HeartBeats - Ruka Sarashina (Kanojo, Okarishimasu)

It was a tiring day, I couldn't think or do anything, I could have just rested, but that's not what I did. I looked at my phone, and it was 5:42 in the morning, I literally woke up early. The sun had barely risen, and my phone was already vibrating non-stop.

If I were a child, I would think that staying up all night would be awesome, but when you're an adult, it means you have insomnia, I've never told anyone in my family this, but I have some old memories that are very hazy.

I never said this so as not to worry anyone, but it doesn't seem like amnesia. Still looking at my phone, I saw a message from Ruka. - "Ruka-chan: Are you still awake?" - Apparently she hadn't slept either. Ruka was sending message after message, as if the night before hadn't been enough for her to express everything she felt.

Each notification made my stomach turn. It wasn't just the avalanche of messages that bothered me, but what they represented. I opened my phone and looked at our previous messages, they were:

"Ruka-chan: Good night ♥️. 2:15"

"Good night, Sarashina-san. 2:18"

"Ruka-chan: Sweet dreams♥️ 3:18"

"You too. 3:27"

"Ruka-chan: Go to sleep soon, okay♥️. 4:35"

"Okay. 4:45"

"...I'm done... What's this...." - Ruka offered me a deal. I ended up agreeing with Ruka to date temporarily. And the icy cold of winter began to arrive... The feeling of being trapped in a corner tightened my chest, and I wondered if I had made the right choice in agreeing to that "test".

I looked at my phone, hesitating before opening the messages again. I knew that, regardless of the content, I would need to deal with them. I sighed and began to get ready for college, trying to push away the thoughts that were tormenting me.

I walked to the closet, looking for something to wear. I grabbed a black t-shirt and dark jeans, simple but comfortable clothes. As I got dressed, my mind continued to swirl around Ruka. She was intense, and her persistence was suffocating. Part of me felt a pang of guilt for not being able to reciprocate what she seemed to feel so easily. But the other part, the one that knew the risks, kept me on guard.

I went to the mirror and ran my hand through my hair, arranging it so that it looked a little more presentable. The scar on the corner of my chin caught my attention again, a constant reminder of my failure. - "Is this 'test' just another fight?" - I thought, adjusting the collar of my shirt.

When I finished getting ready, I looked at my phone again. More messages from Ruka. I took a deep breath and finally decided to open one of them. Her words were a mix of excitement and anxiety, as if she was living in a different world, where everything was about the two of us and nothing else mattered. - "Ryo, good morning! Are you already thinking about our date? I'm so excited! 6:02"

For a moment, I wanted to respond with the same excitement, but the fear of what could happen if things went wrong held me back. I was trapped in a dangerous game, and I knew I would need to be careful with every move.

After I finally got ready, I left my apartment, went downstairs and headed to the university. I didn't have much to think about during the walk, but when I put my brain to work, I always remembered yesterday's events.

It all seemed so real. I don't know if I'm hallucinating, but I can't lose focus now! I approached the university, I started to see other students, some familiar, others not.

When I least expected it, a figure wearing blue bows on her head appeared in front of me. - "Surprise!"

My heart almost stopped. Instinctively, I took two steps back, as if I had encountered a wild animal. - "S-Sarashina-san?! What are you doing here?!"

Ruka adjusted her bows. - "It's just that you haven't answered me yet, so I decided to show up."

I started looking around to see if people were starting to notice the situation I had gotten myself into. Luckily, no one was really paying much attention. - "What's up, Ryo-chan?" - Ruka said with a pout.

"Come here, quickly!" - I grabbed Ruka's hand and dragged her away from there.

"W-Wait!" - Ruka blushed heavily as I held her hand. Her hand was small and soft, for a moment, I felt her hand intertwining with my fingers. I couldn't help but blush slightly too.

At that moment, I wanted to take Ruka to a place away from many people, so we could talk about our unexpected "encounters". We arrived at a place that was a little busy, my heart stopped racing and I turned to look at her.

"W-What happened? Did I do something wrong?" - Ruka said a little sadly.

"Sarashina-san... You showing up here could bring trouble, not just for me, but for my sister too, she studies at the same university as me." - I said as I leaned on a stool.

She snorted. - "I know... But we can't keep hiding this forever. And I already told you, I'm not going to say anything else about this rental girlfriend thing..." - Ruka said crossing her arms.

