How Far Does the Contract Go?

The silence inside the trading house was too heavy for such a small place.

I could still smell the sea mixed with Mio's perfume.

Sakura stood near the door, arms crossed, clearly uncomfortable with the situation.

It was Mio who broke the silence.

" Midorikawa-san , would you mind giving us a minute?" she said, with a smile that was too polite to be casual.

Sakura blinked.

— Huh ? — he said Sakura is confused.

"It'll be quick. I need to sort a few things out with him... before we go to the beach." Mio maintained the same calm tone.

Sakura hesitated.

I could see in her eyes that she didn't want to.

I didn't want it at all.

But she also couldn't say "no" without seeming strange.

" Okay ... I'll go... see how the food is. Or... where everyone is," Sakura replied, forcing a smile.

"Thank you," Mio said, with a slight bow.

Sakura walked past me.

For a second, her gaze met mine.

And I felt a chill.

As soon as she left, Mio's expression changed.

It wasn't a dramatic turnaround.

It was worse.

It was as if she just… switched off the “perfect girlfriend” part of herself.

She closed the fitting room door again, leaving just the two of us.

And the silence came like a wave.

"You're an idiot," she said quietly.

"I know..." I replied in a whisper.

She crossed her arms. The bikini accentuated everything I shouldn't be looking at.

(I can't look.) — I thought, embarrassed.

I tried looking at the wall.

"This cannot happen again," she said.

"I didn't want to..." I began.

"I didn't ask if you wanted to. I'm talking about what might happen," she interrupted.

I swallowed hard.

"I know it was... an accident..." I murmured.

She let out a sigh.

— Riku … — she whispered my name too softly, as if that in itself were dangerous.

My stomach tightened.

"This is the beach, but it's still a university event. If anyone suspects anything…" she continued.

She stopped.

And for a moment her gaze lowered, as if she were choosing her words carefully.

"If anyone connects the dots... I'm finished," she concluded.

(She… isn't exaggerating.) — I noticed.

If the Golden agency found out that she had been exposed…

If someone on campus were to discover that " Kanzaki Mio" and " Kurokawa Mio" are the same person…

She could lose everything.

"I know," I said , more seriously.

She pointed her finger at me.

"And it's not just me," she said.

" Huh ?" I said, confused.

"You too. You're famous. If this blows up…" she said bluntly.

I figured as much.

Headlines.

Photos.

Rumors.

My name is becoming a joke.

"Promising actor was renting girlfriend."

My chest went cold.

"Do you realize how much this would damage your image?" she asked.

I closed my eyes.

"I have…" I replied.

Mio lowered her finger and looked at the clock on her cell phone.

"I need to get back to where my friends are soon," she said.

"Friends...?" I asked.

—Takahashi Rina and Kawahara Emi ," she replied, as if it were obvious. "If I disappear for too long, they'll find it strange."

Of course it does.

She continued:

— At 1:40 PM I'm going out to change clothes and update my look here at the swap meet.

— Change your look…?

— Yes. Because at 2 PM I need to be with them as “Mio Kanzaki ”. Do you understand? — she stared at me.

Again.

And I realized that, for her, this was routine.

"So you're not going to be with me all the time..." I said without thinking.

As soon as the words came out, I regretted them.

Mio looked at me.

And for a second, just one, it seemed like she was going to say something… different.

But she only reverted to her cold tone.

"This isn't a date night," she said.

"I know," I said.

"It's work," she emphasized.

— …I know. — I murmured.

She took a deep breath.

"Let's do this: you're going to act normal. I'm going to act normal. And you're going to stop dragging me into trouble," she said.

"I didn't pull you ... you pulled me here ," I replied.

She glared at me angrily.

"Because you didn't pay," she said.

I lowered my head.

"I'm sorry," I said, looking downcast.

She looked away, and when she looked back at me, her expression was already "ready" again.

It was as if he had put on an invisible mask.

"Now open that door. Let's leave as if nothing happened," she said.

I walked to the door and put my hand on the latch.

"Wait," she said.

I looked back .

Mio came closer and adjusted my collar, like a girlfriend would.

The gesture was so natural that my heart skipped a beat.

"Smile. We might be being watched ," she whispered.

I smiled.

Forced.

And she smiled too.

The perfect smile.

So she opened the door first.

Outside, the sunlight hit like a shock.

And a few steps ahead, Sakura was near the entrance of the house, pretending to be distracted.

But I saw it.

I saw how she looked in our direction.

As if he wanted to memorize everything.

(…She didn't go to see the food at all.) — I noticed.

Mio walked ahead, heading towards the beach.

I went after it.

And I tried to convince my own brain of one thing:

(Today was supposed to be fun. But from the first minute… I was already scared.) — I thought, apprehensive about what might happen.

When we arrived, the group was already gathered.

Haruto and Kenta were as noisy as ever.

And next to Sakura were two girls I didn't know very well... probably her friends.

One of them had short, light brown hair and a cheerful smile.

The other one had long hair and a more observant gaze.

Sakura raised her hand, being overly polite.

— Hi. — he said Sakura .

Haruto was the first to react.

— OOOH! Kurokawa ! You actually came! — he grinned widely.

Kenta waved too.

"We couldn't believe it when Sakura told us about you," she said . Kenta .

Mio gave a slight bow.

— Hello. — said Mio

She said that as if she were the perfect girlfriend.

Sakura 's friends They were there too. Kanzono Yui and Tsukishima May.

Riku 's girlfriend ?" the short-haired girl asked, curiously.

Haruto was too excited.

"Today Riku is going to live every man's dream, right? Beach, beautiful girlfriend, and…" Haruto said ironically.

"Shut up," I interrupted, blushing.

Kenta laughed.

"Relax, Riku . You 're acting like a teenager," he said . Kenta .

Sakura stood watching.

Her smile never faded.

But I couldn't relax.

Because the more perfect Mio seemed…

But I felt that she was holding everything tightly.

Like an actress in a play who can't make a single mistake.

When the food arrived, the atmosphere lightened up a bit.

We ate simple, typical beach food.

We laughed, we talked…

But I realized:

Mio hardly ate.

She took small bites.

And he would look at his watch sometimes.

(…She's keeping track of the time.) — I noticed.

Sakura struck up a conversation with her.

"You seem very organized, Kurokawa ," he said . Sakura .

"I try," she replied.

"That's great. Riku has always been kind of... absent-minded." Sakura smiled.

"Hey," I complained.

Haruto let out a laugh.

"She 's right," he said . Haruto .

— You're distracted and desperate. — Kenta finished:

"Do you two want to die?" I asked angrily.

We laughed.

But I felt:

Sakura was testing.

Each of her sentences seemed casual…

But it was always in the right direction.

Towards the weak point.

After a while, Mio stood up.

"Excuse me... I'll need to leave early," she said with a polite smile.

— Huh ? — Haruto's eyes widened.

"Already?" he asked. Haruto .

"It's a commitment. Something I can't postpone," she replied.

Kenta made a face of pity.

— What bad luck…

Sakura tilted her head, too sweet.

"I understand. You must be very busy," she said . Sakura .

— Yes… — Mio replied.

She looked at me.

Just a moment.

A quick glance that nobody noticed.

But I understood.

— So… see you later. — she said.

"See you later," I replied, trying to sound normal.

She walked away.

And as Mio grew further away…

I felt the air around me change.

It's as if the only person holding the rope... had let go.

Sakura looked in the direction she went.

And then he looked at me.

With the same smile.

My stomach turned to ice.