Shoko Nishimiya said nothing. She held a flowerpot in one hand and wrote on the blackboard with the other. Having experienced similar incidents many times, she had long ago realized how unfriendly her classmates were. But she had to listen to her mother, to be a normal person and fit in. That would make her mother's life easier. Her younger sister, Yuzuru, could also go to school normally without being called "the deaf girl's sister" by others. And most of all, she couldn't cause Ryosuke Hiratsuka any more trouble.
After she finished writing, she smiled and turned to Shoya Ishida, making sure he could see the words on the blackboard.
「Thank you.」
There were no tears. There was no anger. There was none of what Shoya had expected. His face, once filled with anticipation, now showed disappointment. "No need to be so polite. Let's go," he muttered, putting his hands in his pockets and walking out of the classroom with a few other students.
During the last class of the afternoon, Ryosuke was once again called out by the principal. It seemed that his homeroom teacher's previous words and Ryosuke's choice of high school weren't good enough for the principal. While Soft Leaf Middle School was good, it wasn't the best. The principal wanted to personally recommend Ryosuke to the best school on the list of invitations. His goal was simple: to make Ryosuke a "star" and use him as a poster boy for next year's admissions. He had already come up with a slogan: "Shocking! A genius boy is being fought over by Tokyo's top middle schools. The reason is our school's excellent education."
Hachiman Hikigaya was also called out. His grades were pretty good, but on the enrollment survey, he had written that his dream was to be a househusband, and his desired school was Ochanomizu University. Ochanomizu University was like the "Tokyo University" of women's universities and was famous nationwide. Leaving aside the fact that it was a middle school application, the fact that a male student would apply to a women's university showed he was a strange one. Clearly, he was another problem student with good grades. The principal decided to deal with both of them at once so as not to leave any stain on his record.
Back in the classroom, the seats around Shoko were empty, making her look isolated. The homeroom teacher was half-heartedly reciting from the textbook, just trying to get through the last class of the day.
Shoya Ishida sat one aisle away from Shoko. He had high expectations for his previous prank, but her lack of reaction was disappointing. "Shoko's reaction is so annoying," he thought. An idea for a new prank popped into his head. He rolled his textbook into a cone shape and, when Shoko wasn't looking, put it to her ear.
"Aah!!"
Shoko's eyes widened and her hair stood on end. The hand holding her pencil froze in midair. She hadn't screamed, but she was clearly terrified. The people around her were also startled by Shoya's sudden shout. Some looked frightened, while others looked at him with disgust.
"Hey, Shoya, we're in class," the homeroom teacher said, already used to Shoya's antics. He said it casually, with no hint of real disapproval.
Shoya buried his head in his arms. "Yes! I'm sorry!" he mumbled, but his voice carried no sincerity. Naoka Ueno let out a small laugh, and a few other students followed suit.
Looking at the atmosphere, Shoko patted her chest to calm her breathing. She then put on a forced, ingratiating smile, trying to fit in. She accidentally glanced at the empty seats next to her, and a flash of loneliness crossed her eyes. What would Hiratsuka-kun do if he were here? Wait, why am I thinking about him? No, I can't cause him any more trouble! I... I just have to keep smiling.
After school, a few students remained in the classroom. Naoka walked over to Shoko and tapped her. When Shoko turned around, Naoka suddenly lifted the hair covering her ears, revealing two modern devices—hearing aids.
"Hey, Shoko-chan, you can hear with these, right?" Naoka asked, casually cupping Shoko's porcelain-like face.
"Yeah, I think you can hear with them," said Naoka's best friend, Miki Kawai.
"Can I see them?" Naoka asked curiously.
Shoko hesitated, a little unwilling. But she still took off her hearing aids and handed them to Naoka. Before Naoka could even take them, a voice rang out from the back of the classroom.
"Hey, Naoka! What's that? Let me play with it!" Shoya said, standing by the back window, holding out his hand with a grin.
Naoka took the hearing aid from Shoko and tossed it into the air. Shoko felt a jolt of fear as the device flew in a perfect arc. The hearing aids were expensive. They couldn't break, or her mother would have to work even more overtime. She stretched out her hands with all her might, trying to catch it, but she missed. The hearing aid landed in Shoya's hand. He grimaced with disgust. "Ugh! What is this? It's so gross!" He looked at the trash can, took aim, and tossed the hearing aid. He wanted to make a perfect shot.
Swoosh!
A slender figure burst into the classroom, appearing in front of the trash can just in time to catch the hearing aid. Ryosuke, who had just returned from the principal's office, caught it with one hand. He hadn't fully grasped the situation at first, but his eyes landed on Shoko, and he couldn't look away. A wave of anger welled up inside him.
Shoko was crying. The girl who always wore a forced smile, who seemed gentle but was strong and kind on the inside, was crying. Her starry eyes were now covered with a thin layer of mist. Two clear tears rolled down her cheeks, meeting at her chin. Her mouth opened and closed, unable to form words, only a hoarse shriek. No one could understand what she was shouting. Ryosuke couldn't understand the words, but he could hear the emotion in her voice. It was filled with helplessness and despair.
Shoko stumbled over desks and chairs, throwing herself into Ryosuke's arms. Her hands trembled, unable to see his face. She looked up at him, pleading, just wanting her expensive hearing aid back, but he didn't hand it over. Instead, he reached out and wiped her tears away. It was then that she looked up and saw the person who had saved her hearing aid.
"Th-tha...nk yo...u, H-hira...tsuka-kun," she said, her words broken and her voice choked with sobs. She felt a sense of relief. Ryosuke-kun saved me again. But I'm causing him trouble again.
Ryosuke gently brushed her hair aside and carefully put the hearing aid back on her ear. He patted her back, then slowly pushed her away, tidying her hair. "It's okay now, Shoko," he said with a smile.
Ryosuke-kun... he called me Shoko?! The sudden surprise erased her sadness. A blush appeared on her soft, baby-like face, spreading to her ears. The other students were stunned by Ryosuke's smile. The "Ice Prince" who had always kept everyone at a distance, the one with an icy aura, was smiling? And so gently, too!
Ryosuke took a deep breath as he saw Shoko's tears stop. He thought back to his master's words and the reverse-blade katana he was given last night. He had an answer now and a resolve. From the moment he intervened in Shoko's life, he was destined to protect her. He slowly exhaled and opened his eyes. He continued to wipe her tears away. Her skin was soft and smooth like a baby's. He spoke softly, "Shoko, a smile should come from genuine happiness. You don't need to smile to please others. Crying isn't a sign of weakness; it's a way to release your emotions. Cry when you want to, and laugh when you want to. But more than your tears, I think your true smile is the cutest."
He had found his answer: to use his sword and his heart to protect this girl's genuine smile.
Hearing Ryosuke, who was normally so reserved, say something that sounded like a confession, Shoko's heart began to beat even faster. "Hiratsuka-kun..." she whispered, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her clothes. Her cheeks, already rosy, became even more flushed.
At this moment, Ryosuke's smile vanished. He gently pushed her aside, indicating that she should move back. He then turned his attention back to Shoya. He slowly raised his arm and crooked his two fingers, beckoning to him. His face was a still lake, showing no emotion. But everyone present knew one thing: while his previous coldness was like the ice on a mountaintop, this coldness was from the depths of hell, with a terrifying chill that made their hair stand on end. The onlookers were dead silent, not even daring to breathe too loudly.