[chapter 219] A New Start for Chizuru Ichinose
■The original Japanese article
■The previious article
[ch 218] There Was Never Any "Love" Between Us
Hi, I'm korakuone. I hope you're enjoying Kanokari!
In chapter 219, I felt that Chizuru has finally made a new start.
Chizuru succeeded in convincing Mami and managed to avoid having their relationship exposed as a lie. But on the other hand, she couldn't stop Kazuya from confessing his feelings for her and tell him her true feelings, so she dumped him (chapter 213).
Chizuru has been running away from Kazuya's confession for a long time. She couldn't let him confess to her. She knew that in addition to hurting him by rejecting him against her will, she would also lose both her rental relationship and her false lover relationship with him.
Kazuya and Chizuru's relationship is an "agreement" without romantic feelings (Chapter 32). His confession is a clear violation of the terms of service and a breach of the agreement. If she let him to do that, she can no longer allow him to rent herself. He will probably say that he will break up with her and not continue renting. Chizuru will have to "break up" with Kazuya.
It was Chizuru's first choice not to let Kazuya confess his feelings for her, and to continue being his "girlfriend" (assuming, of course, that she would become his real girlfriend someday). However, now that she has let him confess, she has to make another choice.
◆Chizuru shows up at the pool after letting Kazuya confess his feelings for her. (219)
Chizuru appeared at the pool with a somber expression on her face.
I had dumped Kazuya, and I had hurt him. I wonder what he looks like. Chizuru's heart must be filled with guilt.
And, now that he has confessed, I can't ask him to rent me anymore. He must be thinking the same thing. We will probably "break up". It would make Grandma Nagomi and Kibe-kun sad, who wished for our happiness. But that might be better than having Mami expose our lie to them. Chizuru is confronted with the reality that she has to "break up" with Kazuya.
Chizuru must be chewing on her guilt and this painful decision.
◆THE THING AT THE CHAPEL? C-COULD YOU JUST FORGET ABOUT IT? LET'S PRETEND IT NEVER HAPPENED! (219)
THE THING AT THE CHAPEL?
C-COULD YOU JUST FORGET ABOUT IT?
LET'S PRETEND IT NEVER HAPPENED!
Sure enough, Kazuya said, "When I go back to Tokyo, I'll say we're 'breaking up'".
◆SURE. NO PROBLEM. (219)
SURE. NO PROBLEM.
It's natural for him to say so. Chizuru just replies, "SURE. NO PROBLEM".
The rental relationship with Kazuya, the false lover relationship that was supposed to one day become the truth. Now that she has lost that, what Chizuru must do is clear. It is to solve Kazuya's misunderstanding, to keep his feelings connected to her, and to build a "normal" relationship. This would have been clear in Chizuru's mind.
The end of the relationship between the rental girlfriend and the client. It is the start of a new relationship. It is the start of a real lover relationship.
In this article, I will try to sort out this " breakup" with Kazuya from Chizuru's point of view. Also, I'll talk about Mami's intentions.
Chizuru Was Ready to "Break up" with Him
After reading chapter 219, there was one part that I did not immediately understand. That is, Chizuru's reaction when Kazuya told her that he would tell Nagomi and others that they had broken up when they got back to Tokyo.
I had always thought that Chizuru was unaware of the fact that she had dumped Kazuya. So I thought that if Kazuya told her that he was breaking up with her, she would wonder why he would suddenly say such a thing and ask him why. And I thought that she should be quite confused when she realized the fact that she had dumped him ([ch 213] A Future Seen Beyond Their "Surechigai"). But Chizuru, talking with Kazuya at the pool, shows no such signs and accepts his words as if they were natural.
When I saw that, I realized. That Chizuru already knew that she had dumped Kazuya. That letting Kazuya confess his feelings to her meant that she had to "break up" with him.
◆Chizuru tries to stop Kazuya's confession. (213)
Chizuru has been running away from Kazuya's confession for a long time. She couldn't let him confess to her.
She can't tell him that she loves him. If she let him confess now, she would only be confused and not be able to answer anything, and would end up rejecting him. In addition to hurting him deeply, she doesn't know if he will continue to love her the same way.
