Sumi, the heroine of "Rent-a-Girlfriend," is particularly shy. She has distinctive thick eyebrows and even more of a younger sister-like quality than Ruka. She's extremely shy, to the point where she can barely hold a conversation... Why would a girl with such a personality decide to become a rental girlfriend? This time, we'll introduce you to this incredibly shy Sumi!
Sumi first appeared in Volume 5 of the manga
Sumi first appeared towards the end of Volume 5 of the manga. One day, Kazuya receives a letter from Chizuru. He heads to the balcony at night, excited, to find her asking for advice: "There's a girl I'd like you to rent." The girl in question is Sumi Sakurazawa, whom Kazuya will introduce today. Armed with only her name and a piece of paper with the meeting place and time written on it, Kazuya sets out on his first date with Sumi as a "practice partner."
Sumi, the Problematic Girl in Ren Kano
Sumi is a junior at Ren Kano who just started working for Chizuru, but she's such a problematic girl that even Diamond (the Ren Kano company) has a hard time dealing with her. Chizuru had told Kazuya that Sumi was so shy that she would even get complaints from customers. When it was time for them to meet, she didn't show up... Kazuya wondered if she was late and looked around, only to see a girl trembling in the shadows of a pillar. When their eyes met, she came running towards Kazuya, but when Kazuya asked, "Are you Sumi?" she stammered and didn't even give a proper greeting. Seeing her continue to fidget afterwards, Kazuya thought, "I can tell she's socially awkward within 30 seconds of meeting her." However, Kazuya's first impression of her was that she was "an absolutely beautiful girl, both in looks and voice."
Sumi's fake smile is hopeless
"Think of it as a wall you can bounce off of and relax," Kazuya said as they began their date, but even as they started eating and talking, she remained silent from start to finish... So Kazuya suggested that Sumi "practice smiling," a flawed smile that's considered essential for a rental girlfriend. Sumi slapped her face, took a deep breath, and prepared herself as if she were about to do something big... The result was this indescribable smile. Kazuya couldn't help but exclaim, "You're terrible!!" and Sumi was dejected for a while. Seeing her like that, even Kazuya couldn't help but think she was an "unsuitable rental girlfriend."
Why Sumi-chan Started Renting a Girlfriend
Sumi-chan is socially awkward, stage frightened, barely able to communicate, and not good at smiling... Kazuya even thought she was an "unsuitable rental girlfriend." Kazuya thought she was clearly not suited to being a rental girlfriend, so he asked her, "Why are you doing it?" She gestured frantically, desperately trying to communicate something. From her gestures, Kazuya realized she was tired of not being able to speak and was looking for a drastic solution to change herself. While feeling a deep respect for Chizuru for not abandoning Sumi-chan despite her personality, Kazuya goes to buy some juice and returns to find Sumi-chan being harassed by some rough-looking men...
Will Kazuya's help bring things forward?
When Kazuya finds Sumi-chan being harassed, he is initially frightened by the three delinquents and hides, but then remembers his promise to Chizuru and rescues Sumi-chan from the scene. As he takes Sumi-chan's hand and leaves, the men start verbally abusing him. Kazuya doesn't seem too bothered, but Sumi-chan is concerned and apologizes to Kazuya. When she finally spoke, she apologized, saying, "No need to apologize," and Kazuya laughed it off. Sumi silently shook Kazuya's hand and smiled naturally for the first time that day.
Sumi is shy, but she's also a hard worker.
Sumi is shy and not good at talking, but that doesn't mean she's unmotivated with her rental girlfriend; in fact, she's the type to be quite aggressive. When Kazuya tells her, "I thought exercise would help me relieve tension," she tries everything she can, from bowling to golf, soccer, rodeo, and, best of all, roller skating. However, she seems completely unfit for sports, failing every challenge. Seeing her surprisingly stubborn side, Kazuya thinks, "She must be a good girl at heart..."
Sumi-chan is shy, but doesn't mind indirect kisses
After bowling, Sumi-chan and Kazuya decide to buy and eat soft-serve ice cream together. Without a word, Sumi-chan hands the ice cream to Kazuya. When Kazuya asked, "Can I eat it?" Sumi nodded enthusiastically. Her face was bright red and she was forcing herself, but when Kazuya took a bite and said it was delicious, she smiled happily. After that, when she saw Kazuya lick the soft serve ice cream without any hesitation, Kazuya was the one who blushed, realizing that they had just kissed. She probably doesn't realize it, and would probably explode if she were to be told about the indirect kiss (lol).
