Chapter 2: Prologue

The first thing I see when I open my eyes is the ceiling of the room. It's white with light blue stripes running horizontally across it. A single window takes up almost half of the wall opposite me, letting in plenty of sunlight that illuminates the whole room. The curtains are drawn shut, so the room is still dimly lit.

I haven't had much sleep lately. Last night was one of those nights where I couldn't fall asleep until dawn broke. Rubbing my eyes and yawning, I sit up on the bed and stretch my arms above my head. I like taking naps during the day—especially on weekends when classes aren't going on and I have some free time.

I have been busy ever since starting college. In order to pay for my ever-growing daily expenses, I've been working part-time jobs while also finding other ways to earn money. I didn't want to ask my parents for more handouts or loans, so when I found out that there were companies that hired men to rent themselves out as rental boyfriends, I decided to give it a shot.

Initially, I thought that it was nothing more than another form of prostitution or some kind of illegal business. After doing a bit of research though, I learned that it wasn't exactly like that—and if anything, it's considered a legitimate business venture.

Hailing from rural Japan, I hadn't known about these kinds of businesses before coming to Tokyo. When I heard about them, I was shocked at how widespread the practice was here; it seemed such a casual thing to do nowadays. Even so, it made sense why they exist considering how many women have trouble finding boyfriends due to their lack of social skills or financial status—or both.

Reluctant to go through with the idea at first, I eventually came around after seeing that it wasn't all that bad. My reputation was a concern to me, but as long as I kept my work life separate from my private life, it shouldn't be a problem. Even in this day and age, there are still people who hold traditional views that boys should not associate with girls outside of dating or marriage.

Deciding to look for an agency, I went online and searched for agencies that offer rental boyfriends services in the greater Tokyo area. Finding one was easy enough, but most looked suspicious in some way. Some of them had shady websites and others offered cheap rates that were too good to be true.

After reading reviews left by previous customers and checking out their websites, I finally settled on an agency called "The Love Stop"—a service that provides male companionship to female customers. As their name implies, they specialize in providing love and affection to women who may want to experience having a boyfriend but don't have the confidence or courage to actually go out and find one.

As soon as I arrived at the company's office, I was greeted by two middle-aged ladies. One of them explained the details of the job to me—basically, I would be acting like a normal boyfriend towards a client in exchange for money. They assured me that strict rules were put in place to prevent any sexual harassment or violence from the clients.

Maybe it was due to my appearance? Or maybe it was because I looked young enough to attract the attention of older women; either way, I got the job easily. I had thought that they would have some sort of interview process, checking whether or not I was capable of playing the part well—but apparently, they weren't interested in that at all. Apparently, my looks alone were enough for them to hire me without giving it a second thought.

They gave me an explanation of how the system worked along with a contract to sign. All in all, it was fairly straightforward; basically, I would be paid for each hour that I spent with my client. They told me that the rate for my services varied depending on the client and the demand for my services—but in general, the hourly rate was about 10,000 yen.

They said that my pay would increase as I built up my reputation amongst the clients, which meant that once I became popular with the clients, my earnings would rise accordingly. The agency would not take any commission from my hourly wage; instead, they would receive a fixed sum of money from the clients before they hire me—which was fine by me.

A good system, if you ask me. If I were, to be honest, I didn't think that my hourly rate was too low at all. If anything, I felt like I was getting paid far too much compared to the amount of effort that I had to put in. But then again, perhaps it was because I was still new to the industry.

The company checked my identification card with great detail—they even asked me to show them my student ID. I couldn't blame them for doing so; they wouldn't want anyone underage working for them after all. That kind of thing could lead to lawsuits later and even jail time if things went south.

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After that, they handed me a thick envelope full of documents explaining everything that I needed to know about the job. The contract stated that I was allowed to accept or reject any client request at any point in time even during the course of a session—I guess this is what happens when demand outweighs supply.

I was given a temporary email address and password for communicating with clients. The Twitter account was set up for me specifically; it wasn't linked to my personal account. This was done to ensure that I would be able to interact with clients without having to worry about my personal life getting dragged into it.

The agency would send me the information of the client requesting my services via email—along with their contact details and a brief description of the woman herself. From there, I would decide whether or not I wanted to establish a connection with her based on the information provided to me. Then the agency, based on my decision, would arrange a date between us.

It's been a week since I signed up with the company and started working as a rental boyfriend. During that time, I've not yet accepted any requests—the ones that the agency sent me were all rejected outright; I didn't feel like meeting any of the women who contacted me. Most of them were either married or old enough to be my mother. To be fair though, that was the demographic of my clientele.

I'd never dated anyone before coming to Tokyo; it was something that I had always wanted to try but just never got around to it. I had plenty of opportunities to date back home though, there were plenty of girls who liked me—letters, cards, and flowers were all common gifts that came my way. I'm sure that I could have gotten a girlfriend if I wanted to but I chose to focus on studying instead.

It did pay off in the end. I managed to get a full scholarship ride to Tokyo from the government. They're footing the bill for my tuition fees, books, and stationery expenses—everything except for food, clothes, transportation, and entertainment.

I inadvertently let out a sigh as I remembered how much my life has changed over the past few months; how my priorities have shifted completely. Before coming to Tokyo, I was a regular high schooler who loved his studies. Nowadays though, studies have taken a backseat as my main priority is earning money for everyday expenses like paying bills and buying groceries.

Stifling a yawn, I stretch myself awake—my body feels heavy; stiff from sleeping on top of the sheets. Glancing at the clock on the wall, I notice that it's already evening time. My eyes grow wide when I realize that I've slept through the entire afternoon. With a groan, I pull myself out of bed and make my way toward the bathroom—I need to take a bath before heading out to meet my first client since starting this job.

As I stand in front of the mirror, admiring my reflection, I run my fingers through my short black hair; the strands of my silky locks glide against my skin as if they were alive. Being only nineteen years old, my face is relatively smooth and clear—no pimples or blemishes to speak of. My lips are thin but soft, making them ideal for kissing. My nose is small but cute too, with a slightly upturned tip—it's like an adorable button. Even though I just woke up, I can tell that I still look good; no bags under my eyes or dark circles to be seen. No wonder I got the job so quickly—my looks must have been the deciding factor.

I strip down naked and step into the bathtub. The Water sprays across my skin as I turn on the faucet and adjust the temperature until it's just right. After washing my hair thoroughly, I rinse off my body; taking care not to miss any spots. The warm water makes my muscles relax and leaves me feeling refreshed.

I dry myself off with a towel and walk out of the bathroom—I'm going to be late if I don't hurry up now. Picking out an outfit from my closet, I slip into a pair of tight jeans paired with a simple white shirt that hugged my torso tightly. The scent of fresh cologne envelops me; it's nothing too strong though, just enough to make me smell nice without being overpowering.

I throw on some leather shoes and check myself in the mirror one last time before leaving my room—I'm ready to go now. Today will be my first official day as a rental boyfriend. I was both nervous and excited; unsure of what to expect from this whole experience. I really hoped my inexperience—or more accurately, non-existent experience whatsoever—wouldn't be revealed too much today.

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