Rent a Girlfriend: Fate (Short Story) Part 1
Characters:
Kazuya Kinoshita
Chizuru Mizuhara
Mami Nanami
Ruka Sarashina
Sumi Sakurasawa
Nagomi Kinoshita
Yoshiaki Kibe
Shun Kuribayashi
Sayuri Ichinose
The Plot:
Deciding to have Ruka Sarashina as his actual Real Girlfriend, Kazuya stopped renting Chizuru right after the fiasco at the Temple. When Ruka had shown up to somehow force him to see her as his Real Girlfriend and not have Chizuru pretend to his Family anymore. In the meantime, Chizuru and Kazuya have become more like Friends. After two months, Kazuya has learned that he likes having Ruka as his Girlfriend. Saving a lot of Money not having to Rent Chizuru anymore, he has been able to purchase a Used Motorcycle with a Sidecar. Spending some free time fixing it up in secret for a surprise to Ruka.
The Discovery:
With a final turn of the Socket Wrench, Kazuya smiled. Two Weeks of Work and he hoped he was done. "Okay I replaced the Carbonator, the Starter and along with some other minor fixing. I repaired the hole in the Muffler." He whispered as he put the Wrench down and with a deep sigh sat down on the seat of his Motorcycle. When he bought it. It did not start or run. Now it was time to see if all of his hard work was worth it. Holding his breath, he turned it on and then pushed the Starter. After several seconds, it turned over and he felt like dancing. Letting it run for several minutes, he turned it off and went to clean up. With Ruka cancelling their Date for today, he had come back from Work to see if he could finish the repairs on the Motorcycle done. Now that he had, he so wanted to surprise Ruka. So after he scrubbed the grease of his face, hands and forearms. He decided to drive it over to her Family's house and surprise her. He could not wait until tomorrow. Grabbing the two Motorcycle Helmets, his and the one that she would use. He went to do just that. In route he thought about all the fun the two were going to have with just cruising around. No longer having to rely on the Bus or the Train. He was smiling all the way to her House. But when he arrived his smile turned into a heartbroken devastating frown. There on her front step was her and to his utter sorrow. She was with someone else. Another Guy was holding her in his arms and kissing her passionately. He felt tears run down his cheeks as he watched who was supposed to be his Girlfriend with someone else. Swallowing down his grief, he pulled out his Cellphone and with shaking fingers sent her a simple text. He was so close he could hear them.
"Wait a sec. Got a text from my Boyfriend." Ruka said chuckling as she parted back a step from the Man she had just kissed. The Man laughed as well and then with a smile she read the text. "LOOK TO THE RIGHT AND ACROSS THE STREET!" It said. Her eyes widened and she looked over at Kazuya. She stopped smiling as he flipped her off and then started the Motorcycle he was on. Then drove away, roaring the engine.
Back home, Kazuya ignored the almost constant Calls and Texts from Ruka. To him it was over. When he could compose himself enough, he would tell her so. Going into his Apartment, he closed and locked the door. Then basically collapsed in a heap on his Futon. Once again a Girl had broken his heart and he was unsure if this time he could recover.
0000
Coming home herself, Chizuru stepped onto the landing and found Ruka desperately ringing Kazuya's Doorbell. She also knocked hard onto the door as well. "Come on Kazuya...I know you are there. Talk to me." Ruka said in a pleading desperate tone and Chizuru decided to not become involved. Suspecting later she would hear what had happened, when he was ready to tell her. Though she also suspected it was bad. As she was about to pass the other Girl, Ruka spun towards her. "Chizuru! Can you get him to talk to me?" She asked her tone just as desperate.
"Uhm...I do not really want to...well get involved." Chizuru said trying not to be interested in the melodrama that was unfolding in front of her. Then seeing the tears running down Ruka's face, she exhaled with a deep sigh and decided to find out why it would seem that the two were having problems. "So what is wrong?" She asked and Ruka slumped slightly.
"He...He saw me...with another Guy." Ruka said sniffling and Chizuru shook her head in disappointment.
"So you cheated on him." Chizuru declared and Ruka looked at her sternly. Then slowly nodded.
