Mash-Up Anime World: Anything for Money

Back when Eriri and Hakuto attended the same school, they had very little interaction. At that time, Eriri's attitude toward Hakuto was far less perfunctory than it was now.

Hakuto had just entered middle school when Sayuri approached him.

As for why she sought him out, according to her own words, it was because Hakuto was too famous.

At the time, instead of thinking about how to refuse, Hakuto was more focused on how to fulfill the contract without letting Sayuri's husband find out.

But after signing the contract, he was shocked to learn that the person he had to serve wasn't Sawamura Sayuri—it was her daughter, Sawamura Eriri.

And so, the job lasted for two whole years, spanning most of middle school, until it finally ended when he entered high school. 

The sudden conclusion left Hakuto feeling a bit out of place.

"At least I can sleep in tomorrow…"

Every morning, Hakuto had to prepare breakfast and lunch for Eriri, packing them into bento boxes. 

For that, he had four boxes at home, rotating them daily.

Speaking of which, two of his bento boxes were still at Eriri's place. He should find some time to retrieve them. 

They weren't worth much, but even small savings added up.

Who knew? Maybe he'd find another employer in the future who required breakfast and lunch service. 

In that case, Hakuto would rather not spend extra money buying new bento boxes.

With thoughts of a leisurely morning ahead, Hakuto returned to his small rented apartment.

…

Meanwhile, over at the Sawamura household.

Eriri, a member of the art club, had just finished her club activities at around 6 PM before heading home.

The moment she stepped inside, the refined and elegant demeanor she maintained at school vanished, replaced by the aura of a complete shut-in.

She tossed her school bag aside and immediately opened the fridge.

Sayuri, who was sitting on the sofa, watched her daughter rummage through the refrigerator and asked curiously, "Eriri, what are you looking for?"

"I'm hungry. Just trying to find something to eat."

"Didn't Hakuto-kun bring you lunch today?"

"He did… but I barely ate it."

"Was it not to your taste?"

"More like… I'm just sick of it."

Sick of it, huh? Sayuri recalled the photo Hakuto had sent her that morning.

She never specifically requested it, but during his school years, Hakuto made it a habit to send her a picture every morning of what he had prepared for Eriri's lunch that day.

Each meal was different, and even through the photos, Sayuri could tell they looked delicious.

Yet now, her daughter claimed she was tired of them.

Well, that worked out fine. Since the contract had ended, being sick of it meant there was no reason to miss it.

After searching through the fridge for a while, Eriri's gaze finally landed on a strawberry shortcake.

It was the dessert Hakuto had prepared for her lunch the day before. 

She hadn't eaten it then and had brought it home to store in the fridge. Now seemed like the perfect time to eat it.

Thinking this, Eriri took out the cake and sat down beside Sayuri, nibbling at it in small bites.

Even though it was a day-old cake, it still tasted surprisingly good—perhaps because she was too hungry, or perhaps because the cake itself was just that well-made.

"I remember Hakuto-kun made that cake, right? I thought you said you were sick of his food?"

"…I'm just too hungry right now, that's all…"

Sayuri looked at Eriri. 

The reason she had approached Hakuto in the first place was simple—her daughter had never had a close male friend growing up, nor had any boy ever seriously and systematically pursued her.

Most of them would confess the moment they met her, get rejected, and then put on a look of painful regret like passing strangers.

Sayuri was worried that her daughter might develop some kind of psychological issue, which was why she made that deal with Hakuto.

Originally, Sayuri had only planned to sign a six-month contract, just to give her daughter a complete teenage experience. 

But once it started, she realized something shocking.

Hakuto went above and beyond her expectations—so much so that calling his performance "perfect" wouldn't be an exaggeration!

Seeing how well her daughter was being taken care of, Sayuri naturally developed the idea of turning the fake into something real.

Although Eriri maintained the image of a refined and perfect young lady in public, as her mother, Sayuri knew the truth.

At her core, Eriri was a hardcore otaku, and a textbook tsundere. Without some kind of miraculous encounter, her future would almost certainly involve an arranged marriage.

Sayuri didn't want that kind of future for her daughter. But at the same time, she couldn't force Eriri and Hakuto together, so she simply kept renewing the contract.

But she had to admit—Hakuto's quality of service was exceptionally high. In fact, before the first contract even ended, Sayuri genuinely started to believe that he had developed feelings for Eriri.

Thinking that they were practically family already, Sayuri stopped sending him payments. But to her surprise, Hakuto showed up at her doorstep—bringing a gift, no less.

At the time, Sayuri assumed Hakuto was just struggling financially. After all, he was an orphan.

So to test his feelings, she asked him this:

"Hakuto-kun, do you truly like Eriri… or is it just because of our contract?"

"If it's because of financial difficulties, you don't actually need this contract. I can transfer a reasonable amount of living expenses to you every month…"

Sayuri had phrased it very tactfully, but her meaning was clear. Anyone would understand—and Hakuto was no exception.

After hearing her words, Hakuto kept his usual bright smile and replied:

"If Sayuri-neesan has taken a liking to me and wants me as a son-in-law—"

"Then why not use a contract to tie me down? If, one day, I truly fall for Eriri, I'll terminate the contract myself."

"But for now… that day hasn't come yet."

Hakuto's words were slow, deliberate, and sincere. His face carried the youthful passion of a boy full of hopes and dreams for the future.

That was why Sayuri had agreed to a second contract… a third… and eventually, even a fourth—each one with a higher payment than the last.

Because, in Sayuri's heart, she was genuinely treating Hakuto as her future son-in-law. But now—two years had passed! 

Two whole years!

She had poured an unthinkable amount of money into this, and every time the contract period was up, Hakuto would always show up at her door on time with a gift in hand.

Sayuri had even asked around at school about the situation between Hakuto and Eriri, but the answer was always the same.

Hakuto always acted like a devoted follower… while Sawamura Eriri showed no romantic interest in him whatsoever.

That made Sayuri furious.

She glanced at Eriri, who was still eating her cake, and let out a deep sigh. 

Two years. 

She had asked her daughter this question countless times before, but now that everything was over, she wanted to ask one last time.

And so, in the next moment, Sayuri spoke.

"Eriri…"

"Hm?"

Eriri, who was happily eating her cake, instinctively put down her fork and turned to look at Sayuri.

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Might as well woo Sayuri instead smh.

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