---
Six days later — Karakura High School, lunchtime.
Ren sat calmly beneath the shade of one of the trees in the schoolyard, leaning against the trunk as a gentle breeze rustled the leaves above him. For once, the world felt quiet… peaceful.
I've grown quite a bit stronger since the Hollow encounter and the Demon Tower dungeon, he thought inwardly.
Still, it wasn't enough.
He needed to seriously focus on training his main Fullbring ability. He could feel it—right at the edge of evolution. If he pushed it further, the weapons his will touched could easily rise to C-rank… maybe even B-rank.
Ren frowned slightly as he organized his thoughts.
I should clear more dungeon floors too.
From what he remembered from Solo Leveling, one had to reach Level 40 to unlock the Job Change Quest.
Honestly, the idea excited him more than he cared to admit.
Shadow Monarch…
Who wouldn't want a shadow army at their command?
For now, however, he focused on something more subtle—his spiritual pressure. Slowly, carefully, he communicated with the spiritual energy drifting through the atmosphere, refining his control over it. He kept everything suppressed, compressed tightly within himself to avoid drawing attention—
Then he sensed someone approaching.
???: "Hey… Toshiki-san? What are you doing all alone here?"
Ren looked up in mild surprise.
Standing before him was a teenage girl of medium height, with warm brown eyes and long, burnt-orange hair flowing all the way down her waist. Her short bangs were neatly clipped to the sides with small hairpins.
And then there was her figure—slender, yet surprisingly curvy for someone her age.
There was no mistaking her.
Orihime Inoue.
Ren blinked once, then spoke.
"Oh—hey, Inoue. It's you," he said, genuinely surprised.
"Yep! It's me!" she replied with a playful wink, before suddenly pouting. "Toshiki-san, you can call me by my first name. We're friends, right? We shouldn't be so formal…"
She looked at him with sad, puppy-like eyes.
Ren froze.
After a moment, he sighed.
"…Alright. Orihime. But then you can call me by my first name too. Is that fine?"
Orihime's face instantly turned red.
Being called by her first name—without any honorific—carried a special meaning in Japan. It implied closeness. Intimacy.
"O-oh… okay, Ren-san…"
She quickly changed the subject, clearing her throat.
"But anyway, Ren-san, what are you doing here all by yourself?" she asked, concern lacing her voice.
"It's nothing. I was just relaxing," Ren replied indifferently.
"Eh? But don't you get lonely being alone like this?" Orihime asked softly.
"Not really. I'm used to it," Ren said casually.
To him, this was just everyday life. Even in his previous life, he'd never had many friends.
But to Orihime… it sounded unbearably lonely.
From what she'd heard, Ren had lost his parents back in middle school. Since then, he'd grown distant—quiet, withdrawn, always alone.
She understood that pain better than most.
She had lost her beloved brother too.
Losing someone you love… it hurts more than anything, she thought sadly.
But unlike him, she'd had friends to support her.
"You seem kind of lonely," Orihime said gently. "You don't really talk to anyone in class, and you're always by yourself."
"More or less," Ren replied, waving a hand dismissively. "I just have a lot on my mind lately. Haven't really thought about making friends."
"That's not good," she said seriously. "Everyone needs at least one friend. You can't be alone all the time!"
Suddenly, her eyes lit up.
"I know! Come with me! I'll introduce you to my friends!"
"Oh—no, thanks. I'd rather—"
Too late.
Orihime grabbed his hand naturally and started pulling him along, smiling happily as she dragged him across the schoolyard.
"…Why are girls always so troublesome?" Ren thought with a resigned sigh.
As he walked, he subtly compressed his spiritual pressure even further, sealing it deep within himself so no one could easily sense it.
---
They soon turned into one of the outdoor corridors.
"Rukia!" Orihime exclaimed cheerfully.
A petite girl with short black hair turned toward them.
"Oh—friend? This is Ren-san. He's kind of a loner, so I thought I'd introduce him to Ichigo and the others!"
"A loner, huh?" Rukia teased with a faint smile. "He does have that cool, mysterious vibe."
She stepped forward and gave a small, polite bow.
"Nice to meet you, Toshiki Ren. I'm Rukia Kuchiki. It's a pleasure."
While her words were polite, her thoughts were anything but calm.
The first time I saw him, his spiritual pressure was completely uncontrolled. It wasn't large—but its quality was absurdly high. Pure. Dark blue.
That kind of pressure is extremely rare.
But now…
Nothing. He feels like a normal human.
