Walking past the vending machine, Ren noticed Kenji sitting on the bench beside it.

“…Hh.”

Ren stopped.

His eyes were stuck on Kenji.
The juice can in his right hand, raised near his mouth, froze in place.

Kenji, sitting on the bench, took a sip of his drink and noticed Ren standing in front of him.

“I—I’m really sorry, bro,” Ren suddenly said.
“I didn’t reply to you in the classroom. I—I’m really sorry.”

Before Kenji could react, Ren suddenly crouched down near his legs.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Ren said, his voice breaking.
“I wasn’t trying to ignore you.”

The child inside Ren came out, and he started crying because of his behavior.

Kenji froze.

“I-it’s okay, bro,” he said quickly, eyes wide, completely shocked.
“Why are you crying? I didn’t take it personally at all.”

Ren wiped his eyes hurriedly.

“Really…?” he asked.
“I’m glad to hear that. I didn’t mean it like that, bro. I really didn’t.”

He slowly stood up, his face lowered, shoulders drooping in embarrassment and apology.

Kenji stood up too.

“It’s okay,” he said again, more firmly this time.

As Ren calmed down, Kenji realized something.

He’s normal.
This is completely different from how he was yesterday.

Kenji looked at Ren quietly.

“Why didn’t you talk to anyone when they reached out to you during break in the classroom?”
Kenji asked, confused, trying to understand why Ren ran away from the class.

Ren looked at Kenji, his guard finally down.

“It’s not like I didn’t want to talk to them,” Ren replied.
“I just didn’t feel like talking to anyone.”

Kenji nodded slowly.

“Want to sit, so we can talk normally?” Kenji offered,
pointing toward the bench beside him.

Ren followed Kenji’s finger.

“…Hh… oh, yeah. Let’s talk while sitting,” Ren said.

They sat down.

Ren leaned back against the bench, relaxing his body.
Kenji leaned forward slightly, both hands resting on his legs, holding the juice can.

“So… why were you avoiding your classmates?” Kenji asked,
looking at Ren sitting beside him.

Ren shifted from a relaxed posture to a normal sitting position.

“Well… ha… ha…” Ren laughed awkwardly.
“I just didn’t want to talk. I don’t know how to reply to people.”

“Okay,” Kenji said softly.

Ren then looked at Kenji.

“What about you? Did you make any friends at the beginning?” Ren asked.

“…Hmm. No,” Kenji replied.
“My classmates got shuffled, and we got separated. There are only two people I know in the class.”

“Really…?”
Ren’s eyes widened with curiosity, small sparks appearing in them.
“Who are they?”

Ren leaned closer while asking.

Kenji moved back slightly.

“Y-yeah…”
“They’re both girls.”

“Whaaat? They’re girls?” Ren jumped back slightly.

He looked Kenji up and down.

“Hmmm… I think I get it,” Ren said.

“What do you mean, Ren?” Kenji asked, clueless.

“But… I think you know one of those gi—”

Brrriiiing—

The bell rang.

“Ohhh, let’s talk at lunch break,” Ren said quickly.

“Yeah, let’s go back to class,” Kenji replied.

They walked back toward the classroom.

On the way, Ren suddenly turned toward the restroom.

“I’ll be back,” he said.

Kenji continued alone.

“Oh, Kenji! You’re back,” Haruka and Suzune said as they noticed him.

“Sit down, students. The class is going to start,” the teacher announced.

Everyone returned to their seats.

Ren also came back and sat down.

After a while, the morning classes finally came to an end.

Students started leaving the classroom.

Haruka and Suzune walked ahead toward the cafeteria after telling Kenji to meet them there.

Ren walked up to Kenji.

“So… they are the friends you were talking about?” Ren asked, looking toward the classroom door where Haruka and Suzune had just left.

“Y-yeah,” Kenji replied.
“And that girl… she’s the one you fought with yesterday at the cafeteria.”

Kenji said it carefully, afraid Ren might not take it well.

“Oh…” Ren said quietly.
“Do you think it’ll be fine if I go with you and sit with them?”

He looked a little sad.

“Well…” Kenji hesitated.
“I don’t think she’ll get mad if you talk things out properly.”

Ren nodded, holding his lunch box.

“…Hmm. Let’s go,” Kenji said.

They headed toward the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was noisy—students talking, laughing, eating everywhere.

“Oh, Kenji-san, you came,” Suzune said, smiling.

Her eyes then shifted.

“Oh… and Ren-san?” she said, surprised.
“Nice to meet you.”

“I-I didn’t know you talked and became friends,” she added, confused but happy.

“Well, yeah,” Kenji said awkwardly.
“We met during break near the vending machine.”

“N-nice to meet you too…” Ren said, rubbing the back of his head.
“Sorry, I didn’t know your name.”

“My name is Sakata Suzune,” she replied politely.
“Nice to meet you.”

“Oh… nice to meet you, Suzune-chan. I’m Ren Akagi. You can call me Ren.”

Kenji looked around.

“I don’t see Haruka-chan.”

“She went to buy her favorite food,” Suzune replied.

They sat down and opened their lunch boxes.

“Ren-san,” Suzune said gently,
“I thought you didn’t want to talk to us this morning.”

“I-I’m sorry,” Ren said quickly.
“I didn’t mean it that way.”

“No, I wasn’t blaming you,” Suzune replied.
“I was just worried… especially after yesterday.”

“I’m glad we can talk now.”

“I’m back, Suzune-chan! Kenji-kun!” Haruka said cheerfully—then stopped.

“…You.”

“What are you doing here?” she snapped at Ren.
“Want to fight again?”

“Haruka-chan, wait—” Suzune tried.

“Are you here to take my friends?” Haruka said, slamming her lunch box onto the table.

Ren finally spoke.

“They’re my friends too.”

The argument began.

“Guys, stop! Please!” Kenji said.

They sat everyone down—Ren beside Kenji, Haruka beside Suzune.

“So… let’s talk,” Kenji said carefully.

“Yes,” Suzune agreed.
“Let’s talk calmly.”

“I’m not talking unless he apologizes,” Haruka said.

“That was your mistake yesterday!” Ren snapped.

“Guys, stop!” Suzune said.

Kenji leaned forward.

“Ren was new,” he explained.
“He didn’t know the school and got lost.”

Kenji blinked at Ren.
Ren understood and played along.

Haruka’s anger slowly faded.

“…Was it really like that?” she asked.

“Yes,” Suzune said gently.
“Let’s forget what happened.”

“…I’m sorry,” Haruka said quietly.

Ren looked up.

“Huh? What did you say? I didn’t hear you.”

Haruka turned red.

“You’re doing this on purpose!”

“Oh? Embarrassed?” Ren teased.

“I’ll kill you!”

“Little punk.”

“You giraffe!”

They stood, arguing like children.

Suzune burst out laughing.

“You look like kids fighting over toys.”

Haruka jumped toward Suzune, tickling her.

Ren sat back beside Kenji.

Kenji watched quietly.

“…Guys,” he said.
“Tomorrow is Sunday. If you’re free… maybe we can hang out together.”

Suzune, Haruka, and Ren all turned toward him.