Chapter 8

After saying that, Tsubasa Watanabe put on a worried expression for the other person.

"Watamuki, there are all sorts of bad rumors about you these days."

Watamuki Aomi put away her smile and muttered angrily to herself, "One by one... tsk!"

"It's best to clear these things up. If the school finds out, they might inform your parents."

"None of your business!"

Watamuki Aomi lifted her head and let out a soft hum in an unhappy tone, her eyes impatient.

After saying this, she turned around, placed her cup under the water dispenser, and pressed the orange juice button.

Despite the other person's attitude indicating the conversation was over, Tsubasa Watanabe did not give up. It was hard for him to have contact with her at school.

"These rumors are not good for girls. I really don't want them to be associated with you."

The store was brightly lit, and the black drink, probably cola, on the bar counter reflected Tsubasa Watanabe's face.

The young, handsome boy was sincere.

He had never thought he had a talent for acting.

"Why do you care so much? This is the first time we've spoken, right?"

Watamuki Aomi's cup was already full of the drink. She let Tsubasa Watanabe take her place but did not leave.

Tsubasa Watanabe stepped forward and placed Kuniyoshi Shu's cup under the soda.

"According to what I read in a book, some people are always good friends, but when one of them confesses, they can't become lovers. And there are others who, despite not having spoken a word, can easily become lovers after a few words."

Watamuki Aomi frowned. "People with good grades always speak so awkwardly. Just say it directly."

"My point is," Tsubasa Watanabe looked straight at her, "even though we haven't spoken, I want to be your lover!"

"Huh? Confess? Here?" Watamuki Aomi pointed at the floor with her index finger of the hand not holding the cup.

She had never heard of anyone confessing in a family restaurant.

Even if others had such experiences, they wouldn't be like Tsubasa Watanabe—having never spoken, they met by chance after school, and he confessed while getting a drink.

He actually believed it... This was Tsubasa Watanabe's thought.

However, for someone with a charm of 8, being confessed to was probably a common occurrence, and they had enough confidence to believe that "others were not joking."

For example, Tsubasa Watanabe himself had a love letter in his backpack, which he received from his shoe locker in the morning.

"Sorry." Tsubasa Watanabe quickly said, "I didn't mean to say that much. I just wanted to remind you, Watamuki, that I've been hearing bad rumors about you lately."

By this time, Kuniyoshi Shu's cup was overflowing, and he hurriedly switched to his own cup.

Watamuki Aomi watched this scene with interest, twirling her hair. After confirming that no one was approaching, she said,

"I'll tell you that this isn't a rumor... Do you still like me?"

"How much?"

"What?"

Tsubasa Watanabe picked up his drink and looked seriously into Watamuki Aomi's eyes, which were wearing contact lenses.

"Even if it costs money, I want to be your lover."

Watamuki Aomi's eyes widened slightly for a moment, and she looked suspiciously at Tsubasa Watanabe.

"Are you serious?"

"I have 150,000 yen. I know it's not much, but even for just a month, I'm willing!"

"150,000 yen... for a month... okay."

"Really?!"

"Lower your voice!"

People at the seats near the drink bar were looking over.

Tsubasa Watanabe whispered, "Really okay?"

"Really, really." Watamuki Aomi spread her hands. "Give me the money quickly. My friend is waiting for me."

"I don't have it with me... How about this, let's add each other on LINE, and I'll find a way to give it to you tomorrow."

"Sure, no problem."

Watamuki Aomi took out her phone and watched as Tsubasa Watanabe hurriedly put his drink on the bar and quickly took out his phone from his pocket.

'This poor guy doesn't think that by being his girlfriend, he can do that kind of thing, right? Hahaha, people from the countryside are so innocent. I have money for the Golden Week trip now~~

Wait!

This poor guy has good grades, no, he's probably at the top. If I don't pass a subject at the end of the month, I can ask him to tutor me. He should be very willing if I use the pretext of a date~~'

Watamuki Aomi almost laughed and took a sip of her orange juice, feeling that she had made another highly profitable deal.

The two added each other on LINE.

Tsubasa Watanabe's ID was simply "Tsubasa Watanabe" because he had never thought of adding anyone other than family and close friends, so he didn't need to use a different ID to hide himself.