But there was another big reason. If she let him confess, she would lose both her rental relationship and her false lover relationship with him.
Kazuya and Chizuru's relationship is an agreement without romantic feelings (Chapter 32).
◆The agreement between the rental girlfriend and the client. (32)
His confession is a clear violation of the Terms of Service and a breach of the agreement. If she lets him do that, she will not be able to let him rent herself anymore. He would probably "break up" with her and not continue renting her. Chizuru will have to "break up" with Kazuya.
After she found out that he was going to confess his feelings for her at Hawaiians, she was really happy about it and relieved that he loved her, but at the same time, she must have expected the " worst case scenario" (Chapter 192) (The confession itself made her happy because Ruka's bluff made her not believe in her future with Kazuya ([ch 192] Rising Chizuru's Heartbeat).
And that's what actually has happened.
◆THIS CONVERSATION... ISNT OVER YET! I...! I...! (213)
When Kazuya was about to confess, Chizuru may have imagined herself confessing her true feelings in a corner of her mind, "I've always loved you too. Chizuru ran away from the chapel and her face turned bright red out of embarrassment.
◆Chizuru's face turns red when Kazuya confesses to her. (214)
In the end, however, she rejected his confession, saying, "SORRY". I hurt him. Also we have to "break up". So when she was heading to stop Mami, she was already aware of that fact.
Chizuru bowed and pleaded with Mami and managed to avoid confessing her lie to Grandma Nagomi (Chapter 219).
◆Chizuru shows up at the pool after Kazuya confessed to her. (219)
However, when Chizuru showed up at the pool afterwards, there was no sign of relief on her face. Naturally. She knows exactly what happened in exchange.
I dumped Kazuya, and I hurt him. I wonder what he looks like. Chizuru's heart must be filled with guilt.
And, now that he has confessed, I can't ask him to rent me anymore. He must be thinking the same thing. We will probably "break up". It would make Grandma Nagomi and Kibe-kun sad, who wished for our happiness. But that might be better than having Mami expose our lie to them. Chizuru is confronted with the reality that she has to "break up" with Kazuya.
Chizuru must be chewing on this painful decision as well as feeling guilty. And at this time, it is not surprising that she is already thinking that she needs to build a new relationship.
When she meets Kazuya at the pool, as expected, he talks to her about what happened at the chapel. If he confesses, the rental relationship is over. There is no choice but to "break up". That is the common understanding between Chizuru and Kazuya. It's a promise between them.
◆THE THING AT THE CHAPEL? C-COULD YOU JUST FORGET ABOUT IT? LET'S PRETEND IT NEVER HAPPENED! (219)
THE THING AT THE CHAPEL?
C-COULD YOU JUST FORGET ABOUT IT?
LET'S PRETEND IT NEVER HAPPENED!
I knew that you're not going to answer my feelings. It was my fault for breaking my promise and confessing to you. So I don't need a reply. Kazuya cares for Chizuru like that.
◆SO COULD YOU LET GRANDMA... KEEP HER DREAM ALIVE UNTIL THEN? (219)
SO WITH THAT SAID... IT'S A HALF A DAY UNTIL WE'RE BACK IN TOKYO...
SO COULD YOU LET GRANDMA... KEEP HER DREAM ALIVE UNTIL THEN?
Kazuya acts cheerful even though it's just a show of strength. Chizuru felt guilty for rejecting him, but she was probably a little relieved to see that he was in better spirits than she expected. Maybe she felt once again that his kindness in thinking of Grandma Nagomi first, even in such a painful situation, was wonderful.
◆SURE. NO PROBLEM. (219)
SURE. NO PROBLEM.
Still, the reality of the "breakup" could not be changed. Besides, now that she doesn't know when Mami will reveal the lie, it is surely better to say that they are "braking up". Chizuru just replied, "SURE. NO PROBLEM.", as she looked down.
Chizuru has rejected Kazuya. It's no wonder that his feelings are leaving her at any moment. Besides, because of her, the most important person in the world now is deeply hurt. Would Chizuru be able to endure this situation? I'm sure she wouldn't want that to happen.
