Kuoh Academy's rooftop was breezy today. The clouds hung low, giving the sky a dreamy haze.
Ren sat on the edge, eating lunch from a neatly packed box. Simple stuff—rice, pickled veggies, grilled meat. He always made it himself. Something about the routine soothed him.
"Mind if I join you?"
He didn't have to turn around to recognize the voice.
Crimson hair. Calm smile. Eyes that didn't miss a thing.
Rias Gremory.
Ren glanced sideways. "A beautiful girl approaching me on the roof? Are you confessing already?"
Rias laughed softly, settling beside him with surprising comfort. "I can see why the girls are talking about you."
"Already?" He raised an eyebrow. "I've barely been here a week."
"That's enough time to break the school's top kendo club captain and dodge Koneko's strikes with your hands in your pockets," she said, resting her chin on one hand. "You're not exactly low-profile."
He grinned. "Guess I'm just charming like that."
A pause.
Then, more gently: "You're hiding something."
Ren picked up a slice of grilled egg, chewed thoughtfully, then said, "Aren't we all?"
Rias didn't laugh this time.
Her voice lowered. "I'm not threatening you. But in this town, unexplained power tends to attract… attention."
He nodded, still smiling. "I'm used to people watching. It's only a problem if they try something stupid."
Another pause.
"You're dangerous, aren't you?"
His smile stayed, but his gaze sharpened—just for a second.
"I'm not dangerous to you," he said quietly. "Unless you want me to be."
She stared at him.
That same ripple of unknown energy she'd felt before shimmered just below the surface again—unmeasurable, wrong. Like the universe hadn't agreed to its existence.
But then it was gone. And he was just Ren again.
Cheerful. Relaxed. Calm.
Rias stood. "You're interesting."
He looked up. "Flattered."
"I'll be watching."
"Most do."
She paused at the door, casting a last look over her shoulder.
"You remind me of someone I used to know. He hid behind a smile, too."
Ren didn't reply.
Once she left, he exhaled.
[Template Synchronization: 14%]Status: Suppression HoldingSystem Note: Rias Gremory - High Potential Variable. Observation Advised.