Despite the amusement park's festive chaos—carousel music, children's laughter, and the distant roar of roller coasters—the small café tucked near the entrance remained surprisingly quiet. Gustave, Jun, and Daigo claimed a corner table with ease, settling into cushioned chairs overlooking the park's colorful entrance.
"Good afternoon! What can I get for you three today?"
A young waiter approached with professional cheer, though something melancholic lingered beneath his bright smile. He appeared barely past his teens, with gentle features that somehow carried weight beyond his years.
"Let me see..." Gustave scanned the menu with casual interest. "I'll have a watermelon juice and—"
The words died in his throat as he looked up and met the young man's eyes. Recognition struck like lightning, followed immediately by a chill of foreknowledge.
"Watermelon juice and four egg tarts," Gustave finished smoothly, masking his shock behind practiced composure.
While Daigo placed his own order, both Gustave and Jun studied the waiter's face with growing intensity. The young man bore their scrutiny with patient politeness, unaware of their sudden fascination.
Ren Senjyu, Gustave thought, his heart heavy with knowledge of what was to come. Jun's successor—the next chosen by the light.
Memories surfaced unbidden—fragments of a description he'd once read about Noa's successive inheritors:
The Soldier Who Became the First Hero: Shunichi Maki
The Hero Who Seeks Salvation of the Soul: Jun Himeya
The Angel Who Expands the Width of Life: Ren Senjyu
The Lone Wolf Trapped in the Abyss of Hatred: Nagi Saijou
The Brave One Who Continues Improving Mind and Body: Komon Kazuki
The Mother Who Desperately Protects Her Children: Sayuri Tachibana
Jun had found his salvation early, discovering that Nexus's light represented redemption rather than punishment. The Ultra's power chose him not for penance but for purpose—to save others trapped in similar pain, to protect those threatened by space beasts, to stand against Dark Zagi's spreading shadow.
But Ren Senjyu... This boy faced a crueler fate. Born under the "Prometheus Plan," genetic defects guaranteed his death before his eighteenth birthday. Only the experimental drug "Raphael" could cure his condition—assuming anyone bothered developing it for a single dying child.
Rather than await death passively, Ren had chosen meaning over time. When Nexus's power would inevitably find him, his fighting style would burn with desperate radiance—better to shine brilliantly in his final moments than fade quietly into darkness.
After the young waiter collected their orders and departed, Jun leaned forward with quiet urgency.
"Gustave, did you sense something special about that boy?"
"Special?" Gustave feigned ignorance, though his heart ached with terrible knowledge. "I just felt a strange familiarity, like we'd met before."
"Jun, what's wrong?" Daigo asked, noting the tension between his companions.
Without speaking, Jun withdrew his Evoltruster. The normally quiescent device pulsed with agitated light, its surface beating like a living heart.
"This!" Daigo's eyes widened in recognition.
As the only person besides Jun who'd handled the Evoltruster, Daigo understood its significance perfectly. The last time it had reacted so violently was when Jun collapsed at the Gate of All Worlds.
"When that young man approached our table, the Evoltruster nearly burst from my jacket," Jun explained softly, returning the device to concealment. "The reaction was overwhelming—like it recognized something in him."
"What could cause such a response?" Daigo wondered.
"I don't know for certain," Jun admitted, his gaze following Ren Senjyu's movements around the café. "But I suspect... he may be chosen by the light."
The weight of that statement settled over them. Another soul destined to bear Nexus's burden—and in this case, one whose time was already running short.
"Jun, why don't you photograph him later?" Gustave suggested carefully. "Perhaps invite him to dinner tonight? If he's meant for this path, he deserves to understand what awaits him."
"Agreed," Jun nodded solemnly.
Opportunity presented itself within minutes. As Ren Senjyu delivered juice to another table, a small boy nearby stumbled and fell, his balloon slipping free and beginning its ascent toward the ceiling.
Without hesitation, Ren Senjyu abandoned his service tray and lunged for the balloon's string, catching it just before it escaped completely. He then knelt beside the crying child, carefully brushing dirt from scraped knees.
"There you go, little one," Ren said with infinite gentleness, offering the recovered balloon with a warm smile. "See? Your friend didn't fly away after all."
The boy's tears transformed instantly into delighted laughter. "Thank you, big brother! Thank you so much!"
Click.
Jun's camera captured the moment perfectly—two faces radiant with joy, one large and one small, framed by a balloon bearing a cheerful smiley face. The image distilled pure human kindness into a single frame.
Satisfied with the shot, Jun approached the pair with respectful professionalism.
"Excuse me, I'm Jun Himeya—journalist and photographer. I hope you don't mind, but I just captured a beautiful moment between you two. I'd like to include it in my series 'Beautiful Moments in Life,' if you're willing?"
Ren Senjyu's entire demeanor transformed, star-struck wonder replacing his previous melancholy. "You're the Jun Himeya? The photographer behind 'Beautiful Moments in Life'? I'm such a huge fan of your work!"
The enthusiasm was genuine and infectious. After a brief conversation, Jun secured both Ren Senjyu's permission and that of the boy's nearby parents—the latter recognizing Jun's reputation and eagerly granting consent.
"How did it go?" Gustave asked when Jun returned to their table.
"Perfectly. The photo has been approved for publication." Jun's expression carried mixture of professional satisfaction and deeper concern. "The young man's name is Ren Senjyu—call him Ren. He's only seventeen years old."
So young, Gustave thought with renewed sorrow. Barely a year left, if the original timeline holds.
"Seventeen..." Gustave, now past thirty himself, felt the weight of years and experience. "Still practically a child."
When Ren returned with their ordered items, he carried an additional surprise—three tall glasses of fresh milk alongside their requested refreshments.
"Ren, I think there's been a mistake," Jun said gently. "We didn't order any milk."
The young man's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, one hand rubbing the back of his neck in a gesture of nervous energy.
"I was so excited to meet my idol that I... well, I took the liberty of bringing milk for all three teachers. I thought it might be a nice gesture?"
"How thoughtful," Jun began, clearly touched but concerned about accepting unordered items. "Though we shouldn't let you—"
"Jun," Gustave interrupted with calculated timing, "since Ren has already brought the milk, it would be rude to refuse his kindness. Why don't we repay his generosity by treating him to dinner tonight?"
Jun's eyes lit with understanding. Here was the perfect opportunity to extend their invitation naturally, without the awkwardness of approaching a stranger.
"Ren, would you join us for dinner after your shift ends?" Jun asked warmly. "It's the least we can do to thank you for your hospitality."
"Really?" Ren Senjyu's face transformed with pure joy, all traces of melancholy evaporating. "You're actually inviting me to dinner? This is like a dream!"
"Consider it settled then. We'll wait for you to finish work, and then we'll have a proper meal together."
"Thank you so much, Mr. Himeya!" Ren bowed deeply, gratitude radiating from every fiber of his being.