Discord link: [discord . gg / 4y5QVPj]

Disclaimer: I don't own Rent a Girlfriend, or any of its characters...


Kazuya Kinoshita stared quietly at a picture frame in his hands, a look of longing and utmost love in his eyes as he did so.

It was a picture of himself with all of his friends, which was taken a few weeks ago at the local amusement park. Standing with him in the photograph were Chizuru, Ruka, Mami, Sumi, Mini, Kibe, and Kuri. That had been a fun day, because it was his birthday and his friends decided to surprise him by taking him out for a fun day at the amusement park.

Packing the frame inside a bag, the young man chuckled a bit when he suddenly remembered the past.

Mami used to dislike Chizuru but after a long hour of talking it out and exchanging a few slaps to the face, they finally made up and even became friends.

It was ironic. For a girl who was his ex, Mami became someone he could count on whenever he needed it.

Ruka used to be so possessive regarding him that she wouldn't accept another girl aside from her being near him but she changed as well, and now she had four other people she could call friends.

Sumi used to be so shy and timid that she could only talk with her phone or the noises she made, but her time as a rental girlfriend as well as being with her friends helped her greatly. While she still struggled to communicate with other people, she could now hold normal conversations with her friends without stuttering.

Mini was still the same, streaming and cosplaying in her home while also giving him 'advice' on how to win Chizuru and make her his girlfriend. However, as time passed, he also noticed that Mini had begun acting like some kind of a clingy little sister towards him, even though they were the same age. She gave him hugs and even kissed him on the cheek once!

Chizuru was probably the one who changed the most. The rental girlfriend finally resigned from her job when she reached her senior year, and chose to join a drama club instead to prepare herself in being an actress. She mainly stuck around with him because of their close relationship. She even insisted that he start calling her by her first name, because they were already familiar with each other.

It almost felt like they were a real couple sometimes, but neither of them said anything about it, despite everything they went through.

Kazuya only realized just now that a few tears had escaped his eyes, causing him to wipe them away quickly, before shaking his head in amusement.

"What am I doing… the more I think about them, the more I don't want to leave…"

Just by thinking of those four girls he had come to know, Kazuya felt tempted to stop what he was doing, return his clothes to his closet, and laugh at how silly all of this was.

He didn't.

Kazuya was well aware of his own faults and he was grateful to have friends who didn't judge him for what he was like.

But even after everything that's happened, Kazuya felt that nothing changed about him while his friends were way ahead of him in that aspect.

On the other hand, he barely managed to graduate with passable grades, which he got scolded for. Because of that, Kazuya was unable to find a job anywhere unless he was willing to work as a simple clerk for some convenience store.

However, a few months after graduation, Kazuya received a strange envelope from an undisclosed sender, which was apparently a job offering for him.

The job itself was a dangerous one, because it was about being a bodyguard for a big political figure and that could only mean trouble in the future because, well, politics. The pay was good though, and it would be tempting for anyone who's looking to earn big money.

That was over a week ago, and now he had made his decision.

It wasn't an easy one, because Kazuya didn't want to leave his friends and family here. Just when he was enjoying his time with everyone, the job offer that he received required him to leave his home and essentially disappear from everyone's sights for a few years.

Deep down, he didn't want to leave his friends. If possible, he would rather stay with all of them here, and find a stable job that doesn't require him to migrate to another country, but Kazuya thought that this might be what he needed.

He wanted to change himself and be a better man than what he used to be, and this job could help him do just that.

Deep down, he also wanted to be a man that his family can be proud of and someone who didn't just look pathetic in the eyes of his friends.

"I just have to let Chizuru-chan see this with our other friends, and they'll understand when they notice that I'm gone."

Kazuya looked at a flash drive on the table that contained a video message he had for his friends, before checking the time on his phone.

"I should hurry up. My flight's due in about four hours."

Once he was done with everything he needed to do, he stood by the door with his luggage and looked at his apartment.

This place was never the best option for a person to live in, but he made the most of his time and now that he thought about it, a lot of the good moments in his life were spent here. Now he felt sad that he was going to say goodbye to the place that he called home for four years of his life.

"I can't believe I'm gonna miss this place," he smiled to himself before stepping outside and then closing the door one last time.

As he stood outside, he turned towards the door to Chizuru's apartment and smiled sadly.

Bringing out a letter that he wrote beforehand, he slipped the piece of parchment by her window and hung the flash drive on her doorknob so that Chizuru would see it right away.

