A Silent Voice: My First Kiss Was with Nishimiya Shouko

Chapter 295 295: Screams

"Then let's go sign up too."

It wasn't until Atsuya Ayumi disappeared around a corner that Shouko finally looked away.

"Mhm."

Following the signs, the group joined the end of the line where three or four other groups were signing up.

"How will we be grouped later?" Takagi-chan asked, puzzled.

Akira raised his hand without hesitation and pointed to himself and Shouko. "Let's stick to the same pairs the Class Monitor assigned when we were exploring earlier. Shouko and I, you and Nishikata."

Afraid she might refuse, he quickly added, "Besides, it's already late. I wouldn't feel comfortable with you two shrine maidens together—or with Nishikata and me in one group."

"Alright."

"Mhm."

"No… no problem."

Seeing no objections, Akira patted Nishikata's shoulder. Nishikata looked up, noticing Akira's expression—like he wanted to say something but held back. Before he could ask, a staff member interrupted them.

"How many of you?"

A plastic folding table was draped in a stained white cloth. A staff member in a faded blue robe puffed lazily on a pipe. His face was smeared with cheap white powder, and fake blood streaked one cheek. Behind him stood a handwritten price board.

"Four," Akira said, pointing to the others.

"You all know it's two people per group, right?"

"We know." Akira nodded, then ignored Nishikata and Takagi-chan's protests and paid for all four registrations at once.

"If you reach the exit in thirty minutes, you'll receive a mysterious reward," the man said, handing them a flashlight and a crumpled map. After a brief explanation of the haunted trail's "backstory," the fluorescent markers, and the wooden punch-in stakes, Akira and Shouko were allowed to enter first.

He turned to Nishikata and Takagi-chan before leaving. "You two have to wait about ten minutes before you can go in."

"Mhm."

As Akira led Shouko inside, he glanced back and smirked at Nishikata.

"Nishikata, don't worry. I'll protect you when the time comes," Takagi-chan teased, noticing how quiet Nishikata had been since they'd lined up. She thought he was scared.

"…" Nishikata didn't deny it—he just nodded with flushed ears. But in truth, he was still wondering what Akira's look before entering meant…

Dusk had painted the maple leaves a deep purple. The trees creaked softly in the wind.

Akira could feel the hand holding his tighten.

"Shouko, there's no—"

The wind chimes hanging from a nearby tree suddenly jingled—shaken by a staff member hidden in the shadows—cutting him off. But neither of them reacted much. They just kept walking according to the map.

"…"

"What the heck?" the staff member muttered in disbelief, watching them go. "That girl looks nervous, but she's not even startled by a sudden noise?"

"Akira, what did you just say? I didn't hear clearly," Shouko asked after they'd walked for a while, her voice small but steady.

"Nothing," he said with a helpless smile. "I was just going to comfort you—but I guess I don't need to."

They say horror movies rely heavily on their background music. Without it, the fear barely sinks in.

Here, aside from the darkness, there were only the occasional noises made by staff members trying to scare them. But as long as no one jumped right at her face, Akira was sure Shouko wouldn't be scared at all.

He tapped a yellow marker on a tree trunk with his flashlight. "There's a punch-in point about five hundred meters north."

Shouko, gripping the crumpled map, frowned. The fluorescent pen marks had smudged from her sweaty hands. "But we passed this tree twenty minutes ago…"

"Thump."

Akira flicked her forehead lightly. "Don't scare yourself. These trees all look the same."

"Oh…" Shouko nodded, covering her head in mock protest.

After another few minutes, any fear she had felt at the start had completely faded. She wasn't scared—just a little nervous.

Firstly, someone was beside her.

Secondly, she had taken off her hearing aid.

Now she relied on lip-reading, catching Akira's words in the faint moonlight and the beam of the flashlight.

They reached the third punch-in spot. The dry branches crackled under their feet, and suddenly, a flock of crows burst from the trees.

Startled, Shouko squeezed her eyes shut and bumped into Akira's chest. There was a small camera nearby, so she didn't dare do anything too bold.

Things like secretly kissing him in the dark out of fear—then pretending it was an accident—or suddenly hugging him tightly… those were things the innocent Shouko definitely never even thought of.

"They're thrushes," Akira said, following the birds with his flashlight. As the beam moved, the twisted shadow of a tree knot looked eerily like a crying face.

"This way." Akira noticed her pause and gently took her cold hand.

The smell of damp earth grew stronger. Shouko stumbled after him, then tripped over a tree root.

Akira's reflexes kicked in immediately, catching her. A quiet chuckle rumbled in his chest. "Watch your step."

Moonlight filtered through the leaves, scattering into silver fragments. Somewhere nearby, a stream murmured softly.

When the flashlight swept across the next punch-in stake, tied with a red ribbon, Shouko was about to cheer—when a terrified scream echoed behind them.

"Ah!!!"

"What's wrong, Akira?" Shouko asked, seeing him turn sharply with a serious expression. She was too afraid to look back.

"No… nothing." Akira shrugged. "That was Nishikata's scream. I was just wondering what happened."

"…" Shouko blinked at his calmness. "Should we go back and check?"

"No need. There's nothing dangerous here—and we don't even know where they are now." He shook his head. "If we turn back, we'll miss the mysterious reward."

"Hmm…" Shouko hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded, deciding to continue with him to the exit.

Along the way, Akira tied a short rope from his belt around both their wrists.

Shouko frowned, her cheeks faintly pink. "It's not like we're elementary schoolers…"

An owl hooted overhead, and she instinctively leaned closer to him. Their two shadows stretched long and thin under the moonlight.

"How about Takagi-chan and Nishikata?" Atsuya Ayumi asked curiously when the two finally emerged from the forest.

Akira let go of Shouko's hand so she could talk with Ayumi, while he turned to the staff member to return the flashlight and map, then claim their reward.

"They should be out soon," Shouko said, sitting beside Ayumi after putting on her hearing aid. "Just now, Akira said he heard Nishikata scream."

"Eh?" Ayumi's eyes widened. "In a test of courage, shouldn't Takagi-chan be the one screaming?"

Shouko shrugged. "I'm not sure. Akira said it was Nishikata, but I didn't hear clearly."

"Never mind, that's not important." Ayumi waved it off, grinning. "They'll be out soon—we can ask then. What matters now is…" She leaned closer. "Let's see what your mysterious reward is!"