"It was nothing. I...I had a huge Crush on Shoto when we both were in High School. He asked me out and I...Well I...I made a mistake." Ruka said as she said the last part towards the door hoping that Kazuya overheard her.
"Still you cheated on him and now you expect him to just forget that. Forgive you. Come on Ruka...he already had his heartbroken by Mami and now here you do almost the exactly the same thing." Chizuru said and then decided that later when she talked to Kazuya. She would recommend that he not forgive or forget Ruka's indiscretion. For if she did it once then it most more then likely she would do it again. A spring of hope welled up inside her. She knew she had fucked up and she realized it fully when he told her that he was going to be with Ruka. A few days after that, she came to the conclusion that she had fallen in love with him and she had in essence lost him to Ruka. Knowing she should have told him, but at the time she was so confused on how she had fallen for him that to her it made no sense.
"You are right." Ruka said sadly, lowering her head and then with a deep sigh. "If you see him...Please tell him...how sorry I am and I will be back later so we can talk." With that she reluctantly turned and left. Chizuru stood there for several minutes and then touched his Doorbell.
"Kazuya. It is me. I will be on my Balcony if you want or need to talk." Chizuru said towards the door and then went to her Apartment. Heading right to the Patio Balcony. She did not have to wait long, for she heard his Patio door open. She waited for him to talk first.
"I guess you know." Kazuya said softly and Chizuru leaned back against the dividing wall.
"Yes I know. I am sorry Kazuya." Chizuru said reassuringly. Though she had wished for him to not be with Ruka. She did want him to finally find someone to be with, if it was not her and now once again a Girl had broken his heart.
"Well it was bound to happen. So it has to be my fault. After all I am a Pathetic Loser and...and...it some point I knew that Ruka would figure that out." Kazuya slumped sitting with his back against the dividing wall. Chizuru bounded around the Dividing wall and glared down at him.
"Don't say that! You are not a Pathetic Loser and this is far from your fault! It is Ruka's, for being a complete idiot!" Chizuru stated angrily and he looked up at her. He tried to smile, but he still felt betrayed and heartbroken. He had thought that finally he would have a Real Girlfriend that loved him. The silence was starting to wan on them both.
"I have no idea what to do now. I do know I will have to tell Grans that I am no longer with Ruka." Kazuya exhaled with a deep sigh. "She is not going to take it well. First...we tell her that we broke up and now after she started to really like Ruka...this happens." He subconsciously winced in memory at the smacks his Grandmother had hit him with when he and Chizuru told her that they had broken up. Then two weeks later, he introduced her to Ruka and his Grandmother was beginning to forgive him for letting Chizuru slip through his fingers. Though she did not know the real circumstances involving Chizuru. That Chizuru was only pretending to be his Girlfriend for her benefit.
"Maybe...I know I am not a Rental anymore...but I could..." Chizuru was about to continue, but he shook his head.
"No. I can't ask you to lie again and pretend to be my Girlfriend. It would just put us back into the situation we had to go through before." Kazuya had cut her off before she could suggest it.
"I guess you are right. That whole fiasco...was...I was going to say a hassle. But you know what I actually I enjoyed it." Chizuru smiled and then chuckled as he looked at her confused. "What I did. I enjoyed it. The whole thing was fun. That and...well you were nothing like any of my other Clients. I bet you did not know that none of my other Clients actually cared about me at all. Not one of them would jump off a Ferry to save me. Or strive to make sure that my Grandmother or anyone on Campus did not discover that I was a Rental Girlfriend. In fact I know of some that would have tried to use that to get me to agree to do something perverse with them. The whole situation was...a challenge." She admitted with a smile. Missing those times immensely.
"That it was. A real challenge and I really liked going out with you on Wednesdays. Having you pretend to be my Girlfriend." Kazuya said able to smile without faking it. Chizuru sat down next to him. Then inhaled and exhaled several times. Making the decision.
"You know what. Nothing says that we...Kazuya...I would like to go out with you again." Chizuru blurted out that last part so fast that she was afraid that he did not hear her. Then she knew he had when he gasped, turning to stare at her in shock. "Otherwise I have a feeling that you are just going to sulk in your Room. Like you did before you rented me." She had deduced that almost right after she had met him. That he only had initially rented her because he was lonely.
