Unexpected

Meanwhile, Ri-me sat in his college classroom, the noise of the other students and the teacher's voice just a low buzz in his ears.

The feeling of something new was with him. He sat at his desk, staring out the window at the cloudy weather. He watched the cars drive by, the people on the sidewalk, and the world seemed to be moving on as if nothing had changed.

But for him, everything had changed.

He was the one who could do something about it. As he looked at the world outside, he thought about all the rude things he had seen people do, and the beliefs they held.

The cold, dark purpose he had found last night returned. He had a way to take his own justice.

When his class ended, Ri-me calmly packed his bags. The other students began to move, their happy chatter filling the air of the classroom. Ri-me stood up and began to walk.

He moved slowly through the crowded hallway, his bag on his shoulder. His face was calm and showed nothing. The surrounding students talked and laughed, excited about their off time.

Ri-me observed them all, his eyes moving over each happy face. He watched as they talked, and he walked on, a quiet figure in a sea of noise.

The thought of his new purpose was heavy and cold in his mind, and the happiness of the others felt far away from him. He kept walking, moving toward the front doors of the college, his long walk giving him a sense of calm purpose.

He continued to walk through the crowded hallway, his mind sharp and focused on the new purpose that filled him. Suddenly, a hand gently touched his back.

He stopped and slightly opened his eyes wider than normal before looking over his shoulder. A kind girl from his class stood there, a warm smile on her face.

Her hand was now on his arm, and Ri-me felt a wave of confusion. He was not used to someone being so close to him.

He was even more confused to see someone so happy and carefree, especially so close to him. "Hi," she said, her smile not fading.

Ri-me's eyes went back to normal, his surprise and confusion quickly fading. His face went calm and cold.

"What do you want?" he asked, his voice flat and empty.

Sena’s smile did not fade. "My name is Sena Kobayashi," she said. She looked him in the eyes, her kindness clear on her face.

"I'm sorry to bother you. I was just wondering about your behavior in class."

Ri-me's mind went cold and sharp. What kind of behavior? he thought. Does she find me suspicious?

His face remained calm, but his mind raced with a thousand reasons why she would know what he had done.

Sena’s smile stayed in place. She lowered her hand from his arm. "You're always so quiet," she said, her voice gentle. "You don't talk to anyone.

You just sit there and stare out the window, like you're lost in another world. We were worried about you."

Ri-me's calm face did not change. But in his mind, a thousand cold and angry thoughts began to race.

Why me only? he thought. There are more people than me who are quiet. Why does she even care? He looked at her kind, smiling face, a deep feeling of confusion taking hold.

Nobody ever did. He was used to being hated and ignored, and the kindness from her was a language he did not understand.

Suddenly, her voice came again, catching him off guard for a second. His eyes flickered, and his calm mask almost broke.

He quickly regained his position, his face going cold and empty once more. "I'm sorry," Sena said, her voice gentle. "You just seemed so far away. My friends and I were just worried about you."

Ri-me's voice was flat and cold. "Why me?" he asked.

Sena’s smile stayed in place. She lowered her hand from his arm. "Because everyone deserves a friend," she said. "No one should have to be alone. I see you in class every day, and I've always thought it was a shame that you don't talk to anyone. I thought maybe a friendly face was all it took."

Her voice was soft but strong. "I just wanted to be that for you. So I asked my friends, and we all wanted to know if you were okay."

As Sena talked, Ri-me's eyes opened a little more. For the first time, he saw a face clearly. The other students in the hallway were just blurry shapes, but her face was sharp and real.

He looked at her kind eyes and her warm smile. It was the first time he had truly seen a person since he got his power, and her face was no longer just a blurry thing in the world.

He looked at her for a second, his eyes open, and her face became sharp and clear in his mind. The moment lasted only a second before his face went cold again.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice flat. "I'm getting late. My father told me to come home quickly as he had work for me."

He turned and started to move away. "Wait," Sena said, her voice full of confusion. She stopped right after, not following him.

He continued his way home, the cold, hard ground feeling strange and new under his feet. He walked with a firm purpose, no longer panicked.

As he walked, he whispered to himself, "Get ready."

The day was ending, and the sky began to change.

The sun, a burning orange, was going down, but a dark gray spread across the sky, and heavy clouds rolled in. The wind began to pick up, and a storm was coming.

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