Kaito woke early that morning, the pale light of dawn slipping through the curtains like a quiet secret meant only for him.
He sat up, rubbed his eyes, and pulled on a plain white T-shirt—soft, familiar, safe.
As he buttoned it, something moved.
The door.
It wasn't sound that reached him—there was none.
But the door trembled slightly, shaking in a rhythm that felt urgent… almost nervous.
It trembled again. Harder.
Kaito's fingers tightened around the fabric of his shirt.
Someone was knocking.
"You can come in," he said calmly.
The door opened, and his mother stepped inside. She paused, surprise flickering across her face.
"How did you know I was knocking?" she asked, her lips forming careful, deliberate words.
Kaito smiled faintly.
"I saw the door shaking," he replied. "It looked like someone was hitting it, so I knew."
She walked closer and bent down, lowering herself to his height. Her eyes searched his face—soft, loving, and heavy with worry.
"Today is your first day back at school after… after losing your hearing," she said slowly, making sure her lips were clear.
"Remember the lip-reading practice we did. Try your best. And…"
She hesitated.
"…try not to let anyone know."
Kaito's gaze stayed fixed on her lips, reading every movement with intense focus.
He was good at this—uncannily good. Learning had always come easily to him, as if his mind adapted faster than the world expected.
Still, a shadow crossed his face.
He hesitated, then asked,
"Mom… what if someone finds out that I'm deaf?"
She knelt fully now, her hands resting gently on his shoulders.
For a moment, she said nothing.
Then she smiled—soft and brave, a smile that tried to hide fear.
"Then we'll face it together," she said.
"You're not weak, Kaito. You're different. And different doesn't mean broken."
Her lips trembled slightly as she added,
"People fear what they don't understand. Until you're strong enough… don't give them a reason."
Kaito nodded.
He didn't fully understand her fear yet.
But he felt it—like a quiet storm waiting somewhere ahead.
Outside, the day was beginning.
Inside, Kaito was learning how to survive in a world that had gone silent.
And somewhere far away—unseen, unheard—
something was watching him.
Lady Mara gently took Kaito's hand, her grip warm and reassuring, and led him outside.
The morning air was cool.
A black car waited near the gate, its surface reflecting the soft sunlight. She opened the door and helped him inside.
Just as she was about to close it, Kaito turned to her, his eyes searching her face.
"Mom… you're not coming to drop me at school?"
She froze for a moment.
Then she knelt beside him again, brushing a strand of hair away from his forehead.
"Kaito," she said slowly, carefully,
"there are people we love so deeply that we wish they could walk beside us for our entire journey."
She paused, her lips tightening.
"But that doesn't always happen."
Her eyes softened.
"So I can't go with you today. But I promise—I'll come to pick you up."
Kaito looked at her for a long second.
"Promise?"
She smiled and nodded.
"Promise."
School passed in fragments.
A teacher's lips moved too fast.
A classmate stared a little too long.
A laugh rippled through the room—something he couldn't hear, but somehow knew was about him.
Kaito kept his eyes down.
Kept reading lips.
Kept surviving.
Then—the bell.
Students poured out through the gates in noisy waves—laughter, chatter, footsteps Kaito could not hear, but could feel through the ground beneath his feet.
He walked out slowly.
And then—he saw her.
Lady Mara stood near the gate.
A wide smile bloomed across Kaito's face—bright, unfiltered, full of relief.
He ran.
He ran as fast as he could and threw his arms around her. She hugged him just as tightly, as if she had been holding her breath all day.
Around them, parents spoke. Children shouted.None of it reached him.
Only her arms did.
They sat inside the car as it began to move.
Kaito looked up at her and said,
"Mom…You kept your promise."
She smiled gently.
"My son," she said, turning slightly so he could see her lips clearly,
"trust takes years to build… and only a moment to destroy."
She met his eyes.
"That's why, when we make a promise, we keep it. Even if it costs us everything."
Kaito watched her lips closely, reading every word, every pause.
When she finished, he nodded.
"I understand, Mom."
The city blurred past the window.
And though Kaito sat in silence, something inside him had grown louder—
a lesson carved deep into his heart.