Debt Swelled from Spending on a Cabaret Club Girl

"Hey Kosugi! There's a miscalculation in this document again!"

"S-sorry..."

"Sorry, it doesn't cut it! You've been doing the same job for 20 years, and you're still making such mistakes! Get your calculations right!"

"Y-yes, I understand..."

My name is "Tatsuo Kosugi", and I'm a 43-year-old single salaryman. Lately, the department head's home life seems to be on the rocks, and he yells at me for even the smallest mistakes.

One Week Later...

Today is the year-end party for the company.

People from various departments were gathered, and the atmosphere was lively...

Next to me, a female office clerk was pouring a drink for the section chief.

"Section Chief, here you go..."

"Oh! That's thoughtful of you. Thank you..."

However, as usual, I couldn't blend in and ended up isolated.

(Sigh... Why isn't there a girl pouring a drink for me? Apparently, I'm known as an unattractive, single old man in the office, so I guess it can't be helped...)

Yes, the truth is, I've never been married, nor have I ever had a girlfriend. On top of that, I'm short, standing at 150 cm, and I wear glasses. My weight is over 100 kg, so I'm quite chubby.

(This is boring. I want to go home...)

After a while, a female employee at the next table seemed to have had too much to drink and was lying down.

"Ah, I'm drunk..."

"Hey, don't just lie down here..."

"But I can't move..."

Glancing sideways, I could see a bit of her bra from where she lay.

(Wow, I can see her bra! How erotic to get drunk like that... That's the problem with young girls these days... But I'm getting turned on... I should just go home... No one will notice if I slip out by myself...)

So, I pretended to go to the bathroom and left the restaurant.

On the Way Home

(Damn! I can't get that bra out of my head... I'm getting turned on again...)

As I walked, I noticed a free guide service.

(Oh, it's a free guide service... What should I do? Should I go to a cabaret club and have just one drink before heading home?)

As I was about to pass by, a man called out to me.

"Hey there, young man! We're offering a 50% discount right now, so let me introduce you to a good place!"

"Eh? 50% off!?"

"Yes, usually it's 10,000 JPY for 60 minutes, but since it's a slow time right now, we're offering an all-you-can-drink deal for 5,000 JPY for 60 minutes!"

"5,000 JPY for 60 minutes... All-you-can-drink... Do you have cute girls?"

"Yes, we do... It's a shop full of beauties, and it just opened last week. The interior is also beautiful!"

"Okay, then, I'll go."

"That's the spirit!"

I decided to go to the store recommended by the man at the free guide service. I waited inside, and after about five minutes, a staff member from the store came to pick me up.

"Sorry to keep you waiting! This way, please."

"Thank you..."

I followed him to the store, which was a street-level shop with a luxurious entrance and interior on the first floor.

I was led to a seat inside the store.

(This seems like an expensive place... I know that drink prices are separate, but... I've heard it's usually around 1,000 JPY... Well, I'll just have one drink and then head home...)

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm Keiko. Nice to meet you."

("Whoa!!! So cute!!!")

I was so stunned by her cuteness that my mouth hung open.

As I gazed at her...

"Is something wrong?"

"Ah, no, it's just that you're so cute, I..."

"Thank you!"

(This girl is totally my type!!)

It was love at first sight for me. I was amazed that such a cute girl existed.

Keiko, who sat with me, also had a personality that suited my taste.

She was modest, quiet, gentle, and kind. More than anything, she listened to me and affirmed what I said.

I was happy. I couldn't believe that such a cute girl would acknowledge me...

"Really? You got yelled at that badly just for a mistake on a document?"

"I know... I'm a veteran, but I keep making mistakes..."

"I've been working here for a month now, but I always get scolded... I think mistakes are bound to happen no matter how long you've been working..."

"Keiko..."

"I don't get any customer requests either... I'm such a failure as a woman... But I'm glad I got to talk to you, Kosugi-san. It made me want to work harder."

(Did my story of failures encourage her? Or did I give her courage? Either way, the fact that she's supporting me and becoming my ally... What a great girl.)

