A Silent Voice: My First Kiss Was with Nishimiya Shouko

After Shoko stepped aside, her gloomy look disappeared. Eyes sparkling with excitement, she pointed into the tank.

"Akira, I want that completely black one."

"No problem." Akira nodded seriously, locking eyes on the fish she had chosen. He picked up one of the five paper scoops and handed the rest to Shoko for safekeeping.

He knew goldfish scooping wasn't just about quick reflexes—it was all about technique. If you tried to scoop too aggressively, the delicate paper would tear instantly. You had to use the edge of the net to gently support the goldfish rather than lift it.

Just rubbing the paper between his fingers, Akira could already tell how low-quality the vendor's scoops were. Still, he wasn't worried. Back in his university days, he had once boasted to his roommates about being a goldfish scooping master—and even secretly practiced for two weeks just to win a bet. (A silly little backstory gag.)

The black goldfish paused near the surface. Instantly, Akira lowered the basin in his left hand and struck! A swift movement with the paper net—and splash! The fish practically leapt into the basin.

"Wow! Akira, you're amazing!" Shoko clapped her hands, face glowing with admiration.

The vendor watched in disbelief. He scoffed quietly, assuming it was just beginner's luck. Surely the kid would mess up soon.

"It's nothing. Point to the next one and I'll get it for you," Akira chuckled, glancing away to dodge her adoring gaze.

(Thank goodness he wasn't a lolicon, or this might've gone to his head…)

"That one—over there!"

"Got it."

Akira scooped another goldfish—clean, fluid motion. Success again.

Shoko showered him with praise.

The vendor's lips twitched, but he still refused to admit defeat. "Just luck again," he muttered.

After a couple more tries, Akira's net finally tore—soaked too long and frayed by the water.

"No big deal." He swapped in a fresh one from Shoko, whose eyes practically sparkled with excitement.

Akira glanced at the vendor, now visibly sweating. With a grin, he asked,

"Boss, can we get another water basin? This one's almost full."

Shoko blinked, then looked down at the plastic basin—now crowded with brightly colored goldfish. She also noticed that a crowd had formed, drawn in by the spectacle.

Some nearby girls whispered in awe, admiring Akira's skill. Shoko, flustered, gently tugged at his arm.

"Akira… maybe this is too much? Everyone's watching…"

The vendor seized the chance to intervene. "Yeah, yeah, kid… maybe give it a rest?" He wiped his forehead again with a trembling hand.

Akira only smiled. "What do you mean, Boss? I'm promoting your stall. Look at this crowd. Doesn't this just prove how strong your scoops are?"

The vendor choked on his own words, realizing Akira had turned his own marketing claims against him.

Damn it! There's still six or seven minutes left, and he has four nets to go. At this rate, I'm shutting down early!

Sensing the poor guy might actually faint, Shoko stepped in.

"Boss, can you help us bag up the fish in this basin? We won't scoop anymore."

She already felt they'd gotten more than their money's worth. If Akira kept going, the vendor might throw hands.

And with Uncle Daiki not around, Akira definitely wouldn't win that fight.

"Y-Yeah, no problem. I'll bag them up," the vendor said quickly, grateful for the mercy.

Akira handed over the net and smiled. "Fine, I'll stop."

"Why'd he stop?"

"Aw man, keep going!"

"I'll pay for your next try!"

"Where'd you learn to scoop like that, kid?"

The crowd around them erupted in protest. Clearly, they'd been hoping to watch Akira completely wreck the stall's inventory.

Not far away, Miyamura Shizuka noticed a gathering crowd and frowned. "What's going on up there? Why's everyone crowded around?"

Nishimiya Yaeko narrowed her eyes toward the stall. "Let's check it out. Looks like a goldfish-scooping stall."

"I want to play too! I want to try!" Yuzuru immediately tugged at her mother's hand, barely holding back from running ahead.

Daiki quietly followed behind them, balancing the bags of snacks they had just bought.

Meanwhile, Akira held Shoko's hand as they squeezed through the crowd. "Excuse us, excuse us—this vendor's scoops are great! You should try too!" he called out, still cheerfully promoting the stall as he left.

"Akira? Shoko?" Daiki was the first to spot them.

"Where's Sis?" Yuzuru began looking around, ignoring the crowd entirely.

"Dad, Mom." Akira waved at the group as he and Shoko emerged.

Shizuka didn't answer immediately. Her gaze shifted to their hands—each of them holding two nearly full plastic bags of goldfish.

"…You didn't just rob that stall, did you?" she asked, dead serious.

"Akira caught all of them! Isn't he amazing?" Shoko beamed, proudly holding up her bags. "It only cost 500 yen!"

"You had this skill and didn't show it back when we passed those stalls—"

Shizuka trailed off mid-sentence, realizing it was a little late to complain. Shoko's face said it all: Akira had officially earned "hero" status in her eyes.

"He's really that good?" Yuzuru broke free from Shizuka and ran up, taking the goldfish bag from her sister. "No way!"

"It's true!" Shoko said proudly. "I saw the whole thing!"

Daiki, still slightly stunned, blinked and asked the inevitable question:

"With this many goldfish… are we seriously taking them all home?"

He had a point. Festival goldfish were notoriously fragile. Tossing them all into one or two basins at home meant one thing: a tragic fish funeral by morning.

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POWER STONE!!!

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