02: How To Cherish Even The Worthless Parts Of Shouko Nishimiya, As Taught By Hachiman Hikigaya.

Shouko Nishimiya often wondered who he was thinking about when he let that wistful expression pass over his face, sometimes when he thought no one was looking. At times, she almost felt compelled to ask, knowing as little as she did about his life before he moved in to stay at the Kawai Complex with the rest of them.

Hachiman Hikigaya. He was a kind hearted man. Compassionate. Understanding. Patient. But he would let others think otherwise. He would never correct others first impression of him. Even though with continued interactions, they would slowly figure it out themselves, that they had been wrong. Completely wrong.

But he didn't rub it in their faces when they realized their mistake or held it against them and made them feel bad about themselves to make himself look like the better person, who had stayed silent and persevered through those who verbally abused him, maligned his character, and said other horrible things to him which she couldn't figure out.

He didn't care about them.

But she did and it bothered her.

Because…

He said something which she didn't catch. It was hard to read lips with her eyes starting to tear up like this and she tried to blink and wipe them away like a child, feeling small and hurt and it was really, really stupid and –

"Why are you crying?"

Shouko Nishimiya didn't hear the words. She couldn't hear his voice, even though she thought it would be warm and soft and not harsh and guttural like hers. But this time, her eyes were not focused on his lips to read them and understand what he was talking about. Her eyes were focused on his hands, his fingers, the gestures, the signs.

You know sign language?

Shouko asked, her fingers all a flutter, signing very quickly without even thinking whether or not he would be able to understand her at this speed.

But Hachiman must have understood something because, he smiled at her a bit, looking a bit proud of himself, which was a new look on him, before, he forgot to move his fingers. He said something, opened his mouth, then he snapped his mouth shut, shook his head and before long he was responding to her in her language.

The one she was taught since she was a child.

I am learning sign language. Hachiman signed. Woman, had a book.

Shouko Nishimiya blinked. His words had sounded rough and this was not how he usually talked when he used his phone. Or like most of the times, she read his lips. This sounded more gruff and impatient. It was not like him.

Then she understood.

He was trying to have a conversation with her using sign language while he was still learning it from a book. A book. That means he didn't have his usual extensive vocabulary at his disposal.

It was like a child, learning to talk as an infant.

Or a person learning a new language, which was exactly that.

Cute Woman, he signed.

Shouko Nishimiya blushed and hid her face.

"Baa-aka!" Shouko said, shakily.

Hachiman looked at her, wide eyed then, he took out his phone and started to type quickly. Before long, he stuck the mobile phone at her face, so that Shouko could read the text on the screen.

[I am learning sign language.] Hachiman Hikigaya had typed. [Ritsu Kawai had a book.]

Cute woman. Shouko Nishimiya blinked. He had used the word 'Woman' first. But since, it must have sounded wrong or impolite, he had tried the next best word at his disposal. The word 'Kawai' was used by him next, because it was the closest word he could find, to mean 'Kawai'.

And here, Shouko thought, he was calling her a 'Cute Woman'.

Hachiman Hikigaya.

So, he was talking about her.

Ritsu Kawai, the daughter of the owner of the Kawai Complex.

The woman who kept to herself and could always be found reading some kind of book or another.

Of course.

Of course.

"Baa-Kkaa."

Shouko Nishimiya said, trying to hide her blushing face with one hand as she felt like the idiot she said she was, while pointing a shaky finger at herself and her puffed out cheeks, with a flustered expression, while poking her flushed skin more than a couple of times.

Baka. Baka. Baka. Shouko, you are such an idiot. Now, Hachiman thinks, I'm trying to pop a pimple and thinks I'm weird. Stop being so embarrassed before it's too late. He is looking at you with a strange look in his eyes. He definitely thinks there is something wrong with you now. Baka. Baka. Baka.

Shouko Nishimiya had these kind of thought running around her head.

On the other hand, Hachiman was trying really hard not to click a quick picture of her in this flustered state, with her cheeks puffed out and her finger poking the side of her cheek, which were flushed red while calling herself baka in the most adorable voice ever.

What the heck, Hachiman thought, that's so cute!

Must resist. Must resist. Must resist.

Click!