"Keiko! I'm going to get a bottle of champagne!!"

"Eh? Are you sure?"

"Yes! I want to support you, Keiko!"

"Thank you so much!"

That day, I showed off and bought a 40,000 JPY bottle of champagne. With the initial 5,000 JPY and 2,000 JPY for the girl's drink, the total came to 47,000 JPY. With a 30% service charge and a 10% consumption tax, the final bill was 65,800 JPY. It was a painful expense, but I didn't regret it.

(Keiko, I love you~!)

The Next Day

My mind was filled with thoughts of Keiko.

(I have to finish work early and go see Keiko!)

However, seeing me throw myself into my work with a changed demeanor, my colleagues were a little taken aback.

"Kosugi-san, is something going on?"

"Who knows, maybe he got a girlfriend and is feeling motivated."

"Kosugi-san with a girlfriend? That's hard to imagine..."

"Yeah, I know..."

I didn't care what my colleagues said. All I wanted was to see Keiko, and I threw myself into my work with that single-minded desire.

And if I got a raise from a good evaluation, I could support Keiko even more, so that was another motivation.

(That's why I'm going to do my best! And I'm going to go see Keiko~! Ehehehe!)

As soon as work ended, I went to see her.

And the next day, and the day after that...

"Okay! Today, I'm going to get two bottles of champagne!"

"Eh? Really? That's too much..."

"It's fine, it's fine... It's for Keiko, after all..."

"But I'm so happy..."

"And this... It's a present!"

I bought Keiko the bag she had mentioned wanting in our previous conversation.

"Eh? Isn't this the bag I said I wanted the other day!?"

"Yes, it is... It was expensive, but I thought you needed it, Keiko. Please accept it."

"Thank you so much!"

Anyway, I spent money like crazy for Keiko.

In the end, the bill for that day came to 128,000 JPY.

(Whoa! That's expensive! I guess ordering two bottles of champagne really adds up...)

"Ah, um, can I use a credit card?"

"Yes, that's fine..."

(This is also for Keiko. Hang in there, me!)

The Expenses Continue...

After that, I continued to frequent the cabaret club and became a regular.

"Welcome, Kosugi-sama. Thank you for coming today as well."

"Thank you for today, Kosugi-san. Love you!"

"No, no, it's nothing!"

And so, I spent my savings on Keiko.

"Eh? You're requesting Moe-chan too?"

"Yes, because she's friends with Keiko, right?"

"That's true, but is that okay?"

"It's fine, it's fine!"

"Thank you!"

Sometimes, I requested Keiko's friends, and the number of bottles of champagne I ordered also increased.

"Thanks to you, Kosugi-san, my ranking is going up."

"That's great. I will definitely make you number one, Keiko!"

"I'm so happy!"

"So, Keiko, is there any way we can go on a date on your day off...?"

"I'm sorry... The truth is, I'm helping my parents with their debt, so I also work during the day... That's why I never have a day off..."

"I see... If you don't have any days off, then there's no choice... By the way, how much is your parents' debt?"

"Thirty million JPY..."

"I see... What if I said I would pay off that debt for you? Would you then go out with me?"

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I want to pay off my parents' debt with my own strength. And after the debt is gone, I'll think about my future. So, for now, I just want your support."

"I understand... I'm sorry."

"No, it's... well, anyway, I'll support you, so don't worry! Ehehehe!"

After that, I continued to work hard for the sake of Keiko, whom I loved.

In addition to helping with sales at the store, I also didn't forget to give her gifts.

"Keiko, here, this is for you..."

"Eh? This necklace looks so expensive... Is it okay?"

"It's fine... To become number one, you need to take care of your appearance, right?"

"I'm so happy! Thank you so much, Kosugi-san!"

I spent money on Keiko every day.

I had about 5 million JPY in savings, but it all disappeared.

And then, finally...

Reached the Limit

(With this, I've borrowed a total of 500,000 JPY from consumer finance... I wonder if I can pay it back with next month's bonus?)