Before I could speak, Ruka continued. - "But I understand you. I was the one who said we could do a test... Ryo-chan, I don't want to put you in any awkward situations, so I won't come anymore." - she said seriously as she looked me deep in the eyes.

This surprised me, despite her somewhat "childish" personality, Ruka is quite mature when she wants to be. I felt relieved and felt that I could trust her words.

But she pulled me off the stool, grabbing my arm and intertwining her body with mine. - "But changing the subject, Ryo-chan. Now, on Saturday, would you like to watch a movie? It's a romance called Clouds of Love. Christmas time is coming... It's in the cold that couples get closer!"

I couldn't say no, after all, I agreed to take this test. It was inevitable, after Ruka released me from her embrace, I agreed to go out with her that Sunday, since it was Christmas day.

A day later, Saturday morning, I was walking alone. It was Christmas Eve, people were out and about with their families. Men going out with their wives. Mothers going out with their children. While I was alone on this fateful day.

As I walked down the sidewalk, I saw a girl with white hair and dark skin. The girl was wearing a red scarf and a beige jacket. It was my sister, Aiko.

I was going to get her attention, but she ran and crossed the crosswalk without noticing my presence. - "Why is she in such a hurry?" - I said to myself.

I saw Aiko crossing the street and meeting a guy with a very stylish outfit. The guy had equally white hair, wore a beret and a blue jacket and brown jeans.

The guy had equally white hair, wore a beret and a blue jacket and brown jeans

I looked confused at the whole situation, but it didn't take long for me to connect the dots. Aiko was a girlfriend for hire, so it was understandable to think that it was her job... But was that really the case?

That man's appearance wasn't ugly, far from it to tell the truth, how could a man like that ask for a rental girlfriend? Either humanity is lost or worse, he was something more to my sister. - "Don't tell me that.... Well, since that Kenji, it's understandable that she wants to have relationships with other people to forget about him."

I turned around to leave. - "Well, that's not my problem..." - but something hit deep in my heart. This feeling was worrying. Was he someone trustworthy? A good guy? Friendly? All my older brother warnings went off in my mind.

"I think... I better investigate." - I decided I would follow them, but before I could even act, I felt someone grab my shoulder.

"What a coincidence to find you here, Ryo-chan!" - I looked to the side and the first thing I saw were two pairs of blue bows, it was Ruka.

"S-Sarashina-san!! What are you doing here?" - I said, surprised by her sudden appearance.

Ruka tried to hide it while blushing. - "W-Well... I... I was just passing by!" - said the girl with the blue bows, hiding something behind her back. I looked a little to the side to see that she had a bag, but I didn't ask.

I saw that Aiko and her suitor had left, I had almost lost sight of them. They went to the movies. I looked at Ruka and an idea came to me.

"Sarashina-san, since we're here, why don't we go enjoy something together?" - I said, smiling at her.

Ruka looked happy. - "I-Is that so?! Geez, I didn't even dress appropriately." - The girl was wearing a blue wool tank top and shorts.

I smiled. - "It's okay! I didn't dress appropriately either, but it'll be fun." - I said, holding her hand.

"W-Wait! Where are we going?!" - Ruka said.

"Let's go to the movies!" - That day, as Ruka and I walked towards the cinema, I felt strangely out of place, but I needed to find out the truth.

In the distance, I saw Aiko and the boy entering a session of the movie called "Clouds of Love", the movie that Ruka wanted to watch, according to her, was very popular and was "perfect for couples". However, despite her expectations, my mind was somewhere else.

"That's the movie you wanted to watch, isn't it?" - I said while still holding her sweetly.

"Huh... Yeah... I-I'm glad you remembered that." - Ruka said extremely red. As we approached the movie theater, I watched Ruka next to me.

She was beaming, excited about the idea of us spending time together. But for me, each step felt heavier. I was trying my best to understand what she was really feeling, but things remained hazy.

We entered the movie theater, I tried to find them both, but the room darkened as the lights went out. We sat in the last seats, so I could have a good view of the room. Ruka moved, holding my arm casually, but I felt a tension building inside me. The idea of being there, sharing such an intimate moment, left me more confused than ever.

The movie started, and the love scenes unfolded on the screen. Couples facing difficulties, overcoming obstacles, finding in each other the support and understanding that I so desperately needed. Ruka was absorbed in the movie, but I wondered if I could see myself in any situation.

