Extra chapter for reaching 350 Power Stones.
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18th of June.
Saturday.
Two days later, the weekend came quickly.
Haruya had spent the time thinking about Sahara and the pathetic excuses Ueno and Kawai had made.
He had already gone to the principal's office, explained everything he had found out, and received a piece of paper with her contact information.
With Haruya's explanation, the Principal gathered information and soon set up a meeting between the parents of Ueno Naoka and Miki Kawai to discuss the situation, with it ending with a one-week suspension.
Haruya had obtained Sahara's contact information and sent her a simple text, and to his surprise, she had replied almost immediately, agreeing to meet up with them at the train station. He had also talked to Shouko on PINE, and they agreed to meet up there to see her friend again.
Haruya was the first one to arrive.
The station was already bustling with people, a stark contrast to the quietness of the week.
He stood near the entrance, looking at his phone, waiting for her.
In addition, he knew she'd be nervous, and he wanted to make sure she was okay.
Immediately, he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to see Shouko standing there, her shoulders a little slumped, but her eyes full of a hopeful, eager look.
Haruya felt a pang in his chest. She still looked so sad, but he knew this was the right thing to do.
He gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Shouko. It'll be fine. Let's go find her." He gently took her hand, and they walked through the bustling crowd together.
When they arrived, they found her easily.
Sahara was sitting on a bench, a book in her hands. She looked the same as always, with her short black hair and her kind eyes.
Haruya and Shouko walked up to her, and when she saw them, her face lit up.
She put her book down and stood up.
"Miyoko-chan!" Shouko spoke, her hands moving as she spoke, delivering sign language with it as her whole body shook with emotion.
"I'm so glad to see you! Why did you leave?" The words came out, a little too quickly, but full of emotion.
Sahara's smile wavered, and tears welled up in her eyes. "Shouko-chan..." she said, her voice soft and a little shaky.
She looked at Haruya. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything. I wanted to... but it all happened so fast." She looked back at Shouko, tears now falling down her face."I... I'm not going to be able to go back anymore. My parents... they don't want me to. I'm going to a new school far away from here."
Shouko's face crumpled, and tears started to fall down her cheeks. "Why? What happened?" she asked.
Haruya gently put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Shouko," he said quietly. "Let her explain."
Sahara took a deep breath and looked down at her hands. "I... I was being bullied," she said, her voice barely a whisper.
She looked up at Shouko. "The reason was... they didn't like that I was friends with you. Naoka told everyone to ignore me and not talk to me. They... they said a lot of mean things. But it's not true. It wasn't your fault at all."
Shouko's emotions collapsed, and tears started to fall down her cheeks, her whole body shaking with sadness.
"I'm so sorry, Sahara-san," she signed, seemingly forgetting to speak again, her hands trembling. "I didn't know. I didn't see. I'm so sorry."
Sahara shook her head, tears falling down her face as well. "No, no, it's not your fault, Shouko-chan! It was their fault! They were just jealous. They didn't want me to have other friends."
She looked at Haruya and then back at Shouko. "But it's okay. I'll be fine. My parents said the new school is really nice. I'm going to be okay."
Shouko and Sahara just stood there for a minute, crying together.
Haruya stayed silent, just letting them have their moment. He knew that nothing he could say would make it better.
All he could do was just be there for them.
When they had finally calmed down, Shouko gave Sahara a big hug. "I'll miss you, Miyoko-chan," she said, her voice still a little shaky. "I hope we can still meet up in the future."
Sahara hugged her back just as tightly. "Me too, Shouko-chan. Me too. And thank you, Sumeragi-kun. For everything." She looked at him with a grateful smile. "I'll see you both again someday."
They said their goodbyes, and Sahara walked away, her shoulders a little straighter now.
Shouko watched her go, a fresh wave of tears filling her eyes.
Haruya gently put his arm around her. "It's okay, Shouko. You did the right thing. It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known."
Shouko leaned into his touch, her body trembling. "I should have known," she spoke with guilt in her voice. "She was my friend. How could I have not seen it?"
Haruya shook his head. "Sometimes things happen that you just can't see. It's not your fault. It was their fault."
He looked up at the sky, a quiet resolve settling over him. "You know what? I have an idea. Let's go get some hot cocoa and some strawberry cheesecake at the bakery. It might make you feel better."
Shouko's face lit up a little bit.
It didn't take much to cheer her up, and the thought of some hot cocoa was definitely a good one. He took her hand and gently led her into the train station.
Just as they were boarding the train, his phone buzzed.
It was a text from a familiar girl.
Kaoruko Waguri.
Kaoruko: Hey Haruya! I'm heading to the Sumeragi Bakery today. Are you going to be there too?
He smiled. Perfect timing. He quickly sent a reply.
A plan slowly formed in his mind.
Haruya: I am! I'm on my way there now with a friend.
A few seconds later, another text came through.
Kaoruko: Yay! I'll be waiting!
Haruya put his phone back in his pocket and looked at Shouko, who still looked a little sad. He knew what he had to do. "We're going to meet up with a friend of mine at the bakery," he said, smiling softly. "Her name is Kaoruko. I think you'll really like her."
Shouko's eyes lit up a little bit, and she gave him a hopeful smile. Maybe, just maybe, this was exactly what she needed.
A distraction of sorts.
The train ride was quiet, but it was a comfortable kind of quiet.
When they arrived, the bakery wasn't very crowded.
