Mash-Up: Anything for Money

As soon as Hakuto came into view, Eriri immediately ran up to him.

Seeing the slightly excited expression on her face, Hakuto's mind went blank for a moment. He couldn't even remember the last time he had seen Eriri looking like this.

"Shiratori-kun, you're here."

Hakuto was completely confused—he had no idea what was going through her mind right now.

Her attitude today was a complete 180 from yesterday. 

Could she have signed some kind of contract too? And it just happened to expire yesterday?

Even though he was full of questions, Hakuto maintained a neutral expression.

"Mm… I just came to get the two lunchboxes from yesterday."

"I already returned them to you…."

Hakuto was even more baffled. Did Sayuri tell Eriri about the contract?

Otherwise, why was she acting so strangely today? 

After all, returning the lunchboxes was something that had only happened in the first few months of their arrangement. 

For the past year or so, it had never occurred again.

At this point, Hakuto didn't even know how to respond, so he simply nodded and prepared to leave.

Since his purpose for coming here had been fulfilled, there was no reason to stay. However, just as he turned to leave, Eriri quickly called out to him.

"Wait."

Hakuto stopped in his tracks and looked at Eriri with a hint of confusion.

"Is there something else?"

Hearing the cold tone in his voice, Eriri froze for a moment but still forced herself to speak.

"Shiratori…"

Yet, before she could continue, she found herself unable to say anything more.

The detached expression Hakuto had just shown her felt like a steel needle lodged in her throat, making it impossible for her to speak.

Seeing her hesitant and awkward demeanor, Hakuto thought for a moment before realizing what was going on.

It was probably because he hadn't brought her lunch today. Combined with his cold attitude, Eriri must have been overthinking things. 

She wanted to say something but didn't know how to begin.

Hakuto felt like his brain had short-circuited. 

Sayuri had told him not to reveal the truth about their arrangement to Eriri, but she never said he couldn't smooth things over with a little white lie.

He sighed, rubbing his forehead. Originally, he had planned to step away from Eriri's life quietly, without any unnecessary conversations.

But looking at the situation now, it seemed better to lay everything out in the open.

With that thought, Hakuto picked up where Eriri had trailed off and said calmly,

"Sawamura-san, from now on, I won't be bothering you anymore."

The moment he said that, Eriri, who had been fidgeting awkwardly, suddenly froze like a statue.

Even though she had expected this outcome—and had even wished for it—now that it was actually happening, she found herself at a complete loss.

Seeing the disbelief on her face, Hakuto thought he hadn't been clear enough, so he continued,

"Sorry for taking up two years of your time. From now on, I won't appear in your life anymore."

"N-No… You don't need to apologize…."

"I should be thanking you, Shiratori-kun, for taking care of me."

Eriri spoke in an indifferent tone, as if she didn't care at all. But only she knew how off she felt inside.

Hakuto sensed that something about this atmosphere was off.

Why did this feel like a breakup scene?

Come on, it was just a simp saying he wouldn't simp anymore—why did it feel so dramatic?

Ah, well, maybe calling him a simp isn't quite right. Since he came with "benefits," maybe it'd be more accurate to call him a contracted simp…

Still, Hakuto couldn't shake the feeling of failure. 

Despite putting in all his effort over the past two years, he hadn't managed to make Eriri feel even the slightest bit moved.

Logically, Hakuto knew this was the best possible outcome. And yet, he couldn't help but feel defeated, as if his self-esteem had taken a hit.

Looking at the indifferent expression on Eriri's face, he let out a sigh. 

Maybe this so-called "untouchable flower" in front of him had never even taken their arrangement seriously from the beginning.

The thought only deepened his sense of frustration.

"Then… what about the things you gave me…?"

Hearing her words, Hakuto didn't hesitate and replied flatly,

"Sawamura-san can do whatever she wants with them. If they're an eyesore, just throw them away."

That was the best answer he could give. After all, it wasn't like he was going to take them back.

The gifts Eriri referred to were probably just small tokens Hakuto had given her, the same way he had occasionally gifted his other "clients."

Like the bracelet he had given to Sayuri last time—those little presents had always come out of his own pocket and were never charged as part of their "contract."

It was the same with Eriri. Whether it was for her birthday, major holidays, or just on a whim, she would always receive something from him.

But Hakuto had no idea why she was bringing this up now. The way she said it almost made it sound like they were a real couple breaking up.

"Sawamura-san, do you treat other pursuers like this too?"

Eriri shook her head.

"How could I have any other pursuers with you around?"

She was telling the truth. Because of Hakuto's presence, very few guys had ever dared to have improper thoughts about her.

First, Hakuto's overwhelming presence was simply too much to compete with.

Second, most guys were terrified he'd corner them in the bathroom and beat them up.

Not that Hakuto would actually do such a thing.

Of course, he was well aware of this. So, he simply said,

"Don't worry. From now on, you'll have plenty."

With that, Hakuto turned and walked away, leaving Eriri standing there. There was no reason for him to stay any longer—plus, class was about to start.

Watching his retreating figure, Eriri felt a strange, suffocating sensation in her chest.

"This… isn't this exactly what I wanted…?"

She brushed aside the unsettling feeling and turned toward Class F.

Maybe even she didn't realize that she spent the entire afternoon spacing out.

All throughout her classes, Hakuto's words from lunch kept echoing in her mind, along with the cold expression he had worn.

Hadn't she dreamed of this moment before? 

But back then, in her dreams, she had felt so at ease.

That should have been a relief, right?

It definitely wasn't like this.

"Sawamura-san… Sawamura-san… why did he change so suddenly…?"

She murmured softly to herself. It was just a simple change in how he addressed her, and yet, she found it strangely unsettling.

For two whole years, Hakuto had always called her by name—Eriri.

But Sawamura-san… that name belonged to a time long past, back when they were still in their first year.

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