A Silent Voice: My First Kiss Was with Nishimiya Shouko

The next day.

"Yuzuru, make sure you study hard this semester, okay? If anything happens, just come find me in the sixth-grade building."

The three of them had just arrived at the school gates. Akira's new classroom was located at the far left wing, while Yuzuru's was all the way on the right. Before they parted ways, Shouko gently pulled her younger sister aside and offered some heartfelt advice.

"Okay, Onee-chan." Yuzuru nodded seriously. Then, with a deliberate pause, her gaze turned to the boy standing just behind her sister. "Akira, I'm leaving her in your care."

"Feels more like I'm the one being looked after," Shouko said with a little smirk, puffing out her cheeks before Akira could even open his mouth.

He sighed, swallowing back his original reply. Looking at her with mock defeat, he chuckled, "Yes, yes, I'll be counting on you to look after me this year, too."

"Alright, I'm going now!" Yuzuru quickly cut in and ran off before they could start flirting again.

"Yuzuru, slow down!" Shouko called after her, but she was already gone.

"Shall we go?"

"Yeah."

They made their way to Class B, following the posted signs for sixth grade. Inside the classroom, a few students had already arrived—some chatting, others quietly zoning out. The desks and chairs were still arranged in the spaced-out format typical at the start of a new term.

Looking around, Akira could already tell that Minagawa-sensei wasn't going to be their homeroom teacher this year. He leaned in and said, "Looks like we've got a different homeroom teacher this time."

"Akira, how can you—"

"Let's sit down first. I'll explain," he said casually, steering her to two middle-row window seats. Most of the students were still unfamiliar with each other, so hardly anyone noticed them.

About ten minutes later, loud footsteps echoed from the hallway.

"Hurry up, hurry up! The back seats are still open!" a cheerful voice shouted from the doorway, drawing everyone's attention.

Shouko gave the drowsy boy beside her a nudge and whispered, "Akira, look… I didn't think they'd be in our class too."

She was referring to the trio of boys who had once made cruel comments toward Akira. She still remembered that time—he wouldn't even let her say anything back. The memory lingered.

Akira glanced their way indifferently. So what? They were irrelevant. He turned his attention back to Shouko, picking up their casual conversation without a care.

Ignoring the stares, the trio strolled straight to the back row. One of them, Shimada Ikki, whose short blond hair stood out starkly against his long-sleeved white shirt—despite the heat—paused to shoot Akira a long, unreadable look.

"There are two empty seats next to each other, Naoka! Hurry!" Kawai Miki tugged her friend toward the classroom.

"I see it. Let's just go already," Ueno Naoka replied, pulling her by the hand. She didn't want to be seen standing awkwardly at the classroom entrance.

Some of the boys in the room had already noticed the two girls entering, glancing in their direction with barely hidden curiosity.

About twenty minutes later, once everyone had arrived, the door opened again. A young man in a blue-and-white tracksuit, black-rimmed glasses, and medium-length dark hair stepped up to the podium.

Bang, bang, bang!

He slapped the blackboard three times to no great effect. Most of the class continued chatting. He cleared his throat and raised his voice:

"Alright! Quiet down, everyone!"

Once he had everyone's attention, he picked up a stick of chalk, turned to the board, and wrote:

竹内

(Takeuchi)

"I'm your new homeroom teacher for sixth grade. You can call me Takeuchi-sensei."

The room remained still. No applause, no reactions—just awkward silence.

Takeuchi-sensei didn't seem fazed. He calmly scanned the class before announcing, "Let's do self-introductions. Starting from the front row, left to right. Come up one by one and introduce yourselves briefly."

No one moved.

Bang!

He slapped the podium, making some students flinch.

"I said hurry up!"

Shouko wasn't startled, but she did whisper to Akira, "You really guessed right… Takeuchi-sensei seems pretty strict. He's nothing like Minagawa-sensei."

Akira shrugged. "Don't worry. As long as we behave, he won't bother us."

He wanted to ruffle her hair but resisted, knowing it wasn't the time.

"Mhm." Shouko nodded and decided to start memorizing faces and names. She didn't want to mess up and call anyone the wrong name.

The first to stand up was a sweet-looking girl with twin braids, flaxen hair, and round glasses. She walked up to the front, bowed politely to Takeuchi-sensei, then faced the class and began:

"Hello everyone, I'm Kawai Miki. I like helping others—"

(Insert an overly long speech filled with self-praise here.)

"Also! I've been the class monitor for five years straight! So please vote for me again when we elect the new one!" She flashed a beaming smile at the boys.

Shouko, meanwhile, shot Akira a sidelong glance, silently watching his reaction.

He looked… utterly bored. If anything, he seemed about to doze off. Only then did she let out a relieved breath.

Takeuchi-sensei, however, was clearly losing patience. Did she not understand the word 'simple'? What is this—running for mayor?

"Next."

After several more students, Shouko gave Akira a gentle tap on the arm. "Akira, it's your turn."

"Got it." He yawned, stretched, and lazily made his way up to the podium.

The moment he reached the front, Takeuchi-sensei's attitude visibly shifted. He stepped aside politely, allowing him to stand center stage.

"My name is Miyamura—"

"Hey, it's that sissy!"

A mocking male voice interrupted from the back of the room.

Instantly, all eyes turned toward the voice. Shouko turned around as well. While she hadn't heard the comment clearly, everyone—including Akira—was looking toward the back row.

There, Ishida Shouya stood with a smirk on his face.

Before Shouko could fully register the situation, a voice boomed across the classroom:

"Hachi!!"

Takeuchi-sensei's tone was sharp. "Ishida Shouya! Is it your turn to speak!? Sit. Down."

If I wasn't a teacher, I swear I'd walk down there and smack him myself…

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POWER STONE!!!

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