Chapter 1:The Noisy Disturbance

To my friends, I was a completely different person. During recess or lunch breaks, I would laugh, share stories, and talk non-stop about things we liked. My voice was normal, happy, and full of life. I was never the invisible girl; I had people I loved and trusted, and with them, I could be myself completely. I could joke around, share my secrets, and just enjoy life without worrying about anything.

But the moment Haru came into view, something inside me just... shut down.

SLAM!

A loud sound echoed as he slammed his hands on our desk, startling everyone nearby. The noise was so sudden that even the students at the next table turned to look.

"Hey! Quiet Girl! What are you reading? Is it that boring that you have to hide your face in it?" he shouted, his voice booming across the room. He leaned over, invading my personal space with that annoying, confident smirk on his face. He smelled like fresh air and a little bit of cologne, but his attitude was so rough that it made me want to hide.

I immediately lowered my head, clutching my book tighter until my knuckles turned white. I didn't answer. I never did. To him, and to everyone else I wasn't close with, I was just the silent girl who barely spoke. I kept my walls high and my voice low.

"Tch. Are you deaf or just stupid? Why are you always so quiet?" He reached out and snatched my book away, holding it high up in the air where my short arms couldn't possibly reach. He waved it around playfully, or what he thought was playfully. "Come on, say something! 'Give it back' or 'You're annoying'! Anything! Stop acting like a statue!"

My friends looked angry, ready to defend me and tell him off, but I gently held their hands down, signaling them to stop. I didn't want trouble. I just wanted him to go away. I looked at him, my eyes calm but distant, showing no emotion.

"You're... blocking the way," I whispered, my voice so soft it was almost like a breath of wind.

"Hah? What was that? I couldn't hear you!" he teased, but his eyes were fixed on my face, searching for any kind of reaction. He ruffled my hair roughly, making it messy, just to get a rise out of me. "You're so cold, Mio. It feels like talking to a wall. Are you scared of me or something?"

He thought I hated him. He thought I was ignoring him on purpose. He thought I saw him as an enemy, a disturbance to my peaceful day. And maybe, to the world, that was exactly what we were.

But little did he know, even though I remained silent, my heart was actually pounding just as loud as his voice. I wasn't silent because I hated him. I was silent because I was shy, and because his presence was just too big, too loud, and too overwhelming for me to handle. His energy consumed everything around him, and I didn't know how to breathe properly when he was near.

And little did I know, every time he turned around and walked away after teasing me, he would touch his own chest, wondering why his heart was beating so fast. He acted like a bully, he acted like he didn't care, but deep down... he was already liking me silently, more than he would ever admit.

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