IDIOTS POSING SERIOUS

Bafflement took over Ren; he could only stare. “Oh, o-oh.”
This guy didn’t even apologize.

The two took a turn across the corner of the corridor. A girl was standing there, leaning against the wall. She was using her phone. Noticing them out of the corner of her eye. She put her phone in her pocket. 

Her eyes had a peculiar, haughty look in them. She kept her gaze directed at Nive. 
“Nive, is he getting a batch?”

She walked up next to Nive. Loud click sounds echoed as her long orange hair flopped behind her in a rhythmic wave. 
Without facing Ren, she added, “My name is also Nive.”

 Ren looked at the pair and blinked. What a mean pair.

The sound of Nive’s heels was the only thing filling the long silence.

I should try talking to them at least.
“S-so u-um N-nive….”
He paused, noticing himself gain prominence as the pair stared at him.

 “Boy one…..” he added.
The girl looked away, giving Ren a sense of pleasure.
"How do I get the batch?"

"Dacoria will give it to you," he replied.

"Who is he?"
What a difficult and weird name.

“He is one of the oldest and definitely the strongest member of Star Awesome.”

Ren recalled the adults in the photographs.

Hmm, must be one of them.

They finally entered the lounge, and Ren noticed Sen standing there. 

Ren almost teared up with joy seeing a familiar face.
Sen turned to him and pulled him in close.

Maybe he missed me, too.

Ren was about to hug him when he was stopped halfway. Realising it was not a hug after all.

“Listen up, Dacoria will try explaining stuff, but tell him that I told you everything.”

 Ren looked at him confused before he could enquire about the reason.

Sen continued, “His ways of teaching are the worst.”

The two Nives waved bye to them and went away. 

Most likely not interested in meeting Dacoria.

Sen moved away from Ren, looking around.
He went down one of the corridors
 Ren could only imagine a weirdo at this point.

The entrance to the lounge flipped open.
Ren prayed not to witness a pervert.

Ren saw that Philomena and that white-haired girl came in. Philomena noticed Ren and rushed over to him. “Hi Ren, sorry to leave you earlier like that.”

“N-not at all.” Ren was anxiously waiting for Dacoria, so he couldn’t care less.
The white-haired girl approached Ren and pulled up his sleeve.

“Ah, so you didn’t get a batch yet?”

Ren stared at her.

She lacks a sense of personal space.

He noticed Philomena looking out of the entrance, and she brightened when two boys entered.

“Hey! Is that the new guy?” The one with blue hair called out.

“Of course, he must be the new guy. Have you ever seen him before?” The younger red-haired one shot back. 

He is most likely the youngest here.

The two kids went up to Ren; the younger one poked him as the other stood there analysing Ren. Sen came back and noticed them. “Quit bothering him; he needs the batch.”

Ren remembered the old guy he had to meet. “Y-yeah, I am waiting for that weird Dac guy with an awful name.” 

“H-how mean…” The younger one pinched Ren.

He must like that guy.
Ren looked at the kid who was pouting while the blue one chuckled.
Philomena went to Sen and began conversing.

“My name is awesome, okay!” The red-haired kid shouted.

Ren stared blankly.

His name.

Sen joined in on the commotion and murmured to Ren, “Just say sorry.”

“S-sorry...I meant it’s a wonderful n-name.”

The pouting kid looked at him. “And is Star Awesome a weird name too?”

What type of silly question is that? I couldn't agree less.
Sen whispered to Ren, and confusingly, he blurted out, “N-no, it’s an awesome name.”

“I like you. U-uh, what is your name?”

The kid scratched his head, shifting from one foot to the other. 

Before Ren could reply, Dacoria walked past him. 
Did I just get ignored?

He kept moving his gaze from one thing to the other, then finally to Sen.

He walked up to him.
“Hi, sen~.” He spoke in a sing-song tone.

He was staring so hard as if his eyes were going to pop off.

Sen replied, completely uninterested, “Hi.”

The kid still stared. “Hi sen~”

Didn't he just say that?

Sen grabbed him by his shoulders, turning him to Ren.
“Look, a new person.” 

Dacoria’s eyes glistened. “Your name?”

