Chapter 3: The Meet

The location of the meeting was decided upon by the agency beforehand. It's a café located at the base of Mount Takao, a famous mountain that overlooks central Tokyo from the north side. I arrived a little early than expected; the sun is slowly setting on the horizon and the sky is painted in shades of pink and orange. The air is crisp and cool, almost chilly in fact. It's not unpleasant though. Most of the customers here are couples—some holding hands while others sit close together on couches or chairs.

I am seated at an empty table in the corner of the café; it's not too crowded yet but it won't be long before it starts filling up with people. I look around me, everyone seems to be having fun despite the cold weather outside. The frequent glimpses I receive from other women—some of whom are accompanied by men—make me feel uncomfortable at times. Their gazes are filled with curiosity and interest—some even seem to be leering at me; it's like they're trying to figure out why a man like me is sitting alone at such a romantic spot.

It doesn't bother me though—I've gotten used to it after all these years. Keeping my head down, I sip on my hot coffee and wait patiently for the woman who requested my services to arrive.

The first client I decided to accept was a young woman named Yui Ishikawa. She was twenty-seven years old and single. Her occupation was listed as 'bank clerk' although she didn't specify which bank she worked for. According to her profile, she was looking for someone who could keep her company on weekends and holidays.

I scan through the photos of the client—Yui Ishikawa—on my smartphone screen, checking her looks. In the pictures, she looks like a typical Japanese office lady; wearing a suit most of the time with her hair tied neatly in a bun at the back of her head. Tall and slender with a petite frame, black hair, and black eyes. Nothing particularly special about her looks but nothing too shabby either. Even being above average in looks isn't enough to attract the opposite sex nowadays; there are too many women out there competing for the same and small pool of eligible bachelors—especially in Japan where women outnumber men two to one.

"Excuse me." A voice calls out from behind me. "Are you Hirano-san?"

I flinch a little when I hear my name being called out. Turning around, I see a woman standing there; she appears to be in her mid-twenties with shoulder-length black hair pulled back into a ponytail. She's wearing a knee-length skirt paired with a loose-fitting blouse made of light blue material. Her face is framed by a pair of rectangular glasses that rest on the bridge of her nose—she looks like a nerd to me; the stereotypical image of an intellectual woman from Japan.

My mind immediately makes the connection between the girl standing in front of me and the photo of Ishikawa Yui on my phone. This must be her then. I swallow thickly as I force myself to remain calm, I don't want to come off as uninterested in our first meeting.

"Yes," I reply with a smile—my voice comes out a little higher than usual due to nerves. "You must be Ishikawa Yui-san?" I ask, hoping that I haven't got the wrong person here.

A smile graces the young woman's lips as she nods in affirmation; she seems surprised that it's really me. "Indeed, that's correct." She replies politely, extending her hand out towards me. "It's nice to finally meet you, Hiroshi Hirano-san."

I shake her hand lightly—her grip is firm but gentle. "Likewise," I respond with a nod. "Thank you for choosing me as your rental boyfriend," I say, as her hands held on longer than usual before slowly letting go of mine.

Ishikawa-san sits down across from me at the table and takes off her glasses, placing them on the tabletop. "I apologize If I kept you waiting too long." She says as she glances at the watch on her left wrist—the strap is black and silver, matching the tone of her blouse.

Shaking my head, I smile reassuringly at her. "No need to apologize, Ishikawa-san," I answer politely. "I was just early." I try to come up with something witty to add to the conversation but nothing comes to mind.

A flicker of surprise crosses Ishikawa Yui's face—she tilts her head to the side ever so slightly as she studies me curiously. "I'm your first client, aren't I?" She asks, an amused expression spreading across her face. "I'm honored that you accepted me as your first customer."

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My face burns bright red as I stare down at the table in embarrassment; heat radiating from my cheeks like fire. "Ummm, yes," I mumble quietly, my voice coming out in a hushed whisper. "How did you know? Did the agency tell you?"

Ishikawa-san shakes her head gently—her silky black hair brushes against her cheek as she does so. "No," she answers calmly. "You are supposed to call me by my first name since, well, you're technically my boyfriend now." She smiles at me again. "Besides, I can tell just by your reaction that you're new to this job."

I take another sip of my coffee and grimace from the bitter taste that lingers in my mouth. "You're right," I admit sheepishly. "I'm still getting used to this whole thing. It's been a week since I started working as a rental boyfriend." I sigh deeply—I didn't think that my inexperience would be so apparent to her right from the start.

"I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression," I continued softly. "I'm not exactly a professional when it comes to this sort of thing and If you'd like, we can find someone else—"

"Oh, no!" Ishikawa-san cuts me off hastily, shaking her head adamantly. "That's not necessary at all!" She smiles warmly at me once more before continuing to speak. "In fact, I prefer someone like you, to begin with." She pauses briefly as she looks at me intently. "It's refreshing to have a boy who is so different from the ones I usually meet in this business."

I feel relieved by her words. "Really?" I ask with a smile—I'm glad that she's not disappointed in me already. "Well, thank you very much for putting your trust in me then Ishikawa-san."

"Of course," she replies graciously, returning my smile with one of her own. "Also, please call me Yui instead of Ishikawa-san." She continues to smile at me as she adds, "It feels more natural that way—we're supposed to be lovers anyway, right?" She places her hands on the table as she stares at me expectantly. "So how about it? Will you be my boyfriend for the next couple of hours?"

I nod slowly, relieved that my first client was an easygoing woman who wasn't bothered by my lack of experience. "Yes," I reply with a slight nod of my head. "I'll be happy to be your boyfriend for tonight Y-Yui-san."

She laughs softly as she tilts her head to the side. "That sounds perfect," she responds happily. "I like the sound of that—you calling my name in that sweet voice of yours." She smirks at me as she says, "And I will be calling you Hiro from now on, I hope you don't mind."

Despite being used to compliments from other girls, it's still a little embarrassing to receive one from an older woman like Ishikawa Yui. I quickly shake my head though; I don't mind at all if that's what she wants to do. "No problem at all," I reply with a slight smile. "It's nice to have a nickname too."

"Hiro," she repeats the name to herself before smiling at me again. "I like it."

---

Changed the protagonist's name from Aoyama Akira to Hirano Hiroshi, as this is a Matriarchal society and the surname of a person should reflect that.
Sorry for the confusion. (╥﹏╥)

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