The Next Morning ,
"Don't forget , okay ?", Chizuru reminded Kazuya just as the gates of Nerima University flickered into their eyeline .
"Yeah ,I won't ", he assured her.
"I'll go find Kuri straight away " .
"Good " .
As always, just as they reached the threshold of their University, they stepped away from each other and melded into the crowd.
Kazuya kept his eyes on her till he saw her waving to her friends.
He then proceeded away from them keeping his eyes peeled out for his friend Kuri .
It had barely needed any discussion, both he and Chizuru had immediately agreed that Kuri deserved an explanation. An explanation from him .
Kazuya sighed out loud still mostly unsure of what exactly that explanation would be .
A good fifteen minutes later , having found no sign of him, Kazuya walked back and joined up with the girls .
After exchanging pleasantries, he decided to ask them .
"Have any of you guys seen Kuri ? "
" I think I got a glimpse of him earlier ", Kawanaka replied.
"Maybe he's already gone to his next class ? ", Chizuru suggested.
"Yeah that's probably it " , Kazuya agreed .
"It is strange to see you by yourself though ", Shinbo commented .
"Kibe isn't coming today , he said he had something to do ", Kazuya explained .
They talked for a few more minutes before heading to their respective classes , Chizuru making sure to secretly pat him on the back , before she left.
Two Hours Later ,
Kazuya sat on the park bench outside the back of the University , his and Chizuru's preferred meeting spot after Uni .
He was feeling rather energetic having enjoyed a nice nap during the lecture and so was now in quite a pleasant mood as he scrolled through his phone, despite still not having found Kuri .
He was just starting to believe that Kuri had retreated into hiding just like last time when he heard familiar footsteps . He glanced up just in time to see Chizuru plop down next to him .
"You're here , let's go have lunch " , he said as he began to stand up , before Chizuru pulled him back down .
"Kuri-kun ? ", she asked .
"No idea where he is ", Kazuya answered .
"At this point I'm starting to wonder if he's avoiding me like last time ".
Chizuru sighed out loud,
"It's playing out the same way ,huh ? "
"Yep , but it's fine. Eventually he'll want to talk about it too ", Kazuya replied.
"Yeah", she agreed .
"Great, now let's go have lunch ", he told her as he pulled both her and himself up and started to walk
"Kazuya, wait ", she told him
"What is is ? " he asked .
Chizuru sighed out loud before answering,
"I'm sorry, I have a couple of clients booked for the afternoon.
My manager is working me to the bone , she insisted that I take all the bookings from now .
So I have no choice really , I have to " .
Kazuya frowned as he remarked ,
"Nothing we can do about that, but at least this is the last week ".
"Sunday is my last day " , she confirmed before adding,
"That's why I just want to see this week through smoothly without any problems " .
"Okay then , let's head back , we can grab something to eat on the way ", Kazuya suggested.
She started to walk with him but glanced at her watch before replying,
"I'm not sure I have the time , maybe I should just just change my clothes and head for the booking
I'll eat in between the two bookings or something".
"No way ", Kazuya shot her down .
" You'll insist on being the ultimate professional and decide that it'll be rude to eat in between and you'll want to get to the next booking early and finally you'll end up not eating.
You just had coffee in the morning too , there's no way I'm letting you go off with a decent lunch".
Without even giving her a chance to respond, Kazuya dragged her into the nearest bakery , bought two egg sandwiches, two curry buns and two sweet buns along with a couple of bottles of tea .
As she chewed on her sandwich , Chizuru couldn't help glowing with happiness at her boyfriend walking beside her .
"I swear , you worry about me way too much ", she told him in a fake-annoyed tone , in between bites .
He replied indignantly,
"No ,I worry about you the exact right amount .
And anyway , you worry about me way more than I worry about you "
"I do not ", she shot back .
"And I only worry because you don't worry about yourself " .
They kept that up for a while insisting that the other worried too much . Of course , it was just for the sake of conversation they both knew that they treasured the other's concern for themselves.
"Thank you ", Chizuru told him once they were done eating.
"Though I could use a few more of those ".
"Where's the person who didn't want lunch ? " , Kazuya teased her before he stepped into the next bakery he saw and got her some more sandwiches.
A Few Days Later ,
"I'm so sorry " , Chizuru hastily apologized , albeit without even looking back at the woman she had bumped into .
She finally broke of the growing crowd and rushed ahead only stopped by the halting green of the traffic lights .
As she waited for the signal to turn ,she glanced at her watch .
3:48 pm
She had a booking for 4 pm , a former regular client of hers who hadn't requested a date in a couple of months.
