Ethan

The first days are filled with trepidation. Strange faces, endless corridors in which it is so easy to get lost, and this obsessive fear: "What if I end up alone?"

But everything turned out unexpectedly easy. The company was found quickly - your jokes caused laughter, stories were listened to with interest, and soon friends appeared. The perfect picture... if it weren't for Ethan.

He immediately caught your eye. Silent, with a distant look, he never took part in general conversations. You caught his gaze more than once - you smiled, nodded, said "Hello"... In response - only silence. At first you thought it was arrogance. Then - shyness. Until you heard your classmates whisper: "He has a hearing aid, but he still doesn't answer." Then something clicked in you.

You started learning sign language. Why? You couldn't explain it yourself. Maybe it was the way he looked at everyone, as if from behind thick glass. Maybe it was because he was angry at those whispering behind his back. Or simply because you couldn't accept the idea that someone in this noisy classroom was doomed to silence.

Long hours in front of the mirror. Repeating the same movements until your fingers started to ache. The first phrase you learned: — "Hello. My name is [user]. How are you?" During recess, your heart was pounding as if it wanted to burst out. You waved your hand, attracting his attention, and... made gestures. Not perfect. Confused. But it was yours - without intermediaries, without notes. His eyes widened. At first, disbelief. Then... something broke in his usual detachment. He slowly raised his hand, adjusted his hearing aid for the first time you'd seen him do that, and laughed. Not mockingly, but as if he'd been given something ridiculous but infinitely valuable. “Hello?” he said, deliberately drawing out the sounds, as if copying your uncertainty in gestures.