Did he learn to suppress it…?
There's something very strange about him.
(She's good at acting, I'll give her that.) Ren thought as their eyes met.
He knew she was observing him for more than courtesy.
"Nice to meet you too. You're a friend of Orihime's?" he said calmly, extending his hand.
Rukia hesitated.
Every instinct told her not to touch him—but she forced herself to smile and accept the handshake.
Three seconds later, she recoiled, releasing his hand abruptly.
A bead of sweat rolled down her temple as she staggered back.
Ren frowned in confusion.
I didn't do anything…
My energy was completely sealed.
---
"Your name's Yasutora Sado… but everyone calls you Chad," Ren said, facing the tall, broad-shouldered boy.
"That's right," Chad replied quietly.
"Man of few words," Ren said with a faint smile. "I respect that."
They shook hands firmly.
Orihime watched with a soft smile. Seeing Ren get along with Chad—one of Ichigo's closest friends—made her happy.
Not far away, Ichigo and Rukia peeked from behind a wall like poorly hidden spies.
"Did you seriously drag me here just to watch Orihime play matchmaker?" Ichigo muttered.
"That's not it," Rukia snapped. "I told you what happened when I touched his hand."
"Oh please. You expect me to believe you saw something creepy just from a handshake?" Ichigo scoffed. "Look—Chad shook his hand and nothing happened."
"And besides," Ichigo added, "Ren isn't a bad guy. I've known him since middle school."
Rukia frowned.
"You're a Shinigami. You should know strange things exist."
"I don't believe anything I can't see," Ichigo replied firmly. "But fine. I'll go talk to him myself."
With that, Ichigo stepped out, walking toward Ren—determined to see the truth for himself.
---
Ichigo stepped out from the corridor, hands in his pockets, eyes fixed on Ren with open curiosity rather than suspicion.
"So… you're Ren, huh?" Ichigo said casually. "Orihime's been talking about you a bit."
Ren glanced at him, then nodded once. "Yeah. You must be Kurosaki Ichigo."
"Huh. You know my name already?" Ichigo raised an eyebrow.
"I've seen you around. Hard not to notice."
"Tch, guess I really do stand out," Ichigo muttered, then shrugged and extended his hand. "Nice to finally meet you."
Ren looked at the offered hand for half a second before taking it.
Their handshake was firm—but brief.
Ichigo blinked.
"…Huh."
Ren raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"
"No, just—" Ichigo shook his hand once, as if testing it. "Nothing. Guess I expected something else."
Rukia stiffened slightly at the side, eyes narrowing.
Nothing happened…? she thought, confused.
Chad had already shaken Ren's hand earlier, and now Ichigo had too—yet neither felt anything unusual.
Orihime tilted her head. "Ichigo-kun? Did something happen?"
"Nope," Ichigo said quickly. "Just surprised he's normal."
"…That's kind of rude," Rukia muttered.
Ren let out a quiet breath. "I get that a lot."
Ichigo laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, sorry. Didn't mean it like that."
He slipped his hands back into his pockets and nodded toward the courtyard. "So, Orihime says you usually eat lunch alone. That by choice?"
"Mostly. Quieter that way," Ren replied.
Ichigo hummed in understanding. "Yeah… sometimes quiet's easier."
Orihime smiled, relieved the conversation wasn't tense.
"Well, we usually hang out together after lunch," Ichigo continued. "You don't have to come or anything, but if you want—"
"You're terrible at inviting people," Rukia cut in flatly.
"Hey, I'm trying."
Ren considered it for a moment, then shrugged. "I don't mind tagging along. For today."
Orihime's face lit up. "Really?! That's great!"
Chad gave Ren a simple nod. "You're welcome with us."
"Thanks," Ren replied.
As they started walking together, Ichigo glanced sideways at him. "You don't talk much, do you?"
"Only when I have something to say."
Ichigo smirked. "Figures. Guess we're opposites."
"Maybe."
Rukia glanced back at Ren, her eyes thoughtful but her tone light. "Still, for someone so quiet, you've got a strange presence."
Ren met her gaze briefly, then looked ahead. "I hear that a lot."
Ichigo laughed. "Man, you're kinda weird."
Orihime gasped. "Ichigo!"
"What? I meant it in a good way!"
Ren shook his head slightly. "…You're all pretty loud."
"Hey!"
But there was laughter this time—easy and genuine.
For once, Ren didn't feel the need to pull away.
And for now—
That was enough.
---
To be continued..