"The young master finally decided to wake up?"
Shizuka, who had just come out of the living room, heard movement from the staircase and turned around to see Tsuna, still with sleepy eyes, staggering down.
"Mom, did you prepare my breakfast today?" Tsuna ignored his mom's teasing look and yawned as he asked.
It was better not to ask, but when he did, she got angry. Hearing Shouko say she hadn't eaten breakfast this morning, Shizuka prepared a little extra.
Who would have thought both of them would sleep until noon? They were already preparing lunch.
However, luckily, she had anticipated this. When the children's dad went fishing, most of the bento she prepared for him was set aside for them as breakfast this morning.
If the remaining food wasn't eaten by the two of them this morning, it would be finished as afternoon tea.
"Have some fruit to tide you over. We're about to eat lunch. If you finish your breakfast, where will you have room for lunch?"
Shizuka left this sentence and walked towards the kitchen without looking back.
Hearing this, Tsuna didn't dare to say much more. After washing up in the bathroom, he quickly returned to the second floor.
"Shouko, I heard Mom say you didn't have breakfast this morning. Aren't you hungry?"
He pushed open the door and saw Shouko sitting on the bed in a duck-sitting posture, constantly sniffing the black cat doll.
Ignoring the strange expression on her face, he continued to ask, "Also, Shizuka asked if you're staying for lunch today."
"I'll go down and help Auntie prepare lunch!"
Shouko's movements paused, her gaze met his, and then quickly shifted away. She casually threw the doll in her hand, stood up, and quickly walked past him.
"Slow down, be careful not to fall."
This sentence received no response. Instead, Shouko quickened her pace. He shook his head helplessly, walked to the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
Staring at the computer screen that hadn't been turned on yet, he quickly recalled the plot progression of Your lie in April in his mind.
It wasn't until past twelve o'clock that he had only typed two quotation marks. It was obvious that he was stuck...
The original Your Lie in April in his previous life was a manga, and he had only read the manga version.
Trying to adapt it from a manga version to a light novel version was much more difficult than the previous books.
"Tsuna, come down, lunch is ready!!"
"Okay! I'm coming!"
His thoughts were interrupted by Shouko's call from downstairs. Without hesitation, he clicked save on the computer, closed it, stood up, and walked to the first floor.
—————————
As the midday sun passed over the roof of the shrine, the air still carried the scent of firewood from the soba noodle stall.
Ginkgo leaves rustled down onto the asphalt road, cut into fine gold foil by the tram tracks, until the cool breeze past three o'clock swept around the street corner, when those patches of light suddenly faded into the dull yellow of old newspapers.
"Miyamura, if you're really worried, you can come with us." At the entrance of Nishimiya, Takagi extended an invitation to Tsuna.
"No." Tsuna waved his hand and refused without hesitation, "Shouko, you guys be careful."
Shouko patted the single-shoulder bag on her left side. "Tsuna, don't worry, I've brought everything I need."
Seeing this, Tsuna didn't say anything more. He waved goodbye to the three people who had agreed to go shopping and closed the gate.
"I've seen everything worth seeing. I'm really not interested in the rest. I can't even watch them. What kind of terrible movies are they shooting!"
He had just reached the entrance of the living room when he heard his mom's complaining voice from inside.
"Mom, didn't you want to read Anohana that I wrote yesterday? How about I get it for you to take a look now?"
Hearing this, Shizuka released the remote control in her hand. "If you hadn't said anything, I would have almost forgotten. Okay."
Tsuna turned around, walked to the second floor, took his laptop to the study, and quickly printed out Anohana.
He then marked and numbered the pages to prevent his mom from getting confused. As for why he didn't just show her the laptop?
That's because he still needed it for writing, of course.
"Why didn't you just show me the laptop?" Shizuka took the dozen or so pages he handed her and asked in confusion.
"I still need to write the next book. By the time Mom finishes reading, it'll be days before I can use it again, okay?" Tsuna placed the laptop on the coffee table.
