My Rental Boyfriend Is My Boss?! - Chapter 43

Chapter 43. He’s A Real Boyfriend Now

“Are you dumb?”

The following Sunday. The next day, Michiru had promised Chie that she would have lunch with her, and she said the same thing to Michiru.

“Why?”

“Because that means you’re going out with Kamijemori, right?”

“It’s not like we’re going out… Well, we are.”

Michiru never thought the day would come when she would use the word “go out”. It’s been less than 24 hours since she heard the confession, and Chie looked completely amazed at the casual conversation.

“What? You should have said that earlier. Then you could have canceled today’s appointment.”

“What? Why?”

“I thought you’d be depressed if you went to the party alone, so I thought I’d listen to you.”

“That’s why you invited me…?”

Michiru couldn’t believe she was sending her out on the premise that she would be depressed. However, if Kamijemori hadn’t come, she definitely would have been depressed, so that reading wasn’t entirely misguided.

Michiru was beyond surprised and impressed by her friend’s too-perfect prediction.

In the end, in telling her that they had decided to go out, she told Chie that the person she had been renting was Kamijemori. Michiru, who had expected her to be surprised, was surprised in the opposite direction.

It seemed that Michiru was more easily understood than she thought.

“Why are you having dinner with me on a weekend when you could be going out?”

“Because I promised? Besides, I think Minoru has something to do… I didn’t ask.”

“You haven’t heard? Why don’t you ask him?”

“Yeah… Oh, no…”

She felt uncomfortable to ask about his private life so suddenly. Even though she has changed departments, Michiru still has a strong sense of her boss, Kamijemori, in her mind.

‘Yesterday, he dropped me off at my house after the party and then left saying, “I’ll be in touch”.’

Even though it’s Sunday, this time of year was when things started to get a bit busy at Kamijemori’s place. It wouldn’t be surprising if he was working ahead of schedule by now.

It took a bit of courage for Michiru to make a phone call in such a situation.

‘And even if I let it go, I’ll probably see him on Monday. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to eat lunch with him… or not…’

Chie gave Michiru a blank stare as she giggled at the thought, so she left lunch early and reminded her, “Call your boyfriend!” and left.

‘I can’t call him out of the blue like that… That’s it. I think I’ll look at what I’m going to wear on Monday anyway. I’m sure we’ll be having more regular holiday dates from now on.’

The last time Michiru had a full day date, her plans were sudden and she didn’t have enough clothes to choose from. However, for the next date, she wanted to be prepared with the right clothes.

So Michiru stopped going back to her house and turned on her heels in the direction of the many shops.

On the way, Michiru received a call. She looked over and saw it was Kato, whom she had just met yesterday.

“Yes, yes? What’s up?”

“Oh. Are you okay now?”

“Yeah… Oh, thanks for yesterday.”

Michiru was so grateful to him for his help with Kamijemori. She was busy at the party and didn’t get a chance to talk to him, so Michiru thought she’d tell him later, but it seems he contacted her first

Kato laughed on the phone.

“Oh, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it. It’s not every day you get to play Cupid.”

Michiru grunted, somewhat embarrassed at being called a cupid.

“Emi also said she was sorry for acting so strangely… When she heard your boyfriend wasn’t coming, she thought it would break up the atmosphere, so she hurried to find her friend who came alone. It wasn’t supposed to be like that.”

“Oh, really?”

“When I met her at the reunion, she was surrounded by everyone, but when she stumbled a little, I helped her up and she was shaking. I realized she was pushing herself. But she’s trying really hard not to look like that, so if you don’t know her, it looks like she’s being pushy. I can’t say no because my parents are the type to make the decisions, but the truth is I’m very shy.”

“Oh…”

Michiru didn’t know that. In Michiru’s mind, Nakamura has always been sturdy and imposing, but perhaps that was just the way she has always tried to appear.

“… and maybe even at Christmas parties too…”

When Michiru thought about it, Kato, who seemed to have heard it, made a bitter sound, “Oh.”

“Was it like that in elementary school too? I heard it before, but did you go as well?”

“Yes. Did you hear about it too, Kimitaka?”

“I heard it was some kind of advertisement to attract students to the dance school. Did they give you a flyer or something on the way home?”

“Is that so?”

The only thing Michiru remembered was what happened during the party. And then there was the time when she was practicing by herself before that. She couldn’t remember anything about the trip home.

When Michiru tilted her head, Kato laughed.

“Well, that’s what childhood memories are like. She said it was so embarrassing that she can’t forget it even now.”

Michiru thought she was the only one who had a bad experience at that Christmas party, and she assumed that Nakamura was the bad guy, even though Michiru didn’t know her very well. But as Kato said, it was just a one-sided memory from childhood that made her think that way.

“… I have to apologize to Nakamura…”

Ever since she heard that she was going to marry Kato, her impression of him had only gotten worse. Somewhere in the back of Michiru’s mind, she might have even thought of her as a woman who would interfere with her friendship with Kato.

But she has her own problems, her own weaknesses, and her own strength to not let them show. She was a person to be respected, much more so than Michiru, who has never tried because she thought she could anyway.

“I don’t know, but that’s the way it is. Come and visit us sometime soon, without the party. I’m sure you guys will get on well. And if you get drunk, you can stay at his place. He’s your real boyfriend now, isn’t he?”

“Uh-huh.”

As a real boyfriend, as a real girlfriend. Michiru’s ears perked up at his words.

Let’s get to know Nakamura better this time. Let’s talk properly and apologize properly.