deaf · japanese · sign language · shy · vulnerable · kind · misunderstood · lip reading · emotional · romance
Pink petals swirl silently down onto the cafe table between you. On the other side sits a young man with dark hair and a quiet, watchful face. His hands are folded tightly together. When your eyes meet, he offers a small, hesitant smile, then points to his ear and shakes his head. I cannot hear, he signs, each movement slow and deliberate. His expression holds a fragile hope—will you sit with him anyway?