“I—I am Ren.”

The kid looked at him in a complete daze, while the blue-haired one and the white-haired girl began staring. 

The three huddled around Ren.
“Sen?” Dacoria uttered inquiringly.
He was practically drooling. 
I think he likes Sen a lot.

“N-no, Ren.” The three turned their heads towards Sen.

The blue-haired one asked, “Your brother?” almost yelling.

“No, Damian, if our names are alike, that doesn’t mean we have to be siblings.”

Dacoria turned to Ren, pulling him down to his eye level.
“Are you a serious person?” 

What kind of question is that?

‘Say no; it's for your good.’ 

Ren heard Philomena’s voice in his head.
He looked at her; she was signaling to say no.

“N-no.”

It's hard keeping up with all this.

All three of them moved back, uninterested.
Dacoria looked at Ren with an unusually stern expression.
Is this supposed to be funny or scary?

“For all you know, I—er, we are really serious people, just like Sen.”
Ren noticed Sen, who had his face covered with his hand.

Philomena came to Ren apologetically. “They mean they are really intelligent.”

Dacoria looked at Philomena. “Yes, that.”

Sen glared at the three idiots. “Stop embarrassing yourself like that, and Shar, you aren’t that young to be behaving like that.”
The white-headed girl tilted her head back as she let out a whistle.

That name doesn’t suit her a bit.

Sen continued, “Well, this behaviour is unfit for all of you. Originally, you guys are older than all of us.”

Oh, right, the non-ager thing.

Dacoria and Damian called out at once, "But—“

"No buts. This might be the body you had when you came to this world, but didn’t Amanda tell you to stay in your older form?” Sen spoke sternly.

Dacoria sighed, tilting his head.
He took a step closer to Ren, leaning into him.
As he did so, his body began stretching.
Ren’s eyes widened.
Right before his eyes, the ten-year-old turned older, about the same age as himself.

The red hair strands elongated, flowing down his back.
Dacoria brushed his hair off his face, moving away from Ren.

So that’s what it looks like if someone grows a whole 7 years in about half a minute.

He noticed the 13-year-old, blue-haired kid was now old too.
He was chuckling while looking at Dacoria. “You look funny with long hair.”

Dacoria went to him. “Your face is funny.”

The two ground their teeth at each other.
The white-haired girl began tying Dacoria’s hair as Philomena went to them.
She turned to Ren. “This is Damian.” She nudged the blue head.
He blushed, blinking a few times as he scratched his nape.

“Hi, I am Damian…” He looked at Philomena, his cheeks flushing. “See, I did it.”
She smiled. “I am glad.”

Damian went a whole red and moved away from her, directing his gaze onto Dacoria.

“What about the batch?” Sen called out.

Dacoria took notice of Sen. “Hi, Sen.”

Sen knocked him on the head.
Dacoria was now pouting. “Ow, ow.”
Dacoria looked at Ren and straightened up. “Right, computer, the batch.”

Ren heard a cracking sound from the roof. One of the tiles moved in, creating an opening. A long armlet shone and fell into Dacoria’s palm.

“So, this is the batch. It is supposed to go on your arm and…”

“I have told him everything,” Sen muttered.

“Eh?... But I wanna do that.” Dacoria turned to Sen whiningly.

With this body, his behaviour doesn’t fit.

“Sorry, Dac. It's already done,” he gestured for Ren to talk.

But he didn’t tell me about this, but I can tell Dacoria isn’t the ideal choice for explaining.

“Y-yeah, he already told me everything.”

Dacoria’s eyes went dull. “I-I see.”
Is he disappointed?

Ren was already feeling guilty. 

Dacoria approached him. “Pull your sleeve up.”

Ren quickly complied.
The armlet, which they all were calling a badge, was silver, decorated with four gems, and there was room for about six more.

The badge suddenly opened sideways

 There were spikes on it.

W-wah.

He saw Sen take out many tissues.

Why is he doing that?

Ren tried to move back, but his body froze.

I can't m-move.

“It will hurt a bit.”
Dacoria smashed the badge into his arm, and both sides of the badge snapped together.

“aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh”