughts aren't working right.
"Sorry, I'm going to the restroom for a minute."
"Wait...!"
Ignoring Kamuro-san, who reached out to me with a worried expression, I hurried to the restroom.
"Ugh... blegh."
After locking myself in the multi-purpose restroom, I threw up everything I had eaten today into the toilet.
"...Haha, what a waste of a dinner."
I washed my mouth out with water from the sink and splashed my face twice to wake myself up. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and muttered to myself, as if to hypnotize myself.
"You can do this, you piece of shit. A face like that is far from being a 'dashing man fresh out of the water.'"
After wiping the water from my face with a paper towel, I returned to Kamuro-san with a composed walk.
"Oh..."
"Sorry about that. It's getting late, so should we head back?"
"...Okay."
I spoke to Kamuro-san, who was looking at me awkwardly. Good, I'm smiling properly. Keep it up.
---------
"Alright, that's it for today. You don't have to worry about the points; I've already received them! I had fun, Kamuro-san."
We sat on a bench in the park near the dorms, and this is where we would part ways. Saito spoke to me with the same pleasant smile as before. It was so natural, I almost thought the expression he had earlier was a figment of my imagination.
"I'm sorry, I asked you something strange before."
This apology might be unnecessary, but I couldn't not apologize. His reaction was so painful to witness.
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Nothing. I... had a lot of fun, too."
He acted as if he didn't remember anything, and I couldn't find the words. Does he want to hide it that badly?
"I'm glad to hear that! I have to go somewhere else, so I'll see you later, Kamuro-san."
"Yeah, good night."
He gave a small wave and turned to walk away. I was surprised that I felt a sense of longing as I watched him go. I pulled out my smartphone and opened the call screen for 'Sakayanagi Arisu.' The call had been going on for six hours, and the battery was almost dead.
"Could you hear him? The childhood friend he was talking about. That's you, isn't it?"
"Hehe, it seems so. What a naughty boy you are, Tsugumi-kun."
I heard a cheerful voice on the other end of the line. What she had done was simple: she was eavesdropping. She had wanted to follow him, but she said she couldn't handle the physical strain of walking around by herself. So, she had been listening to our conversation on the phone from her room.
"It's quite a rare mistake for Tsugumi-kun to be so careless with a girl from Class A."
"You probably thought I'd start interrogating you as soon as I found out, instead of going through all this."
This was a lot of trouble for me... but she paid for everything, and I had fun, so it's fine.
"He's such a pathetic man. Why is he hesitating so much?"
The topic of conversation then shifted to Saito.
"You've fallen for a troublesome man, haven't you? You've known each other since you were seven. What happened? That trauma seems to be deeply rooted."
From the look of despair on his face, it must be a deep-seated trauma. I was curious, but Sakayanagi's answer was the last thing I expected.
"Who knows?"
"...What? You don't know anything about it?"
It turned out she knew nothing about his past. Despite her words, Sakayanagi sounded confident. She continued to speak eagerly.
"Yes. What that foolish Tsugumi-kun is carrying all by himself... that's not for me to know."
Her voice seemed to contain joy, excitement, and a hint of anger.
"He doesn't understand at all how much he saved me back then. In that case, I'll just keep teaching him until he understands. After all..."
"You're not allowed to not feed a fish you've already caught."
============
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