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Eriri hurried over to Hiroshi, her face lit with a rare excitement. Hiroshi's mind went blank, he couldn't remember the last time she'd looked at him like that.
"Takeda, you're here."
He was genuinely confused. Her attitude was a complete reversal from yesterday. Had she signed some contract too, one that expired at the same time?
Though puzzled, he kept his composure. "Yeah… I came to get yesterday's lunch boxes."
"I already brought them back to you…"
Now Hiroshi was even more baffled. Had Sayuri told her about their arrangement? Why else would she act so differently? Returning the boxes was something she'd only done in the first few months of their "deal"; never in the past year.
At a loss for words, he nodded silently, ready to leave. But as he turned, Eriri called out, "Wait."
He paused, looking back with mild curiosity.
"Is there something else?"
His detached tone made her falter, but she pressed on. "Takeda…"
The words caught in her throat, his cold demeanor like a needle pricking her voice.
Seeing her hesitation, Hiroshi quickly pieced it together. His absence at lunch, combined with his aloofness, must have stirred something in her. She wanted to ask but didn't know how.
He mentally kicked himself. Sayuri had forbidden him from revealing their contract, but that didn't mean he couldn't smooth things over with a little white lie.
With a resigned sigh, he decided it was better to clear the air. "Sawamura, I won't be bothering you anymore."
Eriri froze, as if turned to stone. She'd imagined this moment, even longed for it, but now that it was here, she felt lost.
Seeing her disbelief, Hiroshi clarified, "I'm sorry for taking up two years of your time. From now on, I'll stay out of your life."
"N-no need to apologize…" Her voice was unsteady. "I should be thanking you for everything."
She tried to sound nonchalant, but only she knew how off-kilter she felt.
Hiroshi sensed the awkwardness. It felt like a breakup, even though he'd just been a devoted admirer or, more accurately, a "sponsored devotee."
Still, he couldn't help feeling like a failure. Two years of effort, and not a flicker of affection from her. Sure, it was for the best, but his pride stung.
Looking at her indifferent expression, he sighed. Maybe she'd never taken him seriously to begin with.
"What about… all the gifts you gave me?"
"Keep them, or throw them away if they bother you."
It was the easiest answer. He couldn't exactly ask for them back. Those gifts were perks for his "client," like the bracelet he'd given Sayuri. They came out of his own pocket, not the contract budget. He'd sent them on birthdays, holidays, or just on a whim.
'But why is she asking? It made the whole thing feel even more like a breakup.'
"Do you do this with all your admirers?"
She shook her head. "With you around, I didn't have any others."
It was true. Hiroshi's presence had scared off other suitors. First, his reputation was intimidating. Second, they feared he'd corner them in the bathroom for a beating though he'd never actually do that.
Hiroshi knew this, of course. "Don't worry. You'll have plenty now."
With that, he bid her farewell. There was no reason to linger, and class was about to start.
As he walked away, Eriri felt a strange heaviness in her chest, a suffocating mix of emotions.
'Isn't this what I wanted?'
She pushed the feeling aside and headed back to class.
Unbeknownst to her, she spent the entire afternoon in a daze, replaying Hiroshi's words and his cold expression. She'd dreamed of this moment before, and in those dreams, she'd felt relieved. But now, relief was the last thing she felt.
"Why did he change so suddenly?" she whispered to herself.
It was just a name, Sawamura instead of Eriri, but it felt like a chasm had opened between them. For two years, he'd called her by her first name. Sawamura belonged to a distant past, back in their first year of junior high.
Back then, Eriri had been irritated and told Hiroshi not to call her by her first name. A flicker of sadness crossed Hiroshi's face, though he quickly masked it with a teasing smile.
"So, what do you want me to call you then?" he asked lightly.
Without thinking, Eriri blurted out, "Sawamura-san." Hiroshi simply nodded and said, "Okay," his tone soft but neutral.