The rental relationship with Kazuya, the false lover relationship that was supposed to be true one day. Now that she has lost that, what Chizuru must do is clear. It is to clear up Kazuya's misunderstanding, keep his feelings connected to her, and build a "normal" lover relationship. This would have been clear in Chizuru's mind.
The languid look on her face when she arrives at the pool, thinking seriously about something, may be a face that has already made that decision. The end of the relationship between the rental girlfriend and the client. It is the start of a new relationship. It is the start of a real lover relationship.
Mami's "All Set" Way of Ending It
In chapter 219, at the end, Kazuya in the future (probably after he and Chizuru are together) tells us that his renkano (girlfriend-renting) life will end in two hours.
It's important to note that the end of renkano life itself is a decision, regardless of Kazuya's prior notice. This is because Chizuru and Kazuya have decided to "break up" after this trip.
What his notice explains is that the rental relationship between them will be suddenly and forcibly ended by someone in two hours. And it probably means that Kazuya and Chizuru will not be able to just "break up". In other words, there is a very good chance that the two of them will be exposed as liar.
Being found out to have lied is not the same as being "broken up". Chizuru will have to "break up" with Kazuya, but that won't be seen as they were lying. To the people around them, they just broke up. They won't even know that Chizuru is a rental girlfriend. So, it's better to pretend that they "broke up" by themselves than to have Mami expose the lie. However, there is a high possibility that the lie that Chizuru protected, even though she hurt Kazuya, will be exposed by someone else.
So who is going to expose it? Of all the people at the Hawaiians, there is only one person who has the intention to end the Renkano relationship. Mami is the only one. Chizuru and Kazuya have promised to pretend to be lovers until they reach Tokyo. There's no way they're going to reveal it on their own. If Ruka were to reveal that the relationship between Chizuru and Kazuya was a lie, not only would she not be able to become his real girlfriend, but she would also lose her position as a trial girlfriend. There was no way she could do that. Kuribayashi knows about Chizuru and Kazuya's rental relationship, but unless someone is manipulating him behind his back, there is no way he would reveal the lie regardless of Kazuya and Chizuru's will. Kibe and Nagomi know nothing about the false lovers' relationship.
The only person who could possibly try to force Kazuya and Chizuru to end their Renkano life against their will is Mami. So there is a very high possibility that Mami's plan will force the end of Renkano life.
When Chizuru pleads with Mami, she says, "FINE," and leaves. At first glance, it looks as if Mami has listened to Chizuru's plea and stopped revealing the lie. However, there is little chance of that happening.
◆I DIDN'T ASK FOR YOUR OPINION. (214)
For Mami, ending the rental relationship between them is a decision. Ever since she approached Chizuru with her proposal at Mr. Donut (Chapter 183), she's been pretending to be on her side and discussing it with her, but in reality, she's been trying to use the "lie" as a hostage to get Chizuru to do what she wants.
◆IN AND OF ITSELF, A LIE IS EVEL. EVEN FROM YOU.
Mami must think that what she's doing is 100% right. The rental girlfriend and the client are breaking the rules of the office and the terms of service, and they're carrying on a false lover relationship (to be exact, she's just justifying her actions out of jealousy with the rightness of it). Even when Chizuru contradicted her, she unilaterally labeled Chizuru as "evil" and did not allow her to argue with her. Mami has no intention of changing her mind. On top of that, her frustration with Chizuru's unwillingness to act as she wished must have grown. There is no way that such a Mami would accept Chizuru's selfish excuses ([ch 217] What Does the "Lie" Mean to Chizuru).
◆FINE. (219)
FINE
IF YOU'RE GOING TO BEG LIKE THAT... WHAT CAN I DO?
It doesn't matter how much I talk with you. You are stubbornly unwilling to confess your lie to Nagomi. Then I'll end it all my way. Don't complain no matter what the outcome is. It's all your fault. That's what Mami meant when she said, "FINE".
