Buying You on the Day You Were to Die

by Shiki Narito, Aleksandra Jankowska (Translator), Yamimaru Enjin (Illustrator)

“I’d like to buy your time—for two hundred thousand yen a month.”
For Sakata, the winter of his junior year brings nothing but loss. His mother is dead, his useless father is gone, and each day nearly costs him everything he has left. Then a young man named Nishikawa approaches him with an offer—and generous pay that could give his mother a proper funeral. However, the deal comes with several bizarre conditions that Sakata must go to school every day, get into the same university as Nishikawa, and lastly, act like his friend until the end of their contract. As their bond deepens, the two boys starved for love must face the question neither dared to Can a friendship built entirely on money turn into something real?

Genres: Light Novel

150 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 22, 2025

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do not, as a rule, enjoy books that make me cry, especially when there's a manipulative element to the plot. In this case, I made an attempt to ignore where things were heading, so it wasn't quite a Mucha Kucha Daisuki situation, which is, I suppose, good. I even understand the point Narito was making about learning to love and all that. But I still didn't enjoy reading this and felt equal parts sad and annoyed by the ending.

Oh well. Can't love everything I read for work, I guess.

CW: suicide, illness, off-page domestic abuse

[Benji · Rating 3 out of 5]

Angsty contemporary queer light novel with a contract friendship. This is a pretty introspective book that examines what love is and how people process trauma. I wish it was longer, it takes place over 5 years but there are fairly big timeskips and the overall effect is like I only got short glimpses into the MC’s life. Still, it was the right book for me at the right time as I grieve my late dog and the MC learns how to process his own grief. Includes depression and terminal illness rep

CWs: death of a parent, domestic and child abuse, child neglect, suicidal ideation, major character death