Rent a Girlfriend Fanfic: Stepping Out of the Shadows

Chapter 1:

A/N: This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction. My first language is not English. I have almost no experience, but I really wanted to write one for Rent a Girlfriend because I want to create an alternate reality in which a new girl rivals Chizuru and is capable of stealing him away from her. I don't think the other girls are capable of it, so I made one myself. This story takes place at the end of the three-month ghosting period, but there are other things happening, before Mini visits Kazuya. We basically start from the scene where you see Kazuya lying on the ground in anguish in his room after the three-month time jump. There will also be a part II later on. Hope you enjoy this!

Kazuya was lying in his messy room, feeling depressed and lonely. The last three months had been unbearable for him. Chizuru Mizuhara, the girl he had fallen in love with, had been ghosting him. He couldn't figure out what went wrong. He had been texting her, but she never replied. He had tried to call her, but she never picked up. Kazuya's apartment was a mess, just like his life. He had been too depressed to clean his room or take care of himself. The once somewhat tidy and organized room was now littered with clothes, books, and papers. The air was thick with the musty smell of unwashed clothes and dishes. Despite his depression, Kazuya managed to drag himself to work, attend his university classes, and take care of his pet fish. But as soon as he came back to his apartment, he would collapse on his bed, lost in his thoughts.

Kazuya was rolling around in his futon once more, pondering about Chizuru.

"I just don't get it!" exclaims Kazuya internally.

"Why did she kiss me? Was it solely to save us? Is it just me who is thinking about the kiss? Was the kiss meaningless to her?"

"Is she human at all?I just can't read her. I'd pay ridiculous amounts of money just to see inside her heart."

"It is entirely possible that she is actually dating someone else. Is that the reason she's ghosting me, because she can't face me to tell me the truth?"

As he thought about it more, Kazuya began to feel like Chizuru must hate him.

"Why else would she cut off all contact with me? Have I been so naive as to believe I was someone special in her life?"

"I'm just a pathetic guy and Chizuru is way out of my league. Why would she ever be interested in me?"

"If only I could talk to her to get some clarity. I don't care if she doesn't like me; all I want are answers!"

"OK, that last part was a lie, but I just want to see her again, no matter what the cost."

As he lay there, lost in thought, his phone suddenly buzzed on the floor beside him. He jolted up from his futon, feeling a surge of hope. Maybe it was Chizuru, finally reaching out to him.

He quickly got to his feet and took a few steps across the room to retrieve his phone. His heart was pounding in his chest as he swiped to unlock the screen, eager to see who the message was from.

But as he read the message, his hope quickly turned to disappointment. It was just an advertisement for a nearby gym. Then something clicked in Kazuya's head.

"Perhaps I'm not worthy to date her right now, but I could become someone."

Kazuya was ecstatic because he had discovered a new sense of purpose in his life.

"There are many paths to becoming a better man, but one of them is right in front of me. If I go to the gym on a regular basis, my physique will improve, and I will appear more attractive."

"If I just get a gym membership from the ad, I can start working on my dream body right away!"

Kazuya immediately signed up for a gym membership and began packing his bags with workout clothes because he couldn't wait to start working out.

Kazuya Kinoshita stood in front of his apartment building, taking a deep breath of fresh air. He had his gym bag slung over his shoulder, and he felt a surge of excitement and nervousness as he prepared to head to the nearby gym.

As he approached the gym, Kazuya could feel his heart rate increasing. He had never been inside a gym before, and he wasn't sure what to expect. But he pushed his nerves aside and walked through the doors.

Kazuya walked to the front desk to complete the procedure of getting a membership and he got a pass to get access to the gym. After this was completed, he went to the locker room to change into more appropriate clothing.

Inside, the gym was bustling with activity. There were people working out on machines, lifting weights, and running on treadmills. Kazuya felt a little intimidated by all the activity, but he reminded himself that everyone was there for the same reason - to improve themselves.

Kazuya had no prior experience working out in a gym, so he had no idea what to do.

"I guess I should try to lift some weights if I want to get stronger."

Because it was his first time in the gym, he needed to take a good look around to figure out where everything was.

Kazuya Kinoshita made his way to the weight room, feeling a little nervous.

As he approached the bench press area, he couldn't help but feel intimidated by the guy next to him lifting 150 kg with ease.

"I hope to be able to lift those kinds of weights in the future," Kazuya says to himself.

"Okay, I should probably start with a lighter weight. I believe 40 kg is feasible."

He loaded up the barbell with 40 kg, took a deep breath, and began his set. But as he lifted the weight off the rack and began to lower it to his chest, he quickly realized that it was too heavy for him. He struggled to push it back up, his arms shaking with effort.

A girl in the same weight room notices a guy with orange hair clearly struggling with lifting the barbell, so she walks over to him and stands behind him to lift the barbell.

After removing the bar from his chest the girl said;

"Hi, my name is Enomoto Akane. I noticed you're having some trouble. Do you need some help?"