Rent a Girlfriend Fanfic: Stepping Out of the Shadows Part II
Chapter 15: Akane vs Chizuru
As she prepared for her own struggle, Akane's heart filled with determination. The announcer's voice echoed across the arena once more, this time naming the next contender. The anticipated opponent, whose name was meant to be announced, was noticeably absent.
In a shocking turn of events, the announcer declared, "Chizuru Mizuhara!" The shockwaves of surprise reverberated not only through the stands but also through the expressions of Akane and Kazuya. The unexpected twist left them both stunned, contemplating the implications of a showdown between Akane and Chizuru for a coveted place in the finals.
"Could this really be... her?" Akane considered this with trepidation.
The atmosphere in the arena was electric as the unidentified opponent entered the ring to confront Akane. Akane got a good look at her prospective opponent, fascinated, and perplexed.
"Is this Chizuru Mizuhara battling here? "Why is a beauty like her competing here?" stated one of the men who had previously rented her.
"I heard she stopped being a rental girlfriend, so maybe she is pursuing kickboxing." stated another person who rented her.
"Face seems the same, but did she gain weight?"
A furrow formed on Akane's brow as she tried to make sense of the situation. She exchanged a perplexed glance with Kazuya, who mirrored her confusion. Chizuru appeared a tad larger than Akane remembered, leaving her grappling with a sense of uncertainty.
Attempting to regain focus, Akane muttered to herself, "It's just a normal fight. It doesn't matter who the opponent is." She took a deep breath, trying to shake off the distraction and steel herself for the match.
"But if I win, I can truly show Kazuya that I'm better than her."
Chizuru shocked Akane with a hard strike as the bell rang, indicating the start of the fight. Akane was taken off guard by the power of the strike, and she staggered backward. Akane began to have doubts. "Is this really Chizuru?" she pondered, startled by her opponent's unexpected strength.
Sunday, May 5th
Takashi Suzuki, a slightly nerdy but cheery young man, walks down a busy city street toward the train station. He clutches a vivid bunch of flowers in his hands, the hues contrasting against the prosaic metropolitan landscape. Today is a special day, one he has been anticipating for quite some time.
A tornado of thoughts passes through his mind as he walks. He intends to ask Chizuru Mizuhara, the charming girl he has been renting from for a month now, to be his formal girlfriend today.
Takashi was quickly sold, despite the fact that they did not go on many dates. The laughs they had, the stories they told, and her genuine smiles. Takashi feels a bond that extends beyond the formalities of a rental agreement, a bond that has evolved into something more.
His heart flutters with excitement and apprehension. Takashi has fallen in love with Chizuru, and he is now ready to take the plunge. However, a nagging concern gnaws at him, a by-product of the times he waited to make a move, hampered by the rigid constraints of their rented relationship.
As he approaches the meeting location, the train station near the Sakura trees, his heart started beating faster and faster. Only time will tell how this will go, only time will tell if Takashi would find true happiness.
Akane fires a volley of blows at her opponent in the throbbing beat of the battle, each hit painstakingly prepared for maximum impact. Her fists slash through the air with pinpoint accuracy, aiming for weak places, but an invisible barrier appears to prevent the efficiency of her punches. The opponent, a fearsome foe, appears to be built like a brick wall.
Despite her initial confidence, Akane begins to feel the weight of frustration settle in. Her psychological turmoil is heightened by the loud echoes of her blows hitting air rather than the intended target. Doubt swirls within her mind like a tempest, casting shadows over her prior assurance.
"Why isn't this working?" Akane questions herself, a furrow forming on her brow. The sounds of the crowd and the opponent's movements become a distant backdrop to her inner struggles. "Have I not trained hard enough?" The doubt deepens. "Am I not good enough?"
Takashi sat on an old seat beneath the dim glow of a flickering lamppost, each passing minute a reminder of the impending encounter that held the weight of his delicate hopes and worries.
As he anxiously stared at his phone, his fingers sketched an agitated rhythm on the edge of the bench. The screen, a beacon of eerie illumination in the engulfing darkness, held both the promise and the uncertainty of the meeting with Chizuru Mizuhara. Takashi's excitement was not simply for meeting a rental girlfriend; it was for meeting the person who had treated him with kindness that had become an unattainable dream in his chaotic existence.
Chizuru held a significance beyond the confines of their professional relationship. In a world where Takashi had been the perpetual outsider, the perpetual outcast, Chizuru was a glimmer of humanity. The first person to treat him with a genuine regard, an acknowledgment of his existence beyond the shadows of neglect.
Takashi's mind drifted into the caverns of his past, where the stinging memories of being the odd one out lingered. Home, school, work — the labels changed, but the role he played remained unchanged. Loneliness became a relentless companion, and Takashi yearned for an escape from the harsh realities of his existence.
The virtual world became his refuge, a place where the weight of condemnation and derision might be temporarily lifted. He sought consolation in obscurity in this parallel universe. The discovery of the rental girlfriend website was a happy accident, a ray of optimism in the internet sea of possibilities.