At the time, Eriri assumed he was just agreeing to her request. But now, reflecting on it, she wasn't so sure. She recalled that brief moment of sadness in his eyes back then, and the reluctance she'd seen in his gaze earlier today. The memory tightened her chest, as if an invisible hand had gripped her heart.
'Was I… too harsh?' she wondered.
But she quickly shook her head, dismissing the thought. This unease she felt was probably just a lingering habit from their two-year routine. It would fade in a couple of days, she told herself.
With a quiet sigh, Eriri grabbed her bag and left the school. She hopped on her bike and started pedaling toward home. Halfway there, her stomach growled loudly. She hadn't eaten breakfast or lunch, so it was no surprise she was starving.
In the past, she could've just called Hiroshi, and he'd have brought her something to eat. She rarely did that back then, but now, she no longer had the option.
Realizing home was still a ways off, Eriri stopped her bike, parked it by the roadside, and stepped into a convenience store.
…..
Meanwhile, about ten minutes earlier, Hiroshi heard the dismissal bell ring. Without thinking, he slung his bag over his shoulder and started walking toward Class F, Eriri's classroom. After a few steps, he caught himself and turned back, his face flushing with embarrassment.
"Damn it," he muttered. "I automatically went to find Eriri again."
He glanced at his watch: 3:30 PM. The sun wouldn't set for hours. For the first time in a while, he found himself wondering what to do with this empty afternoon.
"Should I get a part-time job?" he mused. The school technically forbade it, but with his connection to Shizuka Hiratsuka, he figured he could bend the rules.
He hesitated, torn between that idea and finding a new "client." But clients weren't something you could just stumble upon. He had no experience seeking them out, whether it was Sayuri Sawamura, Sora Ginko, or Rikka Takanashi, they'd all approached him first. Besides, he couldn't exactly walk around asking people if they needed a rental boyfriend. That wasn't something you advertised openly.
Wait… a rental boyfriend?
"Hold on… a host!" he exclaimed to himself.
In Japan, host clubs were legal. There were even dedicated establishments for it. Hosts provided emotional companionship, something Hiroshi was already familiar with. With his looks, he was confident he could earn decent money as a host. Plus, his schedule was wide open. He only had Sora Ginko and Rikka Takanashi as clients now. Sora took up some of his Saturdays, though her occasional overtime barely dented his free time. Rikka demanded even less.
'This could work.' The more he thought about it, the more excited he got. Hiroshi tossed his bag back into the classroom and bolted out of the school, determined to find a nearby host club to apply to.
Following his phone's map, he arrived at a host club. But within ten minutes, he was ushered out by security.
"We don't hire minors," they said firmly.
"Come on, what about mental maturity?" he protested.
Their stern faces didn't budge. Hiroshi sighed, his grand plan crumbling before it even began.
He'd considered the age restriction on the way over, but he'd hoped that it might work…somehow. Apparently, he'd misjudged the situation. This was a legitimate business, and he'd been the one with misguided assumptions.
Now, with no direction, Hiroshi wandered the streets. For the first time in years, he felt truly lost, unsure of what to do next.
"If I can't be a host, then what?" he muttered. "Am I supposed to just enjoy my youth?"
He scoffed at the idea. In his previous life, he'd tasted "youth," and it had left a bitter aftertaste; full of regrets and disappointments, with no joy to speak of.
With nothing else in mind, he decided to look for a casual day job. Thanks to Sayuri Sawamura, he wasn't strapped for cash, but his past life had taught him that his current funds wouldn't sustain his long-term goals.
Just then, his eyes caught a job posting on a bulletin board: "Library Assistant Wanted."
It was likely a long-term job, not ideal for him but with nothing better to do, he decided to check it out. Following the address, he reached the library in just a few minutes.
Stepping inside, Hiroshi intended to ask about the job at the front desk, but no one was there.
"Guess no one's around," he said to himself. "Well, since I'm here, I might as well look around."
Learning had always been his strength. He preferred the steady climb of effort over shortcuts. Before long, he picked up a book with a brown cover, leaned against a shelf, and started reading.
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