Haruya and Shouko walked up to the counter, where Hiroki and Rina were working. "Welcome back!" Hiroki said, a cheerful smile on his face. Rina looked at Shouko, and her smile softened. "Hello, Shouko-chan. It's good to see you."
"Can we get two hot cocoa, please," Haruya said to Rina, "and an extra strawberry cheesecake for Shouko." Rina nodded and went to the back to get the pastries.
As they waited, Haruya turned to Shouko. "She's over there," he said, pointing to a table near the window. A girl with long, dark hair was sitting there, a bright smile on her face as she looked at her phone.
She suddenly looked up and spotted them, waving at Haruya.
They walked over to the table, and Haruya introduced them. "Kaoruko, this is my friend, Shouko Nishimiya. Shouko, this is my friend, Kaoruko Waguri."
Kaoruko's smile was warm and genuine. "It's nice to meet you, Nishimiya-san!" she said.
Haruya put a hand on Shouko's shoulder. "Shouko's a little quiet today," he explained to Kaoruko.
"She just had a sad day with her friend leaving." Kaoruko nodded, a look of understanding on her face.
She didn't press for details, which Haruya appreciated. She just smiled and asked if they wanted to sit down.
The conversation started slowly, with Haruya doing most of the talking, but then something amazing happened.
After about half an hour, Shouko and Kaoruko seemed to hit it off.
They found things they had in common, like pastry, and soon, they were chatting on their own. Kaoruko listened intently as Shouko talked, impressed by her kindness and gentle demeanor.
Haruya sat on the side, a small, happy smile on his face. It was so good to see Shouko laughing and smiling again.
The sadness from before had completely vanished.
"What are those?" Kaoruko asked, her eyes focused on Shouko's ears. "I've never seen them before."
Shouko smiled and took out her hearing aids to show her.
Haruya watched as she explained that she was partially deaf and how she used the hearing aids to help her hear.
Kaoruko's eyes widened a bit, but she didn't seem bothered by it at all. Shouko wore her hearing aids again.
"No problem!" Shouko said, a big smile on her face. "Actually, Haruya and our other friends were the ones who helped me learn to speak better! I used to only be able to write down what I wanted to say. But they helped change my life. Especially Haruya."
Haruya just smiled.
He didn't say anything, but he felt a warm feeling in his chest. He was just happy that he could help her.
Kaoruko looked at him, surprised.
She felt like she had just learned a new side of him, a side she hadn't seen before.
They kept talking as the morning slowly turned into afternoon.
It was a good day, a much-needed good day.
The sun began to set, casting long shadows across the floor.
Soon, it was time for Shouko to go home before it turned dark.
Before they went their separate ways, Kaoruko and Shouko exchanged PINE numbers, and they promised to keep in contact with each other.
"Bye-bye, Shouko-chan! Let's meet each other again, okay?" Kaoruko spoke.
Their relationship had progressed so fast that they were now on first-name terms.
"Of course," Shouko replied. "I'll talk to you on PINE when I get home."
They waved goodbye, and Haruya decided to walk Shouko home.
They boarded the train and talked a little bit, but it was mostly quiet.
Perhaps due to the fact that they had spent all their energy talking with Kaoruko all day.
Haruya turned to her. "Are you happy now?" he asked, his voice soft.
Shouko nodded. "Yeah... I am," she said, a small smile on her face. She looked down at her feet for a moment, then back up at him. "I feel... better now. Thank you, Haruya."
Haruya smiled gently. "That's good," he said softly.
Shouko's eyes widened a bit, and a sudden, sweet realization dawned on her face. "You did that on purpose, didn't you, Haruya?" she asked, her voice a little breathy.
He just shrugged, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips.
"You wanted to introduce me to Kaoruko-san... so I could gain a new friend and forget about the bad situation today," she said, the words coming out in a rush as she figured it all out.
He just nodded. "It's always good to have more friends, right?"
Shouko's face broke into a wide, sweet smile, one that reached her eyes and made them shine.
She gave him a big, long hug, wrapping her arms around his waist and planting her face into his shoulder.
Haruya was surprised but hugged her back. Just then, a voice sounded from behind them.
"Nee-chan, you're home!"
They both turned around and noticed a little girl with short black hair.
Shouko realized who it was.
Shouko walked to her sister and pulled her in front of Haruya.
She introduced him to Yuzuru and asked her to introduce herself to Haruya.
Yuzuru smiled and bowed. "My name is Yuzuru Nishimiya," she said happily. "Thanks for always taking care of my nee-chan!"
Haruya smiled and patted her head. "Of course. Your nee-chan takes care of us, too."
Shouko watched their interaction.
Slowly, she felt a different emotion bloom deep in her heart.
After that, it was time for them to separate and for Haruya to go home.
"See you at school, Shouko. Have a good evening," he waved and started walking away.
Shouko and Yuzuru waved him goodbye, leaving as the two sisters stared at his back.
...
A/N: Fun fact, Shouko has now met 2 other FMCs. Nagisa and Kaoruko. She is the destined one to help Haruya unite the future of the kingdom. All hail Shouko Nishimiya.
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POWER STONE GOAL - 1 EXTRA CHAPTER WHEN REACHED:
50 POWER STONES (✔)
100 POWER STONES (✔)
150 POWER STONES (✔)
200 POWER STONES (✔)
250 POWER STONES (✔)
300 POWER STONES (✔)
350 POWER STONES (✔)
400 POWER STONES (X)
450 POWER STONES (X)
500 POWER STONES (X)