For a moment, a heavy silence settled over the restaurant.
"Boss, where did this child come from?" Rimuru asked, swaying slightly as he looked toward the kitchen.
Yuto had just finished assembling Chen's cat rice.
He carried the bowl out, placed it in front of the eager cat-yokai, and leaned against the counter.
He didn't immediately return to the kitchen.
Instead, he quietly told the group the story of how he had found Shouko that morning.
As he spoke, the atmosphere in the room shifted.
Yuuka and Yukari remained outwardly calm, though the temperature in the room dropped a few degrees.
Ran hugged little Chen tightly to her chest, breathing deeply as she tried hard to suppress her rising anger.
As a maternal figure who fiercely protected her own child, hearing about a disabled little girl being tormented naturally filled her with fury.
Reimu's eyes narrowed in deep disgust, though the shrine maiden kept quiet.
Marisa, being lively and impulsive, had the strongest reaction.
She slammed her hands fiercely onto the wooden counter.
"Those little brats deserve a few direct hits from a Master Spark to teach them a lesson!" she declared indignantly.
Although Yuto didn't know exactly what a 'Master Spark' was, the sheer destructive energy in her voice told him it was incredibly dangerous.
He gained a much deeper understanding of Marisa's personality in that moment.
She was a good kid, but violently impulsive.
"Hmm... Boss. Since Shouko's deafness is due to an infection that damaged her eardrums..." Rimuru wobbled thoughtfully.
"The Full Potion I gave you last night should be able to cure her."
The moment Rimuru spoke those words, Yuto froze.
His expression changed instantly!
He reached under the counter and pulled out the ornate wooden box the slime had given him, retrieving one of the glowing vials.
He hadn't fully understood the effects of the potion before.
He had assumed it was just a high-tier medicine that could quickly knit flesh and heal open wounds.
He hadn't considered it could repair deep chronic nerve or tissue damage.
"Rimuru... you're not lying right?" Yuto asked, his voice tight with sudden anticipation.
The potion in his hand shimmered with a beautiful, ethereal blue light.
"Yes! My Full Potions are all-purpose!" Rimuru puffed his chest out—or at least, he tried to. He spoke with genuine pride.
"They can heal any physical injury or defect!" His potions were concentrated magicules extracted from rare herbs, they could bring someone back from the brink of death.
Repairing a damaged eardrum was child's play.
Yuto didn't waste another second.
He popped the cork off the vial. "Is drinking it enough?"
"Yes! Or you can pour it directly into her ears, either works!" Rimuru confirmed.
Yuto walked over to Shouko. The little girl looked up at him in confusion, unsure of what had just happened.
But when she saw the glowing bottle in his hand and the hopeful joy in his eyes, a vague, guess surfaced in her mind.
Her eyes grew slightly wider.
Yuto pulled her notebook close and wrote a single sentence.
[Shouko, drink this. Your illness might be cured.]
When Shouko read those words, her eyes instantly turned red.
Her small heart began to beat against her ribs. Her impossible guess had been right... but she didn't dare fully believe it.
She had experienced too many fragile hopes turning into crushing disappointments.
She was young, but she wasn't stupid.
Her grandmother always told her she was just 'sick for now' and would recover when she grew up.
She wanted to believe her grandmother.
But after waking up in the middle of the night and seeing her mother crying in the dark over medical bills, she had started to worry.
What if she grew up and the illness never healed? What would she do then?
She looked up at Yuto.
Her large eyes were tangled with countless, heavy emotions.
Yuto gently patted her head.
He gave her a firm, encouraging nod, then handed the glowing bottle to her.
Shouko took a deep, shaky breath.
Her nose twitched forcefully as she fought back tears.
She gripped the glass vial in both hands, remained silent for a long moment, and then drank the bitter liquid in one gulp.
Shouko fell completely still.
She just sat there, breathing quietly, her eyes wide and unfocused as something began to shift deep within her.
Tick-tock... tick-tock...
What was that rhythmic clicking? Was that the sound of the clock on the wall?
Clatter... clink...
What was that sharp noise? Was that the sound of plates being moved?
Whoosh... whoosh...
Was that the sound of the wind rattling the window?
Shouko slightly parted her lips, but no sound came out.
Clear tears broke free from her eyes, streaming silently down her cheeks.
The sounds grew louder.
More intense.
The hum of the refrigerator.
The bubbling of the pots in the kitchen.
The soft breathing of the people around her.
Tears continuously poured from her eyes.
"Ah... ah..."
A hoarse, broken whimper finally tore its way out of her small throat.
'So... so this is what the world sounds like.'
...
When Shouko began to sob, Utaha couldn't hold back anymore.
She covered her mouth with her hands, tears spilling over her own cheeks.
Emotion is a strange, powerful thing.
It is incredibly infectious.
Utaha wasn't someone with a heart of stone, beneath her sharp tongue, she was a girl with extremely delicate feelings.
Witnessing this impossible miracle made her heart ache with both joy and profound sorrow for everything the girl had lost.
It was a happy scene, but she simply couldn't stop crying.
