Ren froze.
The door opened Slowly.
Then closed again.
Ren exhaled quietly.
"…Huh."
Footsteps followed. Then—
"Oh!"
The voice was soft, startled, immediately followed by silence so complete it was almost painful.
Ren turned the corner.
A girl stood just inside the living area, one hand still gripping the door handle, the other clutching the strap of a small shoulder bag like it was the only solid thing in the world. She looked frozen mid-motion, eyes wide, posture caught somewhere between stepping forward and backing away.
They stared at each other. The girl She has long, pale blue hair that falls in soft waves down her back, usually tied on one side with a simple ribbon. Her clear blue eyes give her a gentle, expressive look, brightening when she smiles and softening when she grows shy. With delicate features and a calm, graceful presence.
The moment stretched.
It wasn't charged nor dramatic. It was just… deeply, profoundly awkward. The girl eyed Ren, He was in the middle of the room half naked, with a towel covering his lower half. His body was incredibly fit and muscular, from his arms, to his chest. His abs were visible and a V line went down to his… The girl gulped before looking back at him.
Ren blinked once.
The girl blinked twice.
Her face flushed pink, then red.
"I—! I'm—! I'm so sorry!" she blurted out all at once. "I thought— I mean— I was told— I didn't think anyone would be—!"
She cut herself off, clearly struggling to form a complete sentence.
Ren raised a hand calmly, palm outward.
"Okay," he said evenly. "Let's pause."
She froze again, as if the word had physically stopped her.
"First," Ren continued, tone relaxed but steady, "you're not in trouble. Second, I'm not mad. Third—" he gestured vaguely at himself, then the hallway, "—this is just a really bad first timing situation."
She stared at him, processing.
"…Oh."
"Yeah."
She nodded quickly and turned around so fast she nearly hit her forehead on the wall.
"I'm not looking!" she said urgently, pressing her palms flat against the wall like she was being arrested. "I swear—!"
Ren couldn't help it. A quiet laugh escaped him.
"Relax," he said. "I believe you. I'm gonna go put clothes on before this becomes a story we both regret telling later."
"Yes— please— thank you—!" she said, voice muffled.
Ren retreated into his room and closed the door behind him, leaning back against it for a second.
He stared at the ceiling.
"…Welcome to normal life," he muttered.
He dressed quickly—black shirt, loose pants, comfortable and familiar. He dried his hair once more, then reached for his sunglasses automatically.
His hand paused. He stared at them for a moment. Then set them down.
When he stepped back into the living area, the girl was still standing by the wall, posture stiff, eyes firmly fixed on a framed emergency evacuation map like it was the most fascinating thing she'd ever seen.
"You can turn around now," Ren said.
She turned slowly.
"Oh. Okay. Yes. Fully dressed. That's— good."
Ren tilted his head. "You sound relieved."
She laughed nervously. "Just a bit."
The tension eased, just slightly.
"I'm Ren," he said, offering a casual nod. "Looks like we're sharing this place."
She relaxed visibly. "Right. I'm Luce. Luce Aurelian."
"Nice name."
"Thank you."
She shifted her bag on her shoulder, glancing around the apartment. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything important."
Ren shrugged. "Only my illusion of control over my day."
That earned a small laugh.
They stood there for a moment, both clearly unsure what the next step was supposed to be. Eventually, Luce gestured toward the couch.
"Can I—?"
"Yeah," Ren said. "Go ahead."
She sat, smoothing her dress reflexively. Ren leaned against the kitchen counter instead, arms loosely crossed, posture relaxed but attentive.
"So," Luce said after a moment, "you live here already?"
"Moved in earlier today."
"Oh! Me too. Well— technically." She smiled sheepishly. "I got the keys this morning but figured I'd come back later to unpack."
Ren nodded. "Guess the landlord didn't think to warn either of us."
She sighed. "Figures."
She glanced at him again, more carefully this time. Not staring. Just observing.
"You're a student?" she asked.
"Yeah. Second year. Transfer."
Her eyes lit up. "Same year! I'm not a transfer, though. Kuoh Academy."
"Same."
"That's a relief," she said. "I was worried I'd be living with someone completely unrelated to my schedule."
Ren smirked. "Still unrelated. Just conveniently aligned."
They talked more after that. About Kuoh Academy—teachers with strange reputations, clubs that met far too often, the usual student rumors. Luce spoke easily when she got comfortable, hands moving as she talked, enthusiasm slipping out before she caught herself and toned it down.
Ren listened more than he spoke, chiming in with dry comments and casual humor. He found himself answering without thinking, the conversation flowing more naturally than he expected.
