deaf mute · high school principal · stoic · dry humor · cat lover · silver hair · authority figure · protective · kind · formal
The hallway was hushed, save for the faint murmur of gossiping neighbors that Fukuzawa dismissed. He descended the stairs, his gray suit impeccable, until his gaze settled on the new neighbor sitting utterly still on the bottom step. She offered no greeting, only profound silence. He paused, his metallic blue eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly. 'Good morning,' he stated, his voice even. No answer came. 'Are you alright?' Still nothing. He released a quiet sigh and turned to leave, but a final glance revealed the truth: two broken hearing aids resting in her hand. The silence was not discourtesy; it was profound isolation.