"Are you sure about this?" Kazuya asked and Chizuru chuckled.
"Yeah I am sure. I want to go out with you again. Though this time you do not have to pay for me to do so. Well...you paying for whatever we do. That would be alright." Chizuru said to him and Kazuya swallowed heavily. "Just keep this in mind. I am not a rebound. We have dated before, even though you paid for me to go out with you. Still we did date." She told him sternly and he nodded with understanding.
The First Real Date:
Electing to just wing it. Kazuya handed Chizuru the Spare Motorcycle Helmet. She took it and smiled. "When did you get this?" She asked as she gestured at the Motorcycle with the Sidecar. He shrugged.
"I bought it at an auction and spent the last two weeks fixing it up. It was supposed to be a surprise for...never mind." Kazuya put his helmet on. "Since I really do not have any idea what we want to do. I thought that we could just cruise around and go from there." He suggested and Chizuru smiled as she put her own Helmet on.
"Sounds good to me." Chizuru looked first over at the Sidecar and then over at the seat where Kazuya had just sat down on. She exhaled softly and smiled. "Oh what the hell." She whispered and climbed on behind him. Putting her arms around him. He stiffened.
"Uhm...Mizuh...Chizuru...I thought that..." Kazuya felt extremely nervous as he felt her arms around him and her top half of her body pressed up against his back.
"We are going on a Real Date and I want to ride here." Chizuru said and then frowned. "If you want I will instead get in the Sidecar?" She asked him not really wanting to.
"No that is alright." Kazuya blurted out and Chizuru chuckled. Starting the Bike, he drove off. Not really knowing where he was going. He did turn left to avoid some heavy traffic. But from there he just drove. Within minutes she was hooked and made the decision that at some point she was going to get Kazuya to teach her how to drive it. An hour later, they stopped at an Indoor Arboretum that catered to Bonsai Trees. Not that either one of them was actually into looking at Bonsai Trees, but the Sign outside said it was free admission today to College Students. So they both shrugged it off and said why not. Stopping at one, Chizuru read the plaque and then laughed loudly. She placed her hand over the plaque.
"Guess how much this one is?" Chizuru asked Kazuya and he looked at the small tree.
"10,000 Yen." Kazuya replied and Chizuru shook her head.
"Nope. Multiply that by ten and you got it." Chizuru removed her hand and read the plaque to him. "This is called a Sacred Fig and it has been valued at 103,000 Yen." She told him and he chuckled, shaking his head. "Want to buy this one?" She asked him and he laughed again.
"Yeah right. Even if I had that much Money. I would not waste it on something that I have no idea how to take care of. Especially since I have the reverse of a green thumb. Knowing my luck that sucker would die on me." Kazuya said and Chizuru giggled. He melted inside. He loved it when she laughed, but when she giggled. It made him almost shudder with delight. They moved on and found other Bonsai Trees that were also ridiculously priced. At the end, they both decided it was time to go somewhere to eat. Climbing back on the Motorcycle they drove off to search for somewhere to eat.
Returning home and as they pulled into the Apartment Building Parking Lot. Both Kazuya and Chizuru saw Ruka sitting at the bottom of the steps that led up to their Apartments. She glared at them both and as they approached she stood. "Didn't take you long to go out again! Did it!" She growled accusingly.
"It is not like that Ruka and you are the one that cheated on me. Mizu...Chizuru and me just went out...she did not want me just staying in my room and sulking over the fact that you cheated on me." Kazuya said back and Ruka scowled visibly. She could not deny it. For he had caught her kissing another guy.
"Look...I messed up. You have to know how sorry I am about that. Can't we just...you know start over? I can promise that it won't happen again." Ruka said and Chizuru wanted to blurt out. YEAH RIGHT. But she held her tongue. Not wanting to add fuel to the fire. She had learned from some of her Clients that had gone through a similar situation. That once a girlfriend cheats, they may say they won't do it again. But nine times out of ten, they will again. She suspected that Ruka would do it again. Mainly due to that she was a Rental and learned the wrong lessons from that experience. That guys will basically throw themselves at a Girl, especially a Pretty Girl and Ruka was pretty and she now knew it. Sure Chizuru knew she was pretty. She never let that go to her head or inflate her ego.
