Title: Half Girlfriend.
Summary: Chizuru Ichinose has been thinking a lot about Hachiman Hikigaya lately. Why is that? She has no idea. Her friends Ami Kawashima, Ichika Nakano, Mai Sakurajima try to make her see some sense. But Chizuru thinks it's absolutely nonsense. She works as a rental girlfriend. She would know if something was up, right? Besides, who would want to be a girlfriend of a guy who spends all his free time surrounded by other girls? Not her. Absolutely not. But what about being a half girlfriend. Wait, that just sounds dumb and stupid.
Note: Sequel to "False True Love"
Chizuru Ichinose was watching a classic romantic comedy movie on her laptop and having a light snack before heading off to bed. When she had first applied to be a member of the sorority and been sworn in to the sisterhood without any difficulty whatsoever, she had made plans to use the much talked about home theatre room in the mansion as much as practically possible.
Hachiman Hikigaya, their den mother didn't have any problem. The home theatre was on the ground level and away from his own personal suite. He would have no trouble accommodating her and after the first night she didn't require his help to set things up and running.
But as she found out after a couple of sittings, she didn't especially like to be alone in a room which was meant to have a bunch of others to take part in the movie viewing pleasure. It made her sense of loneliness seem much more palpable. It was funny how he realized what was wrong with her without even being told anything. For a couple of nights he volunteered to watch a movie with her. He was offering his company without being asked.
Chizuru Ichinose found herself being charmed with his behaviour which seemed so out of character for a guy like him who professed to be a loner at heart. She took him up on his offer a couple of times but as she found out later on the novelty of the experience wore off rather quickly.
To his credit, Hachiman Hikigaya was a trooper. He suffered through a handful of romcoms and chick flicks and tried his best not to cringe at her choice of movies. He also made a stupid comment about how he found it cute, what most others found annoying, her behavior to rave and rant about movies like a know-it-all film critique and repeat dialogues of the heroine with the exact emotions as showcased on the big screen.
Things had become a bit awkward though when she had repeated the lines of a confession which an actor had just said on screen. But she had to admit, it was by far her best reenactment as she had put some real passion into those lines: "I am in love with you. And I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we're all doomed, and that one day all of our labours will be returned to dust. And I know that the sun will swallow the only Earth we will ever have. And I am in love with you."
The Fault In Our Stars was such a good movie that she didn't even realize what she was saying until it was already out of her mouth and the real culprits on the screen had moved onto the next scene while leaving her to sort out this misunderstanding. Chizuru Ichinose was a woman, alone with a man in a room which loomed over them like a dark and empty theatre. She knew the power behind those words and she knew from experience, working as a rental girlfriend how guys misunderstood things and blew them out of proportions. And this time around, some of the fault lied with her. After all she had said some really romantic stuff and even used the words 'I am in love with you'. There was no one else in the room apart from him and he was looking at her with a weird expression on his face. And he was blushing.
She was blushing herself as well and it was not helping matters at all, but she thought of something really quick and made an excuse that she was quoting the lines of the movie because she found it really romantic and she was just saying stuff out loud to see how it sounds and there's no way she meant that stuff in any other way. What she was trying to do was say in the politest manner possible that those lines were not meant for him. He must have got the message because he gave out a wry chuckle and though she didn't want to think about it, maybe she had unknowingly hurt him a little.
Because she had no problem with him so far, she wanted to keep things as amicable with him as possible and so in order to undo some of the damage, she rather foolishly asked him whether he had a favourite romantic line from some old movie. A part of her wished he didn't answer, but a part of her was looking forward to it and he didn't disappoint.
However, Hachiman Hikigaya was a man who was known to play unfair. He had two lines from two very different movies and unlike her he didn't shy away from her gaze. Striking obsidian eyes captured her in a snare as he repeated them to her with his own particular cadence.
The first one struck her like a blow.
"We are here to ruin ourselves and to break our hearts and love the wrong people and die."
The second one did something else.
"You are the epitome of everything I have ever looked for in another human being."
Chizuru Ichinose thought back to that day a handful of times. She knew the dialogues were from the movies he had watched with her. But she didn't know he had been paying close attention to the movies. From the looks of it, especially the blank expression on his face which would be mired with annoyance in a couple of scenes, she got the distinct impression that these were not his type of movies. Yet he remembered the dialogues by heart. Either he had a really good memory or he was a closeted romantic.
But before she could think more on the matter her thoughts were interrupted by the buzzing of her phone and it seemed a friend's group on a chatting app warranted her immediate attention because they were spouting a lot of nonsense.
[Ami Kawashima: Congratulations on your wedding!]
[Chizuru Ichinose: Huh?]
[Ami Kawashima: See that? She is even starting to sound like her would-be husband.]
[Chizuru Ichinose: What are you talking about?]
[Ichika Nakano: Nino told me about the marriage expo our university is organizing. She said you are participating as one of the brides. I'm so jealous!]
[Chizuru Ichinose: Why are you jealous?]
[Mai Sakurajima: Ichika seems to have developed a crush on Hikigaya-kun.]
[Chizuru Ichinose: But why?]
[Ami Kawashima: Are you saying she can't fall in love with the guy because you love him too?]
[Chizuru Ichinose: I don't like him that way.]
[Ichika Nakano: Then you don't mind if I take him away from you.]
[Chizuru Ichinose: He is not mine. He is his own person.]
….
[Chizuru Ichinose: But I have to tell you, Nino likes him too.]
