The last seat by the window—the classic protagonist spot.
Hojou Kyousuke rested his chin on his right hand, staring outside, utterly bored.
The sun was shining, and a warm breeze drifted into the classroom, making his black hair sway slightly.
He lifted his right hand, revealing a sharp yet youthful face—dark eyes, messy black hair.
Though still a little boyish, the strong contours of his face hinted at future handsomeness.
But right now, he looked completely uninterested, half-asleep, as if nothing in the world could excite him.
Yawn~
Stretching his arms, he let out a big yawn before propping his chin on the other hand and lazily glancing around the classroom.
Kids are so noisy… Can't even take a decent nap on a nice day like this.
Hojou Kyousuke, a sixth-grade elementary schooler, inwardly complained.
Yes, he had reincarnated in Japan and had been living in this world for 12 years now. His new name? Hojou Kyousuke.
Home? Mizumoto City.
Family? Both parents present, no little sister.
System? Completely useless. That's his life in a nutshell.
Speaking of which, let's talk about this so-called "system" real quick since, apparently, it's supposed to be his cheat in life.
It doesn't even have a fancy name and only has two functions:
It automatically identifies "notable characters"—girls from anime he watched in his past life, categorized as either "Main Characters" or "Supporting Characters."If Kyousuke changes a notable character's fate or fulfills their wishes, he receives a "Gift from a Beautiful Girl."
What exactly that "gift" entails, Kyousuke had no idea.
After all, he was just a sixth-grader.
What power did he have to change someone's fate?
So far, he had only encountered one main character and a few supporting ones.
And while the system does tell him which anime they're from, the problem is…
Kyousuke barely watched anime in his past life.
So, even when he meets a "notable character," he has no clue what to do with them—just like the few supporting characters currently sitting in his classroom.
"Man, Ishida, you're pretty lucky, huh?"
A voice came from the seat to his right—not directed at Kyousuke.
Half-asleep, he wasn't planning to eavesdrop, but the sudden commotion in the classroom made him curious.
The girl speaking had long, jet-black hair and striking blue-violet eyes that shimmered like gemstones in the sunlight.
She wore a cute T-shirt that suited her well.
If Kyousuke hadn't muted the system's notifications, a label reading
"[A Silent Voice] Ueno Naoka (Supporting Character)"
would've popped up above her head.
But every time the system pointed out such things, Kyousuke made sure to note them down and then turn the notifications off.
Seriously, labeling people as "main" or "supporting" characters in a real-world setting? How messed up is that? What a garbage system!
Not that he was upset because this stupid system expected him to change people's destinies without providing any concrete guidance. Nope, definitely not.
Ueno Naoka poked the shoulder of a spiky-haired boy sitting two seats away from Kyousuke.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" The boy, Ishida Shouya, was busy messing around with a mechanical pencil.
"The transfer student. I heard it's a girl," Ueno added.
"Oh. Not interested," Ishida replied, still toying with his pencil.
From his half-lidded eyes and sluggish posture, it was clear that he, like Kyousuke, wanted to sleep.
Though in Ishida's case, it was probably out of boredom, whereas Kyousuke simply thought the weather was perfect for a nap.
As Kyousuke turned his head, his eyes met Ueno Naoka's.
'Wait, why are you looking at me while talking to Ishida?'
He gave her a polite smile. "Ueno-san, what's this about a transfer student?"
'Finally! He reacted!'
Ueno mentally cheered but kept her face calm.
"Oh, that? I heard a girl is transferring into our class, and everyone's been talking about it."
"I see. Thanks for letting me know."
Kyousuke had thought maybe school was ending early or something. Too bad. He turned back to the window, ready to resume his daydreaming.
"Alright, everyone, back to your seats."
Their homeroom teacher entered the classroom—a woman with shoulder-length hair, black-framed glasses, and a tracksuit, with a whistle hanging around her neck.
In Japan's elementary schools, homeroom teachers were practically caretakers. They were responsible for both academics and student life, so getting a bad teacher could ruin a kid's school experience.
Luckily, becoming a homeroom teacher required strict qualifications, so encountering a truly awful one was rare… though not impossible.
"Today, we have a new student joining us."
The class quieted down, turning their attention to the front door.
Kyousuke also looked up. He had a sharp sense for "main character energy," and "transfer student" was a textbook flag. Even though he hadn't watched much anime, he knew that much.
Meanwhile, Ueno Naoka frowned. She had only brought up the topic to get Kyousuke's attention by talking to Ishida, but now, even he was showing interest in the transfer student. For some reason, that annoyed her.
"You can come in now," the teacher called out.
And then—
"[A Silent Voice] Nishimiya Shouko (Main Character)"
Before Kyousuke even saw the girl, the system threw the label in his face.
Sigh. Block notifications.
Only then did he take a proper look at her.
She stood at the doorway, head slightly lowered. Her soft, brown short hair covered her ears entirely. Large eyes, a deeper shade of brown than her hair, made her already round face look even more innocent.
She wore a pink T-shirt with a name tag pinned to the front. It read "Nishimiya."
"Alright, introduce yourself," the teacher prompted.
At this moment, Kyousuke might've been the only one besides the teacher who knew her name.
But strangely, even after a long pause, Nishimiya Shouko didn't speak.
Was she… shy? She didn't look it.
With a gentle, serene smile, she stood there, unfazed by the silence.
The class started murmuring. Even Ishida Shouya, who had been hunched over his desk, looked up, intrigued.
Then, the teacher suddenly clapped a hand on her shoulder, as if suddenly remembering something.
Nishimiya Shouko flinched but quickly regained her composure, offering another small smile. She lowered her head, opened her red school bag, and pulled out a notebook.
On the cover, bold letters read:
"For Communication."
Kyousuke immediately noticed Ishida's spiky hair stand on end. His posture straightened ever so slightly.
That was Ishida's sign of interest.
Shouko flipped to the first page.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Nishimiya Shouko."
Gasps filled the classroom. Kyousuke's eyes widened slightly.
She turned to the next page.
"I hope to make friends with everyone using this notebook."
She flipped through each page carefully, making sure everyone had time to read.
"Please use this notebook when talking to me."
And finally—
"I cannot hear."
Holding the notebook up, she smiled.
"Whoa, seriously?"
"No way."
"Is this a joke?"
The classroom erupted with whispers. Yet, Shouko remained there, standing still, smiling gently.
Kyousuke now understood why she was the main character.
Transfer student. Deaf. A perfect setup for a bullying arc.
And he already knew who'd be at the center of it. Ishida and his little gang of troublemakers.
"That's so cool!"
Ishida suddenly yelled, his hair practically standing on end.
Kyousuke smirked.
'Looks like I might finally get my first reward.'