The characters emotions seemed intense and, unlike me, they simply understood exactly what they felt. I looked at Ruka, who was watching the screen with a slight smile, completely involved in the plot. - 'Will you ever be able to understand my feelings like that?' - I thought.

My mind continued to work, trying to make sense of what I really felt for her. There was a certain attraction, maybe even a desire for us to get involved, but there was also a latent fear, a constant worry about the consequences of getting involved. I wanted to be honest with her, but how could I be honest if I didn't know what was going on inside me?

The movie progressed, and I was stuck in an endless cycle of thoughts. Ruka, however, seemed to be enjoying herself, and I wanted that to be enough for me too. But the truth was that, no matter how hard I tried, my feelings didn't fit into a simple mold. And I knew that eventually I would have to confront them head on, with or without the help of "Clouds of Love".

During a quieter scene in the movie, Ruka turned towards me and looked at me intently. I noticed she was looking at the scar on the corner of my chin. Without thinking much, she asked in a whisper: "Ryo-chan, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, you can." - I said unpretentiously.

"How did you get that scar?" - Her words hit me like a shock. It wasn't something I liked to talk about, especially during a moment that was supposed to be light and relaxed.

I felt a wave of discomfort run up my spine, and my expression hardened instantly. - "... It's quite rude to ask something like that..." - I replied, my voice coming out colder than I intended.

I knew my reaction wasn't fair, but the question stirred something deep inside, something I preferred to keep buried. Ruka was visibly shaken by my answer.

Her eyes quickly looked away, and she bit her lower lip, clearly regretting having asked the question. Even so, she tried to hide it, forcing a smile that didn't reach her eyes. - "Oh, okay, s-sorry... I was just curious..." - she mumbled, before standing up abruptly.

"I'm going to the bathroom, I'll be right back!" - she said, leaving the movie theater without looking back.

As I watched her walk away, a weight settled on my chest. I knew I had been harsh with her, and guilt began to consume me. I tried to focus on the movie, but all I could think about was how I had ruined the moment between us. Ruka didn't deserve this, but the right words eluded me.

When I closed my eyes, the whispers and whispers of the people in the theater stopped. When I opened my eyes, I saw that I was alone in the theater, but there was someone sitting next to me.

"This movie is a classic... Actually, I'm referring to another version of it." - an unknown voice hovered next to me.

I looked to the side and saw a boy. - "W-Who are you?!"

"That doesn't matter now... But, what about it... Do you like movies?" - the boy wore a sailor outfit, his hair was short, but he had no eyes.

I looked everywhere for Prelest. - 'Prelest isn't here... I'm in danger' - He was taking care of Ruka.

I had no way of knowing if the creature was docile or not, so I got up from the chair and prepared to fight.

"W-Wait! I don't want to attack you!" - the boy said, gesturing frantically.

I still didn't trust him. - "And how am I supposed to believe that?!"

"Seriously, I saw that you were having a little problem with your wife and I decided to help!" - the boy said

I hesitated. - "You talk like you help people here at the movies..."

The boy snorted. - "But I help people. But then they forget about me."

"What? What do you mean?" - I asked.

"Every time a cursed spirit comes into contact with the earthly world, what you are seeing now happens." - said the spirit.

"I see... So that's what's been happening."

"So you remember things, interesting." - said the boy.

This raised a doubt. - "Is this so unusual?"

"Not really, it's not the first time this has happened." - the spirit stood up. - "But you still haven't answered my question."

"Hm, I like it... But I haven't been watching many movies lately." - I looked away.

The spirit started to babble. - "I understand, movies give us the feelings we need to move on with our lives, this movie is cool, but the previous version is more interesting."

"I didn't know that..."

"In the original movie, the male protagonist wasn't that direct... He was just like you. At first, he was indecisive about his feelings, but as the story progressed, he ended up changing and becoming more active. While the female protagonist has been the opposite, she was outgoing and bold, but she gradually closed herself off... It's kind of tragic, isn't it?" - said the supernatural boy.

I was a little scared. - "Geez... I hope this isn't some premonition or something. But is that what you came to talk to me about?"

His expression changed. - "Actually, I came to give you a warning."

"Warning? What warning?" - I trembled.

"If any spirit finds out that you remember the spirit world... It will be a big problem." - the spirit said.

I couldn't help but get nervous with that answer. - "Okay... Thanks for the warning."

