83: I Have a Friend

[Ding! Temporary Event Triggered: Tokyo Host Night]

[Dating Objective: Earn five million within a month.]

[Event Details: You might not understand what it means to earn 5.78 million in just one month.

We usually sum it up in four words—Asaba Shichiya!

Back in the day, Chen Daozai managed to turn 20 bucks into 37 million. If Takashi makes 5.78 million in a month, it's no big deal!]

[Event Duration: One month starting tonight.]

[Location: Angel's Stairway]

[Event Rewards: 100,000 points, 1 random attribute point, and a nudge from me.]

[Do you accept?]

"..."

Takashi silently read through the event details and fell into deep thought.

Wait, what?

Do you seriously take me for a host?

Is this system even legit?

I'm only 16, and you're encouraging me to become a host?

Isn't this outright corrupting a minor? Leading a young man astray?

What kind of system are you?!

You are absolutely ruining people's lives!

'Damn system, this is an insult! Do you think I would sell myself just for some points? I have dignity!'

Takashi would never lower his standards for a few measly points.

This was a matter of principle.

[300,000 points.]

The system started raising the price.

A flicker of hesitation crossed Takashi's face, but he still refused. '…System, this really isn't possible.'

[500,000.]

Takashi's breathing became heavy.

He felt like the female lead from Asura's Game, his resolve wavering, his fists clenching so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.

He wanted to firmly reject it, but the system was offering way too much.

500,000 points.

Half a million points!

How long would it take to earn that otherwise?

If he let this opportunity slip away, would there even be another one like it?

Takashi started to reconsider.

Maybe principles and limits weren't that important after all.

Shifting the line a little, lowering his standards just a tiny bit… That should be fine, right?

A man of principle—just, you know, not too much.

"Hey, where are you going?"

Just as Takashi was about to agree, Haruno noticed him walking ahead as if possessed. She stepped forward and gave his shoulder a firm pat.

Takashi snapped out of it.

'Damn, I was being tempted by the system.' A warning bell rang in his mind.

He hadn't expected the system to try and seduce him.

"Sorry, I got distracted thinking about something else."

"I thought you were seeing ghosts."

Haruno complained, then walked down the stairs. "Come on, my friend's host club is down here."

The staircase was softly lit, giving off a high-end feel.

Clearly, this was not a place a high schooler like Takashi should be visiting.

Walking behind Haruno, Takashi only had to lower his gaze slightly to see her long, slender legs and the way her short skirt swayed with every step, highlighting her round and perky curves.

'Honestly, the older sister is more attractive.' Takashi mused.

He had met both sisters before.

And he just couldn't understand why, despite having nearly identical faces, the older sister—who had a larger chest, a shapelier figure, and a more mature charm—was only rated 8 in attractiveness, while the younger sister was a solid 9.

Was it because of her, um… flat assets?

Like, congratulations, you can land a plane on your chest. Big deal.

At the entrance of the host club, the automatic doors slid open.

Takashi stepped inside, feeling a mix of excitement, nervousness, and curiosity.

He had walked past the Kabukicho district plenty of times before and seen countless host advertisements, but this was his first time actually setting foot in a host club.

The moment he entered, he could feel the difference underfoot.

The entire floor was covered with plush carpeting that sank beneath his steps.

The front lobby had only a few scattered customers. Takashi wasn't sure if that was because it was a new store or if host clubs were just like this in general.

"Miss Yukinoshita, you're here?"

The receptionist was unexpectedly good-looking, though his makeup was way too thick. His long bangs made him look a little… effeminate.

"Where's your club owner?" Haruno asked with a slight nod.

"We have an important client tonight, so our owner is currently entertaining them. Would you like me to call her over?" The receptionist answered politely.

"No need. Let her finish up first. Tell her to come find me when she's free."

Haruno didn't want to interrupt her friend's business.

She turned to Takashi, smiling as she noticed his wide-eyed curiosity. "First time?"

"Yeah."

Takashi saw no reason to be embarrassed about it.

I mean, is it shameful to have never been to a host club before?

"What do you think?"

"Well… how should I put it? It kind of feels like a bar. No, more like a dance club?"

As they spoke, they walked deeper into the club.

Compared to the bright lights outside, the atmosphere inside was much dimmer and more intimate, with colorful lights sweeping across the room.

In this kind of lighting, Takashi felt like his attractiveness had shot up a level or two.

He had heard that bars use dim lights as a natural beauty filter.

With the right lighting, everyone looks like a model.

But the moment they step outside, reality hits—most of them are just average.

It was basically the same trick as using red-tinted lights to make meat look fresher at the butcher's. A total scam.

The customers were all seated, while the hosts moved gracefully between them.

There were no regular waiters here.

Every person serving drinks was essentially a host-in-training.

Newcomers to the industry were tasked with cleaning duties before the club opened—whether it was the toilets, the floors, or the mirrors, everything had to be spotless, free of a single fingerprint, to provide the highest level of service.

"The first host club in Japan was established in '65," Haruno explained. 

"Originally, it was just a large dance hall. 

But in the competitive nightlife industry, business started to decline, so the owner hired male dancers to cater specifically to female customers. 

And, well, it turned out to be a huge success."

As she spoke, a male attendant approached and gave them a polite bow.

He didn't ask, "How many in your party?" or "Smoking or non-smoking?"—instead, he simply maintained a respectful distance of about a step and a half, guiding them to a booth by the window.

"You know," Haruno said with a teasing smile, "you'd actually make a pretty good host, Takashi."

Her casual switch to calling him "Takashi" instead of "Kitahara" caught him off guard.

That was one thing about her—completely different from her younger sister.

Her sister was always cold, always had that stuck-up expression, and never cared about how others felt when she spoke. Sarcasm and blunt remarks were her default.

Honestly, if it weren't for her family's influence in Chiba and their connections with the school board, she would've been bullied or beaten up a long time ago.

If she didn't fix that terrible attitude of hers, she was bound to suffer once she stepped into society.

In contrast, Haruno not only knows how to talk but also understands how to interact with people. She seems to handle relationships with ease, no matter who she's dealing with.

At least, from Takashi's conversations with her, he didn't find her unpleasant.

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