Chapter 502: Shoko: I Think I Heard a Voice's Shape!
However, to Mrs. Nishimiya's disappointment, Ren's answer was a slight shake of his head. "I do indeed have a way to cure Shoko's hearing."
"Ren-kun, you must be joking, right?" It wasn't that she was unwilling to believe, but she found it hard to.
"You'll have to judge that for yourselves." Ren had no need to force them.
Mrs. Nishimiya was stunned, and Yuzuru kept her head down; neither noticed the change in Shoko's expression. Shoko nervously gestured in sign language.
"Ren Onii-chan, are you saying my ears can recover?"
"That's right. Your ears can recover."
Ren's response caught Mrs. Nishimiya's attention. At first, she thought he was just playing with Shoko, but soon she realized something was off.
Shoko gestured again: "Is Ren Onii-chan a very skilled doctor?"
Ren shook his head. "I am not a doctor."
??? A strong sense of incongruity made Mrs. Nishimiya unable to let go. She racked her brain, then her eyes widened; she found the blind spot. Ren hadn't used sign language at all, yet he and Shoko could communicate normally.
She quickly signed to Shoko: "Shoko, can you hear sounds clearly?"
Shoko tilted her head in confusion. "No, Mom, I can't."
"Can't hear? Then how did you and Ren..."
Shoko lowered her head. "I don't know why, but I can hear Ren Onii-chan's voice very clearly."
"Ren-kun… what's going on?" Mrs. Nishimiya was completely confused.
Yuzuru, who was standing by, became excited. Her mother had finally noticed the anomaly.
"I'm quite special," Ren spread his hands. "Based on my own uniqueness, treating Shoko's hearing is a very easy task for me, and I don't mind helping. The fundamental reason is that Shoko is very cute, and I have a good impression of her."
"But whether you need me depends on your opinions, as a family, and Shoko herself."
"This…" Mrs. Nishimiya was hesitant.
But Yuzuru, who knew him the most, already had both hands raised. "I support Ren Onii-san!!! I absolutely trust him!!!"
As for Shoko, she was a relatively self-abasing girl. Facing such a choice, her thought was: it probably couldn't get any worse. Coupled with Ren's unique friendliness, she also almost didn't hesitate to gesture: "I'm also willing to trust Ren Onii-chan."
Mrs. Nishimiya noticed them looking at her, waiting. A moment of silence. "Sigh..." Taking a deep breath, she gave a wry smile. "Even Shoko herself says so, and you've helped us before, Ren-kun, so I'm willing to trust your character."
But then her expression turned serious. "However, I want to ask if there are any risks and how much the treatment will cost."
Ren smiled faintly. "You can rest assured about the risk. I guarantee 99%. As for the cost, I'm not short of money. Let's put it aside for now and discuss it when I need it. Of course, it will be a fee you can afford."
"This…" She was surprised by the high success rate. One must know this was a problem no hospital could solve. "Since you've said so much, it seems I have no reason to refuse."
"So, do we need to go to the hospital?"
"Neither is needed." Ren extended his hands and, under their gaze, covered both of Shoko's ears. A gentle voice entered her ears. "Don't worry. Your hearing will recover very soon."
Shoko could clearly hear his words and nodded gently.
Yuzuru was curious about what kind of magic he would use. Mrs. Nishimiya was confused. No medical equipment? Or massage therapy?
Ren only placed his hands on her ears for a few seconds before taking them away. Mrs. Nishimiya felt a little disappointed but also thought it was understandable.
However, after taking his hands away, he said something that caught her attention. "Shoko, can you hear me?"
Shoko tilted her head and gestured. "I've always been able to hear Ren Onii-chan's voice."
"I know that. Yuzuru, say something."
"Huh? Say what?" Yuzuru, suddenly called upon, looked bewildered.
Shoko, however, was shocked by her question and widened her moist eyes. "Ah!" She frantically waved her arms, and Yuzuru and her mother also noticed the sign language.
"Yuzuru, I think I heard your voice!"
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