She was ten minutes away and that should have been fine but Ichinose Chizuru (or rather Mizuhara in this case ) had a strict policy of arriving to a booking at least ten minutes early.
And so she cursed the traffic system till it finally granted her the freedom of the crossing , at which point she ran across , ignoring all the norms of polite society .
Finally she reached the meeting location , just outside a café. Somehow she had five minutes to spare and thankfully there was no sign of the client . So she took the opportunity to walk into the Cafe bathroom and touch up her makeup and hair .
"Geez , I can't be late like this next time ", she scolded herself for a moment as she brushed her hair with closed eyes .
Almost immediately her eyes shot open and she stared at herself in the mirror , the shock of realization or at least remembrance ringing through her face.
"I can hardly believe it ", she thought to herself ,closing her eyes again.
"Today is my last day .
And this is my last client " .
The fading sun of a snowy Sunday evening offered her little warmth as Chizuru stepped outside .
It was a curious bundle of emotions punching her gut at the moment, happiness, excitement a little nervous tension , some determination , all of which she'd expected . However an unmistakable shiver of sadness confused Chizuru, even worried her a bit .
The sight of her client pushed all her own thoughts and emotions away , her trademark smile appearing on her face almost instantaneously.
She heard Kazuya's voice in her head, along with that goofy grin of his , saying ,
"Rental mode on " .
She suppressed the chuckle that threatened to come out and instead took a deep breath before she greeted her client ,
"Hello , Ichiro-kun , it's so nice to see you again .
Ichiro , a third year high schooler , smiled back at her and nodded .
"I'd forgotten , he's very nervous ", she remembered before taking the lead and offering him her hand .
"No , that's okay ", he told her before starting to walk ahead .
"Of course , that's fine" , Chizuru told him while noting that this was a first for him .
Holding her hand had been the one request he'd made of her during the several dates he'd booked and it had made him overjoyed when she'd agreed , even more so when she would take his hand by herself .
" Wait, just like Kazuya " , she realized , this time unable to hide the chuckle.
Ichiro continued to deviate from the norm , chatting quite freely even initiating conversation with her which was another thing he'd never done before .
As she sipped the coffee he'd bought her, Chizuru was confused , but at the same time she couldn't help feeling happy . And just a little bit proud.
Ichiro-kun was as nice a person as you could meet . Polite, kind , courteous , generous , all these were apparent to Chizuru even from their first dates .
But he lacked one thing , confidence .
It was not an unusual ailment of her clients , even Kazuya had (and at times ,still ) suffered from the same.
It always disheartened her , how genuinely nice guys truly believed that girls wouldn't be interested in them , for the most minor of self perceived faults.
And so Ichiro-kun had rented her , usually once or twice a month and slowly, with her careful encouragement and prasie ,she'd seen him gain confidence, little by little .
He had stopped renting her a while back and she'd been a bit worried but apparently there was no need, Ichiro-kun had grown .
Before she knew it , it was 4:55 pm . The end of both this date and her rental girlfriend career was drawing to a close .
They'd ended up back where they started , Ichiro-kun had indicated that he was about to leave and so they'd exchanged goodbyes .
But just before he did , Ichiro-kun told her ,
"Chizuru-san , I just wanted to say ... thank you .
You helped me a lot , everything you said to me and the way you treated me on the dates , it really helped me believe that I could get a girlfriend .
And ... I did " .
"You did ? , that's wonderful , congrats. ", Chizuru replied , surprised.
He laughed a bit as he answered,
"Yeah I did .
That's why I wanted to come on this date , so that I could thank you " .
He thanked her again, before he turned and disappeared into the crowd , leaving Chizuru with a burning sense of pride.
She stood on the spot for a moment, with her eyes closed , allowing herself to relish the success of a job well done .
And then it hit her .
It was done .
She felt that shadow of sadness again, intermingled with the same emotions from before.
She then smiled before slowly walking to the bus stop .
She might have been done as a rental girlfriend.
But she had one more date that day .
Chizuru saw him even while she was still on the bus , he was frowning at the bus with squinting eyes , trying to figure out if she was in it or not .
The second he saw her , that frown melted into his usual delighted smile , a smile of sheer happiness that she couldn't help reciprocating.
She jumped out of the bus and ran straight to him before grabbing his hand and pulling him along .
"Let's go ", she told him.
"Yeah ", he agreed, as he interlocked his fingers with her .
"So how many clients did you have today ? ", Kazuya asked .
"Six ", she replied with apparent weariness .
