01x01 - Episode 1

[bunniefuu]

[doorbell dings]

MALE COURIER: Delivery!

Oh...

[lock clanks]

[chuckles]
Do you mind? Could you sign here, please?

Great.

Thanks, then!

YUKI: Living alone in Tokyo,
the amount of money you need,

you'll never believe it.

It takes either privilege
or a strong will.

If you don't have one of those,
the fact is, you can't lead a normal life.

For all that, I want to find someone
to connect with...

while hoping I one day become
my best self.

[upbeat music]

I'm searching for a place
where I'm my own hero.

I'm searching for the purpose in my life.

MASAYUKI: Rental girlfriend request.

I'm looking for a date
with a pure-hearted little-sister type.

YUKI: In this unforgiving world,

finding at least a little room
to be myself is what I'm striving for.

So, once again...

[heels clacking]

Are you Masayuki?

Nice to meet you. I'm Yuki.

YUKI: Today, I'll be someone's girlfriend.

[theme music]

This is my first time
renting a girlfriend.

It'll make for a good story.

Is that right?

[chuckles softly]

Thank you for picking me
for your first time.

[scoffs]

Are you this, uh, touchy feeling
with all your customers?

Even with someone who's as creepy as me?

You really must be a pro, huh?

[thumps]

You saying that kind of thing...

It's sad.

-Sorry--
-Masayuki.

I am your... girlfriend, right?

[lively music]

MASAYUKI: My girlfriend just dumped me.
I feel so lonely.

YUKI: Oh, our time's up.
It flew by so fast.

MASAYUKI: It doesn't matter
the circumstances

that brought us together.

I'm glad it was you, Yuki.

So... I'd like to see you again.

[music stops]

I'd like to see you,
so I'll reserve a spot.

[chuckles]

Great!

Then... see you then.

Till then.

YUKI: My regulars say...

they want to see me
without going through the agency,

or say they've fallen for me.

LIKELY TO BE A REPEAT CUSTOMER

Even though I just play their girlfriend
and not one thing I've said is true.

MANAGER: Yuki.

Yes?

You've got lots of regulars.
Keep it going next week, too.

YUKI: But the way people work,

once they're satisfied by something,

they can't be satisfied by it again.

Happiness... is a drug.

WONO AGENCY

So? What do you think?

[scoffs]
Come on, I'm not like you guys.

[chuckles]

Sorry.

A boyfriend?

Yeah, that's right.
He's not my usual type at all.

RINA: I didn't have high hopes,
but turns out he's really nice.

[both giggle]

Really? Good for you.

[chuckles]

He's older and he's wealthy, which means
I'm quitting the sugar daddy thing.

You were still going for sugar daddies?

Well, we just ate meals together,
and I'd shop with them.

Anyway, I'd love to have you
meet him soon, Yuki.

Mm.

I don't know. I'm shy.

Yeah, so you've turned down every guy
who's asked you out in this place.

Guys are always saying, "Yuki's so cute."
It's a real waste.

Being judged by how I look
is not what I want.

They don't know anything about me.

I don't know, I'd be super happy
if people talked about how cute I am.

If you don't like to meet
my boyfriend, it's okay.

Just come to the party this weekend.

I've got plans already.

RINA: You do?

Mm-hm, I do.

Okay.

FOR THOSE WHO FEEL STUCK,
MAKE YOUR DREAM COME TRUE

[whooshes]

[wind gusting]

[somber music]

YUKI: Since I was little,

there hasn't been a single time
that I've had a dream.

It took...

everything I had just to survive.

And now is no different.

[plate clinks]

[sucks air]

[romantic music]

WAITER: Welcome.

It's so nice to meet you. I'm Yuki.

Uh, I'm Sota Tsuji.

YUKI: Are you nervous?

Yeah, sorry.

Your phone charm...

I was thinking how your name means snow.

Very cute.
[soft chuckle]

Oh, I... I meant the charm.

[chuckles]

Thank you.

You said once we leave here,

we'll be meeting up
with some of your friends

for a double date, is that right?

Yeah. Sorry. I know it's weird.

I lied and said I had a girlfriend.
Couldn't back down from it.

So lame.

No, I don't think so.

And in case you've forgotten,
I am your girlfriend.

It's not a lie if it's true.

Mm-hm.

This is...

Yuki, my girlfriend.

TATSUYA: Dude, what? She's hella cute!
Are you for real, Sota?

The movie's gonna start. Can we go?

TATSUYA: Mm.

[Mari scoffs]

I didn't like the ending to the movie.

