Kanade's first coffee shop job lasted three days before a customer recognized her from the video; her manager asked her to leave almost immediately after. Once the cost of her new uniform was subtracted from her paycheck, she earned only a few thousand yen.
Other jobs followed over the next few weeks, with the same pattern - she was just barely earning a profit on days of work when she factored in transportation costs and the costs of buying the inevitable uniforms that came with Tokyo service jobs.
Soon after Yukino received word from Kamiyama Industries that she was being dismissed from her position due to unacceptable conduct. She and Kanade went to a lawyer's office soon after to discuss whether the dismissal was legal; the man equivocated and said that taking any action would require a large retainer that they couldn't afford, and strongly hinted they had no case to begin with.
As they left, he leered at them walking out the door.
After some pleading, Yukino agreed not to cut or dye her hair, but only put it up in bun and wear glasses to distract from her appearance. With some office experience, she tried to enlist in a temporary staffing firm, but received few callbacks.
Their savings continued to dwindle; they tried to slow the progress by selling whatever they could. Books, toys, music, movies, even the TV vanished from their apartment until they were down to clothes, toiletries, a few art supplies and a shared laptop.
They were having breakfast one morning before heading out for job hunting when a man knocked on their door. He was in his forties, pudgy, balding, with a wispy mustache and heavy cologne.
Kanade opened the door with the chain on - he stuck a ten thousand yen note through the door before she could get the word "Hello" out.
"I just want five minutes of your time, and then I'll leave. The money is yours if you just let me in."
Kanade paused, then looked back at Yukino who shook her head in bewilderment; Kanade sighed and took the money, opened the door, motioning him to the table.
He sat down and waved Yukino off as she moved to get him something to drink; they stood facing him as he began to talk.
"My name is Ataru Mitaka, and I run a club in Roppongi: 'BODY'. My card." He placed it, face up, on the kitchen table, ignoring any protocol in how these things were done. "I will not waste time with meaningless chit-chat, because I have a proposition for you, and I want you to think only about that."
"In short, you two are the women in the 'Sisters Kissing' video. I have verified that you are actually sisters, and that you are not actors, or exhibitionists, or any kind of adult entertainers. Amazingly, you are exactly what the video makes you out to be - two normal, innocent sisters who appear to be in love with each other."
He shook his head and smiled. "It is actually somewhat amazing to actually meet you in person. In my line of work, I deal with all softs of people pandering to men's desires - I know girls who pretend to be sisters, I know sisters who pretend to be in love, I've seen so, so much that I've almost begun to believe that there is no relationship in the world that isn't powered by money at some level."
"But the two of you aren't like that... and ironically, that makes you very, very valuable to me. Simply put, people want to see you. People want to observe you. Even if you're not kissing, even if you're just sitting there, people want to find out more about the real thing that you represent. So my proposition is simply this: three nights a week, an hour a night, one hundred thousand yen apiece. You simply sit on a pedestal at my club, on a couch, together. Fully clothed. No one touches you, no one even speaks to you. If you'd like to kiss, you do so... but nothing more than that. Just hold hands, or hold each other, while people get to look."
Yukino shook her head. "I don't understand... what do you mean, one hundred thousand yen?"
Mitaka laughed. "I mean I will pay you one hundred thousand yen a night - and your sister the same - to basically sit on a couch together while people pay to come see you in person. The Sisters Kissing... even if you're not kissing. The two sisters - twin sisters, I understand - who are so in love with each other, and so adorably innocent in that video. That authenticity is real, and I can sell it, and it can make us all a lot of money for as long as people are interested."
"I've done my investigation, I know you're in financial distress, and this could be..."
"No. Get out."
Kanade couldn't meet his eyes, but she stood back and pointed at the door.
He smiled again, and stood up. "If you're sure..."
"We are. Get out now, please."
He shrugged, but kept smiling. "Well, I can't coerce you - that would defeat the whole purpose. You have to be there willingly. So... please keep me in mind. I've left my card, and if you lose it, just remember: Mitaka. 'BODY.'"
He walked out to the door, turned and bowed politely. "Good morning." He closed the door.
Kanade stood looking at the floor, opening and closing her fists. Yukino tentatively stepped over to her, taking her arm gingerly. "Kanade... are you ok? If you're not sure about this... I mean, we could use the money, and I can do it if you want to..."
Kanade shook her head fiercely and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "No. No. We're not doing it, I'm positive of that."
Yukino nodded. "Ok."
Kanade sniffed and looked up, facing Yukino squarely and taking both her hands. "I... I need to tell you why. It's not just a spur of the moment thing, ok?"
"First, I don't want to be pushed into something like this under duress. I... I don't have a problem with dancers or bunny girls or... or any of those women, if they choose to do it because they want to. But nobody should be forced into doing this because they need money, and that includes us. We weren't pushed into anything by that bastard Shinji, we won't be pushed into this."
"Second, I don't trust how it'll work out in the long run. Right now it's 'oh, just sit on the couch and hold hands,' but that becomes old and commonplace and we have to do more and more for less and less money, and I think it will wear us down, and I... I won't subject you to that, I won't have you get old and tired and hard for some club promoter."
"And last... he's right. He's right that there's something special between us. What we have... it's not normal and maybe it's not right or healthy but it's real and I love you and I love being with you and it's ours, you're mine, and I'm not sharing that, I'm not sharing you, not with anybody, not for any reason. It's selfish but I don't care - you are mine forever, and that's the way it will stay."
"Oh, Kana..." Yukino leaned over and hugged Kanade tightly. "I'll follow you anywhere, but..." she laughed, even while crying. "It means so much to me that you feel that way. I love you too, and I don't ever want to have to share you. Not ever."
Kanade hugged Yukino back, and they stood there for a few minutes, sniffling quietly, before Kanade broke away. "There's just... one problem with being noble, or selfish, or whatever. We... we can't afford this apartment anymore, Yuki."
Yukino nodded. "I figured as much. But... where do we go now, Kana-chan? It's scary, but you know I'll follow you anywhere."
Kanade looked around the room and laughed. "We're already down to so little... I think we pack up whatever we have left, and just... go camping. We'll be homeless for a little while, but maybe we can find a shelter, or... I don't know. We'll be together."
Yukino nodded. "Together." She walked to Kanade and put her hand on her cheek, then kissed her. "Let's go to our bed while we still have it."
Kanade nodded, took her hand, and led her away.