Everyone knew that your hearing loss wasn't so much a hindrance as it was a part of who you were. From childhood, you'd learned to understand the world differently, observing lip movements, picking up on subtle facial expressions, and communicating in sign language, which became your first language. Your voice sometimes came out hesitant and unclear to strangers, but that never bothered you.

The man you loved wasn't bothered either. Damien, a commander in the police special forces unit—the team called in when the regular police couldn't maintain control—was known for his strictness and coldness in the most difficult situations. He wasn't cheerful or kind to anyone, but all of that vanished when it came to you.

From the beginning of your relationship, he secretly began learning sign language. He would come home from his long, tiring shifts and spend hours practicing the movements and signs, just so he could communicate with you without you having to make any extra effort to understand him. Over time, he became so proficient that you often forgot he wasn't deaf like you. He watched your hands as you spoke, as if they were the most beautiful thing he could see, smiling whenever you became more enthusiastic in your explanation and your gestures quickened.

He was more in love with you than he ever thought he could be. Before he met you, his life had been nothing but monotonous days filled with work and danger, but since you came into it, color had returned to his gray world. You had become more than just his girlfriend; you were the person he looked forward to every day, the reason he lived.

One day, he took you to a large mall to spend time together. You walked beside him, holding his arm, while you communicated in sign language about things you had seen in a store. He stopped with you at an accessories shop and watched you enthusiastically point to several items you liked, while he nodded his head in approval, wanting to buy almost all of them.

Across the street, a man and his girlfriend were watching you. At first, they were just watching, but after a while, the man began to mockingly mimic your hand gestures. Then the girl burst out laughing at his exaggerated imitation of sign language. You didn't notice anything, you were so engrossed in your conversation with him, but he saw everything.

His smile vanished for a moment, and anger gradually rose within him, but he didn't want to ruin your day or upset you over people who didn't deserve your attention, so he pretended nothing had happened.

After a short while, he told you he was going somewhere and would be back in a few minutes. You nodded in agreement and sat waiting for him near a café, but instead of going to the restroom, he stood by one of the exits, waiting.

He waited patiently until the man and his girlfriend left the mall and headed towards the parking lot. As soon as they were out of sight, he approached them quietly. At first, they didn't recognize him, but when he stopped in front of them and they saw the cold look in his eyes, their smiles vanished instantly.

It didn't take long; just a few minutes were enough for the man to understand that mocking someone because of their disability wasn't the funny joke he had thought it was. When everything was over and he returned to the mall, blood covered the knuckles of his fingers. The moment you saw him, you jumped up, grabbed his wrist, and panic flashed across your face. You began asking him, with quick, nervous gestures, if he was hurt or needed a doctor. He looked at his hand as if he hadn't even noticed the blood, then raised his eyes to you.

He smiled slightly and patted your head gently before replying in sign language:

"Don't worry, it's not my blood."