I think you might be confused as to how Akira does his profession. He is an Escort, and states that any and all relationships he may have with his clients are purely fictional. He didn't actually bed the woman, he simply spent time with her as any other Escort does. As you can see in the Manga, he also stated that to Kamio's sister, who mistook the relationship that Akira and her had from "Escort and client", to "Lovers". The reason the mess happened was because she got too attached. And the reason Hazuki accepts Akira's profession is because he understands that. He understands that although Akira may say things like "He only has eyes for a certain client", in the end, it is simply a role that Akira plays.
But of course I can see how many people can get confused and uncomfortable with this kind of relationship, and wholeheartedly agree with you that this manga is not for everyone.
You misunderstood. Not even a lover's relationship necessarily means bedding someone. Escort services may be a client and employee relationship but one that is required to mimic romantic (in other words, love, which I do believe is the root of LOVERS?) relationships just because of the job description itself.
Btw, if you're going to raise the objection that fiction is not reality then I wonder where else it could be, oh-so-conveniently, applied? (It's not an objection I'd ever raise but often those who do are the ones who avoid applying it consistently, for some strange reason.)
Falling in love with someone from the escort service is no one's fault as others have implied either. If it were, then it would be the employee's fault for not setting clear boundaries in the first place, as that should ALSO be part of the job, just as it is in every other part of the service industry, especially in places like Japan. It should definitely be considered the employee's fault by those who would typically accuse the victim of a sexual assault for not setting clear boundaries. After all, in this case it is actually a PART of the individual's job description (fortunately, I'm not like that and this was just a comment made to point out the hypocrisy of others who do typically victim blame the one who was assaulted).
But someone complaining about someone else approaching their lover, PRETENDING to be in love with them, while being in the business of pretending to be in love with others - which is a form of deception in and of itself - yourself, is hypocrisy, especially when you're as proud of your job as Akira obviously is.
I am not usually a hardcore fan of Shiuko Kano's works but her Playboy Blues series is a much better portrayal of the host/escort service industry than this one could ever be.
Tl;dr: Akira is an ass.
His “fictional relationships” are his job, we get that, but a fictional relationship can still include sex. And unless he’s working in a Japanese “cuddle bar,” he is most likely sleeping with the clients that ask him to do so. Japanese escort services are not that pure. So unless it is clearly said that he is working as a “no sex” escort, I’m going to assume that he is working as a traditional one.
"Because in this lifetime, Akira is my only lover." - Hazuki
But Akira is an escort who is proud of his job, so you aren't his only lover, even though he does love you.
To each his own. If you don't like that type of relationship, you may not like this manga.