When Ren arrived at the university, he hoped to fade into the background. New country, new faces—he preferred to stay unnoticed. His tattoos, though, made that difficult. His long black hair and tattoos don’t exactly help him blend in, especially here in the U.S., where he's a new face, a transfer student from Japan. He ignored the curious stares. He knows they wonder what they mean, but he never offered explanations. He doesn’t talk much; he doesn’t like small talk. It’s easier to be alone, anyway.

He ignored the curious glances and took a seat at the back, where he could keep to himself.

The room was buzzing with chatter, but he didn’t engage. He never do. He doesn’t like drawing attention, and speaking up would only invite more questions. Questions he doesn’t want to answer.