Slowly Stepping Forward

The festival marked a turning point for Yuki. After that night, her conversations with Itsuomi grew more frequent, and their meetings became something she looked forward to. Each interaction brought her closer to understanding him—and herself.

One afternoon, Yuki sat in the library, practicing her signs in front of a small pocket mirror. She furrowed her brows as she tried to remember how to sign friend. Was it one finger linking with another? Or two fists?

"Still practicing?"

The sudden voice made Yuki jump. She turned to see Rin standing behind her, arms crossed and smirking.

"Rin! Don't sneak up on me!" Yuki exclaimed, hastily shutting her notebook.

Rin plopped into the seat across from her, resting her chin on her hand. "I wasn't sneaking. You're just too focused. So, how's it going with Mr. Sign Language?"

Yuki frowned, though her cheeks warmed at the mention of Itsuomi. "It's not like that. We're friends."

"Uh-huh." Rin raised an eyebrow. "And you've been smiling like a lovesick puppy every time you get a text from him. Totally just friends."

Yuki sighed, knowing it was pointless to argue. Rin wasn't wrong—Itsuomi did make her heart race in ways she wasn't ready to admit.

"But seriously," Rin continued, "it's cool that you're putting so much effort into this. Learning a whole new language just to communicate better with someone? That's dedication."

Yuki shrugged, fiddling with her pen. "It's not just for him. I'm starting to really enjoy it. It feels… freeing, like I'm learning how to express myself in a new way."

Rin's teasing smirk softened into a genuine smile. "Well, I'm proud of you, Yuki. You're stepping out of your comfort zone, and that's huge."

Later that evening, Yuki met Itsuomi at a café near campus. He waved her over as she walked in, already seated with a notebook in front of him.

Studying? she signed, pointing at the notebook as she sat down.

Itsuomi nodded, flipping it open to reveal notes written in several different languages.

Yuki's eyes widened. "Wow. How many languages do you know?"

He chuckled silently before typing on his phone. Three fluently. Working on a fourth.

"Three?" Yuki repeated, amazed. "That's incredible."

He shrugged modestly, but there was a glint of pride in his eyes.

As they sipped their drinks, Itsuomi pulled out his phone and typed something.

How's your signing going? Want to show me what you've learned?

Yuki hesitated, suddenly nervous. She'd been practicing, but what if she made mistakes? Still, she nodded, determined to try.

She lifted her hands and signed slowly, Hello. How are you?

Itsuomi watched her intently, nodding in approval. He replied with a sign she didn't recognize, and when she looked confused, he typed, I'm good.

She grinned, encouraged by his reaction. Emboldened, she tried signing her name, spelling it out letter by letter.

Y-U-K-I.

Itsuomi's smile widened, and he signed back, Good job.

Her cheeks flushed, but her heart soared. She was getting better, little by little.

As they continued their conversation, Itsuomi introduced a few new signs, patiently demonstrating each one. Yuki mimicked his movements, her hands clumsy but improving.

At one point, she accidentally mixed up two similar signs, and Itsuomi laughed silently, his shoulders shaking. He tapped her hand gently to correct her, his touch light but warm.

"Sorry," Yuki said aloud, laughing at her own mistake.

Itsuomi shook his head, signing, Don't apologize. You're doing great.

Yuki smiled, her nerves melting away.

As they left the café, the evening air was cool and crisp. They walked side by side, the silence between them comfortable.

At a crosswalk, Itsuomi tugged lightly on her sleeve to get her attention. When she looked up, he signed, Thank you.

Yuki tilted her head in confusion. "For what?"

He pulled out his phone and typed, For trying so hard. Most people don't bother to understand me like you do.

Her chest tightened at his words. She could see the sincerity in his eyes, the quiet gratitude that spoke louder than anything he could say.

Yuki smiled softly, signing back as best she could, You're worth it.

Itsuomi stared at her for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then he smiled, a small but genuine curve of his lips, and nodded.

As they parted ways, Yuki couldn't stop replaying the moment in her mind. The way his eyes had softened, the way her words—her signs—had reached him.

And for the first time, she began to wonder if their connection could grow into something more than friendship.