His inner voice spoke a language no one could hear, yet it conversed with his heart between two languages... and two skies.
Between Noise and Silence
On an ordinary autumn morning, within the gray walls of the school that had memorized the faces and voices of its students, Misaki walked alone. Her steps were slow, as if she moved to a different rhythm, far from the bustling hallways and the loud chatter of laughter. Large headphones covered her ears, isolating her from everything around her, as if she had created a private world that no one could enter.
She was dressed in her neat school uniform, with a tightly tied necktie, a perfectly ironed skirt, and shoes that gleamed despite the dust. However, what truly drew attention was not her clothes, but her face. Sad features and broken eyes stared at the ground as if she were afraid to look at the sky. Her long, black hair cascaded silently down her back, swaying gently with every quiet step she took.
In a fleeting moment, her foot caught on a raised tile, and her bag fell to the ground with a soft thud. Yet, to her, it sounded like a slap that woke her from her daze. Books scattered, a few papers fluttered away, and a small sketchbook hit the floor, opening to a page with a drawing of half a face.
Misaki stood frozen for a moment, as if she had involuntarily revealed a part of herself to the world.
The moment appeared simple on the surface, but it carried within it more than it seemed.