Chapter 686: The Gift Presented by Nakano Yotsuba
After confirming multiple times and being 100% sure that she had found the right door, Yotsuba gathered the courage to knock on it.
After a moment, the door opened, and Ren appeared before her.
"Eh?!"
Yotsuba exclaimed in surprise.
"What's wrong with you?"
Seeing her stunned in place with a very odd appearance, Ren couldn't help but ask.
"Well, Ren-san, why aren't you wearing glasses?"
Yotsuba turned her face away and said this very concerningly.
"When I'm at home, I usually don't wear glasses."
Because more and more people knew about his original appearance, even if others came to visit his house, Ren could entertain them without wearing glasses.
"That's right."
Yotsuba averted her gaze out of embarrassment, and at the same time, she couldn't help but use her right hand to grip the gift box a little tighter.
"Please come in."
Saying this, Ren made way to the door.
"Excuse me."
After saying that, Yotsuba entered the room.
"Please have a seat."
Yotsuba entered the room with her head bowed and no intention to observe. Ren guided her to sit at the dining table.
"Thank you."
After sitting down, Yotsuba placed the tightly held gift box on the table. At the same time, she removed the bag she was carrying and placed it beside the gift box.
"Would you like something to drink?" Ren asked.
"I'm fine, thank you."
Yotsuba grabbed the hem of her shirt, rubbing it nervously, and replied softly.
"Okay."
Ren walked to the kitchen.
After a while, he placed a glass of orange juice in front of Yotsuba.
"Thank you."
After thanking him, Yotsuba took the juice and drank it slowly.
Seeing her sitting across from him, Ren had more doubts in his mind.
Was Yotsuba a bit different from usual today?
Usually, she seemed full of energy, why was she so strange today?
Her expressions and movements felt awkward.
If her aura didn't show that she was Yotsuba, Ren would almost doubt if this Yotsuba was Miku in disguise.
"Um...Ren-san, is there something on my face?"
As he pondered this issue, Yotsuba's voice suddenly sounded.
"No, it's very clean." Ren realized and replied.
"Then why do you keep staring at me?"
Yotsuba was very conscious of his gaze, especially since Ren wasn't wearing glasses.
"I just think you're a bit strange today, very different from usual." Ren expressed his confusion.
"Is that so? Maybe I'm just too nervous. I'll be fine after a while."
Yotsuba looked very embarrassed and continued to fan her face with her hand.
"I see."
Ren believed her explanation.
"By the way, Ren-san, please open the gift I gave you quickly."
Yotsuba's eyes wandered around, and she pushed the gift box she brought towards him with a guilty feeling.
"Do you want me to guess what's inside?"
Thinking of the last time he gave a gift to Ichika and she made some guesses before opening the gift, Ren asked for Yotsuba's opinion.
"No, just open it quickly."
Yotsuba looked very anxious, and the rabbit ear ribbon on her head continued to droop.
"Um."
In response, Ren carefully opened the gift box.
Yotsuba didn't speak, just watched him silently open the gift.
Since the gift wrapping wasn't complicated, it didn't take long for Ren to fully open it and see the whole gift.
"Is this... a painting?"
This painting might be watercolor and had been framed.
The overall color scheme was black and white. Even the Kyoto Station in the background was black and white. Only the boy in the middle, who was around eleven or twelve years old, was in color.
He wore a clean white T-shirt, light blue casual pants, and white canvas shoes. The little boy's clothing was very simple and unassuming, yet stood out in this black and white painting.
The boy in the painting smiled, not too much, but he still looked like he was smiling.
Ren was sure of this.
What made him feel strange was that the boy in the painting seemed familiar to him.
It felt like he had seen him somewhere.
"Yes, it's a painting."
Seeing him look at the painting, a large stone in Yotsuba's heart finally fell to the ground, and the tension from earlier disappeared completely.
"Who is this boy?"
After staring at the boy in the painting for a long time, Ren asked this question, which puzzled him greatly.
"This...this is you, Ren-san."
Yotsuba didn't expect Ren to ask this question at all, and hesitated for a long time before revealing her answer.
"Me?"
After hearing this answer, Ren looked at the painting again.
"It's you, but it's you five years ago." Yotsuba said somewhat shyly, "The background is Kyoto Station. You still remember it, right?"
"I remember. But this little boy doesn't look like me."
Of course, he could remember Kyoto Station, but the boy in this painting only had a 40% resemblance to him from five years ago, so it was very difficult to distinguish.
"There's nothing I can do. The seniors in the art club did their best."
"Art club?"
Ren remembered when he and Miku went to the school library not long ago, Yotsuba accidentally mentioned that she wanted to help the art club.
"Yes, I asked seniors from the art club to help me draw this painting, but the painting could only be returned to this level. My abilities are too lacking."
She wanted to 100% recreate Ren from five years ago, but unfortunately, she couldn't draw at all, so she had to ask for the art club's help.
However, her language skills were limited, and she couldn't describe what Ren was like five years ago.
Yotsuba could only say words like, looks good, looks better when smiling, making the whole world black and white, and only Ren shines.
"I understand." Ren expressed his understanding.
He was too familiar with things like being unable to match his language abilities.
Yotsuba apologized to him: "I'm sorry, this gift disappointed you. Maybe I should give you another gift."
"It's okay." Ren didn't mind too much.
"Ren-san, can you draw?"
Yotsuba's eyes focused on the bag she was carrying and asked this question.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone