Chapter 32 – Host Club Madness, A Self-Inflicted Wound

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I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd flushed my damn money straight down the drain. And of course, I never saw a single yen of that pathetic little pile ever again.

Why the hell did I just blow fifteen thousand yen giving Mahiro a never-ending lecture? That s**t made no sense. I would’ve been better off buying clothes or something, anything but that.

Whatever. At least I managed to keep the Yoshikawa family from falling apart. I'll take that win.

Still, if I had to throw cash around, I'd much rather have spent it on Chihiro-san's tits than Mahiro's baby doll bullshit. At least that way I could've blown something else, too.

In the end, I lost. A total surrender in the great catastrophic sexual world war. Unconditional, balls-emptying defeat.

Also, I've got a bone to pick with this chick named Mami—the one who got Mahiro into working at a damn soapland in the first place. But I forgot to ask Mahiro about her. Not that I can now, since I already deleted our whole chat history. Would be stupid to go knocking on the Yoshikawas' door just to ask.

…

Guess I've got no choice. I'll ask Temari, one of Mahiro's friends. She probably knows.

Time to fire off a message.

“Hey, Temari. I got something I wanna ask you.”

“Huh? What's a guy with a girlfriend doing messaging a cram-school reject this late?”

God, what a b***h. Classic Temari.

No way I'm explaining everything here. Too much effort. I'll just get to the point.

“You know someone named Mami? She's friends with Mahiro.”

“Ahh, you mean Mamichi? Kurimi Mami? Wait, did you have any kind of connection with her?”

Kurimi Mami…? Sounds like some magical girl spell. Mamkuruchinkurukaripakkun. Shame what she's doing isn't remotely magical. Ain't no idol—hell, not even a foodle.

“Yeah, I think that's her. I don't know her or anything. Just wondering if you could give me her contact.”

“…”

Uh-oh.

Five minutes of silence, and then suddenly Temari calls me.

“Moshi moshi?”

“Why do you wanna talk to Mamichi?”

Huh?

Temari's voice over the phone sounded like she was interrogating a pervy old man. Naturally, I started sounding like I had something to hide.

“Just wanna give her a piece of my mind, that's all.”

“Give her a piece of your—wait, Yuuya, do you even know what Mamichi does now?”

“What?”

“She's working in the sex trade, you know.”

So Temari knew, too. Well, that speeds things up. Climax-level fast.

“Yeah, that's what this is about.”

“Wait… you're not trying to book her or something, are you?”

Ah, makes sense now. Temari thought I was calling to get some action. That's why she sounded so disgusted earlier.

Too bad I don't even remember what Mami looks like. I wouldn't book a sex worker I can't even picture. I've only got so much cash—if I'm gonna waste it, I'd at least choose someone who matches my taste, Photoshop filters and all.

“Hell no. Why would I do that?”

“Alright, good… But just so you know, this Mamichi's really deep into it.”

“The job?”

“More like the lifestyle. She even tried to recruit me, can you believe that? Like I've got time for that crap while prepping for exams.”

“Wait, what!? She tried to recruit you too!?”

“…Too?”

“…Ah.”

“Don't tell me… she tried to get Mahiro into it as well…”

S**t. Damn sharp cram school rejects, always sniffing stuff out.

But, well… if it's Temari, I don't really mind her knowing. In fact, she's probably the one person around me I can trust.

Honestly, she might be the most reliable person I've got.

…Which says a lot about my sorry excuse for a social circle.

―――――――――――――――――――――

So yeah. I told her everything.

“Jeez… Mamichi's hopeless. She's probably just doing it for referral money or something.”

“That's how it works?”

“Yeah. If she ropes girls into the job, she gets paid. And if she's even trying with me, it's definitely just business. Like seriously, who the hell would want someone like me in a place like that, ha!”

“I dunno. You'd probably be popular.”

“…Huh?”

“You're easy to talk to, kinda cute. Guys would eat that s**t up. You'd be a top earner for sure.”

“Wh—wh—what the hell is wrong with you!? That's not a compliment! And I'm not working there, dumbass!”

Oh damn. Temari's flustered. That's rare.

But hey, I don't say things I don't mean. Compared to Mahiro, she's way more suited for it. Way more.

“Alright, I get it. So basically, she's casting a wide net for referrals just to make cash. But still… why go that far?”

“It's just a rumor, okay?”

“Yeah?”

“I heard Mamichi's hooked on hosts. Like seriously addicted.”

“…Get the f**k outta here.”

“So yeah… probably desperate for cash.”

“Goddamn host-addicted chick? Seriously?”

F*****g hell. What a moron. Dumbass with zero self-control.

That's a new low—even worse than gambling junkies. There's no saving someone that far gone.

Better to just steer clear…

“…Still, if we just leave her like that, she'll probably crash and burn.”

“If she's the only one crashing, who gives a s**t.”

“Yeah, but… she's still a friend, you know? Just abandoning her feels…”

“…”

Yeah. From Temari's perspective, that tracks.

Still…

No way, right? There's no way those damn host club claws are gonna reach Mahiro too, right?

God, I really don't wanna get dragged back into this.

I just wanted to bust a nut. How the hell did it come to this?