svetikya Page 10
Page 10
Occasionally, Yuto would notice some ill-intentioned glances or hear whispers about glass.
Whenever this happens, he will glare back with a cold look without hesitation, nipping any potential malice in the bud.
His "bad reputation" seems to have continued from elementary school all the way through junior high.
……
During lunch break that day, Yuto Itsuka, as usual, went to Class C to look for glass.
As soon as I reached the door, I saw a familiar figure standing next to Shoko's desk, seemingly talking to her.
Naoka Ueno? What's she doing here?
Yuto Itsuka raised an eyebrow slightly.
Naoka Ueno and Shoya Ishida both got into this school and were assigned to Class A, where they were classmates.
But he doesn't usually talk to them.
Naoka Ueno noticed Shoko's expression and realized that Yuto Itsuka had arrived. She turned around, saw Yuto, and her face showed an unnatural expression, which was then replaced with a warm smile: "Ah, Itsuka-kun, you're here! I was chatting with Nishimiya-kun."
"What are you talking about?" Yuto Itsuka walked up to Shoko and asked casually.
"It's nothing, I just wanted to ask if Nishimiya-san is settling into her new class and if she needs any help," Naoka Ueno said with a smile, her tone sounding very sincere.
Shoko wrote in her notebook: "Ueno asked me if I wanted to go to the cafeteria with her."
Yuto Itsuka glanced at Naoka Ueno, a hint of doubt in his mind.
This woman used to target Shoko a lot when they were in elementary school, how come she suddenly changed her attitude?
“No need, I’ll eat with Shoko.” Itsuka Yuto casually declined Naoka Ueno’s “kindness.”
"Ah, I see..." Naoka Ueno's smile froze for a moment, but she quickly recovered.
"Alright then, let's get together again next time." With that, she turned and left.
Watching Naoka Ueno's departing figure, Yuto Itsuka seemed lost in thought.
“Let’s go, let’s eat on the rooftop,” he said to Shoko.
The rooftop is their recently discovered secret hideout—quiet, sparsely populated, and with a wide view, perfect for the two of them to have lunch together.
He sat down on the rooftop and opened his lunchbox, which contained a lovingly prepared lunch by his mother, Kotori Itsuka.
【Yuto-kun, Ueno-kun... seems different from when I was in elementary school】Shoko wrote in her notebook while eating.
Is that so?
Yuto Itsuka had no interest in this.
[She...smiled at me and even spoke to me first.] Shoko wrote this very carefully.
The weasel paid New Year greetings to the rooster, which was not a good intention.
Itsuka Yuuto sneered in his heart.
First impressions are hard to break, and that was his first impression of Naoka Ueno.
But he didn't say these words aloud; he simply replied in his notebook:
People's hearts can change, but no matter how others change, just be yourself. With me here, no one can bully you.
Shoko looked at Yuto's handwriting and smiled with relief.
……
……
For Itsuka Yuto, junior high school life was not much different from elementary school, except that he had to travel between two classes in different teaching buildings every day.
He was still the academically excellent and solitary Yuto Itsuka, only now he was missing Shoko Nishimiya, who needed to be in his sight at all times.
For Nishimiya Shoko, however, the changes were enormous.
Without Yuto-kun's constant protection, she had to face a completely new environment on her own.
Unlike Class 3, Grade 6 of elementary school, the students in Class C did not experience the "tragic" establishment of authority that Yuto did.
Their reaction to Glass's hearing impairment was more of a polite curiosity, and a subtle, almost imperceptible, distance.
At first, things were going fairly well.
During breaks, Yuto would appear at the entrance of Class C on time, and during lunch break, the two would go to the rooftop to share their lunches.
However, as time went on, some subtle changes began to occur.
Middle school students have a much heavier workload than elementary school students, and they are more likely to complete assignments in groups and in collaboration.
Because of her communication difficulties, Shoko is often left out when forming groups, or she is forced into a group but can only watch helplessly as her group members discuss because she cannot communicate smoothly, feeling like an outsider.
Some students do not have malicious intent, but they will subconsciously choose to communicate with more "convenient" methods.
Occasionally, when the teacher asks a question, Shoko wants to raise her hand, but hesitates because she is slow to organize her thoughts or is worried that her pronunciation will make people laugh.
"Nishimiya-kun, is there a problem?" the teacher asked kindly several times.
Shoko blushed and wrote in her notebook: "N-No, thank you, teacher."
She didn't want to cause trouble for others.
This thought clung to her like a vine.
What upset her even more was that she vaguely sensed that Yuto-kun seemed to have been criticized because of her.
"Hey, look at Itsuka from Class A, he keeps running to Class C, just for that earless girl."
"Exactly! He's so handsome and gets good grades, why would he want to hang out with people like that?"
"I heard he got into a fight over that girl when he was in elementary school. Tsk tsk, what a weirdo."
