Introduction (28 sept 2020)

So, this is going to be the second chapter in this 'Rent-a-Girlfriend story. I enjoyed writing the first one, and it has once more taught me the value of feedback from readers. The original version of the first chapter of this story initially felt pretty good but one reader pointed out clearly there were some issues, nothing crazy, but still. It made me reconsider, and while I normally just correct some spelling errors (and sometimes introduce new ones, lol) in a story that has already been uploaded, I felt this one needed more effort.

Added a new intro, setting the scene more clearly for the events to come, while also adding a moment of 'tension', and every line was checked again to avoid repeating the same expressions too often, to name a few things. It was almost as intense as writing the story from scratch, but I'm glad I did.

Then, 'the day after'… Decisions, leave it as oneshot story? Or build upon it? Positive feedback and having new parts of dialogue starting to form in my head, made it very clear to me this story wasn't over yet. So as result, here's chapter 2!

I hope you will continue to enjoy reading this, and I'm looking forward to hearing what you think of this and the other chapters.

Note: If you want to comment on this story, or any of my other stories, you're welcome to leave a review, preferably as registered member, as this allows much more interaction between writer and reviewer. If there are parts you felt lacking, or disliked, please let me know this as well. Things can appear amazing in my perception, while others might think very differently. I'm eager to hear such feedback as well, since praise is always nice, and can confirm being on the right track, criticism is often what helps more to improve.

Story Prologue:

So after all this time Ruka being Kazuya's 'trial girlfriend', they are now dating for real. The doctors cleared Ruka from the hospital, after concluding that her collapse had been caused by an extremely rare combination of emotional stress, and Ruka not having taken enough care of herself the weeks before this happened. With their relationship now finally official, things should be better from this moment on. Naturally Ruka is over the moon being able to spend some real boyfriend/girlfriend time with Kazuya and tries her best to be the perfect girlfriend for him. But just maybe she's trying just a little too hard…

Don't Stand So Close…

"So, where do you want to go today, 'boyfriend'?" Ruka asked, while clinging onto Kazuya's arm.

"Dunno, I was actually thinking about taking it easy for today," Kazuya replied, while yawning.

"That is soooo boring…" Ruka sighed. "Oh, I have an idea! Maybe we should go to my home, so I can finally introduce you to my parents. I've told them so much about you, but so far all I could show them of you, were the dozens of pictures I've been taking with my phone." Then Ruka winked at Kazuya; "And perhaps I can show you my room too…"

"Well, erm…" Kazuya started, "…don't you think that would be rushing things a little?"

"Nah, they are probably dying to meet you, and we've been dating for so long now already, during our 'trial' period, that you're long overdue for coming over to my home, right?" Ruka said, with a cheerful smile on her face.

"Eh, I suppose… Kazuya hesitatingly agreed.

'Hmmm, how can I make it clear to Ruka I'd rather just do nothing for a couple of hours, preferably alone, without hurting her feelings…?" Kazuya thought. His eyes wandered around the different things in his apartment, as if he was hoping to get inspiration from that direction. 'Wait, that's it!'

"Ruka…" Kazuya started, "… you see those fish there, right?"

"Yeah, duh! I know you really like those." Ruka replied. "I've often been thinking about getting you one for a present. But I don't know what fish go together, so uh… I didn't want you to come home and find out my present accidentally ate all your fish buddies…"

'That would have been awful indeed!' Kazuya thought, as he imagined seeing the fish tank filled with one big and well fed fish, wearing a blue ribbon…

"Yeah, it's probably a good thing that you didn't do that," he laughed sheepishly, with a feeling of relief that Ruka had been thinking ahead for once, instead of mostly acting upon impulse, as she would often do. "Besides, I'd really need a bigger fish tank if I want to add more fish…" Kazuya added, with a dreamy look on his face.

"Huh?" Ruka wondered, looking at Kazuya, seeing him this way.

'He's so passionate about what he likes…' she thought, 'and to think that he also likes me!'

Now it was Kazuya's turn to be surprised about Ruka daydreaming. She had her eyes closed, picturing something nice, and her face was beaming.

"Eh, Ruka, are you still with me?" Kazuya wondered.

"Always, my Kazuya…" she replied, opening her eyes and sighing with happiness.

"Uh, ok, good…" Kazuya continued, while trying to figure out what Ruka had been thinking about and why the answer to his question had been 'always' instead of a simple 'yes'. "Anyway, back to the fish. What would happen if someone would tie two of these together?"

"That would be mean! You'd never do something like that, Kazuya? Right!?" Ruka said, her eyes wide open as she looked at him with an anxious look on her face.

