Volume 1 - CH 1

It was on this day as well that I suddenly realized school was over.

I left school all alone, went home, and threw myself on the bed as I closed my eyes.

While I had thought about doing my daily reading routine for the day, I wasn’t in the mood to get lost in a story just yet.

Even now, I couldn’t get those girls out of my head, leaving me with no chance to rest.

(Azusa-Chan and her friends are going out on a date with Ryuuzaki…)

Apparently, the event that Ryuuzaki and the others had mentioned earlier, “going out to buy swimsuits”, was taking place today.

I remembered hearing about it in the classroom.

It wasn’t just my sister in law, Azusa.

Kirari, who used to be my friend, and Yuzuki, my childhood friend, were probably all out shopping with Ryuuzaki.

……No, not just three girls, but four.

There was another; her name was Shimotsuki Shiho.

She was probably hanging out with Ryuuzaki as well.

Perhaps they were trying on swimsuits right now and laughing together.

“Ryouma-onii-chan, how about this?”

“Ryuu-kun, what do you think? Is this flashy enough for you?”

“How do you like this, Ryuu-kun? You like this kind of thing, right~?”

In the back of my mind, I could see the three of them in swimsuits eagerly trying to get Ryuuzaki’s attention.

However, I had never once talked to Shimotsuki-san, so I couldn’t really picture out what she would be doing.

(No……what’s the point of even thinking about this? Come to think of it, don’t I have a difficult math assignment I need to attend to?)

I reluctantly pulled myself off the bed to shake off all the negative thoughts I had in my head.

I opened my bag to get the printout, but it was nowhere to be seen.

“Did I forget? What the hell am I even doing…”

Should I just go to school early tomorrow to solve it? Hmm…but what am I even going to do if I stay at home….?

If that’s the case, it would be more beneficial for me to use the time I have to go back to school and finish it.

◆

When I arrived at the school, it was almost eighteen o’clock.

It was currently the middle of May.

Even though the days were getting longer, it was gradually turning darker and darker.

In a little while, the sky would be dyed crimson, and eventually, turn pitch-black.

“…………”

I walked down the corridor in silence.

There was no sign of anyone else when I entered the school building, with the exception of those club members that I could see through the window.

This continued on for a few minutes.

After walking up the stairs, I finally arrived at the classroom of my second-year class.

“Finally arrived….”

It took me about an hour to get here.

I nearly sigh at the thought of repeating this harsh process once more when I have to get home.

“────Tsu…”

But the sigh didn’t leak out; on the contrary; it disappeared into the back of my throat.

I was unconsciously holding my breath.

After all, the classroom that I have thought to be empty, had a female student lying face down on her desk.

“S-Shimotsuki-san?”

I couldn’t help but call out her name.

The one left in the classroom was a female student with strikingly silver-white hair.

(She didn’t go on a date with Ryuuzaki and the others…..!)

I was pretty surprised since I didn’t expect her to be here.

At the same time, the feeling of wanting to escape struck me.

I was afraid to even be with her since it was impossible for me to be alone with her──that was what I thought.

If allowed to, I’d like to just turn around and go home.

But I couldn’t run away since I had just called out to her, nor could I continue on with my next words.

“Er…uhm…wait….!”

In the end, all I could do was stand there in a panic, waiting for Shimotsuki-san’s response.

However, no matter how long I waited, there was no reply.

“Mmhmm….”

Only when I heard her pleasant sigh that I found out she was lying on her desk asleep.

“Phew….”

A breath of relief escapes me. For the time being, I tried my best not to wake her up, keeping my mouth shut to prevent any internal monologue from escaping.

She doesn’t even notice me.

That’s fine; however…the loose sleepy face that I’m witnessing is a massive gap from the usual, cold, expressionless face of Ms Shimotsuki I always see every day in school, making me feel like I’ve seen something I shouldn’t have.

Not that I’m doing anything wrong here, but I’m starting to feel a little guilty.

Right, I need to get the hell out of this classroom.

With that in mind, I took the math assignment printout from my desk. I turned my back towards Shimotsuki-san…however, my body suddenly came to a halt.

(Speaking of which…..what time is it?)

I looked at my watch.

It was still a little past eighteen.

Not that it was late, but this may not be a safe time for a girl to go out alone.

(For example……if a bad person happened to find Shimotsuki-san and attacked her──)

This was a bad habit of mine since my negative thoughts often caused me to worry unnecessarily.

However, the appearance of a certain girl named Shimotsuki Shino made me too anxious.

So I couldn’t leave her alone.

(Should I wake her up? But if I were to suddenly talk to her, she might get scared…wait──why the heck am I even dwelling over something like this….!)

I’m sick and tired of being a coward and always making excuses to escape.

That was why I couldn’t continue to have a good relationship with those girls.

Determined to do so, I summoned up my courage.

