Unwelcome Attention

Mute but Not Invisible – Volume 1, Chapter 15: Unwelcome Attention

A Shift in the Atmosphere

Yuu had always been good at avoiding attention.

For years, he had perfected the art of blending in—never speaking, never making unnecessary movements, never standing out. It had worked for a long time.

But now… everything was different.

It started the moment he walked into school on Monday morning.

The whispers.

At first, he ignored them. It wasn't uncommon for students to gossip, and he wasn't naive enough to think he wasn't sometimes the subject of idle speculation.

But today?

It was different.

Eyes followed him down the hall. Girls whispered behind their hands, sneaking glances at him. Even guys seemed to be watching him curiously.

Yuu's steps slowed. His fingers clenched around his notebook.

Something was wrong.

The Rumor Spreads

It didn't take long for Yuu to find out why.

"Hey, did you hear? Someone said Takahashi-kun's been getting secret love letters."

"No way! Really?!"

"Yeah! Apparently, some girl's been watching him for months and finally confessed."

"Wait, wait—so does that mean he actually talked?!"

"Dunno. But wouldn't that be crazy?! Imagine if he's been faking being mute this whole time!"

Yuu's eye twitched.

He stopped just outside the classroom, standing in the hall as more students chattered excitedly about the so-called "news."

How did this even get out?

His fingers tightened around his notebook. The letter.

Someone must have seen it or heard about it.

His stomach churned. He had never wanted attention, and now, suddenly, it was being forced onto him.

Worse than that—

If his sister heard about this…

A shiver ran down his spine.

Mei's Reaction

"Oh?"

Yuu barely had time to brace himself before Mei appeared beside him, her expression far too amused.

"So," she mused, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear, "it seems someone's been spreading rumors about you."

Yuu didn't react. He flipped open his notebook, already expecting her to pry.

"I don't care."

Mei chuckled. "Liar. You hate attention. This must be killing you."

Yuu snapped his notebook shut and glared.

She just smiled.

"Oh, don't look at me like that," she continued. "I mean, I knew you were a bit of a mystery, but a secret admirer? That's a new one."

Yuu wanted to sink into the floor.

Mei, of course, wasn't finished.

"Whoever she is, she must be bold. I mean, writing a confession and then keeping an eye on you? I almost respect it."

She tilted her head, watching him closely. "Any guesses on who it might be?"

Yuu wrote quickly. "I'm not playing this game."

Mei pouted. "But you're so much fun when you're flustered."

Before Yuu could respond, a voice cut through the hall.

Ayaka Enters the Fray

"There you are."

Yuu stiffened.

Mei's smile vanished.

Ayaka stood at the end of the hallway, arms crossed, expression unreadable.

Yuu felt a sinking feeling in his gut.

"What's this I hear about my precious little brother being the center of school gossip?" Ayaka asked, her voice dangerously calm.

Yuu didn't move.

Ayaka's eyes flickered toward Mei, and for a moment, an odd tension filled the air.

Then she turned her attention back to Yuu. "We need to talk. Now."

Mei raised an eyebrow but said nothing as Yuu, reluctantly, followed his sister down the hall.

The Overprotective Sister

The moment they were alone, Ayaka spun around, fixing him with a sharp glare.

"You. Explain."

Yuu sighed and pulled out his notebook. "Nothing to explain. Someone made something up."

Ayaka narrowed her eyes. "So the letter was fake?"

He hesitated.

Too long.

Ayaka's eyes widened. "Wait. You actually got one?!"

Yuu groaned internally. He should have lied.

"Who wrote it? Do you know?" Ayaka pressed, stepping closer.

"No."

She studied him for a moment, then crossed her arms. "Then what did it say?"

Yuu hesitated again.

Ayaka smirked. "Oh my god. You liked it, didn't you?"

Yuu glared at her, flipping the page aggressively. "Drop it."

"Absolutely not." Ayaka grinned like a predator. "My little brother, getting love confessions? This is golden."

Yuu regretted everything.

But then, Ayaka's amusement faded. Her eyes darkened.

"This girl," she muttered, "whoever she is—she's trying to take you away from me."

Yuu blinked, confused.

Ayaka stepped closer, reaching out to straighten his collar. "You don't need anyone else, Yuu. You have me."

His body tensed. Something about the way she said it…

It wasn't just protective.

It was possessive.

Ayaka smiled sweetly. "Don't worry. I'll handle this. No one's going to take you from me."

Yuu had a very bad feeling about this.

A New Problem

Just when he thought things couldn't get worse, Ayaka's amusement faded.

She tapped her chin. "But if rumors are spreading, that means someone must've seen the letter, right?"

Yuu froze.

Ayaka's expression sharpened. "Which means someone's been paying more attention to you than we thought."

Her gaze darkened slightly. "And that? I don't like."

Yuu shifted uncomfortably. He didn't like it either.

He could ignore Mei's teasing. He could ignore the whispers in the halls.

But the idea that someone had been watching him this closely? That unsettled him.

Ayaka sighed. "Alright. I'll look into it."

Yuu's pen hesitated. "What?"

She gave him a serious look. "Someone's messing with you, Yuu. If you're not going to deal with it, I will."

A headache formed behind his eyes.

This was going to be a nightmare.

And the worst part?

Something told him this was only the beginning.

End of Chapter 15