Rent a Girlfriend: End of an Era (Short Story) Part One
Characters:
Kazuya Kinoshita
Chizuru Mizuhara
Mami Nanami
Ruka Sarashina
Sumi Sakurasawa
Nagomi Kinoshita
Yoshiaki Kibe
Shun Kuribayashi
Sayuri Ichinose
Umi Nakano
Date Day:
Standing outside his Apartment, Kazuya patiently waited for Chizuru. Today was Wednesday and even though she was no longer a Rental Girlfriend. She still went with him to visit his Grandmother and at the same time hers. It had been over three months since she had Quit and now was focusing completely onto her Acting Career. The Play she had been in opened the door for her to also do three Commercials and she just casted for a Part in a TV Series. He was actually proud of her. It did confuse him on why she wanted to continue with her pretending to be his Girlfriend. There was no logical reason for them to continue, not that he knew of. When she came out of her Apartment, she smiled at him and went into what he dubbed as her Girlfriend Mode. "You know Miz...Uhm...Chizuru you don't have to do that yet." He told her and she looked at him confused.
"Do what yet?" Chizuru asked and he gestured at her.
"You know...Playing the Girlfriend...My Girlfriend. You don't have to do that until we get to...well not even when we get to Grans." Kazuya said and she shrugged.
"I am just used to it." Chizuru said with a small smile. "I also like doing this." She reached over and took his left hand in her right. Holding his hand. "Shall we go." With that they departed and Kazuya was still confused on why they were continuing this whole façade. It made no sense to him why she would want to.
"Unless...No that is not even possible." Kazuya thought as they walked. Thinking utterly improbability that she wanted to be his Real Girlfriend. "There is no way. Though we have been still doing this once a week and she is not even asking for Money for us doing this. Of course we are visiting her Grandmother and still pretending for her as well. So maybe it is so that her Grandmother won't worry about Miz...Chizuru...Got to remember she wants me to call her by her first name. Maybe it is so that her Grandmother Sayuri will not be so worried about her." He silently muttered as he walked along holding Chizuru's hand. "Who should we visit first...My Grans or yours?" He asked her so that she did not get suspicious about how quiet he was being.
"My Grandmother...If we get there too late...then she may be too tired for us to visit for as long as I would like to visit." Chizuru replied with a small smile. When he had mentioned that she did not need to go into her act. She had to pretend what he said did not bother her. It did though. A lot. She liked spending time with him. She also liked that he did pretended to be her Boyfriend when they went to visit her Grandmother. It seemed to cheer up and gave her Grandmother Sayuri a real boost when they went to visit her. Kazuya did that for her Grandmother. Where she suspected that no one else could. She glanced over at him as they walked towards the Train Station. She was worried that soon he would suggest again that they finally end this where she pretends to be his Girlfriend and that they are in a relationship. He had mentioned that a couple of times since she Quit being a Rental and each time she used keeping their Grandmothers happy as an excuse not to.
"Is there something wrong?" Kazuya asked with concern and Chizuru realized she had not spoken much for the past ten minutes as they walked. She shook her head.
"No not really. I was just thinking about tomorrow. That is when I find out if I got the part in that TV Series." Chizuru told him. Which was partially true. Tomorrow was when she would find out.
"I think you are going to get it. When I helped you rehearse those lines...you dominated them." Kazuya said and Chizuru smiled at him fondly.
"If I do get it...It is all thanks to you for helping me rehearse those lines for hours until I got them perfect." Chizuru said giving his hand a gentle squeeze. She could not think of any of her past Clients that would spend five hours helping her rehearse. "Hell I do not know anyone that would do that." She thought.
"That was no problem...I had fun. Even though I really sucked reading those other lines." Kazuya said and Chizuru continued to smile at him.