“Oh, hey!”

I walked over to Shimotsuki-san’s seat and called out to her while keeping a little distance between us.

“Uhm…hey.”

But my voice didn’t reach her. The only thing that returned was the sound of her breathing.

“Shimotsuki-san!”

I called out a little more forcefully this time.

I might be hung up at the moment, perhaps from doing something unusual.

Not only did I call out to her, but I also unconsciously shook her shoulder.

Normally, I would never do anything that involves touching another person.

(Well… that isn’t good…I touched her unintentionally….)

I immediately noticed this and hurriedly tried to pull my hand back.

However, before I could make a move, Shimotsuki’s eye’s opened wide, and I was stuck.

“…………Eh?”

Her sky-blue eyes cleared reflected my dull, mob-like face.

I was clearly seen.

My eyes met with Shimotsuki’s.

“U-uhm, I-I’m sorry──”

I tried to apologize for everything, for seeing her sleeping face, for touching her, for hearing her talk in her sleep, and for calling out to her in the first place, but the words wouldn’t come out.

On the other hand, Shimotsuki-san looked at me blankly as I fumbled around.

“Let’s see…..Nakayama Koutarou-kun?”

My heart almost jumped out of my chest when she suddenly called me by my name.

Although I was surprised that she knew my name, I thought I ought to explain the situation first, so I sluggishly replied.

“Eh…erm…yes, I’m N-Nakayama, your classmate, but I wasn’t trying to play any tricks on Shimotsuki-san or anything; I was just trying to wake you up, and that……!”

But I couldn’t get any words out, probably because I wasn’t calm.

Thinking that I would scare Shimotsuki-san with this explanation, I became even more impatient.

“I’m so sorry!”

That’s why the only thing I could do──was run away.

Shimotsuki-san was already awake, so there was no need for further conversation. It wasn’t that dark, so if she planned on going home soon, there was little chance that suspicious people would attack her.

Besides, Shimotsuki-san shouldn’t be talking to a mob character like me in the first place, so I’m sure she wouldn’t think of much of it if she couldn’t talk to me.

I was about to run out of the classroom as I thought about that.

“W-wait!”

But, unbelievably, Shimotsuki-san stopped me.

For a moment, my foot slackens.

I almost stop, but then I remember my position and decide to run away, though I was sorry.

But it was as if there was an invisible force pulling at my back.

For some reason, I was unusually timid at this time, more so than usual.

It was just such timing.

“Hey──ah!?”

> Bang! <

A loud bang sounded behind me.

Realizing that it was the sound of Shimotsuki-san’s fall, I immediately stopped in my tracks.

(Oh no!)

Turning around, I saw Shimotsuki-san cowering on the floor.

She must have gotten her legs tangled because she stood up in a hurry to chase after me.

In other words….it was my fault that she had fallen.

As expected, I couldn’t leave such a thing alone.

“Are you okay──!?”

As I immediately ran over to assist Shimotsuki-san, she squeezed my hand and said these words.

“──Got you.”

…………Eh?

Those words escaped my mouth.

“Eh, why?”

“You were running away, so I caught you. I’m quite a schemer, aren’t I? Pretending to fall down like that.”

“So you fell on purpose?”

“Of course, it was on purpose. Though it was a little painful, but as a result, I managed to catch Nakayama-Kun, so you can call it a calculated move.”

“I see….?”

──No, I don’t.

What the heck is she on about?

Why is Shimotsuki-san talking to me!?

What is the meaning of this?

To begin with, I’ve never once seen her say so many words.

“Just a moment, please. I need to check something.”

In addition, I had no idea why her little white hand was holding my finger.

“Hmmmm…..this is….humph, just as I thought, it’s like that after all, huh?”

“……What do you mean?”

“That’s right. I…..I-I’m not 『Nervous』 at all!”

“…….Nervous?”

“Yes! I’m feeling quite perfect!”

Could it be that Shimotsuki-san is happy…because she is able to without talk being nervous?

If I were to put the facts into words as they are, that might be what I would say.

◆

Shimotsuki-san was a girl famous for being 『silent』.

Even though her childhood friend Ryoma Ryuuzaki would speak to her, she would often only reply with three words or less, that being 『Yes』,

『No』, or 『What』.

Moreover, Shimotsuki-san never smiles.

I thought that the so-called 『expressionless』 appearance was normal for her.

She was the kind of beauty who would draw everyone’s attention without doing anything, and her inner side consisted of being cool and calm.

That was why nobody dared to approach her, and people recognized her as a cold girl who wouldn’t melt under any kind of heat.

Yet──it seemed that the truth was completely different.

“Nakayama-Kun! I have a story I’d like you to listen to; would you listen to it for me?”

I was relieved to see that she didn’t sustain any sort of serious injury, even though her legs were tangled and she had fallen earlier.

