Warning: The following contains spoilers for Rent-a-Girlfriend Season 3, Episode 2, "Girlfriend Next Door," now streaming on Crunchyroll.
With Kazuya and Chizuru’s newfound professional relationship of producer and actress, contentions between the two have simmered down. However, the same cannot be said for
the rest of Kazuya’s beguiled beauties as they fight for their claim over him. Ruka, in particular, is adamant in ensuring he stays away from Chizuru’s clutches, though her blunt approach can be attributed to her place as Kazuya’s ‘real’ girlfriend.
With Rent-a-Girlfriend’s ever-growing harem and its volatile nature, it's simply a matter of time before matters implode for Kazuya. While Ruka had always been a threat to Kazuya’s secret, a nosy neighbor has further added to his list of unending predicaments. Now, it's up to him to satisfy them all to keep his secret alive.
Ruka’s Contention With Chizuru
Ruka had tolerated Kazuya and Chizuru's rental relationship due to the complexities of the entire ordeal, yet the sight of Chizuru making her way out of Kazuya’s apartment was far too much for her to handle. Since Ruka is technically Kazuya’s actual girlfriend, she has the highest stake out of everyone in the love-debacle. This is translated in her aggression towards Chizuru and her highly volatile reaction to her growing fondness with Kazuya.
While Ruka may seem rude and blunt, her feelings of unease and discomfort are justifiable considering Kazuya agreed to be her boyfriend. She also reveals that she had left her rental agency over half a year ago, primarily to legitimize her relationship and to avoid any sort of issue with her agency. Considering the devotion and effort Ruka has put in, her extreme reaction to that unwelcoming sight was more than plausible.
Kazuya was forced to disclose his plans of making a movie with Chizuru, since that was the only way to convince Ruka otherwise. Furthermore, the two were forced to accept Ruka as another partner in the movie-making process. Striking a three-way deal may have simmered down her sentiments of aggression, yet she still remains a looming liability to Kazuya and his secret.
Chizuru’s Inner-turmoil Over Kazuya
Throughout the series, Chizuru’s stance over her relationship with Kazuya has been clear, deeming it nothing more than a fake, rental relationship. On the inside, however, Chizuru seems to be opening up to the notion of being into Kazuya romantically. She was able to brush away such bizarre thoughts before, but with the string of recent events tying the two together, Chizuru’s emotions have truly reached a boiling point.
Kazuya’s selfless actions have played a major role in swaying Chizuru’s heart, yet another underlying factor is at play here: grandma Sayuri. Seeing her grandmother so content and happy with Kazuya may have allowed Chizuru to view Kazuya in an entirely different light. She had already started seeing Kazuha as a different person, but Sayuri’s added bias has swayed Chizuru entirely, evident from her home-cooked meal for Kazuha and her lack of hesitance while entering his apartment.
However, the nuances in her relationship with Kazuya and the ever-present harem of beautiful babes serve as a major obstacle for a legitimate relationship between the two. Chizuru would have to go against her agency’s policies of maintaining relations with clients. Moreover, dealing with Ruka would be another pressing matter, one that could risk her secret being made public. With several complexities plaguing her relationship with Kazuya, it seems that Chizuru is nowhere near ready to accept her feelings for Kazuya.
Trouble With the New Neighbor
The addition of a new character to an already-teeming harem was bound to bring in its fair share of predicaments. Mini Yaemori’s chaotic personality was already a telltale sign of the chaos that was sure to ensue. As it turns out, Ruka's meltdown on the balcony was being recorded by Mini the entire time, acquainting her with Kazuya’s complex relationships and Chizuru’s job as a rental girlfriend.
However, matters might not be as grave for Kazuya since Mini seems to have no romantic interest in him. After she forces Kazuya to let her in on the secret, she develops a sense of respect for him, even going as far as calling him ‘Master.’ According to Mini, Chizuru has clearly developed feelings for Kazuya, especially since she has put up with his problematic nature and unending ordeals for an entire year.
Instead of simping over him like the rest of the harem, Mini simply wishes for Kazuya to end up with Chizuru. With another supporting character rooting for the two to end up together, things have started to look up for Kazuya and his desire to be with Chizuru. It’s only a matter of time before the two openly confess their sentiments for each other, though the possibility of a future together is still far-fetched.