Ren doesn't much like to interact with others. So he keeps interaction with others as little as possible.
When others eat or interact during recess, he recedes to a secluded place in the school below the back backyard, below an old school Sakura tree.
As he was slowly eating his lunch at his usual place, which is usually secluded today as well,
"Hey, Ren!"A beautiful, cheerful girl waved energetically as she approached him, her smile bright and warm.
Behind her, another girl followed—also beautiful, but with a cooler, more aloof expression that set her apart.
"Tch!" Seeing them, Ren clicked his touched. Although he knows them, he wanted to keep his interactions with them to a minimum as possible.
"Hey, what's with that look?" The beautiful, usually cheerful girl has a slightly (￣ヘ￣) expression on her face. There's no mistaking it—she's Reika Tachibana, the Genius Beauty of the School. Ren was the only person who wanted to stay away from her as far as possible, and she did not like that for some reason.
"Young Lady, shall I break his hands for this insolence? "The aloof girl behind Reika spoke in a slightly 😔😞😩tone. She was Sayuri Mizuki. She did not like Ren's behavior towards Reika.
Reika turned her head slightly, giving Sayuri a look—not angry, but the kind that said "Really?" without needing words. Her brow arched gently, and her lips pressed into a faint, knowing smile.
"Sayuri," she said in that soft tone. "You should not like that."
Sayuri blinked, looking momentarily chastised. "...Understood, Young Lady."
Reika turned her attention to Ren, her voice brightening."Now then, Mr. Ren, may we sit with you for lunch?"
Ren stared at her like she was an annoying bug.
"...Why?"
Reika tilted her head slightly, her long hair catching the light like something out of a commercial. "Why not? You always seem to eat alone. You can also eat with us...!"
"It's peaceful," Ren refuted.
Sayuri narrowed her aloof eyes. "Peace is overrated when you are showing clear signs of disrespect."
"Sayuri," Reika said again—this time with a little more edge, and just a hint of amusement.
Sayuri sighed, folding her arms with a slight pout, not understanding why her lady was showing so much leniency towards a boy she had just known. "...Understood."
Ren rubbed his nose- "Look, I'm not trying to be rude. I just… like things quiet. That's all. I have no interest in superstars like."
"I am not some kind of superstar" Reika said, feigning offense, though her smile was unmistakably amused. "But I can't deny that I am an genius."
"And I," Sayuri added solemnly, "I am the proof of that"
Ren blinked. For a moment, just a second, he almost laughed—but caught himself.
He looked between the two girls—Reika with her dazzling confidence, and Sayuri with her ever-serious glare—and sighed again. This was exactly what he didn't want: attention, noise, and unnecessary trouble. He was the complete opposite of them
"…Fine," he muttered. "You can sit. Just don't talk to me."
Reika's eyes sparkled. "Oh, Ren, you're such a tsundere."
Sayuri's hand twitched. "Permission to sit, Young Lady?".
"Granted," Reika said sweetly, already sitting beside him like she'd won a prize.
Ren sighed —for the hundredth time—why was he involved with these two famous people?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Ren, Reika, and Sayuri were having lunch together, sitting on the same bench.
Most of the time, only Reika was speaking and
Ren just nods every time with "Mm."
"Hey you should also speak more!! she said, poking her chopsticks toward him like a warning.
Sayuri, sitting to the side with perfect posture, watched them with unreadable eyes.
Reika leaned in slightly, tilting her head, trying to liven up the situation. "You're unusually quiet today, Sayuri."
"I am monitoring the situation," Sayuri replied flatly.
"Only low-level surveillance," she replied without missing a beat. "No abnormal behavior yet!!"
"…She's kidding, right?" Ren asked, glancing at Reika.
Reika just smiled sweetly. "She's always like this. Don't take it personally."
Ren stared at her. "Even then..."
Reika giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. "You're fun when you're grumpy, Ren. It's like watching a cat being forced into a bath."
Sayuri nodded slowly. "Agitated, wet, and full of hate. Accurate."
Ren was surprised. As much as he didn't want to admit it—even to himself—the bench didn't feel so empty today. And Reika's laugh, annoying as it was, did a good job of drowning out the usual hum of loneliness he'd grown used to.
As they were busy in their own conversation,
"Reika, what are you doing here?" A slightly good-looking kid came to them and was glaring at Ren. Sayur's expression turned slightly odd.
To be continued in Chapter 3…