Shimotsuki-san didn’t seem to be in any pain since she was talking to me normally without a care in the world.

“To tell you the truth, I get awfully nervous in front of people, which is why I don’t really laugh in school. But for some odd reason, I don’t seem to get nervous around Nakayama-Kun.”

Where’d that cold, silent, and beautiful girl go to?

Shimotsuki-san was unbelievably talkative.

Her cheeks were dyed red and slightly sweaty as if she was excited.

“There’s something strange about it….eh? Nakayama-Kun, you have a funny look on your face. Is something wrong?”

“No…I just never knew Shimotsuki-san could be so expressive.”

“Sure, I don’t talk much at school…but only because I don’t have that many friends to talk to. Also, I…might be a little shy, but I love talking like this, okay?”

“Oh yeah…I’m just a little surprised.”

Shimotsuki-san is a very shy person, yet she seems to be outright talkative when she’s comfortable with someone.

However, that being the case, one thing came to my attention.

“Doesn’t Ryuuzaki talk to you pretty often? Why don’t you just talk to him? I’m pretty sure he’s easier to talk to than I am.”

To be honest, whenever I look at Shimotsuki-san, I can’t help but be reminded of Ryuuzaki’s existence.

As childhood friends and a perfect match, she was probably conscious about it.

(Even if you aren’t dating…you probably have a close relationship with Ryuuzaki. If that’s the case, he may not like the idea of you being alone with another guy.)

I’m glad that Shimotsuki-san is talking to me.

However, if She and Ryuuzaki-san’s relationship were to get strained because of me──I feel bad just thinking about it.

That’s why it was time for me to put an end to this conversation, or so I thought.

“Ryuuzaki Ryoma.”

But her response to that was…unexpected.

“────”

As soon as I uttered his name, all colour drained from her face.

The smile that she had before disappeared in an instant; it became 『Nothing』.

She was back to being the clear, cold girl I had always seen her as.

“The truth is…I’m not very fond of that person. He’s been with me since childhood; he talks a lot, but I find him a little creepy.”

“Eh? What do you mean by that?”

They’ve known each other since childhood; they’ve been together for a pretty long time, Ryuuzak appearing to be close to Shimotsuki-san…had I just assumed that their relationship was good?

But it seems I was mistaken.

“That person has an unpleasant『Sound』.”

After school, in the classroom, the girl with strikingly silver-white hair spun her words carefully.

The sun was already setting, and the sky was starting to get dark. My original goal was to get Shimotsuki-san back home before it became dark out, but it seemed that I had forgotten about that goal.

That was how attentive I was as I listened to Shimotsuki-sans story.

“To tell you the truth, I’m actually a very good listener. I was naturally born with an ability that can hear special sounds, one which normal people can’t comprehend.”

Then Shimotsuki-san placed her hand on my ear. Even such a casual gesture was so cute that I almost couldn’t help but stare at her.

Cursing myself for doing so, I pulled myself together and focused on what she had to say.

“What do you mean by….sounds that people normally can’t comprehend?”

“Hmm…how do I explain it? Every human being produces a different 『Sound』. A kind person will produce a ‘clear’ sound, while a scary person will produce something ‘dreadful’, similar to the sound produced while scratching a blackboard.”

Shimotsuki-san speaks indifferently without changing her expression.

The tone of her voice was so inorganic compared to the previous one that it sounded artificial.

“However, Ryuuzaki-Kun makes these unpleasant, distorted sounds that are difficult for me to describe. The sound that he produces is so ghastly that I try not to listen to anything whenever he’s around me.”

Being an ordinary person, I couldn’t comprehend all the explanations based on her peculiar sensitivity.

(In other words, because of her innate sense of hearing, she could hear 『sounds』that ordinary people can’t…does this mean that 『sound』to Shimotsuki-san is an indicator for evaluating others, such as 『appearance』or 『reaction』──is that what she’s saying?)

There was something in this world called『synaesthesia 』.

One of the most famous concrete examples of this would be the 『 Colour tone』, which is seeing colours every time you hear a noise.

I wonder if hers was the same as this.

Perhaps Shimotsuki-san also expresses her assessment of humans through 『sound』.

“Besides…you know how popular he is with the girls, right? And yet, he doesn’t even notice their feelings and just continues to talk with me…because of that, I’m constantly tormented by the feelings of 『Jealousy』 all around him, it was a mess.”

“Ryuuzaki is certainly popular with the girls.”

Even so, he was insensitive and unaware of their kindness.

My sister in law Azusa, my former friend Kirari, and my childhood friend, Yuzuki, all fell in love with that guy, and yet, none of their feelings came to fruition, all because…Ryuuzaki is insensitive.

He never once reciprocated their feelings; however, he wielded irresponsible kindness towards them.

Just like a 『Harem protaganist』.

