Our Life That Begins with a Convenient Relationship - Chapter 4

Carrying the woman whose name I didn’t even know on my back, I finally made it within sight of the station, but I couldn’t help but stop in my tracks. The moment I stepped out from the shadows of the buildings and the view opened up, I gasped at the scene before me.

Even though it was the middle of the night, the area in front of the station was as noisy as daytime.

“…What is this?”

People, people, and more people. There were so many that I didn’t even have the energy to count; the crowd stretched from the ticket gates all the way to the road. Mixed in with the buzz of the crowd, I heard snippets of conversation like, “I heard nothing is moving at all,” and “Where are the taxis?”

Feeling a sense of dread, I took out my phone to check the traffic updates.

As I read the words on the screen, I let out a deep sigh.

“You’ve got to be kidding…”

The screen said that train service had been suspended due to an accident involving a person. Furthermore, there was no hope of it starting again anytime soon. In other words, this crowd consisted of people who had no way to get home.

Honestly, walking home from here was impossible. My legs felt like lead, and my knees screamed with every step I took. I thought about switching to a taxi, but looking at this many people, there was no telling when I could catch one.

I couldn’t wait while carrying her on my back until a taxi came, and I certainly couldn’t just leave her at the taxi stand. In that case—

“…A hotel is the only option, I guess.”

Reaching that conclusion, I used a search app to look for nearby hotels.

A business hotel in front of the station or even a capsule hotel a short walk away would be fine. As long as I could rest, anything was okay.

At the shop, despite how much she drank, she had said, “Tomorrow is my day off, so I’m fine.” Tomorrow is my day off too, so staying the night was probably the only choice. Of course, I planned to charge her for everything once she woke up. Including the bill from the bar, I’d have her pay me back everything with a little extra on top.

…Actually, if she doesn’t treat me to a massage at least, it won’t be worth the trouble.

Calculating the costs in my head, I headed toward a hotel that showed an available room—but…

“…No way.”

The second murmur of the night escaped my lips when I arrived. I hurriedly re-checked my phone.

Technically, it was a hotel. The exterior was a bit flashy, but it was definitely a hotel, and the sign said “24h OK.”

…Except, if you looked closely, it was what they call a “Love Hotel.”

I never dreamed that the place that popped up in my search would be a love hotel. However, there was nothing I could do. My legs were at their limit, and I didn’t have a shred of energy left to walk to a normal hotel. I had already walked quite a bit just to get here.

Besides, we are both women. It’s not like anything is going to happen just by going inside. In that case, there’s no real difference between a love hotel and a normal one.

“Sigh… fine, a love hotel it is. Don’t you dare complain later. Got it?”

I spoke loudly on purpose so the woman on my back could hear me, but of course, there was no reply. She was still fast asleep as usual.

Steeling my resolve, I stepped through the automatic doors. Immediately, a mix of cold air and the sweet scent of perfume clung to my skin.

Before me was a lobby lit with pink lights. Along the wall were glowing panels for room selection, decorated with flashy lights and words like “Rest,” “Stay,” and “Extension” next to photos of the rooms.

Just then, I passed a man and woman who looked like a couple coming out of the elevator. They gave me a visibly shocked look, so I shouted in my head, “It’s not like that! I’m not like you guys!” while glaring back at them. …Though, that probably just made them misunderstand even more.

I picked the cheapest room on the front panel and finally made it to the room, which had an even more unique atmosphere than I expected. The wallpaper was mostly deep red and black, making me feel strangely restless. There were pink lights built into the ceiling, and a faint, sugary-sweet smell drifted through the air.

“…So, this is what a love hotel is really like.”

I whispered to myself.

It was my first time in one, but it fit the image I had in my head so perfectly that I found myself strangely convinced.

First things first, I laid her down on the bed. Her drunken body was heavier than I thought, and I almost fell onto the bed with her, but I managed to get her settled and sat down on the edge.

“…Ah… my back and legs… I’m so glad tomorrow is a holiday…”

My strength left me, and I leaned my body against the bed. The shower room I had passed was made of transparent glass with absolutely no privacy. On top of that, the bathtub was shaped like a heart. Partly because of that, my energy was so low that I didn’t even feel like taking a shower.

“That means I have no choice but to sleep, but…”

Unfortunately, there was only one large bed. I had no choice but to lie down next to her with my back turned. The pillow was placed with the “YES” side facing up, so I flipped it over but the other side said “YES” too. “Both sides?!” I couldn’t help but toss the pillow away.

We were close, but since we are both women, there was nothing to be self-conscious about or on guard for.

Tomorrow, I’ll definitely make her pay. And the massage fee too. No, at this rate, maybe she should take me on a hot spring trip.

Thinking of these things half-jokingly, I closed my eyes.

Someone else was sleeping right next to me. I hadn’t been in a situation like this since a high school field trip. Yet, strangely, I didn’t feel nervous, and my breathing soon became deep.

—This is just because I’m tired. Telling myself that, I quietly closed my eyes.

Wrapped in the sweet scent and her faint breathing, my consciousness slowly sank as if the world were drifting away.

The last thing I remember thinking was a small whisper: “Good grief… what a night.” Then, I fell into a deep sleep.