Afterwards, he headed towards the street with his luggage and waited for a taxi that he could ride in. When one stopped right before him, Kazuya put his luggage in the trunk before opening the door to the passenger seat.

"Wait for me, everyone…" he thought, stopping for a moment to take one more look at his now former apartment. "I'll be back a better man than what I was before. I promise."

And with that, he went inside the car as it drove off.


Chizuru Ichinose, or formerly known by her alias 'Chizuru Mizuhara', was on her way home after visiting her grandmother's grave that was situated beside her grandfather's.

She made it a tradition to visit her late grandparents weekly, buying one or two flowers as an offering before sticking around for a while to tell them about what's been happening in her life lately.

While it still stung inside that the person whom she looked up to the most was now gone, Chizuru learned to slowly move on with Kazuya's help as well as the support of her friends.

"Kazuya-kun…"

The brown-haired girl blushed at the thought of her kind, caring, and sometimes perverted neighbor whom she had come to see as her dearest friend. Their relationship started out as nothing more than a client and a rental girlfriend, which evolved into genuine friendship as time passed.

Kazuya was also there for her during her lowest point, when her grandmother passed away. With her gone, Chizuru felt like she had no one left in her life, only for him to prove her wrong when he stayed by her side when no one would.

At this point, Chizuru knew to herself that she liked him more than a friend, but she never acted on what she felt because she also knew that her friends had the same feelings for Kazuya like her.

When she finally got back to her apartment, the first thing that caught her eye was the flash drive that was hanging on the doorknob. She stared at it in confusion for a few moments, before she noticed the slip of paper by her window.

Grasping the parchment with both hands, she began to read the words that were written:

Gather all our friends someplace where you can use the flash drive on your door. You'll find a video message that I left for all of you there. - Kazuya

The first thing that came to her mind was that this note made it seem like her neighbor was going somewhere for a long time, and it caused her to feel worried.

"Did Kazuya-kun leave or something?" she asked herself, while internally praying that he didn't.

Despite her overwhelming curiosity to watch the video that the flash drive contained, Chizuru decided to do what he asked of her.

Pulling out her phone, she quickly typed in a message and sent it to multiple individuals, inviting them for a quick meeting to discuss this situation.


The whole group decided to meet up at Sumi's place. The shy and timid pinkette apparently lived in a pretty big place because her family was rich, which also had plenty of space for everyone. Chizuru, Mini, and Ruka's homes were too small, Mami's father was rather strict about gatherings, and there's no way that the girls would be fine with going to either Kibe or Kuri's houses.

As soon as she sent the message, Chizuru knocked on Mini's door and asked if they could go to Sumi's house together. The streamer girl agreed, and they were the first to arrive there. Ruka arrived not too long after, looking desperate for answers on Kazuya's whereabouts but Chizuru managed to calm her down. Kibe and Kuri were the next ones to arrive, looking unbothered because they thought that their friend was just going somewhere.

Doing her best to be a good host, Sumi brought several cups of tea and snacks from the kitchen for everyone, which the boys accepted right away. While they enjoyed themselves, the girls were quiet and reserved while thinking of what could have happened to Kazuya.

As soon as Mami arrived and greeted everyone there, Chizuru stood near the television set and cleared her throat.

"Thank you all for coming right away," she bowed her head. "As I've mentioned in my message, Kazuya-kun is missing. His apartment door is locked, none of his shoes were there, and I even asked our landlord about him. He said that Kazuya gave up his apartment key a few days ago because he wasn't going to be around for much longer.

"Maybe Kazuya just wanted to move somewhere else," Kuri suggested.

Chizuru shook her head.

"I thought of that too, but I asked his family if he had asked for money lately. They haven't even heard from Kazuya-kun in over a month," she explained, before showing them the flash drive that she found earlier. "Anyway, he did leave this behind on my door. He said that it has a video message that explains everything."

"Then connect it to the TV and let's watch," Mami told her while folding her arms.

Chizuru just nodded and did so, before she joined the other girls at the couch. Sumi then chose the only file that was there and played it.

The video opened up with Kazuya turning the camera on before stepping back.


"Okay, I sure hope the camera's recording… I don't want to have to do this all over again… you know what? Just to make sure…"


Kazuya then grabbed his phone and checked if it was indeed recording, only to panic when he realized that it was. His actions caused his friends to laugh for a bit.