I continued to spend money on Keiko, even borrowing from consumer finance. I didn't care about anything else because I loved her so much.

(I have to make her number one! If she becomes number one, she'll definitely fall in love with me... Wait for me...)

However, reality was not so kind. The money I borrowed from multiple consumer finance companies reached its limit.

(Damn! What should I do? I can't borrow any more...)

Apparently, there was a limit to how much one could borrow from consumer finance, which was up to one-third of their annual income. My annual income was about 4.5 million JPY, which meant I had incurred a debt of 1.5 million JPY for Keiko.

(My savings are gone, and now I have an additional debt of 1.5 million JPY... It's over... I've reached my limit...)

And so, without the money to go to the cabaret club, I lied to Keiko, saying I was busy with work.

"Hey, why haven't you come by lately?"

"Sorry... I've been busy with work..."

"Really... I'm so close to becoming number one... So, please, come to the store! You're my only hope!"

"Sorry, I can't skip work..."

"I understand... Sorry for asking too much."

(I'm the one who should be sorry for lying...)

On my way home from work...

(Sigh... At this rate, there's no way I can become Keiko's boyfriend... I absolutely don't want to deal with loan sharks... Should I just wait for her and honestly tell her how I feel? No, that would be too embarrassing... But if things continue like this, Keiko's feelings for me will fade... What should I do?)

As I walked to the station, lost in thought, I noticed a small bar.

(Hmm? There's a small bar here... Why haven't I noticed it before? I feel like I need a drink... Okay! I'll have just one drink and then head home!)

When I opened the door, it was a small bar with eight counter seats and two box seats, run by a single master with a beard.

"Welcome..."

"Um, is it okay if I sit here?"

"Please..."

"I'll have a gin and tonic."

"Understood."

At that time, I was the only customer.

The gin and tonic that was served to me was delicious, and I felt it permeate my entire body.

"Ahh... Delicious! I need a drink to get through this..."

"Is something bothering you, sir?"

"Master, please listen. Actually..."

I told the master everything that had happened, from my first meeting with Keiko to the present.

I wondered why I was telling a stranger about my embarrassing situation, but it was probably because of the master's personality. He was a good listener.

After hearing me out, the master spoke.

"I see... So that's what happened..."

"Yes..."

"I understand how you feel. When I was younger, I also fell for a cabaret club girl and ended up in debt from spending on her."

"Eh? Master, have you had a similar experience?"

"Yes, but when I think about it now, a cabaret club is a place to enjoy drinks and conversation. It's not good to get too serious about it."

"I-I see..."

"Yes, why don't you give up on the cabaret club girl? You're just being taken advantage of."

"Taken advantage of...?"

"Yes, you're like a cash cow to them. When a customer spends money, the cabaret club girl's wallet and ranking benefit, so that's probably why she was so nice to you."

"Could that be... Could Keiko have been... doing that..."

The master's words brought me back to reality.

(That's true. Keiko works during the day, so she only meets me at the club. Even for our companion outing, we met in front of the club just in time for her shift. Maybe she was only nice to me because I was a customer...)

I felt like I had been doused with cold water.

"But at least you had a nice dream. Think of it as an expensive lesson."

"Haha! And I even went into debt for it..."

"Is your company okay with you having a side job? If so, why don't you work here on the weekends? I could use the help."

"Eh? Are you serious?"

"Yes, I think it would be a good change of pace for you."

"Yes, you're right. Thank you."

After that, I got permission from my company to work a side job, and I started working at the bar on weekends.

I started cleaning, washing dishes, and even studying how to make cocktails. It was indeed a good change of pace.

I still hear from Keiko from time to time, but I don't reply.

I need to forget about her...

For now, I need to focus on repaying my debt as soon as possible. Let's do my best!

Conclusion

Anyway, it's good that you woke up halfway through. If you had gotten involved with loan sharks, things could have turned disastrous. It was a close call! From now on, I hope you live a serious life without getting depressed over pseudo-romance.