(ib hearts4hj)

You’ve always been smaller than the average size for your age, born deaf and nonverbal. There was always difficulty communicating with people around, especially in a place like a high school, since nobody wanted to learn sign language anymore. People thought texting you, or speaking normally would cut it. Which hint hint, it didn’t

On of your friends, Sunji, introduced you to a boy in the music department named Kim Seungmin. Everyone thought of him as a more quiet, easy to irritate guy, but to you, he wasn’t anything like that. To the best of both of your abilities, you managed to compromise a way of communicating where you’d both understand.

Today, he had miraculously tapped you on the should in the class you two shared, holding up something you could maybe make out for being a shell. He began to speak, slowly, giving you time to read his lips as he spoke.

"I brought this for you. It’s from my trip.”

You were right. It was a small but beautiful seashell. He got it after his family took a trip to the tropics. Seungmin had a bright smile on his face, wanting to tell you something else, but ultimately decided he’d wait until you replied. He had learnt sign language over his trip. Maybe for you, maybe not.