𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐋, 𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐢

𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞

　 ҉ 　ding!　 ҉ 　

You tap your phone to open your notifications and instantly see a new request. Like usual, your finger swipes over to the "accept" button and the notification disappears. Fuck, again? I'll read it later.

Life is busy. Busier than it probably should be. Request after request, notification after notification. Can you blame yourself? You're the one accepting everything.

I'm definitely changing my ringer sound again soon. You've gotten annoyed with how often you hear the same sound, over and over again. It's basically a monthly occurrence at this point.

Ah, maybe an explanation would do...

You're a rental girlfriend. You know, like that dreadful anime those boys in your economics class would craze over last year. Long story short, you needed a way to pay for tuition, and the hobby kept up after you graduated college.

It's not that you loved it, but you became one of the most highly rated "girlfriends" on the app. You basically hang out with lonely men and make them feel better about themselves.

Of course, you've got your rules. No inappropriate touching, no kissing, no overnight stays. Of course, there's a few more minor rules, but those are rarely broken.

You meet a lot of nice guys, those who're self aware of their single status, those who know their place with you, and sometimes, those who just need someone to talk to and hang out with for a few hours.

Occasionally, you'll come across an absolute jerk who tries to push his luck.

Thank goodness I took self-defense classes, you always tell yourself.

Aside from that, it's a pretty simple job. Go to the park, go to the fair, go to a café, to meet the parents, the library, the club. Same old thing, every time. It's gotten boring. Yet, it pays the bills.

Now, you're not insanely rich, but you can afford a few designer items every now and then. Shoes, most of the time. But aside from fashion, your one true, prized possession? A detailed Levi Ackerman vs. Beast Titan figure.

This was one thing not even the random people you'll never see again will ever know. You're a huge anime freak.

Okay, okay, we get it. Can we not tell them about that? It's not like that matters right now.

Fine, fine, we'll skip it. But hey, who doesn't love a little fourth-wall break? Let's skip ahead.

You go to read the notification you received earlier.

　 ҉ 　REQUEST ACCEPTED! Deposit in progress!

Transaction made by: Megumi Fushiguro

Details included: Hey. 19. From Tokyo. Need to convince my father I'm in a relationship because he keeps pestering me. Not like he cares anyways, so it should only last 20 minutes tops. Thanks.

Location: Tokyo, 45 min. away

Time: Tonight, 7pm

Order: 30 minutes (minimum), $106 USD via Venwo

Seems easy enough. He doesn't seem pushy either, should be quick. These were your favorite types of rentals, the ones that only last a few minutes, just to provide surface information to get someone off their back. Quick cash, good thing you accepted.

You look at the time. 11am, thank god. I'd better start getting ready at 4. You spent the rest of the morning and afternoon finishing your shows and reviewing your stats on the rental app.