MARI: I didn't think it was that bad.

Yeah, me too.
I thought the ending was nice.

Seriously? It was a complete train wreck.

It was closer to real life
than a cheesy happy ending.

It showed how our lives and society
don't always make sense.

I honestly I didn't really like it.

Watching how the main character
neglected their mom, I couldn't stand it.

[scoffs]

I wanted to remind him,
"Who brought you into this world?"

I was disgusted by him.

YUKI: He must've grown up
in a loving home.

Which means he has no idea
there are people who did it.

TATSUKI: What are you talking about, dude?

Well, you know...

YUKI: Giving birth to someone
doesn't mean you become a mother.

Being around someone
who can't even imagine that...

I'm the one... who's disgusted.

Yuki, is this how you dress
most of the time?

What?

Yeah, right? It's kinda revealing.

[scoffs]
What are you doing, hitting on me?

[chuckles]
This is how I like to dress. That's all.

I think you're just showing
your true colors of being a skank.

MARI: Sota, this one's got red flags.

-[giggles]
-Huh?

Hey, that's not nice.
I'm not that kind of person.

TATSUKI: Oh, you're not?

SOTA: I'm sorry about today.

It got kind of awkward at the end.

YUKI: It doesn't bother me at all.

SOTA: That's not true.

[Yuki grunts softly]

You... haven't said
one honest thing today.

I can see it. Clearly.

YUKI: That hurts.

SOTA: Oh, sorry!

YUKI: Our time's up. Thanks for today.

[sighs]

So tired.

[train rattling in distance]

YUKI: Could you help me?

Yeah, sure thing. Just a moment, okay?

[clatters]

Oh! Uh...

Thank you so much.

[tense music]

Hi.

-[gasps]
-[object clatters]

SOTA: Yuki?

YUKI [softly]: You're mistaken.

SOTA: It's you, isn't it?

You live around here?

I'm so glad.

I wanted to apologize about yesterday.

What they said about you...

I'm sorry my friends were so rude to you.

Though they texted later and apologized.

They said they were just joking.

Your phone...

I get it!

[shaky breathing]

[soft gasp]

[breathing heavily]

Don't look.

SOTA: Yuki.

[sobbing]

[shouts]
I said don't look!

YUKI: I can't stand that look.

I'm not even the one
who feels sorry for me.

That look makes me feel pathetic.

You're not!

Stop it!

SOTA: I don't know how to say it.

I think that I'm...

I'm in love with you, I think.

What are you talking about?

I'm not...

the same Yuki that you know!

Another thing.

What you were saying
about your friends earlier,

they say whatever they want
and then just call it a joke.

Huh?

If they have to apologize later,

why say the hurtful thing
in the first place?

Did they want to put me down,
so they can feel better than me,

even just for a moment?

What's worse,

you didn't make a single effort
to try and protect me as your girlfriend.

I hate you.

NOT LIKELY TO BE A REPEAT CUSTOMER

[rustling]

We could target the aging population,
how's that?

That's good.
But we still need a theme of some sort.

Ah, you're right, we do.

BOSS: Hey.

Yes? Sorry.

BOSS: What if we were to pitch this
as a healthy, elder-friendly town?

CLIENT 1: That's good.

PROFESSOR: Please translate,
"As a result..."

-For example...
-[phone vibrates]

"He loves me. As a result,
he got in contact with me."

This means,
"As a result of him loving me."

SOTA TSUJI

I'm surprised.

And you even booked me for the whole day.

Sorry. I know it's not fair to you.

But I knew that you couldn't refuse
if I booked an appointment

through your agency.

I see you're wearing contacts.
It looks good.

Huh?

Oh.

Thanks.

[calm music]

It's really pretty.

Hm?

YUKI: When I'm surrounded by beauty,
my spirit feels lighter.

Oh, sorry.

Oh, do you want to?
The rules say holding hands is okay.

Mm-mm, I'm okay.

The point of your job is to pretend
like you're my girlfriend, right?

[chuckles]
That's good enough for me.

SOTA: Hey, sunfish.

YUKI: Wow.

[exhales]
The size of them is odd.

SOTA: These guys are some
of the smaller ones.

Once they're full grown,
they can be up to four meters long.

YUKI: Four meters?

Did you know

that sunfish lie flat on the surface
of the ocean to bask in the sun?

YUKI: Bask in the sun?

They do it because it allows sea birds
to remove parasites from their skin.

Just one parasite can be all that it takes
to k*ll a sunfish.

Yeah, for sure.