"I wish I could believe that Ruka. But I can't. I learned several things about myself when I was Renting Chizuru and that is that I should not have to be a doormat to anyone. Mami treated me like that and I was hoping that you would not do that to me as well." Kazuya said and he smiled. "Sorry but I do not think I can be your Boyfriend anymore." With that he pulled out his Cellphone and blocked her number. She was about to protest then instead, she stormed off in a huff. Chizuru watched Ruka leave and then looked back at Kazuya. He was crying with huge tears running down his cheeks. She stepped closer and put her hands on his waist. Pulling him into a reassuring hug.
"I know that was hard. But you have to know she would probably cheat on you again and even if she didn't. You would drive yourself crazy with doubts and concerns that she would." Chizuru said softly to him as he wept. All through his sorrow, she found herself falling more and more in love with him. "I will never cheat on you after we get together." She whispered inaudibly with a small smile.
Two Days Later:
Standing outside Kazuya's Door, Chizuru pressed his Doorbell. She had barely seen him in the past two days on Campus and she knew what he was doing. He would attend classes and then retreat back to his Room to sulk. Since he quit his job at the Karaoke Bar, because he did not want to see Ruka there for it just made him miss her. So until he found another Job, Chizuru suspected that all he would want to do is fall into a Depressive Routine. That she was not going to let happen. "I know you are in there, Kazuya. Open the door!" She commanded and after a minute the door opened. She peered into the darkened room and then at his appearance. He looked disheveled and had his Pajamas on. "Okay it is only 4 PM. First. Take a Shower, shave and then get dressed. You are taking me out on another Date. I will be back in half and hour and if you are not ready...you will regret it!" She told him pointing towards his Bathroom. For a second she knew he was considering disobeying her. But then with a small sigh, smiled and nodded. She left and went back to her own Apartment to change into something appropriate for a date with him. Retuning 27 Minutes later to his door. Right on time he came out.
"I have to wonder what you would do to me if I decided to just lock my door and not come out." Kazuya said and Chizuru smirked coyly at him.
"I would have called your Grandmother and told on you. She would punish you far more then I would." Chizuru said and Kazuya winced. He had informed his Grandmother a day ago that he had broken up with Ruka. He had to tell her that Ruka had cheated on him. For some reason his Grandmother was not upset at all. Though she did suggest that he get back together with Chizuru. Then was overjoyed to learn when she learned that he had gone out with Chizuru on one date already. So he knew if Chizuru had called his Grandmother and told on him. He would surely be the recipient of some really harsh punishment. Mainly the elder Woman would smack him into submission.
"Tattle tale." Kazuya said with a small smile and Chizuru nodded also smiling.
"Yep. Now come on. You are taking me to Dinner and a Movie." Chizuru clasped his Left hand in her Right and then led him down to his Motorcycle. Dinner consisted of stopping at the first Fast Food Restaurant they came across while in route to the Movie Theater. Which was a Burger King. The Movie ended up being what was considered a B-Movie called Robo-Shark. All told there was only about eight Cast Members and hardly any extras. In fact during one scene where they three of the Cast was fighting the Monster, both Kazuya and Chizuru noticed a Jogger running with his dog not more then 20 feet away. This caused both of them to laugh.
"Just think you could get roles like that." Kazuya whispered to her and Chizuru wrinkled her nose.
"Actually I turned down two parts in two different B-Movies already." Chizuru whispered back and he looked at her confused. "One of them wants me to pose naked or rather topless and the other...well the other wants me to do a Sex Scene where I get killed right afterwards. I have standards and the biggest one is...no one is going to see my breasts or me half naked in a Movie." She stated firmly and he smiled. Returning to watch the movie, he almost gasped when she took his left arm and put it over her shoulders. She then leaned against him, placing her head comfortably on his side of his chest. For most of the Movie, he wanted it to get over with so they did not have to continue being subjected to how bad it was. Now as she cuddled against him, he wished it went on for several more hours.
