The scent of roasted food filled the air as students in colorful yukatas wove between booths. The school's cultural festival was in full swing — lively, chaotic, and loud.
For most people, it was exciting. For Ayumi, it was overwhelming.
The blur of voices around her felt like static — sharp, endless noise without meaning. She couldn't read lips fast enough to keep up with conversations, and groups passed by in a blur of hurried gestures and laughter she couldn't follow.
But through all of it — there was Kaito.
---
"I'll win you something," Kaito declared, pointing toward a ring toss booth.
Ayumi raised an eyebrow. Sure you will.
"Watch me," he grinned.
The first ring missed. The second clattered awkwardly against a wooden post. The third? It bounced so far off target that Ayumi couldn't help but giggle.
"You're laughing?" Kaito shot her a mock-offended look.
Ayumi smiled wider, forming her hands in reply. I believe in you.
"Don't patronize me," he groaned.
The fourth ring — miraculously — landed squarely on the bottle. The booth worker cheered, and Kaito snatched his prize: a small charm shaped like a lucky cat.
"For you," Kaito said proudly, placing the charm in her hand.
Ayumi blinked. For me?
"You kept laughing at me," Kaito shrugged. "You owe me."
She stared down at the charm, warmth blooming in her chest. Without thinking, her fingers closed tightly around it.
Thank you.
---
Despite the noisy crowd, Ayumi found herself more at ease than she expected.
Kaito's presence had a way of grounding her. Whenever someone tried to talk to her, he instinctively filled the gaps — explaining things in short, clear sentences or translating fast conversations into simple gestures she could understand.
It wasn't perfect. Sometimes he stumbled or paused to think. But Ayumi noticed the way he kept watching her — always making sure she wasn't left behind.
It was... comforting.
---
They reached a quiet corner of the school garden, where string lights swayed above wooden benches. Music from the stage echoed faintly in the distance.
"I needed a break," Kaito admitted, stretching his arms. "I didn't realize how crowded this would be."
Ayumi sat beside him and tapped her fingers lightly on her knee.
I thought you liked noisy places.
"I guess…" He paused. "I only like them when I'm not alone."
Ayumi lowered her eyes, tracing the charm in her hand.
Kaito leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "You okay?"
She hesitated.
The noise… it's hard to keep up.
Kaito nodded slowly. "Yeah, I figured."
She was about to write something more when she felt it — Kaito's fingers lightly brushing hers.
It wasn't a bold move. His hand simply rested there — open, unsure, as if giving her time to decide what to do next.
Ayumi stared at their hands, feeling her heartbeat quicken.
Touch was different from words. Different from signs.
It was something she didn't often think about. Most people avoided unnecessary contact with her — as if her silence made her fragile. But Kaito's hand… it wasn't hesitant. It wasn't awkward or uncomfortable.
It was just… there. Steady. Warm.
Slowly, Ayumi turned her palm over and let her fingers slip between his.
Kaito's hand closed gently around hers, his thumb brushing lightly across her knuckles.
Neither of them said anything.
But in that moment — with their fingers intertwined — Ayumi realized something.
Touch was its own kind of language.
One she could understand perfectly.
---
Later, as they walked back toward the festival's lights, Ayumi kept her fingers loosely curled around Kaito's.
For once, she didn't feel invisible.
Instead, she felt... seen.
And that feeling lingered long after the warmth of his hand had left hers.
---
To Be Continue