A Silent Voice: My First Kiss Was with Nishimiya Shouko

Miyamura Shizuka glanced up at the clock on the wall. It was about time to wrap up this little interlude—dinner still needed preparing.

With practiced politeness, she stood and gently began ushering the man toward the door.

"Alright, that's enough for today. My child doesn't have any plans to become a child star for the time being. But I've kept your business card—if we change our minds, I'll be sure to contact you."

When it came to showing someone out, you couldn't be too firm. Leave a little room for "maybe," and they'd walk away hopeful instead of insistent. It was Shizuka's tried-and-true trick to handle overly persistent salespeople.

The middle-aged man seemed satisfied. He stood, bowed slightly, and left without protest.

To him, the woman's hesitance during their earlier conversation had left a window of opportunity. He believed—perhaps mistakenly—that she might reach out someday.

Once the front door clicked shut, Shizuka turned and gave Akira a light tap on the head. He was peeling an orange on the tatami mat.

"Can you stop bringing random people home?"

Akira raised an eyebrow. "Even if I didn't, he probably would've come knocking on your door anyway, Mom."

Shizuka paused, then sighed. "Fair point. Whatever. I'm going to start dinner."

Without hesitation, she snatched the peeled orange from his hand, popped a slice in her mouth, and walked off.

"..."

Akira could only watch helplessly as his snack disappeared.

"I'll help you, Auntie!" Shouko said cheerfully, unfazed by the orange theft. She got up and followed Shizuka into the kitchen. Lately, she'd been helping out more often and even learning how to make bento.

Left alone, Akira lay back on the tatami mat, staring at the ceiling. His thoughts drifted to the days ahead.

His study schedule was already set, but starting tomorrow, he planned to introduce an exercise routine.

He'd thought about it back in elementary school but had held off, worried too much exertion at a young age might stunt his growth. He'd recently measured himself—Shouko was 161 cm, and he was only two centimeters taller. That thought alone had haunted him for a week.

Still, most girls in Japan were on the shorter side. He guessed Shouko might grow to around 168 cm. Not too bad.

Anyway, back to the point—what kind of exercise would suit someone his age? Running seemed perfect. A short jog to the end of the street and back, probably a kilometer or two, was manageable.

Running would help build endurance, stamina, and a healthier lifestyle. He considered inviting Shouko but crossed it out almost immediately. Given her ear condition, strenuous exercise might be risky.

He made a mental note to take her for a full check-up someday—maybe in high school or college. Hopefully, there would be treatments available by then.

As for more intense workouts like weightlifting, he'd save those for college, once he'd finished growing. Basketball and soccer were still fair game though.

He also reminded himself of his light novel plans. No rush—he still had three years before that deadline.

"I'm back!"

Daiki Miyamura's voice called from outside, snapping Akira out of his thoughts.

Akira sat up. "Welcome home, Dad."

Daiki stepped inside, glancing down at his son on the floor. "Why are you lying there like that?"

He sniffed the air, catching a whiff of dinner from the kitchen. "Ah, never mind. Just don't fall asleep there. You'll catch a cold."

"I'll be fine," Akira replied with a lazy wave.

Later that night, the sky glittered with stars.

"Good evening, Miyamura Auntie," Shouko greeted softly as she peeked into the living room. Only Shizuka was there.

"Where's Uncle?"

"In the study, handling some paperwork," Shizuka replied with a warm smile, patting the seat beside her.

Shouko gave her an apologetic grin. "I'm going to check on Akira upstairs!"

And with a quick bow, she dashed away. She knew full well if she sat down, she wouldn't escape Shizuka's tight motherly hugs for at least an hour—plus the inevitable cheek pinching.

Knock, knock.

"Akira, can I come in?"

"Mhm."

Shouko entered and found Akira reviewing a workbook.

"Perfect. I wanted to ask you something," he said, motioning to the chair beside him.

She sat, tilting her head. "What is it?"

He paused to organize his thoughts before saying, "I'm thinking of starting morning runs. Just short ones. Want to join me?"

He already knew her ears made certain exercises risky, but still, he had to ask. If he didn't, she might misunderstand and think he was deliberately excluding her. She'd cry under the covers again, thinking he didn't believe in her.

"Okay!" she blurted out excitedly—then quickly shook her head as the memory of her mother's and doctor's warnings returned.

Akira noticed and smiled softly. "It's okay. When your ears are better, we can run together. I'll wait for you."

Shouko's heart warmed at his words. He meant it—he'd wait. The spot beside him would always be hers. His heart, too, belonged to her.

She nodded firmly, a silent promise forming in her heart. And when she could finally run again, she'd wake up even earlier to make him bento too.

Seeing her nod, Akira let out a quiet breath of relief and changed the subject.

"Since you've been doing so well lately, how about I tell you another story?"

"Yay! Tell me the one about the liver!"

"…That was I Want to Eat Your Pancreas, not liver."

"Right, right!" she giggled, cheeks glowing.

She still didn't know how Akira came up with all these stories. No one else their age had a mind like his. She'd asked him once, but he'd brushed her off with some ridiculous line about remembering them from a past life.

Yeah, right.

If he'd just said "from a book," she might've believed him.

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A/N: Hey everyone!

You might be wondering why my releases have been a bit slow lately. The truth is, I'm currently juggling three jobs while also studying, so my schedule is really packed.

Because of that, I can only release one chapter from Monday to Friday. On Saturdays and Sundays, I'll do my best to release two chapters.

Thanks so much for your patience, understanding, and continued support — it truly means a lot!

Support me at patréon com/Lukas25