Shizuka felt looked down upon by her son. She rolled the dozen or so pages in her hand into a stick and gently tapped his head with it.
Under his puzzled gaze, she began to 'savor' this half-finished light novel written by her son.
Tsuna suppressed the speechlessness in his heart and slowly began to type on the keyboard.
It was as if Shizuka's tap had suddenly enlightened his mind. The ideas he couldn't figure out before now became clear with a single thought.
Shizuka also gradually got into the flow, from her initial casualness.
Only the 'thud-thud' sound of the keyboard being struck remained in the living room, mixed with the occasional 'rustling' sound of paper being turned.
"Click..."
"I'm home!" Daisuke's joyful voice came into the living room from outside.
Hearing this, Tsuna stopped what he was doing and glanced at the time on the computer. Unconsciously, it had already reached a little past five o'clock.
"Welcome home," Shizuka replied perfunctorily without lifting her head.
Daisuke's joy did not diminish at all. He held up two fish tied with a rope in his right hand and shook them at the two people in the living room.
"Amazing, right?"
After that, it was pretty much Daisuke's monologue, mostly about how good his luck was today and how envious his fishing buddies were.
"Amazing, amazing. Also, remember to mop up the fishy water that dripped on the floor."
Shizuka glanced at the clock on the wall, casually put down the paper in her hand, and stood up.
"Give me the fish, I'll take it to the kitchen for an extra dish. As for the other one, Tsuna, take it to Nishimiya."
Daisuke handed the fish to her, turned around to put away his fishing gear, and followed her footsteps to the kitchen. It seemed his glorious achievements today hadn't been fully recounted yet.
But he was kicked out by Shizuka not long after. He could only come to the living room to share with Tsuna.
"Dad, I'm taking the fish to Nishimiya. I'll come back later to hear your sharing. Granny Nishimiya should still be preparing dinner, so it's just right."
After saying that, Tsuna closed his laptop, stood up, and quickly left the living room.
Daisuke nodded at his words, sat back on the sofa, turned on the TV with the remote, tuned into a comedy variety show, and took out his phone to share with the fishing buddies who were absent today.
"Thump... thump... thump..."
Tsuna, for some reason, came out in a hurry and forgot to bring the key to Nishimiya. He could only knock on the door and wait for the person inside to come out and open it.
"Coming, coming, stop knocking."
He stopped his actions only when the impatient voice of the black-haired little loli came from inside.
"Click..."
"Tsuna, don't you have a key?" Yuzuru, who opened the door, looked at the person in front of her with a bit of speechlessness.
"I was in a hurry and forgot to bring it." Tsuna held up the fish in his left hand in front of her. "Here's the fish for you, I won't go in."
"Arigato." Yuzuru reached out and took it without hesitation.
This fish delivery scene had happened countless times, at least two or three times a month. Since she could remember, Uncle Miyamura had never returned empty-handed from fishing, and each time it was exactly two fish, or always in pairs.
When she was little, she admired Uncle Miyamura's skill, but as she grew up, she understood...
Yuzuru's initial hesitation and shyness gradually turned into no hesitation at all. But she still had to say thank you.
"If there's nothing else, I'll head back now. Remember to have Granny Nishimiya deal with it soon, otherwise it won't be fresh."
Tsuna raised his other clean hand, ignored the little loli in front of him resisting, rubbed her head, and turned to leave.
Whether it was genuine resistance or just putting on an act, he could naturally tell. If Yuzuru had truly resisted, she would have turned around and run off long ago, instead of standing still and shaking her head in resistance.
This was nothing more than the unique little tsundere of the black-haired little loli.
Upon returning home, Tsuna naturally couldn't escape Daisuke's joyful sharing, and he also praised and indulged him as much as possible.
Later, when Shouko returned, Daisuke's attention finally shifted, but since Shouko had to go back to help Granny Nishimiya, his attention shifted back to Tsuna.
It wasn't until Shizuka finished making dinner that Tsuna was finally freed from his suffering...
——————————
Morning mist, carrying crisp air, spread over the streets, and the outline of the distant green mountains was traced with a layer of pale gold by the rising sun.
