The morning sun filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow into Ai Takahashi's room as she reluctantly rose from her bed. Another day awaited her at Shirogane High School, where the relentless torment of her classmates awaited her. Deaf since birth, Ai had grown accustomed to the isolation her condition brought, but the cruelty of her peers still cut deep.

Navigating the halls of the school felt like navigating a minefield, each step fraught with the potential for ridicule and scorn. As she made her way to her locker, she could feel the eyes of her classmates boring into her, their whispers like daggers in her ears.

But Ai was resilient, determined to push through the pain and carve out a place for herself in a world that often seemed determined to reject her.