Heroine’s Love Story

Lying in bed, Hojou Kyousuke stared at the ceiling, reflecting on the day.

The biggest takeaway, of course, was meeting Nishimiya Shoko.

Such an adorable little girl was truly one of the world's greatest treasures.

But how could he fulfill her wish or change her fate?

Though the thought felt a bit utilitarian, he couldn't help it.

After all, her original fate might have been tragic. No matter how he looked at it, he needed to think carefully.

Her wish…

To make friends?

Recalling how Shoko had gone around with her notebook during break, trying to befriend everyone, Kyousuke guessed that might be it.

No, it couldn't be that simple.

Otherwise, it should have been fulfilled today.

Given how Shoko had acted toward him, they were definitely friends by now.

Learning to speak? That seemed more plausible and feasible.

Based on his observations and conversations with Shoko, Kyousuke knew she could hear normal-volume speech, but the speaker had to talk slowly.

This was because she relied on lip-reading and wasn't familiar with certain tones.

For example, dialects and standard Mandarin share many similar pronunciations, but the tones differ.

If someone speaks slowly, you can barely understand, but if they speak quickly, it becomes incomprehensible.

So, if Shoko could learn to speak, her hearing issues might naturally resolve themselves.

After returning home, Kyousuke had also asked his mother to consult a doctor friend about whether Shoko's condition could improve through medical means, such as cochlear implants.

Though the doctor didn't know the specifics, upon hearing that Shoko was still using a hearing aid in sixth grade, they gave a preliminary assessment: cochlear implants were unlikely to help, and other treatments would require more detailed information.

Kyousuke had already thought about how to teach Shoko to speak.

From what he'd observed, she could clearly pronounce simple words like "thank you" and "goodbye," which further confirmed that teaching her was feasible.

His initial plan was to start with the Japanese syllabary (五十音图).

Regardless of how others had tried to teach her before, he would treat it as if she were learning a foreign language from scratch.

As for Shoko's inability to accurately recognize her own pronunciation, he planned to have her observe the position of his tongue and feel the vibrations by touching his mouth as he spoke.

He refused to believe that if every detail was identical, two people would produce different sounds.

Of course, if that did happen, he'd figure out another approach.

But based on his observations of Shoko's hearing, this method should work.

As for why Shoko's family hadn't taught her, Kyousuke had a rough guess based on her notebook.

Perhaps they had tried but didn't put in much effort.

Or, because of her hearing impairment, her family might have given up on teaching her to speak, relying instead on sign language or written communication.

Another possibility was that her family simply didn't have the time to patiently teach her.

After all, teaching someone with a hearing impairment wasn't as simple as treating it like learning a foreign language.

In any case, starting tomorrow, he would teach her to speak!

First, a small goal: help Shoko sing The Monster's Ballad well!

As for changing her fate, Kyousuke had also speculated at school.

Perhaps the "protagonist's" original fate was to suffer bullying, with Ishida Shouya and his gang as the bullies.

On this point, Kyousuke was confident it wouldn't happen—not with him around.

After all, Ishida Shouya wasn't truly a bad kid; he just lacked proper guidance.

Fortunately, Kyousuke was confident he could teach Shouya and his two troublemaking friends why bullying was wrong.

Ah, speaking of which, should I learn some self-defense skills besides jogging?

Whether dealing with Ishida Shouya, Shimada Kazuki, and Hirose Keisuke, or protecting Sakura from a potential murderer in the future, or even convincing my mom I can take care of myself, I'll need some solid combat skills.

So, what should I learn?

Boxing? No, bare-handed combat is too risky.

Might as well use a steel pipe.

How about traditional Japanese kendo? That could work.

After all, when in Japan, one should learn kendo.

I'll start learning it soon.

The next morning, as usual, Kyousuke went jogging with Sakura.

The little girl was as lively as ever, chattering away.

"Kyousuke, we have P.E. today. I'm going to have so much fun!"

"Did you forget? Our P.E. class is at the same time as yours."

"Hehe, of course I know that. I'm asking if you want to join us!"

Sakura was as adorable as ever, wearing a blue knit sweater that barely covered her thighs, a white T-shirt underneath, and gray shorts with round-toe leather shoes.

It was already the second semester of sixth grade, and in the Kanto region's weather, this outfit was perfect.