Thanks to this, I don’t know how many girls have fallen in love with Ryuuzaki only to be heartbroken….but from what Shimotsuki-san told me, there seems to be a lot.

“Because I have a good ear…I can sort of hear the emotions of those around me. I’ve even noticed that everyone around me thinks of me as a nuisance.”

“That sounds very difficult…”

“Yeah, it is. It’s been like that ever since I was three…we lived next to each other, we went to school together, but no matter where I went, he would always be next to me. I felt very uncomfortable.”

She must have been holding in her frustration on a regular basis.

Even now, she wouldn’t stop complaining about Ryuuzaki.

“It’s always been like this ever since I was a kid, getting stared at by others around me whenever I was with Ryuuzaki. I hated it. I felt…uncomfortable……and that was when I realized…I had developed a fear of strangers. If someone looked at me for even a second, I wouldn’t be able to move my body. It felt really sickening.”

Apparently, Shimotsuki-san doesn’t hold Ryuuzaki in such high regard.

“Of course, I’ve been trying to convey my feelings to him somehow, you know? I don’t react much when he talks to me, I rarely smile, and the reactions I’ve always given him are all unfriendly and boring. But I can’t just outright say “don’t get involved with me anymore” to his face; that’s why I’ve been trying to tell him in a certain manner.”

“….I thought the both of you were close since you basically grew up together…”

“Just because we’re childhood friends doesn’t mean anything. We just happen to live next to each other, go to the same nursery, elementary, junior and high school. As for our seating arrangement, we just happened to move seats and ended up sitting next to one other. That was it.”

I think their relationship seems too predestined to be as easily explained like that.

Even so, it was still shocking to learn that Shimotsuki-San holds the well-liked Ryuuzaki in such low regard.

“That’s why I’m a little shy…but for some reason, I don’t get nervous around you at all, as if fate had determined it to be so.”

Now I’m shocked in a different way.

“I’m pretty sensitive to the presence of people around me that I often think of myself as an 『Hitman！』; that’s why it would usually be impossible for me to stay asleep when there’s someone else in the same space as me. And yet, I didn’t feel nervous at all when you touched me…how can you not call this fate?”

“No, no, no. I think calling it fate…is an overstatement.”

“It’s not an overstatement because the 『Sound』Nakayama produces doesn’t make me nervous at all…it’s very similar to the sound of chirping birds or the murmuring of a stream. It makes me feel at ease.”

This was when colour finally returned to Shimotsuki-san’s expression.

As soon as she started talking about me, her white cheeks turned faintly red.

Light had returned to her eyes, giving them a blazing glow.

“It sounds like my mum and dad, but it’s a little different from my family….It’s somewhat strange.”

It was a first.

For someone to show such a straightforward interest in the person known as Nakayama Koutarou; moreover, that person was none other than Shimotsuki-san.

“Besides, Nakayama-Kun is always nervous, isn’t he? Every time I move or talk, he gets nervous…but that kind of thing is adorable.”

Shimotsuki-san has good ears.

So she may have somehow read my emotions from reading my heartbeat or my breathing.

“But you don’t seem to hate me. In fact…you seem to be quite happy about it. I like the people who accept me for who I am.”

I like it.

Those few words hit me right in the chest.

“So, Nakayama-Kun….will you be my friend?”

“Friend!?”

I was delighted by her offer, of course.

“Erm, yeah….!”

However, as I fumbled around to express my feelings of joy, the words of those girls close to me came to mind.

“I don’t really know what Onii-chan is thinking.”

“You’re like a robot, Ko-Kun.”

“Kotaro-san doesn’t seem to have much……emotion.”

I nearly stopped breathing.

I-I have to say something. Otherwise…Shimotsuki-san would get disappointed in me…like they did.

“………..”

But the more I thought about it, the more impatient I became, and I couldn’t get any words out.

It’s happening again.

Again I’m like this, unable to say anything──！

“You can’t say you don’t like it. I can hear the sound of Nakayama-Kun’s joy, you know.”

Even so, she noticed my unspoken feelings.

A small hand was held out to me.

The hand that was reached out squeezed my right hand without a second thought.

“I look forward to working with you, Nakayama-Kun!”

…..With that one sentence, I could feel my whole body relax somehow.

A feeling of joy that cannot be expressed into words welled up from deep within me.

As I looked at the innocent smiling face in front of me, I was able to convey my feelings properly.

“…..Yeah, nice to meet you, Shimotsuki-san.”

This time, I grabbed her hand firmly and squeezed it back.

……Thus, I made a friend.

To be honest, I don’t even know if I’m worthy of being her friend since I’m a mob character.

However, regardless of that, Shimotsuki-san found value in me.

“Fufu…you finally laughed.”

Apparently, my cheeks were naturally relaxed.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to laugh so comfortably like this──.