"Let me introduce myself again: Yukinoshita Haruno, twenty years old, college student at Desu!"
"Tenkuji Yuu, seventeen years old, just an ordinary high school student."
In contrast to Haruno's high energy, after realizing his fake smile no longer earned rewards, Yuu gave up pretending and reverted to his usual listless self.
How to be a competent boyfriend?
With only secondhand experience, Yuu believed the most important thing was to please the target.
In his phone's memo, he'd already noted what Haruno liked:
First, fast food. Second, honesty. These were her own words, and though Yuu wasn't sure if she was joking, he took them as truth for now.
If so, overly performative behavior to please her would actually lower her affection toward him.
"Haruno-san, can you tell me why you hired a boyfriend?"
Nibbling on a fry, Yuu asked bluntly, "You don't seem like someone who'd lack suitors."
He was genuinely curious about this.
"Really? Thanks for the compliment! I think so too~"
Blinking in surprise, Haruno smiled proudly.
Then, with a teasing tone, she said, "If I tell you my reason, will you tell me your secret?"
Despite his inexperience and clear reluctance, he still went out to be a "rent-a-boyfriend."
Haruno seemed to see this as a deep, hard-to-reveal secret.
"Then pretend I didn't ask."
Yuu was just curious; he didn't need to know.
If he weren't afraid of the system imposing some unspoken punishment, he'd want to share his own struggles… Whether anyone would believe him was another matter.
With a strange sadness, Yuu finished the last of his cola, leaving only the ice clinking at the bottom of the cup.
Like the smile Haruno showed now—clear and transparent, yet radiating a cold aura.
"Tenkuji-kun, take a guess."
"Guess?"
"Right, this is the first test for Boyfriend-kun…" Raising one finger, Haruno said seriously, "I've already hinted at the answer earlier. If you listened closely, it should be easy to guess."
With that, she popped the last fry between her glossy lips, looking at him expectantly.
"Come on, don't disappoint me~"
"Uh…"
Urged by her soft voice, Yuu didn't feel his heart race; instead, he felt a chill.
It was as if he were a monkey, and she was the tamer, waving a whip while giving orders, expecting a performance.
The third thing Haruno liked: teasing people and watching the show.
If she weren't so beautiful, this personality might not be so well-liked.
But after noting this, Yuu also knew how to earn rewards.
"'After all, I came to find a boyfriend, to enjoy the feeling of falling in love while I have the time'—you said that, right?"
Pausing to think, with a hint of resignation, Yuu shared his analysis:
"With material conditions, looks, and personality all above average, yet still paying for a fake boyfriend, there are only a few possible scenarios. Combined with keywords like 'not enough time' and 'want to enjoy,' I can boldly conclude."
"First, you're seriously ill and don't have much time left, but you want to experience falling in love without burdens, like fireworks that bloom and fade spectacularly… To avoid leaving painful memories for those around you, you'd rather pay an 'unknown transaction object' to fulfill your final wish."
"Pffft!"
The moment he finished, Haruno burst into uncontrollable laughter.
She covered her mouth with her hand, her slender shoulders trembling slightly, her head lowered, faint sobbing sounds escaping through her fingers.
"Sniff, sniff, t-this, if written as a novel, it'd be so touching…"
Taking a deep breath as if choking, she pretended to wipe the corner of her eye, but it was all traces of joy.
"Tenkuji-kun, want to write this story? I could be your first reader."
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host has received a reward: 500 yen]
[Congratulations, Host has received a reward: Short Story Writing (Advanced Level), one-time use]
The corner of Yuu's eye twitched.
(Damn it, this works too?)
(If I made the story longer, could you teach me how to write a drama script?)
(And an advanced-level reward… sounds one step below expert. You laughed so happily, yet you didn't think it was that great!)
As Zhang Wuji's mother said, the prettier the woman, the better she is at deceiving.
"Just a guess…"
Sighing heavily, Yuu was too lazy to respond further and continued:
"Second, your family has a powerful background, an old-fashioned household that forces its children into arranged marriages."
"And you, a college student who's never dated, under parental pressure, are being pushed into a match with someone you don't like at all…"
"To avoid regretting your youth and to leave a mark, even if it's fake, in your empty young days, you decided to go wild this once, to—"
Before he could finish.
*SLAP!*
A sharp sound came from across him.
Clapping her hands crisply, Haruno smiled at him, her lips soft but her eyes ice-cold.
"Alright, that's enough~"
"…"
Closing his mouth, Yuu glanced at the pretty cashier at the counter, feeling no joy from his success.
