☆A Silent Voice☆[Insert Reader}

Chapter 7

"What's so bad about that?" Shoya shrugged dismissively. "Uh...nothing. Absolutely nothing."

Y/n's face wore a hollow, emotionless expression. Who am I? What is my purpose in this world? How can I live with myself when I don't even know who I truly am? Y/n pondered these questions as he gazed over the bridge. On the other side, Shoya and Shoko were engrossed in feeding the fish. Suddenly, Shoko's mother approached, her expression stern and rigid like a ruler. "Let's go, Shoko," she commanded. Y/n lifted his head, his hands slipping from his hair and resting on the bridge's railing. Shoko's mother tugged at Shoko's hand, forcefully pulling her away as Shoko cast a longing gaze back at Shoya. "Come on, we're leaving," Shoko's mother urged. Y/n and Shoya stood in stunned silence, their gazes fixed on the unfolding scene. Shoko started shaking her head. "What? We're leaving. Do you understand me?" Shoko closed her eyes momentarily and then began to resist, pulling away from her mother. "We need to go home, now!" Shoya interjected. "Um...she said she doesn't want to leave yet because she still has bread left," he explained, looking at the two. Shoko's mother turned her gaze towards Ishida, her face as rigid as cardboard, her grip still tight on Shoko's arm, which held the bag of bread. The two stood beneath a cherry tree as Shoko's mother noticed the notebook protruding from Shoko's backpack. "Is this...your old notebook?" she inquired, holding it up with one hand. "Why do you still have this? GET RID OF IT IMMEDIATELY!" With swift motion, she swung her arm around, releasing the book from the top of the bridge, causing it to plunge into the depths of the water below. Shoko rushed towards the edge of the bridge, extending her hand in a desperate attempt to catch it before it disappeared, but in her haste, she slipped and fell into the river. "Sho-chan?!!!" Her mother's eyes widened in shock. Without hesitation, Shoya removed his jacket and jumped over the railing, splashing into the water. The two thrashed about under the bridge as Shoko removed her jacket and backpack, placing them on the concrete beside the river. Y/n crossed over the railing and shouted, "Are you guys okay?!" Shoko took a gasp of air, creating a bubble in her mouth before submerging herself in the water. Shoya joined her, searching through the depths. His hand scraped through the blades of grass until it came into contact with a small piece of paper. Tugging at it, he retrieved it from beneath the water, raising his head, completely drenched. "Nishimiya," he tapped her shoulder. She reached out, using both hands to receive the paper. In gratitude, she bowed down. [Is that notebook really that important?] She nodded in response.

Shoko's mother met her at the river bank. "You may have ruined your hearing aid," she stated, her voice laced with disapproval. Shoko looked down, clutching her wet coat tightly with both hands. As they walked away, Shoya couldn't help but stand on both feet and yell out, "I'm sorry about what I did five years ago! I truly regret my actions from back then!" Shoko's mother opened the car door, and Shoko climbed inside. However, before departing, she turned around and ran up to Shoya, delivering a sharp slap across his face. The mother walked away, leaving Y/n standing behind Shoya. "Are you alright?"

Y/n sat behind the soccer field, eating his lunch on a wooden bench. A figure approached and took a seat on the other side of the bench. The boy had green, puffy hair and a robust build. Much like everything else in Y/n's life, he chose to ignore the newcomer.

"Huh? Why should I let you borrow my bicycle?" A larger guy attempted to take the bike from the boy sitting next to Y/n. "I'll have it back to you before lunch is over, okay?" Y/n approached the man and tapped his shoulder. "Leave him alone." The guy turned around, recognizing Y/n. "Oh shit, it's the freak." The man cleared his throat. "I don't want any trouble, alright?" Y/n stared into his eyes with unwavering determination. "You'll find trouble if you don't leave him alone." Shoya turned his head upon hearing Y/n's voice. "You can borrow my bike." The man looked at Shoya. "You are a god." With that, he hastily rode off on Shoya's bike. Tomohiro crouched down, his finger tracing circles in the dirt. He sighed. "This is your problem now..." Shoya thought to himself, frustrated. This is how he acts after I help him out? What a jerk! Did all that fat warp his brain? (Shoya)

After school -

"I told you he would steal it," Shoya lamented, unable to locate his bike. "Damn it! I should've gotten a good look at his face!" Shoya took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself. Does this mean I shouldn't go see Shoko? Is that what it means? (Shoya) As Shoya walked alongside Y/n, who held his own bike, he suggested, "You know, you can bike home if you want." Y/n shook his head. "I'm good." Suddenly, a coupon fluttered through the air, landing on Y/n's head. Shoya noticed it but couldn't decipher the words. "Y/n...there's something on your head." Y/n raised his hands and rummaged through his hair until he found a piece of paper, plucking it from his head. "Huh. It's a coupon for bread," Y/n remarked, holding it up. Shoya looked at Y/n, holding the coupon. "Can I have it?" Y/n shrugged. "Sure." He handed it over. Ah, I get it! I lost my bicycle today in order to find this coupon! (Shoya)

"So, you know which class Shoko is in, right?" Y/n glanced at Shoya as they strolled through the hallway. Shoya felt a knot form in his stomach. He knew he had caused Shoko pain in the past, and the thought of her still harboring resentment towards him made him uneasy. As they walked down the corridor, he couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, as if everyone knew about his past actions. "Yeah, yeah. Don't worry about it," Shoya assured Y/n. They reached a door, and Y/n knocked. A kid with a camera opened it. "Can I see Shoko, Yuzuru?" Yuzuru gazed up at Shoya. "Sure...wait a minute. Who's that?" She pointed at Shoya, standing behind Y/n. "Oh...uh...he's here to see Shoko." Y/n responded quickly. "Oh, his name is Shoya." Yuzuru promptly shut the door. Y/n turned around. "I think she knows who you are." Shoya's gaze fell. "Oh." Y/n walked away. "It's fine. Next time, just stay out of the way." Next time. Right. (Shoya) As they left, Shoya couldn't shake the feeling that he had made another mistake. He knew he had a long road ahead to make things right with Shoko, and he wasn't sure if he was capable of the task. Nevertheless, he was determined to try, to atone for the pain he had caused and earn her forgiveness. He could only hope it wasn't too late.

"I found your bike," Tomohiro announced as he approached Shoya, holding the bike at his side. Tomohiro pointed to a sticky note attached to the left handle of the bike. On it, an address was written. Shoya stood frozen, questioning why someone would help him. (Shoya) Once again, another X fell, slowly descending to the ground.