After two or three minutes, Shouko finally gave up thinking and slumped back in her chair: "I can't think of it, I can't think of it at all."
Every time she recalled, the scene from this afternoon would always flash through her mind, causing her to be distracted from what she was thinking at the time.
Looking at her like that, Tsuna thought that she must have really forgotten. After thinking about how to organize the next words, he spoke a little unnaturally:
"Didn't you promise to give me a lap pillow for ten minutes this morning?"
"Isn't it five minutes? I didn't even agree to ten minutes, okay?" Shouko recalled what he said. It was indeed true, but it was not exactly what he had said, so she asked back.
Tsuna waved her off, thinking five or ten minutes would be enough. The next thing he was going to say was the key point:
"Five minutes is fine, but can you wait until I want it later?"
In case she didn't understand, he sweetly explained it like a couple's game:
"Just keep it for now. We'll write a little note and use it later when I want it."
He always felt that the lap pillows lacked a certain feeling, probably because Shouko was still too young, and he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"Okay," Shouko agreed without hesitation.
She thought it was quite interesting and novel, and no matter whether it was now or in the future, the only person who would use it as a lap pillow would be Tsuna, and it would only be his.
Then, she quickly pulled out a notebook she usually used for drafts from her desk drawer, tore out a page, and began to work on the desktop, while Tsuna, who stood by, quietly watched her.
"Done!" After several minutes, Shouko finished drawing the final stroke on the small rectangular piece of paper, looked up with joy, picked up the paper, and waved it in front of him.
"Hmph," Shouko hummed softly. After he took the paper and examined it, she slowly explained:
"This is the lap pillow coupon. From now on, if I agree to give you a lap pillow, you will write the time on the back of this coupon.
When I'm done, I'll make a mark over your time.
How's that? How's that? Isn't that interesting?"
Tsuna looked at the lap pillow coupon. The words "Lap Pillow Coupon" were written in large letters in the center. Around it were drawings of a tree and some small animals like birds and rabbits. Most importantly, there were two little people under the tree.
He felt like he didn't even need to guess who the two people were. The more he looked at them, the more he liked them.
"Mm-hmm, really good," Tsuna praised sincerely, rubbing her head. He picked up the pen, still slightly warm from the desk, and wrote the number '5' on the back.
But after finishing, a question suddenly occurred to him, and he turned to the girl, whose nose had turned a little high from the compliment:
"It's just one. What if it breaks...?"
"No problem. If it breaks or disappears, I can just draw another one for you." Shouko felt it was a minor issue and patted her chest to assure her.
"That's fine." Tsuna noticed her gesture, and suddenly remembered what happened that afternoon. The tips of his ears began to turn slightly red. He was a little hesitant to look her in the face, so he could only reply casually.
Shouko also noticed his casual glance, and thinking that the action just now was indeed a bit unpleasant, she mentally made up an excuse.
It's all Miu's fault! She's been doing this action so often lately, so she's been doing it unconsciously too.
Yes, it's all her fault! The memory she had chosen to forget flashed through her mind again, and she could clearly feel the temperature slowly rising on her face.
Shouko quickly changed the subject:
"I've got another roll in mind. Wait until I make it and show it to you."
Without waiting for a response, she turned away and resumed working on her desk, silently apologizing to Miu.
Tsuna noticed her cheeks were starting to flush slightly, but he chose not to say anything. He felt that speaking at this moment would only make her blush even more rapidly.
Ten minutes later, Shouko felt her face cool down. She placed two different coupons in front of someone, raised her hand, pointed at them, and said happily,
"Look."
Tsuna glanced at the 'Reconciliation Coupon' on the left and the 'Massage Coupon' on the right, unsure of what to say.
He offered a few casual compliments, and Shouko reluctantly handed him the two papers, emphasizing that they were disposable and would be recycled after use.
The two then proceeded as usual, with Shouko helping him with his homework first, and then he would teach her about any topics she hadn't understood from the day.
"See you tomorrow," Tsuna waved as Shouko left the house.
"Good night."
Neither of them mentioned the afternoon's incident.
Shouko returned home, said goodnight to Yaeko and Hachiko in the living room, and then retired to her room. As for Yuzuru and Ito, they were already asleep.
The first thing she did when she got back to her room was to sit at her desk and daze. Then, blushing, she pulled out a notebook and tore off a blank page.
She began to write and draw on it, following her memory, only stopping when she finished the last step.
At that moment, Shouko's cheeks flushed as she glanced at the newly created ticket in her hand. Without hesitation, she placed it in the box she kept her treasures in.
She knew she was alone in the room, but she was still afraid of being seen.
---
The next morning, before they even reached the classroom door, they heard the sound of hard objects colliding:
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Confused, they reached the door and saw Shōya standing on the podium, banging the chair that homeroom teacher Takeuchi usually sat on.
"Tsuna, what are you—" Before Shouko could finish her words, Shōya's voice, like a madman, interrupted her:
"Bakayarō! What do you mean? Do you think I don't have a temper?!"
All the students in their seats were focused on him, even those outside who had been drawn in by the noise, their attention focused on Shōya.
Tsuna glanced around the room. The person he had been focusing on, Shimada, was holding his jacket sleeve to his mouth, probably chuckling.
Keisuke stared blankly at Shōya on the podium.
"Bang, bang, bang!" Seeing no one in the audience say anything, Shōya couldn't help but smash the podium with a chair.
Then he roared, "Asshole! You dare not admit it, huh?!"
In his fury, Shōya noticed the two people standing at the door, his gaze fixed on Tsunayoshi.
Thinking of the rumors, the constant comparisons he'd received from that four-eyed jerk, and the scene at the beginning of school, and seeing the look in his eyes that seemed to take him lightly, almost as if he didn't even consider him human, he couldn't help but yell at him:
"What are you looking at!? Are you looking for death?!"
With that, he picked up the bench on the podium and threw it at him.
This sudden move startled everyone in the classroom and the students watching outside.
Some girls quickly closed their eyes, still screaming.
---