Yuu's appearance wasn't bad at all.
Though not as stunningly doll-like as Sora, his features were neat, his black hair soft, his skin fair yet healthy-looking, and his tall, lean frame carried subtle muscle definition. He had the potential to be a gigolo.
If his aura were a bit softer, he might even be the type of young man wealthy women would fawn over.
He couldn't help but wonder: with his decent looks, why didn't more people take his flyers yesterday?
Was it because his presence wasn't striking enough?
But Haruno's satisfied gaze, as if appraising a product, proved that Yuu could score highly in this appearance-obsessed world.
"Even though I saw your photo, you're more handsome in person~" After introducing herself, Haruno stepped closer, smiling as she poked his cheek.
"Please take care of me, Tenkuji-kun."
The gesture naturally closed the distance between them.
(She's someone who gets along easily.)
Yuu quietly made this assessment in his mind while dodging her finger's touch, asking in confusion:
"Photo? You've seen my photo?"
"Huh? Of course. It's on the rent-a-boyfriend site. How else would I recognize you?"
Haruno looked at him oddly, her expression briefly thoughtful, but she didn't press further. Instead, she pulled out her phone from her pocket, swiped the screen, and showed it to him.
"Here, it's listed here…"
As she spoke, a soft warmth and a faintly familiar scent drew near his side.
But Yuu didn't have time to dwell on it.
He saw the webpage on her screen, and his face gradually darkened.
(Damn system, is this what you call reasonable…)
At the same time, the text on the system panel in the left corner of his vision began to change—
[Notice: Mission has started]
[Act as Yukinoshita Haruno's rent-a-boyfriend, fulfill her wishes, and rewards will be granted based on the Host's performance during the process]
[Mission end time: Unknown]
[Mission Hint: In this mission, the Host will not act as a rent-a-boyfriend for anyone other than the target, and rental fees will not be deposited into the Host's account. Treat it as an identity.]
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
After a brief chat with Haruno and understanding the system panel's update, Yuu had a rough grasp of what was happening.
In simple terms, to "reasonably" make him Haruno's "boyfriend" the system had specifically created an account for him on a rental dating site. Then, with some mysterious power, it made Haruno choose him, forcibly establishing a connection between them.
It was just as he'd suspected yesterday, except the system didn't provide its own platform—it borrowed someone else's.
Not only that, to keep the logic consistent, every potential loophole that could raise suspicion had been preemptively sealed by the system.
Yuu even realized he couldn't reveal the truth. Though the system didn't explicitly warn him, a vague sense of danger told him:
He couldn't disclose the system's existence, nor could he say things like "I don't do this job" or "please find someone else."
Rejecting the mission would be highly dangerous, though he wasn't sure if the danger came from the system itself…
In the end, he had no choice but to obediently follow the system's arrangements.
(Isn't there a single system that's easy to deal with… Tch, I can only hope the rewards are generous enough.)
After pondering for a few seconds, Yuu accepted the reality and came to a conclusion:
This was a transaction. Play the role of the target's boyfriend and receive the system's rewards.
Directly resisting was pointless. A smart person would seek opportunities in a crisis. Though he'd never dated, Yuu wasn't about to give up on a rare chance to change his life.
So, he was ready.
It was just selling himself to please a girl.
Looking at the avatars of other men on the "Rent-a-Boyfriend" site, Yuu unconsciously smiled, a flash of confidence in his eyes.
(If others can do it, of course I can too.)
"Tenkuji-kun, what's up?"
A cheerful voice sounded beside him, tinged with concern and confusion.
Snapping out of it, Yuu shifted his gaze from the phone screen. Then, he flashed his first smile of the day at Haruno, whom he'd just met.
"Nothing, standing here isn't ideal. Shall we sit at the shop nearby?"
Friendly and upbeat.
Haruno was slightly surprised, then chuckled lightly:
"Then it's decided~"
[Ding!]
[Received reward: 500 yen. (Reward has been deposited into the Host's bank account; this message will not be repeated)]
Seeing this message, Yuu's eyes lit up, his heart surging with excitement as he clenched his fist tightly.
As expected!
One smile for 500 yen—enough for a meal at McDonald's. This was a huge win!
"Where should we go…"
Unaware of the other's inner excitement, Haruno tilted her head slightly, her gaze cutting through the bustling crowd at Shibuya Station, looking toward the nearby shopping center.
After a moment's thought, they spoke simultaneously:
"Let's go to the Starbucks over there."
"Let's go to the McDonald's over there!"
"…"
Their voices overlapped, and both paused briefly, looking at each other.
Haruno maintained her friendly smile, but for some reason, the corner of her eye twitched slightly, her tone laced with disbelief:
"Wait, did you just say… McDonald's?"
"Yeah, compared to Starbucks, McDonald's clearly has more seats. We won't have to worry about not finding a spot." Nodding naturally, seeing her expression, Yuu felt she wasn't convinced, so he added:
"It's Shibuya Station during a holiday. At noon, even McDonald's might not have seats."
"Haaah…?"
His serious, no-nonsense demeanor made Haruno unable to resist staring at him again, muttering almost mockingly.
(Not like he's pretending to be clueless. Has this guy never dated?)
(He's already a rent-a-boyfriend, yet his shocked reaction to the website earlier was odd, like he was trying to figure something out. His words and actions are a bit cautious.)
Her sharp, cunning eyes darted around, and Haruno flashed a smile full of intrigue:
(This high school kid seems to be hiding something interesting~)
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
"Pfft hahaha~"
Haruno suddenly burst into laughter, patting Yuu's shoulder twice, holding back her amusement.
"Mmm, your reasoning makes perfect sense! Alright, let's go to McDonald's to chat!"
With both hands behind her back, her bag dangling from her wrist and swaying, she looked mature yet lively.
"Wow~ I rarely go to fast food places after starting college. Kinda nostalgic~"
As she spoke, Haruno stepped forward cheerfully, heading toward the fast-food restaurant.
Meanwhile, Yuu froze, staring at two consecutive system notifications.
[Ding!]
[Received reward: 50 yen]
[Received reward: Throwing Ability (Expert Level), one-time use]
To be honest, at that moment, he didn't care about the meaning of "Throwing Ability" or "Expert Level."
Instead…
(A girl's mood can really swing that drastically, huh?)
Just earlier, it was 500 yen!