Rent a Girlfriend Fanfic: Stepping Out of the Shadows

Chapter 3:

Her gaze was drawn to a photograph of Kazuya Kinoshita and her from their uniform date. No matter how hard she tried, she was unable to get the image of his face out of her head. She hadn't seen him in months, but his presence seemed to linger around her like a ghost. She couldn't help but wonder if he was thinking about her as she sat there in silence. Many thoughts go through Chizuru's head while thinking about her neighbour.

"Does he still think about me?"

"Is he bothered by the situation? Did he already find someone else?"

"Perhaps he started dating Ruka, but not Sumi; otherwise, I would have known."

"Should I try to contact him, or is it already too late?"

"I definitely have feelings for him, but is it love? It can't possibly be the same as Ruka. I could never be so open about my feelings for Kazuya as she is."

She asks herself the same questions over and over, but she always gets the same answers.

"I just can't figure it out," she muttered, frustratedly grabbing her hair. "Why is this so difficult?"

For months, she had tried to ignore her feelings for Kazuya, but they kept creeping back up on her. Every time she thought she had things under control, something would happen to knock her off balance.

"Do I love him?" she wondered, her heart racing. "Or am I simply scared of being alone?"

She was both excited and terrified at the prospect of being with Kazuya. She couldn't imagine her life without him, but the thought of losing him was almost unbearable.

"Normally, I would seek assistance from Sumi, but this is an awkward situation. What if she refuses to help me because of how I treated Kazuya?"

"He could easily find a cute girlfriend if he tried. There are at least three rental girlfriends who like him, maybe even his ex."

"Even if we talk again, would I be worthy of dating him?"

"He never gives up, even when the task appears to be impossible. He even created a movie from scratch for me. I've had many rules in place since the beginning to keep me from dating any of my clients. He understands the rules, but he will always find a way to get around them."

"His kindness is also on an another level. Who would risk their lives to save a stranger from drowning? I would have died if I had gone on a date with any other guy. When I told him about my dream, he made several date requests just so I could keep dreaming."

"And there you have me."

"A girl who has been living a double life for the past 1.5 years, having to lie to my family and Kazuya's family. When I go to college, I am a completely different person; even my closest college friends are unaware of my mask."

"A girl who is a rental girlfriend. A girl who doesn't want to get hurt, so she doesn't get to close to people."

"A girl with a lot of flaws, that girl is me."

"I know Ruka is kind of crazy, but he is much better off with her than with me."

"I'm envious of her ability to be so open about her feelings for Kazuya. She even tried to dupe me into believing they had done it."

"I don't think they're dating yet because I've never seen a pair of girl shoes outside his apartment, but who knows how long it will be before Kazuya starts looking for someone better than me."

"I'm also jealous of Mami. Not because of any of her characteristics, but because they have dated for real, even if only for a month."

"I know I haven't seen him in three months, but he isn't really out of my life. He is still my next-door neighbour. I could always knock on his door, but I'm afraid to approach him."

"But I think I'd be even more terrified if I knew he'd left. Because he lives next door, I now have a false sense of security. Will I ever see him again if he leaves this apartment complex? Maybe in college, but not beyond that."

She had been so preoccupied with her feelings for him that she had lost track of time, and now her stomach grumbled with hunger.

"Ugh, I'm so hungry," she moaned as she rubbed her stomach. "I can't believe I didn't eat."

She tried to ignore her thoughts of Kazuya and concentrate on her hunger, but her mind kept returning to him.

She got to her feet and went to the kitchen, hoping to find something to eat. When she opened the fridge, however, she discovered only a pack of instant ramen.

"I can't eat just that," she grumbled. "It needs some vegetables and an egg to fill it up."

She looked at the time and realized it was 6 pm, but she couldn't bring herself to settle for instant ramen. She desired a proper meal, complete with all of the necessary ingredients.

"I guess I'll have to go to the supermarket," she sighed as she reached for her coat. "I can't live forever on instant ramen."

Chizuru Mizuhara took a deep breath and stepped out of her apartment, ready to do some grocery shopping. As she closed the door behind her, she automatically turned to the left, towards Kazuya's apartment.

She saw two people in the near distance, but at first glance she didn't know who they were. After taking a closer look she recognized one of the two.

Kazuya was one of the two people, but she didn't recognize him right away because he now has a beard and longer hair.

Kazuya was walking, laughing and talking with a girl Chizuru had never seen before. They looked so happy together, as if they had not a care in the world.

Chizuru felt a pang of jealousy and hurt in her chest as she watched them. She knew she had no right to feel this way - after all, she had ghosted Kazuya for three months - but she couldn't help it.