Chapter 5: The Park

The cold evening air felt good to breathe as we made our way into the park. Before long, the early twilight hour descended upon us, bathing everything in an orange glow that lit up the colorful foliage around us. A gentle breeze caressed my skin, rustling the leaves of the trees we passed by while wafting the sweet aroma of wildflowers to my nostrils. It was a pleasant experience that made me forget all my cares.

Yui-san looked quite tall in real life, but she appeared even more so, next to my petite frame while we walked together. Every few steps, Yui-san would attempt to brush her fingers along the side of my palm without looking at me. It felt like she was doing it on purpose too—as if to display her affection for me. It left me feeling uncomfortable and unsure about what to do.

According to the agency guidelines, physical contact with clients isn't exactly forbidden by any means. However, they want their clients to refrain from inappropriate touching unless 'express permission' was given beforehand. The line between proper and improper is very gray though. As long as I don't feel any discomfort from the client's actions, the agency will probably give me a pass—if anything, they'd be a little disappointed if I didn't try to initiate some kind of physical interaction.

Yui-san made an effort to keep the conversation going for the rest of our walk through the park. Mostly we talked about the weather and whatnot—though neither of us wanted to discuss any deeper topics.

Finally, the sun begins to set, and the orange glow fades away. The last vestiges of daylight leave a layer of pink tint over the blue sky. A chillier air now touches my skin, ruffling the loose hairs on my neck while whispering about the beauty of nature. An empty bench beckoned us like a beacon in the darkness as the lights in the vicinity gradually came on.

Making her way towards the bench, Yui-san grabs a small handkerchief from her pocket and uses it to dust off the seat for me to sit down. Touched by her thoughtfulness, I eagerly take the seat she's offered—thankful to be out of the cold breeze that's now blowing through the park.

A simple yet elegant smile graces Yui-san's face as she finally settles into the spot beside me. A little too close for my liking, but not something worth complaining about at this point. "It's nice to be out in such a beautiful park at night," Yui-san remarks happily.

"Indeed." I nod in agreement with Yui-san's observation as I glance around the surrounding area—noticing several couples walking by as they made their way home. Some were holding hands, while others had their arms wrapped around one another as they walked. One particular couple was even engaging in a full-blown make-out session. I quickly glance away, averting my gaze from the romantic display, which was getting rather raucous up ahead.

I suppose some couples like to do stuff like that at night time, but it wasn't exactly what I had in mind when Yui-san told me we would be going for a walk. After all, I am not a full-fledged boyfriend—just a rental boyfriend.

Yui-san edges closer to my side until our shoulders nearly touch. She leans back against the bench, and her hand slips over mine. "Do you want to stay like this for a bit?" she asks softly while gazing up at me through her eyelashes. A slight smile curls her lips as her voice sounds dreamily hesitant.

Her touch feels pleasant and warm. Despite myself, I allow her hand to remain where it is—feeling strangely content with its presence. Yui-san's fingers entwine with mine, and her gentle palm presses into my own as a small sigh of pleasure escapes her lips.

I wasn't sure if it was the pang of pity for her or the kindness in her eyes that stopped me from pulling away; both emotions mingled together in the pit of my stomach in an uneasy mix of unease—never having known this kind of situation before.

"Hiro, remember how you told me that there are some guys who don't care about looks or money when it comes to women? That there are plenty of men out there who would choose someone based on their personality alone," Yui-san recalls my words during one of our past conversations, clearly holding a special place in her heart for them. "Are you... one of those people? If our circumstances were different—would you be interested in me as more than just a client?"

Her voice is low and sensual as her gray eyes meet my gaze with earnestness.

I fumble for words, not knowing quite what to say after being asked such a question so bluntly. Would I?

Ishikawa Yui was a nice enough person—she had an aura of caring about other people that made it easy to like her. Her kind and gentle nature had made me forget entirely that this was my first date—ever, fake or otherwise. Maybe she looked boring and plain compared to other women—but not everybody's cup of tea was the same.

"Yes," I whisper. It was an honest answer.

The word seems to hang in the air between us as I dare to make eye contact with Yui-san again. She appears shocked by my reply until her face turns pink. "I will cherish your answer if it's the truth." Her lips part into a small smile, but as quickly as it appeared, it is gone again.

A part of me wanted to take back what I said—feeling like maybe this wasn't such a good idea. However, another part of me compelled me to speak the truth. If she was closer to my age and had met me during one of my normal college days, would I have accepted her advances? Probably.

She let out a deep breath and relaxed against the bench, letting go of my hand. A small chuckle escapes Yui-san's mouth, amused by my honesty. "Too bad—I was hoping for you to say no so that I could forget about you entirely."

