Tokyo Yandere Girlfriend

Chapter 2

"You're still a first-year. You have zero ability to pay anything back."

"You work part-time at a convenience store, right? But that barely covers your own spending—your family sure isn't wealthy enough to send you fat living allowances every month, is it?"

"Rolling new loans to pay old ones... I don't know your exact credit limit, but right now you're probably praying they'll raise it another hundred grand this month, or you won't last much longer..."

As he spoke, Shiratori Seiya's gaze moved methodically from her earrings to her necklace, to her handbag, to her shoes.

None of it was cheap for an ordinary female college student.

Let alone the cosmetics and skin-care products she burned through daily, or the off-campus apartment...

Her part-time wages were a drop in the bucket— she'd probably spend the next paycheck the day it arrived.

Young women love to compete.

Takahashi Mio would rather skip meals for days and make herself sick than let anyone look down on her for not owning the latest luxury brands.

Shiratori Seiya saw straight through her— saw her completely bare.

"If you keep buying luxuries, next month—or the month after— will be your deadline."

"Do you know what happens when you can't repay? First, they'll bomb your contacts. Besides your family, you've got classmates in your phone book, don't you? Your social life is probably more colorful than I imagine..."

"You don't want all your 'friends' finding out you're living off loans, right? Being scorned isn't pleasant."

"Even if you could go back to an ordinary life, think what they'd say behind your back. Could you still fit in? Make friends? You..."

"Enough!"

Takahashi Mio's lips trembled; her full chest rose and fell.

Her heartbeat wasn't the aftermath of an 800-meter sprint—it was as if a 100,000-volt pacemaker had been implanted.

She couldn't bear another word and turned to flee.

But Shiratori Seiya had no intention of stopping.

Strike while the iron is hot; he'd brought her here today to seal the deal in one push.

He didn't have the patience to play games with a child.

He stood, seized her pale arm.

"I'm not finished."

Mio winced at the pressure but couldn't shake free—his grip was shockingly strong for someone who didn't look muscular.

The boy leaned in so close she could see herself reflected in his eyes.

"Contact bombing is just the beginning. Do you know what kind of people back these loan outfits? If you can't pay, they have ways to make you."

"For instance, you're pretty— that has its uses..."

Seiya let the words hang, a faint smile curling his lips, giving her a look that said figure it out.

Mio shuddered; horrible images flashed through her mind.

Her strength vanished.

When Seiya released her, she dropped to the rooftop tiles.

A moment later, perhaps having crossed her fear threshold, Mio calmed, swallowed, bit her pink lip.

"You're just here to scare me? What do you want?"

Her earlier bravado had evaporated; her voice shook.

"Not at all."

Seiya squatted, expression blank again, and spoke with deliberate calm. "I'm saying this because I want to help you."

"Help me?"

Takahashi snorted. "Yeah? You expect me to believe that? You planning to pay off my debts?"

She wasn't a genius, but she wasn't an idiot either.

This jerk had threatened her— clearly he wanted something, probably worse than being blackmailed.

Yet from the moment she'd arrived, Seiya had worn a perfect poker face.

Even Mio, self-proclaimed master of reading the room, couldn't guess his game.

"More or less. I'm prepared to pay your debt."

The unexpected affirmation came from Seiya's lips.

...?

Mio froze, wondering if she'd misheard.

"I can give you a million yen right now, then three hundred thousand yen every month."

Her eyes widened; heat rushed to her chest. Then suspicion took over.

"Ha? You mental? Do I look like your plaything?"

"Do I look like I have that kind of free time? Investigating you was a pain."

Actually it had been effortless— he'd simply used the system's Appraisal Chance.

"Tch!"

Cornered, Mio looked away.

After a moment she composed herself and asked, against her better judgment,

"So what do you want me to do?"

Mio believed in luck, not in free lunches.

This stranger offering her a fortune must have some outrageous demand.

"Very simple— just move your lips."

The girl stood, eyes fixed on Seiya.

"Be my girlfriend."

Disgust flashed across Mio's face— she'd known it. She spun on her heel.

"Gross. Pervert. Trash. Letch!"

Seiya didn't stop her, only called after her retreating back,

"If I were you, I'd hear me out before leaving. The choice is yours anyway."

Mio's steps slowed; she shuffled two more paces, then halted by the rooftop door.

"I only need you to acknowledge me as your boyfriend. During the relationship, no contact with other men, and fulfill the usual girlfriend duties— that's all."

Her pale ear twitched; she turned back.

Moments later, a mocking smile curved her pretty face.

"That's all? You creeps always change the rules later. No girlfriend duties? No kissing? No sex?"

Seiya tilted his head, tone flat.

"If you're desperate, I can oblige, but you don't look like you're suffering."

"Crazy!"

She flushed crimson.

"That's the deal— think it over."

"But I'm only waiting until tonight. After tomorrow the offer's void. I'm sure plenty of people would jump at a lunatic's bargain."

He seemed even less patient than her, hands in pockets, strolling toward the door.

"......"

Mio stood rigid, lips pressed into glossy stripes like a leech.

Her mind was a battlefield.

Finally, as Seiya brushed past, she called out,

"Wait!"

Seiya turned, gaze calm.

"You're telling the truth?"

"What?"

Pressed, Mio bit her lip, eyes downcast, voice barely a whisper:

"Without... doing it— sex?"

She spoke so softly her cheeks blazed.

"I said no."

"Kissing?"

"If you insist, I'll reluctantly perform my boyfriend duties."

"Ugh... this is like signing a contract."

Mio kicked at a nonexistent pebble.

Seiya heard, said nothing. It was, in effect, a verbal contract.

He faced her.

"So, Takahashi Mio, will you be my girlfriend?"

"......"

She looked at the boy in front of her, words stuck in her throat.

"Seriously... that's it?"

No candles, no flowers, not even a carefully rehearsed confession.

All she got was the boy's glassy stare and a line so cold it might've come pre-programmed.

Takahashi Mio had pictured love very differently.

Still, she found herself nodding—almost against her own will—and slipped her hand into his.

Ding.

[Target Takahashi Mio: Conquest complete.]

[Conquest Success Reward: ¥5,000,000.]

[Romance Check-in: Day 0 (30 daily check-ins for an additional ¥1,000,000).]

[Unlock Takahashi Mio Career Development Plan.]

[Please choose a career path...]