"That's unbelievable ", Kazuya commented sympathetically before asking her ,
"Are you sure you don't want to stop , grab a bite to eat or even just sit for a while ? "
"No ", she replied.
"I'm okay , plus we have to get to the agency in time for my exit . My manager said she has some things to go over, then I'll get my last payment and that'll be that. "
"Yeah , but it was still way too much of a load for this last week " , Kazuya told her
Chizuru sighed and remarked ,
"At least it's over " .
The had both been repeating this phrase a lot over the week , as Chizuru's last day approached , as her manager ruthlessly insisted on more bookings and as the agency offered a discount on renting Chizuru along with a notification that it would be the last opportunity to rent her , through all of these , as Chizuru had date after date after date , they had both repeated that line .
But this time there was something wrong in the way she'd said it . She had realized it as soon as she said it , the frustration that usually accompanied it was gone and in its place was a hint of wistfulnesss .
She turned to Kazuya worried that he'd noticed , hoping that he hadn't but of course he had .
He studied her eyes for a few seconds before squeezing her hand and asking,
"What's wrong ? "
She was silent for a few minutes , as she tried to put it all together but failing to find an explanation , admitted,
"I don't know exactly... but ... all day today ... I've been feeling a bit.. afraid , a bit ...sad ... about quitting the job .
I don't get it all , I'm happy to quit the job , I want to quit . I don't want to go around with other guys pretending to be their girlfriend when I'm lucky enough to be your girlfriend .
But still I'm feeling a bit sad and I don't get it ."
She stopped walking and turned to Kazuya, taking a step closer and asked him,
"Do you know why I'm feeling like this ? You always could understand me even when I couldn't. "
He stared at her . It may have seemed like he was looking at her eyes again, but Chizuru could almost feel his gaze go deeper .
He frowned for a few seconds before once again he squeezed her hand and once again he smiled,
"I think ", he began ,
"You are sad . And I think it makes sense .
This job is ... was a part of you . A huge part .
Financially, of course, it was the path that led straight to your dream , the only means of keeping your hopes of becoming an actress alive .
But not just financially, emotionally as well . You started this job months after your grandpa died and your grandma moved into the hospital. This job , being a rental girlfriend, helping all those lonely people, that became your life.
This job is how you took charge of your own fate , how you got up and fought and kept on fighting, despite everything that you suffered.
This job was a huge part of your life. That's why it's okay to be sad about saying goodbye " .
She was as still as a statue as she heard those words, she closed her eyes, allowing those words to reach her . And she found them resonating with her heart .
Smiling slowly , Chizuru told him ,
"I think you're right .
No , you definitely are .
This job meant a lot . It gave me a lot .
I am sad to leave it behind , I am afraid of what comes next .
And ... I'm grateful for my time here and everything it gave me .
Especially... you Kazuya.
Thank you " .
Soon they were outside the company building, Chizuru waved goodbye to Kazuya who settled in a Café nearby, and went inside .
She went straight to her manager's office . After sorting through a few formalities such as a feedback form , promises about Chizuru's identity remaining secret ,assurances over a glowing reference should Chizuru ever need it and a few others later , her manager, Kaori-san spoke ,
"Just a few more things to get through Chizuru ".
She hesitated for a moment before continuing,
"Now I know you may not want to hear it , but I do have an offer for you . I had mentioned it earlier and you had said no , but I want you to consider it .
I've talked it over and the higher ups agree that you've been exceptional as an amateur . Now we have a separate division of the agency, an exclusive list of girls who can be rented only by our most exclusive clientele .
These girls aren't being rented just for dates , it's for important meetings, business dinners , even court trials .
Even the dates are different from what you're used to , these would take place at the most expensive locations in the city
These girls are rented to appear alongside our clients in various settings none of which, I can assure you, include any form of intimacy .
Now while we usually prefer girls in their mid to late twenties, I believe you could certainly handle it .
So are you interested ? "
Chizuru had listened carefully to everything Kaori-san had said and now without taking a single breath she answered,
"First of all , Kaori-san I want to thank you for this opportunity.
Before I answer, I have to tell you something,
I've been feeling sad about leaving this job and someone ... close to me helped me see why . He reminded me of everything I learned working here and everything I've achieved since I started here .
I mean , when I started, I didn't have the courage to even hold a guy's hand .
And now ... the truth is I... I have a boyfriend of my own ".
Kaori-san's lips pursed together in an understanding sigh as Chizuru continued
" He's been really supportive of me and says he doesn't mind me working here but actually he doesn't like it .
And , a long time ago ,I'd promised myself that if I ever , somehow , found someone, I'd quit this job .
