Anime Crossover: My Online Romance is Megumi Kato

Judging from his appearance, he probably didn't bring any money.

He's worked here for so long, and while such things are rare, they've happened before.

Seeing this, he simply sighed and said, "Guest? If you don't have any money, you can leave your items here. We'll put them back together later, don't worry."

"Please move forward now and don't block the guests behind you."

Unfortunately, Nishimiya Shoko didn't hear what the cashier said, because the area was at the mall's exit, and the noise made the hearing aids almost useless.

However, she saw the cashier speak to her, so she quickly took out her notebook, which she usually used for communication, intending to talk to the cashier.

However, behind Nishimiya Shoko in line was an elderly woman. She noticed that the girl in front of her had been standing there without saying anything and wondered what was going on, when she heard what the cashier said.

Unfortunately, Nishimiya Shoko didn't hear her and was still standing there taking out her notebook to write, which annoyed the older woman.

Honestly, why are you standing there if you didn't bring any money?

So he bumped into Nishimiya Shoko with his handcart, saying, "Hurry up and move! What are you still standing there for? Can't you see how many people are behind you?"

This knocked Nishimiya Shoko's notebook to the ground, causing her heart to skip a beat and making her nervous again.

The older woman behind them kept urging them on loudly.

This made the cashier look impatient. She's just a young girl, why are you rushing her like that?

Moreover, their shopping mall has always had a customer-first service philosophy, so he did not urge Nishimiya Shoko to hurry up. On the contrary, he was annoyed by the nagging of the fat old lady behind him.

Left with no other option, the cashier spoke up and advised, "Ma'am, don't worry, you can also pay at the checkout lane next door."

"Me, in a hurry? She's the one who's been dragging her feet. It's almost my turn, why should I switch to another lane!" This time, the older woman stopped pretending and revealed a fierce expression as she angrily said.

Nishimiya Shoko had just squatted down to pick up her notebook when she stood up and saw the cashier arguing with a customer behind her, who was staring at her with fierce eyes.

Although Nishimiya Shoko didn't hear what the old woman was saying, she could tell it wasn't anything nice.

What did she do wrong again?

The thought that writing down the reasons in her notebook would end everything immediately changed her mind. Her eyes turned red, but she bravely held back her tears and could only lower her head to calm herself down.

Seeing Nishimiya Shoko bowing her head and "admitting her mistake," the older woman behind her gradually became more arrogant, throwing all the problems at Nishimiya Shoko to satisfy her perverted mentality.

The cashier couldn't stand it anymore and stood in front of Nishimiya Shoko to try and calm her down. After all, he couldn't argue with the customer, or he would lose his job.

Gradually, the situation here came to the attention of nearby customers, and watching a spectacle is a universal human instinct.

More and more people gathered around, layer upon layer.

At this moment, Yuta Kijima, who was also attracted by the spectacle, was standing on tiptoe to look inside. He saw the cashier talking to Shoko Nishimiya, who was looking down and seemed at a loss. Because Yuta Kijima couldn't see the older woman in the distance, he assumed that the cashier was lecturing Shoko Nishimiya.

Seeing this, Yuta Kijima squeezed to the front without hesitation, just in time to push the middle-aged woman in front of him aside.

"Who!?"

Yuta Kijima ignored the noise in the crowd and looked at Shoko Nishimiya with concern.

It hasn't been that long since we last met, and you're already looking like a pitiful little kitten again.

Nishimiya Shoko also noticed the figure beside her, and looked up pitifully. Kijima Yuta was looking at her with his eyes crinkled.

"Kijima-kun!"

"Long time no see, Nishimiya-kun!" Kijima Yuta said, using sign language that only she could understand.

Nishimiya Shoko's eyes shone with a dazzling brilliance.

Chapter 46 I'm a Genius

Upon seeing the boy appear in front of the girl, the cashier asked in a low voice, "Um... do you know this customer?"

He didn't understand the boy's gesture, but he could sense that the girl's mood had improved, so she must be an acquaintance.

Nishimiya Shoko was still a little nervous at this moment, the anxiety in her eyes had not subsided, and a blush rose on her face.

