Ren maintained his self proclaimed role of bald knight and personal escort, though by now he was starting to question if the title was more ironic than heroic.
"So," Ochako said, "do you two do this often? Walk home together?"
"First time, actually," Ren admitted, adjusting the grip on his school bag. "Usually, I walk alone while contemplating my life decisions and wondering why the universe decided that baldness was my destiny."
"You really have to stop making bald jokes," Hagakure's voice came from his right. "It is getting old."
"Unlike my hair, which will never grow old because it does not exist."
Ochako let out a stifled laugh, covering her mouth with her hand.
"Hagakure san is right, you should stop playing around with your baldness."
They turned onto a quieter residential street where the houses became noticeably nicer. Ochako's home was in a decent neighborhood; the kind of place where families actually knew their neighbors and kids could play outside without constant supervision.
Much better than where I live, Ren thought. Though, to be fair, most cardboard boxes are nicer than my apartment.
"We are here," Ochako announced when they reached a modest two story house with a small front garden.
Ren noticed a woman peeking through the front window. She had the same brown hair as Ochako and a kind face that immediately reminded him of every stereotypical sweet mother character in slice of life animes.
"Is that your mom?" he asked.
"Yes," Ochako's cheeks turned slightly pink. "She has probably been watching since she saw us coming down the street. She gets excited when I bring friends over."
"You mean she gets excited when you bring a boy over," Hagakure teased.
"Hagakure san!" Ochako's face went completely red.
The front door opened and Ochako's mother stepped out, wearing an apron and a warm smile.
"Ochako chan! Welcome home! And you brought friends!"
Here we go, Ren thought. Time to make a good impression.
"Good afternoon, ma'am," Ren said with a polite bow. "I am Hayashi Ren, your daughter's classmate."
"And I am Hagakure Toru!" the invisible girl's voice chirped with enthusiasm.
"It is a pleasure to meet you both! Ochako talks about her classmates all the time. Please, would you like to come in for some tea?"
"Actually, we should be going," Ren said quickly, recognizing the trap. Once you accepted tea from a Japanese mother, you were committed to at least an hour of polite conversation and probably embarrassing stories about your host. "We still have to get Hagakure san home safely before it gets dark."
"What a responsible young man!" Ochako's mother smiled radiantly at him. "Ochako, you have found a good friend."
"Thanks for walking me home, Hayashi kun," Ochako said with a sincere voice. "And you too, Hagakure san."
"No problem," Ren replied. "That is what knights are for."
"It is still terrible," Hagakure commented.
Ochako laughed again before heading inside with one last wave. Her mother gave them both another warm smile before closing the door. Ren and Hagakure were left alone on the sidewalk. Well, technically Ren was alone while Hagakure's uniform stood beside him.
"One down, one to go," the invisible girl said cheerfully. "My house is about fifteen minutes from here."
"Lead the way, Hagakure san."
They started walking and Ren immediately noticed something different. Without Ochako's presence, the dynamic had shifted. It was just him and a girl walking through increasingly quiet streets as the sun continued its descent.
This is either the start of a sweet romance moment or the beginning of a horror movie, Ren thought. Knowing my luck, probably both.
"Hey, Ren?"
He blinked. It was the first time she had called him just Ren instead of Hayashi kun.
"Yes?"
"Thanks for walking with us. I am not used to a boy taking me home; you know, I am invisible after all."
"I made a promise. Besides, I would feel terrible if something happened to you two and I could have prevented it."
"You are surprisingly sweet for someone who grabs other people's butts."
Ren almost choked on the air.
"That was in self defense! You were attacking my ears!"
Hagakure's laughter was bright.
"I know, I know. I am just teasing you. Though you have to admit, it was pretty bold."
"Everything I do is bold when you are bald. It is compensatory behavior: what I lack in hair, I make up for in confidence."
"There you go again with the bald jokes."
"It is called a defense mechanism, Hagakure san. It keeps me from overthinking the matter, it is like... looking on the bright side?"
They walked in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. Ren found himself genuinely enjoying the company. There was a refreshing feeling in Hagakure's direct personality; she did not overthink things or hide behind social pleasantries.
"Can I ask you something?" her voice came from his right.
"Sure."
"Do you ever feel lonely? Living on your own, I mean... You know, you told me you live alone."
Ren considered the question. It would be easy to deflect with humor; however, Hagakure's tone made him think she was asking for a reason.
"Sometimes," he admitted honestly. "Especially in the mornings, when I wake up and remember that nobody is going to yell at me to hurry up or make me breakfast. It is too quiet."
"Yeah," she said softly. "I know that feeling."
Before Ren could ask what she meant, Hagakure's uniform stopped in front of a large modern house. It was clearly expensive, with clean geometric lines, large windows, and a perfectly manicured lawn.
"We are here," she announced.
"Wow. This is much nicer than my place."
"Your place is a six tatami room above a pachinko parlor. A cardboard box would be nicer than your house."
"You haven't even seen my apartment!"
"I have heard the descriptions. Mina talks a lot."
Ren made a mental note to have a word with the pink menace later. Hagakure's uniform moved toward the front door and pulled out a key. She unlocked it and the door swung open to reveal a spacious and meticulously clean interior.
"Nobody is home," she said. "My parents are in Osaka on business. They won't be back until next week."
"Next week? You are here by yourself?"
"Yeah, but it is fine! This happens a lot. They are important business consultants, so they travel constantly," she stepped inside and her shoes came off, floating in the air as she removed them. "They always call me every night, though. And they leave me money for food and everything I need."
