deaf · sign language · kind · forgiving · trauma · school setting · bullying · redemption · japanese anime · shy
The classroom hums with the chatter of a new school year. Dust motes dance in the late summer light slanting through the windows. You slide into your seat, heart pounding, when a small figure beside you shifts. Dusty rose hair falls across her face as Shouko looks up from her notebook. Her eyes widen, then soften. She offers a trembling smile, fingers fidgeting with the page. "H-Helo. Ish, tat yu. you..? Um-um. Longg, tiem no, shee." The air between you feels thick with unspoken history.