Morning
Sato finished washing up and straightened his uniform in front of the mirror. He was already dressed in the uniform of the private integrated high school. After a thorough check to make sure everything looked right, he picked up his commuter bag and stepped out the door.
Outside, a gentle breeze brushed his face.
The view from the Aoyama Apartments was wonderful. Perhaps because this was an island nation, the sea breeze blew constantly, and the sky was a clear, bright blue with only a few white clouds lazily drifting by.
"What a beautiful day!"
Sato looked up and sighed in admiration.
Click!
Suddenly, the doors on both sides of his apartment clicked open almost simultaneously.
"Good morning, Nohara-kun!"
From left and right, the angelic girl Gabriel and his new neighbor Umaru greeted him cheerfully.
"Good morning, Tenma-san, Doma-san!"
Honestly, having beautiful girls as new neighbors was a pretty pleasant thing.
"Good morning. Shall we go together?" Sato offered.
"Mm!" Gabriel agreed without hesitation, and after a brief pause, Umaru nodded too.
Although the three of them didn't go to the same school, they could still walk part of the way together. Many schools, including the private integrated high school, were located in the same area, so the distance between them wasn't far.
The three descended the stairs and suddenly spotted a few figures at the entrance.
Among them was Nishimiya Shouko, whom Sato recognized, and two others.
One was an elderly man with silver hair and a kindly smile. The other seemed to be Shouko's mother, a stern-looking woman who didn't seem easy to talk to.
Hearing their footsteps, the group turned to look.
After a brief glance, Shouko's mother, Nishimiya Yaeko, suddenly fixed her sharp gaze on Sato, her brows furrowed slightly in suspicion.
Shouko's eyes lit up when she saw the trio approaching, and when she noticed Sato's school uniform, a flicker of surprise and delight crossed her face.
Sato, too, was surprised by the uniform Shouko was wearing, it was from the private mixed high school. Could they be classmates?
But right now, he was facing Nishimiya Yaeko's scrutinizing gaze, which made him feel uneasy all over.
Her stare was sharp, like needles piercing into him.
She hadn't been home during his visit the other day, so Sato introduced himself, "Hello, I'm Nohara Sato. I just moved into the apartment above yours a few days ago. I hope we can get along."
Her brows eased slightly. She gave a faint nod and turned to Shouko. "Did you remember what I told you?"
Shouko quickly nodded, looking a bit afraid of her overbearing mother.
"If you don't mind, would you like to join us?" Sato offered Shouko.
Her eyes lit up with a soft glow, but before she could respond, a sharp voice interrupted: "No. She'll go alone!"
At that, the light in her eyes dimmed instantly.
Sato frowned slightly and looked at Yaeko in confusion.
Perhaps realizing her tone had been too harsh, Yaeko softened her voice a little and said calmly, "She needs to do these things on her own. She can't rely on others forever."
Shouko fell silent.
Seeing this, a flicker of something passed through Sato's eyes. Then he said, "In that case, we'll go ahead."
"Eh?"
Gabriel had been looking at Shouko with sympathy, her face practically glowing with saintly light. But Sato gently tugged her away by the arm, leading the group down the path.
Shouko lowered her head slightly and bit her lip tightly.
…
On the road, the three walked in silence.
Sato could sense that the two girls were a bit upset with him.
He didn't bother explaining. When they reached an intersection, he suddenly stopped.
"Let's wait here for Nishimiya-san."
"..."
The two girls looked at him in surprise and confusion.
Seeing their faces, Sato sighed. "Did you think just standing there would help or were you planning to reason with Nishimiya-san's mother?"
Huh?
The girls instinctively imagined that scenario and immediately shook their heads.
No way!
Even though Yaeko didn't seem like a bad person, she definitely wasn't someone easy to talk to.
Sato shrugged. "Exactly."
The girls froze, then seemed to realize what he was thinking.
Their cheeks flushed a little with embarrassment, and they lowered their heads awkwardly.
Sato chuckled but didn't mind. He kept his gaze on the apartment building.
He understood how they felt, but confronting that situation head-on wouldn't have helped.
Despite her domineering presence, Yaeko was a competent mother. Everyone has their own way of doing things, and he had no right to interfere.
After all, Yaeko was Shouko's mother.
But at the same time, she couldn't control how they felt either.
Not long after, a girl carrying her commuter bag slowly approached from the direction of the apartment. Her head was lowered, her steps quiet and solitary. Her lonely figure looked especially fragile.
"Nishimiya-san!"
Sato waved to her cheerfully.
Having stayed at Aoyama Apartments for several days now, he had gotten to know some of the residents.
Shouko was indeed hearing- and speech-impaired, but she wasn't completely deaf. With the help of a hearing aid, she could still hear people speak.
However, her speech had been affected by her hearing issues, making it hard for her to vocalize.
She was a pitiful girl, no doubt.
At the sound of his voice, Shouko looked up. Her eyes, dazed at first, gradually brightened like twinkling stars.
Shouko was a beautiful and gentle girl. When she smiled at you, it felt like the whole world lit up.
That's exactly how Sato felt at this moment.
From the bottom of his heart, he wished the best for this gentle soul.
"N-Nohara-kun, Tenma-san, Doma-san…"
Shouko looked at the three waiting for her, her face full of disbelief.
Sato smiled and said, "If you don't mind, would you like to walk together?"
Shouko froze for a second, then nodded vigorously.
"Mm!"