Ren followed her inside, taking off his own shoes. The interior was impressive: hardwood floors, modern furniture, and expensive looking artwork hanging on the walls. And then he saw the photos.
They were everywhere, displayed on shelves and frames: family photos. But instead of normal images, these showed floating clothes in various poses and locations. There was one of three sets of clothes at the beach: a floral dress (presumably Hagakure's mother), a business suit (her father), and a smaller dress with a sun hat (little Toru). Another showed formal wear at what looked like a wedding. A third had casual clothes at Tokyo Disneyland.
"That is my family," Hagakure said, noticing where he was looking. "Mom, Dad, and me. We are all invisible."
"That must make family photos interesting."
"You have no idea. The photographer always looks so confused."
Ren picked up a photo showing a small dress standing between two adult outfits. The clothes suggested a happy family moment, even if he could not see any faces.
"This one is cute. How old were you?"
"Eight. That was my first day of elementary school. Dad took the morning off work specifically for that."
There was warmth in her voice when she spoke about her parents. Despite their absence, she clearly loved them.
"They seem like good parents."
"They are. I mean, I wish they were around more, but they are trying to build their business so they can retire early and spend more time with me later. It is a bit backwards, but I get it."
So she is alone but not neglected, Ren thought. That is better than other situations, but it is still a little bit sad.
"Hey!" Hagakure's voice suddenly brightened with cheer. "Since you walked me all the way here and were a perfect gentleman, how about I make you dinner? It is the least I can do. Besides, I still owe you one for ruining your ears."
Ren raised an eyebrow.
"You want to make up for me grabbing your butt by making me dinner?"
"That is what I said, yes."
"Seems like a strange compensation system."
"Do you want free food or not, baldy?"
"I want free food."
"Then shut up and sit down."
She led him into the modern kitchen, which had granite countertops and appliances that probably cost more than his entire apartment. The refrigerator was large and well stocked, proving that despite being alone, Hagakure knew how to take care of herself.
"What can you cook?" he asked, genuinely curious.
"Well," her voice came from near the fridge, "I can make rice without burning it, which is more than some can say. And I am decent with curry. Oh, and I make an amazing omelet."
"Curry sounds good."
"Curry it is then! Although you have to help. I am not doing all the work by myself."
"Wasn't this supposed to be your way of making it up to me?"
"I get to decide how I pay. Now grab that cutting board."
Ren found himself standing at the counter with a knife and various vegetables while Hagakure's floating kitchen apron moved around gathering ingredients. It was surreal to see an apron over a school uniform pulling out pots and pans.
"Alright," she said, "you handle the vegetables. Carrots, potatoes, and onions. Think you can handle it without cutting a finger off?"
"I have used knives before, Hagakure san."
"Just checking. You have telekinesis, right? Can't you just chop them with your mind?"
Ren paused, considering it seriously.
"I probably could, but that feels like cheating. Besides, I need the practice. My knife skills are terrible."
"At least you are honest about it."
He started chopping carrots, focusing on making uniform slices. Beside him, the floating apron moved efficiently, measuring rice and water. Suddenly, Hagakure positioned herself right next to him.
"Look, you are cutting those way too thick. Let me show you."
He felt hands guide his, adjusting the angle of the knife.
"Like this," she explained. "Thinner slices cook more evenly."
"Got it. Thanks, sensei."
"You are a terrible student."
They fell into an easy rhythm, working together. Ren handled the vegetables while Hagakure managed the curry roux and the rice. The kitchen filled with delicious smells that made his stomach growl embarrassingly loud.
"When was the last time you ate a real meal?" she asked without waiting for an answer.
The curry turned out great. Hagakure clearly knew what she was doing despite her earlier modesty. She seasoned it perfectly and the consistency was just right.
"Alright," she announced, "go sit at the table. I'll bring everything out."
"Are you sure? I can help."
"You helped enough. Go sit."
Ren obeyed, settling into a comfortable chair at the dining table. The table was large enough for six people, but it felt empty with only one visible person sitting at it. Moments later, the floating apron brought out two plates of curry and rice. One was placed in front of him. The other floated to the chair opposite him and settled in.
"Itadakimasu!" they said simultaneously.
Ren took the first bite and his eyes went wide.
"Crap, this is good."
"Language! We are eating!"
"Sorry, but seriously, this is really good. Way better than I expected."
"What were you expecting?"
"I don't know. Mediocre curry? You are a student living alone. The bar wasn't very high."
"Well, thanks for the backhanded compliment, I guess."
They ate in comfortable silence for a while. Ren watched the floating spoon in front of him move methodically, scooping up curry and rice before disappearing into the invisible space where Hagakure's mouth presumably was.
This is so weird, he thought. Should I use my X ray vision to see her? M...
After dinner, Ren helped with the dishes despite her protests. They worked side by side at the sink, him washing while she dried with a floating towel.
"This was nice," she said softly. "The house gets really quiet when it is just me."
"I get you. My apartment is always quiet."
"We should do this more often. Maybe we could study together or something."
"Are you asking me on a study date, Hagakure san?"
"Maybe I am. You got a problem with that, baldy?"
"No problem at all. Just making sure I understand the situation correctly."
*****
Quick Update: Milestone reached!
Big milestone today: I finally reached my 10,000-word goal! I've kept a few parts in the vault for now because they didn't feel quite right yet, but I'm really happy with where we are.
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