Takashi debated hiring a girlfriend at first because he was worried of the inherent artificiality in such arrangements. Against the backdrop of his terrible loneliness, the idea of a connection, however fleeting and contrived, appeared enticing. It was a lifeline to some kind of human interaction, a break from his suffocating seclusion.
Scrolling through the profiles, he stumbled upon Chizuru Mizuhara, the rising star among the rental cast. There was an aura of authenticity about her that intrigued him, a quality that transcended the scripted narratives of rented companionship. In her profile picture, he saw not just a pretty face but the promise of a connection, however fleeting.
As he sat on that bench, wrestling with the ticking clock and the weight of anticipation, Takashi's heart echoed with a silent plea — a desperate hope that this meeting, beyond its professional facade, might offer a genuine connection, a restart that had eluded him in the harsh realities of his life.
The bell's echoing chime rings across the arena, signalling the end of the furious first round of the kickboxing bout. Akane withdraws to her corner, where Kazuya is waiting for her, beads of sweat gleaming on her resolute brow.
Inhaling deeply, Akane wipes a smear of blood from her lip, assessing the toll of the previous exchanges. "Well, it was interesting. She is competent, but she is not Chizuru. Those blows hurt a lot more than they should."
With a water bottle in hand, Kazuya agrees, "It's strange, yeah." He recalls Chizuru's dexterity, her emphasis on agility rather than brute power. "This fighter has a different feeling."
"But she looks exactly like her; it's really weird," Akane says, her uncertainty palpable.
Kazuya agrees with a nod, recognizing the striking resemblance. "Yeah, I agree."
As Kazuya attends to Akane's minor injuries, the surrounding throng explodes in applause, applauding the spectacle. Kazuya's voice dips to a low tone as he leans closer. "If she isn't Chizuru, do you know why someone would impersonate her?"
Akane meets his gaze, determination and perplexity flickering in her eyes. "I'm not sure. It does not feel right, but why would someone use her rental name? It's as if they're attempting to fool us."
Under the delicate embrace of blooming Sakura petals, Takashi Suzuki awaited Chizuru Mizuhara. The air was fragrant with the sweet perfume of cherry blossoms, casting a soft, pink hue on the scene. A bench beneath a particularly grand Sakura tree stood as their rendezvous point, a place that would bear witness to the intersection of two lives entangled in the complexities of the rental girlfriend service.
"Takashi-kun," Chizuru greeted with a polite smile, her eyes betraying a trace of curiosity. "It's a lovely day for hanami. "Where are you taking me?"
Takashi, while moved by the splendour of the cherry blossoms, was come for a different type of blooming – a relationship that extended beyond the confines of rented company. The bench beneath the Sakura tree beckoned, providing an intimate environment for a discourse laden with unspoken words.
"Chizuru-san," Takashi began, a modest smile masking the trepidation within. "I don't have anything planned for the date. I just wanted to tell you something, something important."
"Oh, I also have something important to tell you," Chizuru remarked, surprised.
Takashi motioned for her to proceed, his heart hammering. "You can tell me first."
Chizuru's expression froze for a split second before she said, "I've decided to stop being a rental girlfriend."
Takashi's mind was racing with hallucinations. Could it be because of him? He, on the other hand, kept his ideas to himself.
"Why?" Takashi inquired; his tone tinged with genuine concern.
Chizuru's eyes softened, exposing a softness hidden beneath her professional demeanour. "I've found someone I adore, and I'm determined to make it work." Stopping as a rental girlfriend is a necessary step in that direction."
Takashi, though bewildered, offered a supportive smile. "That's great, Chizuru. I am happy for you. Can you tell me more about this person?"
Chizuru, her gaze meeting Takashi's, divulged, "Well, he is a client of me."
A surge of hope and certainty welled up in Takashi. The pieces seemed to fall into place. "Is... is it me?"
Akane leaps into an aggressive flurry in a surge of adrenaline, her fists a blur of precision and force. The air thickens with anticipation as the crowd waits for the force of Akane's attacks. However, the anticipated damage does not occur.
The opponent delivers a powerful kick to Akane's right leg. The crowd collectively inhales, sensing the approaching conflict. The connection throws Akane off balance, causing her to stumble.
The opponent exudes confidence, and a terrifying laugh echoes across the arena. A flurry of kicks is launched, each one striking with a thud on Akane's susceptible right leg. The audience shivers with each blow, the severity of the assault unfolding in front of their eyes.
Akane succumbs to the inevitable after failing to dodge the continuous bombardment. As she collapses, the canvas becomes an unforgiving bed, and the fight intensifies as she desperately tries to defend herself against the incessant bombardment.
Kazuya's hands clench in rage and despair on the side-lines. He shouts encouragement, his voice a hopeless attempt to cut over the din of the game. The visible concern on his face underlines the gravity of the situation.
