Chapter 3: The Landlady Worries

"Hmm... What should I do..."

I was surprised by the reversal of my sense of decency, but now I prioritize something more important, the money I received from the company president.

Counting it, the amount inside is fifty thousand yen, far exceeding my salary from my past life.

Certainly, I need this money now, but being the lead in an adult video is a bit embarrassing.

Especially if I were to watch that DVD, I would lose even more confidence.

If... my mother in the countryside found out... she might get angry...

"Sigh..."

(I wonder if adult video actresses in my previous world felt the same way?)

"Yeah... I should probably return the money to the president tomorrow..."

"Ugh~"

(Come to think of it, I haven't eaten anything today...)

"Should I go to the convenience store... Wallet... Wallet... Oh no...!"

I found my wallet... but there was no more cash inside...

"I'll just borrow one just one..."

In the end, I used the money from the envelope...

"But... this place feels nostalgic too..."

The town from fifteen years ago... it brings back a lot of memories.

(I used to live in a place like this fifteen years ago...)

After joining a black company, my daily life consisted of going back and forth between the office and my room. It's been a while since I took a walk like this...

"Welcome!"

Huh? Is the cashier at this convenience store really this cute?

"Bento... Bento... Huh?"

While searching for a bento box, I spotted the landlady in front of the magazine section.

(What is she looking at?)

Stealthily approaching behind the landlady...

Let's see...!? [Special Feature! New Escort Ranking 2002]

An escort guide magazine!? Does that landlady read such magazines?

"Huh... I want to go... but I can't go without Ashimura-san rent..."

"Yeah... between Ikebukuro wild well-endowed men and Shinjuku type boys, which one does the landlady prefer?"

"I want to go to all of them... but I don't have the money~"

"By the way, the photos from Shinjuku are heavily edited, so there's a high chance they're not as attractive in reality!"

"Really? Thanks, Ashimura-san!... Wha... why are you here?"

"I came to buy a bento."

"Please! Keep this a secret!"

"The fact that you want to go to an escort?"

"Please don't say it so loudly!"

"It's too late, landlady."

All the customers in the convenience store are looking at us.

"...Ha... Ashimura-san, come over here for a moment!"

The landlady suddenly pulled me.

"W-Wait... Where are we going? I haven't bought the bento yet!"

I was taken to the apartment, the landlady's room.

"Please... come in..."

Come to think of it... this is the first time I've entered the landlady's room like this? It feels a bit refreshing.

The landlady's room is a typical 3LDK, and there was already food prepared on the table.

"Instead of a bento... if you'd like... please eat my cooking..."

It seems like she's treating me to a meal.

"So... about earlier... keep it a secret from everyone..."

(I see, is this a form of hush money? But I'll eat, the food is innocent.)

"Then, let's eat!"

I ate the landlady's home-cooked meal for the first time in fifteen years (including my past life).

"Delicious... is the landlady's cooking always this good?"

In my past life, I solved all three meals with convenience store food, so I've never eaten such home-cooked meals before.

"Is it really that good? This is just a normal dish."

"Do you think I need to lie to you?"

"I'll keep what happened earlier a secret, but if you want to see those kinds of magazines, it's better to look at them in a convenience store far from the apartment."

"I'm sorry..."

"But... a beauty like you, why would you want to go to an escort shop? Why not just find a boyfriend?"

"I don't have time for that, I'm busy with this apartment... and everyone here likes it too."

"Well... that's true."

"You know, back in college, I had a boyfriend, but... he hated this apartment... so we broke up when I graduated..."

"What about other boyfriends?"

The landlady shook her head.

"Why are you so attached to this apartment? If it's too hard for you alone, why not sell it?"

"This is the only thing left to me by my parents, it's filled with so many memories... and everyone here likes it too."

"Landlady..."

"Correction, everyone here likes it except for someone who doesn't pay rent."

"Could that be me?"

"Who knows?"

Including my past life, I owe the landlady a debt.

"By the way... Ashimura-san, when will you pay the rent?"

That's right! Rent!

"N-No... I don't feel like paying it right now..."

"Why not?"

"This money was earned with my body, I don't want to contribute it to an escort shop..."

"With your body?"

(Oh no!)

"Ashimura-san... are you... involved in compensated dating or something?"

"Sigh... that's not it, actually... I found a new job today at an adult video company."

"Wow! Are you going to be an adult video actor?"

The landlady's eyes are sparkling.

"Is that amazing?"

"Because, you know... it's a job that gives hope to single women like me!"

Writing "hope" and calling it "material," right? I get it.

(But... hope... when I think about it that way... it makes sense.)

"Thank you, landlady. Talking to you has cleared up my doubts."

Indeed... the landlady here is an expert at cheering people up.

"Now, finally to the escort..."

"That's not happening."

"But..."

"A beauty like you, instead of going to an escort, how about having sex with me?"

"Huh!"