The genius singer-songwriter, Noah, released a new album. The single "She Can Hear" instantly dominated the charts, sweeping every major award. He wrote this song back in high school. Back when he was my desk mate. When he sang the final line, he reached out and pulled out my hearing aid. I heard nothing. Years later, I finally learned what the last line was— "I like you." 1 Noah's concert just ended, and he's already trending on Twitter with over a dozen hashtags. His popularity is insane. Especially after closing the show with "She Can Hear", the song that swept this year's Grammys and awakened everyone's nostalgia for first love. I opened Noah's fan group chat and lurked quietly. The messages were flying by—99+ in seconds. Many fans who just left the concert were spamming keysmashes and crying emojis. The atmosphere must have been electric. Suddenly, someone tagged me: "@Admin, you didn't go to Noah's concert?" I've been a fan since his debut four years ago. I founded this group. Everyone knows how much I love him. But I couldn't snag a ticket. The scalper I negotiated with bailed last minute. Maybe it was fate. The chat quickly moved on. "Guys, I think we have a 'Sister-in-Law'. She was front row, VIP. Gorgeous, wearing a mask. Staff escorted her backstage afterwards." My eyelids twitched. I exited the chat and checked Twitter. Trending #1: #NoahFirstLove. It was a video. The masked beauty in the front row stood out. Her eyes were striking. She had saved the empty seat next to her for her bag. She looked up at the star on stage, eyes sparkling. On stage, Noah played the piano, radiating light. He kept glancing in her direction. The dazzling lights created a dreamlike vibe, like lovers connecting across a crowd. An insider leaked that the song was written for her. She was the genius singer's unforgettable first love. "They look so good together!" "Literal romance novel tropes." "Am I the only one sad about the empty seat used for a bag? That's a prime spot!" I turned off my phone. 2 I don't follow celebrity gossip, except for one person. Noah. It's hard to explain. As he shines brighter, the distance between us grows. I decided to transfer ownership of the fan group and permissions in the next few days. I need to move on. While journaling that night, I listened to "She Can Hear" again. I heard this melody in high school. Noah chose to sit next to me because I was the quietest girl in class. I wouldn't annoy him or crush on him like the others. Actually, I was just quiet. People called me "Little Deaf Girl," "Little Mute." But not Noah. I liked him a little, but I hid it well. He didn't know. I remember everything about him clearly. Late June of junior year, Noah pulled me up from the ground, wiped the blood from my forehead, and sang this song to me. Same melody, same lyrics. The scent of summer radiated from him, our shadows merging on the ground. When he reached the last line, he suddenly pulled out my hearing aid. My world went silent. I only remember his eyes. He leaned in and sang the last line into my ear. "I like you." So that was it. 3 Netizens quickly identified the masked beauty from the concert. It was Linda, a singer who debuted on a talent show. Her brand was "Rich Girl Chasing Dreams for Love." In interviews, she was open about it: "I joined the industry for one person. He's a musical genius." Now the answer was clear. It was for Noah. Her Instagram comments were flooded with "Hello, Sister-in-Law." I didn't feel much jealousy, just a strange emptiness. So, Noah likes girls like that. Before transferring the fan group, I met up with a fellow fan, "Bunny," at a coffee shop. "She Can Hear" was playing in the background. The girl at the next table was gushing, "Did you see Linda and Noah's interview? I'm dying, they're so cute." Bunny arrived late. She paused when she saw me. I smiled, eyes crinkling. "What, can't deaf people like music?" She waved her hands frantically, relaxing the mood. Before handing everything over, Bunny joked, "How long have you been stanning Noah?" "Seven years." She laughed. "Noah only debuted four years ago." I looked at my reflection in the glass door and smiled. Seventeen to twenty-four. Seven years. I didn't miscount. I've liked Noah for seven years. "No regrets?" Bunny asked one last time. "No regrets." 