100 follows already? Heh, all I need are 10 more faves to surpass the great Rustyboy! At this point, I'm not only the Ace of Gotoubun, but also Rent-a-Girlfriend! Nobody else is on my level! MUAHAHAHAHA!

Discord link: [discord . gg / 4y5QVPj]

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

"They exaggerated the situation again…" Nagomi Kinoshita spoke from her hospital bed, looking more annoyed than anything else. It didn't even seem like she was sick or something. "Just a little faint, and everyone in the family gathers up."

"Well, of course, Mom. I'm worried for you, after all. And I'm making sure you take care of your body!" said Harumi, Kazuya's mother, looking terribly worried for the old woman who was currently sitting on the bed.

"She's right. People your age know how to care for their bodies. You also have the shop to care for too. And this isn't the first time you've been hospitalized…" Kazuo Kinoshita added, looking worried for Nagomi as well.

The two adults were standing on either side of the bed, bombarding the poor old woman with pointless questions about how she was feeling and if she needed anything. For now, they ignored the presence of two teenagers who were sitting on the couch at the other side of the room, and one of them was someone whom they knew.

"I'm starting to wonder if I made the right decision to go here."

Kazuya sighed to himself, realizing that there was nothing to worry about at all, since his grandmother looked perfectly fine while his parents were the ones who were exaggerating the situation. No matter, he needed to talk with them about something important anyway. Since his parents and his grandmother was here, it only makes things easier and he won't need to repeat himself.

Meanwhile, the girl who was sitting beside him remained quiet, staying true to what she promised Kazuya earlier. However, she did feel a little nervous, considering that she was in a room with Kazuya's family and who knows what might happen with her presence here…

"I wonder if you can get Wi-Fi in this room…" Harumi pondered, checking her phone if she can access the internet.

"Mother-in-law, where's your smartphone?" Kazuo asked, to which he received an annoyed grunt from the old woman.

"Do you want me to go buy you a magazine or something?"

"Ah, I know! How about I go get some soft food to eat?!"

"DON'T TREAT ME LIKE AN OLD BAG OF BONES!" Nagomi shouted at the two adults before he finally acknowledged the presence of the two other teenagers inside the room. She ignored her own grandson for the moment in favor of the beautiful young lady sitting beside him. "So, who's this little miss?"

"Ah, I was wondering who she came in with too…" Harumi stated, turning towards Chizuru before she flashed a pleased smile. "Anyways, she's a very charming young lady, almost like an idol."

"Ehhh—?!" Chizuru cried out in embarrassment, a slight blush dusting her cheeks. "Um, I—"

"Could you be Kazuya's classmate?" the older woman asked, but Chizuru chose to remain quiet for now. "Hmm… what could it be…? You couldn't possibly be… Kazuya's girlfriend, right?"

Kazuo placed a hand on his wife's shoulder, a smug look plastered on his face.

"There's no way that's possible! It's Kazuya, after all!" he said, finding the whole notion of his son getting a girlfriend as something to be laughed at.

Harumi began to laugh along after a brief moment of silence. "You're right! It's Kazuya, after all…"

Chizuru frowned at the verbal treatment that Kazuya was getting from his parents. She didn't like how they found the very thought of Kazuya getting a girlfriend as impossible. Chizuru had seen first-hand what the young man was like, and she was completely sure that any girl would be happy to have Kazuya as a boyfriend!

Compared to the young man's parents, Nagomi was the only one who didn't look amused and instead, she was even curious if her grandson really did get a girlfriend of his own.

"Kazuya?" she asked, turning her attention to her grandson.

The young man actually saw this coming the moment Chizuru said she was tagging along with him, but he thought of it as an inconvenience at first. He figured that it would only be harder to explain with her around but it was the opposite.

He could have Chizuru confirm that there's nothing going on between them if they ever ask him that, and it happened just as he predicted it! Now he just had to clear things up and he can tell them what he's been doing for the past month!