Returning back to the Apartment Building, she smiled and chuckled as they began to walk up the steps. "See that was not so bad. Was it?" Chizuru asked and Kazuya shrugged.
"No not at all. Thanks for making me go." Kazuya said as they neared his door. Using his key he unlocked his door. Chizuru went to her own door and used her key to unlock hers.
"It was no problem. Even though the Movie was bad...I had a lot of fun." Chizuru said back and Kazuya stood there staring at his door. This time he was not going to make the same mistakes he had made with her in the past. Right before she was about to go into her Apartment.
"Uhm Chizuru." Kazuya said catching her attention, she turned to look at him.
"Yes?" Chizuru asked and Kazuya began to breath in and out. Firming up his resolve. He needed to say it this time and mean it. No telling her one thing and then recanting right afterwards. He had done that once already and to him it felt like he had blown his only chance with her back then. Now was different and he intended not to lose this chance. He exhaled deeply and closed his eyes. Knowing if it did not go well then once more he would have blown his chance to be with the one he really wanted to be with. Namely Chizuru Mizuhara.
"I...I...I love you." Kazuya blurted out then slumped his shoulders and smiled. He had finally had the nerve to tell her what he had wanted to tell her since back to when they had returned from the Spa Trip with his Family, her and her Grandmother. That was when he had completely affirmed his feelings for her and those feelings was that he had fallen in love with her and not just her persona. But the real Chizuru. She waited a few seconds and he turned to look at her. He was actually expecting her to chastise him or start to laugh. Instead she smiled warmly at him and stepped closer.
"It is about time you said that to me. I have been waiting...way too long." Chizuru told him. "Now say it again." She said and he inhaled softly.
"I love you Chizuru. I have fallen in love with you. No correction...I have been in love with you for quite awhile." Kazuya said and Chizuru reached over with both her hands taking his. Stepping even closer as she stared into his eyes. She smiled even more at him.
"Good. You know what Kazuya. I love you too. It took me some time to sort it out...but I have been in love with you for quite awhile as well." Chizuru took his hands and put them around the small of her back. Then let go of his hands and put her own around him. Holding him close. He stared into her lovely eyes and he swallowed heavily. Suspecting and knowing that she wanted him to kiss her. So tilting his head slightly to the right, he leaned in. He worried that she might not want him to, but that worry disappeared when he noticed that she was leaning just as much towards him. She licked her lips and before he could chicken out or loose his nerve. She pressed her mouth against his. Their first real kiss. Neither counted the CPR Mouth to Mouth resuscitation or when she fake kissed him at the Wall Climbing Gym. No this time it was real and soon both lost all hesitation as they continued to kiss. Parting he felt a little lightheaded as he smiled at her.
"Chizuru will you be my Girlfriend? My Real Girlfriend." Kazuya asked her and Chizuru giggled.
"Of course I will." Chizuru then kissed him again. As they kissed, she gently maneuvered him into her open door of her Apartment. He looked at her wide eyed in shock and she smiled coyly at him. "No we are not going to do that yet. Eventually yes we will be doing that. I just do not want some privacy with my New Boyfriend." She informed him as she shut the door. Then continued to kiss him for several minutes.
0000
Across the Street of Kazuya's and Chizuru's Apartment Building. Ruka stood there in the dim light from a Lamppost. She had come to beg Kazuya to take her back. Willing to promise anything and willing to do anything. In fact in her Purse was a box of Condoms that she had hoped to use to convince him of her sincerity. Then when she saw him return with Chizuru and then watched as they kissed on the Front Balcony. She knew there was no hope in getting him back. She felt tears begin to form in her eyes. "I have no one to blame but myself." She whispered as she slowly turned and went towards the Train Station. She stopped and then laughed with a small smile. She had called it, she sort of knew from the beginning that Kazuya and Chizuru were destined to be together. "Perhaps I should never have tried. In the end me and him were doomed to fail." With that she smiled wider as she continued on to the Train Station. Both happy and saddened at the same time.
The End?