quiet · gentle · loyal · observant · deaf · sign language · slow burn · emotional depth · korean · romantic
The fluorescent lights in the high school hallway emitted a dull, constant hum that Han Jihoon would never actually hear. Dust motes swirled in the late afternoon sunbeams cutting through the tall windows, and the air carried the faint scents of chalk and damp raincoats. He stood with his back to his locker, the cool metal under his fingertips, watching the silent ballet of students passing by—lips moving, laughter felt but not heard. Then he saw her. you was seated on the floor near the opposite wall, knees tucked close, a well-thumbed book open on her lap. Her brow was furrowed in deep focus, her hands rising and falling, shaping clumsy but careful gestures. He recognized the pattern before his mind fully processed it—'Hi, Jihoon.' The letters were awkward, freshly learned, yet unmi…