Chizuru must be aware of Mami's true intentions. Up until now, Chizuru has been held hostage by her lies and manipulated to do what Mami wants. Her objections were unilaterally judged as evil and she was not even allowed to discuss them. Yet, Mami-san suddenly said, "FINE," and listened to her opinion. It was obvious that Mami's actions were inconsistent. So Chizuru looked surprised, "HUH?". Mami-san might be pretending that she has no intention of exposing the lie, but behind the scenes, she might be planning to do something. No wonder Chizuru is so afraid. That must have been the reason why she decided to accept the "breakup" with Kazuya.
So how does Mami plan to end the rental relationship between Chizuru and Kazuya?
Mami has two pieces of information that can end the rental relationship. One is that Chizuru is a rental girlfriend and that she and Kazuya have been lying all along. The other is that Kazuya has a real (albeit trial) girlfriend.
It would be easy to just leak these information to Nagomi and Kibe and let them expose the lie using that as a clue. Mami will never be the bad person. It's because what she's doing is right from a third party's point of view. I knew I couldn't stand to watch them lie and play the lover. It was hard for me to keep the lie quiet because I felt guilty. I feel too sorry for Kazu-kun's real girlfriend. you will probably be perceived as a "nice girl" with a sense of justice. Well, of course, I think Mami would do things in a way that would be less critical.
So far, Mami has been trying to get Chizuru to reveal the lie to Nagomi. That was the plan A. Perhaps she was mocking Chizuru as she was slowly being pushed into a corner, and enjoying watching her suffer as if it were a game. But Chizuru didn't act the way she wanted, and she got tired of that game. Mami is probably going to implement Plan B, which she called "all set", and end it herself (Mami tweeted in chapter 196 that she was "all set").
The Relationship with Ruka
And what I'm wondering about is her relationship with Ruka. Maybe Mami is incorporating Ruka as one of her cards in her plan.
◆WHAT IF I SAID YOU COULD BE HIS REAL GIRLFRIEND? (199)
Mami tells Ruka about her thoughts (that she thinks Kazuya and Chizuru's rental relationship is wrong) (Chapter 200). If she does that in a situation where Ruka doesn't know how she feels about their relationship, she risks being alerted that she's an enemy. She took that risk and contacted Ruka. She said, "I might be able to make you his real girlfriend." There must be some definite purpose to that action.
◆Mami says it's wrong for Kazuya and Chizuru to continue their false lover relationship. (200)
So far, its purpose is unknown. But what if this was an act to get Ruka on her side and use her as her own card?
◆DOES THIS MEAN... YOU'RE GONNA SPILL EVERYTHING!? TO GRANDMA NAGOMI!? (200)
In fact, Ruka felt a strong sense of danger from Mami's words. If something like that were to happen, not only wouldn't she be able to be his real girlfriend, but also she would even lose her position as a trial girlfriend ([ch 199] Ruka Can't Get out of the "Trial"). So she talked to Grandma Nagomi and tried to find out if she could be Kazuya's girlfriend (Chapter 204) ([ch 204] Ruka Was Cornered And...!?).
◆I'M NO MUCH FOR HER... IT'S ALMOST AS IF... SHE'S HER REAL DAUGHTER... (204)
However, Nagomi's love for Chizuru was very great.
Mami might be planning to reveal that the relationship between Chizuru and Kazuya is a lie. If she did, I wouldn't be able to be Kazuya's real girlfriend. I would be treated as his friend. I would just lose the material to blackmail the two of them and lose her position as a trial girlfriend. Ruka is now feeling the painful reality again. She wants to cling to even the smallest possibility. At such a time, when Mami offers her a chance, it's not surprising that she goes to grab it.
◆I WANT TO ASK YOU... ONE MORE THING!
What if her last question to Grandma Nagomi was, "What kind of person is Mami?" Ruka herself may be trying to find an opportunity in Mami. The next shocking development might be the contact between Mami and Ruka.
So that's how I looked back at chapter 219. Chizuru hardly says anything in this chapter. She just listens to what Kazuya has to say. It was a little difficult for me to read what she was feeling at that moment. For the first time in a long time, I had to carefully sort out the relationship between Kazuya and Chizuru, and look at the current events through Chizuru's eyes to grasp the flow of her feelings.
I'm really looking forward to seeing how Mami is going to break it down and what Chizuru and Kazuya will feel when she does.
See you in the next post!