The Sound of a Silent Life

"Miyamura's move just now really scared me. Isn't he afraid of being called in by his parents?"

Three or four girls gathered in the lower right corner of the classroom, whispering. One girl with purple hair tied in a high ponytail lightly patted her chest as if trying to calm her racing heart. The earlier scene was still vivid in her mind.

"Huh." Miki, who sat right before the purple-haired girl, turned around and snorted twice, clearly eavesdropping. She joined their conversation, flicking a strand of her bangs aside. "Don't you know?" she said, pausing dramatically.

"Does he have something else going on?"

"What? Kawai, could you not keep us in suspense? Spill it already!" Two of the girls leaned in, eager for juicy gossip.

Miki smirked and cast a quick glance at them. "Well, you know the class monitor vote is coming up, right?"

"No problem," they chimed in unison. For most students, the class monitor position was more of a burden than an honor. Even Naoka, quietly flipping through a notebook near the window, looked up in mild interest.

"Ahem." Miki cleared her throat, lowered her voice, and leaned in as if sharing a forbidden secret. "According to my investigation... every time Miyamura was called to the principal's office, it was because he got into fights protecting Nishimiya. He fought those jerks who bullied her."

"Seriously?"

"You're not making this up. I've been in the same class as Nogami before—he was second in the grade—and he looked like a total pushover. Miyamura doesn't even pay attention in class, yet he gets full marks? And now you're telling us he throws hands for a girl?"

"Yeah, boys like that only exist in manga, right?"

Miki puffed out her cheeks indignantly. "Why would I lie? I gained nothing from digging this up. Do you know how long it took me to find out?" She crossed her arms, annoyed that her credibility was being questioned.

She added firmly, "The school year just started. You'll see for yourselves whether I'm telling the truth."

"Miki, I'm curious..." A calm voice came from her left.

Miki turned and saw the teasing eyes of Naoka, who had joined their conversation unnoticed. Her gaze flickered with curiosity and amusement.

Miki averted her eyes, clearly unsettled by the attention. Under pressure from the others' stares, she quickly defended herself, "Of course I'm curious about how he studies! I asked his old classmates about his study methods, and I just happened to find this out along the way!"

After speaking, she glanced at Miyamura across the room, worried he might have overheard her. The last thing she wanted was to leave a bad impression.

Naoka raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. A hint of amusement danced in her eyes, and just as she opened her mouth to tease Miki further, a voice from outside the classroom interrupted:

"Just put the books on the ground!"

The booming voice of Teacher Takeuchi echoed even before he stepped inside. Most students fell silent. It was only the first day, and they didn't yet know what kind of teacher he would be. Safer not to test him.

Within ten minutes, Takeuchi had finished distributing textbooks and checking for errors. Without wasting time, he clapped his hands on the podium and spoke loudly, "Alright, there's plenty of time to read the back of your textbooks later. For now, let's decide on the next class monitor."

Miki and a few others perked up instantly, their eyes glittering with ambition.

But Takeuchi's next words were a bucket of cold water on their excitement:

"Let's have Miyamura Tsunayoshi be our class monitor."

All at once, dozens of eyes turned to Tsuna, who sat near the center of the room. Feeling their collective gaze, he calmly raised his right hand.

"What is it, Miyamura?" Takeuchi asked, this time in a surprisingly gentle voice.

Tsuna stood up, ignoring the stares. "Teacher Takeuchi, I think it's better to vote for the class monitor. I want to focus on my studies, so I don't think I have the time to manage class affairs."

Takeuchi's lips twitched. Study hard? That didn't quite match Miyamura's reputation. But he didn't argue. "Alright, studying is important. Sit down first."

As Tsuna sat, the teacher continued, "Whoever wants to run for class monitor, raise your hand. Come up and say a few words so your classmates can vote."

Several students raised their hands, and one by one, they took turns on the podium, each giving short speeches about how they would treat the class, their peers, and even the teachers. In the end, Miki was elected the class monitor.

Meanwhile, Tsuna and Shouko chatted throughout the entire process, not even glancing toward the stage. They had no interest in the politics of classroom leadership—Tsuna because he didn't want the hassle, and Shouko because she simply didn't care.

Teacher Takeuchi sighed internally. He glanced at the clock above the blackboard and saw there were still a few minutes before lunch break. He raised his voice, "Don't leave the classroom yet. Wait for the bell before heading out."

With that, he turned and left the classroom without another word, clearly eager for a cigarette break to unwind from the chaos.

Once the door closed behind him, Shouko leaned closer to Tsuna and whispered, "Tsuna, I don't think Teacher Takeuchi is..."

"...very reliable," Tsuna finished her sentence for her, sighing. From what he'd seen so far, Takeuchi didn't seem like the dependable type. Thankfully, it was their last year. Otherwise, Tsuna would've asked his dad to request a different homeroom teacher.

*Dong... Dong... Dong!*

The bell rang for lunch break.

"Let's go, A-Tsuna. Let's find Miu and the others for lunch." Shouko stood up gracefully and pulled her lunchbox from beneath her desk.

"Yeah," he replied, grabbing his own and following her out.

Watching them leave, Shouya turned to Shimada with a sneer. "Did you see that? He must've sensed I was gonna mess with him, so he ran off to eat outside."

"Haha... really?" Shimada covered his mouth with a sleeve, laughing softly. "Then why don't you go over to his seat and tear up his textbook? Give him a warning."

Shouya bristled at the challenge in his friend's tone. He remembered the humiliation he suffered earlier and clenched his fists.

"Wait till I finish lunch. Then I'll show him."

"Shouya..." Hirose tried to intervene, but Shimada's sharp glance silenced him.

Some things were better left alone.

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