"Why?" I ask curiously despite myself. There's a tinge of melancholy to her tone, and it's making me want to know why she feels that way.

"Hope is a dangerous thing, Hiro," Yui-san replies softly as she stares up at the few stars twinkling above us. "If you choose to hope for something outside of your reach, it's better to know early on that you won't get it—better to find the courage to be happy with what you already have instead of wanting more than you can have or deserve."

Before her cryptic words began to make sense, the sound of my cellphone vibrating in my pocket made me jump. The screen indicates that it's the agency call, likely to check up on me as this is my first rodeo with a client. I wasn't sure if it was okay to ignore their call and keep chatting with Yui-san.

Yui-san seems to feel the same way as she nods slightly in the direction of my cellphone. Thanking her for being understanding, I quickly answer the call.

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"Hirano-san—I trust that the date went well?" The voice on the other end sounds jovial and cheerful. It belongs to one of the two managers who work for Love Stop, Nishino-san.

"It did," I reply in response to Nishino-san's question. "Yui-san is a nice girl." A second later, I grew flustered after noticing how Yui-san beamed proudly at me upon hearing those words.

"Oho! Excellent work!" Nishino-san exclaims with a hearty laugh. "Well, we've sent the payment for your services—30,000 yen for 3 hours."

"Th-Thanks, Nishino-san," I reply awkwardly from my end.

"Have you reached the apartment yet?" Nishino-san asks me over the phone. If I'm not mistaken, it's around 7 in the evening.

"Take a taxi," Nishino-san reminds me of this as he chuckles softly. "No need for a young boy to risk public transportation—especially at this hour."

"O-Oh yes, of course," I respond automatically, feeling her concern through the phone.

Saying my goodbyes to Nishino-san, we both hang up the line. She was worried about me as I may not be fully aware of what is 'safe' in Tokyo by nighttime. To me, the city was relatively safe with all the recent changes to the local laws in place.

"I have booked you a ride Hiro," Yui-san informs me with a grin as she holds out a cellphone. "It should be outside the park in a few minutes. Come, I'll walk you there."

We walked in comfortable silence for a while—however, this time, Yui-san didn't bother hiding her intentions to touch me anymore. Instead, she took my hand into hers as we continued to stroll side by side, the cold evening breeze contrasted with the warmth of her fingers gently curling around mine.

Arriving at the park's gate, we were greeted by a taxi waiting nearby. I turned around to look at Yui-san to say my farewells.

"I hope you had a good time this evening, Yui-san. Thank you so much for being my client." I watched as Yui-san wore her glasses back on while smiling with a hint of melancholy.

"Yes," she replied—looking at me with warm affection and relief in her gaze. "Thank you for helping me have a nice time, Hiro."

She paused for a moment before she continued to speak while turning away from me. "I hope that when I request your services again next month, you will be willing to accompany me again. However, if you can't do so, I understand."

"Of course, I'd be happy to go along with you," I answered cheerfully, a little too enthusiastically—my answer almost coming out like an automatic response.

Yui-san let out a small laugh at my abrupt reply and turned towards me again. As she did so, her slender hands took hold of my own. "Well, I'll be going now then. Thank you again for tonight, Hiro."

Without warning, Yui-san moves to pull me into a tight embrace. Her warm breath tickled the side of my neck as my face pressed against her luscious bosom—pushing it up ever so slightly underneath the fabric of her clothes. The faint sensation of her cleavage pressing against my nose while her hot breath in my ear sent shivers down my spine.

Before I could protest, however, she released me from her grasp. For a moment, all I could do was, stare blankly at Yui-san as she stared back at me with half-lidded eyes. Finally, after the briefest of moments, she seemed to snap out of her trance and flashed a mischievous grin. "Farewell, my dear Hiro—until next time."

I stood frozen like a statue as Yui-san turned her back to me and walked away without another word. It was one of those moments where I didn't know what to say or feel, and perhaps this was all too sudden of a turnaround that made me jumble up my feelings over the whole thing.

Kept waiting by the front gate of the park, the taxi driver honked to show his impatience.

Startled out of my thoughts, I quickly walk over to him—my head still spinning from Yui-san's abrupt departure earlier—and hop into the backseat of the cab. Giving my address to the driver absentmindedly, I stare out the window aimlessly as we head out.

The vibrant nightlife of Japan's capital city, passed by slowly, snaking its way through the narrow streets of the metropolis like an endless stream of flickering neon lights. Within this sea of sparkling brilliance, my ordinary life looked almost dull and grey by comparison.

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