Echoes Of The Past

Mute but Not Invisible – Volume 1, Chapter 13: Echoes of the Past

A Quiet Household: Home had always been a place of silence for Yuu Takahashi. It wasn't because he couldn't speak—but because he chose not to. Even before his "curse," he had always been quiet, reserved, blending into the background.

But the house was never truly quiet—not with his older sister, Ayaka Takahashi, living under the same roof.

"You're late," Ayaka's voice rang from the kitchen the moment Yuu stepped through the door. "Again."

Yuu sighed internally, already expecting the interrogation.

Ayaka was the opposite of him in almost every way—outspoken, disciplined, and utterly impossible to avoid. While he preferred to stay unnoticed, she thrived in structure and control.

She wasn't cruel, but she had a habit of watching him too closely, of prying into things he wished she wouldn't.

Tonight would be no different.

Dinner TensionAyaka sat across from him at the dining table, sipping her tea with a piercing gaze that made it clear she wasn't going to let him escape without some form of conversation.

"You've been acting strange lately," she said, setting her cup down. "More than usual."

Yuu didn't react, focusing on his plate. He knew better than to give her an opening.

"Did something happen on that school trip?" she pressed.

Yuu shook his head, picking up his notebook. "Nothing important."

She frowned, fingers tapping against the table. "That's a lie."

Yuu gave her a flat stare. He wasn't in the mood for this.

But Ayaka wasn't finished.

"You think I don't notice things? That I don't remember?" she continued, her voice growing softer. "I know you, Yuu. And I know when something is bothering you."

Yuu exhaled, flipping to a fresh page. "Drop it."

Ayaka's lips pressed into a thin line, but she didn't push further. Not yet.

Instead, she changed the subject.

"Do you remember the last time you spoke?"

Yuu froze.

His grip on the pen tightened. He knew exactly what she was referring to.

And so did she.

Flashback: The Last Words He SpokeIt had been three years ago.

A summer afternoon, the air thick with the scent of rain, just after a heavy downpour. Yuu had been in his room, reading, alone as usual.

Then—

A crash.

Glass shattering.

Ayaka's voice screaming in pain.

Yuu had reacted without thinking. Rushing down the hall, throwing open the door to the living room, where Ayaka was on the floor, her hand covered in blood from the broken glass she had knocked over.

"A—Are you okay?!" His voice had ripped from his throat, loud and desperate, before he even realized he had spoken.

The moment their eyes met, Ayaka's expression changed.

Shock.

Realization.

And then—

Obsession.

She had forgotten about the pain in her hand entirely.

Instead, she had stared at him, wide-eyed, trembling.

"Say something else," she had whispered, almost pleading. "Please, Yuu. Say something else."

Yuu had stepped back.

The way she had looked at him—it was the same way Mei and the others did now.

The same way everyone did when they heard his voice.

That was the day he realized what he had become.

That was the last day he ever spoke.

Back to the PresentYuu blinked, pushing the memory away. Across the table, Ayaka was still watching him, her expression unreadable.

"I know you remember," she murmured. "I never forgot."

Yuu gripped his pen, writing quickly. "It doesn't matter."

"It does matter." Her fingers curled slightly against the edge of the table. "I know why you won't speak. I know what happens when you do."

Yuu's breath hitched.

Did she really understand? Did she know what his voice did to people? Or was she simply drawing her own conclusions?

"I don't care about whatever 'curse' you think you have," she continued. "I only care about the fact that you won't trust me enough to talk to me."

Yuu's throat felt tight. He had nothing to say—not that he could say anything anyway.

Ayaka sighed, standing up and picking up their empty dishes. "Fine. Be stubborn. But one day, Yuu, you're going to slip up again."

She turned away, heading toward the sink. "And when you do, I'll be listening."

Alone with His Thoughts Yuu sat there for a long time after she left.

The air in the house felt heavier now, the weight of old memories and unspoken words pressing against his chest.

He reached for his notebook, flipping to a new page.

"No one else can hear me."

"I won't let it happen again."

But deep down, he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep that promise.

End of Chapter 13