“Yes, I am her friend.” Yuta Kijima nodded. “What happened? My friend has a slight hearing impairment, so please forgive me if I have offended her in any way.”

Yuta Kijima pointed to his ear and explained the reason to the cashier.

"Oh, I see." Hearing the man's explanation and actions, the cashier finally understood that the girl had been silent because she was wearing a hearing aid.

The cashier immediately recounted what had just happened, including a complete account of how Nishimiya Shoko forgot her wallet and was criticized by the elderly woman in line.

After hearing this, Kijima Yuta understood. It wasn't that the cashier was arguing with Nishimiya Shoko; on the contrary, she was protecting her. It was all because of that aggressive old lady.

Seeing this, Yuta Kijima thankfully didn't act impulsively. He said to the cashier, "Thank you so much. My friend is always a little self-conscious because of his hearing impairment. I really appreciate your help."

The cashier waved to the polite Yuta Kijima and pointed to the items on the counter, "It's alright, this little girl is quite pitiful. By the way, does she still need these things? We really can't let the next customer wait any longer."

“Yes, of course I want it.” Yuta Kijima nodded. “Please wait a moment.”

After speaking, Kijima Yuta looked at Nishimiya Shoko. She no longer seemed flustered; she just stared at Kijima Yuta with wide eyes. Kijima Yuta's sudden turn to look at her startled her.

“Nishimiya? I’ll give you the money now. You pay first and wait for me outside.” Kijima Yuta explained in sign language, telling Nishimiya Shoko to finish what she was doing first. The poor thing must have been terrified today.

Nishimiya Shoko nodded blankly, realizing that Kijima Yuta was communicating with her using sign language.

Before she could react, Yuta Kijima took out 10,000 yen from his wallet and handed it to her, then turned around and walked over to the older woman behind her.

Nishimiya Shoko was moved, clutching the money Kijima Yuta had given her, but she couldn't bring herself to express her gratitude.

Yuta Kijima hadn't forgotten that there was still one thing to deal with, but the old lady hadn't said a word since Yuta Kijima pushed her away.

When the older woman saw that Yuta Kijima was tall, handsome, and had a different demeanor from others, she naturally realized that he was not like the shy little girl.

Even if she wanted to settle things peacefully, Kijima Yuta wasn't going to let her off so easily. He just liked to argue with her, even though it was something that could be resolved in a little while.

"Hey lady, why did you bump into my friend with your cart?!" Yuta Kijima spoke first, trying to stomp on the woman before she could react. "Do you know she has a hearing impairment? You almost hurt her, do you know that?"

"I...I...didn't see it." The woman was clearly appeased by Kijima Yuta's words. In any country, bullying a disabled person would be condemned by everyone.

People with disabilities are already a vulnerable group. If you take advantage of this to bully them, your social standing will plummet instantly.

The woman noticed the change in how people around her were looking at her, and hurriedly explained, "I didn't see her wearing a hearing aid, and I didn't mean to, I... I just..."

Before she could finish speaking, she anxiously pushed the cart out, clearly wanting to escape. If she stayed any longer, she might be torn apart by the stares of those around her.

Yuta Kijima knew this kind of middle-aged woman's nature all too well. She wanted to bully the weak and show off her power. She was a typical bully who preyed on the weak.

Therefore, Yuta Kijima directly condemned her from a moral high ground.

If Yuta Kijima hadn't wanted to avoid making a scene and had called the police, hitting a disabled person with a handcart would have definitely caused her social death.

Watching the middle-aged woman nervously pushing her cart through the crowd, Yuta Kijima hoped she would sit up in the middle of the night and slap him a few times, hoping to accumulate some good karma for her.

Nishimiya Shoko also noticed what was happening, but since she couldn't hear, she only watched with confusion as the annoying old woman slunk away.

Yuta Kijima waved to her, signaling her to go outside and wait for him.

The fruits and vegetables he bought today are still in the cart at the back; hopefully, no one has taken them.

Back at the place he left, Yuta Kijima let out a long sigh of relief. Thankfully, he was still there, with everything still in the car.

We can't keep Nishimiya Shoko waiting outside for too long. She must have been terrified after what happened today.

…………

As Nishimiya Shoko waited anxiously outside, Kijima Yuta finally came out.

Although the area without a cashier didn't become congested any further, it still took him some effort.

Seeing Nishimiya Shoko standing at the mall entrance carrying a bag, Kijima Yuta couldn't help but chuckle.

Yuta Kijima walked over and patted her on the shoulder.

Nishimiya Shoko was startled by the sudden commotion, but when she looked up and saw it was Kijima Yuta, she smiled sheepishly.

Yuta Kijima was taken aback when he saw that smile. He knew that although the girl in front of him had suffered hardships, she always had a pure smile on her face that could heal people's hearts.

Only by placing the shopping bags he was carrying in both hands on the ground could Yuta Kijima free his hands to communicate with Shoko Nishimiya.

"Have you been waiting long, Nishimiya-san?" Kijima Yuta gestured, communicating through his notebook. He didn't know how loud Nishimiya Shoko could hear, and had never asked her about it before.

“It didn’t take long, Kijima… classmate.” Nishimiya Shoko replied, her face flushed, then lowered her head again, mustered her courage, and raised her head to ask the question that had been on her mind.

"Nishimiya-kun, what...what is your sign language?" Nishimiya Shoko was surprised that Kijima Yuta could communicate with her fluently on only their second meeting. This...this was too strange.

Actually, starting from elementary school, it wasn't that no one wanted to be her friend, but they all started out interested in sign language and gradually became impatient.

Nishimiya Shoko doesn't blame them, because it's impossible for everyone to adapt to her alone, but the regret in her heart is indeed accumulating more and more.

Kijima Yuta hadn't expected Nishimiya Shoko to care so much about this issue, so he took a look at the skills in his mind.

[Sign Language Level 3: 30/100]

Then, with confident gestures, she said, "Because I'm a genius, Nishimiya-kun, you don't need to worry about it..."

Chapter 47 Aren't we friends?

Nishimiya Shoko was very nervous, but what intrigued her was why Kijima Yuta was learning sign language.

Thinking of this, Nishimiya Shoko glanced at Kijima Yuta, then her eyes flickered, and after hesitating for a moment, she gestured: "You...you must have put in a lot of effort to learn this sign language, right?"

"Actually... there's no need to learn it on purpose, as long as you acknowledge me as your friend."

She clearly believed that Kijima Yuta had suffered a great deal to master this skill in such a short time; otherwise, his former friends wouldn't have broken off their friendship with him, or even mocked him.

Thinking of this, Nishimiya Shoko was deeply moved, but she didn't know how to thank Kijima Yuta.

"Of course you're my friend, and I'm usually pretty bored anyway, so I didn't expect this to be so easy to learn." Kijima Yuta grinned.

With the system's support, it didn't take him long to go from unfamiliar to proficient, but that was something he definitely couldn't say out loud, and he couldn't do anything about what Nishimiya Shoko thought.

Seeing this, Nishimiya Shoko gave a light snort and remained silent, clearly not believing Kijima Yuta's excuse.

"!"

Nishimiya Shoko suddenly remembered something, and then bowed deeply to Kijima Yuta with great sincerity, revealing her deep gratitude.

"Thank you so much for what you did earlier!" Nishimiya Shoko said in sign language, her face flushed. "I didn't expect to suddenly lose my wallet. Luckily, I ran into Kijima-kun."

Nishimiya Shoko gently patted her chest. "And that old lady behind me, although I didn't hear what she said, I know that it was all thanks to Kijima that I was able to get things sorted out."

After expressing her gratitude, Nishimiya Shoko blushed slightly and wanted to lower her head, but then she remembered that if she lowered her head she wouldn't be able to see the other person's sign language, so she insisted on raising her small face to look at Kijima Yuta.

If it weren't for Kijima's intervention today, she doesn't know how far things would have gone. The worst outcome would have been waiting for her family to pick her up, and it would have been completely impossible for her to come out on her own again.

So I'm really, really grateful to Kijima-kun!

Yuta Kijima smiled slightly and did not refuse. For someone like Shoko Nishimiya, accepting gratitude would make her feel better.