Rent-a-Girlfriend Season 3 Episode 3: Expert and Girlfriend

Kazuya Kinoshita introduces Chizuru Mizuhara to his family as his girlfriend, a desperate performance of normalcy. His parents and Nagomi Kinoshita, his grandmother, react with overwhelming joy and excitement. Chizuru, ever the professional, maintains a perfect, polite facade, convincing everyone of her sincerity. This moment is the high-water mark of their elaborate year-and-a-half-long fabrication. The tension is palpable beneath the forced smiles.

Mami Nanami, observing from a distance, holds her phone displaying Chizuru's rental profile. She engineers a calculated move, 'accidentally' dropping her phone before Nagomi. As Nagomi retrieves it, Chizuru's image appears, starkly labeled as a 'rental girlfriend.' Kazuya and Chizuru freeze, the blood draining from their faces as the secret bursts into the open.

Nagomi Kinoshita's trembling voice asks what a 'Rental Girlfriend' is, her confusion a prelude to dawning horror. Kazuya's parents, Kazuo Kinoshita and Harumi Kinoshita, join her, piecing together the grim reality of rental rates and services. Kazuo then reveals he saw Kazuya giving Chizuru an envelope of money before, solidifying the lie's financial nature. Kazuya's internal panic is visible, sweat beading on his face, as he desperately tries to conceive a way to shield Chizuru.

Mami Nanami seizes control, dropping to her knees in a display of feigned sorrow. She fabricates a tale of knowing the truth and trying to dissuade Chizuru. Mami paints Chizuru as a calculating professional, portraying her as unwilling to stop because it was 'her job.' Chizuru is horrified by these blatant lies, but finds herself unable to speak, trapped by the desire not to worsen Kazuya's family's pain.

Mami Nanami then delivers the ultimate blow, revealing Kazuya gave Chizuru Nagomi's cherished heirloom ring. This news hits Nagomi with physical force, her hand clutching her chest in evident agony. The family and friends look on with disgust, appalled at the use of such a sentimental item in a paid transaction. Chizuru's internal guilt becomes overwhelming, understanding the profound damage this lie has inflicted upon a woman who genuinely loved her.

A flashback transports us to a warmer time, showing Nagomi Kinoshita visiting Chizuru's grandmother, Sayuri Ichinose, in the hospital. They share tea, their conversation filled with hopeful dreams for the young couple, even extending to future great-grandchildren. Sayuri expresses her deep trust in Kazuya, believing he would protect Chizuru. This memory starkly contrasts with the present, emphasizing the tragic loss of a future that was never real.

Returning to the present, Kibe Yoshiaki is visibly shaking, a mix of fury and profound sadness warring on his face. Nagomi Kinoshita has become eerily silent, her spirit seemingly broken, her usual vibrant presence gone. Kazuya Kinoshita tries to speak, but shame chokes him, unable to meet Kibe's intense gaze. Kibe finally breaks, punching Kazuya in the face, knocking him to the ground. He shouts about Nagomi's recent hospitalization due to stress over Kazuya's future, berating him for his selfishness. Kazuya doesn't resist, accepting the blow and the harsh words as just punishment.

Nagomi Kinoshita slowly rises, her expression vacant, her eyes devoid of their usual warmth. She quietly states she is "a bit tired" and begins to walk away from the group. She passes Chizuru Mizuhara without a glance, effectively erasing her presence. Chizuru, now openly weeping, watches the woman she admired walk away, her disappointment a heavy burden. In the background, Mami Nanami briefly allows a sinister, triumphant smirk to cross her face, savoring her destructive success.

Kazuya Kinoshita remains on the ground, a profound realization settling upon him: Chizuru Mizuhara is a good person who was only trying to help him. He determines he must take sole responsibility for the entire situation, even if it means severing ties with his family. He watches Chizuru's grieving back, his resolve hardening to face whatever consequences come next. The screen fades to white, signifying the end of their elaborate, artificial romance.

The episode concludes with Kazuya Kinoshita's somber narration, calling this the "worst climax" imaginable. He acknowledges the utter destruction of trust and the deep pain he has caused those closest to him. A final, fleeting shot shows Chizuru Mizuhara looking down, her expression a complex mixture of sadness and regret. This brief epilogue leaves a chilling sense of dread, the future for Kazuya and his fractured family utterly uncertain.