Wanting to Know

Mio didn’t realize when it started.

Only that, at some point, Haru had begun appearing in the quiet spaces of her day.

In the pause before she fell asleep.

In the back of her mind while brushing her teeth.

In the moments when her phone lay face down on her desk, untouched.

She sat cross-legged on her bed, textbooks open but unread. Her room was calm—soft light, familiar walls, the faint hum of the house settling for the night.

She stared at a sentence in her notes.

Then sighed.

“…Why am I like this?” she murmured.

Her phone buzzed.

Ken had sent something stupid in the group chat. Mio smiled, typed a quick reply, then—without thinking—opened her browser instead.

Her fingers hovered.

Sign language basics.

She froze.

Then laughed quietly at herself.

“It’s not like I—” she began, then stopped.

Her smile faded, replaced by something softer. More thoughtful.

She rested her chin on her knees.

“I just want to know him better,” she said aloud, convincing herself.

“I want to understand what he sees. What makes him laugh.”

That felt reasonable.

The first video played.

Simple greetings.

Basic expressions.

Slow, careful hand movements paired with gentle explanations.

Mio followed along, fingers stiff at first, then loosening as she tried again.

She practiced in the mirror.

Her expressions were exaggerated, then corrected. She frowned, smiled, tried again.

It was harder than she thought.

And for some reason, that didn’t discourage her.

It made her want to try more.

She imagined Haru noticing her hands. His eyes softening in surprise.

The thought made her cheeks heat.

“Stop it,” she whispered, covering her face for a moment.

But she didn’t stop.

Minutes turned into an hour.

When she finally closed her notebook, she lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

Her heart felt… warm.

Not fluttery. Not dramatic.

Just steady.

Like she was holding something fragile without quite knowing what it was.

Mio turned onto her side, hugging her pillow lightly.

“…I really want to see him smile,” she whispered.

Outside, the night deepened.

And somewhere else, Haru—as he always did lately—was thinking of her too.