After reassuring the Granny and agreeing to her request, Yuto left.
After returning to the restaurant, he first put the things he had bought into the freezer.
Then he planned to head to Shouko's house. He had already promised Kanna last night and earlier, Yuto had told Shouko that he would go visit her.
However, he had never visit her again.
Yet Shouko kept coming to the restaurant to see him.
Thinking of it that way, Yuto felt embarrassed.
Shouko's home was close to Ichinosuke Street. Walking there was enough.
Yuto walked along Ichinosuke Street.
Now all the storefronts were tightly closed since everyone had already begun resting.
The sunlight shone onto the street, reflecting a dazzling brilliance.
Only Yuto was walking across it.
After all, who would stroll through a red-light district in broad daylight? Walking forward through the light, the sunlight made him seem to shine.
He went into the candy store not far from Shouko's house. The last time he had taken Shouko home, he had bought candy here.
Perhaps because he had spent generously, the owner still remembered him.
"What kind of candy would you like to buy this time?" the owner smiled and asked.
Yuto thought for a moment, then said, "Same as last time. Pack me a little of everything."
The owner beamed with joy.
After all, there were not many customers as generous as Yuto.
The owner's plump body bustled around the store, and before long he came back carrying a bag of candy and handed it to Yuto.
After buying the candy, Yuto walked toward Shouko's house.
Following his memory, Yuto found the door to Shouko's home.
Knock, knock, knock—
"We're not buying furniture, and we're not buying insurance," Yaeko Nishimiya's voice came from inside.
Hearing that, Yuto could not help but smile. "Ms. Nishimiya, it's me, Kamisaka Yuto."
Yuto lightly knocked on the door again and aburst of commotion echoed from inside the room.
Thud, thud, thud—
Only Shouko would run like that.
Click—
The door opened, and sure enough, Shouko appeared before Yuto.
Shouko was dressed neatly today. Her hair had been combed, and she was wearing a pink short-sleeved shirt with a blue skirt.
The moment the little girl saw Yuto, delight appeared in her eyes.
"Yuto-nii."
Shouko had a faint blush on her face, and the tips of her feet tapped the floor.
The little girl was shy because of Yuto's sudden visit.
"Shouko, big brother came here to see you." Yuto gently patted Shouko's head.
The little girl's eyes narrowed softly, like a kitten being stroked.
"Kamisaka-kun, I didn't expect to trouble you by having you come all the way here." Yaeko Nishimiya had also come to the door and spoke to Yuto with gentle helplessness.
"It's nothing. I had promised Shouko that I would come visit her." Yuto smiled as he spoke to Yaeko.
Yaeko nodded with gratitude on her face.
Back when Yuto bought the storefront, she had actively helped him, and later, Shouko was able to speak—those things alone were enough to fill Yaeko's heart with gratitude toward Yuto.
"Come in and talk." Yaeko stepped aside, and Yuto smiled and nodded to her.
Shouko, meanwhile, joyfully took Yuto's hand. "Yuto-nii, come in quickly."
The little girl's innocent smile made Yuto feel relaxed and calm.
After entering, Yuto saw a schoolbag on the sofa.
He remembered that today was Monday. That meant it was time for Shouko to go to school.
"I had originally planned to send Shouko to school a little later," Yaeko noticed Yuto's gaze, and she explained.
"A new school?" Yuto remembered Yaeko saying she was going to find a new school for little Shouko.
Yaeko nodded. "I already found one yesterday. Today she just needs to enroll directly."
Yuto looked at Shouko beside him.
Even after sitting down, the little girl was still holding Yuto's hand. Her face was full of endless dependence.
Yuto rubbed the little girl's head.
"Are you happy about going to school, Shouko?"
The little girl nodded hard.
Even though she had previously gone through repeated school bullying, the little girl was still full of longing for school.
"As long as you're happy, then how about treating this candy as congratulations on going to school, okay?" Yuto lifted the bag of candy he had bought and shook it slightly.
Joy appeared on Shouko's face.
Yaeko Nishimiya shook her head helplessly. "Kamisaka-kun, you really don't need to do this. If you keep this up, you'll spoil Shouko."
Yaeko could see Yuto's doting affection toward little Shouko. Besides feeling relieved, she also felt some worry in her heart.
"It's fine. Little Shouko is cute—of course she should be doted on a little. Besides, little Shouko is sensible. She won't be spoiled," Yuto smiled. Doting on little Shouko—wasn't that natural? Buying her candy was nothing much.
"Kamisaka-kun, do you have time right now?" Yaeko Nishimiya's expression changed a little.
Yuto looked at her and nodded.
"Then could I trouble you to take Shouko to school? Actually, I'm pressed for time right now, because work..." Yaeko did not finish speaking.
She looked at Yuto with an apologetic expression.
Yuto pinched Shouko's cheek.
The little girl was looking at him with expectation in her eyes as Yuto smiled knowingly.
"Of course."
The moment the little girl heard Yuto's words, a joyful smile bloomed across her face.
She buried her head in Yuto's chest, just like a younger sister relying on her older brother.
...
Yuto held Shouko's hand as they walked out of the house.
Next, the two of them were going to take the bus to school. Along the way, Yuto naturally attracted quite a few stares, but he ignored them all.
When he got off the bus, there was now a stack of slips of paper in his hand.
