About starting a part-time job as a rental boyfriend and then getting a lifetime contract from the most popular heroine at the university

It had been a week since the second date between Haruya and Akiba, a beach date.

Ever since they went to Starbucks with Ryoma and Ran, they had not been able to hang out together due to university-related matters and family-related matters.

While frustrated by this situation, Akiba finished a task separate from her group work and collapsed onto her home sofa.

In the quiet house, where neither her parents nor Kanon were present, Akiba gradually fell asleep as she lounged comfortably.

Within this peaceful sleep, Akiba was dreaming.

She was dreaming about the day she met Haruya.

※　※　※　※

In late March, with the university’s entrance ceremony looming about a week and a half away.

Akiba had gone out shopping by herself.

A few minutes’ walk from the nearest station to Akiba’s house was a large-scale outdoor commercial facility.

Bathing in the gentle spring sunshine, Akiba walked comfortably through the shopping park where various stores were lined up.

She would go into any store that caught her eye, selling clothes, shoes, accessories, and miscellaneous goods.

However, no matter how much something appealed to her, she wouldn’t buy it right away.

She would decide what to buy after visiting all the stores that interested her, which was Akiba’s careful and reliable shopping style.

“Huff…”

Having finished her round of the stores, Akiba let out a small sigh.

Being a large shopping park, it took physical strength and time to walk from one end to the other.

Deciding to take a short break, Akiba bought a bottle of tea from a vending machine and sat down on an empty bench.

The warmth of the sun, the moderately warm breeze.

As Akiba was enjoying the comfort of spring, a man sat down on her right.

His fashion sense was generally poor, and he had a somewhat frivolous atmosphere.

As Akiba moved to the left to create some distance, another man with similarly disastrous fashion sense came and sat down.

“I’m trapped… I have a bad feeling about this.”

As Akiba tried to end her break early and get up, the man on her right forcefully placed his hand on her shoulder.

And said in a cheesy tone,

“You don’t have to hurry off. Just chat with us for a bit.”

“Please, stop.”

Akiba tried to shake off the hand on her right shoulder, but the man on the left also tried to hold her back.

Being held by the shoulders by two fairly muscular men, Akiba could not move as she wanted.

“Let go.”

“Calm down, don’t be like that.”

“I’ll scream.”

“Let’s see you try.”

The men’s hands became firmer.

“If I scream, they might hurt me… But I have to escape somehow…”

The man grinned and peered into Akiba’s frightened face.

Then he murmured, “She’s cute.”

But being complimented by such a man in this situation wasn’t pleasant at all.

Akiba was on the verge of tears.

Then, a kind and strong male voice echoed.

“What are you doing to someone else’s girlfriend?”

When she looked up, Haruya was standing there.

Of course, Akiba, as she was when she actually met him, had no way of knowing that the man in front of her was named Haruya Natsukawa.

“Huh? Girlfriend?”

Without being intimidated by the frowning men, Haruya naturally wrapped his arm around Akiba’s body.

Then, half forcefully, he rescued her from the men’s hands and started walking with his arm still around her.

Though confused by the sudden situation, Akiba surrendered herself to Haruya, sensing that he was heading toward the crowd.

At least she didn’t have to worry about being taken to a more secluded place.

And Haruya’s hand was strong, but at the same time, it was very gentle.

It was totally different from the men earlier.

As Akiba felt her heartbeat quicken for a reason separate from fear, she just felt the warmth of Haruya’s body.

“It’s okay. This person is helping me.”

The men behind them seemed to not want to cause any trouble, so they clicked their tongues a few times and left in the opposite direction.

After they had walked a certain distance, Haruya removed his hand from Akiba.

“I’m sorry! For just grabbing your hand like that…”

The confident attitude he had shown up until now was nowhere to be seen.

Looking at Haruya, who suddenly seemed apologetic, Akiba hurriedly shook her hands.

“No, not at all! I’m really grateful… thank you.”

“It’s a good thing I happened to pass by. I think it’s safer to stay in crowded places like shops or busy walkways to avoid those types of guys.”

“I’ll be careful. Um, if you don’t mind, as a thank you…”

“Oh, wait a second.”

“Let me thank you.”

Interrupting Akiba’s words, Haruya took out his phone.

He answered the incoming call in a relaxed tone, then turned to Akiba and said,

“I got called home urgently, so I have to go. Please be careful.”

“Wait, at least tell me your name…”

Haruya’s back, and Akiba’s voice, didn’t reach him.

Just like that, Haruya disappeared into the crowd of shoppers.

※　※　※　※

Dreams suddenly change scenes without any preamble.

Still deep in sleep, Akiba continues to dream about Haruya.

The dream shifts from the time she was saved from a pickup attempt, to the first time she spotted Haruya at university.

※To be continued in Akiba’s Dream (Part Two).