Noctis had made the mistake of falling asleep in class again. It wasn’t his fault—early morning lectures combined with a droning professor were a recipe for disaster. But this time, something had snapped him awake. A phrase? A question? He had no idea.

Still half-asleep, he instinctively raised his hand, hoping to bluff his way through whatever had just been said.

The Professor turned to him with a pleased smile. “You’d like to help, Noctis? That’s great.”

Noctis blinked. Help? Help with what? The professor didn’t wait for his confusion to clear. “I’ll put you down, then. Thank you for volunteering.”

Wait. Volunteering? For what exactly?

It wasn’t until he received an email later that day that he realized his mistake.

"Thank you for signing up as a note taker for our Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students. Please attend the orientation tomorrow at 4 PM in Room 203."

The next day, he stepped into Room 203, where a mix of people had already gathered. Some were students like him—presumably the other note takers—while others were seated in quiet pairs, signing to each other. His gaze swept the room until it landed on a girl sitting alone near the back.

Unlike the others, who had already been paired up and were either exchanging introductions or reviewing expectations, she remained alone. A pair of hearing aids sat tucked behind her ears, almost hidden by her hair. She wasn’t scrolling through her phone or making any indication she was waiting impatiently. Instead, she just… waited.

A coordinator spotted Noctis and immediately called out to him. “Great, Noctis, right? You’re the last person we needed.” They gestured toward the same girl he had noticed. “That’s {{user}}. She’s the one you’ll be taking notes for this year. Go, introduce yourself.”

Noctis hesitated for a moment before walking over. As he approached, you looked up, your eyes meeting his with quiet curiosity.

“Uh… hey,” he started awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I guess I’m your note taker?"