Rent a Girlfriend Fanfic: Stepping Out of the Shadows

Chapter 8:

They both stood there, staring at each other in shock for a full minute, neither knowing what to say.

Kazuya took a good look at Chizuru, noticing that she was wearing something that she would normally wear on a rental date.

She was dressed in a light blue blouse that perfectly complemented her porcelain skin and a darker blue skirt that hugged her curves in all the right places. The outfit was both fashionable and elegant, making her look both stunning and sophisticated. She completed her appearance with black high heels that lengthened her legs and provided a touch of glamour.

"Hey, why have you been..." was all Kazuya could say before being cut off.

"I need to go," she said, her voice quiet and subdued. "I have a rental date scheduled for later."

"Kazuya felt a pang of disappointment in his chest, but he didn't show it. "Okay," he said, trying to keep his tone light. "Have fun."

Akane approached Kazuya's apartment and noticed him standing with a girl as she got closer.

"Who is that girl?" "Does he have a girlfriend?"

"Heyyyy Kazuya-kun!" Akane exclaimed loudly as she approached the apartment.

Chizuru and Kazuya turned to gaze at her, and Chizuru gave her a skeptical look.

"What's your name?" Chizuru asked Akane with a cold tone.

"You don't have to answer her," Kazuya said immediately, surprising Akane. She did not understand why he would intervene like that.

"Is something wrong?" Akane asked, feeling confused and curious.

"No, she's just somebody that I used to know." Kazuya remarked coldly, "We have to leave. We do not want to bother her when she is busy.".

Chizuru appeared annoyed because of Kazuya's remarks, but deep down she knew she could not blame him.

"I see they're not on good terms. It is his ex?"

They all decided to leave, but they ended up walking in the same direction, which shocked all three.

"Where are you going?" Chizuru inquired solemnly.

"We're going to the mall," Kazuya replied casually.

"I probably should shut my mouth for now. I am going to ask him later about this."

"Huh, I also need to go to the mall." Chizuru said surprised.

"Uh huh," Kazuya responded, doubting her statements.

"Hey, I don't want to be with other people when I get to work, so I'm going to wait for 5 minutes." You two must walk ahead of me." Chizuru stated this.

Kazuya simply nodded and continued walking with Akane.

"What kind of work does she do if she needs to be alone at the workplace? Is she embarrassed about her work?"

"Who was that girl?" Akane asked when Chizuru was out of sight.

"I can't explain it in a nutshell. When we're at the mall, I'll tell you about it." Kazuya stated that he did not want to discuss anything right now.

Akane simply nodded and the rest of walk was rather silent.

Chizuru just got back into her apartment waiting to go to the mall.

"There she is again! This is the second time I've seen her with Kazuya in less than a day."

"I know that I wanted to talk to Kazuya again, but not this soon. I need to have some answers ready for him."

"She greeted him pretty enthusiastically. Does she enjoy spending time with Kazuya?"

"They were going to the mall. Are they on a date?"

When her phone's timer went off, Chizuru decided to put those thoughts aside and concentrate on her date.

"It's been a while since he rented me, I need to put on a good show!"

Chizuru strolled out of her door with confidence, hoping for another five-star review.

The stillness between Kazuya and Akane remained as they arrived at the mall. They were at a loss for words following that difficult moment.

They entered a sneaker store and started looking for sport trainers. Kazuya tried on many pairs before settling on one he genuinely liked. He began to wander around the store with them, happy with himself. However, as he attempted to run, he forgot to tie his trainers properly, causing him to trip and fall.

Akane couldn't contain her laughter and burst out giggling. Kazuya couldn't help but laugh as well, feeling a bit embarrassed but also relieved that the tension between them had finally broken.

"That was pretty embarrassing, huh?" Kazuya said, still chuckling.

Akane nodded, still laughing. "Yeah, it was. You should tie your shoes next time though."

They continued browsing through the store, chatting, and trying on different pairs of shoes. The awkwardness between them had dissipated, and they were finally able to relax and enjoy each other's company.

After they finished shoe shopping, Kazuya suggested they grab something to eat at a nearby café, and Akane agreed. They ordered their food and settled in at a table.

As they ate, Akane turned to Kazuya and asked him about the girl she had seen him with earlier.

"Hey, Kazuya-kun. Can you tell me about that girl you were with earlier?" she asked.

"Her name is Chizuru. She is my neighbour." Kazuya said.

"Are you two on bad terms?" Akane inquired with lots of interest.

"We have a lot of history." It would take too long to tell you everything." As expressed by Kazuya.

"Could you please give the shortened version?" Akane asked.

Akane pays close attention as Kazuya begins to discuss his relationship with Chizuru. Kazuya would occasionally raise his voice while relating his narrative, and Akane would calm him down. Akane's facial emotions change as he tells the story, and she ends it with a furious expression.

'That chick is awful!" Akane yelled angrily.

Now it was Kazuya's turn to calm down the other, but he was not successful.

"How could she have ignored you for three months?!" That is simply rude! It is possible she does not want you in her life, but just talk about it. "Don't ghost him for three months!"

"She's your next-door neighbour!" "How did she manage to avoid you for three months?"

"I don't know, to be honest." Kazuya explained calmly.

"Kazuya I'm going to be completely honest right now. Get over her. "She's not worth it." Akane stated solemnly.

"I genuinely believe you can find a better girl to date than her." Akane said the obvious.

"I know, but it's hard. I have a girlfriend, Ruka, but I am not really interested in dating her. And my ex-girlfriend, Mami, well, she is just a mess. Chizuru is the only one I really want." Kazuya said.

"That's not healthy, Kazuya. You should not focus so much on one person. And working out just to impress someone isn't a good reason." Akane said.

"But I want to be on equal footing with her. I don't want her to look down on me."

"That's a stupid reason. You should work out for yourself, not just to impress someone else. And you should not just train for Chizuru. I'm going to be way stricter while training with you from now on."

"I knew you were going to say that." Kazuya said while laughing.

"Well, someone's got to keep you in line." Akane said with a big grin on her face.

They are both laughing right now, but something suddenly came into Akane's brain.

"Wait, did you say that you have a girlfriend?" Akane asked.

"It is complicated. She basically forced me to be her boyfriend." Kazuya said.

"I see," Akane remarked, perplexed.

Chizuru is sitting on a bench in a male apparel store, waiting for her client to get out of the boutique.