Rent-A-Boyfriend in A Reverse World

At the shinkansen (bullet train) station in Tokyo.

"Hey, hey. Look at that cutie over there~"

"Is he waiting for someone?"

"Look at him clutch the strap over his chest! It's adorable lol~"

"Let's hit him up. A cute nii-san shouldn't be left alone for long. He needs a woman like me to keep him company~"

"Pfft! You just want to get in his pants lmao!"

'I can hear everything...' 

Those gyarus are so loud that I can hear their every word and dirty comment. They're not even hiding the way their eyes are licking me all over. 

I sigh for the nth time this hour. 'When is Karina gonna come? It's past the agreed time...'  

I look around for what feels like the hundredth time, but my client is still nowhere to be seen.

Sections of my shoulder bag's strap has crumpled from how long I've been gripping them.

I dig into my bag and check the time on my phone. "27 minutes late..." I murmur. 

My client today is Karina Yokoyama. Apparently, Hina recommended me to her. Something about Karina introducing the Dreamers app to her.

So if it wasn't for Karina, then I would have never met Hina, my first female friend of this world.

And the name "Karina" doesn't sound Japanese at all, but her last name "Yokoyama" sure does.

Her profile picture was only her face, unlike Hina's full body photo. 

From her photo, she definitely didn't look Japanese. American, maybe? She had beautiful blonde hair that cascades down, her features looked mature, almost motherly.

'Wait- My client isn't a married woman, right?? That would be messy...'

She's either a hafu¹half-Japanese like me or she married a Japanese guy and took his surname.

I really hope it isn't the latter. I dont want to be caught up in some mess.

I twist my head around again, trying to spot any blonde heads. "But really, when is she gonna come?"

.

From the distance, far enough from Andy, is a figure leaning on a central pillar, wearing a facemask and a hoodie covering her luscious blonde hair.

'Hm... 3 more minutes and then I'll come over.'  Karina thought to herself. Eyeing Andy from a distance.

She has been observing Andy ever since he stepped foot in the station.

'Let's see how Takamine-san's "angel" reacts when I show up half an hour late.'  she smirked.

3 minutes later, Karina has successfully made Andy wait 30 minutes past the agreed time.

"Alright. It's go time."  she says in perfect English. 

Karina approached the nearby trash bins and dumped her mask and hoodie into the corresponding ones.

"Phew~ It was getting stuffy with those on."  she says while running her fingers through her locks.

Her light blue eyes land on Andy standing idly across the station, still waiting for her.

A small smile tugs her lips. "Let's see how you'll handle me, angel boy~"

.

I check the time on my phone for what feels like the 12th time. "30 minutes late..."  I stare at the time, with a discontent frown.

"She said our reserved seats are scheduled for 8:34. If we miss it, we'll have to take non-reserved seats instead."

'Karina paid for our seats, but I don't want money to be wasted. Old Andy probably wouldn't care, but I do!'

I look up from my phone and scan the vast, busy station, hoping again that Karina will finally appear.

That's when my eyes spot a head of blonde hair getting closer. I immediately brighten up, thinking that my date has finally come.

"Kari-"  I stop, because the face attached to the blonde hair isn't the Karina I saw in the photo.

"Hey there, nii-san? Happy to see a pretty gal like me?"  an unfamiliar gyaru with long, pale blonde hair and tanned skin approached. Her lips curled into a playful smile. Her eyes slowly traveling from my features down to my lower half.

"Sorry- I thought you were someone else..."  I turn away, signaling that I don't want to interact with her.

"Aw~ That hurts~ Did you mistake me for the girl who stood you up?"  her hand finds my shoulder. Her touch feels wrong and uncomfortable.

My body tensed from the unwelcome contact. "I didn't get stood up. She's just stuck in traffic. That's all."  I avoid looking at the pushy girl.