"You were not that bad. I have heard worse." Chizuru told him as they stepped aboard the Train. Unfortunately there was only one seat available. So kazuya being a perfect gentlemen indicated for her to sit. She inhaled softly and decided that perhaps it was time to do something brash. "Sit down Kazuya." She told him and he was about to protest. "No you sit down." She said more forcefully and he reluctantly did. Then to his utter shock, she sat sideways onto his lap putting her right arm over his shoulders. Not releasing his right hand with her left as she placed their joined hands on her lap. He gasped audibly.
"Chiz,,,uru...What are you doing?" Kazuya stammered out, blushing madly as he felt her on his lap. She smiled at him coyly.
"What? There was only one seat and for all intents and purposes we are a couple. A Girlfriend will sit on her Boyfriend's lap when there is only one seat available." Chizuru said to him and Kazuya began to almost hyperventilate. "Come on Kazuya take the hint. I just can't bring myself to come out and tell you that I want to be with you for real. So take the hint and ask me already." She thought trying to will him to ask her to be his Real Girlfriend. He had almost did it four Months ago and she had blown it by asking him what he meant. She had regretted that. What she wanted to tell him was that she also wanted to be his Real Girlfriend. But she had allowed her defensive mannerisms to ask him what he meant.
"I...I guess that makes sense." Kazuya said between breaths. He was in complete panic mode. Unsure what he should do. His thoughts were a jumble of what ifs. So wanting to ask her what he had wanted to ask her for perhaps half a year or more. To ask her to be his Girlfriend. His real Girlfriend and tell her that he had fallen in love with her. Not the Chizuru Rental Girlfriend. But the Chizuru that he had come to know. The one that he discovered was an intermix of Chizuru Mizuhara and her Chizuru Ichinose. The real Chizuru. The one that was right now sitting on his lap with her right arm over his shoulders and was holding his hand. That one. By the time they arrived at their Stop. He was so conflicted he barely noticed or was aware when they got off the Train and made their way to her Grandmother's Apartment. Chizuru noticed and thought that perhaps it would be today. Finally today.
00000
Visiting as long as possible, until her Grandmother was starting to look tired. They said their goodbyes and of course they both hugged her Grandmother. Chizuru felt it was wonderful that her Grandmother really liked Kazuya. So much so she insisted that he call her Grandma. Once more holding his hand, they headed for his Grandmother's. It was not a long trip, still it took them about half an hour to walk there. Chizuru let Kazuya mull over what had happened on the Train. Where she sat on his lap. "Come on Kazuya...Say it. I know you want to. I want you to." She thought as they walked along.
"Uhm...Chizuru...Can I ask you something?" Kazuya finally said and Chizuru nodded. Hoping that he finally would ask her.
"Sure...What's up?" Chizuru asked, feeling her heart begin to pound in her Chest.
"Do you think...Could we...Would you...Maybe like to..." Kazuya swallowed heavily, he was so unsure if he should ask her or not. But with her sitting on his lap and the way she persisted that they continue to do this every Wednesday. Then there were other times that they had to pretend to be a couple. He had no idea if what he hoped was true or not. What he did know was it could not go on like this any longer. He could not keep doing this. He had to know. "Go out...On a d...d...date." He stammered out and she smiled.
"Yes...I would like that." Chizuru said feeling a new bounce in her step as she watched as he smiled from ear to ear. Their visit to his Grandmother in a word was interesting. For Chizuru it was extremely interesting. For like the last five visits, his Grandmother secretly handed her a couple of Bridal Magazines and this time had her also try on a Diamond Ring. Nagomi's Diamond Ring that her own Husband had given her years ago. Using the excuse that she wanted her to make sure it fit her. Then once again, Chizuru had to dissuade the older woman with that neither she or Kazuya were ready for that level of commitment yet. Though when they left, she did take the Magazines with her. To add to the others at her Apartment. Where a good portion of them had dogears for certain pages. As they walked towards the Train Station. She had to at least admit to herself that she had been thinking about Marriage and she also had to admit that if she ever wanted to. It would have to be Kazuya. She softly sighed. "Tonight I will either have that really wonderful dream...that involves me and Kazuya getting Married. Or I will have that other dream that..." She thought as she blushed at the mere idea of what the other dream entailed. Kazuya noticed her blushing.
