I'll Be There

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Tokyo, Japan,

Nishimiya Residence,

Samuel POV,

In the modest Nishimiya Residence, a small apartment of sorts that had only a few rooms and the other required facilities like a bathroom and kitchen etc. A silent staring contest seemed to be taking place.

Samuel looked at Shouko's Grandmother, Ito, with a small smile on his face. Ito responding in kind, stared right back at him with a warm smile of her own. .... And it had been that way for... a few minutes now.

Shouko herself was in the kitchen, moving things here and there, clearly intending on cooking something. She was a bit worried about the silence, both were important people to the deaf girl and them having a falling out would make her incredibly sad... still however, she was also a bit determined.

Samuel would stay here for a bit right?

"What's your name, young man?" Ito questioned in a welcoming manner, Shouko had been jittery the past few days and the old woman could somewhat understand why it was so, though she hoped the girl wouldn't end up getting hurt..

"Samuel Hayes, a pleasure." Samuel slightly bowed his head, respect for the elderly was something the teenager had in abundance, even if the reason was something none could really know.

"You wouldn't happen to be..." Ito's usually closed eyes opened in surprise, perhaps if it was some random day she'd not have thought much of the name but, there was a certain prestigious family kicking up a storm in the country these days...

"I hope our modest abode is to your liking." Ito's tone changed to a more respectful one, the hair and the eyes matched with the man she'd seen on the newspapers and TV, this... this teenager sitting in front of her wasn't just some random person.

He was somehow related to.... those people.

Samuel noticed the change of attitude, he'd been slightly expecting it. Anyone with some semblance of common sense would be able to make the connection, though some inhabitants of this world displayed a severe lack of it so he couldn't be sure.

'Ooh, get them some ice for that one.'

"Ah, please don't be alarmed." Samuel waved his hands in an attempt to somewhat convey his feelings, "I'm happy with how everything's been going and I swear on my name that I mean you no harm." He truly did treasure his 'friendship' with the girl and was ready to do just about anything to maintain it.

"I can't have you sitting on the ground young man." Ito's voice trembled, possibly due to her age, as she tried to get to her feet, it would be seen as very offensive if Samuel just sat down while she sat above him.

"I insist, I'm not going to try to look down on my elders." Samuel politely refused her offer, his hands slightly raised to the front to show how he wanted her to keep sitting.

'It's also interesting to see these reactions.'

Samuel ignored the Witch of Greed and sighed in relief seeing Ito sit back down with an estranged look on her face, he wasn't some upstart brat and he wasn't going to start acting like one now.

"....." Ito was silent, only looking at her granddaughter's friend as she tried to grasp what had happened. A person possibly from one of the richest families in the country was being humble and expressing his respect for her.. She was a commoner though....

Normally a bit of doubt was in order but, the young man's body language conveyed that this was genuine, being old had some perks, "Thank you, young man." Ito slightly lowered her hand, thankful to Samuel for his behaviour, she wasn't healthy and it would have been taxing to sit on the ground.

"You're welcome." Samuel scratched the back of his head with a pleasant smile, interacting with elderly and children lifted his spirits more than anything else in the world..

'Come now, that's an overstatement.' Echidna slightly sighed, he was completely normal when it came to certain things.

Shouko peeked out of the kitchen, somewhat hiding herself from the two people in the room and a smile formed on her face seeing the two get along well.

The two exchanged some more words but nothing of relative importance was said, it was mostly just praise and some discussion about Shouko herself.

Ito, while taken aback by Samuel's rather humble mannerisms, was more happy than shocked, Shouko had finally gotten someone she was interested in and it wasn't someone who would hurt her ever... even in a small exchange, she'd seen that he was a rather earnest person.

"If you could, please keep my family a secret from her." Samuel requested in a more serious tone, knowing Shouko she might start acting more reserved around were she to know of his background, something he didn't want.

"I will but...Why?" Ito slightly tilted her head, however the response Samuel gave her made the old woman smile warmly at him, she could see why her grand daughter had been in a jovial mood these days.. The girl did lead a rather lonely life after all.

Simply put, he'd expressed his desire to keep it a secret so that it wouldn't strain their relationship with one another.

Samuel slightly bowed to Ito before standing up and heading to the kitchen after Shouko to find the girl mixing something in a bowl. It was a pleasant sight considering Shouko had a rare normal expression on her face, moving her hand with some determination in her eyes.

"...This is something.."

'....'

His voice broke Shouko's conversation and she slightly waved her hand at him, greeting one of few friends with a small cheery smile.

Samuel, who knew just how genuine the girl was, found it somewhat difficult to maintain his usual calm demeanour and his smile became somewhat strained, "I just came to watch."

With those words, he quietly leaned against the wall near the window, keeping a gaze on the street just in case while occasionally sneaking glances at the cooking girl.

A somewhat peaceful scene.

Shouko didn't quite mind him standing there even though it was strangely embarrassing for some reason.

"Oh yeah, shouldn't you be at school?" Samuel raised a brow, folding his arms, while his own was a somewhat special situation, why was Shouko home these days? Trouble or something?

"It's nothing." Shouko signed with her hands, avoiding his gaze, she couldn't burden him with all her own troubles even if friends did help each other out. With teenagers being more unruly, it was par for the course that Shouko would be, to some extent, bullied seeing as she went to a public school... Her family couldn't afford the more prestigious ones unfortunately, not that she minded.

Samuel slowly nodded, something was up here and he had a hint as to what it was, "I'll try and make it to your school on Monday." His words were somewhat firm, it was unusually irksome to the silver haired teenager that someone might be possibly bullying Shouko.

"E-Eh?" Shouko's confusion was audible, why would Samuel say or do that? "You don't have to.." She signed with her hands at a quick pace, he definitely had school the next week too right? He had many things to do, she couldn't hog him.

"I'll be there if I get free time." Samuel changed his words with a small smile, not having the capacity to argue with her...though, he was definitely going to be there.

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