The carpet of ginkgo leaves rustled underfoot. Ajitani, riding a bicycle, brushed past the yellow leaves.
Her skirt hem brushed against the tilted school bag in the basket, and her hair tips were touched by the white mist of hot coffee from the convenience store.
In the warm light of the convenience store, suited crowds drifted. Office workers with loose ties bit into rice balls and hurried out, brushing past uniformed teenagers, bringing a breeze with the scent of baking.
As Tsuna and Shouko walked into the classroom early in the morning, he keenly sensed several gazes falling on him and Shouko simultaneously.
Neither of them paid attention and naturally returned to their seats.
He could roughly guess the reason for these gazes; it was nothing more than the scene from Friday afternoon having spread.
But this was also good, as it could effectively reduce the number of people bothering him and Shouko.
"Good morning, you two." Takagi snapped out of her daze and nodded at the two of them.
Tsuna and Shouko both greeted her. He also noticed the school bag on Nishikata's seat; he wasn't there, most likely he had gone to find his friend.
"Shouko, I'm going to take a nap. Call me when Teacher Fujiro arrives."
"Okay, okay."
Getting a response, he looked at his watch. He could still sleep for about thirty minutes, so he didn't hesitate to lie down on the desk and take a short nap.
Last night's burst of inspiration inevitably led to staying up late.
Meanwhile, Shouko-chan turned around and started chatting with Takagi, but not long after, a few girls gathered around.
One blue-haired girl stepped forward, first glanced at Tsuna, who was napping on the desk, and then quietly asked:
"Shouko, I heard you and Miyamura are together??"
"Yeah, I heard Yuki say that you two even kissed on Friday afternoon?" At this moment, a yellow-haired girl next to her stepped forward and echoed.
"No, no, it was accidental at the time, and it was just a kiss on the cheek..." Shouko-chan waved her hand, strongly denying it.
She had heard Takagi and Atsuya-chan mention this when they went shopping on Saturday afternoon. She had already anticipated this scene, so she had long prepared her response.
It was just that the difference between the words in her imagination and what she said in practice was a bit large...
It even had a bit of a humblebragging meaning...
"So, that really happened?" Little Yellow was surprised upon hearing this, and also a little disappointed.
"Then have you two been together for a long time?" Little Blue asked curiously.
"No, no, Tsuna and I are still childhood friends." Shouko denied it strongly again.
After that, they asked a few questions, Shouko responded one or two, and Takagi Sana chimed in occasionally.
It wasn't until Ajitani walked into the classroom that the three of them together completely drove away the girls who had come to satisfy their gossip and curiosity.
However, most people already felt that the two were together; it was just that Shouko refused to admit it.
A small number of people were unwilling to give up because they hadn't heard the two of them admit to being together.
"Dong... dong..."
"Tsuna, class is starting." As the class bell rang, Shouko reached out and shook the person in the seat next to her.
Tsuna held her mischievous hand, rubbing his sleepy eyes. "Alright, alright, I know."
Shouko quickly glanced around, confirming that no one noticed her, and gently pulled her hand away from his.
"Clap clap clap..."
Just as he was about to say something, he was interrupted by the sudden applause from the podium. He looked up.
He thought it was Teacher Fujiro, but unexpectedly, it was Ajitani.
"Everyone! For the two days of the School Festival, Yuki and I have finished the statistics."
Ajitani returned to her seat, picked up a round Chickenzilla backpack, and walked back onto the podium.
"Before Teacher Fujiro arrives, everyone can come up one by one, starting from the first student on the far left, to collect your money. Each person can get 975 yen."
(975 yen ≈ 8.09 Dollars in 2001)
As soon as she finished speaking, Ajitani unzipped her backpack and motioned for the student on the far left to come forward.
As the first student went up, everyone else also went up in an orderly manner to collect their money, while Teacher Fujiro appeared at the door at some point.
But she chose not to speak or disturb them, instead quietly observing them.
It wasn't long before it was Shouko's turn. When she went up, she also collected Tsuna's share.