"Something wrong?" Kazuya asked and Chizuru shook her head.
"No...just feeling a little flushed." Chizuru quickly said and was not about to elaborate on what caused her to feel that way. Deciding to change the subject. "So when do you want to go out on our date?" She asked him and this time he blushed slightly.
"How about tomorrow?" Kazuya asked.
"Sounds good to me." Chizuru replied and then smiled. "Tomorrow I will make you tell me." She thought with determination to not let this continue. "It is time that we...become a couple for real." She was tired of this. She wanted to no longer be alone and she no longer did not want to feel so lonely.
The First Date Declaration:
Wearing what she used to wear when she was a Rental, Chizuru got ready a good two hours before Kazuya was going to come over and knock on her door. She could not believe she felt so nervous about tonight. "Come on Girl...We have gone out before. Sure he had rented me to go out with him...so there should not be any difference between then and now." She muttered as she puttered around her Apartment, not wanting to sit there and watch the Clock any more. She knew there was a huge difference between then and now. Now they were going on a Real Date and not one where he Booked her for that Date. "Tonight I will make him say it." She said again with determination. As she sat down in her chair, she thought about how many times she had used kazuya as a stop gap to keep other Guys from asking her out. She had even used him against Umi Nakano when he had asked her out. Though he did not really ask her out to go on a date. No what he wanted was an Affair. He wanted to cheat on his Newlywed Wife, because after two months of Marriage. He was bored with being Married and wanted to once more sleep around with other Girls. She told him right out that first she had a Boyfriend and second that she would never be the other Woman. Umi still persisted up to the point where she had to threaten to tell Kyoka, his Wife about him hitting on her. That stopped him cold. Glancing at the Clock again, she frowned. "Another hour." She said and reached for the TV Series Script. Deciding to reread her part again.
Next door in his Apartment, Kazuya was bouncing off the walls in anticipation. He was still shocked and at the same time thrilled with the notion that he was going on a Real Date with Chizuru. He could not believe she said yes. "I have to make sure that tonight is perfect. Nothing can go wrong." He said as he rechecked himself and frowned. He was so nervous that again he now had two sweat stains under his armpits. His Shirt was soaked. Heading again for the Bathroom, he took another quick shower and then added twice the amount of Anti-Perspirant. Hoping this time he did not do that again. He looked at himself in the Mirror. "I...Do I tell her. I mean this is a Real Date and I so want...to tell her that I...I have fallen for her. That I want her to be my Girlfriend. My real Girlfriend." He closed his eyes and wondered if it was worth the risk. If he told her that and she told him no. Then he knew it would be over. He doubted she would even want to pretend anymore. He was conflicted over if he should or not and then decided to let a coin flip be the deciding factor. "Heads...I tell her and ask her. Tails...I don't." With that he flipped a coin. Then nearly fainted.
Walking with Chizuru on their first real date. Kazuya did not know what to do. Sure he had proposed the notion of going to Dinner and then a Movie. But beyond that he was essentially clueless. "Am I supposed to hold her hand?" He asked himself as he moved his left hand towards her right as they walked. Then stopped. "No I can't just assume. This is not like when I used to rent her or when she goes with me to see Grans or her Grandmother." He quickly brought his hand back towards him and no where near hers.
At the same time, Chizuru was having the same problem. She also did not know what to do or how to actually go on a real date with someone. The only experience she had was when she was a Rental and that did not help with this situation. "He just tried to hold my hand. Then he changed his mind. How am I going to get him to ask me to be his Real Girlfriend if he will not at least hold my hand?" She asked herself as they continued onward towards the Restaurant.
"Uhm Chizuru...I hate to admit this...But I have no clue what to do." Kazuya said as he blushed slightly and Chizuru suddenly chuckled.