Meanwhile, Chizuru looked conflicted. She reminded herself of what Kazuya told her back at the department store but at the same time, she couldn't bear to just sit here and do nothing. She could notice that while his parents were laughing at their own son, his grandmother was the opposite and she actually looked hopeful.

Taking a deep breath to herself, Chizuru hardened her gaze to reaffirm her resolve.

She wasn't going to let Kazuya look like a fool in front of his own family! He may get angry with her for this, but this was going to help him deal with them! She can deal with his outburst later.

"She's my—" Kazuya tried to speak, only to get cut off by the girl who was right beside him.

"Girlfriend!" she spoke up with her resolve clear in her eyes, even choosing to stand up so that her words would be understood clearly. "I'm his girlfriend!"

...

...

...

"Eh?!"

"Ehhhh?!"

"Wha—?!"

After a brief period of silence, Chizuru's statement then sent waves of shock towards the three grown-ups in the room, to the point that they thought their ears weren't working right. It's like what they just heard was the most shocking thing they have heard in their lives.

On the other hand, Kazuya only stared at the girl with a dumbfounded look on his face, but he didn't say anything for a while. Did she seriously tell his family that they were a couple, despite his warning about keeping her mouth shut around them?

"Nice to meet you!" she continued, closing her eyes and putting on a blissful smile. "My name is Chizuru Mizuhara. For our first time meeting each other in these circumstances, I would like to sincerely apologize for the timing, but—"

Chizuru cut herself off when she heard Kazuya clearing his throat from beside her, causing her to turn towards him. Fortunately for her, Kazuya didn't look angry but instead, he only had a serious look on his face that told her everything she needed to hear.

Realizing that she shouldn't continue any further, Chizuru sat back down and hung her head low. Her plan failed completely, and Kazuya didn't seem to need her after all.

"K-Kazuya…! Is this true?!" Nagomi sputtered, wanting so badly to hear the three-letter word from her grandson which would seal the deal. "Is she your girlfriend?!"

The young man sent a quick glance at Chizuru, wondering if he can still have her confirm his words but shook that thought off. After what she just said, it's up to him to burst his grandmother and parents' bubbles since they were now hoping that she was his girlfriend, especially Nagomi.

Kazuya took a deep breath before facing towards his family with a solemn look on his face. It doesn't matter how his family reacts to what he'll tell them, he won't change his decision now, of all times.

"No, she's not my girlfriend. She's just my neighbor who wanted to tag along with me."

...

...

...

It didn't even take a minute for his parents to react to his words, and it was quite obvious what they were feeling right now.

"Oh! Hahaha! Of course, it's just your friend! Kazuya would never get a girl in a million years, haha…" Kazuo laughed as he pushed his glasses up, mimicking a genius who had figured something out.

"Oh my, dearie… you almost gave me a heart attack there," Harumi spoke, walking over towards Chizuru before patting her on the shoulder, causing the girl to blush slightly. "You don't need to pretend for Kazuya's sake, sweetie. Everyone here knows that he's too much of a slob to even score a girlfriend."

"DISCHARGE ME RIGHT NOW!"

On the other hand, his grandmother didn't take his statement in a good way, just like what he expected. Not only that, her shocked expression immediately turned into a look of fury the moment she heard what Kazuya told her.

"I need to get off this bed so I can teach this brat a lesson!" Nagomi continued, making various attempts to get off her hospital bed and storm over to where Kazuya was.

However, she couldn't do such a thing while she was still confined and her two children continuing to pamper her needs…

"T-Take it easy, Mom…!"

"W-What are you saying, mother-in-law?! You can't just discharge yourself from the hospital! They also need to run further examinations on you!"

The old woman could only struggle against the couple while sending a displeased look at her grandson.

"What are you doing, Kazuya?! Didn't I tell you that the next time that we meet, you better bring a girlfriend with you?! Here, you brought someone who is beautiful and has a nice body, but you're saying that you're not a couple! How will I suppose to have grandchildren if you don't get a girl?!"

Chizuru tried her best to hide her blush from the compliments that were sent her way, and she was lucky that the attention inside the room wasn't directed towards her at the moment.

