Rent A Girlfriend: The Past Hurts

Part Twelve: What Ties Us Together

Feeling the cool breeze hit her face, the black hair girl quickly adjusted her blue ribbon. She was sitting on one of the benches located outside a certain building, waiting for someone.
'What's the holdup?' She thought as she pulled out her phone to check her messages:

{ Be there in a few minutes!} (1:04 pm)

'It's already been thirty minutes!'
Feeling a bit frustrated, Ruka started to look through Facebook as a way to keep her occupied.
She was the type to like every photo, and she felt her anger go away as some videos made her smile. Though, while she was scrolling, she stopped on one of the recent posts Kazuya's grandmother had posted:

Ruka stared at her phone for a while with sadness. It was like her eyes wouldn't let her see anything else but the photo of the brunette on her screen, being praised as the 'perfect girlfriend' by the grandmother of the one she loved.
' ... You don't even know...'
She continued to look at the photo as a memory started to resurface in her head, which although was from a while back, was remembered very clearly...

**********

This was not how Ruka thought the night would turn out. Of course, she had expected some sort of drama considering that Mizuhara and Mami would be there at the party, but never did she think that there would be a need for fighting.
Now, as she pondered over the previous events, Ruka sat in one of the seats of a bus with the one who had slapped her.
'... It's a miracle that I haven't punched this b***h in the face yet..'
Glancing to the right a little, she could see that the blonde haired girl was calmly staring out the window. She watched her with curiosity as she continued to think.
' She doesn't seem to be affected by the night... I wonder what's going on in her head. Maybe-'
" Are you going to say something, or are you going to keep on staring at me?"
Turning away from Mami, she looked down in embarrassment, her face slightly turning red.
' How did she even know I was..?! Ugh, get it together.'
Taking a deep breath, she composed herself before she started. " Listen.. I know we're not exactly the best of friends, and I'm not trying to start a friendship now. It's just that-"
" It's just that our mutual hatred towards a certain person is what connects us, right?" Mami interrupted her as she continued to look out the window.
A little stunned, Ruka had to find her words again before she could continue.
" Y-Yeah. I'm sure you know that I absolutely despise Mizuhara. She needs to leave him already. I mean.." She lowered her head slightly, not wanting Mami to see that she was on the verge of tears. " ...The reason I can't fully become Kazuya's girlfriend is because of her. His grandmother loves her more than anything, but she's being lied to. Mizuhara doesn't have any feelings for him, but.. he still wants her."
Clenching her hands, Ruka remembered how Kazuya had always gone out of his way to help her whenever she needed: The boat incident, the movie, and when her grandmother had passed away. It wasn't his kindness that angered her, but how she seemed to always have taken it for granted. Almost as if he was merely a tool for her own pleasure.
" I'm the one who wants him...the one who loves him." She said, using her forearm to dry away any runaway tears. Then, she held her hands over her chest as she spoke softly. "I just need..need to find a way to fill this hole in me.."
After she finished, the two were silent, and only the sound of the cars passing by the bus could be heard.
Deciding to break the awkward atmosphere, Ruka cleared her throat and turned her head towards Mami. " B-But the reason I'm talking to you about this is because I'm sure you hate her as well, so I was thinking that-"
" I don't hate her."
"... what?"
Finally turning away from the window, she could see that the blonde had a somewhat lifeless expression on her face. It was as if she didn't listen to Ruka's small speech.
" I don't hate Mizuhara. I hate myself."
" Yourself?" Ruka asked.
Mami rested her head on her hand as she leaned on the arm of the chair. " In the past, many boys had asked me to go out with them. They were all lazy and rude too , and I knew that they would most likely wind up leaving me for someone prettier. So, I played with their hearts just to leave them in despair. Eventually, it became a habit; I would end up saying harsh things to every boy, regardless if they were really interested in me or not."
Mami paused for a moment, and once again the sound of the bus moving along the road could be heard. Ruka was about to speak up when she continued.
"When I was dating Kazuya, I only saw another person desperate for a girlfriend... Though it wasn't until she came along that I realized who he truly was as a person."
' She? I think she's referring to Mizuhara.'
"Like you said, he saved her from drowning, and was able to produce some film for her grandmother. There had been this side to him all along, but I never bothered to see it for myself."
Sitting up straight, Mami turned towards Ruka. Her expression was hard to read, but she could detect a bit of sadness. " I hate myself for making the biggest mistake of my life. And every time I see Mizuhara, she reminds me of what could've been."
Finishing her speech, she went back to staring at the window, leaving a speechless Ruka with her thoughts.
'Even though I hate her... I do feel sorry. But it's too late for you. Kazuya is mine.'