"You know what...Neither do I." Chizuru said back and reached over with her right hand clasping his left hand in hers. "How about we start with this? We have done this before so there won't be any problems." She suggested as she interlaced her fingers among his. Now with their hands joined they were both more relaxed. At the Restaurant they sat across from each other and attempted to have a semblance of a conversation. But after several minutes, they just did not know how to interact in that fashion. So the conversation mostly hovered around things they already talked about before. "This date is really going badly." She thought wondering how she could somehow get the Date back on track. If this was a Rental Date, she knew exactly how to make it so that it would be better. But she could not do that. Not how she would simply smile sweetly and go into her Rental Girlfriend mode. She wanted to be with him as herself and not some act she put on.
"I guess this was a bad idea." Kazuya finally said as he exhaled with a deep sigh. "I so wanted to go out with you for real. To be with you for real and not as...you know like before." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "This sucks! I was hoping that this would work so I can tell her that I am in love with her and ask her to be my Girlfriend. But if this date is any indication. Then she would probably laugh and tell me not a chance."
"No it is not. We just have to stop remembering about before." Chizuru declared sternly, then smiled. "Let's treat this like it is our first Date. That we do not continue to think about the fact that you used to rent me to go out with you and pretend to be your Girlfriend." She told him and Kazuya nodded with understanding.
"So instead of thinking that way...I should think of you as my Real Girlfriend. Right?" Kazuya asked her and Chizuru almost choked on the drink she had just sipped. She started at him wide eyed.
"Your Real Girlfriend? Are you asking me to be...your Real Girlfriend? Chizuru asked him and Kazuya inhaled sharply. Then lowered his gaze slightly downward. He swallowed heavily and then nodded. Deciding no guts no glory.
"Yes." Kazuya hissed out wondering if he was going to regret his slight slip of tongue. She smiled and gave his hand that she had been holding on the table a gentle squeeze.
"Good. That is exactly what I want you to think me as." Chizuru smiled even more. "Kazuya this time I am not going to ask what you meant. Since I already know what you meant and I am not about to let you recant this time. I want to be your Girlfriend. Your real one." She told him and was not prepared for him to suddenly drift to the right and fall on the floor. She quickly knelt where he was laying prone on the floor in a heap. A Waiter rushed over and she chuckled. When the Man asked her what had happened. "Oh he just fainted. He will be alright." She said as she moved his head onto her lap. She smiled at him. "Now all I got to do is get him to admit that he is in love with me and then tell him that I have fallen in love with him. Then hope he does not faint again, so I can kiss him." She thought as she waited for him to regain consciousness.
"I am so sorry about that in the Restaurant. I cannot believe I fainted." Kazuya said as he felt embarrassed over the whole thing. But when Chizuru said that she wanted to be his Real Girlfriend. He passed out. Chizuru chuckled as she held his hand tightly in hers.
"It is alright. It actually was kind of funny. Lucky you were sitting down. Imagine what would have happened if you were...I do not know on top of a flight of stairs." Chizuru said and this time Kazuya chuckled.
"Can I ask before we go into the Movie Theater? Are we...a Couple?" Kazuya asked her and Chizuru smiled.
"Yes we are." Chizuru replied. "Come on Kazuya...Tell me. Tell me you have fallen for me. I want to hear it." She thought and trying to telepathically encourage him to say it. He stopped walking and began to breath in and out in deep breaths. Closed his eyes and slowly reaffirmed his resolve.
"Chizuru...I...I...Please don't laugh...But I...I...I have fallen in love with you. I love you." Kazuya blurted out those words right after he stopped himself from stuttering. He then braced himself for her to tell him that becoming a couple was enough for now and that she did not feel the same. When she moved to stand directly in front of him and placed her forearms over his shoulders. He found himself staring directly into her eyes. She smiled.
