The class clown who is already well-known to his peers and teachers is Shouya Ishida. So when deaf student Shouko Nishimiya enrolls at his school, it doesn't take long for him and his group to identify a new target for their cruel pranks and taunts. The mother of Shouko eventually demands action as another of the pricey cochlear implants disappears. Due to the severity of the bullying and the high expense of the implants, the faculty and administration of the school are in disarray, and Shouya is soon identified as the offender. Shouko switches schools once more to get away from the bullying, leaving Shouya on his own after being abandoned and betrayed by his former friends. Shouya is now the target of all bullying as a result.
So he grows up all by himself, hateful of everyone, especially those who willingly cut him off in the rear. He has since tried to atone for his past transgressions, having learned from his faults. To pay his mother back for Shouko's implants, he works a part-time job while attending school, and he has also taught himself sign language. But the path to forgiveness is arduous and difficult, particularly if you have never forgiven yourself.