Akane's thoughts rush on the mat amid the pandemonium. The searing pain in her right leg worsens, mirroring her opponent's overwhelming strength. Doubt infiltrates her mind, overshadowing the once-optimistic aura that surrounds her. The light of triumph flickers, threatened by the looming shadows of failure.
"Who is this person?"
Chizuru could only utter "Huh?"
"It is me right? You love me, you love me! I am so happy my feelings are reciprocated. I love you too." Takashi said loudly.
"Wait wait wait, That is not what I..."
"And you've already given up your job to be with me?" That is adorable! "I wish I could kiss you right now!"
"No let's not do that." Chizuru stated.
"OK, I understand that would be really quick," Takashi winked.
Takashi reached for Chizuru's hand, but she smacked it away.
"I don't love you; I love someone else!" Chizuru yelled.
"Huh?"
"I'm in love with someone else, but we're not together." I made some mistakes, and now I am doing everything I can to get him back. One of those stages is to stop being a rental girlfriend." Chizuru stated quietly.
Takashi slapped his face in embarrassment and murmured, "OH."
"I'm sorry I don't feel the same way about you. I only saw you as a customer." Chizuru stated this.
"So, everything was a hoax?" "Are all those memories we shared not special to you?"
"I liked the moments we shared, but they are not special me for I'm sorry."
"Because you have feelings for me that I can't reciprocate." It's best if we don't see one other any longer." Chizuru stated before departing.
Takashi headed defeatedly towards the train station after being denied.
Takashi's crushed expectations resonate through the train station, which was once teeming with the anticipation of a romantic encounter.
Takashi's emotions change dramatically after an hour has passed after being rejected. He is presently sitting in the train, contemplating his next move. The first waves of melancholy had given way to a swelling tide of rage.
He considers the misconception that warped his judgment. The delusion that Chizuru Mizuhara, the attractive rental girlfriend, is more than a transaction. Reality strikes him in the face with the cold, harsh truth: he was just another client, one among many. The realization aches, and the anguish spurs his terrible metamorphosis.
Anger turns to bitterness, and a terrible worldview takes root. Takashi, who is now infected by a toxic worldview, begins to regard every woman as a deceiver motivated exclusively by greed. In his twisted vision, he becomes the personification of the so-called "nice guy," bitter and disillusioned.
His raucous laughing extends throughout the train. While trapped by his newfound worldview, Takashi devises a dreadful strategy. He came across a brochure for an upcoming all-female kickboxing event. As a horrible thought form, a distorted smile spreads across his face.
He decides to compete in the event as a trans woman rather than himself. His eyes twinkle with malice as he considers wearing a face mask that resembles Chizuru Mizuhara.
"I will destroy every woman legally." Takashi exclaimed, laughing maniacally.
The realization flooded Takashi's mind: "She is finally on the ground!" A wave of relief washed over him, a twisted satisfaction in witnessing his opponent's defeat.
"She was far more powerful than the other girls. She fought admirably, but not well enough," Takashi mused with a wide grin, his emotions teetering between exhilaration and an unsettling sense of satisfaction.
Takashi, overcome by his emotions and disillusionment, decided to use Akane as his punching bag, even though she was laying virtually defenceless on the ground. Since the fight was all but done, the referee attempted to force Takashi away, but Takashi was determined to keep pummelling Akane.
Takashi's disqualification becomes insignificant as he continues to rain blows on Akane.
"Every girl is the same! They deserve it, and she deserves it. She deserves to be thrashed like this."
Takashi shifted his focus, aiming for Akane's head.
"I am allowed to do this! This is justified!"
Another brutal hit.
"Just die! The world would be better without you!"
The referee, attempting to protect Akane, was shoved aside by Takashi's unbridled fury.
"Don't stop me!"
Another merciless strike.
"Just die!"
Another.
"DIEEEE!"
In the midst of this chaotic tableau, a sudden interruption alters the course of events. Ayumi delivers a powerful kick to Takashi's head, momentarily halting the brutal onslaught.
"FUCK!" Takashi exclaims, his voice a mixture of frustration and panic.
"Damn she is strong. I need to get out of here!" Takashi thought while trying to run away.
Ayumi, poised and determined, tries to restrain the assailant, her words firm yet measured. "Hold on! You can't just attack someone like that."
Despite Ayumi's efforts, Takashi manages to break free, a desperate escape from the repercussions of his violent actions.
As Takashi flees the scene, his mind churns with disturbing thoughts. In the twisted labyrinth of his delusions, a sinister plan takes shape. Chizuru, an unsuspecting victim in his distorted quest for retribution, becomes the next target.
"That battered girl won't be the last. You're up next, Chizuru Mizuhara."
Ayumi approached Kazuya and apologized for not being able to intervene sooner, but Kazuya did not respond.
Kazuya remains transfixed amid this mayhem, a witness to the carnage he could not stop. Guilt and frustration consume him, reflecting his impotence.
"I couldn't protect her; I couldn't protect the one I..."