A Silent Voice: My First Kiss Was with Nishimiya Shouko

"Hey, look—she's adorable!"

"Stop shoving, I'm looking too!"

"Seriously, she's so cute."

"She's totally my type."

"Yeah, she gives off that sweet and soft vibe."

"She must have a kind personality!"

"…Unless she's secretly a yandere."

"There you go again! If you're not going to use your eyes, just donate them already. How could someone with that face be a yandere?"

Shouko stepped up onto the podium, completely unaware of the whispers bouncing around the classroom. More accurately, she couldn't hear them at all.

Once she stood in place, she instinctively glanced at the back row—at Akira. When she saw him give her a small cheer of encouragement, her nerves began to fade.

She bowed gently, lifted her head, and smiled softly.

"Hello everyone. My name is Nishimiya Shouko..."

(Several introductory lines omitted for brevity)

"…and finally, I hope we can spend three wonderful years together!"

She gave another graceful bow at the end.

Clap, clap, clap!

Akira was the first to applaud, followed by Takagi Sana, and soon the whole class joined in.

"See? I told you her voice would be soft and cute!"

"She's even more likable now."

"If you punched a girl like her… she'd probably cry for hours, right?"

"…"

Cough cough!

Nobe, their homeroom teacher, cleared her throat beside Shouko, halting her descent from the podium and raising a hand to calm the room.

"What's wrong, Nobe?" Shouko looked at her, puzzled.

Most of the class seemed equally confused—except for Akira. He had a good idea what their teacher was about to do.

Nobe simply gave a reassuring shake of her head and addressed the class.

"There's just one more thing Nishimiya-san forgot to mention."

"Huh?" Shouko blinked, then realized—she'd left something out.

She instinctively reached for her ear.

Nobe gave her shoulder a gentle pat, signaling her to speak when ready.

"I'll say it myself, Nobe." Shouko smiled, nodding at her.

Nobe stepped back, hands behind her back, standing firm and silent.

Shouko took a breath.

"I have a hearing impairment."

The classroom, previously quiet, immediately filled with hushed chatter. Many students were surprised. A few weren't sure if she was serious.

Some had encountered hearing-impaired people before, and in their experience, those individuals often had more noticeable speech differences or relied on notebooks to communicate.

But Shouko's speech had sounded nearly perfect.

A handful of observant students, however—including Takagi Sana—had already picked up on subtle signs. During their earlier conversation, Takagi had noticed minor differences in Shouko's enunciation and later spotted the nearly invisible hearing aids she wore.

Clap clap!

Nobe clapped the chalkboard behind her again, bringing the class back to attention.

"Let Nishimiya-san finish. You can ask questions after class."

Shouko gently brushed her hair aside, revealing the discreet, skin-colored hearing aids on both ears.

"I wanted to share this with everyone because even though I have a hearing impairment, as you can see, I can communicate just fine. I also read lips.

I'm telling you this now not because I need special treatment, but because I'd like everyone to understand—I'm just another student in this class, like all of you."

Clap... clap... clap...!

This time, it was Nobe who led the applause. The rest of the class soon followed.

"Good work. You can return to your seat now." Nobe gave Shouko a warm smile and gently patted her head.

"Okay," Shouko said quietly, not resisting at all. She gave one last polite bow and returned to her seat.

In the back corner of the room, a boy with a buzz cut turned to nudge the guy next to him.

"What?"

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Man, you really don't catch on, do you?"

"Either say it or let me zone out again."

"Think about it: she's cute and has a hearing impairment. She might seem confident on the outside, but deep down, there's probably a hint of insecurity."

"…Okay, and?"

"So all I need to do is befriend her, support her, encourage her—keep showing up for her. Sooner or later, she'll fall in love with me! No one else will even stand a chance!"

"…"

"Come on! That plan is airtight, isn't it?"

"Sure, go for it. I believe in you."

"Ha! Just for that—if I marry her, I'm giving you a fat red envelope!"

"Heh…"

After Shouko sat down, Nobe stepped up again. "Alright, next student, please!"

The self-introductions wrapped up after about thirty minutes—just as the class bell rang.

"Break time: ten minutes. Dismissed!" Nobe announced before stepping out.

As soon as she left, the classroom burst into activity. Some students headed to the restroom. Others leaned over balconies or crowded the hallway to check out the view.

Shouko's desk, however, became a center of attention, surrounded by several curious girls.

Akira glanced over, saw the crowd, and realized it'd be hard to talk to her anytime soon. With a small sigh, he rested his head on the desk and closed his eyes.

Shouko had been hoping to chat with Takagi Sana behind her after class, but with so many people crowding her seat, she quietly gave up.

"Nishimiya-san, can I ask a small question?" asked a girl with shoulder-length gray hair who stood directly in front of her.

"Of course!" Shouko responded with a smile.

Before Shouko could say more, the girl put her hands together and said sincerely, "Please! Please!"

"Miyamizu, no need to be so formal," Shouko chuckled, gently lowering her hands. "Go ahead."

"Well, I was just wondering... Your speech sounds really natural. Do you have a technique for that?

I have a friend with a hearing impairment, and I wanted to ask in case it could help her."

At her question, the other girls surrounding Shouko leaned in, clearly interested too.

Shouko hesitated.

Her method…

"…Is something wrong? If it's not convenient to share, that's totally okay," Miyamizu asked, seeing the look on Shouko's face.

"It's not that I don't want to say it," Shouko replied after a pause. "It's just... the way I learned was a bit unique."

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