Shōya looked into the eyes of those people, and the questioning words were stuck in his throat. He couldn't speak for a long time. He suddenly felt that no one would answer even if he asked...
"Bang!" Finally, Shōya slammed the schoolbag he was carrying on the table next to him, shouting at those people who were looking at him:
"Are you tired of living? Do you want to be punched? Don't let me catch who did it, or you will be in trouble!"
The questioning words turned into threats under the gaze of those people.
Without waiting for their response, Shōya left the classroom.
The sound of his schoolbag slamming startled Miyoko, who was concentrating on chatting with Shouko, and Shouko in front of her looked confused. She didn't understand why the other party suddenly shuddered when they were chatting happily.
Then, after hearing Ishida's roar, she understood.
They both turned their heads simultaneously and saw each other leaving the classroom. Miyoko thought of the desk and chair she saw when she entered the classroom earlier and asked in confusion:
"Shouko, who painted Ishida's desk and chairs?"
Shouko first glanced at someone who was catching up on his sleep, confirmed that he was asleep, then whispered to Miyoko what Shimada had said this morning, and then stated her own conclusion:
"I don't know, but when Shimada passed by Ishida's seat this morning, he mentioned 'they,' so I guess there should be more than one person."
"That makes sense, but aren't they afraid Ishida will tell Mr. Takeuchi? The parents will most likely be called in for this matter, right?"
Miyoko nodded when she heard this, and after glancing around to make sure no one noticed their conversation, she continued to ask her own questions.
She had to be cautious, afraid that someone with ulterior motives would overhear and spread the word. Then, she would be ostracized by everyone like Ishida and subjected to pranks and bullying.
Ultimately, her friends would stay away from her, and she would have no choice but to transfer schools.
At this moment, a familiar voice brought Miyoko back to her senses:
"That guy, Takeuchi, probably won't care about Ishida, and this is just the beginning. When they discover that Takeuchi has turned a blind eye to this matter and has no intention of caring about Ishida, they will intensify this behavior."
When the two heard the voice, they saw that Tsuna had woken up for some reason and was looking at them listlessly.
Shouko ignored what he had just said, took a tissue from the small package in her schoolbag, and handed it to him, asking curiously, "Tsuna, when did you wake up?"
"I haven't fallen asleep, okay? I was awake the whole time because of the big noise made by Hedgehog Head just now." Tsuna took the tissue she handed over and wiped his eyes.
"Then you have been eavesdropping on my conversation with Miyoko from beginning to end?" Miyoko pretended to be surprised, but before he could answer, the subject changed again:
"What you just said is unlikely, right? Ishida shouldn't be that stupid. He will resist, right? Then he will probably use his fists to teach those who bullied him a lesson."
Miyoko nodded and agreed with her words.
In Miyoko's heart, although Shōya did inhumane and annoying things, he was still very fierce in fighting. This was also why many people in the class did not dare to provoke him and were afraid of him.
He didn't resist today, probably because he hadn't found the culprit yet. Otherwise, he would have done it long ago. Why would he leave after leaving such a cruel word?
"I'm not interested in your and Miyoko's private conversations, okay?"
Tsuna answered her first question speechlessly. As for the second question, he would have to wait for time to verify it. No matter how much he said now, it would be useless.
---
**Later**
Naoka, look, Ishida's desk and chair have been graffitied again."
As Miki and Naoka walked into the classroom, Miki couldn't help but hold her back and pointed at the most special table in the back row, fearing that she hadn't noticed.
Naoka broke free from her hand impatiently: "I noticed it, and then what? Class monitor, will you go up and help Ishida seek justice?"
Her slight fondness for Shōya had slowly vanished after he splashed her with water.
Initially, she'd half expected him to apologize, but aside from that initial panicked apology after splashing the wrong person, he never returned.
Miki caught the impatience in her eyes, chuckled, and waved her hand, feigning fear.
"I don't have that in mind. If Shōya misunderstands and says I did it, no thanks."
She'd sensed Naoka's fondness for Ishida back in fourth or fifth grade, and she suspected it was probably because of the car accident.
Shōya's playful, lively, and carefree personality had pulled her out of the shadow of that incident.
But later, that fondness shifted to someone else, even vaguely surpassing her initial fondness for Ishida, making it difficult to judge.
Naoka instantly snapped out of her wandering thoughts, glanced up at the clock on the podium, and urged, "Hurry up and get back to your seats! That bespectacled jerk is probably coming!"
As she finished speaking, she noticed Miki wasn't paying attention to her, but instead stole a glance at Miyamura Tsunayoshi, who was chatting with Miyoko.
Miki, standing beside her, caught her glance perfectly. She'd assumed he wasn't paying attention, but that was just her perception.
At that moment, Shōya entered the classroom from the back door, carrying a small bucket. Noticing the two men's attention on his desk, he ignored them.
The backpacks they carried told him they'd just arrived; it was impossible for them to have done this.
"Dong... Dong... Dong...!"
"Everyone, be quiet and sit down! Class is starting!" Homeroom teacher Takeuchi shouted at the scattered students as he reached the classroom door.
He waited two or three minutes before the noisy classroom finally quieted. Then, the sound of running water suddenly became abrupt in the stillness.
Shōya felt countless eyes on him. He glanced up and briefly saw sarcasm, ridicule, jokes, and even a hint of pity.
There was even a look from the bespectacled jerk on the podium who ignored him after a glance.
He felt sick, utterly sick. He forced himself to ignore it, suppressing the strange feeling that kept rising within him, and continued to wipe the dirty desk.
"Alright, get out your Japanese textbooks. As usual, the first one on the left goes first."
Homeroom teacher Takeuchi had noticed his unusual behavior as he reached the door, but chose not to pay attention. At the podium, he flipped to the article he was teaching today and ignored the man, speaking calmly.
Everyone averted their gazes at his words, pulling out their textbooks. The student he'd called on stood up, preparing to read aloud in a moment.
---