Still trying to find sleep, Tsuna suddenly remembered the amulet that Shouko had given him today.
He quickly got out of bed and went to the desk where his schoolbag sat. He dug it out.
This morning, because he was running late for school, he hadn't paid much attention and had slipped it into his pocket. After a few fumbling attempts, he finally managed to stuff it into his schoolbag.
"Sure enough..."
He looked at his name, still embroidered in yellow thread. The color of the thread was fine; the problem lay with the name.
Without looking closely, it was hard to see. At first, he'd thought it might be because Shouko had hand-washed it, causing the thread to break.
That's why the name was a little crooked, but now he realized it wasn't what he'd thought. It was most likely Shouko's work...
Tsuna stared at the crooked "Place" on the amulet, his fingertips rubbing the raised thread.
Sleepiness washed over him like a tide. He stuffed the amulet back into his wallet and rolled under the covers.
As for a return gift—at worst, he could offer her his body. Shouko wouldn't refuse anyway.
Sleep is more important now; after all, I have to get up early for a run tomorrow.
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"Dong... Dong... Dong...!"
At the sound of the school bell, the few students in the classroom who were still sluggish suddenly came to life. If Teacher Fujiro hadn't announced the end of school yet, they would have almost shouted in excitement.
"There's still a little bit of content left to cover in this lesson. I'll hold off for ten minutes."
Teacher Fujiro ignored the students' fluctuating expressions and continued teaching with the textbook in hand.
"Dong Dong." Teacher Fujiro knocked on the desk. "Okay, school's over, everyone. Be safe on your way home."
With that, she closed hwe textbook and prepared to leave the classroom.
"Finally, school's over!!"
"Let's go! If we don't hurry, we'll be late for the club."
"Wait for me!"
Before Teacher Fujiro could even leave the classroom, the students below started clamoring, and a few even ran out before Teacher Fujiro.
Shouko, who had packed her things first, stood up and looked at someone. "Tsuna, today I'm going to the newly opened shopping street with Takagi and Ajitani."
Shouko hesitated for a moment. "Can you go back by yourself? And tell Yuzuru and the others for me?"
"Yeah, yeah, be careful." Tsuna didn't think it was a big deal and nodded in agreement.
Ever since starting junior high, Shouko hadn't been as clingy as she had been in elementary school, and he suddenly felt a sense of loss.
Is this what it feels like to be a father watching your daughter grow up?
"Pa."
"Please, put those bad thoughts away," Shouko said, pouting, as she withdrew her hand.
"Yes, yes, yes." The person, whose sigh was interrupted, could only silently continue packing their bag.
"Let's go, Shouko. I heard there's a limited edition Chizilla doll there. If we don't go soon, they might be all gone."
The anxious voice of the class monitor, Ajitani, echoed from the hallway behind them.
"Then I'll be leaving first, Tsuna." Seeing this, Shouko didn't hesitate any longer. She waved to Tsuna and walked out of the classroom with the other two, chatting and laughing.
"Miyamura-san, I'll be leaving first too. See you tomorrow."
"Okay, bye."
After watching the few familiar people in the class leave, Tsuna quickly put on his backpack and left the classroom.
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"This guy used to bully others in sixth grade."
As Tsuna walked down the stairs, a vaguely familiar voice rang out in his ears.
"Really? It doesn't look like it?"
Tsuna paused and looked over to see Shimada chatting with a boy he had no memory of. Their voices were a bit too loud.
"Let me tell you something, back in sixth grade, he'd go into the girls' restroom and dump a huge basin of water in through the tiny space above the door."
Tsuna ignored the question and continued walking towards where he'd put his shoes, mentally grumbling, "Hey, hey, hey, you're whispering about that? I can hear you from so far away. How ridiculous!"
"No way!"
"Then were there any girls who got wet?" the boy demanded hurriedly.
"Do you know Ueno Naoka from Class 3?" Shimada Kazuki asked mysteriously, rather than answering directly.
"The one in Class 3 that the boys privately voted the class belle?!"
"Wait! You don't mean that!?" The boy stared at Shimada in shock, pausing in his tracks.
Shimada said nothing, only giving the boy an unspeakable look.
The boy's pupils rapidly dilated; he hadn't expected his guess to be correct.
Meanwhile, Tsuna, who was silently changing his shoes, was utterly speechless. He had already walked away, not expecting the two men to follow him.
The two men were separated from him by a shoe cabinet: they were on the opposite side, while he was on the other. He quickly changed his shoes, put his indoor shoes in the cabinet, and hurried away.
Coincidentally, he had only taken a few steps when he saw Ishida Shōya, standing there in a daze.
There were fallen books at his feet, and he had obviously heard the conversation between the two yellow-haired boys.
But... it didn't seem to concern him at all. He just glanced at them before looking away and leaving Building No. 1.
He had no interest in their affairs at all; instead of gossiping, he might as well go back home and get some sleep.
---
It was as if the heavens were playing a joke on him; he was now only a few hundred meters away from home.
At a fork in the road, he spotted Nishimiya Suneo, the man he'd been 'thinking about,' dressed in a black suit and acting furtively.
Nishimiya Suneo hadn't been seen since Shouko returned from Osaka, and for the first week or two, he'd been extremely worried.
But then, after so long, he'd assumed he'd given up, and he didn't expect to see him here.
He was starting to seriously doubt why, as soon as Shouko left him, he'd run into so many people, all of whom he couldn't get along with.
Wait... Shouko!
While he was still pondering, Nishimiya Suneo glanced around and quickly walked away.
Tsuna noticed he was heading in the direction of the new shopping street Shouko and the others had mentioned, but he wasn't sure.
Without hesitation, he stealthily followed, pocketing the stun gun from his schoolbag just in case. He also used his watch to call Shouko.
But he hung up as soon as the call page popped up, having forgotten Shouko didn't have her phone with her.
Because Namikaze Junior High School has a rule that students cannot bring cell phones to school, but if students bring them to school secretly and are not discovered, it is fine.
Student Shouko is a Model-good student, and since the school rules prohibit bringing cell phones, she definitely won't bring one, and there is no point in bringing it.
She doesn't play with her cell phone in class, and after class, Takagi and she are always around to chat, so after knowing that she can't bring cell phones to school on the first day, she has not brought one since.
Besides, not to mention Shouko, even he didn't bring one.
(End of this chapter)
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