"Dong... Dong...!"
As the bell rang, homeroom teacher Takeuchi entered the classroom cheerfully, just in time.
Before he could speak, Shouko couldn't help but turn around and ask someone,
"Tsuna, why do I feel like Takeuchi-sensei is so happy? He looked so lifeless during the last class..."
Tsuna raised his head and observed Takeuchi at the podium, finally replying uncertainly,
"Maybe he found a high-paying job..."
Shouko was clearly unconvinced. "How did you come to that conclusion just by looking at his face?"
She thought this was a bit outrageous. How could you tell what kind of job someone had just by looking at their face?
"Ahem..." Takeuchi, holding his language textbook, coughed softly at the podium, attracting everyone's attention before slowly speaking,
"Okay, everyone, be quiet. Class is starting now." His tone was filled with a hint of joy.
The reason for his happiness was exactly what Tsuna had guessed.
A private elementary school had contacted him after they'd accepted his resume a few days ago.
Yesterday, he took advantage of his day off for the interview and had a hilarious incident. He'd already given up hope, but he received the offer letter just during break.
He'd immediately called to confirm, and after confirming it, he was practically overwhelmed with excitement.
It's as if he had done that school, won the lottery, and was actually accepted.
The monthly salary there was two or three times higher than here, which really excited him.
After all, it was more money, and who wouldn't like that?
He'd even considered quitting tonight, but he'd finally calmed down. His current sixth-grade class was graduating in a week.
He'd have to hold out a little longer. After all, President Miyamura's son was there, and he had to make a lasting impression.
---
"Dong... Dong... Dong...!"
"That's it for today." Teacher Takeuchi said, then hurried out of the classroom.
"Hey, hey, hey, Ishida, why are you so listless? Smile more."
Shortly after Takeuchi left, a sudden voice echoed from the back of the room.
Most of the people packing up their things looked over, only to see Shoya slumped lifelessly on the table, with several male classmates standing in the aisle next to him, mocking him.
Everyone, accustomed to this, glanced briefly and continued packing.
Tsuna, resting his face on one hand, looked bored at the people in the back row and Shōya.
As expected, Ishida had resisted fiercely at first, but as the attacks grew more frequent,
He grew numb until he no longer even considered resisting.
The turning point came when, after failing to catch the culprit in the first few attempts, he finally lost his patience and went to a secluded spot outside the classroom the next day to observe the situation.
Then he saw that a few familiar boys were doing the print. How could he tolerate this? Without saying a word, he rushed forward and started a fight.
In the end, Teacher Takeuchi came to stop them, but he didn't call the parents or anything; he just gave them a few verbal lectures.
He felt a little lucky that the parents were not called then.
The day after he caught the culprit, he happily entered the classroom to see that the desks and chairs were even more outrageous than before.
Even his math textbook was torn and thrown on the ground this time.
He furiously tried to find the people from yesterday, but the class monitor, Miki, informed him that they had asked for leave from their teacher, Takeuchi, early that morning.
His previously furious temper waned instantly. He glanced up at the students who had arrived, and it seemed everyone was laughing at him.
His instincts kept reminding him that everyone present was the murderer, and those who had been there yesterday were simply unlucky.
For the first time, he felt lost in the whole fistfight. The faces of the people in the classroom began to feel unfamiliar.
Despite having been together for over six months, they all seemed to have a blurry, indistinct appearance. But the feeling lasted only a moment, and the matter was dropped.
---
"Shouya, there are snacks in the fridge."
Ishida, still cutting a customer's hair, noticed Shōya's return and turned to offer a greeting.
Shōya, who had previously been sullen, suddenly felt a glare at Miyako's gentle smile.
Everything that had happened at school flashed through his mind, and he instantly became furious. Without hesitation, he yelled at her,
"Shut up!" He slammed his bag on the front desk chair and ran into the back room.
Miyako could only apologize and explain to the customer.
She would have to wait until closing time to go back and give him a talk.
She had noticed Shōya's temper had been getting worse over the past month or two, and he'd lost his initial lively energy.
She'd asked him if something had happened at school, but he wouldn't say.
Initially, she was so worried that she even called his homeroom teacher.
The answer was that everything was fine, and Shōya had become more obedient recently.
He wasn't making noises in class anymore, and wasn't getting into trouble after class.
Miyako could only thank Mr. Takeuchi briefly before hanging up.
Concerned that the student might be hiding something from the teacher, she privately checked with two of Shōya's former close friends.
The answer was the same: everything was fine, and Shōya was fine at school.
They both explained why he wasn't hanging out with him after school: They were working hard for the second half of the semester.
They'd play less together after school, but they'd still hang out at school. Maybe things would return to normal after graduation.
Hearing this, she felt relieved. As long as there weren't any quarrels, it was fine.
The three of them had known each other for six years, and Miyako knew most of their personalities, so she was more trusting of their words.
And Shoya hadn't been injured recently when he came home—wasn't that a good thing?
So she didn't ask any more questions. After all, his homeroom teacher and his friends had said so, so there was no reason for her to disbelieve.
---
"Tsuna, by the end of the semester, if I get good grades, will you agree to one condition?"
In the living room, Shouko suddenly remembered something and cautiously asked someone at the coffee table.
Tsuna paused peeling an orange and turned to look at her in confusion. "Even if you don't take the test, I'll agree. Just tell me what the condition is."
---