These whispers, like fine needles, pierced the heart of glass.
She knew that Yuto didn't care about these things, but the less he cared, the more guilty she felt.
She felt she was a burden to Yuto-kun, that she had darkened his middle school life.
She dared not tell Yuto-kun about these feelings, and could only keep them silently in her heart.
Volume 1: Chapter 13: Naoka Ueno Attempts to Open a Breach from Within [Please Vote!]
Naoka Ueno's presence gradually became clearer in Class A.
She has indeed changed a lot.
No longer like in elementary school, she speaks softly and tries hard to play the role of a "quiet and good student".
She would proactively help the teacher, actively answer questions in class, and her grades improved from average to above average.
She would also find various reasons to strike up a conversation with Itsuki Yuto.
"Itsuka-kun, I don't quite understand how to solve this math problem. Could you give me a little pointer?"
She would take her workbook and walk to Yuto's seat during breaks to ask him math questions.
Yuto Itsuka would usually glance at her, then take the workbook and point out the key steps in a few words.
"Here, the formula is wrong. It should be like this, like this, like this, and then like this..."
"Ah, I see! Thank you, Itsuka-kun!" Naoka Ueno gave a grateful smile.
She could sense Itsuki Yuto's wariness towards her.
That aloofness that kept people at arm's length left her feeling somewhat defeated, but more than that, she felt resentful.
She thought that perhaps starting with Nishimiya Shoko would be a breakthrough.
So, Naoka Ueno began to go to Class C to find Shoko Nishimiya during breaks or before lunch break.
"Good afternoon, Nishimiya-san!" She walked to Shoko's seat with a bright smile.
Shoko looked up in surprise and saw that it was Naoka Ueno. She subconsciously tensed up.
“I…I just went to the office to deliver homework for the teacher, and I happened to pass by Class C, so I stopped by to see you,” Naoka Ueno explained.
Then he took a beautifully wrapped candy out of his pocket. "Here, this is for you. My mom bought it yesterday. It's delicious."
Shoko hesitated for a moment, then accepted the candy and wrote in her notebook: 【Thank you, Jiuling IV Liuqi II Yue—I, Ueno-kun】
"Don't mention it!" Naoka Ueno smiled even more broadly.
"By the way, Nishimiya-kun, what book have you been reading lately? All the girls in our class are reading a novel called 'Tears of the Stars,' it's really good!"
Shoko blinked, wrote the book title in her notebook, indicating that she would read it.
……
Such interactions were not frequent, after all, Shoko was somewhat wary, but Naoka Ueno was very patient.
She would chat with Shoko about trendy gadgets among girls, share gossip about school, or simply say hello.
Yuto Itsuka naturally noticed Naoka Ueno's actions as well.
"She's been coming to see you a lot lately?" During lunch break, on the rooftop, Yuto asked Shoko in sign language while eating his bento.
Shoko nodded and wrote in her notebook:
"Hmm, Ueno-san... seems to have really changed. She's very nice to me."
Yuto Itsuka doesn't believe that Naoka Ueno would suddenly have a change of heart.
He even felt that Naoka Ueno's current behavior was an attempt to repeat her old tricks and bully Shoko in a different way.
But he didn't directly expose it.
Shoko longs for friends and acceptance. If Naoka Ueno could temporarily play a "friendly" role to make her less lonely, it wouldn't seem like a bad thing.
As long as you keep a close eye on her and don't give her a chance to hurt Shoko, you'll be fine.
【Yeah】
Just take good care of yourself, and remember to let me know if anything happens.
Nisuko nodded.
She was actually a little uneasy.
Ueno's enthusiasm flattered her, but also made her feel a little scared.
But she couldn't help but wonder, what if, what if Ueno really did get better?
What if she could have friends besides Yuto-kun?
……
In the afternoon, Class A and Class C happened to have their physical education class on the same playground.
The boys practice basketball, and the girls practice volleyball.
Yuto Itsuka was invited by the boys in his class to play basketball. He was agile and had accurate shooting skills, which attracted the attention of many girls.
But his mind wasn't entirely on basketball; he would occasionally glance at the volleyball court not far away.
Glass seemed a bit clumsy on the volleyball court.
She couldn't hear her teammates' shouts, nor could she accurately judge where the ball would land.
When passing the ball, she is always a beat too slow, or her force is incorrect.
"Nishimiya-kun, over here!"
"Oops, another mistake!"
"Seriously, being in a group with her is such bad luck..."
Some murmured complaints arose.
Yuto Itsuki saw Shoko standing awkwardly on the sidelines, head down, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her clothes.
Just then, Naoka Ueno walked over.
She patted Shoko on the shoulder, said something with a smile, then took Shoko's hand and patiently taught her the proper technique for setting the ball.
Shoko seemed to relax a bit and started trying to practice with Naoka Ueno.
Yuto Itsuka frowned slightly, feeling that it was not quite real.