Chapter 32: Encouragement and Encounter
No major hairstyle changes were needed—just a trim of the bangs and some light styling.
To be honest, Hitori had almost no proper hair care routine to speak of. At most, she washed it every few days as usual. Yet despite this, her hair remained incredibly smooth and silky.
It was a natural gift and a stroke of luck for her. Otherwise, given her lifestyle habits and her tendency to hide in closets at the slightest provocation, she might well have started to smell musty.
As the stray hairs fell away, Hitori's clear, blue eyes—now tinged with shyness—were fully revealed. They were beautiful and captivating, though still shadowed by a hint of insecurity.
"You look adorable, Bocchi-chan."
Ren carefully styled Hitori's hair, even taking the time to tie it up into a ponytail for a change of look.
Of course, it was only in the space beneath the stairwell that Hitori could accept such a transformation. If they were out in public, she'd probably have melted into a puddle by now.
Leaving her hair down was an important shield for her—one she couldn't easily let go of in a short time.
"You're lying… It's actually pretty plain, right…?"
Though secretly pleased by the compliment, her inner insecurity quickly smothered that flicker of pride. Hitori averted her gaze, caught between delight and self-doubt.
"That's just a matter of styling—it has nothing to do with you, Bocchi-chan. Come on, if you just hold your head up, you'll be the prettiest girl in class."
It's easy to look plain or unkempt—just skip showers and wear the same clothes for days. But transforming from that state into a beautiful girl isn't simple. Hitori truly had excellent natural features.
Even in her tracksuit with her hair down, once her bangs were trimmed, her lovely face—pretty enough to debut as a popular idol—made her seem like a completely different person.
"Wait… Is that you, Hitori?"
When they returned to the classroom after lunch break, their classmates glanced at them a few extra times. After all, the two of them weren't even pretending not to be dating anymore—they came to school together, went home together, and spent lunch breaks together. Anyone could tell they were close, even if they weren't openly affectionate in class.
But today, when the class saw Ren bringing back an unfamiliar girl with stunning, naturally beautiful features, they were all stunned.
It wasn't until they noticed the pink tracksuit—the kind only Hitori would wear—that they realized who she was.
It came as a genuine shock. They'd only known Hitori as possibly reclusive and a little odd—no one had ever mentioned she was this pretty.
"I thought you were just trying to keep a low profile. Turns out you'd discovered how beautiful Hitori is."
Gabriel remarked indifferently after getting a clear look at Hitori's features.
"Hear that, Bocchi-chan? You're so pretty I was willing to pursue you actively."
Ren smiled and glanced at Hitori, who was still soaking in her classmates' stunned reactions. Hitori needed to change, and he had been working hard to help her do just that.
"It… It can't be that exaggerated, right? Hehehe~"
Easy to flatter and even easier to reassure, Hitori—who had been so unsure of herself—could barely contain her excitement now. If it were just Ren praising her, she might have chalked it up to love being blind.
But now even Gabriel and the others were saying she was pretty… Did that mean she really was beautiful? Surely Ren hadn't conspired with the whole class to trick her and watch her get carried away and embarrass herself, right?
"..."
Yuno didn't speak, merely watching Hitori with a gentle smile. Hitori posed no threat; still immature at this stage, she wasn't suitable to be Ren's lover yet, so Yuno needed to continue biding her time.
After trimming her bangs slightly shorter while keeping everything else the same, Hitori noticed more people paying attention to her than before. At first, she felt happy and proud.
But it didn't take long for the pressure to become overwhelming. She started hunching her shoulders and slouching again, significantly undermining the advantages her looks had given her. Since this wasn't something that could be resolved quickly, Ren didn't push her.
After school in the afternoon, he dropped Hitori off at Kessoku Band before leaving. He could have stayed by her side the whole time, but it wasn't necessary—just look at his current relationship with Anon.
Even as a couple, it was important to respect each other's personal time. At the very least, Ren wouldn't frequently attend band activities. Nijika was someone he could trust to handle things.
As for Ryo, he just hoped she wouldn't constantly ask to borrow money from him.
With a car at his disposal, Ren began reacquainting himself with Tokyo. He drove aimlessly along the roads and eventually found himself at the Rainbow Bridge in the Odaiba Seaside Park entertainment district, located in northern Tokyo Bay. By evening, as the sky darkened, he could see the neon lights glowing brightly from afar. Deciding to take a break, he headed there.
After parking his car, Ren slowly walked onto the bridge. He took a photo of the night view and the bridgescape and sent it to Hitori. He thought he could bring her here sometime—having a car suddenly expanded the number of places they could visit together. The importance of convenient transportation was clear now, making life freer and more flexible.
Of course, that was assuming there was no traffic. Being able to arrive smoothly during the evening rush hour meant Ren's luck wasn't too bad.
Free from the pressures and anxieties of life's struggles, Ren bought a cup of milk tea and leaned against the railing in a less crowded spot on the bridge, admiring the night view and watching the stream of vehicles.
As the night deepened, pedestrian access was restricted after 9 p.m. As the cutoff time approached, people strolling on the bridge began to leave in succession.
Ren chose not to join the crowd immediately. He waited until the numbers thinned before turning to leave.
It was then that he noticed a girl with long pink hair, similar to Hitori's, standing not far away. She was dressed in casual clothes, her features slightly youthful, making her appear quite young. Her hair was styled into two buns on top of her head. From the side, her eyes seemed vacant and lifeless, with an unusually rare rose-red hue.
Upon spotting another pink-haired beauty, Ren merely glanced a couple of times longer, initially planning to ignore her. But those extra looks made him sense something unusual.
First, there was her aura—whether it should be described as lonely or empty was unclear. She gave off a fragile, almost breakable impression, her slender frame like a small boat tossed in turbulent waves, easily capsized by a single gust.
Moreover, from the side, her eyes appeared devoid of spirit. They were on a bridge, high above the estuary—a height sufficient to ensure that jumping would likely end everything.
Was she contemplating suicide?
After considering various factors, Ren had formed this speculation, but he didn't dare to be certain. So he simply stopped walking, intending to observe whether the person had come for relaxation or to end their life.
As if to confirm Ren's suspicion, the pink-haired girl with two hair buns atop her head grabbed the railing and made a motion to climb over. The guardrail wasn't suitable for standing on—she would need to climb over and stand properly to jump down with some semblance of dignity.
She really was going to commit suicide...
Ren hadn't expected to encounter such a situation. This seemed even more troublesome than when Yuno was being harassed.
Should he just leave it alone?
Ren sighed. Having witnessed this happening right before his eyes, he couldn't bring himself to turn a blind eye. If he had the ability to help, he should at least try. If she wouldn't listen to persuasion, then he could only respect her choice and let fate take its course.
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