Sumi-chan shows her professional spirit in an unexpected place
While Kazuya and Sumi-chan are on a date, Kazuya's ex-girlfriend Asami unexpectedly shows up. Kazuya, who introduces Chizuru as his "girlfriend," is flustered by this situation. Kazuya tries to somehow cover it up by saying she's a friend or classmate, but for some reason, Sumi-chan's professional spirit is ignited. Though she doesn't say a word, Sumi clings to Kazuya's arm and makes herself known to Asami. She then places her hands, clasped together as a couple, on the table to further appeal to him.
Sumi's first loud cry
As Kazuya and Sumi end their date, she tries to quietly say "thank you" as they part ways. Asami offers words of encouragement, saying, "Don't be so hasty," and "A kind girl can't be a bad rental girlfriend." After a brief silence, Kazuya turns away, and then, louder than ever, she yells, "Kazuya! See you later!" Kazuya is surprised by how loud she can be, and can't help but think, "Maybe I should rent her." She's a terrifying girl.
Daily Routine: Sumi-chan's Day
Curious about what kind of daily life Sumi-chan leads, we looked into it and found that she leads a rather unusual life. First, she wakes up at 4 a.m. before sunrise (no alarm). After changing into her pajamas and brushing her teeth, she starts practicing calligraphy first thing in the morning, throwing everything she's written in the trash. She must be really into calligraphy, as she walks her dog, Suzuri, and after returning home, she showers and heads off to university. She loves Japanese history and has an IQ of 65. She apparently works as a rental girlfriend about twice a week.
Sumi-chan is slowly changing
Until now, Sumi-chan has been quiet and shy, often drawing complaints, but after her date with Kazuya, we begin to see a gradual change. While she's still just as shy and unable to converse as before, she's clearly showing progress, as she bravely squeezes his pinky finger on the way home and smiles and waves goodbye. Sumi owes it all to Kazuya... She harbors some special feelings for him. One day, she sees Kazuya desperately encouraging Chizuru in public, and she falls head over heels in love with him. Her face turns red and her heart pounds.
Sumi Asks About His Birthday on Their Second Date
Kazuya's second date with Sumi isn't a practice date, but a real rental girlfriend experience. Kazuya rents Sumi to discuss Chizuru's birthday present. For the first hour, they enjoy a date as normal rental girlfriends, and when it comes to talking about a present for Chizuru, Sumi's advice is lackluster and falls flat. Still, she gives him the final piece of advice, "Presents aren't about things, they're about feelings," and Kazuya leaves satisfied... but then Sumi can no longer contain her emotions and goes on a rampage! She grabs Kazuya's clothes and mutters, "Wait...wait..." Sumi, who hadn't thought about anything and was completely on the fence, quickly asks when Kazuya's birthday is and leaves the scene. She can't help but hum at the unexpected harvest as she leaves.
Sumi-chan confesses her feelings on their third date
Kazuya's third date begins with Sumi-chan again inviting him to "practice." She shows up in her school uniform and says she wants to "entertain" him. After thoroughly researching the aqua park, Sumi-chan's main focus is the dolphin show! As per their research, they were enjoying themselves by sitting in a place that would keep them out of the water. However, for some reason, the dolphins were so excited that day that even Sumi and her friends' seats were soaked with water... Sumi was devastated by their failed hospitality, but Kazuya encouraged them, saying, "Just the fact that you're having fun is the best hospitality you can have." Unable to contain her feelings at his words, Sumi blurted out, "I love you."
Who is Sumi's voice actor?
The voice actress who plays the shy and quiet Sumi is the popular voice actress Rie Takahashi! She is also the voice actress for the heroine Emilia in "Re:Zero" and the heroine Megumin in "KonoSuba." Casting such a popular voice actress even for the quiet Sumi suggests this will be a very exciting production!
Summary of the Shy Beautiful Girl "Sakurazawa Sumi"
So far, we've introduced you to Sumi-chan, also known as Sakurazawa Sumi. What do you think? She's a shy and quiet beauty. And she's a hard worker. Be sure to pay attention to this charming Sumi-chan!