—Make an assumption.
If he went to the counter now and said to the beautiful cashier:
"Serving customers is exhausting, right? I understand your hard work; I also know you want to rest soon. Because I saw your fake smile."
How would she feel?
Would she be indifferent? Happy to be understood? Or angry at being found out?
The person sitting across from him wasn't her, so Yuu wouldn't know.
But instead—
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host has received a reward: 10,000 yen]
[Congratulations, Host has received a reward: Lullaby Song (Perfect Level), one-time use]
That was Haruno's reality.
The fourth point in his memo: Though she'd get angry when her secrets were exposed, Haruno actually enjoyed the thrill of the unexpected.
Yuu glanced sideways at the system panel on his left.
Performing an unexpected monkey trick brought exceptionally high rewards.
[Advanced], [Expert], [Perfect].
Was this the hierarchy of skill rewards given by the system?
He'd need to find a chance to test them, or even the best rewards wouldn't feel real.
He also had to check if the money in his bank account increased… He desperately hoped the system would add that 210,000-yen fee all at once. Legendary god system, did it really need to skim the wages of an ordinary high school student?
Thinking of this, Yuu's heart filled with resentment.
"As expected, you didn't disappoint me. A boy who listens attentively to a girl is a huge plus."
The coldness seemed to melt under warm sunlight as Haruno looked at him with interest, smiling casually and happily.
"But you got one thing wrong—I'm not being forced into an engagement… yet. My family just has that intention."
After a pause, she added, "The target is the son of a group director. His looks and abilities are a decent match for me, and it'd greatly benefit our family's business… the Yukinoshita family."
(So she doesn't plan to resist, just wants to create a ripple she won't regret at the end of her youth?)
His face showed understanding; Yuu grasped her thinking.
In a chuunibyou way, Haruno didn't want to be a suffering bride but a loyal knight carrying out orders.
"That's how adults are…"
Propping her cheek with one hand, her fingers playing with the ends of her hair, Haruno muttered softly.
"For the sake of everyone, we have to make mature choices. And mature choices always require sacrificing something."
When her words ended, a brief silence followed.
Haruno gazed into the distance, as if lost in thought, the corner of her lips lifting without a smile.
Yuu didn't speak, only quietly wiping the condensation on his glass.
Moments later, Haruno suddenly looked at him again, the earlier sadness seemingly a ruse, as she grinned.
"As a boyfriend, shouldn't you comfort me right now? Careful, I might dock your points."
(Dock them all you want, as long as the system doesn't cut my rewards.)
Thinking this, Yuu replied resignedly:
"Though I've never dated, I know when to talk and when to be a listener."
"If you want to vent, go ahead, no matter how long… Well, who told you to pay?"
Perhaps this was the meaning of a "rent-a-boyfriend"?
Some people paid not for love but for genuine companionship.
—On his first day of forced work, Yuu had grasped the essence of this profession, unsure whether to be happy about it.
"…"
Her bright smile faded, and Haruno stared at him silently for a few seconds, her expression serious to the point of being intimidating.
But quickly, she smiled and extended her fair palm:
"I take back what I said earlier—you really pass, Tenkuji… No, how about I call you Yuu-kun?"
Caught off guard by her clearly softened demeanor, Yuu extended his hand as well:
"I don't mind."
He only meant to clasp briefly and let go, but Haruno gripped his hand firmly.
Her palm was soft and warm, so warm that Yuu felt a bit uncomfortable, wanting to pull away immediately.
"Then how about I call you Yuu-chan?"
"Forget it, Yuu-kun is fine… Um, can you let go of my hand now?"
"No way! How can you be a boyfriend without holding hands? For your professionalism, you need to get used to it starting now."
As if her words were undeniable, Haruno spoke dominantly, her expression serious, but her fingers secretly scratched his palm.
A chill spread across his skin, and Yuu instinctively yanked his hand free.
Rubbing his hand on his pants twice, seeing her unsurprised reaction and immediate cheerful laugh, he knew he was being teased.
"Tch."
Haruno was a bad person—once you knew her true nature, you'd want to steer clear.
Yuu wasn't a flatterer. He wasn't drawn to her beauty or her wealth.
If she really annoyed him, even if the system would punish him, he wouldn't keep dealing with this mischievous woman…
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host has received a reward: 2,333 yen]
[Congratulations, Host has received a reward: Minor Physical Strength Enhancement (Explosive Power, Endurance)]
"Come on, hold it as long as you want."
Seeing Yuu seriously extend his hand again, Haruno's smile froze.