Chapter 7: Friends (I)

Shouko- Uesugi-san...why are you eating lunch by yourself? Don't you have any friends? I mean, you don't seem like a bad guy. 'or a bad looking guy' She thought that last part to herself with a light blush on her face.

Fuutarou: [You see, I have a lot of friends. Both boys and girls argue about eating with me during lunch. So to avoid people arguing, I eat by myself so that they don't constantly surround me.] I smiled wryly.

Shouko was surprised with my ability to make a lot of friends and was depressed for some reason. "What's wrong Nishimiya-san?"

She sighed while signaling me with her hand- You see, I do not have any friends. Nobody wants to play with me and only makes fun of me due to my deafness. She points to her hearing aids.

I was startled for a moment before I raised my hands and speaking this time, "From now on, if no one wants to be your friend, don't worry. Come to me, I will be your friend, okay?"

Her reactions were priceless: the corners of her mouth arched upwards to form a bright smile, tears falling with joy. She was writing on her notepad again, this time so quickly her handwriting became messy.

Shouko- Thank you for being my first friend Uesugi-san!

Fuutarou: [Thank you for being my friend too, Nishimiya-san] I replied with a slight smile on my face. I started eating my lunch, but as Shouko forgot her lunch, I let her have half of mine.

Shouko: [This lunch is so good! Your mum is such a great cook!] She was waving her hand with her mouth full, eyes sparkling brightly.

Fuutarou: [Actually...I cooked it by myself. I'm a better cook than my mother after all.] I smugly grinned as I thought of my mother's defeated expression.

Shouko: [Pfftt...hehe. You must have a great mum.]

Fuutarou: [Yep, I have the best mum ever. And you can just call me by my first name, Fuutarou. You don't have to call me by my last name.]

Shouko: "That's...that's..." She stuttered with a tinge of red on her face

Fuutarou: [Oh, I'm sorry. If it isn't comfortable with you, you don't have to force yourself.]

Shouko: [No, it's okay. You can call me by my first name as well, Fuutarou-kun ]

Shouko: [Also, you don't have to speak to me with sign language. I can hear you with these] as she points to her hearing aids.]

Fuutarou: [No, it's okay.] "After all, I can't be the only one special in conversations now, can I, Shouko-chan~?" I spoke the second part, giving her a teasing smile.

She blushed at my words but didn't refute me and just stared at my face. After a while, I gave her a questioning look, and she realized what she was doing. She pursed her lips, pouting a bit, and looked away from me. I chuckled slightly at her little act, causing her blush to deepen. I wish moments like these would last a while longer, but again, as expected of my luck, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch break.

I returned to class with Shouko, which did not go unnoticed by everyone else. Most of them gave Shouko light glares, but she either ignored or didn't notice them- I could not tell.

I was doing my own thing, which was sleeping since I knew what they were going to be teaching already either way. Shouko noticed that I wasn't paying attention, so she kept poking me in the ribs, trying to get me to concentrate. She eventually gave up to my relief and the lessons passed as usual. The teachers mostly ignored me as I was the top scorer even after sleeping through the days as per usual. At the end of the day, I woke up on time, yawning while seeing my classmate leave. I was about to go as well until I saw Shouko asleep on her desk. I tried waking her up by shaking her shoulders gently.

She slowly opened her eyes, yawns and wiped the bit of drool on the corner of her lips. As she suddenly realizes I was there looking at her awkwardly, her entire face turns red, and she quickly turns her body away from me.

"Shouko-chan, do you want to go home together? I heard friends do that kind of thing together?" I asked her with a bright smile.

Shouko turns with the brightest smile on her face and raises her thumb high in the air. We exited the school, and I found out that our house was in the same direction.

Fuutarou: [Can we stop halfway? I need to fetch my little sister from her daycare center.]

Shouko: [You have a little sister? I have one too! Let's fetch them together!]