"Yes… I'm Urano. Is there something?" Urano asked, his voice calm.
Renka flipped her notebook to a blank page and began writing.
"Oh, you don't need to do that," Urano said lightly.
Her pencil stopped mid-stroke. Renka slowly lifted her head and looked at him, a little confused.
Urano noticed her reaction and raised both hands in front of his chest. His fingers moved with practiced ease, forming clear and deliberate shapes. He tapped two fingers together, then gestured outward, a simple sequence that conveyed understanding.
"I know sign language."
Renka's eyes widened instantly. She brought both hands to her mouth in surprise, then quickly lowered them and responded with her own gestures. Her movements were a little hurried but clear, her fingers forming signs with obvious excitement.
"You know? Really!"
Urano lowered his hands and leaned back against the wall again, resting the back of his head on the concrete.
"Yeah," he replied casually.
"So, what is it that made you come all the way up here looking for me?"
His eyes briefly followed her hands as she lifted them again. Renka took a small breath and began signing, her movements slower now, careful and respectful.
"President said the student council really needs your help. We've run out of funds, and it'll cause problems for the upcoming school festival, we were hoping you could lend us some money, and we'll pay you back later."
Urano blinked once. Then he tilted his head back fully and let out a quiet sigh, the sound almost lost to the wind.
Renka watched him closely. A small smile had appeared on her face earlier, a quiet happiness at finally being able to communicate without writing, without pauses or misunderstandings. But that feeling didn't last long.
"I refuse."
The words were simple, spoken without anger, yet they hit heavily.
Renka's smile vanished, her eyes widened, and she froze in place, clearly not expecting such a direct answer.
Urano turned his head away from her and looked up at the sky. He adjusted his stance slightly, placing more weight against the wall to steady himself.
"I figured this would happen again," he said slowly.
"People only come to me when they need money. It's always the same pattern... Friendly smiles, polite words, sudden concern, then once they get what they want, that's it."
He paused, his gaze fixed on the drifting clouds above.
"Last year was a one time thing, I helped so they'd stop bothering me. But now it feels like the council too sees me as nothing more than a convenient source of cash."
His voice remained even, but there was a tired edge to it.
"I've had friends before, or at least, I thought they were friends. Turns out they were just waiting for favors, money changes how people look at you."
He exhaled slowly.
"That's why I keep my distance. That's why I keep my nobody persona. No expectations, no fake kindness, no emotional mess."
He glanced at her briefly before looking away again.
"Not interested. Find another wallet."
Renka stood silently, her hands lowering to her sides. Her expression was stiff, unsure how to react.
Urano pushed himself off the wall and turned around.
"If you really want me to help," he added without stopping, "then make me give you."
With that, he walked past her, his footsteps echoing softly as he headed toward the stairway and disappeared from the rooftop.
Renka remained there, standing alone in the open space. The wind brushed past her, but she didn't move, her shocked expression lingering as she stared at the place where he had just been.
President Sugato and Kehea walked side by side down the hallway as the sky outside the windows slowly turned a soft shade of orange. The sunlight stretched across the floor, signaling that evening was approaching and most students were already heading home.
Kehea glanced at Sugato and raised a finger, pointing casually at his head.
"President, I think your hair is getting long."
Sugato reached up and grabbed a few strands of his black hair, pulling them forward until they almost brushed past his ears and fell in front of his dark eyes.
"Is that so?" he said thoughtfully.
"Maybe I should cut it soon."
They continued walking and soon arrived in front of the student council office. Sugato gently push the huge brown door open, and both of them stepped inside.
Renka was already there.
She was sitting quietly on the sofa, her notebook placed neatly on the table in front of her. Her eyes were lowered, fixed on the pages, and her shoulders seemed unusually still.
Sugato and Kehea exchanged a glance before walking closer and stopping beside her. Now that they were near, they could clearly see the sadness on her face.
Renka slowly looked up at them.
Sugato let out a small sigh and spoke first.
"What happened? Did he say no?" he asked.
"Well… I guess he would. It's like we only contact him when we need money." He gave a weak smile.
"Sorry, Renka."
Renka stared at him for a brief moment, then slowly reached for her pencil.
Before she could do anything, Kehea gently placed a hand on Renka's shoulder.
"It's okay. Let's just go ho—"
She stopped mid sentence.
In a sudden motion, Renka flipped open her notebook. Her cheeks puffed up, a light blush spreading across her face as she began writing at an incredible speed. The sound of the pencil scratching across the paper was sharp and intense.
Both Sugato and Kehea jumped back in surprise.
"WHAAA—!" Sugato shouted.
"Renka has been possessed!" Kehea exclaimed.
Renka slammed the notebook shut, then lifted it up and turned it toward them.
The words written inside were messy but filled with emotion.
She described how Urano had rejected her without hesitation, how cold and distant he had been. She wrote about his words, about how he talked about being a "Nobody," as if that was some kind of title.
"Nobody? What is he, Mr. Nobody?" the writing continued.
"I wanted to punch him so badly. But I was too shocked at the time, so I couldn't do anything."
Her pencil marks pressed deeply into the paper.
"He said if we want him to help us… then make him."
As they finished reading, Renka lowered the notebook slightly. A smile appeared on her face. It was small and cute, but at the same time, there was something unsettling about it.
Sugato and Kehea stared at her, frozen, a mix of shock and unease settling over them.
At the very bottom of the page, written clearly, were three final words.
"Then just wait."