The teacher calmly glanced at Shoya Ishida, gesturing for him to sit down. It was clear that Shoya Ishida's strange behavior hadn't drawn too much attention. He had been like this for a long time, always trying to get attention by acting goofy.
The students' buzzing whispers didn't stop; they only grew louder.
"Nishimiya, you'll sit next to Hiratsuka." The teacher first pointed to Hiratsuka Ryosuke's desk, then said, "Hiratsuka, go get the desk outside and bring it in."
At the mention of his name, the buzzing in the classroom suddenly disappeared, and everyone followed the teacher's finger to look at Hiratsuka Ryosuke.
It wasn't that there was an empty seat next to him; it was that in a row that should have had two desks, Hiratsuka Ryosuke's side only had one, leaving a gap. Around him, there seemed to be a natural field that froze anyone who tried to approach him. Because of his handsome face, his perpetually cold expression, and his aloof, solitary nature, some of the girls secretly called him the "Prince of Ice." They admired Hiratsuka Ryosuke but were too afraid to get close, fearing that his icy aura would freeze them.
Hiratsuka Ryosuke didn't pay much attention to the strange looks. He was simply a bit laid-back, didn't like trouble, and tried to avoid unnecessary communication; he wasn't completely unapproachable. He knew many girls admired him, but he didn't feel any joy about it. After all, admiration is the feeling furthest from understanding. The Hiratsuka Ryosuke they admired was just a character they had imagined.
"Okay." Hiratsuke Ryosuke obediently agreed to the teacher's request and turned to the boy behind him. "Hikigaya-kun, could you please move your desk back a little?"
Hachiman Hikigaya, who sat behind him, was a little shocked.
Is he talking to me?
People who are also "isolated" in a class are often more easily drawn to each other. The reasons for their isolation, however, vary. Hiratsuka Ryosuke was isolated "passively" because of his cool and aloof demeanor, which intimidated others from approaching him. As for Hachiman Hikigaya, he was never the kind of child who would say, "I want to play too," so it was harder for him to get along with people. His isolation was a choice he made himself. For a long time, Hachiman Hikigaya had noticed this classmate, but they had never exchanged a word.
"Hikigaya... kun?"
Hiratsuka Ryosuke looked at the dazed Hachiman Hikigaya and frowned slightly.
Oh no, did I get his name wrong? That would be a bit rude.
Hachiman Hikigaya's heart skipped a beat when he saw Hiratsuka Ryosuke frown.
Oh no, is he going to kill me to silence me? A few people used to target Hiratsuka Ryosuke, and the next day, those guys were never seen at school again.
"Ah? I'll move it right away, please."
Snapping out of his daze, Hachiman Hikigaya pulled his desk back a few paces as if he were taking refuge, clearing the aisle for the new desk.
Am I that scary?
The new desk was placed next to Hiratsuka Ryosuke's. This was the first time in many years that Hiratsuka Ryosuke had a desk mate.
Shoko Nishimiya slowly moved her feet, walking to Hiratsuka Ryosuke's side with trepidation, and gave a small smile.
This classmate doesn't seem easy to get along with; everyone around him seems so scared.
Shoko Nishimiya felt a bit bitter. How long will it be before I have to transfer schools again?
She gently sat down next to Hiratsuka Ryosuke, and as her backside touched the cold seat, her heart, which had been in her throat, gradually settled. Just as she was about to take out her textbook, she suddenly realized her textbook was different. For a moment, she was flustered, lowering her head and pursing her lips, at a loss.
Hiratsuka Ryosuke looked at Shoko Nishimiya, who was huddled up like a startled quail, and felt a little strange. He glanced at the book on her desk and immediately understood the problem. He had already learned the content the teacher was teaching anyway.
And what Hiratsuka Ryosuke did next completely shocked Hachiman Hikigaya for a whole year.
Shoko Nishimiya felt someone pat her shoulder, and her body instantly tensed up as if she had been shocked.
"Ah."
She let out a very soft cry, and realizing they were in class, she instantly covered her mouth. She lowered her hand and turned her head to see a cool and handsome face.
Huh? Why is he handing me a book?
She didn't know why, but she figured it was best to just smile. Shoko Nishimiya tried to smile as friendly as possible, attempting to hide her panic.
Hiratsuka Ryosuke was surprised by her reaction.
Her vocal cords are fine; it's just a hearing problem?
But, she keeps showing that same fawning smile.
How much hardship did this kid go through to develop this habit? No matter the reason, she would always smile first to show her friendliness. But there was no rule in this world that said if you were kind to others, they would be kind to you. She must have suffered a lot of grievances before, otherwise, she wouldn't have transferred in the year leading up to middle school.
He shook the textbook in one hand and pointed to Shoko Nishimiya's notebook with the other.
Shoko Nishimiya immediately understood and handed him the notebook.
"My name is Hiratsuka Ryosuke. I've already learned what the teacher is teaching, so you can use my book for now."
