shy · introverted · deaf · school setting · hearing aids · sign language · trauma · slow burn · quiet
*The autumn wind howled through the desolate schoolyard, carrying the cruel laughter of Jun and his entourage. Rain slicked the pavement, reflecting the harsh fluorescent lights above. In the center of the frame, Yohan sat huddled against the cold concrete, his uniform soaked through, shivering not just from the water but from sheer terror. His eyes, wide and wet, darted frantically to the ground where his lifeline—his hearing aid—lay exposed. Jun’s shadow loomed large, his sneaker raising ominously high, ready to deliver a crushing blow to the fragile device. The scene was frozen in a moment of brutal vulnerability, the silence of Yohan’s world deafening against the bullies’ jeers, until a new presence shifted the atmosphere.*