The atmosphere in the restaurant felt like it was split into two worlds, with only the silence beside him weighing heavily.
Fortunately, fast food didn't take long to prepare.
Before Yuu could decide how to react, the screen above the counter lit up with their order number.
"Ah, the order's ready. Let's grab it!"
Shifting her aggressive gaze, Haruno's eyes sparkled as she nudged his shoulder to go get the food.
As if nothing had happened, she took the tray laden with food, walking lightly toward an empty table while humming the tune she'd heard yesterday.
Meanwhile, Yuu carried two drinks, unsure what expression to wear, following behind her with a blank face.
In just a few minutes, he had to revise his earlier assumptions.
Yukinoshita Haruno was clearly not as simple as "someone easy to get along with."
Haruno knew he wanted to keep his distance, yet she deliberately touched his shoulder.
She pointed out his flaws as if interrogating him, then brushed it off as if she didn't care.
Like being shrouded in fog, her smile revealed no trace of her true thoughts.
Only the system indirectly reflected her feelings—
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host has received a reward: 1,500 yen]
Another notification popped up.
(Does this mean she's actually really happy? Because I paid? Then what about those two notifications earlier?)
Yuu clearly hadn't done anything a boyfriend should, yet the rewards were so generous—a thousand-yen note (Higuchi Ichiyo) practically slapped him in the face, and he even got a useless skill…
Yuu was increasingly confused.
Both Haruno's thoughts and this bizarre system's mission were far more complex than he'd ever imagined.
(Why can't everyone be as simple and sweet as Sora?)
"Haaa…"
Sighing softly, he calmed himself, walked to the seat Haruno had casually chosen, and sat across from her.
In just seconds, his mindset had shifted. It was like thinking he'd take on a mission from an NPC, only to face the final boss, forcing him to be more cautious.
"Don't be so tense~ I was just talking; I won't do anything to you." Haruno smiled casually. The moment she sat, her manicured fingers eagerly grabbed a fry.
"I personally prefer honest conversations. How about you?"
"…Mmm, me too."
Answering offhandedly, Yuu sipped his cola, then turned his fry container toward himself, declining her request to "share and eat together."
This woman probably came to fast-food restaurants more often than he did.
"Look, you're lying again!"
"Right now, the distance between us is thiiiis wide!"
Spreading her arms exaggeratedly to illustrate the gap, Haruno giggled again, popping fries into her mouth one by one.
"But unlike earlier, you're being more honest now."
Her voice lowered slightly, matching her mature age, with a hint of mockery.
"Having your lies exposed doesn't feel good, does it? I feel the same, but it's better than getting to this point and still playing 'guess what I'm thinking.' That's too exhausting."
Yuu looked up at her, and Haruno seemed pleased with his expression, her smile carrying a slightly different meaning.
"I initially thought we wouldn't click, but now I feel like I can have some expectations… That's honest."
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host has received a reward: 1,000 yen]
Though Yuu didn't understand the riddle she was speaking, at least her hopeful feelings were genuinely conveyed.
—Indeed, through money.
"Yukinoshita-san…"
"Just call me Haruno."
"Haruno-san…"
"So stiff! Girls won't like that, you know~"
"Haruno-san." Yuu was forced to raise his voice, and only then did she obediently chew her fries and fall silent, blinking her big eyes.
"I admit, I've never dated, and this is my first time doing 'rent-a-boyfriend' work."
Though forced by the system, he still apologized sincerely.
"Sorry, I'm not used to this job yet."
"No worries, no worries~" Haruno waved her hand, speaking casually. "It's just a 30,000-yen service. At least you're good-looking."
"Well then… huh? 30,000 yen?" Suddenly realizing something was off, Yuu couldn't help but widen his eyes, his face full of disbelief.
"You mean… my rental fee is 30,000 yen?"
"Huh? Yeah, 30,000 yen a day. Though it's a bit pricey for a beginner, to save trouble, I hired you for a whole week." Haruno bit into a chicken nugget, her neat brows furrowing slightly, looking at him with mild surprise.
"You don't even know your own rate? Don't tell me you got scammed by some shady agency?"
"Heh, no, not exactly…"
The corner of Yuu's mouth twitched as he laughed awkwardly, but inside, he was screaming hysterically:
(System, you jerk, come out! Where's my 210,000 yen?! Where's my pay?! Is the money you're giving me actually mine?!)
Of course, the system didn't respond to his tearful complaints, floating coldly and emotionlessly in the left corner of his vision.
That was 210,000 yen!
No wonder Haruno had looked at him so strangely when he suggested she save money.
One was a rent-a-boyfriend who'd just pocketed 210,000 yen; the other was a wealthy woman who didn't care about that amount. They could've ordered the entire menu and still been relaxed, with no need to fuss over discounts.
But the problem was, Yuu wasn't sure if that money would even reach his account or if it had been quietly swallowed by the unethical system…
His heart ached.
Taking a deep breath, Yuu temporarily set the issue aside, wiped away his smile that was worse than crying, and asked Haruno:
"Even so, Haruno-san, you don't plan to ask for a refund?"
Haruno tilted her head, flashing a smile while biting half a nugget.
"Why, you don't want to continue?"
Yuu shook his head.
Before completing the mission and reaping the system's rewards, he wouldn't give up on this "part-time job."
He just needed to confirm one thing.
"Mmm… I did think about it briefly earlier."
Gracefully finishing the rest of the nugget, Haruno wiped her hands, answering in a calm tone.
"After all, I came to find a 'boyfriend' and enjoy the feeling of falling in love while I have the time. Of course, I didn't want to deal with a newbie like you."
At this point, as if worried about hurting his feelings, her eyes twinkled, and she said in a cute, apologetic tone, "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that~."
But Yuu's expression didn't change; he was instantly immune to her cute attack.
Seeing her pretend-cuteness fail, Haruno tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, switching to a slightly mischievous smile.
"But your looks suit my taste, and your reactions are pretty interesting, so you're worth a lot. The contract stays, and I'll still need you to keep being my 'rent-a-boyfriend'~"
"…I feel like you're treating me like a toy."
"Ugh, use a nicer term!" Haruno puffed out her cheeks, complaining unhappily like a little girl.
"…"
Seeing the reward notification pop up from the system, Yuu didn't complain. Instead, he gave a genuine smile.
"Then, moving forward, I'll try to be a good boyfriend, so Haruno-san doesn't need to worry."
"Mmm, confident guys are the coolest! I'm really looking forward to it~"
Haruno casually patted his shoulder twice, seemingly not thinking much of it, and went back to biting her apple pie.
Her expressions were ever-changing, hard to predict, as if she could become a different person at any moment.
(But she really loves fast food—that should be true.)
Yuu quietly noted this in his mind, his first step as a "good boyfriend": remembering what the target likes!
But because he was too focused on this, he didn't notice the woman across from him, the corner of her lips curving into a mysterious smile.
(Is this what they call succeeding by accident…)
There was one more reason Haruno mentioned earlier that she didn't voice.
—Compared to dealing with a seasoned player, a "newbie standoff" like this suited her better.
Haruno was always in an advantageous position, liking and accustomed to being in control.
Wasn't having no experience even better?
Instead of being led by someone experienced, she preferred being the one who was used to the feeling of falling in love faster than him, then becoming the "older sister" guiding him forward.
Paying to get someone interesting to her, experiencing that feeling from zero to something before she could fall in love freely—she felt this transaction was well worth it.
So…
(Don't bore me.)
The corner of her lips curved gracefully, her smile soft yet carrying a dangerous edge that sent chills.
Haruno whispered to herself.