"Well, that's all I have to say, good luck with your date." - the spirit said after disappearing.

When I blinked, the murmurs and whispers returned. I saw Ruka arriving, nervousness began to consume me. She sat down next to me, but she was too quiet.

I prepared myself enough to start talking. - "Sarashina-san... I'm sorry for talking to you like that.... I'm just not ready to talk about it yet... I hope you can understand."

"Oh, it's okay, Ryo... It was my fault for saying something so intimate like that." - she said, still with her head down.

My heart was beating fast, and my mind was racing. "Why is this so hard?" I asked myself, trying to gather courage. Around me, other couples in the theater seemed to be so comfortable, holding hands or even hugging, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. While I seemed to be screwing everything up.

I looked at Ruka, who didn't seem to be paying attention to the movie. She seemed so calm, so comfortable with me, but now she wasn't like that, I should be making her feel safe. Was she waiting for me to take this step? The idea of disappointing her or seeming distant bothered me, and that only increased the pressure on me.

I took a deep breath, and slowly moved my hand towards her, trying to look casual. My palm began to sweat slightly, and for a moment, I hesitated, feeling the tension growing. -'Just hold her hand...' - I thought.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, my hand met hers. The soft touch of her skin made me hold my breath for a second. Ruka turned her face towards me, her eyes meeting mine, and for a moment, the world around us seemed to stop.

She was staring into my eyes, squeezing my hand gently, as if she were encouraging me. And despite all the confusion inside me, something in that gesture brought me a little peace. I still didn't have all the answers, but in that moment, I felt like I had done the right thing.

The movie continued, but now, with her hand in mine, things seemed a little clearer, a little easier to deal with. Maybe, little by little, I was starting to understand what I was really feeling. - "I was an idiot... I needed to be rude like that."

We both fell silent, but we were in harmony now. Enjoying the little moments of that weird movie. The moment was so good, that I ended up forgetting why I was here in the first place.

The movie had already ended and we started to leave the theater. - "It's kind of impressive how the movie ended with a police mystery... I feel like that wasn't part of the original movie." - I said, extremely confused about the movie.

"Yes... And who was the culprit in the end?" - Ruka said, equally confused.

While we were talking, I found Aiko walking with the well-groomed boy. She seemed happy, so that's when I realized something. That I had seen enough.

I watched the two disappear into the crowd, in the end, I was more worried about myself than Aiko after all. I turned to Ruka and said: "Sarashina-san, I need to go to the bathroom. Wait for me here." - I said, smiling at her.

She smiled back. - "Okay!"

The bathroom wasn't too far from there, I quickly found the bathroom and did what I had to do. After finishing my basic needs, I went to the sink to wash my hands.

While I was washing my hands, some thoughts were floating around in my mind. - 'It's obvious that she had a boyfriend even with a job like that... It's not because I had a terrible relationship in the past that my sister would have one too... I'm just an idiot for thinking that...' - that's what I thought.

I heard footsteps approaching me in the bathroom, a boy seemed to be just looking at the mirror. When I turned around, I was startled. It was the well-groomed boy who was going out with my sister. I quickly pretended that I wasn't looking at him.

After looking at himself in the mirror, the boy took out his cell phone and decided to call someone. - "Hi, it's me. It's about that subject..."

I just listened to the phone call.

"Exactly... that's right, but this is really good."

"It's about the girl, right... She's with me now."

That awakened something in me... He was talking about my sister.

"Yes... That girl is extremely beautiful. Inside and out."

'What's it like? Inside?' - I thought.

'I'm telling you, it's going to work out great. Anyone who sees it will understand.'

'What does this guy think he's going to do?!' - anger began to consume me.

'I'm going to check the measurements and then I'll tell you.'

'Measurements?! This has nothing to do with rent... If he thinks he's going to mess with my sister, he'll see!'

'We'll keep talking... See you soon!' - he hung up the call and headed towards the bathroom exit.

And that's it... He was planning to do something with Aiko. I obviously wasn't going to let this go unpunished. I quickly left the bathroom and went to Ruka.

"SARASHINA-SAN!" - I ended up speaking really loudly and that scared her.

"W-What's wrong, Ryo-chan?!" - she said.

"I know you're going to be really mad at me.... But I only agreed to go on this date with you today because.... Because..." - I couldn't speak.

"Why?" - She repeated.

