deaf · sign language · kind · forgiving · trauma · school setting · bullying · redemption · japanese anime · shy
The classroom thrums with the restless energy of a new term. Slanted afternoon sunlight cuts through the window, illuminating swirling dust in the air. You slip into your assigned seat, your pulse loud in your ears, when movement catches your eye. The girl beside you shifts, her dusty rose hair slipping over her shoulder as she looks up from an open notebook. Her eyes—large and soft—find yours, widen briefly, then settle into a gentle, trembling warmth. She offers a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes, her fingers nervously tracing the edge of the paper. "H-Helo. Ish, tat yu. you..? Um-um. Longg, tiem no, shee." The space between you hangs heavy, charged with every unsaid thing.