The next day, I was still floating a little after my lunch with Mr. Mysterious. It wasn't like anything huge had happened, but I'd actually managed to talk to him—and he'd asked me to sit with him. Every time I thought about it, a flutter filled my stomach that I couldn't quite shake.
Halfway to my next class, already a little distracted, I rounded a corner and—bam!—collided with someone, sending my notebook and papers scattering across the floor. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" I blurted, dropping down to pick up my things.
When I looked up, I was met by a guy about my age, with short, dark hair and a gentle but surprised expression. He held his hands up, a look of mild confusion crossing his face, as if he hadn't heard me. For a moment, we just stared at each other, and I opened my mouth to apologize again, wondering if he'd missed what I'd said.
Then he pulled out a small whiteboard and marker from his backpack, wrote something quickly, and held it up: "I'm Dex. Are you okay?"
The realization hit me. He was deaf.
"Oh! I—uh, yeah. I'm fine!" I stammered, a little thrown. Dex gave me a soft smile, as if to reassure me everything was alright. I scrambled to gather my fallen papers, still feeling a bit flustered. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."
Dex shook his head, waving his hand as if to say it was no big deal. He wrote again on his board: "No problem. I get bumped into a lot. Are you rushing to class?"
I laughed awkwardly, feeling my cheeks heat up. "Yeah…guess I was too caught up in my own thoughts."
Dex gave me a knowing look, his smile widening. There was something so open and kind in his expression, and it made me relax. Before I could say more, however, someone else approached us.
A tall guy with dark hair came into view. His expression was, as always, unreadable—cool, distant, with a kind of detached focus. But then he looked at Dex, and something shifted in his gaze. I recognized him instantly: Keiji Kashima, the school's famous drummer. He was practically legendary at every event, and though known for his talent, he was also known for his cold, untouchable attitude.
But as he looked at Dex, a subtle warmth softened his features, even if only for a moment. He stepped forward and touched Dex's arm lightly, his eyes briefly scanning me with an unreadable expression before focusing back on him.
Dex looked back at me, his expression apologetic, and quickly scribbled something on his whiteboard: "Sorry! Have to go. See you around?"
I nodded, still processing the encounter. "Yeah, sure! See you."
He gave me a quick wave, and Keiji nodded slightly in my direction before leading him down the hall. I stood there, watching them go, feeling a strange mixture of curiosity and intrigue. Who was Dex, really? And why was Keiji, of all people, so protective and attentive toward him?
Later that day, I couldn't shake the memory of the scene. I'd never seen Keiji act like that. He was notorious for his cold demeanor, barely saying a word to most people and keeping everyone at arm's length. Yet, with Dex, he seemed different—almost gentle. The way he'd looked at him, guided him down the hall, even that faint flicker of warmth in his eyes… It was like he was a completely different person around him.
But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how surprising that was. Keiji was like a heartthrob for so many girls at school. Everyone was crazy about him, drawn to his looks, his charm, and his talent. There were probably a lot of hearts that would be broken if it turned out he was more interested in a guy than any of them.
By the time I sat down with Lily at lunch, I couldn't hold back my curiosity any longer.
"You're not going to believe who I just ran into," I said, leaning over the table and dropping my voice conspiratorially.
Lily's eyes lit up, eager for any kind of gossip. "Oh? Do tell!"
"Dexter Vergara," I said, lowering my voice. "The deaf guy in our year. I literally crashed into him, and he had to pull out a whiteboard to talk to me."
"Oh, yeah, I've seen him around," Lily replied, nodding. "He's really sweet but keeps to himself. People say he's a bit shy because, you know…" Lily hesitated, then said, "Because of, well, the whiteboard thing."
"Yeah," I nodded, thinking back on how calm and understanding he'd seemed, even after I practically tackled him. "But that's not the weird part."
Lily leaned in, clearly intrigued. "What's the weird part?"
"Keiji Kashima showed up," I said, glancing around to make sure no one else was listening. "And he just…looked at him like he was the only person in the room. Then he led him away—like he was his bodyguard or something. And he even…smiled."
Lily's jaw dropped. "Keiji Kashima? Smiling? I've never even seen that guy laugh. He's like a walking ice cube."
"Right?" I leaned back, replaying the scene in my mind. "But with Dex, it was like he wasn't even the same person."
Lily smirked. "Sounds like you've got a bit of a mystery on your hands. The quiet guy and the untouchable drummer, huh? Maybe they're secretly dating!"
I scoffed, though the thought crossed my mind. "I mean…maybe? But it didn't feel like that, exactly. It was more like…" I struggled to find the right words. "Like they had some kind of connection that's just theirs, you know?"
Lily gave me a look, clearly impressed. "Abi, this is big. You've stumbled onto a genuine school mystery. Now you have to find out what's going on."
I laughed, but there was a part of me that was genuinely curious. I wanted to understand the bond I'd glimpsed between Dex and Keiji. Maybe if I got to know Dex better, he'd open up more.
Lily clapped her hands, already planning our next steps. "Yes! You can do it! We're getting to the bottom of this."
---
After school, as I packed up my things, I realized I'd been thinking about Dex all day. I remembered a little about communicating with deaf people—sign language, for one, but also lip reading. Since I didn't know sign language, maybe I could at least ask if he was comfortable with lip reading and try to speak clearly and slowly to make things easier for him.
With that plan in mind, I felt a little more confident about talking to him. I wanted to understand his world, and maybe, if I was patient enough, he'd share it with me.
But before I could get too lost in thought, my phone buzzed. It was my mom, reminding me that she wanted to talk tonight. I sighed, the questions about Dex and Keiji swirling to the back of my mind for now. Whatever mystery was unfolding, it would have to wait—at least for a little while.