LRAB Page 4
Page 4
but……
Elementary school students? Sweet romance?
If someone is a middle school student, Yuto Itsuka will hold his nose and start trying to win them over.
Elementary school students won't do, really won't do, it's simply not a crime...
Just as he was lost in thought, the door to the room was gently pushed open a crack, and a small head peeked in.
Her short, fluffy, flaxen hair lay softly against her cheeks.
It's Nishimiya Glass.
She peered cautiously into the room, as if searching for something.
When her gaze met that of Yuto Itsuka in the mirror, her small body visibly flinched.
But then, a slightly ingratiating smile appeared on her face.
Shoko slowly walked into the room, stood in front of him, looked up at him with her small face, and gestured in sign language that she was not yet very proficient in.
"Good morning, Itsuka-kun."
Yuto Itsuka instinctively wanted to respond, but suddenly realized something was wrong.
He rummaged through the memories the system had given him.
He discovered that although Shoko had hearing aids, they often communicated using notebooks.
So he took a notebook from the table and wrote something in it for Shoko to see.
【morning】
When Shoko saw his response, her eyes seemed to brighten a little, but then she lowered her head, nervously twisting the hem of her dress with her small hands.
She raised her hand again and slowly gestured in sign language.
"Mom... said... I'm transferring schools."
"I'm sorry... Itsuka-kun."
Her intermittent sign language conveyed her inner unease and guilt.
She felt that leaving would be a betrayal of their promise to "be together forever".
Yuto Itsuki felt a mix of emotions as he looked at her on the verge of tears.
He knew the reason why Shoko transferred schools—she had hearing difficulties and wore a hearing aid, which made her stand out among a group of ordinary elementary school students, thus causing her to be treated differently.
Although Shoko really wanted to fit into the small group in her class, the extent to which children misbehaved was so extreme that even adults would feel uncomfortable.
They made fun of Shoko without any restraint, calling her a little deaf, while snatching her hearing aid and playing with it under the guise of "curiosity."
Meanwhile, after removing her hearing aids, Shoko, due to her hearing impairment, could barely hear any external sounds, and they would take this opportunity to loudly mock her.
Unaware of the reason, Shoko would only show a timid smile of "wanting to fit in," which made them even more amused, and they would engage in this little game called "playing" but actually "bullying" every day.
Yuto and Shoko were not in the same class in the simulated world, so he was completely unaware of the situation and could not help her.
He even thought that Shoko was doing well at school because he couldn't detect the changes in his childhood friend's heart and made his judgment based solely on the smile on her face.
However, having learned about this matter by reviewing the memories provided by the system, Itsuka Yuto was not going to pretend he hadn't seen it.
Whether in the real world or a simulated world.
When you encounter injustice, you must lend a helping hand; this is Yuto Itsuka's chivalrous way.
He reached out and, mimicking his memory, gently patted Shoko's little head.
He then wrote in his notebook:
【It doesn't matter】
Nisu raised her head.
“Itsuka-kun…aren’t you angry?” she asked in sign language.
Why get angry?
He asked rhetorically.
Shoko bit her lower lip, seemingly unsure how to express herself.
The two of them stood quietly in Yuto Itsuka's room.
Soon, the parents of this world came to call them for breakfast.
At the dinner table, the mother looked at her son, then at Shoko, and smiled like an aunt.
"Yuto, eat quickly, you still have to go to school today. Shoko too, eat slowly."
"Mother."
Yuto Itsuka put down his chopsticks and deliberately put on a serious expression.
"Shoko is transferring schools."
"Oh, really?" The mother covered her mouth, looking surprised.
It seems she was unaware of this.
"I want to transfer schools with Shoko."
"Pfft—" The father, who was drinking milk, spat it out.
"Yuto? What did you say?"
The mother was also stunned, looking at her son.
“Shoko is going to a new school,” Yuto Itsuka repeated.
"So, I want to go too."
"Childhood sweethearts can never be separated."
He gave a very naive reason.
The mother's expression shifted from surprise to thoughtfulness, and finally, a big smile appeared on her face.
"Well said, Yuto!" She slammed her hand on the table.
"As expected of my son!"
"Childhood sweethearts are meant to be together!"
"Don't worry, Mom will take care of the school transfer for you!"
She turned to her husband, who was still coughing beside her.
"Did you hear that? Honey, this matter must be taken care of!"
"Yes Yes……"
The father wiped the milk from the corner of his mouth and nodded helplessly.
Yuto Itsuka breathed a sigh of relief; his mother in this simulated world was surprisingly easy to talk to.
Or rather, they have an extraordinary enthusiasm for the "son protecting his childhood sweetheart" trope.
"Yuto, you must protect Shoko, okay?" his mother earnestly instructed.
"Ah."
He nodded, but his gaze drifted toward Shoko, who was eating quietly.
The little girl didn't seem to fully understand what was happening; she just stared at them blankly.
What Shoko heard: "Aba aba...transfer school...ba aba...childhood friend."
……
……
Nighttime, the Nishimiya family next door.
Shoko sat at her small desk, the lamplight casting a long shadow of her.
She held a pencil in her hand, but hesitated to strike.
The notebook lay open, without any writing on it.
She was still upset about transferring schools.
This morning, Itsuka-kun said "it's okay," but she still felt very sorry for him.
She didn't know that Yuto Itsuka was also planning to transfer schools. That morning at the Itsuka family's dining table, she only overheard Yuto Itsuka telling Aunt Kotori about her plans to transfer.
As I pondered this, the image of Itsuka-kun appeared in my mind.
From childhood to adulthood, Itsuka-kun has always stood in front of her.
When people mock her for wearing a hearing aid, Itsuka-kun gets angry and chases them away.
If someone imitates her because she doesn't speak clearly, Itsuka-kun will loudly reprimand them.
In order to communicate with her smoothly, Wuhe even secretly learned sign language.
Although my gestures were messy at first, I can now have simple conversations with her.
Itsuka-kun treated her so well, yet she's leaving.
Shoko sniffed, her eyes feeling a little hot.
She picked up a pencil and wrote a few crooked words in her notebook: Itsuka-kun, I'm sorry.
Then I crossed it off forcefully.
……
……
The next day.
New school, new class.
Shoko stood at the door of a sixth-grade classroom, her small hands tightly gripping the strap of her schoolbag, her heart filled with trepidation.
Unfamiliar environment, unfamiliar classmates.
She had to start introducing herself all over again and face those curious or unfriendly stares once more.
She took a deep breath and was about to step into the classroom.
A familiar figure appeared in her field of vision without warning.
That figure was also carrying a schoolbag and was talking to the teacher on the podium.
Then, the figure turned its head.
Short black hair and a childlike smile.
It's Itsuka-kun!
Glass was stunned.
She blinked, wondering if she was seeing things.
What's going on with Itsuka-kun here?
Yuto Itsuka also saw her, and his smile became even brighter. He waved to her.
Shoko's clear eyes lit up instantly, and she practically ran over, grabbing tightly onto Itsuka Yuto's clothes.
It was as if that was the only piece of driftwood that could give her peace of mind.
Yuto Itsuka reached out and, as usual, gently patted her head.
"Nice to meet you at your new school, Shoko."
Volume 1: Chapter 5: The Hearing-Impaired Girl's Fear of Getting Hurt
Dozens of eyes focused on the two little figures.
As transfer students, especially two at once, it naturally caused a stir.