"No. I won't do that," Kazuya shook his head without hesitation.

Nagomi quirked an eyebrow in suspicion. "What did you just say?"

Kazuya took a step forward, staring back at his family with an equally serious look of his own. He wanted to show the three of them that he wasn't the same as when they last saw him.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about that, and I've decided that I'm not going to find a girl and have a relationship with her… at least not now."

"What are you trying to say?"

The young man paused, taking a moment to remember what he was like in the past up until that day when his ex-girlfriend broke up with him. In some sick and twisted way, he actually somehow felt thankful that she dumped him, because it gave him the push he needed to finally realize how badly he had let go of himself and that he needed to change.

"I went through some… things recently, and I thought about everything I've done until that point. I realized that I wasn't proud or happy of who I was, and I admit that I wasn't the best person some time ago."

"No kidding…" Harumi and Kazuo said in their thoughts.

Deciding not to tell them about Mami, Kazuya simply focused on the things that happened to him after his breakup.

"But I've changed now. One month ago, I swore to myself that I would be a better person and I'm doing well so far. I started going to a gym and took care of myself a lot more. I'm actually good friends with guy who owns it and he helped me get better! Just look at these…"

His serious look was quickly replaced with a smile as he pulled back his sleeve and showed off what his arm looked now. He had learned from Kaji to have pride in what he worked hard to accomplish, and Kazuya wasn't going to miss the opportunity to show off in front of his family.

While Kazuya's family was completely drawn to the sight, Chizuru had to cover her mouth to keep herself from drooling like what she did the last time she saw his, uhm… skin underneath…

"Why does he have to be ripped, damn it?!" she thought to herself while trying to keep her gaze away from Kazuya for now, but to no avail. Eventually, she just shrugged and continued to stare at the show before her in defeat. "Oh well, at least it's not a bad sight or anything…"

She should be covering her nose as well, then…

"Plus, I've also gotten a job at a nightclub. I work as a bouncer there. Here," Kazuya continued, bringing out his wallet before he showed them his employee ID.

If his physical change wasn't enough to cause a new reaction from his family, then this definitely did. Nagomi, Kazuo, and Harumi shifted their gaze alternately between the boy and his ID, almost like While they were too gobsmacked to say anything, Kazuya put his wallet away before continuing to soeak.

"You guys don't have to worry. It's not in a red light district. It's actually a good place, and I get along well with my boss. He even loaned me a good-looking bike since he likes me apparently, and I used it to get here."

"You have a bike?!" Kazuo exclaimed, being the first among the adults to get his voice back after being speechless until now. He then sent a deep frown towards his son out of suspicion. "I don't believe you, you don't even put your license to use!"

After hearing Kazuo dismissing his son's words, Chizuru chose this particular moment to raise her hand so that she could speak.

"Actually, it's true. He has one and he let me ride on it to get here," she said with a kind smile.

Kazuo's jaw immediately dropped to the floor out of shock from that confirmation and his skin turned pale out of disbelief.

Meanwhile, Kazuya sent a small glance towards Chizuru in confusion before shrugging his shoulders. He was actually going to show his keys in order to prove his words but since Chizuru confirmed it for everyone already, it saves him the trouble and he can move to his next point.

"I guess what I'm saying is… I'm not gonna bring a girlfriend for you to meet anytime soon. Right now, after everything I've been through up until one month ago, it made me realize that I wasted important time. I could've spent some days cleaning my apartment, taking care of myself a lot more, doing repairs, finding a part-time job, and among other things. Right now, I don't want to think about girls. I want to think about myself… I'm sorry, Grandma."

He finished, taking a deep breath at the end of his words before he waited patiently for Nagomi's response. While his parents bore thoughtful expressions on their faces, his grandmother didn't make any kind of reaction for a few moments until her eyes went wide in realization.

"Of course… what was I thinking?" she sighed, slowly covering her face with her hand out of shame.

"Mom…?"

"Mother-in-law?"

Her action quickly got the attention of Kazuo and Harumi, who looked at her in deep concern but didn't do anything for now.

