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Andy's room.
"Mnngh! Ah~" I stretched while laying down. A few satisfying popping sounds came out as a result.
"That was the best sleep ever..." I said aloud. The expensive bed is unsurprisingly great to sleep on.
"What time is it..?" I feel around for my phone.
Shortly after, I grab hold of the familiar shape.
"There it is." I then brought it to my face and turned it on.
"9 AM!?!" I yelled as I shot up from my bed, eyes wide.
I frantically tumble out of bed and head for the kitchen, still in my pajamas.
"I'm sorry, mama! I woke up late!"
Sitting at the table, Hana took a sip of her black coffee.
"It's okay, Andy. It's just reheating bentos." said Hana1 with a smile to reassure her son.
"But still..." I felt disappointed in myself for failing to be a good son first thing in the morning.
"You were just discharged, Andy. It's fine, really." Hana smiled warmly.
I gave an obedient nod. "Okay... But tomorrow I'll wake up early to cook breakfast! Every morning!" the filial me swore.
"Fufu.. I would greatly appreciate it, Andy." Hana said with a light chuckle.
'Huh. They actually do go 'fufu' in real life.' I thought to myself. Previously thinking that real women don't actually go 'fufu.'
"Now go change out of your pajamas. The microwave will finish soon."
"Right! I'll be right back! Don't lift a finger, mama! I'll set the table and everything!" I said before going back to my room.
"Fufu~ My baby boy is truly thoughtful." Hana chuckled again.
.
Later. After breakfast.
"Hm.. What should I wear?" I wondered in front of my open closet. Trying to decide what to wear.
"I did say it's a date, but we're just going grocery shopping. Dressing up nicely would be weird..."
I shifted through my hanging clothes. Taking out a pair of purple jogger pants and a white shirt.
"This should be good enough." I say to myself. Going for the casual 'just dropping by the nearby convenience store' look.
"Besides leather shoes, I only have sneakers. No accessories either, unfortunately. A necklace would've been great.."
'I really need to go shopping for a lot of stuff, huh. Tank tops, shorts, and some accessories.'
After changing, I waited in the living room for mama to come out.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Andy. Let's go?" Hana asked upon exiting her room.
I eyed mama's attire; a white v-neck blouse that gives an ample window to her bust, dull-purple slacks, and short heels.
"Uh, yeah. Let's go, mama." I felt my cheeks grow warm a little.
'Don't be weird, don't be weird...'
Andy's struggle will continue a while longer it seems.
.
Local supermarket.
"Hm.. Which one is better?" I'm currently deep in thought trying to choose between two differing brands of soy sauce. One is the same as the one yesterday and the other is an equally expensive new brand.
"Um.. Andy? We could just buy both and try them out." Hana suggested from behind the cart.
'Oh, right. Mama is rich.' I remembered my financial situation is different from before.
"Alright. Let's do that, mama." I then placed the two bottles of soy sauce into the cart.
"And aren't we getting too much? It's just us two at home, Andy." Hana looked down at their half-filled cart.
"We don't have anything left back home, mama. I can't make delicious meals for us with nothing." I replied.
To that, Hana didn't have a rebuttal. After all, she didn't go out for nearly a month.
Their grocery shopping date then continued.
Ignoring the passing gazes of others, the mother and son had a peaceful time. Chatting about which products to buy, Hana's likes and dislikes, and household rules.
.
With a loud thud, Hana shut the trunk of her car.
"And that's the last one." said Hana while wiping the sweat from her forehead.
"I'll return the cart. I'll be right back, mama." after that, I turned around and started pushing the cart.
"No, no! Let's go together, Andy." Hana rushed to her son's side. Refusing to let him go by himself.
"But, why? Ah.."
'Right. I'm a top-tier guy in a reverse world. Gosh, that sounds so narcissistic.' I remembered that everything is different now. The world, society, my life, everything.
"Are you worried I'll get dragged off and assaulted, mama?" I bluntly asked while pushing the cart.
To that, Hana is incredibly shocked that Andy just casually asked about being violated.
"W-Well, maybe not that far.. But yes. I'm worried for your safety, Andy. You've changed. How you act and the air around you. They lure in bad women." said Hana. A worried expression on her face.
"Got it. I'll be more careful, mama." I said with a small smile.
"Ah, here we are." Arriving at the cart sorter, I shoved our cart inside another.
"Now let's go back..." I trailed off. My gaze landing on a peculiar store front.
"Self-defense goods, crime prevention goods, police goods..." was written on the window.
Hana peaked her head inti Andy's view. "Do you want mama to buy you self-defense gear, Andy?" Hana offered after seeing Andy stare at the store named 'Defense Goods.'
I carefully thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Yes, mama. For my safety." I replied with a determined face.
We then made our way to the store to buy me self-defense gear.
*ring ring~*
The bells on the door announced our arrival.
"Welcome." with a polite smile, a rugged-looking woman greeted us immediately after. She was behind a distant counter directly facing the door.
All we could see was her black bob hair, black tank top, and the scar on her left cheek. Everything below the waist was concealed by the counter.
'She can definitely hold her own in a fight.' I thought myself. Noticing her muscles all the way from here.
