Ren pushed open the rooftop door, holding it just long enough for Celia to skip through. The afternoon sun washed over them, casting a soft glow across the open space. A light breeze tugged at their clothes and hair, carrying the faint sounds of distant shouts and laughter from the schoolyard below.
Ren moved toward his usual spot near the railing and set his bag down with a quiet thump. He gave a small nod toward the empty space beside him. "Here."
Celia took it all in, eyes wide with wonder. "This is amazing!" she said, spinning around with her arms stretched out. Her pastel hair shimmered in the sunlight, fanning out like silk. "Way better than sitting in some stuffy classroom or cafeteria."
Ren let out a quiet smirk and leaned against the railing, gaze distant. "I come here every day. It's… peaceful."
Celia dropped down onto the ground near him, legs stretched out as she tilted her head back to soak up the sun. "Well, I think this might be my new favorite place too."
Ren pulled out his bento box, popping it open with the same quiet precision as always, and started eating without much fanfare.
Celia, on the other hand, propped her chin on her hands and just… stared.
Ren didn't look up, but after a few moments, he sighed. "Stop staring."
She grinned. "Not staring. Just… admiring."
Ren shot her a deadpan glance. "I'm not sharing."
Celia pouted dramatically, lower lip jutting out as her eyes sparkled with mock sadness. "Meanie."
But then—a soft, unmistakable grumble.
Ren blinked, glancing over just in time to catch her wiping at the corner of her mouth where a bit of drool had started to form.
He stared, horrified. "…Are you drooling?"
"No!" she yelped, sitting bolt upright and wiping faster. "Okay, maybe a little! But it's not my fault—it smells so good!"
Ren groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Oh my god."
Celia clasped her hands together, eyes big and pleading. "Just one bite? One teeny tiny bite?"
"Didn't you literally say you weren't hungry?"
She gave a sheepish laugh. "That was before I knew you had that."
Ren looked down at his half-eaten bento, then back at her exaggeratedly pitiful face. His eye twitched.
"Fine," he muttered, shoving the box toward her, "here. Just—stop looking at me like that."
Celia's eyes sparkled like she'd just been handed a treasure chest. "Are you sure?"
"No. But take it anyway."
With a triumphant cheer, she dug in, wasting zero time as she practically inhaled a piece of tamagoyaki. "Oh my god, this is so good!" she gushed around a mouthful, barely pausing to breathe. "What's this? What's that? This sauce is amazing—what even is this thing?!"
Ren watched in disbelief as she kept talking and eating at the same time, pointing excitedly at each thing like it was a new discovery.
"That's karaage," he muttered.
She grabbed a piece next, eyes shining. "Mmm! Seriously?! You're telling me people here eat like this every day?"
Ren's gaze softened, eyes briefly far away. "Not always. Some bento are more decorated—my mom used to make those when I was a kid." He paused, voice dipping low. "She'd spend hours making everything perfect. Cute shapes, bright colors… little animals made of rice and stuff."
Celia, for once, stayed quiet, just chewing thoughtfully.
Ren cleared his throat, glancing down at the bento now in her hands. "My aunt made that one this morning. She didn't have much time, but…" His voice faltered a bit, the edges of his words softening. "I still really appreciate it."
Celia swallowed and gave him a bright smile. "Well, tell your aunt she's a culinary genius."
Ren shook his head, but this time, there was a real, if small, smile tugging at his lips.
"Yeah," he said quietly, eyes dropping to the now half-empty bento. "I will."
Celia, unfazed, kept shoveling in food like she hadn't eaten in days. Ren watched her for a moment, half-amused, half-concerned, before finally asking, "By the way… how did you actually manage to get into my school?"
Celia, mid-bite, blinked at him, cheeks puffed out adorably. "Mmf—whuh?"
He frowned. "You know. You suddenly show up out of nowhere in my class."
She waved her chopsticks lazily while still chewing. "Ohhh, that. No biggie!" She swallowed hard and grinned. "I just… used a bit of tech from back home. You know, made sure my paperwork was perfect and all. Andre helped too."
Ren's eyes narrowed. "Really?"
Celia nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! He's super good at this stuff. Plus, we… uh… may have nudged a few things to make sure I ended up specifically in your class."
Ren stared, deadpan. "So you forged everything?"
"Pfft, I prefer to say we 'optimized the process,'" Celia replied with a wink, grabbing another bite. "Anyway, it worked, didn't it?"
Ren sighed, shaking his head. "But… what exactly was the point of all that?"
Celia grinned mischievously as she finished off the last of the bento, patting her stomach happily. "To see how school works here on Earth—and to have fun with you, obviously."
She declared proudly, setting the empty box down and flopping onto her back, gazing up at the sky. "Ahhh, that really hit the spot."
Ren cleaned up the box in silence, but Celia wasn't done talking.
"So…" she started, turning her head to look at him, "what do you do for fun? Like, after school and on weekends and stuff."
Ren glanced at her, unimpressed. "Nothing."
Celia frowned. "No, seriously."
"I am serious," he replied flatly. "I stay home. That's it."
"No hobbies? No clubs? No friends?"
Ren hesitated, then shook his head. "Nothing important."
Celia groaned, sitting up with a determined look. "Ren, c'mon. You can't just go to school and then disappear every day. That's not living."
Ren crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. "And what exactly do you want me to do?"
She clapped her hands together eagerly. "Hang out with me, duh! You've gotta show me around. I'm still new here, remember? There's so much I wanna see—shrines, arcades, karaoke, all of it!"