Shoko Nishimiya looked down at the cold words and then up at Hiratsuka Ryosuke's calm eyes. A hint of warmth inexplicably rose in her heart. She couldn't remember how long it had been since someone had shown her kindness. Her eyes became a little moist. She took the textbook and her notebook from Hiratsuka Ryosuke. She quickly wrote a few words in the notebook.
"My name is Shoko Nishimiya. Thank you, Hiratsuka-kun."
She held the notebook up to cover the lower half of her face, but the delight in her arched brows and eyes couldn't be hidden.
Hiratsuka Ryosuke saw the huge difference between her smile now and before. He knew this was a genuine smile from her heart, unlike the fawning one from before. He waved his hand and pointed to the blackboard, signaling that class was in session.
Shoko Nishimiya nodded her head vigorously, her fluffy, light brown short hair bouncing up and down. After turning back, she gently bit her pink lip, trying to hold back her tears. She held the very ordinary textbook as if it were a precious treasure.
During the break.
A few girls surrounded the new student, Shoko Nishimiya, as if she were a new species.
"Hello, Nishimiya-san. My name is Miki Kawai."
The girl with a braid wrote, then said to Shoko Nishimiya, "Pleased to meet you."
Having just felt kindness from Hiratsuka Ryosuke, Shoko Nishimiya's guard against the outside world lowered a little. It felt like everything about this transfer was so wonderful.
Will I be able to make friends, fit in, and become a normal person at this new school? Shoko Nishimiya thought to herself.
"Hey, Nishimiya-san, can you speak Japanese?" Naoka Ueno sat on the desk, her white legs crossed, and shouted with her hand cupped to her mouth.
"Naoka-chan, really, don't say that," Miki Kawai said with a laugh to Naoka Ueno. Then the other girls around them started laughing as well.
Hachiman Hikigaya rested his face in his hand, picking up on the hidden meaning in the girls' laughter and conversation. His brows furrowed. He looked at Hiratsuka Ryosuke, only to find that he was also paying attention to the girls.
And then Shoko Nishimiya did something no one expected.
"Please say it again."
The gentle Shoko simply held up her notebook for everyone to see once again. This made the girls too embarrassed to say their teasing words out loud, and the situation became a bit awkward.
Miki Kawai tried to change the subject, writing in the notebook and asking, word by word, "What did people used to call you?"
A hint of surprise and joy appeared on Shoko Nishimiya's chubby face. She scribbled something in the notebook.
"Eh! They called you Sho-chan!" Miki Kawai said loudly.
At that moment, the spiky-haired Shoya Ishida in the back of the classroom seemed to hear his name. He looked up at the girls.
"It's the same as Shida," Naoka Ueno turned her head to Shoya Ishida and continued. "Sho and Shida sound the same."
"That's so nice, Shida," said Shimada, a boy with yellow hair who was leaning against the window at the very back.
Hiratsuka Ryosuke didn't like this kid. He thought he was insidious, often pretending to be nonchalant while using the impulsive and brainless Shoya Ishida to find amusement. The reason Shoya Ishida did attention-grabbing things, besides his own personality, was because of this yellow-haired kid's instigation. But since they hadn't bothered him, he couldn't be bothered to deal with them. Shimada had once tried to use the same trick to provoke the lonely and gloomy-looking Hachiman Hikigaya, hoping to find some fun from him, but luckily Hachiman was a bit smarter than Shida and didn't fall for it.
As Hiratsuka Ryosuke expected, Shoya Ishida in the back of the classroom, hearing his friends' sarcastic remarks, was a little eager to deny it. He yelled, "It's not the same at all!"
After all, for many elementary school boys, playing with or being associated with girls was a sign of weakness and an act of leaving the boys' inner circle.
Hiratsuka Ryosuke glanced at the flustered Shoya Ishida and then at Naoka Ueno. He didn't care much about these childish mind games and closed his eyes to rest.
Hachiman Hikigaya had been keeping an eye on Hiratsuka Ryosuke. Seeing him glance back and forth between Naoka Ueno and Shoya Ishida, Hachiman activated his talent for "reading the room." The previous oddness suddenly made sense. Many people knew that Naoka Ueno had a crush on Shoya Ishida. Before class, the bored Shida hadn't paid much attention to Ueno, but Shoko's arrival had caught Shida's attention, which was why Naoka Ueno had noticed Shoko.
What is this? A little girl's jealousy? To be honest, he felt a little envious of Shoya Ishida, but he was more impressed by Hiratsuka Ryosuke.
He's really something, Hiratsuka Ryosuke. He figured out the root cause in an instant?
As if noticing Hachiman Hikigaya's gaze, Hiratsuka Ryosuke looked back at him. His calm, unruffled eyes sent a chill down Hachiman's spine.
Hachiman Hikigaya's eyes darted to his textbook, and he pretended to be reading.
Just as I thought, the distance for people to truly understand each other is like an uncrossable chasm.
That person is terrifying.
I won't get ambushed from behind by a few big guys in sunglasses and then get sunk into Tokyo Bay, will I?
Crap, my cute Komachi, save your big brother!