Anime Crossover : Living in the Heart of Tokyo

Ishida Shouya stepped into the classroom.

The moment he crossed the threshold, the murmuring of his classmates abruptly ceased, and all eyes turned to him.

Just moments ago, his body ached all over, but now, under the weight of their gazes, the pain seemed to fade.

Instead, an unbearable discomfort spread through him, like an army of ants crawling over his skin, making him itch with unease.

From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the back row.

To his shock, Ueno Naoka was chatting and laughing with Hojou Kyousuke and Nishimiya Shouko.

'What?! Ueno—weren't you the one who hated Nishimiya Shouko?'

'How could you change so quickly?'

Shouya couldn't accept it.

Everything he had done earlier, even if just a little, was meant to vent Ueno's frustrations, to stand up for her.

And yet, she had turned her back on him so easily?

Lowering his head, he quickened his pace toward his seat.

As soon as he sat down, he buried his face in his arms on the desk, unable to hold back the tears.

Before, Ueno, who sat closest to him, would have noticed his faint sobs.

But now, she was too preoccupied, tapping her forehead in frustration.

"I told you, it's 'ka,' not 'kaaa'..."

She and Hojou had divided up the work.

Hojou picked out sentences from Monster's Ballad that closely matched the fifty-sound phonetics he had already taught, while Ueno took on the task of teaching Nishimiya to sing them.

Not only would this method help with memorization, but Hojou had also overheard Ueno grumbling during music class about how Nishimiya's presence would ruin their choir performance.

If she cared that much, then why not make her responsible for teaching Shouko to sing?

That way, she might let go of her resentment, and Shouko could integrate more easily into the class.

Besides, Hojou himself was hopeless at singing.

Well... actually, he was completely tone-deaf. He could only hide within the chorus to avoid standing out as the "other Nishimiya Shouko."

Huh. Why doesn't Shouko just do what I do? If she just moves her lips without making a sound, no one would know she can't sing.

Then again, it's better if she keeps her kind heart intact.

Meanwhile, sandwiched between her two "teachers," Nishimiya Shouko no longer mumbled endless apologies like she used to.

Instead, she wore an apologetic smile and carefully repeated the lyrics after Ueno.

"Alright, class is starting."

Their teacher, Takeuchi, finally arrived—late as usual, continuing his routine of slacking off.

Hojou didn't immediately dive into his usual drills.

Instead, he turned to observe Shouya, lost in thought.

'He really doesn't give up, huh?'

'I already embarrassed him last time, yet here he is, trying to stir up trouble again.'

'Brats like him are the worst—you can never tell what's going on in their heads.'

'Should I deal with him like I did with that chubby kid before?'

As if sensing a chill down his spine, Shouya shuddered at his desk.

...Forget it. He hasn't done anything serious to Shouko—yet. I'll keep an eye on him.

As long as I'm watching, he won't get away with anything.

Shaking his head, Hojou lowered his gaze and flipped open his workbook.

Even though he had gone through university in his past life, he didn't dare take the elementary-to-middle school entrance process lightly.

There were always prodigies in this world.

He once saw a gaming video where a thirteen-year-old pulled off moves he could never dream of.

That was when he realized—natural talent is an insurmountable barrier for ordinary people.

The elite Toujou Middle School, the one Hojou Mikiko had set her sights on, only admitted 300 students a year.

Unlike other private schools, Toujou didn't have hidden rules favoring students based on their parents' wealth or status.

Admission was purely based on merit—a simple yet brutal selection process.

Hojou had no doubt he could get in.

But ranking high in the entrance exam would make his middle school life much smoother.

He had already experienced this in elementary school—grades opened doors, even in public schools.

So at a place known as the "University of Tokyo Prep Factory," academics would be even more crucial.

He diligently worked through his problems, and though time had eroded some of his knowledge, he could easily relearn it just by glancing at the answers.

Meanwhile, Nishimiya Shouko, sitting in front of him, quietly watched Shouya, who was still sobbing into his desk.

She clenched her small fists, holding them close to her chest, deep in thought.

......

Afternoon—Gym Class

"Kyousuke!"

As soon as Hojou reached the indoor gymnasium, a loud voice echoed through the space, drawing everyone's attention toward him.

"Geez, this idiot…"

"What is it? Don't you need to check in with your class?"

Hojou turned to see Yamauchi Sakura, her ponytail bouncing as she sprinted toward him.

"It's fine! Class hasn't started yet."

Sakura had been running too fast, so she grabbed onto Hojou's arm to stop herself from overshooting.

That's when she noticed the small girl standing behind him.

"Huh? Kyousuke, is this your new friend? I don't think I've met her before."

"Oh, like you know all my friends?"

"Of course I do! There's only one—me!"

Hojou was momentarily at a loss for words. She wasn't wrong.

"This is Nishimiya Shouko. She transferred to our class yesterday."

Hearing her name, Shouko quickly stepped out from behind Hojou.

"Hello, I'm Nishimiya Shouko."

Since it was gym class, she didn't have her notebook with her, so she carefully pronounced each syllable as Hojou had taught her.

It sounded slightly awkward, but at least it was understandable.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Yamauchi Sakura, this guy's childhood friend."

"If you're Kyousuke's friend, then you're my friend too!"

Sakura briefly hesitated at the way Shouko spoke but quickly regained her cheerful demeanor.

'How nice, childhood friends… As expected of Kyousuke-kun's friend, she must be a good person, too.'

Shouko felt warmth spread through her chest.

"I have hearing problems, so I struggle with speaking."

Although Sakura hadn't asked, Shouko decided to explain anyway.

"I see. But did you catch what I just said?"

"Mostly. Before we came down from the classroom, Kyousuke-kun told me that a girl named Yamauchi Sakura would come looking for him."

"He also said we'd become good friends."

"Ha! As if Kyousuke would be that nice! He probably said something like, 'A noisy girl is coming—just bear with it.'"

Shouko giggled, her large, brown eyes curving into crescent moons.

"That's exactly what he said! You two are so close."

"Of course! I know him better than anyone—we're childhood friends."

"Alright, class is starting soon. You two should head back."

"Oh no, are you ditching your childhood friend for your new one? How tragic!"

Hojou remained indifferent, but Shouko panicked and waved her hands.

"Haha, I'm just joking! Want to come to our class, Kyousuke?"

"Are you an idiot? That's impossible."

"Then see you later!"

"Yeah."

Hojou knew she meant the free time after group activities.

"See you later, Shouko-chan!"

"Mm!"

Shouko nodded excitedly. Kyousuke was great, but she also wanted to spend time with other girls her age.

.....................

[TL Note]

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