Shouko Nishimiya blinked.

Hachiman Hikigaya looked to the side.

Shouko thought he was embarrassed and couldn't meet her eyes.

That was half correct. But truth be told, Hachiman was more worried about the cops. Knowing him and his dreadful luck and the way the romcom gods treated him like the butt of all their jokes, he would have a cop car making the rounds, somewhere down the street, waiting to pick him up and throw him in jail.

But the picture was worth it.

But Shouko Nishimiya was looking at her with those eyes and he forgot he knew sign language, because he opened his mouth and said something stupid. Truth be told, it was the most stupidest thing that has ever come out of his mouth.

"Wanna take a picture?" Hachiman asked. "Together."

Hachiman hoped he had made himself clear. He had moved his phone a bit, between the space which separated the two of them and he had even pointed at the back of the phone, where the camera and the flash were located.

He wanted to let his intentions be known.

Hachiman just wanted to take a picture.

Shouko Nishimiya grasped his hand with both her hands.

Then nodded her head, her hair bouncing with each movement.

"Yea!"

Shouko said in what he thought was an excited voice.

And so, Shouko Nishimiya and Hachiman Hikigaya found themselves inching closer to get in the frame and be in the picture together.

The back of her dress brushed lightly over the front of his shirt a little. It made them collide, bump into each other and it was completely by accident because the two of them weren't used to this level of closeness. But it didn't quite feel like her personal space was getting invaded. It oddly felt like the opposite thing was happening.

It was rather intimate.

When she tried to turn around, something else happened.

Shouko felt the round buttons of his shirt dig into her back a little more than either of them initially intended. It was not her fault or his fault as it was more of an innocent mistake. But there, for maybe more than a second her breath was caught, as she felt the hardness of a few plastic buttons brush over the metal clasps of her bra.

It was stupid.

Both of them were dressed.

But there was a friction which lasted less than a second before both of them moved and made a comfortable space to last between them. Shouko Nishimiya listened to her heartbeat and though she couldn't listen, it was one of those things which could be heard. One of the only things she could hear till then.

Even though it was something more which could be felt.

The two of them didn't know where to look. There was the camera at the front of the screen, the one used to take selfies. Shouko had no use of that before. Taking a picture of herself. Why would she, there was nothing to look at which she can't find in a mirror each morning, after she woke up and prepared for the day.

Shouko was never good at taking pictures.

It was her sister's thing.

But as she smiled for the camera and felt his face hover behind her, the warmth of his breath tickled her ear and she thought, she could come to like taking pictures with him in the frame. Standing behind her like this, keeping his body at a healthy distance away from hers. But still there, behind her, within reach, able to catch her if she missed her steps and fell to her death.

Shouko Nishimiya didn't pay attention to the phone in his hand. When he later showed her the picture, Hachiman would point out the fact that she hadn't even been looking at the camera. But then, he would also point out that it was a good picture nonetheless and the way it was shot, it appeared more candid and the two of them looked well, together.

Then, Shouko would watch him blush at what he said without thinking so much. Then watch him stand up, make an excuse and fumble past her, before breaking into a run and without even looking, she could tell that he accidentally stubbed his toe against something because he wasn't looking where he was going and it must have hurt and she really shouldn't find that amusing.

But who could blame him for not looking.

She hadn't been looking at the camera while the picture was taken as well.

She had been lost in the feeling of his warm, soothing breath as it tickled past her ear.

Her useless, deaf ears which couldn't listen to his voice and was worthless despite the hearing aid, was made to feel important because of a shaking breath of his and made her thankful of it, for it, for the sensation, for the feeling.

As Shouko said, Hachiman Hikigaya was a kind man.

He was the only one who made it possible to cherish the one part about herself which she could ever come to hate the most.

Her worthless ears, found worth in his breath.

This was what Hachiman Hikigaya was starting to mean to Shouko Nishimiya.

A/N: I know right. What a big title. But I couldn't come up with something else and I just kinda went the light novel route. If you think about it, it's kinda fitting.

Also, just one more chapter left and then this fic will be over too.

I hope everyone is enjoying this story.

And if you want to suggest a female character with whom I should pair up Hikigaya in a separate fic, let me know in the reviews.

Take care.