"You're… surprisingly easy to talk to," Luce said at one point, then immediately looked embarrassed. "I mean— sorry— that sounded weird."
Ren glanced away briefly.
"…It's fine," he said. "Just not something I hear a lot."
Her expression softened. "Then I'm glad."
That simple.
Eventually, she stood, stretching slightly.
"I'll unpack later," she said. "I just wanted to make sure everything was okay."
Ren nodded. "Yeah. We're good."
She paused near the hallway.
"…Ren?"
"Yeah?"
"I think this'll work," she said, smiling shyly. "Living here, I mean."
He returned the smile, small but genuine.
"…Yeah," he said. "I think so too."
She disappeared into her room, door closing softly behind her. Ren leaned back against the counter and exhaled. The apartment felt different now.
He stared at the ceiling, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Guess this is how normal starts," he murmured.
Outside, Kuoh Town remained peaceful.
But the quiet had shifted.
And Ren Gojo, whether he liked it or not, had just taken his first real step into a life he'd never been trained for.
…
I woke up before the alarm.
That wasn't unusual. Years of training had wired my body to treat dawn like a suggestion, not a boundary. What was unusual was the feeling that followed it—the quiet sense that someone else existed on the other side of the wall, breathing, moving, living their own morning.
Roommate. I've never had a roommate before, well no one my age at the very least.
I stared at the ceiling for a moment, listening. No cursed energy shifts, No pressure. Just the faint sound of water running somewhere in the building and the hum of electricity in the walls. It's a habit that I've had since that day.
I got up, stretched, and padded into the kitchen.
The fridge was mostly empty, but I'd planned ahead. Eggs. Bread. A few vegetables. Nothing fancy, but enough to make something warm. I cracked eggs into a bowl, whisked them lazily, set a pan on the stove. The smell of cooking filled the apartment quickly, grounding in a way techniques and barriers never were.
Halfway through flipping the eggs, I heard soft footsteps.
Then Luce appeared in the doorway, hair slightly messy, cardigan draped over her shoulders like she'd thrown it on without thinking.
She stopped when she saw me at the stove.
"Oh," she said. "You're… cooking?"
I glanced over my shoulder. "That's usually what happens when heat meets food." is me cooking that weird?
She blinked, then laughed softly. "Sorry. I just— I didn't expect that."
"Why not?"
She shrugged, moving closer. "Most people our age just grab something packaged or don't eat at all."
I slid the eggs onto a plate and reached for another. "Tragic." No really Tragic.
She leaned against the counter, watching me work. "You're up early."
"It's a Habit."
"For school?"
"Also habit."
She smiled, then paused, studying my face more closely than before.
"…Your eyes," she said suddenly.
I looked up. "What about them?"
"They're really striking," she said, then immediately waved her hands. "I mean—not in a weird way! Just— they're very clear, they're like the ocean" She suddenly tensed.
I felt my throat tighten for half a second.
"…Thanks," I said
She seemed relieved I hadn't taken it badly. "I like them," she added, then froze. "I mean—!"
I smiled. "Relax. Compliment accepted."
I handed her a plate. "Sit, eat."
She did, still a little flustered. We ate together in comfortable silence for a minute before I spoke again.
"You look nice today," I said casually.
She choked slightly on her toast.
"I— what?"
I shrugged. "You do. That color suits you."
Her face turned red instantly. She's cute, she turns red over everything.
"Oh. Um. Thank you." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, suddenly very focused on her plate. "You're… uh… not so bad yourself."
"High praise," I said.
She laughed, the embarrassment easing into something warmer.
We left the apartment together a little later, walking side by side toward Kuoh Academy. The town was already alive—students chatting, shops opening, the world moving without any idea how fragile it really was.
As soon as we stepped through the school gates, I felt it.
Eyes, lots of them.
Whispers followed like a ripple through water. I didn't need cursed perception to know I stood out. Tall, unfamiliar, confident without trying—it always drew attention. I'd learned to ignore it.
Luce noticed, though.
"…You're popular already," she murmured.
"Unintentional," I replied. "I swear." Not I'm for real, I can't help it.
We split off toward our classes, and I stepped into my new classroom a few minutes before the bell.
The teacher introduced me briefly. I bowed, wrote my name on the board.
"Ren," I said. "Nice to meet you."
A few murmurs. A few curious stares. Then, as I scanned the room, something caught. It felt me watching it.
It was faint, buried deep inside a boy with messy brown hair sitting near the back—Issei Hyoudou, according to the seating chart. Whatever it was, it felt dormant, coiled, like power waiting for permission to exist.
Interesting. I said I wanted a normal life, but I already got bored, I'm curious about that thing inside him.
I took my seat, resting my chin on my hand as the lesson began.