Her eyes accurately scanned Andy and Hana in mere seconds.
"Buying stuff for your son, ma'am?" she asked in a professional tone.
"Yes. Do you have any recommendations?" Hana asked with a serious expression.
The woman then smirked.
"That depends. My store has everything from harmless alarm keychains to stun guns." she said with pride in her voice before exiting the counter to approach us.
'Ex-military?' I thought to myself upon seeing her camo pants.
Her leather boots gave each step a powerful thud. She then stopped a respectable distance from us.
'She's shorter than mama, but she feels so imposing...' I thought to myself. A thought crossed my mind that this woman could easily take down my mother with ease.
'I'm fortunate she seems to be a good person...'
"So what does this handsome young man want? Hm?" she asked with a slight smirk.
"Everything." I replied.
"Oh, ho~?" the clerk is amused by my response.
"Alarm keychains to scare off perverts and stun guns for the overly confident."
"Bu- hahah!" The clerk threw her head back and laughed loudly.
"Good! That's the right way, boy!" Her tone playful and unserious.
I narrow my eyes in annoyance. "I'm not a kid. I'm 20."
Her head snapped back down to meet my eyes. Her expression so serious that it unnerved me for a moment. "Age doesn't matter in self-defense." Her tone blunt.
"... Right.." I say in a low voice.
"Haha! Sorry about that!" she said with a playful smile. Playing off what just happened.
She then turns her heel left.
"Come. I'll show you the alarm keychains first."
She then guided us down an aisle and stopped at the racks of alarm keychains hanging. All with varying sizes and designs.
"Take your pick." said the clerk.
I scanned the selection for a few minutes and picked out two alarms.
One is the generic egg-shaped alarm with a chain pin. The other is disguised as a functional pen.
"One to threaten and the other as a backup." the clerk accurately picked up my reasoning.
"Exactly." I confirmed.
"Alright. I'll show you the stun guns." the clerk turned around and began guiding us to a different aisle.
"Here we are. This entire aisle is dedicated to every stun gun you could think of."
"There's so many.." I was dumbfounded at the number and variety.
Her claim was not exaggerated. The aisle had more variety than the juice aisle, but more organized.
I approach a nearby shelf and take out a regular handheld stun gun that has some sort of cap on the prongs.
"Wait." the clerk spoke out and approached.
"You're going to teach me how to safely use it?"
"Yep. Store protocol and I also don't want you getting hurt, boy." she said with a serious expression.
The clerk then stopped next to me.
"I'll hold your hands and teach you step by step. Okay?"
"Okay."
She then carefully reached from behind me and held my hands together with the stun gun in the center.
'So strong..' her calloused hands felt like stone in how solid they feel wrapped around mine.
Nervous, I swallow my saliva.
'Thank goodness she seems to be a good person... if a woman like her attacked me, no stun gun would stop her. She'd hold me down with her incredible strength, tear off my clothes, and violate me until I can't walk straight...' I imagined. A convoluted mix of arousal and fear at the thought.
"Hey, you listening?" the clerk asked upon noticing Andy has lost focus.
"Ah- yeah!" I snapped out of my ridiculous fantasy.
"Well, firstly, hold it with both hands. You can use it with one hand, but for now use both." the clerk began explaining. Her tone professional.
"Next we have to turn it on. Here on the right side is a switch. Push and pull down to turn it on."
Following her direction, the stun gun made a faint click sound. Signaling it turned on.
"Got it."
"Here on the left side is a yellow button. That's the trigger, but don't press it, yet."
"Got it." I repeated.
"Now before I take off the cap and let er loose, you MUST keep in mind to only press the trigger after holding it to the pervert's body. Don't hold it, unless you want her dead. Got it?"
I nod this time.
"Good. I'm gonna take off the cap and you press it once. Okay? I'll only support your grip so you don't freak out and drop it."
I nod once more.
With my silent agreement, the store clerk took off the cap from the stun gun's head. Freeing the two prongs.
"On the count of 3, press it once. One, two, three!"
*crackle!*
With the press of a button, bright, powerful lightning appeared connecting the two prongs for a second.
My heartbeat quickened slightly as a result.
Such power in the palm of my hand...
"You did well, good job." the clerk praised me as she let go and stepped back.
*bzzt*
I lightly pressed the trigger.
"... Cool.." I muttered. An excited smile creeping on my face.
"I know, right? You can wield lightning to strike your foes. It's like magic." the clerk said with a playful grin.
After that, I went through several different stun guns. Each with a unique design.
.
The card reader let out a brief beep. Signaling the transaction.
"Here's your card, ma'am." the clerk handed back Hana's card.
"Thank you." said Hana as she took back her card.
Meanwhile I looked inside the large paper bag containing all the stuff I picked out. The two alarms and four different stun guns.
A small handheld stun gun, a stun baton, a pen stun gun, and a phone case stun gun.
'Ridiculous, but better safe than sorry.' I thought to myself.
Hana reached into the bag and took out the small handheld stun gun.
"Carry this or the pen at all times, okay?" Hana said, looking Andy in the eyes.
"Okay, mama." I replied.
