Lina was the kind of girl everyone noticed. She laughed loudly, spoke confidently, and somehow made friends with everyone at Brightwood High. Noah, on the other hand, preferred the quiet corner by the window, with a book in his hands and a world of thoughts swirling silently in his head.
When Lina was assigned a seat beside Noah, she greeted him with her usual energy.
“Hi! I’m Lina!”
Noah nodded. “…Noah.”
“Just Noah? That’s it?” she teased, grinning.
“…Yes,” he replied, barely looking up.
Despite the rocky start, Lina didn’t give up. She shared snacks, asked small questions, and slowly drew Noah out of his shell. At first, he only responded in one-word answers, but soon he found himself listening to her stories and even smiling at her jokes.
One rainy afternoon, Lina forgot her umbrella. Without a word, Noah offered hers and walked her home. When a car splashed water near her, he pulled her close. Lina’s heart skipped — she realized there was something quietly protective about him.
The school festival brought them closer. Lina dragged Noah to every booth, chattering excitedly. At one game, she failed to win a prize, but Noah tried once — and succeeded immediately. He handed the plushie to her without looking. “For you,” he said softly. Lina’s cheeks turned pink.
On the last day of the term, Noah asked Lina to meet him on the rooftop after class. His voice was quiet, almost nervous. “You talk a lot… but my days are quiet when you’re not here. I like being around you. I like you, Lina.”
Lina’s eyes sparkled. “Good. Because I like you too, Quiet Noah.”
They didn’t need grand gestures. She talked, he listened. She laughed, he smiled. Together, they found the perfect balance between loudness and quiet, chaos and calm. And for Noah, finally, silence had never felt so full.