By noon, when the temperature rose, she could take off the sweater.

Kyousuke was dressed similarly.

"Kyousuke, see you in P.E.!"

At the classroom door, Sakura waved energetically and called out loudly.

"Are you an idiot? I told you not to shout in crowded places!"

"What's the big deal? It's like telling your family you're home. When I shout, everyone knows I'm here, right, Kyoko?"

With that, Sakura hugged a girl who had just walked up to her.

Takimoto Kyoko, a girl with short brown hair and a beauty mark, had been Sakura's best friend since third grade.

"Kyousuke, don't be so hard on Sakura. And Sakura, you should be a bit more careful!"

Though Takimoto Kyoko nearly stumbled from Sakura's sudden hug, she still defended her friend.

"As long as you're happy. I'm heading to my classroom now. See you in P.E., Kyoko, and Sakura."

"What? Why is my name after Kyoko's? It makes me sound like a bonus item!" Sakura pouted, raising her small fist.

Kyousuke didn't respond, just waved casually.

He knew if he engaged, Sakura would spout a bunch of nonsense, and they'd end up rushing to class when the bell rang.

This had happened too many times, and his classroom was further ahead, so he'd suffered the consequences more than once.

Entering his classroom, Kyousuke glanced around.

Most of his classmates were already there.

"Good morning, Kyousuke!"

A notebook was thrust in front of him.

Looking up, he saw Shoko standing at the front row, her round face beneath her bob cut filled with joy.

She had written this greeting last night.

In fact, since yesterday after school, she had been looking forward to today.

This was a feeling she had never experienced before.

In her previous schools, there had been no one to help her, no one to protect her when she was bullied, and no friends.

Only pranks, missing indoor shoes, and cruel words scrawled on her desk.

But now, things were different.

At this school, there was Kyousuke, who not only didn't bully her but also protected her.

When he spoke to her, his black eyes were so gentle.

And there was also Sahara, who sat in front of her—another new friend.

As for the others, though some classmates had introduced themselves yesterday, Shoko could tell they weren't genuinely interested in being her friends but were merely curious or had other motives.

Like Kawai Miki, who seemed kind but gave off a bad vibe.

"Good morning, Shoko. From now on, just call me by my name."

Instead of taking the notebook to write a response, Kyousuke spoke slowly and clearly.

He wanted to start training Shoko's listening and speaking skills.

He suspected that few people had ever spoken to her this slowly and clearly, which was why her skills were so poor. She needed more practice.

"Really? Can I call you Kyousuke?"

Shoko's face lit up with excitement.

She could understand him perfectly when he spoke this way.

"Speak slowly, Shoko. Rushing won't help. Aren't we friends already? It's normal for friends to call each other by their first names, right?"

Kyousuke continued speaking at a slow, deliberate pace, enunciating each syllable clearly.

"Okay!"

Shoko smiled happily.

Before class started, Kyousuke decided to discuss his plan to teach Shoko to speak.

After all, no matter how well he thought it out, it would be pointless if Shoko wasn't willing.

"Shoko, didn't your family teach you to speak?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Kyousuke realized they could be misinterpreted and quickly added, "I don't mean the way you speak, but just the act of speaking and making sounds."

"My grandmother has been teaching me," Shoko wrote in her notebook.

"Then why can't you… communicate normally with others now?"

"Grandma has been trying her best to teach me, but she also has to take care of me and my sister and learn sign language, so she doesn't have much time."

Shoko's face showed no trace of sadness, only gratitude.

Her mother worked hard to support them, and her elderly grandmother took care of her and her sister.

That was already more than enough.

"What about your parents?"

Kyousuke had already guessed a bit from her words but wanted to confirm.

"My parents divorced when I was little. Mom works late every day, so Grandma takes care of me and my sister."

Shoko's face remained serene, without a hint of resentment or complaint.

Kyousuke fell silent for a moment. 

'No wonder she's the protagonist. That expression alone is worthy of the title.'

"I see. There's something I'd like to ask you."

"What is it? I'll definitely help!"

"I want to teach you how to speak."

"What? I think I misheard. Kyousuke, could you repeat that, please?"

Shoko's expression was a mix of shock and confusion as she wrote in her notebook.

"I said, I want to teach you how to speak."

