We didn’t speak again until we reached the station. But for the first time, the silence between us wasn’t heavy. It was warm. And when she finally let go to board her train, she raised one hand—not to wave goodbye, but to sign:
: Their first real communication happens after school on a blackboard, where they write back and forth because Komi is too nervous to speak. meeting komi after school
We stepped out into the golden hour. The usual crowd of second-years had already scattered—clubs, cram school, the arcade. For once, the path to the station was ours alone. Komi walked half a step behind me, her satchel clutched to her chest like a shield. We didn’t speak again until we reached the station
To an outsider, Komi looks like she’s judging you. To Tadano, he knows she’s actually vibrating with the effort to say "Hello." And when she finally let go to board