"All right, it's running! This is good," he quickly placed his phone back where it was supposed to be and took a few steps back once again. "So, uhm… where do I start? Hmm… this is hard, if I had to be honest. It's hard to figure out what to say to all of you, because you're not even here with me. But I also know it would be even harder for me to do this in front of you. Anyway, by the time you're all watching this, I'm either at the airport by now, waiting for my flight or I'm already on a plane heading for America."


"America? The hell is he going there for?" Kibe said in confusion, while the girls were caught off guard with what they just found out.


"Remember the time when I got chewed out by my grandma after graduation because I barely managed to pass my subjects? Deep down, I knew she was right. I've been pathetic and I've acted like a slob many times before, so I wanted to change that. All of you are way ahead of me in so many ways, and I wanted to show that I can do the same thing."


"That's not true," was what went through all of the girls' minds after what they just heard him say.


"About a week ago, someone sent me an envelope with a job offer, some money, and a plane ticket to the US. The whole thing was tempting but in return, I won't be able to contact any of you nor will I be allowed to go back to Japan within the next three years."


Silence reigned over the room as the whole group stared in shock at the screen. Kazuya won't be able to call or text them?

Ruka was already dialing Kazuya's number in an attempt to call him, but there was no answer from the other side, despite the girl's numerous attempts to do so. This caught everyone else's attention as they realized that Kazuya was telling the truth.

It also meant that they wouldn't see him again for three years.


"You might be wondering why I left without telling you all this. It's obvious, isn't it? I'm still a coward," he said somberly. "I don't have the courage to tell this to you personally. I'd likely end up crying and ignore the job offer just to stay here."


"What's wrong with that? You could have told us and we'd be happy for you, baka!" Chizuru said angrily, feeling insulted that he just disappeared from their eyes without even telling them beforehand.


Kazuya brought his hands together and bowed his head. "I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly, everyone! I'll make it up to you in three years! I promise I'll be back home by then! No matter what! I'll come home and I'll see you all again!"


Ruka and Sumi were already getting tears in their eyes, as Chizuru did her best to comfort them. Mami and Mini muttered to themselves about how Kazuya just went and broke the hearts of several girls, while Kibe and Kuri remained optimistic that they'll see their friend again.


"Okay… I think it's time I say goodbye to each of you…" he rubbed the back of his head and blushed deeply. "Uhm, first is… Mami-chan."


The blonde girl turned to the screen in surprise.

"Me…?"


"I'm sorry if I acted like a chicken in front of your eyes by not telling you this personally, but I'd like to get this off my chest before I leave…" Kazuya took a deep breath before he continued. "Even though we were only together for like, a month, I really enjoyed what little time we had together, Mami-chan. That day when you told me that we should break up… it really broke me. I wondered what it was that I did wrong that made you leave me, but I couldn't figure it out."


Mami looked down, hiding her face from everyone else. What she did back then only served as a reminder that she made a wrong decision, because Kazuya ended up as one of the people whom she deeply cared for.


"But don't worry about that anymore! Despite what happened, you still ended up being one of my dearest friends. I really admire your honesty, even if you can be really hurtful with your words sometimes… and I appreciate that you made up with Chizuru-chan in the end! I'm gonna miss being with you, not just because you were my girlfriend once, but because you were also my friend and I enjoyed the times we spent together."


"Kazu-kun…" Mami thought, feeling her heart ache with every good thing that he said about her. Her mind even went back to when she kissed him at the beach, which was something that she told him to forget.


"And… if I had to be honest, I never truly moved on from you too. Until now… I still love you, Mami-chan. Even if you don't believe me, it's okay. I just wanted to let that out now that I have the chance."


Mami was unaware that tears had begun to fall from her eyes after hearing his sudden confession. When she realized it, the girl did nothing to wipe them away.

She was unaware of the looks that the four other girls were giving her. Ruka was pouting in jealousy, Sumi had a sad look on her face, Mini seemed conflicted about something, while Chizuru smiled bitterly.


"A-Anyway…! I'll move on to the next person I want to say goodbye to. Ruka-chan!"


Ruka dropped the jealous look that she had and quickly turned to the screen, eager to hear what Kazuya wanted to say about her.


"I'll be honest with you. Blackmailing me into making you my 'trial girlfriend' was a low move. It made me uncomfortable to be around you for a while, but I got used to your presence as time passed. You were just too stubborn to give up, Ruka-chan…"


The girl felt something inside her get crushed into pieces as she felt the urge to cry her eyes out, until she heard everything he said after his first statement.


"Despite that, you're like Mami-chan. You became one of my dearest friends in the end and I'm thankful for the times we spent together. I love how compassionate you are, how determined you can be when it comes to the things you like, and how you can keep on smiling despite everything that comes your way."


Like Mami, her tears were already falling from her eyes and before she knew it, Ruka was already wishing that Kazuya was here so she could hug and kiss him as much as she wanted to.


"I know you still have feelings for me and now, I can say that without a doubt, I love you as well, Ruka-chan. But if you find someone who can make your heart beat faster than I ever did, go for him instead. You don't have to wait three years just for me to come back. I'll be by your side as your friend, no matter what."


"Kazuya-kun… baka…" the girl sobbed, her cries being the only sounds that filled the room right now. "Do you really think I'd go with someone else after hearing you say that?"

She was too distracted to realize the words that Kazuya said towards her, but not the others. Chizuru, Mami, Sumi, and Mini all looked bewildered to hear him confess to the Ruka, when he already did so for his former girlfriend.


"Next… Sumi-chan."


Sumi straightened her posture as she looked at the screen, realizing it's her turn now. The girl felt nervous and curious about what Kazuya was going to tell her.


"You know, Chizuru-chan may be the first girlfriend that I rented, but it was you who was the first to treat me like I was someone special. I'll always be thankful for that," he grinned. "Thank you for seeing this loser as a special person!"


"Kazuya-kun, I don't think you're a loser at all," the girl thought to herself, but still felt happy with what he said to her.


"I admire your determination to improve your faults in speaking with other people, because you were willing to be a rental girlfriend just to deal with your shyness. Plus, you're cute, sweet, and you're one of the most beautiful girls that I've met. Those are a few of the things that I love about you, Sumi-chan."


The pinkette let out a high-pitched squeak as she listened to that last statement from him. She was already blushing hard from the compliments he gave her but from hearing him say the L-word?

It's a miracle that she hasn't fainted yet.


"Oh, shit… uh, cat's out of the bag, huh?" Kazuya said nervously, before taking a deep breath. "Yeah, it's true. I love you too, Sumi-chan. If things were different, if I had left Chizuru-chan alone like I said, you'd be the one I'd end up spending my time with. And I wouldn't have minded that at all. Any guy would be lucky to have you as a girlfriend, Sumi-chan!"


"T-Thank you, Kazuya-kun…" Sumi smiled despite the tears that started flowing from her eyes. At that moment, she didn't care that Kazuya confessed to two other girls before her and she simply wished that he was here with them so she could tell him something in return.


"Now, let's move to Mini-chan."


Mini blinked, surprised that she was included in this but made sure to listen to the boy on the screen from here on out.

"What does Master have to say about me?" she thought, wondering what her neighbor thought of her.


"I really have no idea why you decided to help me out of nowhere. Was it really just because you wanted me and Chizuru-chan to end up together? You were really eager to help me when I told you about us… and the fact that you keep calling me 'Master' for some reason… you're definitely the most bizarre girl that I've ever met."


Mini only sweat-dropped as a result, while everyone else just stared at her.


"I'm not saying that's bad, though! The fact that you tried helping me even though you didn't have to… I owe you so much for it. Even if Chizuru-chan and I didn't get together like you hoped, everything you did for me is something I'll never forget."


"Jeez, that was probably the cheesiest line that you could think of, Master!" she laughed, even though there was a clear blush on her face.


"Whatever you decide to do, go for it! I'll be cheering you on every step of the way. Whenever you need help, you can count on me, Mini-chan. You're like the sister I've never had, you know? A weird but cute younger sister… which is weird, because we're literally the same age…"


The streamer girl was surprised.

"A-A sister? That's… not what I expected," Mini looked down, the disappointment clear in her eyes. After hearing Kazuya confess to three other girls before her, to say that he only thought of a sister felt like a punch to the gut.


"And then finally… Chizuru-chan."


Chizuru, realizing that she was the next one gulped deeply and steeled herself for what he was going to say to her.


"I want to thank you for putting up with someone like me. Looking back on everything, maybe I should have left you alone after the first few times that I rented you. You wouldn't have had to deal with me if I just left you alone…"


"That's not true…" she thought, shaking her head. "If I never met you, then… who knows how my life would have been? You've helped me so much that confessing my feelings wouldn't be enough to repay you for everything you've done for me."


"You were actually the one I considered telling all of this to, but I couldn't do it. I decided that I have to do this on my own but with that being said, I can admit that I've loved you ever since!" he smiled, before letting out a lighthearted laugh. "Damn, it feels good to let that out! You were asleep the last time I confessed because you got drunk, but I can say it now as many times as I want to."


The girl was already aware of his feelings for her, but she didn't know that he had already confessed before. Nevertheless, she blushed happily upon hearing him confess, temporarily ignoring the fact that he did the same for three other girls before her.


"Chizuru-chan, you're also one of the reasons why I chose to leave. Before you think about that in a different way, let me explain! Out of all our friends, you're the one who works the hardest and once I thought about that, it wouldn't be right for me to be by your side as the guy that I am right now. I wanted to be someone worthy of standing beside you, someone worthy of… your love."


"No!" she stood up from the couch while shaking her head. "You don't have to prove anything to me! If anything… I'm the one who's not worthy of you…"


"Now I'm just hoping for nonsense… sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable with what I said. I know you could never look at someone like me in a romantic way, but that's fine. I just want you to know that… I love you, Chizuru. In three years, I'll come back and be with you and everyone else again… so please wait for me."


"Baka… you don't need to ask at all," she shook her head again as she was openly crying. "I'll definitely wait for you."


"Oh god, I really am pathetic… saying 'I love you' to four different girls… there's no one worse than me…" Kazuya buried his face in his hands and groaned. "If you're all listening to this together, then please don't start a fight over me. I don't want to come home knowing that one of you got hurt because of me. What I said to all of you, I meant it. I love all four of you, and you can also say that it's one of the reasons why I left… I couldn't bear to choose one and break everyone else's hearts along the way."


The four girls all shared a look that seemed to convey "we'll talk later", and they agreed with a nod. This wasn't something that they can just ignore.


Kazuya took a few moments to calm himself down before he spoke again. "Well… I guess that's about it."


"W-Wait, what about us?! Your best friends!" Kibe protested, as he and Kuri stood up and stared angrily at the screen.


"Oh, that's right. There's Kibe and Kuri!" Kazuya exclaimed as he slammed his fist into his palm in a eureka moment.


"Finally!"

The two smiled as they settled down to listen, excited to hear what their best friend was going to say to them.


"I only have two things to say to you two. One is try not to get in trouble while I'm gone, all right? Two, good luck in finding yourselves a girl to be with. Introduce them to me when I get back. That's all."


The two boys stared dumbfounded at the screen, before they began to feel angry.

"Haahh?! That's it?! All we get is sarcasm?! What the hell, Kazuya! Some friend you are!"

"Yeah! After everything we've done for you?!"


"Haha! I got you both, didn't I? That's my payback for that prank you two pulled on me a few weeks ago," Kazuya grinned teasingly. "Anyway, as for my real message, I'm happy to call you two friends. You stuck with me during tough times and you're always there to give me a wake-up call when I need it. Let's hang out again when I get back, okay?"


"As if we'll hang out with you, you bastard…" Kibe grumbled, although he and Kuri were clearly affected by their friend's words.


"W-Well then, that ends my message. Thanks for bearing with me, guys. I wish you luck in whatever you do and I hope you stay safe. Tell my family I'm sorry that I didn't get to say goodbye to them properly too, especially grandma… boy, she's gonna be so angry with me when I come back. See you in three years!"


A few minutes passed and they all remained motionless, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Mami then stood up abruptly with her head low, hiding her expression from everyone else.

"I have to get going. Thanks for calling me here, Chizuru-san. Thank you for having me as a guest, Sumi-san," she spoke, bowing her head. She quickly made her way out of the house before her control over her emotions broke.

Taking Mami's exit as a cue to go, Kibe stood up and declared that he was hungry so he'll go ahead as well, with Kuri saying the same as the two walked out. Mini quickly caught up to them, announcing she was hungry too but not before saying goodbye.

Ruka made no attempt to hide her teary face as she left the house, not even bothering to say goodbye, leaving Sumi and Chizuru as the only ones who were left inside.

"W-What are we going to do now, Chizuru-san…?" A crying Sumi asked her friend, who was also in tears after Kazuya's heartfelt message to all of them.

"I don't know, Sumi-chan… I don't know," said Chizuru.


MINASAN, YONDE KURETE ARIGATŌ! AISHITEMAAAAASUUUUU! *starts playing air guitar*

-Lance