"I've been too focused on wanting to finally have a granddaughter that I can spoil, that I forgot what being a grandmother is all about."

The young man hid a smile to himself, seeing that this conversation was finally heading into the direction he wanted. Kazuya then pursed his lips together, preparing himself for what was next because they were words that he didn't think he would say this soon.

"This doesn't mean I've forgotten about what I promised, though. Maybe sooner or later, I'll get over this and then I can—" Kazuya interjected, wanting to be clear in his words but he was quickly cut off.

"No, my boy… you are right. You need to take care of yourself before everything else, even girls. I may want a granddaughter, but what I want more than that is for you to live the best life you can possibly have, Kazuya."

Nagomi smiled before she motioned for her grandson to come closer to her bed, and he immediately complied.

"Thank you for understanding, Grandma. I know it sounds selfish, but… I've let myself go for long enough."

Kazuya smiled in return and bowed his head in thanks, before he felt a pair of hands land on his shoulders.

"Son, it isn't selfish to think and prioritize yourself above everything else. There is nothing wrong with what you're doing and I'm proud of you for choosing to finally change yourself for the better."

"You finally took a step in the right direction, Kazuya!"

Both Harumi and Kazuo sent proud smiles towards their son, making the young man feel like he was dreaming. His parents haven't done something like this for him ever since he started living on his own and from then on, they never really bothered to check on him once in a while.

Even Chizuru, who remained in her place at the other side of the room, sent a smile in Kazuya's direction. How could she not, after seeing how his parents were ridiculing him earlier for not having a girlfriend? After what he did for her so far, Kazuya deserved this!

"Your parents are right, my dear boy. You can stop worrying about girls for now, Kazuya. You don't have to find a girlfriend yet if you don't want to. It would make me happy if it happens, but what would make me happier is seeing you become a successful young man when you grow older. You might even take my place as the owner of the shop one day!"

Kazuya smiled.

"I'll do my best."

"Now that that has been dealt with…" Nagomi's smile immediately disappeared as she barked loudly at her daughter, now looking furious at the boy's parents instead. "HARUMI! GO BUY A FEAST FOR FIVE NOW!"

"R-Right away!" the woman snapped out of her shock and nodded frantically out of fear, before quickly pulling out her phone to make a call.

"KAZUO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING, STANDING THERE?! YOUR SON IS FINALLY LEARNING TO STAND UP ON HIS OWN! WE CAN'T JUST LET THIS HAPPEN WITHOUT A CELEBRATION!" Nagomi turned her attention to the only other adult in the room

"T-That's true, but—" Kazuo stuttered, but quickly gave in to fear when his mother-in-law's suddenly turned large in a comical manner, almost making it look like she was his worst nightmare.

"BUT NOTHING! WE HAVE TO CELEBRATE THIS MOMENT!

While the old woman was having a tantrum and Kazuya's parents were trying to calm her down as best as they could, the young man approached his companion and nudged his head in the door's direction quietly, moving quickly before they could get noticed.

"Let's just go. Problem's been dealt with, anyway. Trust me, you don't wanna be here right now."

"Sure…"

Realizing the logic behind his decision, Chizuru nodded slowly and followed Kazuya to the door, but not before taking one more glance at his family.

After witnessing that tender moment being shared between the people here, she somehow wished that she can experience this as well, just spending time with her family and being happy with them but alas, there was no chance of that happening. Her mother was gone, her father wasn't around, her grandmother was in the hospital, and she didn't have any other family members, at least to her knowledge.

Anyway, with this issue finally over, she'll now have to deal with what was about to happen to her, after what she tried to do right in front of Kazuya's family earlier.

Maybe she can try to explain why she tried to make it seem like they were a couple to him…?

Well, would you look at that? Nothing like a wholesome moment between family, right? I've always felt that Kazuya isn't on speaking terms with his parents because of his habits in the manga but this is nothing like canon! Oh, and Chizuru, you just got yourself in trouble. Trying to say that you're a couple again? She must be getting desperate...

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

-Lance