"Because I feel like my sister is in danger!" - I said, very nervous.

Ruka seemed confused, but seemed to understand the situation. - "In danger? How?"

"Before I met you on the street, I had seen my sister leaving with a guy I've never seen in my life... I know it's really weird to stalk someone, especially my sister. But I felt something strange coming from him. And that's why I decided to follow them." - I said frantically.

"Okay... So they were at the movies?!" - She said, still trying to understand.

"Yes, but in the end I thought it was just a lie in my head, until when I went to the bathroom, I saw this guy talking to someone on his cell phone. They were very strange and suspicious conversations! I feel like he wants to do something bad to my sister!" - I said, almost out of breath.

"Okay... Have a drink." - She said, handing me a bottle of water. - "Well, if that was just now, they're not too far from here."

"You're not mad at me?" - I said, somewhat impressed, after drinking some water.

"Look... I'd be mad if it was for a stupid reason, but since it's my sister-in-law we're talking about, that changes the situation." - She holds my hand. - "Let's help Aiko-chan!" - She said as she led me to the exit.

We ran hand in hand. It was already night and the Christmas decorations had already started to appear throughout the city. From afar, Ruka pointed me in the right direction, they were walking towards the square.

My heart was beating too fast, but I felt like I had it under control, that little guy didn't look like he knew how to fight or anything like that, no, that wouldn't be the problem. As we approached the square, I saw that the two of them were looking at the huge, shiny Christmas tree in the middle of the square.

I saw that the little guy was very close to it, too close. He was actually almost kissing her. That made me angry. I saw that there was no time to go down the stairs, so I let go of Ruka's hand, grabbed her from behind, put her on my lap like a princess and jumped from there to the terrace.

Obviously I ended up drawing the attention of everyone who was there, but Ruka and I were too focused to think about the others at the moment. That caught the attention of the two in front of us.

"B-Bro?! Ruka?! What are you doing here?!" - Aiko said, quite surprised.

"We're here to avoid the worst!" - Ruka said with a serious expression on her face.

"You weren't going to let him kiss you, were you?" - I said while looking at him angrily.

"Uh?! What do you mean kiss?! He was just adjusting my earring!" - Aiko said, apparently nervous. It's understandable since she probably didn't know about the conversation I overheard in the bathroom.

"It doesn't matter! But this guy wants to get you into trouble!" - I said, pointing to the guy who was dressed up.

"Aiko-san, do you know these two?" - The guy said, clearly confused by the whole situation.

"He's my brother, Ryo. And this is his girlfriend....  Little bro, I'm an actress." - Aiko said.

That sentence made me think. I was her brother, but I didn't know anything about her dreams and ambitions... In fact, I never cared about wanting to know about those things. - "A-Actress?!"

"But I'm still starting my career... I only do this job to make some money." - Aiko said as she looked at the dark sky.

'That explains a lot.' - I thought.

"Umi is taking the same course as me... He's also an actor." - Aiko said a little embarrassed.

"N-no... S-so that phone call in the bathroom..." - I was also embarrassed.

"Ah, you heard that too. I was just recommending Aiko to see if she'd work for a director I know." - said the well-dressed man, having fun with the awkward situation.

I was dying inside, all of this was for nothing! - "I'm glad it was all a misunderstanding." - he said as he laughed a little.

A few minutes later...

It's obvious that Aiko scolded me about what happened today while Ruka tried to comfort me. She left huffing in anger, but she was right. Now only Ruka and I were in the square.

"I'm sorry again, Sarashina-san... Today was a terrible day, wasn't it?..." - she said with her head down, I looked down avoiding Ruka's gaze.

"Ryo..." - She hugged me. - "Today was really fun, to tell you the truth." - she said while laughing a lot.

"Seriously?! But Sarashina-san." - I was interrupted by a quick kiss. Her soft lips intertwined with mine. I froze, since this time, it was she who took the initiative. After we separated from the quick kiss, I looked at her confused, blushing, but confused.

"Why don't you just call me Ruka?" - she was equally red.

"A-are you sure?" - I asked while blushing heavily.

"I do! I had fun, you made me feel safe today, and you carried me in your arms. You're really strong, aren't you, Ryo-chan?!" - she said while smiling at me.

"You... Are really amazing, Sarash-...Ruka..." - I said without thinking.

Ruka blushed deeply when she heard that.

End of chapter 4