Ren looked skeptical. "You seriously expect me to play tour guide?"
"Yup!" Celia grinned wide. "Because eventually, I'll have to leave Earth, you know? So I need to make the most of my time here. And besides…" She poked his arm playfully. "It's about time you got out of that hermit cave of yours."
Ren stared at her, clearly weighing his options.
"…You're not going to drop this, are you?"
Celia beamed. "Nope."
He sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. "Alright, alright… fine."
Without missing a beat, Celia threw on an exaggerated drawl, grinning wide. "Well then, get ready, partner! We got ourselves a mission to complete!"
Ren muttered under his breath, "What have I gotten myself into…"
Celia burst out laughing. "Oh come on, that was a perfect Andre impression!"
The days that followed blurred into a whirlwind of activity—a complete 180 from Ren's usual routine.
It started small. After school, Celia would practically drag him down the familiar streets of Okutama, forcing him to play tour guide whether he liked it or not.
"Come on, what's that?" she asked one afternoon, pointing eagerly at a little shrine tucked between narrow streets.
Ren sighed, adjusting the strap of his bag. "That's Fudo Shrine. Locals come here for good luck before exams."
"Perfect!" Celia clapped her hands and trotted up the stone steps, tugging Ren along by the sleeve. "We're totally making a wish."
Ren raised an eyebrow but followed. Celia clapped, bowed, and whispered her wish with such exaggerated seriousness that Ren couldn't help but chuckle under his breath. "What'd you wish for?" he asked as they descended.
She grinned, eyes sparkling. "That's a secret."
The days blurred into each other, each afternoon bleeding into the next, and Celia never let up.
Karaoke was next.
Ren groaned as Celia shoved a mic into his hand. "No way. Absolutely not."
"Oh yes way," Celia said with a dangerous smile, already queuing up the next song. "You're not leaving until you sing at least once!"
Ren sank lower in his seat, glaring at the screen as the music started. Celia, of course, had no shame, belting out pop hits like a pro, dancing around the tiny room like she owned the place. Her voice wasn't perfect, but her energy made up for it tenfold.
Eventually—inevitably—Ren caved. He mumbled through a song, face burning, refusing to meet Celia's eyes. But when he glanced up, she was beaming, clapping along like he'd just won Idol Japan.
"See? That wasn't so bad!" she teased, poking his cheek.
Ren rolled his eyes but… okay, maybe it was kind of fun.
Then came the arcade.
Celia was vicious at crane games, eyes sharp and fingers quick as she expertly fished out plushies one after another.
"Seriously," Ren muttered, watching as she proudly presented him with a chubby cat plush. "Are you even human?"
Celia laughed, hugging the plush close. "Trade secret. Want one? I'll win you something."
Ren shook his head. "I'm good."
Too late. Celia was already at the next machine, determined to stockpile more prizes than she could carry.
Amid all the chaos, Celia hadn't forgotten why she was there, either.
One afternoon, after their usual hangout, she pulled Ren aside and dragged him to a quiet training spot in the forest outside town—a place hidden away from curious eyes.
"All right!" she chirped, pulling her hair back. "We're overdue for some ship training."
Ren frowned. "Here?"
"Yep!" She tapped her temple. "I need to keep my senses sharp, and so do you. You're still linked to me, remember?"
Ren sighed but nodded, bracing himself.
For the next hour, Celia led him through drills—reflex training, coordination checks, and energy syncing exercises. Her usual bubbly energy shifted into something sharper, more focused. She was a completely different person when she was in mission mode, and Ren couldn't help but respect that, even if he grumbled the whole way through.
"You're getting better," she said, wiping sweat from her brow as the sun dipped low.
Ren looked away, a bit winded. "Thanks… I guess."
Celia smiled, eyes bright. "Told you. Teamwork."
Little by little, something shifted.
Ren found himself talking more. Laughing, even. He started looking forward to their afternoons—whether they were singing off-key in karaoke booths or just wandering through the streets aimlessly. He'd never admit it out loud, but… Celia's energy was infectious. Being around her made the world feel a little less heavy.
By the end of the week, they found themselves tucked into a corner booth of a cozy little café, sipping iced drinks as the late afternoon sun poured through the windows.
Celia stirred her iced coffee lazily, her chin resting in her hand. "Man… this place is so peaceful. Everything here's slower, y'know? Back home, it's always go, go, go."
Ren glanced at her over his drink. "You say that, but you've been dragging me around nonstop."
She laughed, flicking a straw wrapper at him. "Hey, that's different. I'm making memories!"
Ren shook his head, but there was a warmth in his eyes now, softer than before. "…You really plan on leaving?"
Celia blinked, her smile dimming just a little. "Eventually," she said quietly. "I mean… it's kind of inevitable, right? My mission's not forever."
Ren looked down at his drink, tracing a finger along the condensation. "Yeah… I guess so."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Celia perked up again, slapping the table lightly enough to make the ice in her drink clink. "Which is exactly why we've gotta keep hanging out until then! I've got a whole checklist, and you, Mr. Kurose, are stuck with me until we finish it."
Ren leaned back in his seat, lips quirking into a dry smile. "I don't remember signing any contracts."
"Too bad," she said, standing up and slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Verbal contract. Sealed with iced coffee and my undying charm."
He snorted. "That's legally questionable."
"Not if you don't have lawyers in space," she chirped, already heading for the exit.