She stared at Shoji.

‘Our clients don’t just pay us for a listening ear and kind words,’ she continued. ‘They pay us to keep our mouths shut. Rule number two: Nothing ever leaves your table. Let me repeat. Nothing. And I mean it. You understand?’

‘Yes. No judgement, and complete secrecy.’

‘If a word ever gets out, which has never happened under my watch, the company has the resources to settle things.’ She wrinkled her nose. ‘You don’t want to go down that route. Do I make myself clear, Mr Arai?’

He nodded, trying to suppress his unease. ‘Absolutely.’ He wondered what kind of company his girlfriend had been working for. But at least, if he worked here, he could watch over Yoko.

‘This is an entirely commission-based job. You earn half of what your client spends,’ she said, adopting a business-like tone. ‘Having said that, there’s a possibility of earning nothing if you never get picked. As time goes by, if you’re good at what you’re doing, you’ll get regulars. Simple, isn’t it? But let me assure you, it’s not as easy as it sounds. Try to imagine what kind of person needs this service.’ She looked into his eyes. ‘Keeping that in mind, do you still want the job? Do you think you can handle this?’

Shoji paused. The job was absurd. But the pay, even if he only managed to get one client a day, was ridiculously high.

‘I want to do it. I’ll work hard. I won’t disappoint you.’

Madam pointed her pen at him. ‘Good. I love that confidence. I’ll give you a one-week trial. If you give us any trouble, or if you don’t manage to get any clients during this period, then it’s over. You should forget every single thing about this place. Is that clear?’

‘Yes.’

‘We’re open from Monday to Saturday. The shop is closed on Sunday, so that’s everyone’s day off. You’ll get paid every fifth of the month.’

‘Uh-huh.’

She smiled. ‘All right. We’ll start today.’

CHAPTER 2

THROUGH THE DARKENED GLASS

Madam led Shoji back into the corridor. He looked through the window into the waiting room. Seven people were sat on the sofas, but this time, Yoko wasn’t among them.

When Shoji entered, everyone looked at him, but after a few seconds they seemed to lose interest. Shoji settled on the edge of one of the sofas. He stared at the darkened two-way glass, well aware that someone on the other side could be looking at him at this moment.

‘Are you new?’ the young woman sitting next to him whispered.

She had a freckled face and a bony frame. Something about her made her look like she was floating. Whether it was the over-long chiffon skirt she wore or the way her body swayed, he couldn’t decide.

‘I joined last month,’ she continued. She hadn’t whispered. Her voice was just soft.

He leaned towards her. ‘What are we supposed to do?’

‘Nothing. Just wait until someone picks you. Try to appear friendly, maybe? Then again, we don’t know what they’re looking for,’ she said. ‘Be prepared to be here for a long time. I didn’t get any clients until my fourth day.’