boyutpedia Page 15
Page 15
She began to reflect on herself.
She recalled that when she was in elementary school, she would always force a smile and write "I'm sorry" in her notebook when faced with Naoka Ueno's provocations and Shoya Ishida's teasing.
She thought that this would settle things peacefully and allow her to make friends.
The result was rampant bullying and a damaged hearing aid. Yuto-kun became an enemy of everyone in order to protect her.
She recalled that in junior high school, she was afraid of causing trouble for others, so she dared not speak in class and marginalized herself in group discussions.
She thought this was understanding and sensible.
As a result, she drifted further and further away from people, her inner island grew larger and larger, and she eventually drove herself to a dead end, almost causing Yuuto's death as well.
It turns out that simply giving in and forgiving cannot bring peace and happiness.
It only feeds malice, cheapens kindness, and ultimately harms itself and those who cherish it.
Having figured this out, a strange change occurred in Shoko.
She remained gentle and kind.
But beneath the gentleness lies a resolute edge, and beneath the kindness grows a hard shell to protect itself.
……
November 3rd, Sunny
Today is the first day of the cultural festival, and it's also my happiest day!
[My classmates Haomei, Yuki, and I signed up for the sign language poetry recitation at the cultural festival!]
I really did it!
Standing on the stage, with so many students staring at us, I didn't feel nervous at all? Maybe it was because I was too focused.
After the performance, I think I saw Yuto-kun applauding me from the audience.
[Is this a hallucination? He was clearly still in class.]
Today was truly, truly a happy day!
……
January 1st, Sunny
[Yuto-kun, why didn't you come to our house for the New Year? He's probably home alone.]
"Hmm, maybe Aunt Kotori took her to the big city."
……
[Er Yi Wu Liu (Wednesday) 21st month 10th, snow]
My mom took Yuzuru and me to Hokkaido, and we soaked in an open-air hot spring.
I love Hokkaido!
My mom and Yuzuru both say I've been smiling more lately. I think it's because of Yuto-kun.
[Also because I've started to like myself a little more.]
……
March 2nd, Sunny
Ishida hasn't come to the bridge since, and for some reason, I feel very calm.
……
April 7th, Sunny
Today is the entrance ceremony, and Yuto-kun joked that I'm already a second-year student.
【Yuto-kun, you're so annoying!】
I lied.
……
[July 20th, heavy rain]
Yuto-kun invited me to the summer festival; he said he wanted to go see the fireworks display with me.
It should be a happy occasion, but I feel a sense of emptiness inside.
I don't know when it started, but Yuto-kun has rarely gone to and from school with me anymore.
When I occasionally saw him, he always seemed distracted.
I'm a little worried about him.
……
August 1st, Sunny
The fireworks festival is tomorrow!
【…】
……
Days passed peacefully, and the cicadas outside the window sang louder and louder.
The summer festival has arrived as scheduled.
For Nishimiya Shoko, the thing she looked forward to most this summer was the annual fireworks festival in Ogaki City.
She had made a promise with Yuto-kun a long time ago that they would go together.
On the day of the fireworks display, before dawn, Shoko woke up.
She quietly got up, walked barefoot to the window, pulled back a corner of the curtain, and looked at the gray sky outside, her heart pounding.
She practically counted down the time until the afternoon.
Mother Nishimiya Yaeko took out the yukata that she had carefully prepared for her from deep inside the wardrobe.
It was a light purple yukata printed with large white bellflowers, and the sash was a calm, dark blue, with a small, matching tassel hanging from the end.
Her mother patiently helped her put on her bathrobe, smoothing out every wrinkle, and carefully tied the belt around her waist.
After doing all this, she took two steps back and examined her daughter in the mirror.
The girl was slender with fair skin, and her light purple yukata made her look like a flower with morning dew, serene and beautiful.
Then, Yaeko brought over a stool from in front of the dressing table and gestured for Shoko to sit down.
She picked up a comb and gently smoothed her daughter's long, soft, flaxen hair, then coiled it into a bun and finally inserted a cherry blossom hairpin.
The girl in the mirror had her eyes slightly lowered, her cheeks flushed with excitement, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.
Looking at her daughter, Yaeko smiled gently.
She put down the comb, walked over to Shoko, knelt down, raised her hand, and asked in fluent sign language, "Shoko, why are you so happy today?"
Shoko's eyes sparkled, and without hesitation, she raised her hand and gestured with a smile, "Because I'm going to the fireworks festival with Yuto-kun."
Upon seeing this answer, Yaeko's smile faltered slightly.