After everyone had collected their money, Ajitani confirmed with the students below multiple times that there were no omissions before stepping down from the podium, leaving the spot for Teacher Fujiro.
Teacher Fujiro walked onto the podium, slightly bent her index finger, and tapped the surface.
"There's not much to say. The School Festival has successfully concluded, and everyone needs to settle down."
After saying that, she glanced at the time on her phone. "Everyone go out and line up in the corridor. Get ready to go to the gymnasium to listen to the Principal's speech on the perfect conclusion of the School Festival."
Amidst the students' complaints and the sound of chairs being pushed and pulled, Teacher Fujiro was the first to walk out of the classroom and wait for them outside.
"Let's go, Tsuna."
"Okay."
They lined up for two or three minutes, then were led by Teacher Fujiro to the gymnasium, waiting for the other classes to arrive, which took another ten minutes.
"Cough... cough... cough..."
The Principal on the podium coughed a few times and, after confirming that the microphone in his hand was working correctly, he slowly spoke:
"Everyone, quiet down. I'll just say a few simple words, and it will be over quickly."
As the Principal finished speaking from the elevated platform, the homeroom teachers below also managed their respective classes, telling the students to lower their voices.
When the effect was almost achieved, the Principal tapped the microphone and continued his speech:
"This time's School Festival—"
————————
"Observe the rules, deepen friendships, and work hard with a smile until the end!"
"Let's combine the strength of each person and create a wonderful Sports Festival!"
As the Principal's brief and powerful speech ended, thunderous applause erupted from below the stage, and cheers surged like a spring tide in the gymnasium.
"Tsuna, tomorrow is the Sports Festival!" Shouko, who had returned to the classroom, couldn't contain her excitement.
"It's a pity that our Shouko can only stay in the spectator stands tomorrow."
Shouko slapped someone mercilessly. "I'll be cheering for you from the spectator stands with Miyamura Auntie tomorrow."
"Clap clap clap..."
A sudden sound rang out in the classroom, Tsuna's words of comfort caught in his throat, and the students' gazes in the classroom all turned towards the source of the sound.
"Everyone, quiet down! Tomorrow is the Sports Festival, but today you still need to calm down and have a good class!"
Teacher Fujiro, who had walked onto the podium at some point, said sternly, "Alright, now turn your math textbooks to page 32. Let's start class. Anything you want to say, say it after class!"
As Teacher Fujiro began lecturing from the podium, Tsuna's thoughts drifted toward the window.
The news that the Sports Festival was about to start had been announced two weeks ago, and the red and white teams had already been assigned.
This meant that the students were divided into the 'Red Team' and 'White Team' by class and grade for competitive events.
This was a distinctive feature of Wave Wind Middle School's Sports Festival.
Group dances, opening ceremonies, relay races, etc., required advance practice. Except for the first one, for the latter two, their class even extended class time by one period each day for practice.
The first one was prepared by the third-year seniors.
There was also the creation of class cheering flags and slogan boards, but for some reason, these two tasks fell to him.
The class's short-distance running and relay races were grouped by grade, with boys and girls competing separately.
For the first-year short-distance running and relay, he was naturally indispensable, and Mr. Sakai had even signed him up.
Mr. Sakai also boasted that this year's best athlete among the first-years would definitely be him.
Japan's junior high school Sports Festivals typically follow a traditional process, emphasizing collective participation, teamwork, and fun.
They try to minimize individual competition and set up more group events to reduce the sense of competition.
Furthermore, Wave Wind Middle School's Sports Festival has been improved time and again, and individual competition has almost disappeared, leaving only class competition.
The Sports Festival is different from the previous School Festival; this one only lasts for one day.
"Miyamura? Miyamura Tsunayoshi!"
As Teacher Fujiro's call from the podium received no response, more and more students' gazes fell on him.
It wasn't until Shouko next to him nudged him that he snapped back to attention.
"Hi!"
Tsuna's eyes met Teacher Fujiro's on the podium, and he knew he couldn't escape this time.
