Ren had always believed that blending into the background was safer. No expectations, no pressure, no pain. He could quietly drift through each day like a shadow, unnoticed and untouched.
But now… things were changing.
That walk home with Airi haunted his mind the entire night.
He lay awake in his apartment, the city lights softly glowing through his window, casting patterns across the ceiling. His apartment was large and modern, nothing like a student's usual place. His parents, successful and deeply loving, had given him the freedom and space to live alone — to stay hidden from a world that might never understand him.
And he liked the quiet.
Usually.
But tonight, the silence echoed.
He reached for his phone, stared at Airi's contact saved under the name "Too Bright for Me ☀️" — and for the first time, he smiled to himself.
---
The next morning, school felt different.
People stared. Whispers floated through the halls like wind through leaves.
"Did you hear? Airi-chan walked home with that guy… what's his name?"
"I don't even remember seeing him before."
"He's kinda… good-looking if you look closely."
"He wears those nerdy goggles though. Totally hiding something."
Ren heard them all, every word, like background music to his carefully practiced silence. He kept his head down, walked at his usual pace.
But his heart — it thumped a little faster.
When he reached the classroom, Airi was already there. She turned in her seat the moment she noticed him.
"Morning, Ren-kun!" she said cheerfully.
A few classmates turned to look.
Ren nodded slightly, then sat down.
"You okay?" she whispered.
He looked at her. Her warm eyes, her effortless smile — she wasn't pretending. She truly wasn't ashamed of being seen with him.
"I'm fine," he replied quietly.
She leaned closer. "Worried about what they're saying?"
"A little," he admitted. "But… not enough to regret it."
She beamed. "That's a good sign."
For a few seconds, they just looked at each other. Then Airi leaned back in her chair, clearly satisfied.
During class, Ren found himself unable to focus.
He was thinking about how she looked at him.
How she spoke to him without hesitation.
How she noticed what others didn't — the false mistakes on his tests, the careful wall he built around himself.
And for the first time, he felt… seen.
---
Lunch break came. Ren was about to head to the rooftop, his usual quiet spot, when he felt a hand grab his sleeve.
"Where are you going?" Airi asked.
"Just… somewhere quiet."
"Let's go together," she said.
"Won't your friends wonder—"
"They already asked," she smiled. "I told them I like spending time with you."
His eyes widened. "You… told them?"
"Why not?"
He didn't answer, and she tugged his sleeve again. "Come on. Let's go."
---
The rooftop was quiet, the wind soft and warm. The sky stretched out above them in endless blue.
They sat side by side on a bench, their lunches on their laps. Airi opened her bento — neatly packed, colorful, bright. Ren's was plain, mostly leftovers from his own cooking.
She peeked at his food.
"You made that?"
"Yeah."
"It smells really good," she said. "Can I try?"
Ren blinked. "You… want to try mine?"
Airi nodded.
He offered her a piece of egg roll. She took it with her chopsticks, tasting it slowly. Her eyes lit up.
"Delicious!" she said.
Ren looked away, ears red. "It's just normal."
"No. It's warm," she said softly. "Like… you."
He froze. "I'm not…"
"You think you're cold because you avoid everyone," she said. "But I can tell you're kind. Just afraid to show it."
He didn't reply. The wind carried her words away, but the warmth lingered in his chest.
Then she added, teasingly, "Also, I saw your sports record from last year. You pretended to be slow, didn't you?"
Ren glanced at her, caught.
She laughed. "You're hiding your muscles too."
"…You looked me up?"
"Maybe," she grinned. "I was curious."
"Isn't that… weird?"
"I don't think so. I think you're interesting. Every day I find something new about you."
Ren looked at her, deeply this time. "You really… don't see me the way others do."
"No," she said softly. "I see the real you. The one behind those goggles."
He turned away, flustered.
"These goggles… they're fake, you know. I don't need them."
Airi's eyes widened slightly, then softened. "I guessed that too."
He chuckled quietly. "You really notice everything, don't you?"
"Only when I care."
Those words struck something deep inside him.
She cared.
Not because he was popular. Not because he tried to stand out. She simply… saw him. All of him.
And didn't look away.
---
As the lunch bell rang, they stood up.
Airi glanced at him before heading back.
"Hey, Ren-kun," she said.
"…Yeah?"
"You can keep pretending in front of others if it makes you feel safe."
He nodded slowly.
"But in front of me… you don't have to hide."
She smiled once more, then walked away.
Ren stood alone for a moment, eyes on the sky.
Then, for the first time in years, he whispered to himself,
"…Maybe it's okay to be seen."