She wasn't the only one.
Yuto turned his back to the counter, pretending to adjust a pot on the stove as he quietly wiped his own eyes.
Even though he had lived two lifetimes and experienced so much, he was still easily moved by genuine human connection.
His maturity allowed him to deeply understand the harshness of the world, making moments of pure salvation like this feel all the more miraculous.
This river called life was truly unpredictable.
"Tha... nk... yo... u..."
Because Shouko had lost her hearing at such a young age, she had never been able to hear others speak, nor could she hear her own voice.
Over the years, her ability to form words had severely deteriorated from a lack of use.
The potion had perfectly repaired her physical eardrums, but it couldn't instantly fix her underdeveloped speech functions.
But that didn't matter right now.
Since she could finally hear, it meant she could learn how to speak again.
The human body's recovery ability is astonishing.
She just needed time and practice.
Shouko tearfully mumbled her thanks, the syllables strained and unclear.
Her eyes were red, tears continuously flowing, yet the corners of her mouth were pulled up into a massive radiant smile.
Yuto gently ruffled her pink hair.
He exhaled softly, feeling an indescribable sense of relief and joy settle over his soul.
"Shouko, you should thank Rimuru too," Yuto said with a light, teary laugh. "That potion belonged to him."
Shouko tilted her head slightly, tracking the sound of his voice.
She looked over at Rimuru.
She was a very clever little girl, from watching their earlier interactions, she had already guessed the blue slime was the one who had provided the magic medicine.
She quickly slipped off her stool and walked up to Rimuru.
Because she was so small, standing on the floor put her right at eye level with the slime resting on the counter.
"Ah, it's really no trouble at all," Rimuru wobbled, feeling a bit embarrassed by the intense gratitude.
He was an easygoing monster by nature. Helping a kid like this was a no-brainer.
"M-Mom said... we should thank... those who help us," Shouko said slowly and earnestly.
She tried her absolute best to pronounce each syllable clearly, focusing on the sounds she could now hear herself making.
Though the tones of many words were still odd and strained, the general meaning was perfectly understandable.
Just having the audio feedback of her own voice was already improving her speech.
In a few months, she would sound just like any other little girl.
After speaking, she bowed deeply to the slime.
Rimuru's blue gelatinous body took on a distinct, embarrassed pink hue.
Yuto watched this from the kitchen with mild surprise.
'Slimes can blush too huh?'
"Ah~ Well then, I will gladly accept your thanks!" Rimuru cheered. "By the way, Shouko, would you like something to eat? My treat!"
Facing the adorable teary-eyed girl, Rimuru felt an overwhelming urge to spoil her!
To cover his own awkwardness, he immediately offered to buy her dinner.
But Shouko had already eaten the croquettes, so she smiled and shook her head.
Rimuru physically deflated, looking genuinely disappointed.
In front of such a cute little girl, he had really wanted to show off a bit as a cool older figure.
"I see... alright then."
Shouko smiled softly, stealing a longing glance at Rimuru's squishy form.
That round, plump body... she really wanted to touch it!
Shouko wasn't good at hiding her feelings, and Rimuru instantly noticed her curious gaze.
He decided he could endure a little discomfort today.
He would let her pet him!
"Just once," Rimuru whispered conspiratorially. "Only one touch, okay?"
"Mm!!!" Shouko let out a delighted gasp and nodded vigorously.
She slowly reached out her small hand.
When her fingers made contact with Rimuru's surface, she gently stroked the jelly.
It was smooth, cool, and incredibly soft.
Shouko's eyes sparkled with pure, childlike wonder.
But true to her word, after just one lingering touch, she politely withdrew her hand.
Watching the little girl and the monster interact, Yuto smiled warmly.
After emerging from her world of silence, Shouko seemed to radiate a bright, vibrant energy.
The heavy, lingering sadness had vanished.
This transformation brought genuine joy to Yuto's heart.
After petting Rimuru, Shouko ran back to her seat next to Utaha.
She was nothing like the gloomy, anxious girl from this morning.
Every movement was filled with a light, bouncy liveliness.
As she sat down, she looked up and met Yuto's gaze. Her lips curved into a brilliant smile, her eyes shining with boundless happiness as she looked directly at him.
Yuto smiled back, gave her a thumbs-up, and turned back to his stoves.
He still had several dishes left to prepare.
While Yuto cooked, Utaha kept chatting with Shouko out loud.
Shouko answered every question earnestly, practicing her pronunciation.
With every sentence, her fluency improved just a fraction more.
...
Meanwhile, at the other end of the counter, Marisa was staring intensely at Rimuru.
The black-and-white witch was fascinated by the slime.
Her fingers twitched.
She really, really wanted to give him a squeeze!
"Hmm? What's the matter?" Rimuru asked, noticing the predatory gaze.
Marisa grinned, showing off her teeth, and immediately made her demand.
"Please let me squeeze you! Da ze!"
Though Rimuru had no eyebrows, his entire body visibly jolted in alarm.
Even though he was a slime, he still had his dignity!
He couldn't just let some random witch use him as a stress ball!
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