Yuto sighed.
The women in this city were bold at striking up conversations!
Shouko looked at the slips of paper in Yuto's hand, and a bit of confusion appeared on her childish face.
"Yuto-nii, why did they give you those slips of paper?"
With a smile on his face, Yuto patted Shouko's head. "You'll understand that question when you're older, Shouko."
Although Yuto still looked calm on the surface, he was embarrassed inside.
No matter how one looked at it, explaining that sort of thing to a little girl would feel wrong.
Shouko nodded in half-understanding.
Although the little girl was puzzled, since her Yuto-nii said she would understand later, she would not ask anymore.
'Though perhaps I could ask mother later,' Shouko thought to herself.
"Shouko must never learn from those women, okay?"
"Mhm!"
Yuto relaxed a little.
He casually threw away all the slips of paper, then took Shouko's hand and walked off.
There was still a short distance between here and Shouko's school.
After walking for a while, the two arrived at the entrance of an elementary school. It was class time right now, so the gate area was quiet.
Yuto rubbed Shouko's head.
Since he was holding her hand, he noticed that the force with which the little girl was gripping him had increased slightly.
It was clear that Shouko was nervous too.
"It's okay, Shouko. Your classmates will definitely like you." Yuto crouched halfway down and said to Shouko at eye level.
The little girl pouted a little, then nodded firmly.
Yuto smiled, then took out the gift Kanna wanted to give Shouko from his pocket—Kanna's feather.
At the moment, only the two of them were around, making it just right to give her the gift.
When the little girl saw the feather, confusion appeared in her eyes. "Yuto-nii, what is this?"
Yuto lightly shook the feather, and it naturally emitted a faint glow.
Although Yuto did not know what effect Kanna's feather had, he could be certain of one thing.
That was that this feather had some special effect.
After all, it was a feather from a dragon, and Kanna had said she had specially prepared it.
So it was not an ordinary thing.
"This is a present from Kanna for you. Last night Kanna didn't get to see you, so she asked me to give it to you." Yuto smiled as he handed the feather to Shouko.
At that moment, a magical scene occurred.
The instant Kanna's feather touched Shouko's body, it emitted a burst of light, like warm sunlight.
Then it slowly fused into Shouko's body.
Shouko was a bit flustered as she touched her palm, just now, the feather had merged into her body from there.
"Yuto-nii, what is going on?" Shouko asked nervously.
Although Yuto found it strange, he was not surprised. After all, he had seen too many things by now.
"It's okay, Shouko. Don't worry." Yuto comforted her.
Although he did not know why the feather had disappeared, he assumed Kanna would not harm Shouko.
'Perhaps it has an effect similar to a blessing?' Yuto guessed.
"I'm just worried about how to explain it to Kanna-chan. The present she gave me floated into my body and disappeared. Will Kanna-chan blame me?"
So what Shouko was worried about was how to explain things to Kanna.
Yuto chuckled softly and patted Shouko's head.
"Don't worry. Kanna-chan won't be angry. Maybe Kanna-chan's gift was supposed to merge into your body in the first place. When I held it just now, there was no such effect at all. This should be a gift Kanna-chan specially prepared just for you."
Yuto's reassurance calmed Shouko's expression.
"Mhm." The little girl nodded calmly.
Yuto smiled, then took Shouko's hand and walked toward the school. After making a call at the gate to the teacher responsible for Shouko, they entered the campus.
Then Yuto led Shouko into the teachers' office.
Ninety percent of the teachers at this elementary school were women since female teachers would be more patient than male teachers.
When Yuto entered the office holding Shouko's hand, he drew the gaze of the female teachers inside.
Most women who became elementary school teachers were young university graduates.
Yuto gently nodded to the teachers he passed, then walked over to a youthful-looking young woman.
"Hello, I'm Shouko Nishimiya's older brother. We were in contact before regarding Shouko's transfer." Yuto smiled gently at the female teacher in front of him.
The female teacher's face turned red the moment she saw Yuto's smile.
"Y-you... hello, yes... I am..."
...
After finishing the exchange, class had just ended.
The teacher said that once the next class began, she would take Shouko to the classroom to introduce her.
Yuto nodded, then sat and chatted with the teacher for a while.
Only after class started did Yuto, holding Shouko's hand, follow the teacher to the front of a classroom.
After the female teacher spoke with the teacher who had stepped onto the podium inside, she brought Yuto and Shouko in.
Shouko was no longer the girl who used to feel inferior because of her hearing impairment.
And with Yuto by her side, her self-introduction was open and cheerful.
Yuto swept his gaze across the classroom.
The elementary school students were applauding, and they all seemed friendly.
Yuto relaxed a little.
After Shoko sat down in an empty seat, Yuto came back out with the teacher.
He knew that the person in front of him was Shoko's homeroom teacher.
He smiled gently at her and her face instantly turned red again!
"Sensei, I'll be entrusting my little sister to you. Please take extra care of Shoko in your day-to-day work. Thank you very much, sensei."
Yuto stepped a little closer as he spoke.
With the distance shortened, the teacher's face reddened even more and she did not even dare look at Yuto anymore.
She hurriedly nodded.
"Yes! Yes! Leave it to me! I'll definitely take good care of Shoko!"
The female teacher flushed as she excitedly promised Yuto.