The villain was a total chatterbox, and I was a mute. To keep up his cool, detached image, the villain only ever opened his mouth around me. The more he talked, the more uninhibited he became. "Got asked out again today. The girl complimented me so much I was dizzy, didn't know which way was up." "Why aren't you saying anything? Jealous?" "I was totally indifferent to you at first, but the way you ignore me is honestly captivating. I'm in love, I'm in love." "You love me, I love you, Sweetheart Ice Cream, so sweet, so smooth~" (A localized take on a jingle) "Alright, since we're clearly crazy about each other, let's get married right after graduation." My eyes went wide. I forced out a croaking sound. "I don't—" The villain clapped a hand over my mouth. "Mumbling something? Come here and give me a kiss, quick." 1. The Big Reveal Jack and I stared at each other, eyes locked. It took him a good long while to finally remove his hand from my mouth. "Wait... you can talk?" I nodded, then shook my head. "I can... but it hurts." Because of an injury when I was a kid, I could only manage two or three words at a time. And every time, a stabbing pain shot through my throat. Over time, I just stopped talking, becoming the "mute" everyone knew. I’d been sitting next to Jack for so long, and this was the first time I’d ever spoken. I had simply been pushed too far. 2. The Backseat Life I’d known since I was little that I was living inside a novel. My drunk dad, my timid mom, my rebellious little brother, and me, the damaged one. But I wasn't the main character, Mia—I was just a side character, a wallflower. I figured I'd have no connection to the main cast. That changed in senior year when I was sorted into their class and ended up as the desk partner of the "villain," Jack Coleman. Jack was a rich punk. Aloof, aggressive, and ready to throw down at the drop of a hat. At first, I was terrified, walking on eggshells, worried he'd clock me if I upset him. Maybe it was because I didn't speak, and Jack had a strange soft spot for the "disabled," but we actually got along okay. No matter how much of a villain Jack was supposed to be, right now, he was just an eighteen-year-old kid. Cocky, loved to show off, obsessed with air-shooting hoops. And, a complete motor-mouth. But to maintain his cool exterior, he only talked around me. Since I was the "mute," I wouldn't spill his secrets. So, I was forced to learn the color of Jack's boxers every day. I heard about his mom's three-ring circus fighting off the mistress. I was even privy to the steamy affair between the school janitor and the cafeteria lady. I knew way too much I shouldn't know. I desperately wanted to fight back, to tell Jack, "I'm a mute, not deaf!" But I didn't dare. Little by little, Jack became more and more unhinged. He stopped getting into fights, stopped sleeping in class. The moment his eyes opened, he started talking. Even when I pretended to sleep, he’d lean into my ear and whisper endlessly. Finally, I snapped. I pinched his lips between two fingers and used my other hand to make a "shush" sign on my own mouth. Jack's face immediately flushed beet red, like a traffic light turning to stop. Scared, I quickly let go. To my surprise, Jack didn't punch me. He just stayed red for half the class, stole glances at me all afternoon, and occasionally let out a weird, muffled chuckle. From that day on, Jack changed. He went from being a chatterbox to a chatterbox who seemed to like me. 3. A Box of Mints Jack was in a slump. It had been three days since I rejected him, and he hadn't said a single word to me. I peeked up, stealing a glance. Jack was frowning, reading a book, only giving me his profile. I had to admit, Jack was better looking than the main hero, Ethan Miller. Chiseled nose, thin lips, sharp jawline. But shouldn't he be fighting Ethan for Mia, the main girl? Why would he like me, the mute? Sensing my gaze, Jack snorted coldly. "In love with me now?" I quickly shook my head and yanked my eyes away. The truth was, I was afraid of losing Jack as a friend. Since I couldn't speak, I had no friends. No one wanted to talk to a mute. Except for Jack. He could gossip non-stop for an entire day and never get bored. I didn't want to lose that. The more I thought about it, the sadder I got, and a tear silently dripped. "Ugh." A soft sigh came from beside me. A box of lozenges was pushed in front of me. Jack pulled his hand back, leaning lazily against the window. "Good for your throat." I sniffled, unwrapped one, and popped it in my mouth. Minty. 【Are we still friends?】I wrote on a sticky note. Jack didn't answer. He just said, "I'm taking you to the doctor this weekend." I looked at him instinctively. He added, "And don't even think about saying no." 4. The Male Lead's Interruption My voice couldn't be fixed. I could speak before I was five. Then, my mom had my little brother, and my dad started hating the sight of me. One night, drunk, he choked and beat me. When I woke up, my mom was crying, saying my vocal cords were damaged and wouldn't heal. Since then, I hadn't spoken a full sentence. So, when the doctor looked troubled, I didn't feel much. But Jack asked, over and over, "She can get out two or three words. Maybe there's still a chance?" "She can vocalize? What does she say?" the doctor asked. Jack, his face dark, replied, " 'I don't.'" The doctor and Jack talked for a long time. I don't know the details; Jack