Observation, Data, and an Absurd Plan

The classes at the prestigious academy were, at least for Ren, child's play. He was an extremely intelligent and logical boy; advanced physics and global economics were, for him, a simple game with predictable rules.

As soon as the final bell rang, he didn't wait a second, not even for Naoki. Instead, he veered off into a deserted alleyway he often used. From his Italian leather briefcase, he took out his commoner clothes, a wrinkled outfit consisting of a dark sweatshirt and jeans, and changed with practiced efficiency. He was ready to run away again.

He wandered aimlessly through the ordinary neighborhoods of the city, simply absorbing the noise and normality that he so sorely lacked in his life. And then, in the distance, he saw her. A patch of unmistakable pink hair hundreds of kilometers away.

It was Mio.

He wanted to approach her, but the memory of the last time stopped him. He put his hand on his heart, feeling the echo of that strange sensation. Why does this keep happening? He wondered, analyzing the "arrhythmia" as if it were a technical problem.

He decided to keep his distance, but watch her. That's when Ren noticed something. He saw how Mio walked slowly, how she staggered slightly as she drank from a can of Nexus. She seemed exhausted. Ren came to a logical conclusion: Mio needed those energy drinks to function. It seemed strange to him; he had never needed to drink one of those to work or do his things, not even after a concert.

He thought about it for a long time and finally made up his mind. He wanted to give her a gift. A gesture of... something, perhaps... Gratitude for the muscle ache?, An apology for scaring her?, He wasn't sure. But what would be a good gift for her?

He decided he needed more information, so he followed her from a distance to get to know her better.

What he saw genuinely perplexed him.

First, he saw her bump into a pole. Mio stopped dead in her tracks, rubbed her forehead, and looked around in panic before continuing on her way. Ten minutes later, he saw her trip over her own shoelaces and fall to her knees on the ground. Finally, he saw her come out of a store with a plastic bag... which broke, spilling more energy drinks onto the ground.

Ren stood still, watching her pick up the cans with an expression of utter defeat. And for the first time in his life, Ren Shinomiya's expressionless face showed genuine concern, almost disgust. He wondered, in all sincerity, if there was anyone else on the planet as unlucky as her.

His logical brain went to work, listing all the problems and their solutions.

First problem: tripping. The solution: expensive, technologically advanced shoes that don't need laces.

Second problem: Colliding with inanimate objects. The solution: Augmented reality glasses to improve spatial perception.

Third problem: The bag containing your essential beverages breaks. The solution: A supply so large that you don't need to transport them. A truck full of your favorite beverages.

Ren was determined. He was going to give Mio a gift. But he was too ignorant of social norms to know that any of those "solutions" would give Mio more problems than solutions. Or perhaps, deep down, he was just very naive.

But what Ren didn't know was that while he was formulating his plan, far away, across the street, someone else was watching him. Someone carrying a camera with a long-range lens, watching and photographing his every move.

Meanwhile, Mio, unaware that she was the subject of an anthropological study by an idol and a paparazzi, was almost at work.

Her mind was fixed on Tomoki. " I want to return the favor for the cake. He was very kind. But how? Should I buy him a coffee? Or would that be too direct? " Her mind returned to its usual chaos. " What if he was just being nice because he was new? What if he was actually making fun of me? No... it didn't seem like that. Does that mean he likes me? No, impossible! "

Amidst that whirlwind of thoughts, the image of Ren Shinomiya flashed through his mind like lightning. His face drawing closer, his gray eyes... He wondered if he would ever see him again at work, now that he knew who he was.

She reacted immediately, shaking her head. " Why am I thinking about him? Focus, Mio! Yes, he's handsome and all that, but he's Ren Shinomiya. I highly doubt someone of his caliber would notice someone like me..." She sighed, pushing open the door to Happy Burger, resigned to her own reality.