Rent a Girlfriend Fanfic: Stepping Out of the Shadows

Chapter 6:

"Mini-san, what are you doing here?" Kazuya asked, his voice filled with surprise.

"I came to check on you, silly," Mini replied, flashing him a smile. "I was on my way home from my trip to India, so I thought I'd stop by and see how you're doing."

Amid all the commotion, Kazuya felt a wave of comfort wash through him. He was thankful to see a familiar face. He moved aside to open the door for her and said, "Come on in, Mini-san."

As Mini walked into the apartment, she noticed Mami standing in his apartment. "Oh, hello there!" Mini exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with recognition.

Mami gazed at Mini, obviously startled by her unexpected entrance. Unsure of what to say, she only replied, "Uh, hi."

After the awkward greetings with Mami she noticed the current state of Kazuya's apartment.

"Master, what happened?" she asked.

Before Kazuya could respond, Nanami Mami heard the word 'Master', looking slightly annoyed. "Who's this?" she asked, eyeing Mini suspiciously.

"This is Yaemori Mini, a friend of mine," Kazuya explained. "She is my neighbour."

"And the biggest shipper of Kazuya and Chizuru," Mini smiled broadly as she spoke.

"So, you were standing in front of her door?" Mami asked.

Which apartment was he standing in front of? Mini inquired with a lot of curiosity.

"If you are facing Kazu-kun apartment, the one on the left." Mami said slowly.

"That is not my apartment, that is Mizuhara's apartment." Mini said.

Kazuya had earlier been seen standing in front of Chizuru's apartment, and Mami had only just become aware of this.

"What were you doing in front of Chizuru's apartment, Kazu-kun?" Mami demanded, her voice rising in frustration.

Kazuya looked down, feeling guilty. "I wanted to talk to her," he mumbled.

Mami's eyes narrowed. "You can't keep obsessing over her, Kazuya," she said sternly. "It's not healthy."

Mini became aware she had said something that she should not have.

"I had just gotten home when I noticed her door closing before I stepped in front of it. She is currently at home, I know that!" Kazuya spoke aloud.

"For goodness' sake, she has been ghosting you for three months! She does not want to see you! Become aware of that, Kazu-kun!" Mami said with rage.

"Should I leave?" Mini said nervously.

Both Kazuya and Mami yelled, "NO!"

Mini made the decision to remain silent while sitting on his futon. She does not want to get involved in this argument.

"Get the hint already, she doesn't want to see you!" Mami went on.

"But, but..." Kazuya stumbled nervously.

"No buts! Just get over her!" Mami said with rage.

"I have a new resolve. I was at my lowest point, but now I have a new goal. Today I went to the gym for the first time to improve myself. To make myself worthy of dating Mizuhara." Kazuya said proudly.

"You absolute moron! She is not worthwhile. Right now, even I am a better fit for you!" Mami glared at him while saying this.

"Look I know you love her, but your love isn't reciprocated. It is over." Mami begged to differ.

"It is her loss." Mami added.

Kazuya just remained silent, lost for words.

"Hey, I will now occasionally check in on you. Next day, I will see you. If I visit, your apartment better be tidy." Mami said with much anger.

Kazuya watched as Mami stormed out of his apartment in a fit of rage. He let out a sigh and turned to face Mini, who was now sitting on his couch.

"Would you like a drink?" Kazuya asked, trying to break the tension.

"Sure, I'll have a water," Mini replied, her eyes still fixed on Kazuya.

As Kazuya went to the kitchen to grab a glass and fill it with water, Mini spoke up. "Who was that girl?"

"She's my ex," Kazuya finally answered, setting the glass of water in front of Mini. "I don't know why she came to my house."

Mini nodded slowly, taking a sip of water. "She seemed pretty upset."

Kazuya let out a chuckle, but there was no humor in it. "Yeah, she's like that. It's hard to explain."

Mini tilted her head to the side. "Is she still in love with you?"

Kazuya shook his head. "I don't think so. It's been a while since we dated."

The two of them fell into a comfortable silence, Mini sipping on her water while Kazuya stared at the wall, lost in thought.

After a few minutes, Mini spoke up again. "Do you like her?"

Kazuya's head snapped back to look at Mini. "What? No! I mean, we're just friends."

Kazuya sighed and sat down alongside Mini on the ground. He remarked, running a hand through his hair, "I don't know why Chizuru has been ghosting me.

Mini grimaced. "She tries to hide it, but she seemed to be really into you. What took place?"

Kazuya leaned back against the cushions. "Well, it's a bit complicated," he said. "During the trip, she kissed me to save face in front of my family and friends. But since we got back, she's been avoiding me."

Mini looked at him, her eyes wide. "That's so weird," she said. "Why would she do that?"

Kazuya shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "Maybe she's just not interested in me."

Kazuya sighed once again. I wish I did, he muttered. "She hasn't been responding to my messages despite my attempts to contact her. Even when I tried to rent her, she refused."

Mini reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry," she said. "We'll figure it out. Maybe I can go talk to her and find out what's going on."

Kazuya looked at her and smiled. "Thanks, Mini," he said. "I appreciate your help."

The two of them continued to sit there for a little longer, enjoying their beverages and discussing many topics, including their vacation. Kazuya appreciated Mini's company and felt a little better about his ability to talk to someone about his relationship with Chizuru. He hoped that they would find a solution quickly and that he would learn why Chizuru was avoiding him.

Following those discussions, Mini departed, leaving Kazuya by himself in his flat.

"I really need to clean my room."

Kazuya had been putting it off for weeks, but he finally decided it was time to clean his messy room. Clothes were strewn about on the floor, empty takeout containers were scattered on his desk, and stacks of books and papers threatened to tumble over. It was a daunting task, but he knew he could not keep living like this.

He rolled up his sleeves and got to work, throwing away rubbish, organizing his books, and folding his clothes. It was a tedious job, but he felt a sense of satisfaction as he saw the room slowly transform from a disaster zone to a liveable space.

Kazuya looked around his freshly cleaned room and exhaled a sigh of relaxation. The floors were immaculate, and the debris was finally gone. He had the impression that something heavy had been lifted from him.

He chose to go above and beyond and shave his beard and take a long, relaxing shower since he felt good about himself. After finishing, he collapsed on his futon, fatigued but happy.

Just as he was about to close his eyes, his phone beeped, signalling a new message. He picked up the phone and saw that it was from Akane. His heart skipped a beat.