"Come up and do this problem." Teacher Fujiro pointed to the math problem she had just written on the blackboard.
"Okay..."
He glanced at the problem, stood up, and walked over. Without hesitation, he picked up the half-broken white chalk from the podium and wrote the answer on the blackboard.
"Pay attention in class, and stop looking out the window."
Seeing that he had written the correct answer, Teacher Fujiro didn't intend to pursue it further and waved her hand to dismiss him.
"Okay."
Tsuna returned to his seat and didn't take his eyes off the blackboard until class was over, though whether his mind was on the blackboard was unknown.
"Dong... dong... dong...!"
"Class dismissed. If you need to use the restroom, go quickly. Don't wait until class starts again to say you want to go." Teacher Fujiro left these words and quickly walked out of the classroom.
As soon as Teacher Fujiro left the classroom, the classroom immediately became noisy.
Shouko couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, "Tsuna, what were you thinking about during class just now? Teacher Fujiro called your name several times and you didn't respond."
"I was thinking about the Sports Festival tomorrow," Tsuna answered truthfully.
Just as Shouko was about to say something else, she was interrupted by a clear and sweet voice:
"Miyamura, I'm Sakuragi Mari from Class 1 next door. I'm the captain of our first-year cheerleading squad.
I'm also the exclusive cheerleading squad for the first-year short-distance running competition. I have a bold request, could you give me your contact information?"
A girl he didn't know walking into the classroom was enough to attract attention, not to mention her good looks and her astonishing words.
Shouko looked at the black-haired girl standing in front of Tsuna's seat in surprise. Her first impression was that she was the sweet type.
She wondered if she should use the same method of driving people away as last time, but with so many people here this time, she felt a bit embarrassed...
'And did this girl not even bother to ask around before coming to ask for contact information? Who in this class doesn't know? That Miyamura Tsunayoshi is hers? Who would dare to come and snatch him?'
The sentence above was purely Shouko's temporary fantasy.
"Okay."
"Ah!?"
Everyone's surprised looks turned to shock, and they all shifted their gaze from the girl to Shouko's face, wanting to see her initial reaction.
Of course, they weren't disappointed, because Shouko was already dumbfounded.
"I'll tell you, you write it down." Tsuna reached out and pinched Shouko's wrist, which had lost its color.
"Okay, okay, Miyamura, please tell me." The girl ignored his small movements below.
Tsuna skillfully rattled off a string of Numbers. "Did you write it down clearly?"
"Okay, okay, Arigato." The girl bowed slightly to him and then turned around and quickly left the classroom.
Ajitani and Takagi were both quietly murmuring the string of Numbers that Tsuna had just said.
They felt it was very familiar but couldn't remember where they had heard it.
But that wasn't important now; comforting Shouko was the most important thing. They couldn't understand how Miyamura had changed his mind, giving away his contact information so easily.
When they looked at Shouko, they found that she had returned to normal. All the previous expressions of shock were completely gone, and there wasn't even any sadness.
However, her hand was still continuously slapping a certain unfaithful man.
"Tsuna, you almost scared me to death just now." Shouko said muffledly while hitting him, even feeling it wasn't enough and wanting to bite him.
Tsuna quickly reached out and covered her bared teeth. "I was just afraid she would keep bothering me in the classroom and refuse to leave.
And with so many people here, if you use the method from last time, you can't just run home directly this time."
"Hmph!" Shouko snorted lightly and stopped paying attention to him, deciding to break off their friendship for a minute or two.
At this moment, Ajitani, who was standing far away and still didn't understand the truth, quickly walked forward and asked, "Shouko, why don't you have any reaction at all?"
She had wanted to say that she had instantly thought of a lot of comforting words, but she could only swallow them back.
"Yes, Atsuya-chan, look how sad I am now." Shouko pretended to be sad and wiped the corner of her eye.
"..." Ajitani was a bit speechless for a moment.
"But don't worry, the number Tsuna gave is mine." Seeing that it wasn't working, Shouko simply stopped acting.