Chapter Text
Your best friend Junpei told you about the place he works at in the spring of your final year of high school.
You always had trouble making friends and you were grateful Junpei stuck to you.
It felt like you two were social outcasts but you didn't ever feel lonely. He was kind and sweet.
Katsuki kept the bullies at bay and was kind of a bully himself sometimes, but you two were lucky to have his protection all throughout your school years.
He sometimes stole your lunch money or pulled a prank on the two of you, but otherwise he left both of you alone.
Junpei waited until you were eighteen to tell you about his workplace.
It was Thursday and you two were eating your lunch in quiet.
"Hey, Y/N. You know, I work at this place where you're able to pay people for companionship. It might be a cool place for you to visit sometime." He said.
Junpei knew you were clueless and an innocent little thing. He always admired that about you.
He looked to be just as innocent as you, as he was effeminate and had soft features. He never wanted to burst the bubble you lived in.
You'd find out about the birds and the bees eventually. It's not his fault your dad never gave you the talk.
He appreciated your friendship and thought now that you're an adult, it may be a good way for you to work on your social skills.
"What does companionship mean?" You said.
"Well, that's the thing. You're paying the person so you get to decide what it means." He said.
You furrowed your brows.
"So, if I asked someone to stand on one leg, they would?" You said.
"Yep! Sometimes if you have special requests, it might cost more money but we have a great admin team who's able to guide you through what you're looking for, and point you towards people who may have expertise in certain areas." He said.
You furrowed your brows again.
"So I could pay someone to talk to me." You said.
"Yep. That's included in everyone's base package. I know someone who would be a great fit." He said.
Junpei knew Katsuki's protection was a double edged sword.
People didn't pick on the two of you because he was around. But because he was around, almost everyone avoided you two altogether as well. More than a decade of schooling with just a single friend has taken it's toll on your social skills.
Katsuki saw you as a little sister and allowed Junpei to be your only friend for whatever reason.
Junpei was grateful for being the lucky chosen one.
You're awesome.
"I could pay someone to be my friend." You said.
"Yep!" Junpei said enthusiastically.
Your face lit up.
You'd make a friend!
This would be your second friend in the entire world.
You were so excited.
The timing was perfect.
You'd be off to college in the next few months and you didn't want to be a weirdo who didn't know how to talk to people.
You were going to make a friend!
"I'm so excited! Yes! I'd love to. When do you work next? Can I come with you?" You said, nearly bouncing off the walls.
"I work today actually. We can go after school." He said.
"Yay!" You said.
The day wouldn't end fast enough and you couldn't contain your excitement.
When you two were done with class, Junpei and you took the train to the red district.
Junpei told you to stick close to him and you did.
Most people knew Junpei, as his mother worked at the same brothel and introduced him to this line of work once he turned eighteen which was just a few months ago.
He was grateful for his girly features as that allowed him to be more selective with his clients. People would assume you were here to see him.
You went inside of the place Junpei worked at and it was quiet. Junpei said most of their customers came after work. You got out of school a few hours before.
"Good afternoon Kurono-san. This is my friend Y/N. She's here to see Dabi." Junpei said.
Junpei set up your appointment with Dabi earlier as Dabi once saved Junpei from getting mugged.
He was eternally grateful for his gracious act and hoped he could repay his kindness.
The man at the front desk nodded at Junpei.
"Good afternoon miss. May I see your ID?" He said.
"Yes sure thing! Here you go." You said, pulling out your school ID that had your birthdate on it.
He verified you were an adult and smiled at you.
"Thank you. The rate for seeing Dabi is two hundred dollars an hour. How would you like to pay?" He said.
"Um, cash is fine please." You said.
You pulled out two one hundred dollar bills and handed them to the man.
He put them through a machine to presumably verify their authenticity and then nodded at you.
"He will be out shortly. Please take a seat in the meantime." He said.
The man turned your back to you and went on the computer towards the back.
You and Junpei sat at the bench, awaiting the man.
"When you're done with your hour just text me and I'll take my break to walk you to the train. I know you know how to get back, but I insist. Sometimes people can heckle you around here." Junpei said, laughing slightly.
You didn't think too much of it. His company was always welcome.
"Thank you Junpei. I'll make sure I do. I'm so excited to meet Dabi." You said.
"He's a nice guy. Promise." He said.
You were bouncing your leg as you were eager to meet your new friend.
You went on your phone to try and distract yourself.
You heard a door opening from the direction of where Kurono was.
"He's here." Junpei said.