Moreover, it was really hard to come up with a good username, and it wasn't worth wasting too much time on it.

He could use that time to work part-time or solve a difficult math problem, or memorize the steps of a chemistry experiment.

"Look."

Watamuki Aomi extended her phone screen to Tsubasa Watanabe, where his ID was noted as "Tsubasa."

This was a small trick of Watamuki Aomi's.

Based on her experience, innocent boys would be happy about such a small thing for a whole week.

Sure enough, Tsubasa Watanabe blushed and couldn't speak.

"From now on, I'm Tsubasa's girlfriend~"

"Really? I haven't given you the money yet."

At this point, Tsubasa Watanabe felt a sense of unreality and absurdity—how strange it was to become someone who paid for a girlfriend.

"It's okay, I'll give you a day for free, but remember to give me the money tomorrow."

"Okay. But, can we... keep our relationship a secret from others?"

Tsubasa Watanabe had never said "we're dating" before and couldn't say it fluently.

Their values were indeed very different.

"Don't worry, I won't let the rumors affect you. Chat with me tonight, bye~~"

Not announcing it was best; she could find two "fools" at the same time.

Watamuki Aomi waved her phone, indicating that they would chat later, and then walked away with a light laugh.

[You have a new email]

150,000 yen, if the return was not greater than the cost, Tsubasa Watanabe would feel guilty to his parents in the countryside who gave him the money.

As for Watamuki Aomi being his girlfriend for a month, for him, it should be considered part of the cost.

Now was not the time to study the game; Kuniyoshi Shu, who was waiting impatiently, was already looking over.

"Why did it take so long?"

"There were a lot of people, and I had to queue."

"Thanks."

"Since you're paying, it's only right for me to do the legwork."

After the meal, because the monthly test was approaching, the three tacitly did not suggest going anywhere to play and parted ways at the restaurant entrance.

Swiping his card to enter the station, Tsubasa Watanabe got on the platform, leaned against the handrail, and waited for the train to arrive.

[Watamuki Aomi's quest completed!!!]

[Player earns 5,000 points]

[Sign-in feature unlocked]

[Sign-in days: Watamuki Aomi · 1 day]

5,000 points, a subtle number.

It could buy five detectors, or exchange for a point of stamina, or gain beginner-level [Writing] or proficient-level [Photo Editing].

It didn't seem very useful.

But considering the cost was only 150,000 yen, and there were sign-in rewards, it was very cost-effective.

Of course, Tsubasa Watanabe's own charm, his third-place reputation in the grade, and his excellent acting were also costs, but they were intangible and not calculated.

1 point in the game equals 100 yen, so 5,000 points equal 500,000 yen.

Working part-time was impossible, and he would never work part-time in his life. He didn't know how to do business, and he was too young, so he could only keep finding girlfriends to earn points to barely maintain his life... This was the first thought that came to Tsubasa Watanabe's mind.

Of course, he was joking.

A gentleman loves wealth but obtains it in a righteous way. What he was doing was no different from Watamuki Aomi.

He did not look down on Watamuki Aomi.

Everyone has their own way of living. Seino Rin's nihilism—let's call it that—Watamuki Aomi's transaction of body for money, as long as it didn't affect him, he had no objections and no right to point fingers.

But he himself must walk the right path.

He was the hope of the village, raised on the rice grown with his parents' sweat, and had already put in a lot of effort in his studies. How could he be corrupted by a game?

But giving up the game like this would be foolish and a waste of his parents' upbringing.

The transaction with Watamuki Aomi was essentially exchanging money for points. There was no deception of feelings, and there would be no physical contact.

After signing in for a month, they would have no further contact.

In the future, except for the person he truly liked, he would find targets like Watamuki Aomi.

After making this decision, Tsubasa Watanabe spent 1,000 points to buy a [Detector] and saved the remaining 4,000.

The train arrived at the platform with a strong wind, messing up Tsubasa Watanabe's hair.

He mixed into the crowd and entered the carriage.

This was Tokyo, with Kabuki-cho, Akihabara's dark stores, and plenty of people like Watamuki Aomi.

During the Golden Week after the exam, he would try his luck around Shinjuku, Tsubasa Watanabe thought to himself as the train swayed.