"Liar~ Me and my besties over there have been watching ya stand ere' for nearly- hm~ An hour? Yeah bout an hour."  her voice bleeding with that "playgirl" energy. 

Suddenly, I could feel her breath on my ear. The sensation made me flinch. "You tots' got stood up bad. So come with me and my girls instead, nii-san~ We can show you a great time. And you can tell that girl allll about it later~"  her intentions couldn't be any clearer.

'So this is what being aggressively picked-up is like. I get why those romance heroines are so passive now.'

I shrug off her hand from my shoulder. Her hand slid off with ease, she willingly let it happen. "I'm fine... My date will come any second now-"

"Yahallo~ Sorry I'm late!"  an unfamiliar, mature voice called out. I turn to the source and finally see a familiar face. 

Wavy blonde hair, light blue eyes, and a caring smile. Her white shirt and jeans hug her plump figure just right. Her jean jacket and teardrop earrings matching her eyes.

I brighten up again, my lips shifting into a relieved smile. "Karina!" 

"Yes, yes. Nice to meet- YOU?!"  before she could finish, I rush past the pushy gyaru and grab Karina's hand. The action catching her off guard.

"Come on! Our train is arriving soon!"  I say before dragging her along as we rush to the platform our train will be on.

"Hey wait-"  the gyaru reached her hand out, but I didn't stop. I wanted to escape her anyways.

With Karina trailing behind me, we make our way to our platform, dodging everyone in our path.

'This isn't how I imagined it'd go. That gal couldn't pick a worse time...'  Karina's eyes observe Andy's features and determined gaze up-close.

'Hm... He looks cuter in person. Perhaps the cutest rental boyfriend I've had so far. Appearance-wise at least.'  a small smile tugs at Karina's lips as Andy "courageously" guides her by hand.

.

After we got to our platform, the shinkansen arrived, as if on cue. We got on the reserved seats carriage and went to find our spot.

"You want me to take the window seat?!"  I gasp. Karina had offered me the window seat, with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yep. I've ridden the shinkansen several times. The views have unfortunately lost their magic on me."  she reasoned.

I eagerly nod, a gleeful smile on my face. "Thank you!"  I turn back to the seats and sit down next to the glass. It's embarrassing to admit, but I can't help but act like a little kid. Before my transmigration, I could only view Japan's sights through a screen. But now, I'm riding the shinkansen for the first time in both lives, and in the window seat that permits me easy access to the outside scenery.

'In my past life, I would have likely never left the Philippines. We have beautiful beaches over there, but I wasn't that interested in them since I couldn't swim. And traveling to another country, even if it's closeby, is incredibly expensive.'

I place my hand on the window sill, feeling the smooth texture. Waiting for the train's departure, I anticipate the magical sights I'll see.

'.....'  Karina intently observes Andy, with clinical detachment. But, his actions so far were satisfactory, no room for complaints. How he took initiative, how he didn't mind holding her hand, and now his almost childlike wonder. Karina couldn't nitpick anything, without being unreasonable.

"Is this your first time traveling?"  Karina asks in a neutral, detached tone. Almost like she's a doctor examining a patient.

I turn to her and present a beaming smile. "Yeah! I've never been outside Tokyo! This will be my first time out of the city!"

For a brief moment, Karina's eyes widened slightly in surprise before returning to her observant gaze. "Is that so? May I ask why?"  she probed. 'Is the reason because you lacked money?'  Karina kept her real question to herself.

I quickly shake my head. "No, mama could afford it. We just didn't have the chance to. I had some... personal issues."  my expression and gaze turn slightly glum mid-sentence before returning to meet Karina's, with a smile to hopefully bring the mood back. "I don't have them anymore, though. Resolved them pretty recently."

Karina's eyes widen in surprise again. 'Mama..? He still calls his mother that?'  the title caught Karina off guard. Her expression and gaze softening. "I see. Good for you."  her smile reaching her eyes this time.

'Mama, huh...'

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