Mina couldn’t stop thinking about Ren.

He hadn’t spoken to her much since that first lunch in the garden.

Yet, something about him lingered in her thoughts. The way he didn’t have an aura. The way his presence was so… still. She’d never met anyone like him.

The next day, when she returned to the garden for lunch, her heart skipped a beat. He was sitting on the bench again.

Mina hesitated at the entrance, wondering if she should turn around and leave. But then, Ren glanced up and caught her eyes. He gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. He didn’t speak. He didn’t need to.

Mina walked slowly toward the bench, her hands trembling slightly as she pulled out her thermos. She didn’t want to seem nervous. She didn’t want him to think she was weird. Still, she couldn’t shake the odd feeling in her chest as she sat down beside him.

The air was thick with unspoken things, and Mina wasn’t sure how to start the conversation.

“I brought jasmine tea today,” she said, pouring some into her cup. She immediately regretted it. It sounded too casual, too forced.

Ren didn’t look at her. Instead, he stared straight ahead, as if lost in thought. “I don’t drink tea,” he muttered, almost too quietly for Mina to hear. “But thank you.”

Mina nodded, not knowing what else to say. She lifted her cup to her lips, trying to ignore the awkward silence between them.

But then, something unexpected happened.

She felt it again.

He’s thinking about you.

Mina froze, her heart thudding in her chest. She tried to dismiss the thought, but it was there, clear as day in her mind. The strange thing was that it didn’t feel like it was coming from her. It felt like… it was coming from him.

Her hand shook slightly as she set her cup down. She looked at him, but his expression hadn’t changed. He was still staring ahead, lost in thought.

“Ren,” she said quietly. “Are you… okay?”

He glanced at her, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Why would I not be?” His voice was low, guarded.

Mina hesitated. She wasn’t sure why, but something about his response didn’t sit right with her. There was something hidden beneath his words, something he wasn’t telling her.

“I don’t know,” she said, almost to herself. “You just seem… different. There’s something about you.”

For a moment, the air between them felt charged. Ren shifted slightly, his posture rigid. He didn’t say anything, but Mina could feel the weight of his thoughts pressing in. And then, as quickly as the tension had appeared, it faded.

“I don’t really talk to people much,” he said, finally breaking the silence. “It’s easier that way.”

Mina nodded slowly, not sure how to respond. She wanted to ask more wanted to push him, to figure out what was really going on in his head. But she knew better. It was clear that Ren wasn’t someone who opened up easily.

The silence returned, but this time, it wasn’t as uncomfortable. Mina took another sip of her tea and watched the clouds shift overhead. She was beginning to feel a strange kind of calm in his presence, as if his stillness was somehow grounding her.

After a while, Ren stood up abruptly, pulling his bag over his shoulder. “I have to go,” he said, his tone as neutral as ever. “Thanks for the tea.”

Before she could respond, he was already walking away, disappearing into the school building.

Mina watched him go, a mixture of curiosity and something else swirling inside her. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it. There was definitely something about Ren, something different.

And it was starting to feel like she needed to know what it was.