Ruby's New Friends

After school, Saki, Rena, Asuka, Yuta, and Ryuki walked to another school to wait for Ruby. Rena had already told the group that she and Ryuki had made a new friend named Ruby. They were picking her up to go to the park and play.

Earlier that morning, Ryuki had told them he was going jogging. He also said that later, he and Rena would go to her place to play games at evening. Saki believed him, but Asuka seemed unsure. Ryuki didn't know why she doubted him, but it didn't matter much.

Why were they meeting Ruby now? Why hadn't they introduced her earlier? Rena and Ryuki wanted to understand Ruby's personality first. In a game they knew, Ruby's character was cold and pushed people away if they got too close. So, they spent a week getting to know her. To their surprise, Ruby was friendly and easy to connect with. After building that friendship, they decided to introduce her to Saki, Asuka, and Yuta.

Ryuki had a special gift that let him sense things about people. He knew Ruby was being bullied at school. Confronting the bullies wasn't the answer, though. The real problem was something else, and he planned to fix it soon.

As the five friends walked toward the school gate, Ryuki spotted a cute girl with white hair standing nearby. When she saw Rena and Ryuki, she started running toward them but then slowed to a walk. Rena had scolded her for running the day before, so she approached cautiously. She glanced curiously at Saki, Asuka, and Yuta, who looked back at her.

Ryuki spoke up. "This is Ruby, our new friend." Saki, Asuka, and Yuta smiled at her. Ruby stepped closer to Rena, grabbed her hand, and hid partly behind her.

Rena smiled and nudged Ruby forward. "Ruby, meet our friends Yuta, Saki, and Asuka." Ruby looked shyly at Ryuki. The others weren't sure what to say.

Asuka stepped forward and held out her hand. "Hi, I'm Takeru Asuka. Nice to meet you."

Ruby stared at the hand, then at Asuka. She nodded shyly. "N-Nice to meet you. I'm Miyazawa Ruby."

Yuta smiled. "Nice to meet you, Miyazawa. I'm Takeru Yuta."

Saki added, "I'm Ryuki's older sister, Shizimu Saki. Nice to meet you."

Asuka's greeting broke the awkwardness, and soon Saki and Yuta joined the conversation.

Ryuki suggested, "How about we go to the park?" Everyone agreed.

On the way, Rena stopped. "Let's eat there. It's my treat."

Saki's eyes lit up. "Really?" She tapped her finger on her lips, glancing at Rena and then at a nearby food truck.

Rena nodded. "Yes, my treat."

"Yay! Come on, little brother!" Saki grabbed Ryuki's arm and ran toward the food truck.

"Slow down! I might fall!" Ryuki said.

"Don't worry. It won't hurt much if you do," Saki replied.

At the food truck, Saki studied the menu while Ruby clung to Rena's arm. Yuta kept his hands in his pockets, and Asuka walked over to join them.

Saki decided, "I want spicy noodles." When everyone arrived, they ordered their food and ate together. Saki shared funny stories from her class, and Yuta added his own. Ryuki didn't pay much attention to the details. Ruby started to relax around the group. As it got late, they all decided to head home.

---

Ruby walked home happily, humming and skipping occasionally. Since meeting Rena and Ryuki, she felt much better. Today, she'd met Yuta, Asuka, and Saki too, and she liked them all.

One thing confused her, though: how could Saki be Ryuki's older sister? Ryuki seemed more mature than Saki, Yuta, and Asuka. Only Rena matched his maturity. It didn't make sense that Saki called him her little brother while he called her his older sister. Ruby wanted to ask, but she felt too shy.

"I'll ask tomorrow," she said, clenching her fist with determination.

Feeling happy, she reached her house. But when she saw it, her joy disappeared. She felt scared as she tried the door. It wouldn't open.

"Huh?" Ruby blinked and pushed harder, but the door stayed locked.

She realized her father wasn't home. He was always there when she got back from school, even when she'd been coming home later lately. Where was he now?

Unsure, Ruby went to the front yard. She put her bag down and sat under a tree, leaning against it. She thought about tomorrow, when she'd see Ryuki and Rena again and play with them.

"I should do something for them," she said to herself. They'd given her food, helped with homework, and been kind to her. She wanted to return the favor.

Lost in thought, Ruby fell asleep under the tree. She woke up later to her stomach growling. It was dark outside. She stood and saw light coming from her house's window.

"Father's back," she mumbled. She tried the door again, but it was still locked.

Frowning, she raised her hand to knock but stopped. If her father was asleep, waking him might make him angry. The thought of his angry face filled her with fear. She slumped her shoulders, returned to the tree, and tried to sleep. Her hungry stomach grumbled, but eventually, she drifted off from exhaustion.