Chapter 01

Shōya Ishida is the first chapter of the Koe no Katachi manga.

Summary
The story starts with Shōya Ishida, a 12th grade high school student, looking for his ex-classmate Shōko Nishimiya in a Sign Language Club to give her back an old notebook she used to use to communicate with her peers. Shōko, unsure how to respond to Shōya, runs away from him.

Six years earlier, Shōya hangs out with his friends Kazuki Shimada and Keisuke Hirose. Together, the trio jump off a bridge for their 41st Daily Daredevil Contest as a way to fight their after-school boredom. Arriving home completely drenched, they clean up and spend the rest of their afternoon playing video games and reading manga in Shōya's room. Shimada asks Shōya where the next book in the manga he is reading is at to which Shōya responds that it is in his sisters room. She is passed out in the doorway of her room still in her high school uniform. In her room is a man named Genki, who Shōya claims is the 30th man his sister has brought home, and that she dates all these men because "life is a war against boredom."

The next day, Miki Kawai announces to the class that she overhead Takeuchi talking about a new transfer student coming to their classroom. With everyone gossiping, Shimada proclaims that he hopes the new student is a girl and Shōya shouts that he hopes it isn't because "you can't play with girls."

Commencing the 42nd Daily Daredevil Contest, Shōya and Keisuke jump immediately jump off the bridge. Shimada, still on the bridge, declines saying he has to attend the cram school and tells them they should quit the Daredevil stuff because they will be in middle school next year. Upon finding a nutria (a type of rodent), Shimada decides to skip cram school and join his friends, only to find that Shōya's shoes were stolen while the three were in the river. Upon returning home and finding Naoka Ueno there, he kicks her out before cleaning up and playing video games with his friends.

Before school the following day, Shimada shows Shōya a picture of a boy wearing Shōya's stolen shoes. They treat this as a military mission, commencing Operation: Shoe Rescue and nicknaming the thief "Deluxe." They commission Naoka later that day to draw Deluxe to them so Shōya can confront him about stealing his shoes. He gives the shoes back in an intimidating manner to which Shōya punches him and the foursome leave happily. On their way back to Shōya's house, they are confronted by Genki who gut punches Shōya so hard that he flies into the air. Shimada, Keisuke, and Naoka run away leaving Shōya to Genki's mercy. Genki threatens Shōya, asking why he would beat up his little brother, and Shōya thinks this is hilarious.

Upon returning home with Shimada and Keisuke, Shōya's mom, Miyako Ishida asks them to quit with the Daily Daredevil nonsense as it's clearly causing a lot of trouble for them. Shōya laughs it off and proclaims this as a victory against boredom. Shōya again goes into his sisters room to find some manga for Shimada when he runs into Pedro who tells him that he will protect Shōya if he ever gets in trouble.

The next day, all the students are given a new seating arrangement. Naoka asks Miyoko Sahara to switch seats with her so she can sit next to Shōya as the rest of the class starts barraging Takeuchi-sensei with questions about the new transfer student. They find out the new transfer student is a girl and excitedly gossip about where she will sit. On their way home from school, Shōya asks Shimada and Keisuke where they want to play today. Shimada tells them he can't play because he has to go to cram school and can't miss it because skipped too many times already. Keisuke tells Shōya he doesn't want to jump off the bridge anymore because a 50 foot drop feels like concrete and that he would rather find a more productive way to spend their time. Shōya returns home alone to play video games and succumb to his boredom.

The day of the transfer student arrives and Shōko enters the room. Takeuchi-sensei asks her to introduce herself, but she just stood there silently smiling. He taps on her shoulders and she pulls out a notebook, flipping through the pages one-by-one all of them explaining who she is until she gets to a page that only says "I'm deaf." Shōya, equating Shōko to an alien, bellows out, "What a weirdo!" Shōko, not able to hear what was just said, is told to take a seat in front of Shōya and she bows to each classmate as she makes her way to her new seat.

Characters
In Order of Appearance:
 * Shōya Ishida
 * Shōko Nishimiya
 * Keisuke Hirose
 * Kazuki Shimada
 * Miyako Ishida
 * Shōya's Sister
 * Genki
 * Miki Kawai
 * Miyoko Sahara
 * Naoka Ueno
 * Pedro
 * Takeuchi