But soon, she put on a smile again, reached out and gently stroked her daughter's hair, gesturing slowly and deliberately in sign language: "Then, you must have fun."
Shoko smiled and nodded. She stood up happily, turned around in front of the mirror, and the hem of her yukata swayed gently.
……
Volume 1: Chapter 20: Vegetables can live without hearts, but what about people without hearts?
When Shoko stepped out of the house, Yuto Itsuka was already waiting at the door.
He was dressed in a simple dark blue Jinbe outfit, paired with a pair of wooden clogs, looking refreshing and casual.
When he saw the brand-new glass, he paused for a moment, then grinned, revealing a set of bright white teeth, and gave it a thumbs up without hesitation.
Shoko's cheeks flushed even more. She lowered her head and nervously tugged at the cuffs of her yukata.
The summer festival was held in an open area along the Shuimen River, where it was already bustling with activity during the day.
The roadside was crowded with all kinds of stalls, and red lanterns hung high.
The smoky aroma of grilled squid, the fresh scent of bonito flakes dancing on takoyaki, the sweet fragrance of candied apples... all of this made Shoko feel novel and excited.
She stopped in front of a goldfish scooping stall, and imitating others, she took a paper net and carefully dipped it into the water.
But those nimble little goldfish could always easily pierce the paper net and slip away from her grasp.
I tried several times, but all attempts failed.
Instead of being frustrated, she was amused by her own clumsiness and laughed, her shoulders shrugging.
Looking at her smiling face, Itsuka Yuto couldn't help but smile too. Then he simply took out his money, bought two of the most beautiful goldfish from the shopkeeper, put them in a transparent plastic bag, and handed them to her.
She was then drawn to a shooting game booth.
She picked up the heavy air rifle, aimed for a long time, and pulled the trigger, but the bullet flew off somewhere.
Yuto Itsuka walked up from behind her, took her hand, and adjusted her posture.
His palm covered the back of her hand, making her heart skip a beat.
With his help, she finally hit a small plush toy. The stall owner clapped exaggeratedly for her, and she happily held up the ugly-cute plush toy, showing it off to Yuto.
They ate takoyaki together. She ate so fast that she got some sauce and seaweed flakes on the corner of her mouth without even realizing it.
Yuto didn't remind her, but naturally reached out and gently wiped it off with his fingertips, the action as practiced as if he had done it a thousand times.
Shoko spent the whole afternoon playing around.
Yuto Itsuka is like a most loyal knight and also a most devoted spectator.
His gaze almost never left her. He watched her squint as she ate the cold shaved ice, watched her dazzled by the variety of masks on the mask stand, watched her stop with curiosity every time, and watched her smile happily every time.
As the sun sets, the evening glow paints the sky a brilliant orange-red.
The breeze along the riverbank grew cool, and the lanterns on the stalls lit up one by one, illuminating the entire venue.
The crowd began to surge toward the slope along the riverbank, the best spot to watch the fireworks.
Yuto Itsuka, holding Shoko's hand, walked through the crowd and found a grassy area with a wide view and relatively quiet.
They sat down side by side, and Shoko carefully placed the bag of goldfish beside her before letting out a satisfied sigh.
She was surrounded by people's laughter and expectant whispers. Although she couldn't hear them, the lively and joyful atmosphere was clearly transmitted to her through the vibrations in the air.
Suddenly, with a "whoosh," a bright beam of light shot up from the ground, trailing a long tail.
Immediately afterwards, with a loud "Boom!", the beam of light exploded at its highest point, blooming into a giant golden chrysanthemum.
The fireworks display has begun.
Immediately afterwards, more lights rose from the ground, vying to bloom against the night sky.
The loud noises came one after another, causing the ground to tremble slightly.
Shoko tilted her head back, her glassy eyes reflecting the dazzling brilliance of the sky.
Just then, she felt a gentle tap on the shoulder.
She turned around and saw Itsuka Yuto holding that familiar notebook, handing it to her.
She took the notebook with a puzzled look, and by the flickering light of the fireworks, she could make out the writing on it.
"Shoko, you said that even if a vegetable's heart is removed, it can still continue to grow. If a person has no heart, can they still live?"
That's a very strange question.
Shoko tilted her head, not quite understanding why Yuto would suddenly ask this.
She thought for a moment, picked up her pen, and was about to write down her thoughts.
But Yuto Itsuka held her hand, took back the notebook, quickly wrote another line, and handed it to her again.
[Shoko, you've already noticed my problem, haven't you?]
Upon seeing this sentence, Shoko's heart skipped a beat, as if it had been tightly gripped by an invisible grenade.
Those details she had deliberately ignored instantly shattered the dam she had built with happiness.