The star-filled night sky was crystal clear in the small countryside of Japan, far from the light pollution of the big cities. A married couple, Hideo and Misaki Takamura, were enjoying the natural scenery while camping in an open field, the cool night breeze gently brushing against their tent. However, their peaceful moment was suddenly disrupted when a celestial object streaked through the atmosphere, leaving behind a trail of blue light before crashing with a loud boom just a few meters from their campsite.
Shaken by the event, the couple cautiously approached the crash site. In the middle of a small crater, still emitting thin wisps of smoke, lay a large egg-shaped object that shimmered under the moonlight. With curiosity mixed with caution, they reached out to touch its warm surface—until, all of a sudden, the top part of the object opened, revealing a baby boy with a human-like face yet an unusual aura.
From that moment on, Hideo and Misaki decided to keep their discovery a secret, realizing that no reports from space agencies or satellite monitors mentioned any meteor crashing in the area. They raised the baby as their own, naming him Ren Takamura and showering him with love as if he were their biological son. As time passed, they silently watched as he grew into an extraordinary individual, possessing intelligence and abilities that defied human scientific understanding.
Under the bright morning sky, a teenager with dark blue hair that shimmered with a silver hue casually walked toward his school. A large headset rested on his head, playing music that drowned out the surrounding noise. Ren Takamura, clad in a black hoodie over his school uniform, seemed to be in his own world—a sight that stood out compared to most other high school students in Japan.
As he entered the school grounds, a few curious glances were cast his way, but Ren was already used to it. Upon reaching his still-empty classroom, he took off his hoodie and headset before settling into his seat, as if switching to "ordinary student mode." However, the moment he sat down, he put his headset back on and opened an advanced mechanics book—something uncommon in a regular school that didn't specialize in engineering. He read it leisurely, occasionally chuckling at concepts he found far too simple compared to his vastly superior understanding.
Naturally, his peculiar habits led most of his classmates to keep their distance. However, there was one person who never hesitated to approach him—his childhood friend, who also happened to be in the same class.
"Yooo! Have you had breakfast yet?"
The cheerful voice came from a sturdy young man with a relaxed expression, striding toward Ren before plopping down on the seat beside him. His wide grin remained unchanged despite his slightly droopy eyes, a sign that he probably hadn't gotten enough sleep last night. This was Kiriya Asano, Ren's childhood friend, always full of energy—though more often than not, that energy was spent on unproductive things.
Ren glanced at him briefly before letting out a quiet sigh. "Kiriya-chan... You look sluggish today too."
Instantly, Kiriya's body stiffened, shuddering at the nickname. "Hey, can you not call me that? It feels weird!" he protested, leaning back against the desk with an annoyed expression.
"Heh, that's never going to change. Also, Kiriya will always be Kiriya-chan—forever," Ren replied flatly, shifting his focus back to his book.
"Haaah... You're so stubborn," Kiriya sighed in resignation before pulling something out of a small plastic bag he had brought. "Anyway, here's your chocolate bread. I bought it from the convenience store earlier."
Ren's eyes gleamed slightly as he took the bread with a small nod. "Hohoho, thanks. As expected, you always know my taste." He unwrapped it casually but still kept an eye on Kiriya, whose tired expression seemed more pronounced than usual. "By the way, you look pretty down. Did you stay up all night again?"
Kiriya snorted and dropped his head onto the desk. "Yeah... I just got rejected by Chiya-chan!" he confessed dramatically, as if his entire world had crumbled. "So I vented my frustration by playing games! But instead of feeling better, I ended up getting matched with a bunch of trolls, making it a double kill!"
Ren paused for a moment, staring at him with a blank expression before exhaling softly. "Unfortunate," he remarked lightly before taking a bite of his bread.
Kiriya lifted his head with a look of disbelief. "You seriously have no empathy, huh?" he muttered, rubbing his own face. However, after a few seconds, he straightened up and gazed at Ren with curiosity. "Hey, Ren. I've been wondering about this—don't you want to enjoy your youth like a normal person? Living all the time must be boring, right? We're already in our second year, you know!"
Ren raised an eyebrow slightly, as if waiting for further explanation. "Youth? Be more specific."
"Haaah..." Kiriya let out a long sigh, placing both hands on the desk as if trying to shake some sense into his friend. "I mean... Do you really want to be some shut-in otaku? At least try socializing with others and get yourself a girlfriend! That way, your school life will be much more exciting!"
Ren slowly chewed his bread, giving Kiriya a brief glance before shaking his head lazily. "You're spouting nonsense. Who set that standard? I'd love to know what's going on in your head to turn this place of learning into your personal entertainment club."
Kiriya clicked his tongue in frustration while Ren returned his attention to his book. Though they had differing views on "youth," conversations like these had already become their morning routine. However, for Ren, all of this was just a minor disturbance in his peaceful life—a life he had yet to realize was about to change forever.
Kiriya leaned back in his chair, a rare serious expression on his face. "I'm being serious here," he said, slightly leaning forward. With a small nod of his chin, he gestured toward a girl sitting not far from them. "So, aren't you interested in Hana-chan?"
Following Kiriya's gaze, Ren spotted a bespectacled girl with long, flowing hair, completely engrossed in whatever she was reading at her desk. Hana Sakuragi, one of their classmates, was known for being quiet but consistently ranked among the top in their exams. Noticing that Ren was looking at her, her face instantly turned red, and she hurriedly pretended to focus on her book—which, upon closer inspection, was actually a manga with its cover discreetly hidden behind an additional paper wrapping.
Ren let out a small sigh before leaning back in his chair. "Hmm... She's nice but kind of clumsy," he commented casually, showing no particular interest. "But Kiriya, you already know that romance isn't my priority right now. I'm more interested in this." He tapped on the mechanics book on his desk. "I want to hone my skills and achieve what I want first. Only after that will I even consider looking for love."
Kiriya scoffed, clearly dissatisfied with the answer. But before he could argue, Ren continued in a flat yet sharp tone. "Besides, I have my own views on relationships. People like you think it's all sweet and beautiful, but once you grow up, you'll be slapped by the harsh reality of how relationships actually work." He slowly closed his book, his expression unreadable as he looked at Kiriya. "In the end, when you have money, any woman will come to you—just like bees attracted to the nectar called 'wealth.'"