told me to wait in the hallway. A full hour passed, and he didn't come out. Someone at the end of the hall suddenly called my name. I looked up. It was Ethan Miller, the main hero. Ethan was our class president and my neighbor. Though for the past eighteen years, we had barely known each other. We had zero contact, really. I was wondering why Ethan would call out to me. He walked over, crouched down to my level, and asked, "What are you doing at the hospital? Are you hurt?" I shook my head and pointed to my throat. "Here for your voice?" he asked. I nodded. Ethan glanced at the closed office door. "Who brought you?" Even if Ethan and I weren't close, we were neighbors for eighteen years. He knew my parents wouldn't bring me to a doctor. I opened my mouth. "...Jack." Just then, the office door opened. Jack, holding a bag of medication, stood backlit. Seeing Ethan, his face instantly soured. Ethan spoke first. "Her voice can't be fixed." He was, of course, talking about me. I lowered my head, silently twisting my fingers. "None of your business," Jack snapped impatiently. "Did you take her to a doctor? Did a doctor give you that diagnosis? Stop being a know-it-all." Jack grabbed my arm and pulled me away. I twisted my head back to see Ethan still standing there, unmoving. "What are you looking at?" Jack's voice was sharp with annoyance. He didn't wait for my reply, launching into a rant. "We've been desk partners this whole time, and you only managed a few words for me. But Ethan asks you a question, and suddenly you can talk?" "But hey, at least you said my name." "Otherwise..." Otherwise, what? I asked Jack with my eyes. He huffed. "Otherwise, I'd be jealous." The boy's eyes were sparkling, making my heart flutter. I scribbled on a notepad: 【What did the doctor say?】 "It can be fixed." I stared at him in disbelief, my voice raspy. "...It can?" Jack nodded confidently, giving me a wide, mischievous grin. "Well... the process is gonna be a little complicated." 5. Therapy Via Sass I soon learned just how "complicated" Jack's process was. Jack talked more than ever before. "The cafeteria lady's husband found out the janitor was the other man. Guess how he found out?" I shook my head, my eyes prompting Jack to continue. Jack smiled mysteriously. "You guess first." He was clearly not going to speak until I did. I struggled to speak. "You told him." Jack looked genuinely surprised. "No way! You really are my girl! Such a perfect guess! Come here and give me a kiss!" I blushed and pushed his hand away. Jack, the "villain," loved chaos. He'd definitely be happy to tattle. "Also," his face turned serious. "You won't answer your phone or texts. Our baby has a fever of 105°F, and I walked 24 hours carrying them over a mountain pass to get to a clinic." "And you're still sitting here doing math problems. I seriously don't know what the point of this marriage is." I looked at the math homework on my desk and slowly raised a questioning eyebrow. "Honey, unless you give me an explanation today, I am not letting this go!" Jack continued. The person in front of us shot us a look of confused but profound shock. I quickly blurted out. "No..." "No what?" Jack grabbed my hand and gave me a playful wink. I was silent for a long time. "...Sorry." Jack grinned. "My love is so good. Let's kiss again!" "Stop..." "Are you rejecting me again?" Jack's face fell. "I already swore on a stack of Bibles I wouldn't give you the silent treatment or play mind games. We're adults, let's talk things out. Keeping things bottled up is bad for both of us. If you keep this up, I might just stop talking to you." Jack said he might stop talking to me. I panicked. "Don't... ignore me." "Then do you accept a military marriage?" he asked. I looked up at Jack, his mouth twitching with suppressed laughter. "I... I'm a psycho-soldier, hahahaha." Jack had gone nuts. Everyone in class thought I'd driven him crazy. Because I wouldn't talk, they thought I was constantly giving Jack the cold shoulder, which made him lose his mind, like a concubine locked away in a cold palace. Soon, everyone was looking at me weirdly. Ethan even pulled me aside privately. "Do you want to switch seats? I'll talk to the teacher." "No..." I refused. I knew the truth: Jack was pushing me to talk more. I had gone from only simple words to being able to squeeze out full sentences. Jack deserved all the credit. He was helping me, I knew it. Besides forcing me to speak with his constant chatter, Jack also taught me how to articulate properly. He bought flashcards used for kindergarteners learning phonics and patiently coached me. "Big open mouth, A as in apple. Roaring like a lion, O as in orange. The big white goose, E as in egg..." "Got it?" I opened my mouth wide. "I... learned-it." (A play on words implying I've "abandoned" the learning process, similar to "feigned" learning). Seeing the results were slow, Jack changed tactics. He placed my fingers on his mouth, letting me feel the vibrations of his speech. "I," Jack said, instructing me to follow. His warm breath sprayed my fingers, and I unconsciously curled them. "...I." "Like." "Like." "You." "You." The afternoon sun fell across Jack's face. In the shifting light, he raised an eyebrow. "Why did you stop following along?" I pulled my fingers back, my voice muffled. "You're..." "...an idiot." The smile on Jack's face froze.
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