SOTA: Wait, was that right?

Give me a sec. I'll check.

I got it right! They do lie in the sun!

[chuckling]

Why does that make you so happy?

You know, that...

That's the first time you've smiled.

I've been smiling
since we first met, actually.

Yeah, well, that may be true, but...

I feel like this was from the heart.

Going out on normal dates
with someone who's my age,

I bet this is what it feels like.

SOTA: Yuki?

KONDO: Give it a rest,
I'll pay you for it on the side.

Let me.

-YUKI: No!
-KONDO: Just let me kiss you.

CLIENT 2: Let's go to a hotel.

-YUKI: I don't do that.
-CLIENT 2: Let me.

Don't f*ck with me!
Money's all you want, right?

KONDO: You said you liked me, remember?

-CLIENT 2: All of you...
-[groans]

...you're just a parasite.

[ominous music]

[whirring]

[gasps]

[chuckling]

Got it!

[Sota chuckles]

YUKI: If I basked in the sun,

would my parasites go away, too?

SOTA: Ah.

-Oh, thanks for waiting.
-[both chuckle]

Right. To the next.

Mm, let's.

Yuki, this is for you.

[Sota chuckles]
It's not really a must-have.

YUKI: It looks like you
when you've got your glasses on.

SOTA: You think so?

[both chuckle]

All right, then I'll give this to you.

Oh.

Uh, thank you.

[chuckles]

I'd like...

to see you as much as I can
whenever you're on shift.

Huh?

I like seeing you,
and it's fun to be with you.

[chuckles]

Thank you.

SOTA: I just graduated,
so I don't make a lot of money.

But I've never had a girlfriend before,
so I have a bit saved.

If I could make things even a little bit
easier for you, I'll try.

And...

if it would help

get you to quit your job sooner...

What?

I can't stand thinking of you
going on dates with other men.

I don't...
[sighs]

...want you
to keep doing this kind of work.

YUKI: All my customers
have ever wanted was my body.

But what Sota is looking for...

is my heart.

This was a fun day.

Spending time with you
has been really refreshing.

That's from the heart.

However...

YUKI: I will never trade
my body or my heart...

for money.

I can't accept that.

We can't be together right away, I know.

If just a single day sooner...

No, I wish that you
could go quit your job right now.

This work...

is the only thing
that's paying for my student loans.

I live by the skin of my teeth.

Let's say that I go quit my job,

would you cover all my living expenses?

And for the next three years?

I mean...

That's what it would mean
if I were to quit working.

I wasn't thinking.

The savings that you mentioned...

You have that because your tuition
and living expenses

were paid by your parents.

SOTA: Huh?

Well, I guess you're right.

Can you actually say it's your money?

It's not just your own savings.

What you have is truly something precious.

And it's something you should be aware of.

If you're determined
to book more appointments to see me,

do it with your own money.

[soft music]

[cell phone buzzing]

Rina?

[Rina sobs]

RINA: Hello? Yuki?

Rina, where are you?

What? He broke up with you?

He was married the whole time.
I honestly believed he was my boyfriend.

[sobbing]

You had no idea that he was married?

I did think something was off.

But it was too late at that point.
I've already fallen for him.

RINA: I'm so angry I could die.

But even still, I can't help hoping
that he'll get a divorce.

Rina, you're a kind and beautiful person.

You'll find someone who's good to you.

I'm sure that a month from now,

I'll have forgotten about him.

And I'll be in love with someone else.

Even so...

[sobs softly]

This really hurts right now.

Rina...

Ladies, whatcha doing?

We got some time to k*ll,
so let's grab a drink.

No, thank you.

Whoa, that's a bit rude.
You're college students, right?

Well, we are, too.

You two are really bothering us.

YUKI: Want me to call the manager?

Sorry, don't get mad. Sorry.

YUKI: That pisses me off.

How can they just butt in like that?

[sighs]

Maybe I'll just go join them.

Hey, don't do that to yourself so soon.

I mean, both of them
are hotter than my ex was.

What if they try and force you
into a hotel?

Who cares? I wanna try a threesome.

YUKI: Rina.

I mean, it's not like...

you can go to bed with me.

There's a void that can only be filled
by that kind of stuff.

You're always so calm and cool.
You would never get it.

[closing theme music]

RINA: Can I join you guys, actually?

-YUDAI: Yo, for real? What? Okay.
-SHOHEI: Let's go.

And there are voids
that could only be filled by friendship.

-...do they?
-I don't know what you mean.

I'm not blushing.