The New Code in the Neighborhood
The morning sun filtered through the thin curtains of Ren Takahashi's room, painting soft patterns across the cluttered desk. His laptop screen still glowed faintly from the late-night coding marathon, but his eyes were already open, staring blankly at the ceiling.
He had barely slept. Not because of exhaustion, but because of a strange mixture of anticipation and unease. Yesterday's unexpected visit from Aoi Hoshizaki—the new girl next door who somehow knew his secret online identity—played on his mind like a never-ending loop.
Ren sat up and pulled his hoodie over his head, the familiar comfort of the fabric wrapping around him like a shield against the outside world. Despite his habit of avoiding social interactions, he found himself strangely looking forward to the day ahead.
His parents called from the kitchen, their voices warm and casual.
"Ren, breakfast is ready!"
"Okay, coming," he replied quietly, pushing aside a stack of notebooks filled with code snippets and half-finished projects.
The smell of toasted bread and miso soup filled the apartment as Ren joined his parents at the small dining table. His mother smiled gently, placing a plate in front of him.
"You've been working hard lately. How are your tests coming along?"
Ren hesitated. The truth was, his test scores were average at best—nothing to impress anyone. But beyond the classroom, he had quietly dominated several local hackathons and online competitions. That side of his life remained a secret, even from his parents.
"They're fine," he said, focusing on the meal instead of the conversation.
His father nodded.
"Good. School's important."
Ren forced a smile but didn't add anything else. The gap between who he was at school and who he was behind the screen felt like a growing chasm. He longed for someone to understand both sides.
Later that day, Ren's phone buzzed with a message.
"Ready for the first coding club meeting? Don't be late!"
The message was from the school's tech club president, a friendly but overly enthusiastic senior. Ren had reluctantly agreed to join after Aoi mentioned she'd be there too.
When Ren arrived at the clubroom, he found a small group gathered around desks cluttered with laptops, circuit boards, and snack wrappers. Aoi was already there, her bright smile lighting up the room.
"Hey, Ren! You made it!" she greeted him warmly.
He nodded, trying to match her energy.
"Yeah. Didn't want to be the only one missing."
The club advisor, a middle-aged teacher with a gentle demeanor, called the meeting to order.
"Alright, everyone. Today, we'll start on a collaborative project—building a simple AI assistant for the school's website."
As the meeting progressed, Ren's quiet confidence began to show. When a tricky coding problem arose, he calmly suggested an elegant solution, surprising even Aoi.
After the session, Aoi caught up to him outside the classroom.
"You're really impressive, you know? I never expected the quiet guy to be such a coding genius."
Ren shrugged, a rare blush tinting his cheeks.
"It's not much."
"Don't be modest. You're the real deal."
She grinned mischievously.
"Maybe you can help me with my project sometime?"
He looked at her, a strange warmth blooming in his chest.
Maybe this year wouldn't be as lonely as before.
As Ren walked home, he felt the weight of his dreams settle lightly on his shoulders. Becoming a real-life Iron Man wasn't just about tech—it was about connection, courage, and maybe, just maybe, letting someone in.