"Wh-What!? Nooo! Definitely not!" Kazuya instantly denied.

"Ok, otherwise you'd be a real meanie, and then… I could never be with you…" Ruka continued, her face looking as if she was about to cry.

"Don't worry about that…" Kazuya reassured her, "…I would never do that to my fish or any other living being. But suppose somebody did do this, what would that mean for the fish?"

"Well, they can't swim properly then, you dummy!" Ruka replied; "Maybe they'd even sink to the bottom. Or do fish naturally float? As a kid I had a goldfish and when it died, it was still floating…"

"You got it, they can no longer move freely enough to swim and may not even survive," Kazuya confirmed; "Now imagine we are those fish, tied together…"

Ruka started pondering for a while what Kazuya could mean by that comparison. She didn't know much about fish and Kazuya knew that, so he wouldn't make things too complicated for her. Then suddenly she thought she knew what he had been getting at.

"Wait…" Ruka said, her face becoming a bit pale, "…y-you mean to say I'm a b-burden to you?"

"Huh? No, that's not what I meant!" Kazuya yelled, frantically waving his hands; "It's just that a guy needs some private time as well, even when he has a girlfriend that is so cute he'd want to be with her 24/7, if that were possible."

Ruka's face brightened up a little. But she was still feeling a bit worried.

"So, what I was trying to say…" Kazuya continued, "… you need to give me a bit more room!"

Somehow that came out louder than he had intended, and Ruka immediately locked up again, with a pouting look on her face.

"D-Did I do something wrong?" Ruka hesitatingly asked; "All I ever wanted is to just be the best girlfriend you ever had. You know that, right?"

"Yes, I know, just don't keep trying so hard…." Kazuya said, then casually added, more thinking out loud, "… Mizuhara was never like that…"

'Oh crap, what did I just say!?' Kazuya instantly realized his mistake. But it was already too late. Ruka ran outside, the sobbing sounds she made betraying his words must have deeply hurt her.

"Ruka, wait!" Kazuya yelled, as he wanted to run after her, but tripped over Ruka's bag, that she had dropped on the floor when she had dashed off.

'Oh great, we've been together as official boyfriend/girlfriend for only a short time, and I am still making Ruka compete with Mizuhara…' Kazuya blamed himself, while lying on the ground. 'I'm truly the worst boyfriend ever!'

Kazuya picked up Ruka's bag, then noticed her phone sliding out.

'Shoot! She left her phone here and now I can't even call her or send a message to apologize!' Kazuya thought, as he put the phone back into the bag, after which he walked outside, to see if he could spot Ruka somewhere. But she was nowhere to be seen or heard. As Kazuya got back to his front door, he suddenly heard another door getting unlocked, and Chizuru stepped outside!

"Are you two ok?" she inquired, with a worried look on her face. "I heard your door slam, and then it seemed like something big fell on the ground."

"That 'something big' was me, I tripped over Ruka's bag…" Kazuya explained, "… and I think I messed up big time with her…"

"Hmm, somehow that doesn't surprise me…" Chizuru sighed, as she briefly closed her eyes.

"Hey, that isn't helping!" Kazuya objected.

"What I mean is that even after those beautiful words you said to Ruka back at the hospital, where you finally let your feelings show…" Chizuru started, "…you're still mostly the same person. And it's so easy to blurt out something that the other can take the wrong way. It takes time to really learn to know each other and find out what he or she likes and dislikes. I doubt your time spent as trial couple matters much here because back then your heart wasn't fully into it." Chizuru paused briefly; "Now that you are both fully onboard with this relationship, things clearly have changed, and you basically start all over again when it comes to getting to know each other."

"I see, I never looked at it that way…" Kazuya said, surprised at how complex love apparently was.

"I see you still have an overly simple idea about love and relationships…" Chizuru sighed, "… but at least you now have a sense of where you want to go with Ruka, so you are on the right track. The real challenge is to make sure you both get there. Assuming you still feel the same about her."

"Oh yes! She's amazing!" Kazuya replied, his face beaming. "But, obviously... she's not perfect… and I'm even less perfect than her…"

"Stop being so hard on yourself!" Chizuru yelled. "Didn't you listen when I just said you are on the right track!?"

"Then why did I push her away… again?" Kazuya asked; "All I wanted for today was just a relaxing afternoon, preferably all by myself… Is that such a bad thing to ask for?"

"Look, it's totally fine that from time to time you also would like some time just for yourself in a relationship, especially after what you've been through lately…" Chizuru started, "… it's only natural that you'd want to take it easy, and not be together 24/7, like two peas in a pod. But with someone like Ruka, also considering how long she's been kept at a distance, you do have to bring it more carefully, when you feel that way," she concluded, while straightening her glasses.

"I see…" Kazuya pondered, after hearing Chizuru's advice. "Being in a relationship is hard work."

"It sure is. But it will probably get easier over time," Chizuru said with a reassuring voice, "… though some couples may need more time than others," she added, looking straight at Kazuya.

Before Kazuya could react to those words, as he felt slightly offended, the doorbell rang.

"Are you expecting anyone?" Chizuru wondered.

"Not that I know of," Kazuya replied, as he walked to the front door.

He opened the door and came face to face with Ruka, her eyes still red from crying, and a questioning look on her face.

"Kazuya, I'm sorry that I ran off just like that..." Ruka started, with a soft voice, "…c-can I come in…?"

"Sure, but you have to know that…" Kazuya started, but before he could finish talking, Ruka had already stepped in, and instantly noticed Chizuru sitting down at the table.

"Wh-What is the meaning of all this!?" Ruka yelled, as she looked at Chizuru with a fierce look upon her face.

"Ruka, calm down, ok?" Kazuya started, as he grabbed her by the arms, so they were directly facing each other. "You know I really care for you…"

"K-Kazuya? A-Are you b-breaking up with me?" Ruka said, with a sobbing voice.

"No, not at all! Why would I want to do that!?" Kazuya objected. "I like you, remember!?"

"Oh, ok…" Ruka whispered, as she calmed down just a little, "but why is she…?"

"Chizuru had heard us making noise, and got worried, so she stepped outside and I ran into her when I tried to go after you, but couldn't spot you anywhere…" Kazuya started to explain, "… and then I asked her for some advice."

"That's all?" Ruka asked; "Are you sure?" she added, while glancing at Chizuru for a moment too.

"Cross my heart!" Kazuya instantly replied.

"Look, seems I'm no longer needed here, so I'll let myself out, ok?" Chizuru suggested, feeling the young couple probably needed some privacy to work things out.

"Sure. And thanks for listening to me," Kazuya replied, as Chizuru walked to the door, went outside and closed the door behind her.

"Now, as I was saying, I do like you and I admire your persistence in making me realize what I'd be missing if I wouldn't be with you…" Kazuya continued.

He felt Ruka relaxing her muscles a little, and a slight blush appeared on her face. 'Well, so far so good, she's taking it better than I expected.' Kazuya thought. 'She really is a good girl, and I should appreciate her more than I've done so far…'

"But Ruka…" he added, "… you really need to stop being so overly worried about losing me to someone else, like Mizuhara, or any other super cute girl I may meet in the future…"

Ruka gave him a menacing glare when hearing the words 'other super cute girl' and 'like Mizuhara' in the same sentence…

'Oops, there goes my phrasing again!' Kazuya thought, realizing he was risking another 'meltdown' with his tricky choice of words.

"Look, I won't just throw away that easily what we have now, and what we may become in the future…" Kazuya tried to save the situation, "… but you need to grow up some more, ok?"

Ruka had been listening attentively, but when hearing Kazuya's last words, she had tilted her head down, and seemed like she was about to cry again.

'Did you have to put it that bluntly, you idiot!?' Kazuya said to himself, in his mind. 'Ruka has been through hell and back due me leading her on for so long. Plus she's just out of the hospital after that near-death experience, and all you can do is make her feel even more miserable?' Kazuya further reprimanded himself. 'Maybe I am not right for her after all! Perhaps I'm not the one who can make her truly happy…'

"Kazuya?" Ruka started, as she was still looking down at the ground, "… is that how you really think about me?"

'Oh no! Now she is hurt!' Kazuya thought. 'Maybe I should take back what I've just said and say it's all just a big misunderstanding. But… we would never have gotten together in the first place, if I had continued living a lie, and had maintained the 'trial relationship' with Ruka, pretending that was the best situation for everyone, including Mizuhara…' he further reflected. 'Feelings should always be what everything else gets built upon, and what I just said to Ruka, is how I really feel.'

Kazuya remembered how Chizuru had repeatedly stressed the importance of being aware of your feelings, and he knew all too well how little white lies about feelings could very quickly turn into big and dangerous misunderstandings.

"Maybe I should have said it differently…" Kazuya replied, "… but yes, I do… I hope you are not too mad at me now…"

For a moment, there was nothing but silence, Ruka still looking down, seemingly lost for words.

"Thanks!" Ruka suddenly cheered, looking up and into Kazuya's eyes, her face beaming with joy.

