After all the commotion, things surprisingly wrapped up without any major issues. I was prepared for the worst—possibly even getting the police involved—but in the end, Mogi-san was scolded by some higher-up who arrived later and got the details. Meanwhile, I ended up being the one who received apologies from the higher-ups.

Once the apologies were over, we were free to go. Sticking to the original plan, I went to a nearby family restaurant with Kawabata-san and Sayama-san.

"Tachihara-san, I’m so sorry for all the trouble this caused you!"

"It’s not your fault, Sayama-san, so don’t worry about it. If anything, I’m sorry for escalating the situation. If Mogi-san gives you any more trouble, feel free to give him my name or school information."

"What are you saying? Thanks to you, Mogi-san will finally calm down! That guy never considers how annoying he’s being, just pushing himself onto others because his parents are famous in this industry. Serves him right!"

Uh… wow. Sayama-san was venting with surprising intensity. She must’ve been holding in a lot of frustration.

"Ah, sorry about that. Anyway, about the bodyguard job—please let me count on you!"

"Sure, I’ll help however I can. Like I told Kawabata-san, there might be times when I need to step away for emergencies, but I’ll do my best."

"Yes, of course! Even just having you around during your free time will be a huge help!"

"Alright, then could you fill me in on the details?"

"Sure! So, the first strange thing I noticed was—"

"Wait, hold up, you two! We haven’t even talked about the pay or expenses yet!"

"Oh, right! I completely forgot!"

"I don’t mind doing this for free since Kawabata-san has helped me out so much in the past."

"That’s very kind of you, Tachihara-kun, but you can’t say things like that! This job isn’t without risk, and you could’ve gotten hurt earlier!"

"Exactly! Even if you’re strong, this is a dangerous job. You should be compensated properly! Nozomi, what’s the standard rate for this kind of work?"

"I looked it up on the way here. For private security, it’s about 4,000–5,000 yen per hour. If it’s for someone famous or in high-risk situations like this, the rate usually doubles. Since Tachihara-kun is a student and not a professional, maybe we could set it at half—around 4,000 yen per hour?"

"Alright, 4,000 yen per hour it is! Tachihara-san, how does that sound?"

"Wait, wait, wait! What are you even saying?! 4,000 yen(About 26 USD) an hour?! That’s insane!"

"Of course, we’ll cover all your expenses and transportation fees too. And if you work over eight hours on weekends, you’ll get overtime pay. Any higher than this might be pushing it, though…"

"No, you’ve got it backward! I don’t need anything near that! For a student part-time job, 1,000 yen an hour is plenty!"

Do these wealthy people not understand how part-time jobs work for students? In this area, even 1,000 yen per hour is considered high. Plus, can Sayama-san really afford this? Do idols make that much money?

"Even if you’re joking, that’s way too low. This isn’t cleaning or dishwashing. A dangerous job like this obviously comes with higher pay."

"She’s right, Tachihara-san. I earn plenty of money, so don’t worry about it!"

Maybe you’re fine, but I’m not! I can’t accept such a massive amount for powers I got for free from a great mage. The guilt would eat me alive!

"Please, let’s settle at 1,500 yen per hour. That’s already twice the going rate for part-time jobs in this area."

"What are you talking about? With skills like yours, even the standard rate would be fair!"

"Exactly! Someone as strong as you should be paid more!"

"Come on, just work with me here! Taking too much will make me feel guilty! Let’s settle on 2,000 yen!"

…Isn’t this negotiation going completely backward?

The pay discussion went on for a while longer. In the end, we compromised: 3,000 yen per hour with transportation and expenses covered. Overtime would be a 25% increase for hours exceeding eight in a day. If I got injured, Sayama-san would cover all medical expenses. With that settled, we discussed the situation, and I agreed to start officially as her bodyguard the next day.