Chapter 6: Childhood Friends Are Everything, But There Are External Threats.
"Ren~~~ I miss you so much~~"
Sitting up and answering the call, Ren saw the enlarged face of his childhood friend on the screen. She was looking dejectedly at the phone camera, gazing at Ren across the internet.
"Miss me already after being away for such a short time? Didn't you make any friends there?"
Ren always felt his childhood friend was a bit ditzy. Her voice sounded like she was straining it to the extreme, but Ren knew that was just her natural voice, ditzy but very cute.
Besides, Anon also had pink hair. Why had he seen three pink-haired girls just today?
Hitori had it, Mafuyu had it, and Anon had it too.
"No... I can't even communicate normally with them now. I get nervous and stumble over my words whenever I speak, then I end up avoiding them. Over time, they've started treating me as antisocial, and now they don't pay attention to me anymore, wuu~~"
Anon made a pitiful face, on the verge of tears. The people here were friendly, but she herself was incompetent, unable to even manage normal communication.
"I told you speaking issues aren't that easy to solve. Exams are one thing, daily conversation is another. When you speak with that Tokyo accent mixed in, maybe people don't even understand what you're mumbling about."
"Don't make fun of me at a time like this, Ren. Do you think I'm just not cut out for studying abroad?"
Ren chuckled while teasing Anon. Hearing this, Anon stopped feeling dejected and instead glared angrily at Ren on the screen before asking for his thoughts and opinions. She was starting to think about coming back.
"I think you already have the answer in your heart when you ask me. If you want to come back, then come back. No one will laugh at you, and you don't need to be afraid of losing face."
Ren saw right through what Anon was thinking. How could he not understand her?
Studying abroad was simply for saving face and showing off. She thought coming back crestfallen would be embarrassing, and now she wanted to escape even from this.
But Ren felt this mentality was completely unnecessary. Just having been abroad was enough for Anon to boast about for a while, even he had never been overseas.
And even if her former classmates discovered she returned before finishing one semester, she could just explain that she wasn't accustomed to the food, accommodation, transportation, or communication there.
As long as I don't say I'm a deserter, no one will know I came back crestfallen from England. Outside, face is something you give yourself. Since others don't know the real situation, just boast boldly and don't lose your dignity.
"How could I not be afraid? It's only been such a short time, barely a month at most. Wouldn't they laugh me to death if I go back now? No way, no way. Just thinking about that situation gives me the chills."
Anon didn't see it that way. The one obsessed with vanity was her, not Ren. Ren couldn't comprehend how devastating it would be for her to face potential exposure and humiliation—the fear it instilled in her was no less than discovering she'd caught a cockroach while trying to capture a cicada for fun.
"Then just transfer to a school farther from your original one. That way, you'll encounter fewer acquaintances. If you do run into someone, just explain honestly as I suggested. Anon, being able to study abroad is impressive enough. Isn't it normal to come back if you can't adjust? You can complain about all sorts of shortcomings there to cover up your own flaws, but don't take those complaints too seriously."
Ren offered Anon a piece of advice. He truly struggled to understand her perspective, but he knew how to help her avoid embarrassment.
Rather than doubting herself, it was better to belittle others.
He recalled when he had time to play FPS games at internet cafes—if he encountered someone, he'd cripple them; if he lost, he'd blame lag; if the opponent was too skilled, he'd yell "hacker!"; if a teammate took down a tough foe, he'd praise them for being better than any cheat. He never internalized frustration, only fiercely criticized others. That way, he didn't suffer—though his teammates might laugh and call him an idiot, praising them enough could still lead to victory.
It's just a shame he couldn't maintain that mindset after starting work.
"Really? Then I'll talk to Mom and Dad about it."
Anon was convinced. She had wanted to return to Japan all along but worried that her failed study abroad experience would shatter her image and lead to mockery from old classmates. However, after Ren's persuasive talk, she realized things might not be as dire as she thought.
From Ren's perspective, she had at least studied overseas—even if the duration was negligible, the fact remained: she was a returnee. By selectively framing the story, it seemed she could still shine.
Though sometimes she lacked self-awareness, getting carried away and starting to believe she was truly that impressive.
"Go ahead. I just had dinner at your place today—they miss you a lot. Coming back earlier will make it easier for you to integrate into the forming social circle. Otherwise, you might end up invisible."
To give Anon a push and stop her overthinking, Ren used his ultimate move: if she didn't return soon, she might miss out on blending into the soon-to-solidify high school girl clique—something utterly unacceptable to her.
"I get it. I'll talk to them soon. Ren, remember to pick me up at the airport~"
That struck a chord with Anon. Having already failed at studying abroad, she couldn't bear to continue failing back in Japan. Rather than struggling to confess to her parents and letting things worsen, it was better to clarify everything, return home, and transfer schools quickly—or risk fading into obscurity.
After bidding each other goodnight, Anon ended the video call and went to discuss her return to Japan with Mr. and Mrs. Chihaya.
Ren found himself contemplating Anon. Wasn't she actually the most suitable candidate if he wanted to find a girlfriend right now?
After all, they shared such a deep bond—they'd even slept in the same bed as children.
But precisely because they were too close, Ren felt Anon was just... ordinary by now. She already felt like a worn-out housewife to him, and he'd grown tired of her. The novelty she could offer him wasn't even comparable to the ever-changing Hitori.
Moreover, there had never been any romantic tension between them. Simply put, despite being at this age, he felt not a shred of sexual attraction toward Anon.
It wasn't that he was impotent—rather, he and Anon lacked that sense of freshness and excitement. They were practically an old married couple already.
Well, truth be told, they'd never intended to develop that kind of relationship in the first place. Otherwise, during their initial sexual awakening, Ren and Anon would likely have secretly conducted "academic research" in their rooms—studying the physiological differences between males and females, and exploring what physical reactions occur when stimulated.
But none of that ever happened. Anon was too busy seeking the spotlight—she became student council president in middle school and devoted herself to her ambitions. Completely unaffected by adolescence, she never entertained any thoughts of romance.
Ren was much the same. Had he not awakened memories of his past life, he would probably have become a withdrawn child by now.
But times had changed. Having been reborn into a new life, how could he possibly go astray? And why should he limit himself to just one choice? With a system at his disposal, would building a harem really be that difficult?