With the arrival of autumn, Ren's focus turned to his work at the local school, where he'd taken on a full-time position teaching creative writing. The students, each with their own stories and struggles, brought a new energy into his life. He began guiding them not just in writing but in expressing emotions, something he himself had struggled with in the past.
One evening, as he stayed late grading assignments, his colleague and old friend, Daiki, stopped by his classroom. "Ren, you're changing lives here," Daiki said, a warm smile on his face.
Ren looked at the essays spread out before him, filled with honest words and heartfelt confessions. "Sometimes, I feel like they're the ones teaching me."
In his students, he saw reflections of his own journey—of loss, resilience, and the hope of finding oneself. And through their growth, he realized he was continuing to heal as well.