When he was barely a young adult, Rie had gone through a phase of questioning. He questioned the way his father raised him, as well as his own raison d'etre. He remembered how he woke up each day full of spite as he went through what felt like hell--having to wake up long before sunrise to undergo training regimes, then continue to commute to the learning institute and receive lectures. After he returned to the building he called home, he was given very little break time before he was called for further training. The cycle of torture repeated daily, to the point he at point had grown numb and could no longer complain.

In results, he was extremely apathetic of his surroundings. If he had any emotions left, it was spent on resenting the bastard of a father he had. When he was much younger, Rie innocently complied to his father's demands to please him, hoping to get praised for his hard work. Yet, he never received it even once.

After training, the old man would give him more homework. He was chained to his room, forced to hone his skills. He never interacted with anyone around his age. On the rare times Rie was left to do whatever he wanted, he would often go to town and observe a band of kids playing together. He watched them dance and laugh together from a distance. Even with all the knowledge he was forced to swallow, never once did he learn how to approach other people.

That's why it was a miracle when Rie developed a connection with his upperclassman at the learning institute.

Rie could no longer recall the man’s name. He only remembered the smirk and laughter he always had whenever Rie passed by at the institute hall. Rie always averted his gaze, paying no attention to the people surrounding him. He didn't know how else to deal with them, as he had always been alone. Ignoring people had become his specialty throughout the years.

That is, until one day the same man stopped him in his tracks to talk to him.

‘Heyya. You're always in such a rush. Mind entertaining me over lunchtime?’

Rie glared at him. Why him of all people? Clearly, he didn't want anything to do with the man.

He opened his mouth to reject the offer, but was stopped when the man took a hold of his hand, leading him away. He tried to protest, but a tiny portion of him that longed for the excitement to break away from his routine told him to shut up--it was irrational, but in the end he kept quiet and followed the man due to his own will.

True to his word, the man did take him out for lunch. It started out extremely awkward, as Rie didn't know how to strike conversations. Still, the man showed no malicious intent, engaging in small talks to get Rie talking. While at first Rie only answered out of courtesy (another product of his father's teaching), as time passed by, he found himself enjoying the talks they had together.

The first set of questions were just chit chats, but the man must’ve sensed Rie’s lack of interest, as the conversation quickly grew into something deeper. He didn’t ask Rie about his favorite food or place--he was asking things Rie hadn’t questioned before.

‘In what scenario, if any, do you think it's okay to lie?’

‘When, if ever, do you think it's okay to break the law?’

‘If you had the power to correct one problem in the world, what would you fix?’

Rie was beyond surprised when he heard those questions. He thought he was going out for lunch, not a philosophy class. Still, he stayed calm and answered the questions as best as he could. The man didn’t ridicule his answers; it seemed like he was genuinely interested in hearing Rie’s responses. Rie couldn’t help but return the questions. It was then that he found that despite the rash actions, the man was actually a scholar of wise words. Rie was deeply fascinated by the discussion, forgetting what they came to do.

After the first time, Rie found himself wanting to repeat the experience. He wanted to talk to the man. Rie remembered how he was running late due to the amount of time they spent talking, but he squeezed in time to ask:

‘Can we have lunch together again?’

Rie distinctly remembered how the man smiled and nodded in approval. It was a memory that left a mark for him, from the sheer amount of joy he felt that day. He remembered the fleeting happiness he had all the way home. Even as he was faced with a dozen of homework by the time he reached his house, he now had something to look forward to. Ever since, Rie became invested in spending time with the older man.

One day, out of the blue, Rie asked why the man had approached him in the first place.

‘You always come and go with such a sad look. I wanted to see you smile just once.’