Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Nishimiya Yuzuru will no longer worry about her sister

After class, the young girl Nishimiya Shouko kept thanking and apologizing to Hojo Kyosuke. She thanked him for protecting her and apologized for causing him trouble. In response, he just smiled and ruffled her hair, telling her that anyone normal would do the same, so there was no need to worry.

That's not it at all! Only you, Hojo-kun, only you would protect me like this!

Thinking this way, the mischievous prank that had just happened didn't leave any shadow in Nishimiya Shouko's heart. She didn't feel sad like she used to when she was bullied at her previous school. In her heart, she could only imagine Hojo-kun's serious expression as he reprimanded the boy with the hedgehog head.

Nothing else happened afterward until it was time to go home. Miki Kawai, who sat in front of Nishimiya Shouko, also became her friend. They even discussed last night's Doraemon episode together.

"Sister, how was school today?"

At the dinner table, Nishimiya Shouko's younger sister, Nishimiya Yuzuru, asked.

Hearing this, their mother, Nishimiya Yaeko, and their grandmother, Nishimiya Ito, stopped their chopsticks, and the whole family looked at Nishimiya Shouko.

Shouko had transferred schools many times before, and they had seen this scene several times.

Every time before, Nishimiya Shouko would maintain a calm smile, telling her family that everything was fine. But they all knew that when she said that, it actually meant that everything wasn't fine.

However, this time was different. Nishimiya Yuzuru looked at her sister and saw a smile on her face that she had never seen before. She was still too young to understand what that smile meant. She only knew that her sister was really happy, happier than she had ever been. This made Yuzuru instinctively start smiling too.

"I made a really good friend at school today. They..."

Nishimiya Shouko put down her chopsticks and with an excited smile on her face, she quickly rattled off a string of words.

"Sister, sister, slow down a bit!"

Seeing Nishimiya Shouko's expression, their mother and grandmother also looked surprised. Maybe there won't be any need to transfer schools again this time?

Nishimiya Shouko calmed down her excitement a bit. She had been wanting to share what happened today with her family ever since she got back home, but her mother had been working and only just returned home now.

"I made a really good friend at school today!"

"Really?"

Yuzuru asked with doubt, after all, there had been bad classmates who pretended to be friends with Shouko before, only to play pranks on her. So, she was worried that this time might be the same.

Grandmother and mother had these concerns too, but they didn't say them aloud. Grandmother didn't want to dampen Shouko's spirits, and her mother always hoped that Shouko would make her own judgments, even if she had bad friends, it would make her stronger.

"!"

Shouko immediately puffed up her cheeks like a pufferfish, showing an adorable expression of irritation.

"Hojo Kyosuke is a true friend! He even protected me today!"

"Huh? Shouko, did someone bully you today?"

Yuzuru immediately grasped the key point, showing her concern.

"There was a classmate who imitated my speech to tease me, and then Hojo Kyosuke made that classmate apologize to me."

Next, Nishimiya Shouko explained in detail how Ishida Shouya had teased her during Language class, how Hojo Kyosuke had stood up to the teacher, and how Ishida Shouya had eventually apologized to her.

Watching Nishimiya Shouko excitedly gesturing and speaking, her hair even flying in her enthusiasm, her mother and grandmother exchanged glances. Amid their happiness for Shouko, they couldn't help but feel some worries.

Because of Shouko's special situation, even her younger sister suffered certain consequences and became a target for bullying at school.

Over these years, they had seen too much human cruelty. Not to mention those teachers, even children who should be innocent and cheerful would reveal their worst sides in front of Nishimiya Shouko.

Now suddenly, someone appeared who treated Nishimiya Shouko so well, and they found it hard to believe.

Moreover, in Shouko's story, that classmate named Hojo Kyosuke had not only directly confronted the teacher when no one else stood up for her, but he had also made Ishida Shouya apologize to her under the teacher's request.

Hojo Kyosuke even forced Ishida Shouya to apologize to her three times in a row because his attitude wasn't sincere enough.

It sounded even more impressive than Doraemon, like a superhero.

"Is it true?"

Yuzuru asked, echoing the doubts of her mother and grandmother. This was how the roles were divided at home. While their mother, Nishimiya Yaeko, silently demanded a lot from Shouko, their grandmother, Nishimiya Kei, soothed the wounds in Shouko's heart.

The things they couldn't easily say were all spoken by the youngest, Yuzuru.

"Of course it's true!"

In response to her little sister's repeated doubts, Shouko's cheeks puffed up like a steamed bun. Hojo Kyosuke was obviously a really good person!

"Alright, Yuzuru, Shouko has made a good friend in her new school. We should all be happy. This way, you can go to school with peace of mind too."

"Yeah, Yuzuru, you should go to school too!"

Hearing her grandmother's words, Shouko immediately forgot about the little annoyance from earlier and anxiously pulled on Yuzuru's sleeve.

"..."

Yuzuru, who had been talking all along, was now silent, lowering her head.

"Yuzuru..."

Both her grandmother and Shouko looked at her with worry.

"Yuzuru."

Nishimiya Yaeko spoke, her tone carrying an unquestionable authority.

"Tomorrow, I'll take you to your new school."

Yuzuru looked up. She knew she couldn't change her mother's decision, and she didn't oppose it. Besides, she was just a little girl who also wished to play with friends her age, rather than stay at home with her grandmother all day.

Previously, due to her sister Nishimiya Shouko's situation, Yuzuru couldn't continue going to school. Now, it seemed like her sister could attend school well, so there was no reason for her not to go to school either.

"Alright, Mom."

The heavy atmosphere at the table immediately lightened, and everyone started eating happily again. Shouko shared more about what happened at school. Although Nishimiya Yaeko's expression remained impassive, occasional glances revealed that she was happy for Shouko.

That night, Yuzuru dreamt of her sister Nishimiya Shouko at school. She was singing, singing very well, with a radiant smile on her face. There was a boy whose face she couldn't quite see standing behind her sister, applauding enthusiastically.

Meanwhile, Ishida Shouya, on the other hand, didn't join Nagatsuka Tomohiro and Shimada Kazuki in their usual after-school daredevil activities like jumping into the river.

As soon as school ended, Ishida Shouya rushed out alone and didn't even greet his mother when he got home. Instead of saying "I'm home," he silently headed upstairs, dejected.

"Shouya, Shouya?"

Ishida Shouya's mother, Ishida Miyako, pulled aside the curtain between the front store and the back residence, entering and calling out to him.

"What's wrong, Shouya? Didn't you go play with your friends today?"

But Ishida Shouya, who was climbing the stairs, didn't respond at all, keeping his head down.

"Stop, Shouya."

Ishida Miyako chased him to the stairs and called Ishida Shouya's name again loudly, finally stopping him.

"What happened?"

"Annoying. Nothing happened. Today, Shimada had to go to cram school, so we didn't go play."

"Shouya, watch your tone. I'm just concerned about you!"

"I said there's nothing!"

After shouting these words, Ishida Shouya quickly ascended the stairs.

"Shouya..."

Ishida Miyako watched the empty stairs, her heart filled with worry.

She couldn't fathom what could turn her carefree son into this. She had thought he was just mischievous. Boys being a little naughty was normal. She hadn't expected him to turn into a bad kid who teased disabled classmates.