I then take out the pen stun gun and clip it to my pocket.
"Alright. Let's go home, Andy." Hana said with a warm smile.
"Mhm. Let's go home, mama."
I held the paper bag to my chest as mama guides me out of the store, her hand square on my back.
"Stay safe, boy! Feel free to come back any time!" the clerk yelled as they exited.
.
Later. Hana's car.
We're now on our way home after a successful shopping trip
"Um, mama?" I spoke out. Breaking the stillness in the car.
"Yes, Andy?" Hana asked. Her eyes still on the road.
'I've been thinking about it the whole day and now I'm certain.'
With certainty in my choice, I part my lips. "I... want to be a rental boyfriend."
"What?!" Hana shouted, she abruptly turned to Andy for a moment before shifting back to the road.
"Why, Andy?! Is your allowance not enough? I can increase it-"
"It's not about the money, mama." I cut her off.
"Then why??" Hana asked. Anxious and worry in her voice. She wants to look me in the eye, but the road takes priority.
"Mama, I... want to make as many people happy. More specifically, women." my voice came out meeker than I expected.
'Fuck that sounds so fucking pretentious or something.'
"... Why? Andy, you don't need to become a rental boyfriend to make others happy. There are different ways you can go about it. Actually, you don't need to do anything. Mama can take care of you for the rest of your life." Hana's tone became increasingly possessive.
"... Mama, have you ever dreamed of romance? Fantasizing the perfect date?"
"!!" Hana's eyes widen at the question. She recalled her naive and reckless youth. How she fantasized of finding a man to take out on dates and exchange affection with. To experience a fulfilling youth.
Hana's grip on the wheel tightened, her lips pursed.
"I... did. When I was in highschool, and some time after landing a job as a prosecutor." her tone carrying a tinge of hurt from recalling her past. The constant rejections of every man she wished to court.
"Did you ever wish, even if it's one date, to feel the heartfelt attention of a man? A man who genuinely enjoyed spending time with you and tried his best to fulfill your every desire." I continued.
Hana didn't answer. A lump of nothingness stuck in her throat.
"I want to be that man for the lonely women of this world, mama." I said with my best genuine tone. Trying to express how sincere I am.
'And.. this is partly my selfish desire.'
The main reason why I want to become a rental boyfriend is that I see my past self in their shoes.
Lonely, single, wishing for romance one day.
'It's even worse in this world with there being fewer men.'
I want to help them out of my own desire. I feel that by doing so, I can slowly put my past life to rest. Ridiculous as it may sound.
"Please, mama..." my tone almost begging.
".... How exactly.. do you intend on doing it?"
With that, I brightened up. My meek frown turning into a wide smile.
"So you'll let me become a rental boyfriend!?"
"I'll consider it based on your explanation. If I don't like how you'll go about it, then I'll forbid it. I'll place you under house arrest, if need be." Hana's tone firm and mature.
"Well, first off, I'll preface in my profile that I only do first dates. No second dates no matter what. And if I feel that my client is dangerous or just wants my body, then I'll cancel on the spot and walk away." I began explaining.
Hana silently nodded along. Listening while driving.
"After screening them, then that's when I'll switch to boyfriend mode and shower them with attention. I'll follow along with their date plans, and try to be understanding of their choices and hobbies."
"What if they want to take you somewhere private or secluded? Like a hotel." Hana asked, almost interrogating Andy.
"Then I'll respectfully decline and ask them to take me somewhere else." I calmly answered.
"What about physical contact? Handholding, hugging, and kissing." Hana intently listens for Andy's answer. Glancing back and forth between him and the road.
"Hm.. Hand holding and hugging are fine with me. But kissing and anything lewd is off limits." I cross my arms into an X-shape in front of me.
"Pfft! Hahahah!" Hana laughed aloud upon seeing the "Andy X"
"Eh? Why are you laughing, mama??" Andy is perplexed as to why Hana suddenly broke out in laughter.
"Hu.. it's nothing, Andy~" she wiped a tear from her eye as a result of her sudden laughter.
"So.. is that a yes..?" I probed. Hoping for a positive response.
"Alright. You have my permission to be a rental boyfriend, Andy." Hana replied with a slight smile on her face.
"Yes!" I double fist-pumped. More excited than I should be.
"But! I will set some ground rules." Hana spoke out.
"Yes, mama. Anything."
"First, I'll give you a micro GPS tracker so I can locate you even if your phone is taken."
'That's genius, mama!' Andy praised internally.
"Second, send me a picture of your client before the start of the date."
"Understood, mama."
"And third... don't neglect your mama, okay..?" Hana blushed, her tone embarrassed.
I blinked. "... Heheh.." I giggled at the request.
"I'm serious, okay!? Mama needs your attention too!" Hana continued. Her mature air completely gone.
Feeling cheeky, I move closer to mama.
*chu~*
And place a cheeky little kiss on her cheek before retreating back to my seat.
"!!" Hana internally freaked out, but quickly calmed herself down and focused on the road before her.
".. Thanks, mama. For being an amazing mother." I said with a heartfelt smile. My heart warm with filial affection.
"Mama only wants the best for you, Andy..."
'Always..'
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