A Silent Voice: My First Kiss Was with Nishimiya Shouko

Chapter 297: An Ominous Premonition

As soon as Shouko changed her shoes, she eagerly stepped into the living room, counting on her fingers all the fun things that had happened during those seven days.

Meanwhile, Akira carried the seaside specialties given to him by Grandma to the refrigerator in the dining room to store them.

"Mom, let's save the chatting for later. Let Shouko report her safety to Granny Nishimiya first," Akira said when he heard her talking about the test of courage.

Upon hearing this, Miyamura Shizuka immediately urged her to go home first. After all, Nishimiya Yaeko and Kei had been just as worried as she was over the past week.

Once Shouko left, Akira sat casually at the coffee table and asked, "Mom, did anything happen while I was gone?"

"Yes." Miyamura Shizuka nodded solemnly. "During the seven days you were away, your dad and I managed to eat two extra bowls of rice."

"Heh…" Akira chuckled, shaking his head before silently peeling an orange from the fruit plate.

Just as he finished removing the pith, Shizuka snatched it away.

"I worried about you so much this week. This orange belongs to your mother first."

"…"

The late July heat was relentless, only giving way to a cool breeze when dusk settled in.

Ding—

"Teacher Miyamura, the advance payment for the lower volume and the manuscript fee for the upper volume have both been transferred. Please confirm that everything's correct."

The notification sound from his phone snapped Akira's gaze back from the window. He quickly replied with an 'Okay' and checked the transferred amount on his account.

"No issues, everything matches."

"(OK.jpg)"

"The remaining royalties will be transferred on the first of every month as usual."

"Got it."

After a few more perfunctory replies about the new book, his chat with Jun came to an end.

"Shouko, my manuscript fee came in. I'll send you your share now," Akira said, glancing at her as she continued working on the illustrations at her desk.

"Mm-hmm." Shouko put down her stylus and looked up.

"Akira, you said the lower volume of 'anohana' will release tomorrow, right? If readers don't get the ending they want, will they… scold us?"

"No," Akira replied without hesitation. "If anyone gets scolded, it'll just be me."

"Hmm…" Shouko pursed her lips thoughtfully. That… sounded about right.

"Should I post a preview? Or maybe pray for good sales on Twitter? Or interact with fans?" she asked.

"Then I'll leave it to you," Akira said with a faint smile, handing her his phone. He picked up his empty cup and added, "I'm heading downstairs for water. Want anything?"

Seeing her shake her head, he left.

A while ago, Shouko had created a Twitter account for him and had it verified by Futaba Publishing. Within days, it gathered over 20,000 followers—even though he'd only posted a single short greeting.

Most of the comments under it were predictions about the story's ending. The most-liked theory claimed the main characters would find a way to revive the heroine. When Akira saw that, he couldn't help but give it a like himself—perhaps unintentionally fueling the speculation.

And that was exactly why Shouko was now worried about backlash…

"Papaya milk again…?" Shouko frowned slightly as she accepted the cool bottle from Akira.

The hum of the air conditioner's outdoor unit blended with the faint minty scent of floral water by the bedside.

"Shizuka-chin told me to bring it up," Akira sighed helplessly. "I don't even like it. You can have it."

"Alright…"

Ring ring ring—!

Just as Shouko was about to insert the straw, her phone rang. Seeing that it was her mother, she exchanged a glance with Akira before answering and putting it on speaker.

"Mom—"

"Shouko, is Akira with you?" Nishimiya Yaeko's urgent voice came through before she could even finish her greeting.

"Yes, what's wrong?" Shouko asked, her tone tightening slightly at the worry she heard.

"I just wanted to ask… did Akira send you too much money for your share of the manuscript fee?"

She had been working in the living room when she suddenly received a bank notification. The amount transferred was shockingly high—equivalent to nearly two or three months of her salary—so she immediately called to make sure it wasn't a mistake.

"Ah—!?"

After Yaeko rattled off the amount, Shouko turned to Akira in disbelief. "How much did you send me? Did you transfer all your manuscript fees!?"

Akira raised both hands defensively. "Aunty, it's just the contracted share. No mistake."

He showed Shouko the transaction confirmation from Futaba Publishing. Only after checking it herself did Yaeko finally relax and hang up.

"She really doesn't know how popular my book's gotten," Akira muttered.

"Mom doesn't really care about stuff like that," Shouko said with a small smile. "If it's not work or a TV drama Aunty Shizuka recommends, she's not interested."

"But hey," Akira shrugged, "this way, you'll be able to help with the family expenses. Isn't that a good thing?"

"Mm." Shouko nodded happily. Though she knew her mother wouldn't spend it—or even mention it—she was still proud she could help.

"Akira."

"Hmm?"

"Do you remember what you promised me not long ago?"

"…The posing thing?"

"Mm." Shouko's lips curved slightly, pleased that he remembered.

"That client's rushing me for the artwork, so I was thinking—maybe tomorrow…"

"Then tomorrow it is." Akira waved his hand casually. "Just tell me when. It's only a few poses—I don't mind."

"Then I'll bring the outfit for you tomorrow!" Shouko's eyes lit up, pleasantly surprised by how smoothly it went.

"Wait…" Akira raised a brow suspiciously. "You're not gonna make me wear that Superman cosplay again, are you…?"

"No, no!" Shouko shook her head like a startled cat. "Just a white shirt."

"A white shirt? Superman? How does that even connect?"

A sense of dread crept over Akira as he watched her avoid his gaze, her ears turning a faint pink.

"…Didn't you say the commission was for Superman?"

Shouko lowered her head, fidgeting. "It is. But… it's Superman before he transforms—you know, Gō Gōtarō…"

"…"

"Fine…" Akira sighed after a pause, deciding not to argue. Whether before or after transformation, it was still just posing. No big deal.

"As for the head…" Shouko murmured while adjusting her sketches, "…I'll change it to Gō Gōtarō later."

"Alright…" Akira muttered, though that uneasy feeling still lingered deep down.