Chapter 1
“Be careful today, all right?” Shizuyo calls after him as Naoyuki slings his heavy backpack over his shoulder and hurries out the door. Shizuyo heaves a sigh. “Sometimes I worry about that boy...”
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A younger Naoyuki bolts out the door, carelessly letting it slam behind him. Tears stream down his face as he stumbles down the stairs from the porch. “Wait!” he screams. His feet pound on the cracking pavement as he desperately cries out, “Wait! Don’t leave me!!!”
“Kondo!” The teacher’s voice pulls him back into the classroom, last hour, to his desk, his book lying open in front of him. “Please begin reading where Isurugi left off,” the teacher says, her eyes narrowed behind her thick glasses. Naoyuki glances down at the page. He points to a spot on the page, and the teacher shakes her head. “No, Kondo,” she says irritably. “Haven’t you been paying any attention?”
The majority of his classmates burst out in taunting laughter. From the back of the class, a girl named Haruko watches Naoyuki lower his head in embarrassment and flip the page, looking for his spot. Everybody always makes fun of that little boy who never talks outside the classroom. Even the teachers treat him like he’s dumb. I feel so sorry for him.
The bell rings, and Haruko meets her friends outside the school doors. She silently walks with them to the sidewalk as they talk about their bus and the happenings of the day. “Why are you so quiet, Haruko?” Tohru asks.
“Oh – it’s nothing,” Haruko replies.
Suddenly, they hear a commotion just off the walkway to the school. They come close enough to see the five bullies grabbing at Naoyuki, gawkers shouting out to the bullies. “Lunch money to whoever gets him to talk!” Tohru calls.
“Tohru!” Haruko cries with disbelief.
“What?!” Tohru exclaims. “They won’t hurt him.”
Haruko lets her worried stare turn back toward the bullies as they begin yanking Naoyuki’s hair, pinching his arms and face, and tugging at his ears all over again. “Talk!” they yell again and again as Naoyuki screams and struggles to get free, his pleading, frightened eyes beckoning for someone to step in. Haruko glances around at the other students who have gathered to watch the scene unfold. Someone, help him! she pleads silently. Somebody, do something! Not one of the gawking students moves to help. Finally, Haruko steps forward and yells, “Stop it!”
Tohru steps up and grabs Haruko by the shoulders. “What do you think you’re doing?!” she hisses in her ear.
“Just..just leave him alone!” Haruko yells, her legs quaking underneath her.
The bullies stop tormenting their prey for a moment and gape at her as if she had just said the unimaginable. “What, do you actually care about this squirt?” one asks. “How sweet!” His coterie snickers and breaks out in mocking laughter behind him as Naoyuki stares in surprise at her.
The bullies start to return to their “game” when a tall brunette boy standing nearby says, “All right, this routine is really getting old. Knock it off.”
“Who’s he?” whispers one of the bullies.
Another replies, “He’s a high-schooler! You don’t wanna get them mad! Let’s go!” With that, the ringleader and the four other boys release Naoyuki and flee.
Haruko watches Naoyuki get up and dust himself off and asks, “Are you okay?”
Naoyuki looks her in the eyes, then freezes up as the memory flashes through his mind again: his feet pound on the cement as he runs desperately, pleading, “Don’t leave me!” hot tears running down his face. The woman turns to face him once...
Suddenly, Naoyuki turns and bolts down the sidewalk, Haruko staring silently, confusedly after him. “That’s why no one helps him,” Tohru says. “Just forget about him.”
Why did he give me that look? Haruko wonders as she follows her friends away.
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Naoyuki stops on his porch to catch his breath. She helped me, he thinks. Why did I run away? There was no need to be scared of her... Naoyuki knocks on the door. No, I know why I choked. She looks almost like...
Shizuyo answers and lets him in. “Oh dear, you’re all roughed up again!” she cries fretfully. “What happened this time?” She tries to put a Band-Aid to his face, but Naoyuki pushes her hand away, shaking his head, and starts signing to her. “Oh, Naoyuki, just talk to me, why don’t you?” Shizuyo insists impatiently.
Naoyuki ruffles his hair in frustration. Then he holds up four fingers to her instead.
“You always insist on the charades – !” Shizuyo cries, exasperated. “Oh, all right! Four words.” He snags a brush off the table and starts acting like he’s brushing over his shoulder. “Yes, your hair is messy,” Shizuyo comments. Naoyuki shakes his head wildly. He points a finger at her and does it again. “Brush my hair?” Naoyuki shakes his head again and repeats it, signing a letter G.
“It starts with a....G?” Shizuyo asks. Naoyuki nods and brushes again over his shoulder. “A girl?” Shizuyo asks. Naoyuki nods. “You talked to a girl, is that it?” Shizuyo cries. “Oh, that’s wonderful!” Naoyuki ruffles his hair again, and cries in frustration. “Well, what is it, then?” Shizuyo asks.
Naoyuki kneels and holds his hand out, as if he is helping someone up.
“She..held her hand out to you?” Shizuyo thinks aloud. Then it hits her. “Oh, a girl helped you,” she says. Naoyuki nods. “She was nice to you, then?” Shizuyo asks. Naoyuki nods. “Did you thank her?”
Hesitantly, Naoyuki shakes his head “no.”
“Well you ought to,” Shizuyo tells him. “Let her know that you appreciated her help.” Naoyuki nods slowly, then walks to his room.
