Chapter 29: The Teacher Is Here!

"Does that make sense to you?"

Seeing the subtle change in expression on his face, Shota Sato realized his point had landed and eagerly pressed his advantage.

"Indeed."

Rational arguments are always convincing. Ryuichi Sugawara was no contrarian, so he nodded in agreement. While the idea that girls dress up purely to attract men is narrow-minded, Shota’s logic this time was well-founded and held up under scrutiny.

"Yes!"

Having successfully persuaded him, Shota clenched his fist in immense satisfaction, calling it a thrill. Because Ryuichi was such a "super nerd," it was usually incredibly difficult to talk to him about gossip or anything outside of their studies. Even when it came to campus anecdotes that interested everyone else, he could never seem to capture this guy's attention or curiosity.

"Anything else?"

Ryuichi was actually a bit intrigued and wanted to know more.

"That’s it."

Facing his curiosity, Shota spread his hands, though the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl upward. *Hahaha, so this guy has his moments—he’s actually interested in gossip.*

"Huh?"

Ryuichi had expected him to have some grand theory, but that was it?

"I can’t help it. Ms. Yamabuki only arrived at school fifteen minutes ago, so everyone had limited time to discuss her. Plus, I had to stop by the teacher's office, so I didn't have time to summarize any more well-reasoned points." Seeing this side of him made Shota’s heart bloom with joy; he couldn't stop his mouth from twitching as he spoke in a helpless tone.

"I see."

The topic ended, and Ryuichi didn't push for more.

"Speaking of which, I went and tried a 'rental girlfriend' this weekend."

Having finally piqued his interest, Shota didn't want the conversation to end just like that, so he abruptly changed the subject.

"You actually went?"

This was explosive news. Ryuichi looked at him instinctively.

"Well, you can experience the feeling of being in a relationship for just a few thousand yen, and since I was free anyway, I figured I’d give it a shot." Shota felt a bit guilty under his friend's surprised gaze.

"How was it?"

Confirming that he wasn't joking, Ryuichi became curious. Unlike last week, he had now transformed into someone who was a part of the rental industry himself. Although he was a "rental boyfriend" rather than a rental girlfriend, his concern for customer reviews was similar.

"Surprisingly good! Momo-chan is super cute, her hands are incredibly soft, and she smells amazing!" Finding that Ryuichi’s attitude wasn't one of disdain but curiosity, Shota breathed a sigh of relief. Recalling yesterday’s experience, he gestured excitedly.

Because you can choose your rental girlfriend through an app, picking your preferred type based on photos or videos, the experience was truly top-tier.

"What did you guys do?"

Ryuichi was still a newcomer and didn't know much about the industry, so he took the opportunity to probe an experienced user.

"We went to see a movie together. She even fed me popcorn! Then we went for a walk in the park to take photos, and had dinner together." Since it was a rare chance to talk about something non-academic, and he hadn't done anything wrong, Shota didn't hide anything.

"That's it?"

Learning the itinerary of their date, Ryuichi was a bit surprised. Watching a movie, walking in the park, eating... this was the standard procedure for a date.

"Even though we didn't do anything particularly wild, it’s the *feeling* that matters! It really felt like we were seeing each other; it felt just like a real romance." Seeing Ryuichi’s indifferent attitude, Shota argued his case; he didn't want him to look down on Momo-chan. "Also, while we were watching the movie, she put her legs on mine."

As he said this, Shota lowered his voice and leaned in, telling him alone.

"Looks like you're very satisfied."

Noticing his protective attitude, as if he were defending a real girlfriend, Ryuichi had an epiphany. Although he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, if he guessed correctly, this "leg-resting" move during the movie was likely Momo-chan’s signature skill, specifically designed to capture the hearts of her clients. For a guy like Shota who had never really been in a relationship, he simply couldn't withstand that level of intimacy.

"Because she’s super cute! Let me show you a photo."

Seeing that Ryuichi still looked nonchalant, Shota decided to pull out his phone to make him gasp in admiration. As the phone was placed in front of him, Ryuichi noticed that Shota didn't even need to open his gallery; the wallpaper on his lock screen was a photo of him with a girl.

The girl in the wallpaper was indeed quite cute—twin tails, a lace dress, white stockings, plus big eyes and prominent under-eye bags (aegyosal). No matter how you looked at it, she was a classic "loli" beauty. The only flaw was that Momo-chan’s makeup was a bit heavy, especially around the eyes. This observation came from his newfound knowledge of portrait photography; although photography and makeup seemed unrelated, his aesthetic sense had been elevated by a notch since acquiring that talent. After all, the most critical element of portrait