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After spending every day working with the ruffians of RocketNews24, our reporter Meg could use some gentlemanly company.

If you’re a regular reader of RocketNews24, you might be familiar with Meg, one of our Japanese-language correspondents. Meg is generally the voice of reason in the office, and while the rest of the team is thinking up excuses to eat their own sweat or strip naked except for a single postage stamp, Meg is diligently working on marginally more responsible projects, like taste-testing citrus-flavored eggs or eating two dozen breath mints in one sitting.

▼ Like we said, marginally more responsible projects.

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In other words, Meg puts up with a lot in the office, and she deserves a reward greater than the tempura shrimp we hooked her up with the other day. So to say thanks, we decided to hire a rental butler for Meg.

Part of Japan’s diversifying “rent a guy” industry, rental butlers are dispatched to escort and pamper their clients. They’re also generally handsome, which we confirmed by looking over the options on the website of rental butler company Royal.

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We decided to ask Royal’s Masaya Suga to look after Meg for an hour, and at the appointed time, he showed up at RocketNews24 headquarters, the very image of dapperness in his formal attire.

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Seeing as how she had a “Royal” butler at her service, Meg decided to dress in a similarly regal manner, and dolled herself up in the sort of outfit that would have been wasted were she merely spending the day with the boors that make up the male RocketNews24 staff.

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In his company profile, Suga says “I will take care of all my lady’s needs, so please make any request of me you wish.” Unaccustomed to such chivalry, Meg was initially at a loss of how to command her servant, but settled on asking him to accompany her on her shopping run to the nearby Lawson convenience store, then go out for a cup of coffee together. Suga replied that it would be his pleasure, and off they went.

Meanwhile, we tagged along at a distance to snap pictures and take notes.

▼ Note 1: A gentleman should go first down steep steps, in order to catch the lady if she stumbles.

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▼ Note 2: Proper posture is important.

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We couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but the charming Suga is apparently a far better conversationalist than we are. As the pair chatted amicably, there was no mistaking the aura of happiness emanating from our coworker, particularly as her butler deftly took her hand as he guided her off the curb when crossing the street.

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Eventually, they arrived at Starbucks to take refreshment. Their highly fashionable clothing caused little commotion among the coffeehouse staff, either because they’re consummate professionals or their idea of what warrants surprise was skewed last week when we showed up at the same branch in a giant teddy bear suit.

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Since the weather was so nice, they decided to drink their coffee outside (with Suga of course holding the door open for Meg as she exited the building).

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Unfortunately, before long the hour was almost up. But as their time together drew to a close, the butler revealed he had one more trick up his expertly tailored sleeve, as he dropped to a knee and presented Meg with a white rose to remember him by.

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Later, we asked Meg for her impression of her afternoon with her very own butler.

“It was so nice! But one hour isn’t quite long enough. Just as I was getting over my nervousness, it was time to say good-bye. He was so kind and sensitive, and had such a beautiful manner of speaking. And his posture is so good!”

“Really, I’d like to treat myself to a three-hour course, once a month.”

With Royal’s packages starting at 5,000 yen (US$45) per hour, that would set Meg back about 15,000 yen a month, which isn’t a completely unaffordable luxury. Or, we suppose, she could just talk us into paying for her again, in order to apologize for the scarcity of such cultured gentlemen in our office.

Follow Casey on Twitter, and maybe he’ll put in a good word for you with Meg.

Related: Royal rental butler service
Images ©RocketNews24
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