Reiji was already at the café when Miko arrived.
It wasn't like before. There was no pretense of play. No cheerful introductions. Just two people who knew they were about to have a real conversation—with no script, no timer, and no fallback.
She slid into the seat across from him, hands wrapped around a cup she hadn't sipped yet.
"Thanks for coming," she said quietly.
He didn't nod. Didn't smile. Just waited.
"I didn't come to apologize," she started, then hesitated. "Well, maybe I did. But mostly, I came because I don't want to pretend with you anymore."
Reiji leaned back slightly, arms crossed. "So who am I talking to now? Miko Ayanami, or 'Miki the rental girlfriend'?"
Her eyes flicked down. "Miko. Just me."
Silence.
"I never expected any of this to matter," she said. "I took the job because I had no other option. My sister—she's everything to me. Supporting her was the only thing I could do right."
Reiji's jaw tightened slightly but he said nothing.
"And then you showed up. Quiet. Detached. Like you weren't even trying to be liked." She gave a small, sad smile. "And you made me want to be honest for once."
He exhaled slowly. "You still chose not to be."
"I was scared," she admitted. "You weren't just a client. You were the first person who made me feel seen. And I hated how much that meant to me."
The café buzzed around them, low and indifferent.
She looked him in the eye. "I don't know what happens next. But I want it to be real. Not rented. Not rehearsed. Just… real."
Reiji stared at her for a long moment. Then, finally, he spoke.
"Okay," he said. "Then let's start from the beginning."
He reached out his hand.
"Hi. I'm Reiji."
She smiled. Not the professional one. The real one.
"Miko. Nice to meet you."