The taste of Nexus

While Mio was dealing with her own internal problems, Ren wasn't doing so well either. Not only did he have to deal with school and pressure from his parents, but also with the ECLIPSE group.

The rehearsal was chaotic. “Ren, your entrance!” Satoru shouted, stopping the music for the fourth time. Ren was messing up all his choreography steps. Every time the rhythm stopped, his body froze and his gaze drifted off into space. Or at least, that's what they thought. Curiously, his “empty” gaze always ended up unconsciously fixed on Junpei.

Junpei, feeling the piercing gaze of his leader, was sweating cold. What did I do wrong?! My timing was perfect! Why is he looking at me? I'm going to die!

The group, rather than angry, was deeply concerned about Ren. “ Hey, let's take a break. ” said Kazemaru, sitting down on the floor. “ Ren, are you okay, buddy? You look like a ghost. ”, “I'm fine.” was Ren's monotone reply. “ No, you're not. ” Andrey interjected, in his usual dry tone. "Your choreography is, to put it politely, ‘out of sync’. " Satoru sighed. " Ren, we have the big show next week. If you're not feeling well, we can cancel it. Your health comes first. “, ” No. Don't cancel anything. “ Ren said, too quickly. ” Friend, we're giving you a break. “ Kazemaru insisted. Ren felt the group pressure. He gave in, rubbing his forehead. ” Fine. Cancel it. I don't care. "

The harsh truth was that Ren couldn't concentrate. His mind was fixed on the photograph he had seen in his father's office.

The night before, consumed by doubt, he had sneaked into Ryōma's office. It was risky, but his need for analytical data was greater than his fear. He opened the desk drawer and there it was: the printout of the photo from the clumsy paparazzi's camera. His suspicions were correct. It was Mio, in her Happy Burger uniform. And next to her, a guy with black hair. Ren looked closely at the guy. Aside from being objectively attractive, he looked familiar. As if he knew him from somewhere, possibly from some industry event his parents had dragged him to. With a quick movement, Ren took a picture of the photo with his cell phone.

Later, he showed the picture to Naoki. “ Investigate this man. ” Naoki looked at the photo and turned pale. “ Young master? Does this... does this have something to do with the girl with pink hair? Her father—!”, “I didn't ask my father,” Ren cut him off. “ I'm asking you. And it's not about her. It's about him. Doesn't he look familiar? " Naoki looked at Tomoki's photo and swallowed hard. “ ...I'll look into it, young master. ” Ren had calmed down a little. He needed to know who his rival was.

Returning to the present, in the rehearsal studio, the group had decided to use the rest of the day to relax. Kazemaru went to the vending machine and came back with a bunch of drinks, tossing them to everyone. “ Time to rehydrate! I brought the usual, and... hey, who put Nexus drinks in our machine? ” He placed several cans of the cheap energy drink on the table.

Ren's eyes fixed on them. On that drink... He wanted to try it. He wanted to know why Mio liked this drink so much. What was it about it? Was it the taste? Was it a chemical component that improved your mood? 

While the boys talked among themselves, Ren approached the cans.

His hands, almost imperceptibly, were nervous. His face, however, was completely emotionless. He grabbed a can. The design was garish. He opened it. The pop of the gas sounded strangely loud in his head. He brought it to his lips and tasted it. It was sweet. Terribly sweet for his taste and with a unique chemical flavor.

And then, for some reason, something changed in him. A slight, almost imperceptible smile appeared at the corner of his lips. It lasted less than a second and no one saw it. He left the can on the table. “So that's what his favorite drink tastes like, huh?” he muttered to himself. For some reason, that strange feeling of abandonment I had over him disappeared momentarily.