[Ichika Nakano: It's okay. We are sisters. We will share.]
[Mai Sakurajima: Gross.]
[Ami Kawashima: I always knew there is something wrong with you guys. Whenever one of you sisters falls in love with a guy, the rest of you aren't far behind and go after the same guy. I don't have a twin, let alone four other sisters but even I think it's a bit weird.]
[Chizuru Ichinose: You are not the only one.]
[Ichika Nakano: I was just joking! It's your fault you guys took it so seriously.]
[Ichika Nakano: I don't like Hikigaya that way.]
[Mai Sakurajima: Then in what way do you like him?]
[Ichika Nakano: That's a secret.]
[Ami Kawashima: Aren't you gonna do something Chizuru? Ichika is trying to steal your man.]
[Chizuru Ichinose: He is not your man!]
…
[Chizuru Ichinose: *my man!]
…
[Saki Kawasaki: What the hell!?]
[Chizuru Ichinose: He is not my man! There was a typo. I'm sorry.]
[Ami Kawashima: You had us all worried there for a second.]
[Mai Sakurajima: Indeed.]
[Ichika Nakano: Yeah. I thought she was gonna come out of that phone and slap me.]
[Chizuru Ichinose: Kawasaki-san, do you want to say anything? You know it is creepy when you read our chats but don't say anything.]
…
[Saki Kawasaki: Good night.]
…
[Ami Kawashima: Why is she in this group anyway? Is she a model or an actress?]
[Chizuru Ichinose: She's working towards becoming a fashion designer.]
[Ichika Nakano: I see. I didn't know that.]
[Mai Sakurajima: She is also friends with Hikigaya-kun.]
[Ami Kawashima: Close friends?]
[Chizuru Ichinose: Yes.]
[Ami Kawashima: Close-close.]
[Chizuru Ichinose: They aren't in a relationship if that's what you are asking.]
[Ami Kawashima: Someone sounds a bit jealous.]
[Chizuru Ichinose: Someone sounds a bit bitter.]
[Mai Sakurajima: Let's all try to keep things a bit more civil. We are all adults here.]
[Chizuru Ichinose: Fine.]
[Ami Kawashima: Fine.]
…
[Ichika Nakano: Let's talk about boys.]
[Ami Kawashima: Let's literally talk about anything else.]
[Mai Sakurajima: I agree.]
[Chizuru Ichinose: I thought you guys were already in a relationship.]
[Ami Kawashima: You thought wrong. The guy I liked is into midgets.]
[Ichika Nakano: Haha! That's funny.]
…
[Ichika Nakano: Wait! You are being serious.]
[Chizuru Ichinose: You are such an idiot Ichika.]
[Ichika Nakano: I'm so sorry.]
[Ami Kawashima: It's fine. I'm over it.]
[Ichika Nakano: What about you senpai?]
…
[Mai Sakurajima: I decided to focus on my career. I'm married to my work.]
[Ichika Nakano: I'm sorry!]
[Mai Sakurajima: Why are you saying sorry?]
[Ami Kawashima: Yeah, Ichika. Answer her.]
…
[Ami Kawashima: I guess we won't be hearing from her again tonight.]
[Chizuru Ichinose: I better turn in for tonight as well.]
[Ami Kawashima: Why? Do you have classes early in the morning?]
[Chizuru Ichinose: No. But I have plans.]
[Mai Sakurajima: Does your plans involve Hikigaya-kun in anyway?]
[Chizuru Ichinose: Good night senpai.]
…
[Ami Kawashima: I will take that as a yes.]
[Mai Sakurajima: I hope she doesn't have to face the same difficulties I faced. Choosing between love and your career, it's never easy.]
[Ami Kawashima: Yeah.]
[Ami Kawashima: But I doubt she would have the same trouble as you senpai.]
[Mai Sakurajima: Oh?]
[Ami Kawashima: She doesn't really have a career, does she?]
…
[Chizuru Ichinose: At least my guy didn't run off with a midget. Goodnight!]
A/N: And this is the final chapter of this arc. I have plans on writing a harem fic in the future, but for the time being I will focus on Ikebukuro.
Speaking of which, The Ikebukuro Gaiden will be published soon. Really soon. And the first chapter will feature Major Motoko Kusanagi. And it will be kinda funny.
Well, at least I hope it will be funny.
Also don't be surprised if I do something crazy.
Speaking of crazy, I think we can have a Batman villain in Ikebukuro, you know, just to make things more interesting. And as always, you get to decide who to pick. So without further ado –
Poll#1: Which Batman Villain Should Be In The Ikebukuro Fic?
Option 1: The Joker.
Option 2: Catwoman.
Option 3: Two-Face.
Option 4: Ra's Al Ghul.
Option 5: Red Hood/Jason Todd.
Option 6: A Batman Villain From The Reviews.
Also,
Ikebukuro needs an evil organization. Here's some I have in mind. Please decide –
Poll#2: Which Evil Organisation Should Be Based in Ikebukuro?
Option 1: Akatsuki – Naruto
Option 2: The Phantom Troupe – Hunter x Hunter.
Option 3: The Homunculi – Fullmetal Alchemist.
Option 4: The League of Villains – My Hero Academia.
Option 5: Port Mafia (Bungo Stray Dogs) or Aogiri Tree. (Tokyo Ghoul)
Option 6: An Evil Organisation From The Reviews.
Please pick accordingly.
Hope everyone enjoyed reading this chapter.
Leave lots and lots of reviews, follow and fave.
Won't betray your dreams.