"…"

'Kyousuke wants to teach me to speak?' Shoko's eyes widened in disbelief. 

'Did I mishear him?'

"I said, I want to teach you how to speak." Seeing her reaction, Kyousuke repeated himself.

It was true!

Kyousuke really wanted to teach her to speak!

But why? Why was he being so kind to her?

Not only was he willing to be her friend and protect her, but now he also wanted to teach her to speak?

Shoko covered her mouth with her hands, her large eyes filled with disbelief.

"What, you don't want to? If not, at least let me teach you to sing The Monster's Ballad."

"I want to! I want to!"

In her excitement, Shoko's words became unintelligible, but Kyousuke could tell from her expression that she was willing.

"Then we'll start today. I'll teach you during every break."

"Mhm!"

Shoko nodded vigorously.

The first class was math, taught by Takeuchi-sensei.

As usual, Kyousuke slept through it.

When the bell rang, Shoko gently nudged Kyousuke's arm, unsure whether she was trying to wake him or not.

"Oh, class is over? Sorry, Shoko, I wasted a bit of time. Next time, just shake me harder to wake me up."

Kyousuke rubbed his eyes. 'Kids need plenty of sleep to grow up strong, after all.'

"It's okay. If you're still tired, you can keep sleeping. I took notes, so you can borrow them if you need them."

Shoko shook her head.

How could she be so rough with Kyousuke?

If he hadn't said they'd start learning during breaks, she would have just watched him sleep until the next class.

"No need. I already know everything Takeuchi-sensei teaches."

"Kyousuke is amazing," Shoko wrote, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him.

"Haha, let's start learning. We'll begin with the Japanese syllabary."

"Mhm!"

Shoko nodded earnestly, her eyes filled with determination.

"First, watch my tongue. It needs to be in the exact same position as mine."

"When pronouncing, your tongue should touch your bottom front teeth…"

"Exhale like you're coughing…"

Kyousuke followed his plan step by step.

Since Shoko already had a solid foundation and was familiar with hiragana and katakana, progress was swift.

In just one break, she learned two new sounds.

His plan was to teach her ten sounds a day, so she'd finish the syllabary in about a week.

After that, they'd move on to words, which would be easier since Shoko already knew how to write them.

It wasn't that she couldn't read at all; she could write the corresponding romaji but simply couldn't pronounce them or pronounced them incorrectly.

When the bell rang, Kyousuke put away the makeshift lesson plan he'd scribbled.

"We'll continue later. You can review during class. If you miss anything, I'll help you catch up later."

"Mhm, thank you, Kyousuke."

Shoko also put away her densely packed notes.

She had written down almost every word Kyousuke said.

This time, Kyousuke didn't sleep during class.

Even if he wanted to, he couldn't fall asleep now.

Instead, he worked on a problem set based on the entrance exam for Toujou Middle School.

Toujou Middle School was the junior high division of Toujou High School, one of Tokyo's top three high schools and ranked among the top ten junior highs in the city.

Most importantly, it offered dormitory accommodations.

This was the goal his mother had set for him this morning.

If he could get into this school, she would let him stay in Tokyo alone, though he'd have to live in the dorms.

Originally, Kyousuke didn't care which junior high he attended.

After all, he had a system. Once he obtained a useful reward, even university would be a breeze.

But since his mother had spoken, he had no choice.

He didn't want to return to Hokkaido.

Based on his limited anime knowledge, he knew Tokyo was the hotspot for "protagonists," so he had to stay here no matter what.

While Kyousuke and Shoko were busy learning, their classmate, Naoka Ueno, was feeling frustrated.

"Of course, guys can't resist those quiet, pitiful girls."

During the break, watching Kyousuke patiently teach Shoko to speak and even letting her touch his face, Naoka had nearly snapped her pencil in envy.

'Ugh, I want that too! Should I bring some problems to ask Kyousuke for help? But what if he rejects me? Would he think I'm annoying?'

Naoka's frustration turned to anxiety. 

'Argh, this is so annoying! It's all Shoko's fault for stealing Kyousuke away!'

Unbeknownst to her, Ishida Shouya, sitting nearby, had noticed her glaring at Shoko.

Seeing his friend Naoka's dislike for Shoko and recalling his mother's scolding last night, Shouya began plotting revenge.