"Why'd you have time to swing by today, Hiroshi-kun?"
Hiroshi met Sayuri Sawamura's warm smile with one of his own. He reached into his backpack, pulled out a small red box, and set it on the table in front of her.
"I heard from Eriri that you've been having nightmares lately, Sayuri-neesan. So, I stopped by a famous temple nearby and picked up this bracelet for you. I hope it helps."
As he spoke, he opened the box, revealing a simple red bracelet inside. It matched the box perfectly, adorned only with a single brown sandalwood bead. It was understated yet elegant.
"You got this just for me, Hiroshi-kun? That's so sweet of you..."
Sayuri took the bracelet from the box, turning it over in her hands before slipping it onto her wrist.
"How does it look?"
"Anything looks good on you, Sayuri-neesan."
"Still as charming as ever, Hiroshi-kun..."
Sayuri let out a light, musical laugh before tilting her head slightly. "So, what brings you here today? Eriri isn't home yet. If you're looking for her, you're welcome to wait in her room."
Hiroshi scratched the back of his neck, a little thrown off. Who accepts a gift and then plays clueless like that?
Noticing his awkward expression, Sayuri chuckled. "Okay, okay, I'll stop teasing you. Last month's salary will hit your card soon. Don't worry about it."
At the mention of his paycheck, Hiroshi's face lit up with a grin.
But then, without missing a beat, he pulled two contracts from his pocket and placed them on the coffee table.
"Sayuri-san, the last contract's expired. Do you want to renew it?"
"Hiroshi-kun, come on. We've been working together for so long, do we really still need contracts?"
He didn't reply, just lifted the papers slightly, his intent clear: yes, they did.
Sayuri's playful smile faded as she picked up the contracts and skimmed through them. After a long pause, she shook her head. Hiroshi didn't react much, just quietly tucked the papers away.
The deal had always been six months at a time. Sayuri had signed four of these contracts already, but this time, she wasn't biting.
Looking at the gentle, smiling boy in front of her, who'd have guessed he'd spent two years playing the simp just for cash?
"Hiroshi-kun, after two years... don't you feel anything for Eriri at all?"
Hiroshi, who'd just stashed the contracts, gave a faint smile at her question.
"Why not ask Eriri if she's ever felt anything for me, Sayuri-neesan? As for me... you know better than I do why I got close to her in the first place."
Sayuri let out a deep, involuntary sigh. Hiroshi rose from the sofa and offered her a slight bow.
"Thanks for the partnership these past two years, Sayuri-neesan. If you ever want to work together again, just give me a call. Assuming, of course, I don't have another contract lined up."
With that, he turned and left without a backward glance. Normally, after collecting his pay from Sayuri, he'd leave a gift for Eriri or hang around for hours just to catch a glimpse of her. But now? The contract was done, and his biggest client wasn't renewing. There was no point in keeping up the act.
Why'd he always come in person to collect his salary, anyway? Well, about six months into their arrangement, Sayuri had once forgotten to transfer the funds on time. Confused, Hiroshi had shown up with a gift in hand and politely asked about it. Sayuri had been shocked he'd come to remind her, claiming she'd simply forgotten, and quickly sent the payment. Since then, he'd made it a monthly ritual to drop by; maybe because she liked the little presents he brought each time, who knows?
"It's over!"
Hiroshi glanced at the payment notification lighting up his phone screen, a satisfied smirk tugging at his lips.
Working for Sayuri Sawamura over the past two years had netted him a tidy fortune. Each month, he'd pull in 2 million yen (14k usd). That rate only covered his free time from Monday to Friday. If Sayuri or Eriri needed him on weekends, the price went up.
Sure, the 2 million was the payout for the fourth contract, and the earlier ones paid less, but it didn't matter. Plus, any expenses he racked up for Eriri? Sayuri reimbursed those too.
A job that didn't mess with his studies or holidays and paid through the roof.
And take it he did, throwing himself into the role with everything he had. He studied Eriri's hobbies, memorized her food preferences, making sure every breakfast and lunch from Monday to Friday hit the mark; five days a week, never repeating a dish.
She was into anime, so Hiroshi binged every major series he could find. His room overflowed with novels and manga. She liked drawing doujinshi, so he taught himself composition, coloring, all the support skills he could manage.
Eriri stayed wary of him, so those talents barely saw use in two years, but he learned them anyway. With over 2 million yen a month on the line, Hiroshi figured he'd better earn it.
How could a kid his age pull off something so shady? Easy, he was a transmigrator.
In his past life, he'd been an orphan, growing up under a barrage of sneers and cold shoulders. He'd fought to survive but didn't make it past his teens. In this world, he was an orphan again.
Life as an orphan was rough, even with a decade-plus of experience under his belt. That's why he could toss his pride out the window at school to rake in cash. Scorn and ridicule? He'd seen worse.
Back in elementary school, Hiroshi had made a name for himself with his looks and smooth-talking charm. Every kid knew him, every teacher adored him, and even the parents picking up their kids would greet him with smiles.