"Why would I laugh? Because I have fallen in love with you too. I love you Kazuya." Chizuru admitted, blushing slightly and she slowly leaned towards him. Kissing him. This time it was not a fake kiss to convince Ruka that they were indeed a couple. This time it was not to give him Mouth to Mouth or CPR. No this time, it was because she wanted to really kiss him and to be kissed by him. Parting she looked at him and then chuckled at his expression. "Do not faint okay." She told him and he came out of his daze and nodded. At that point they decided to skip the Movie and go back to their Apartments. Though once there, she took him into hers. They had a lot to talk about. She wanted to tell him the entire truth and have him to also tell the truth. Her truth being that she had been a fool for so long. An idiot that would not let herself admit that she had fallen for him. Back to when Ruka had accused her of not wanting anyone but her to be with him. That she had essentially sabotaged any chance of him being with Ruka. All because she had fallen for him. What she wanted to hear from him was how long had he been in love with her.
Dating a Goddess:
That was what if felt like to Kazuya. That he was dating an Actual Goddess or an Angel directly from Heaven. As he walked with Chizuru, holding her hand. He could not help but smile. Sure she was in a mixture of her Ichinose persona and her Mizuhara persona. But she still drew a lot of attention and why not. To him and those openly gawking at her. In both of her persona's she was gorgeous and to his utter disbelief he was her Boyfriend. They were actually together. That perplexed him to the point that he had to believe it was just some wonderful dream. "You keep smiling like that and people will think you are insane." Chizuru told him but she too was smiling.
"Can't help it. I am with and dating one of the most beautiful Girls in the World." Kazuya said and Chizuru rolled her eyes, but she still smiled.
"That was really sappy. Thank you though." Chizuru gave his hand a tight squeeze and he smiled even wider at her. "So can I ask...Where are we going?" She asked him and he shrugged.
"No real clue. I had thought we might just wing it." Kazuya said gesturing about him and at the various stores, Cafes and Restaurants that lined the Streets. "See anything you might want to do?" He asked and she shook her head. Having no clue as well. They ended up just going into a Bowling Alley to eat at the Snack Bar and bowling a couple of games. Of course Chizuru beat him easily.
Walking casually back home, Chizuru held Kazuya's hand. She could not believe how wonderful it felt or how happy she felt to finally be with him as his Real Girlfriend. "I was such an idiot. I could have been with him right after I realized that I had fallen for him." She thought as she gazed over at him fondly. He fondly looked back at her and she noticed that he seemed to be a little nervous and anxious about something. She had easily discovered his TELLS and now as he betrayed those TELLS. She knew he had something on his mind. "What's the matter Kazuya?" She asked him and he almost tripped. Then swallowed heavily.
"Uhm...Well I wanted to ask you something and now I...Well I do not know if I should." Kazuya said beginning to sweat a little.
"Just ask me and then I will tell you if it you should or not have asked me." Chizuru told him and Kazuya paled. He exhaled sharply and closed his eyes. He could not believe he was about to ask this of her. Especially since they just became a couple. But he could not stop thinking about it and knew if he did not ask her soon. He was going to turn into a basket case. He stopped walking which made her stop as well, then he took a deep breath.
"I know this is...I mean we just got together and well...Chizuru...you can say no...But...would you Marry me?" Kazuya asked and felt a wave a relief wash over him. She gasped and stared at him wide eyed.
"Wait! What?" Chizuru blurted out and Kazuya softly chuckled.
"I love you Chizuru and I asked you if you would Marry me." Kazuya repeated himself, no longer feeling as nervous or anxious. "Now all she has to do is say no and I can stop myself from stressing about it." He thought. Chizuru smiled and chuckled.
"Yes Kazuya...I will." Chizuru said and Kazuya spun towards her.
"HUH? I was...Expecting you to say...You said Yes?" Kazuya asked her slightly shocked that Chizuru had said yes. She laughed.
"I said yes Kazuya. I will Marry you. I love you too and I want to Marry you." Chizuru clarified for him and was about to move closer to kiss him. But he collapsed in a heap. "Great! He fainted again." She laughed as she knelt next to him. "What am I going to do with you?" She asked her unconscious fiancé then shook her head as she smiled at him. Waiting for him to regain consciousness so that she could kiss him.
The End