I told myself it'd be because I couldn't do my due diligence to my clients if I had a boyfriend but that's not the truth.
The truth is that if ... now that I have a boyfriend, I can't do this job anymore . I can't pretend to be someone else's girlfriend. More than that , I don't want to .
I know that I'm turning down a lot . I know that what you're offering is a great opportunity and that I'd earn way more than whatever part time job I end up taking after this.
But this is what I want to do .
Kaori-san, I started by telling you that I feel sad about leaving .
But I can assure you that I don't feel the slightest bit of regret .
So thank you Kaori-san, but I'll have to turn down your generous offer ."
Chizuru bowed her head slightly as she refused the offer .
Kaori-san sighed once again before remarking,
"I didn't think you would say yes , but at least I had to try " .
Chizuru raised her head just in time to see a smile on Kaori-san .
"Congratulations Chizuru, he must be some guy".
"He is ", Chizuru insisted.
After making her sign some documents , Kaori-san pulled out a book from her desk ,opened it and pulled out what looked like a small paper ,
"Now that that's done , here's your last paycheque"
Chizuru took it from her , thanking her as she did.
She put it into her handbag, barely glancing at it as she did .
Only a second later, did it register in her mind .
In a flash, she pulled out the cheque and read it properly . And then her mouth fell open .
She looked over at her manager who was smiling broadly once again,
"K...Kaori-san t...this is a l...lot ", Chizuru stammered .
"Well ", Kaori-san answered,
"It turns out you've completed over two hundred dates with a five star rating, you've also brought in more than fifty new clients to the agency. Both of those entitle you to bonuses ".
"Th...this m...much ? ", Chizuru asked .
"Yes , it was all in your contract , you know " , Kaori chuckled .
Chizuru continued to stare blankly at the cheque for a few minutes.
Then she asked ,
"Kaori-san, is this why you made me take so many clients this week ? "
"Maybe ", she replied coyly ,before continuing ,
"But when you joined , I did promise you that I would look after your interests ".
Chizuru stood up and bowed once again, stammering out a thanks .
Kaori waved it off, joking that she had never seen Chizuru at such a loss for words .
They talked a bit more and then finally it was time . Kaori walked Chizuru out and just before Chizuru left , Kaori told her ,
"You may not be working for me anymore but I take care of my girls. You can call me anytime you want " .
For the last time , Chizuru thanked Kaori-san before exiting the building.
She stood just outside for a few seconds ,her eyes closed , taking a few deep breaths before she opened her eyes .
As always her eyes immediately latched onto that messy orange haired young man and she walked towards him .
He was waiting for her with a disposable cup of what was presumably coffee , he smiled at her and seeing him waiting there in that familiar old orange t-shirt and striped pants were comforting to her in a way that could not be described.
"Wait , what ? ", she thought to herself as she reached him .
"Are you really wearing the same clothes from out first booking ? ", she asked him with an amused smile
"Huh ? ", a bewildered Kazuya asked before glancing down at his clothes .
"Guess I am ", he answered, still sounding confused .
Chizuru couldn't help herself and burst out laughing,
"How did you pull this off by accident ? " , she managed in between laughs.
Once she had stopped , she took a few steps closer to Kazuya and spoke ,
"Orange t-shirt and striped pants , you must be Kazuya " .
"Isn't that what you said when you met me ? ", Kazuya asked , smiling as well .
She nodded before declaring,
"Pleased to meet you , I'm Chizuru.
And I'm your girlfriend, yours and only yours . "
They smiled not only because of the day that became a precious memory but for the days that laid ahead , days that held a lot of uncertainty but one sure certainty .
Chizuru slipped her hand inside Kazuya's hand slowly , it felt the same as it always did , but the meaning had changed a bit , it had become more special , from now on it would only be Kazuya's hand that she would hold
In an apartment not too far away from Kazuya's and Chizuru's, a young man lay on his bed .
Frustration had overcome him , a lifetime of loneliness acutely accentuated by the unexpectedly startling look into a dear friend's fortunes .
Yoshiaki Kibe had felt longing before but this was something more .
A/N : Chizuru says goodbye to Diamond grateful for all it gave her , Kazuya worries about Kuri completely unaware that he was worrying about the wrong friend .
I'm absolutely thrilled to be back writing , thanks so much for all the support during my hiatus . Resonance is now back, chapters will be released every Thursday and I hope you continue to enjoy them .
This chapter ends on a sudden cliffhanger that comes out of nowhere, have fun wondering where it might go from here .
Next time : Chizuru ponders her next professional step and Kibe ...