Chapter 1: Ren

A Chapter by Ozzz

Chapter 1

I'm a normal college student from the Philippines. When I say 'normal', I mean so normal that you wouldn't even believe that somebody so average like me exists. No, that's wrong. I'm below average. No talents in anything be it music, sports, academics, or in any aspect you can think of. Heck, even my physique is average or below average. The common black hair, common brown eyes, average height of a male of my age, average or below average grades, thin, dull and plain. They say that if you have a high IQ, you'll have low EQ and vice versa but that rule doesn't apply to me. I have low EQ and low IQ.

If you ask the people around me about me, they probably didn't even know I existed before you asked them or if they do know, they'll say something along the lines "What of him? There's nothing special about that guy." That's right. I have zero presence, zero motivation to do anything, zero emotions, zero confidence, and an unbreakable poker face and monotonous voice.

They said that no matter what, you'll be the main character of your own story but if I were to describe myself, I'll say that I am a side character or a background character even of my own story. Right, a background character that even the artists won't have any vigor to draw or even sketch. A faceless character, a character meant to be in the sidelines, a character meant to be a pebble in the road side, a character that no one would take any interest in. Yep, just that. Nothing more, maybe something less.

One day my brother decided to drag me to his group in this extraordinary college that I got in due to him pulling the strings so I can't really say no. On that night, he dragged me forcefully to one of his meetings. He tried introducing me to them one by one but he ended up failing because they can't see me although I am in front of them. Just like that, he gave up. So I gained my freedom for the mean time.

They then one by one walked into a room where the meeting will occur except my brother. He gave me a long side glance that tries to tell me something. I reacted by tilting my head to the right and a question mark on top of my head. He sighed and entered the room.

I kept thinking what my brother was trying to tell my using his eyes... Oh I see! I just remembered that I don't have a place to stay. So yeah, I guess I'll just wait for the meeting to end and have my brother to get me a place to stay. I can wait. It's comfortable in here anyway. The outside of the room is equipped with lots of things to read (which I am not really interested in) and chairs so that students can wait outside the room. So yeah, I stayed outside and sat in a chair. And another thing, all rooms in this university are air conditioned and I'm not good with cold so I would love not to go inside because I'm only wearing a t-shirt and trousers when my brother dragged me in here.

10 minutes passed and I'm already kind of bored. I dropped my face into the armchair of the chair I am sitting on and covered my head with my left arm and used my right arm as the pillow. I napped in that position; or more accurately, I am half-asleep. I am resting but I kind of know what is happening in my surroundings or something like that. I can't really explain it since I am not good at talking, socializing, writing, or whatever that is connected to words and speech. So that will be a story for another day.

"Hey, you there."

"..."

A female's voice was heard. A small voice that seems to come from a middle school kid.

"You, the kid wearing white t-shirt and brown trousers there."

…Kid, she said?

It piqued my curiosity so I raised my head and looked at where the voice was coming from. I saw a long black-haired woman wearing jeans paired with blue polo shirt with sharp green eyes that looks like she is a freshman high school student but strangely, she gives off an aura of a grown-up.

I looked around and pointed myself with my index finger and asked "Me?" while tilting my head to the right and a question mark on top of my head.

"Yes. You!"

I stood up and walked towards the woman.

"Can you help me with this papers even just until in front of that door?"

She pointed to the door of the room my brother and his group are meeting. Knowing that I won't be able to talk properly and that my physical abilities are way too low, I didn't reply and just took some of the papers she is holding and walked near the door with her and placed them on top of one of the chairs.

"What's your name?"

She asked as if it’s the most natural thing to do. As expected of a social butterfly.

"Ren."

I said blandly.

"Un… Thank you Reeen. Very much appreciated."

She said while seeming to be in a good mood because she sustained the ‘e’ in my name a lot.

"..."

Confirming that I won't be replying by staring at me for a short amount of time, she smiled like a child and I really did think she was a child for a moment because she was a little short for a highschool girl, had her hair tied with ponytail, and the strange aura of a grown-up disappeared for a moment. She knocked on the door and a person inside took the papers and they both went in. I went back to the chair I was in and resumed my nap in the same position as before.

Little did I know that this encounter will make the frozen cogs turn again.

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