"Huh?" Kazuya wondered, baffled by Ruka's totally unexpected reaction.

"This is just why I like you so much, Kazuya!" Ruka continued, now clearly in the best of spirits; "Only someone who really cares for me would tell me what I would need to hear, not sugar-coat it and tell me what he thinks I'd like to hear! You're simply the best boyfriend ever!"

"Eh, that's not a very tough act to follow…" Kazuya casually replied, not fully realizing the scope of Ruka's words, "… considering that technically I'm your first and only boyfriend ever, rig…?"

Kazuya couldn't finish his sentence, because Ruka's lips were suddenly pressed on his, and stayed there for a few more seconds, before she let go!

"Consider that a little appetizer, 'best boyfriend'!" Ruka said, as she winked at Kazuya.

'Appetizer, for what? I just told her not to rush things, and now she wants to… eh… take the next step already?' Kazuya wondered, while blushing from this sudden kiss.

"You're so cute when you blush like that!" Ruka continued. "Now let's go to the shop, and get some things from there."

"Sh-shop? G-Get some things?" Kazuya stuttered; "What do you mean? We don't need anything for as far as I know…" he nervously added.

"And how am I supposed to cook you a nice dinner, when your fridge is probably totally empty again, except for some drinks, and maybe a microwave meal?" Ruka explained. "You tell me about growing up, well how about you start taking a little better care for yourself from now on? I love cooking for you, but it wouldn't hurt if you learned a thing or two yourself too. Right?"

'Dinner! She was talking about making dinner for me!' Kazuya thought. 'While I'm the one who is accusing her of rushing things, look what I am doing myself in my mind? The same, or even worse…'

"Sure, I'll try to pick up some things if you are willing to teach me," Kazuya suggested.

"Then today will be your first cooking lesson from me!" Ruka chimed, as she went to the kitchen, and started making a shopping list.

Kazuya followed her there, and watched with admiration how Ruka could be so serious if she wanted to do something right. He came a little closer and looked at what seemed to be the final version of the shopping list.

"Wait, why are there oysters on the list?" Kazuya asked, as he had quickly glanced over the piece of paper; "Aren't these way too expensive and…"

"No, don't say it! Oysters are generally considered to be something people eat to better "get in the mood", right!? Is she really planning something for tonight!?' Kazuya frantically thought.

"Oh, that's not the right one. Here's the list I just made," Ruka replied, as she held up another piece of paper.

Kazuya glanced over the apparently correct shopping list. '500g beef, 200g sugar snaps, one red onion… that doesn't sound like anything odd or suspicious…' Kazuya wondered.

"Th-those are just regular ingredients…?" Kazuya said, stuttering slightly.

"Well, of course these are, silly!" Ruka replied; "What did you think, that I was trying to poison you?"

"Well no, but I thought you were…" Kazuya carefully inquired, "… I mean, then I guess you didn't intend to, eh…well… uhm get me in the mo…?" he stuttered, as a few sweat drops started to appear on his face.

"Intend to… what?" Ruka asked. "You're not making any sense right now, Kazuya. It's clearly been a while since you've had a good meal, you're even starting to talk funny," she added, laughing. "How about you stay home, and I do all the shopping? And after that you can then just sit back and relax while I prepare dinner. We can start those cooking lessons some other time. Right now, it sounds like you really need to get yourself some rest and get your strength back first. The past few weeks must have been hard on you too, I guess…"

"Are you sure?" Kazuya asked, although the idea of taking it easy had sounded really appealing.

"Just leave it all to your girlfriend!" Ruka replied, as she took a shopping bag from the kitchen and left, to go to the food store.

(To be continued…)

Epilogue (1 oct 2020)

So, it seems like the finally established relationship between Ruka has survived this chapter, despite some 'bumps' in the road. Then again, life and love often isn't a fairy tale, and especially in the anime and manga this fan-made story is based upon, there is no smooth sailing all the way for sure.

Btw, work on chapter 3 has already been started, and Sumi will most likely make an appearance in it as well. Stay tuned!

Please let me know what you think of this story and leave some feedback in the form of a review. If you post a review when logged in as registered member, I can even directly reply to your comments. Registering a free account is easy, apparently Google, FB and Twitter accounts allow to sign up on this website too. Anyway, really looking forward to some more interaction with the people who read my fanfics!

Btw, since I am not a native speaker, there will likely be some silly mistakes in this story. As for punctuation, maybe I made the same mistakes as in previous stories, or even made new ones. Nevertheless, I hope you can bear with me and see through that, and/or let me know what I did wrong. Helpful tips and suggestions are most welcome.

Stay safe, and maybe until soon!