4 I logged into Discord. Everyone uses other apps now, but back in high school, this was it. My friend list was sparse. Under "Favorites," there was only one name: Noah. His avatar was permanently grey. I added him back when we were desk mates under the guise of homework. But his account was probably hacked or abandoned long ago. It would never light up green again. Even knowing that, I rarely dared to disturb him. I just opened the chat and stared when I missed him. This time, I wanted to say a proper goodbye. I typed and deleted paragraphs, finally sending just three words: "Great song." Even just those words made my palms sweat. My heart raced, even knowing he wouldn't see it. Suddenly, the avatar flickered. From grey to green. Online. Noah is typing... He sent two messages: "Thanks." "Did you hear it?" I froze. I never expected him to see it, let alone reply. When the screen dimmed, I snapped out of it and typed back: "I heard it. Your song is everywhere. Congratulations." My desk mate had become a legend. I was genuinely happy for his bright future. The "is typing" indicator stayed on for a long time. I waited. Finally, two words came through. "Goodnight." I guess I'm really bad at chatting. But I felt lucky. At the end of a seven-year crush, I got a "goodnight." 5 I packed away all my Noah posters and albums. My mom helped. "It's time to let go." I hummed in agreement. My mom was actually a fan too, but she met Noah back in high school. She knew I wasn't chasing a star; I just liked Noah, the person. My mom paused, then said meaningfully, "That girl looks pretty." She meant Linda. Mom was watching gossip videos about them this morning, checking if I was crying. Netizens dug up Linda's high school photos. Same high school as us, one year below Noah. She fit the "first love" profile perfectly. Internet sleuths were declaring the ship sailed. I stayed silent, looking at the photo. It was from the sophomore talent show. Linda was the host, announcing the act. Behind her, at the piano, was Noah. Radiant. Even I had to admit, they looked perfect together. 6 The scandal between Noah and Linda was a huge win for Green Valley High. As their alma mater, the school's upcoming centennial celebration got massive exposure because of Noah. Alumni invitations had been sent out long ago. I was going too. I had no nostalgia for Green Valley High. The only thing worth looking back at was Noah. But I had to go because Noah would be there. I needed to see him one last time to return what I owed him. My mom took out a tin box from her nightstand and carefully handed me a savings book. We didn't earn much, so saving this amount was hard. It was roughly the cost of the hearing aid Noah gave me back then. Returning it at the reunion wouldn't take up much of his time. Holding the book, I felt dazed. I was going to see Noah... 7 I didn't expect getting into the reunion to be so hard. Media outlets were camped outside. Security was tight, checking every alum to prevent paparazzi and crazy fans from sneaking in. I was stuck because I hadn't received my invitation. I pulled out my student ID, diplomas, everything. I was about to call my retired homeroom teacher when the security guard glanced at my hearing aid with disdain. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he shoved me aside to welcome someone else. I stumbled. Cameras started flashing like crazy. It looked like a red carpet event. I steadied myself and turned around. It was a star. Linda, surrounded by bodyguards, big sunglasses hiding her face. Her face had been trending for two days. The guard recognized her instantly and let her through without asking for an invite. I lowered my eyes and waited for them to pass. But Linda stopped as she passed me. I looked up blankly. Her gaze lingered on my ear, then my face. She paused, then took off her sunglasses, revealing her sharp, beautiful eyes. Linda chuckled. "This is Green Valley High, not a school for the deaf and mute. Did you get lost?" My eyes widened in shock. My face burned. The guard laughed. "Ms. Linda, don't worry. Our security is top-notch. We won't let riff-raff in." I've dealt with prejudice before. But this time, it was humiliating. I couldn't even argue. I just looked down. Then, behind Linda, a sleek black car stopped. The tinted window rolled down slowly, revealing a cold, noble face. I never imagined reuniting with Noah like this. Not when I was so pathetic. I tried to hide my face. Too late. "Winnie." Noah called my name softly. That was his first sentence. The paparazzi spotted him. Flashes went off like a celebration. "Long time no see. Little Desk Mate." He enunciated clearly. That was his second sentence. 8 Little Desk Mate. Thinking back to high school, I rarely remember the insults like "Deaf Girl" or "Mute." I remember Noah waking up from a nap, a red mark on his face, asking raspy-voiced: "Little Desk Mate, what time is it?" Noah was popular. He spoke little, but he wasn't antisocial. He'd lean back, twirl a pen, smile slightly, and people would flock to him. I was different. Quiet, isolated. My hearing aid back then was cheap and didn't fit my hearing loss profile. I often zoned out in my silent world. People lost patience trying to talk to me. Only Noah, maybe bored from sitting next to me, would repeat himself patiently. "Little Desk Mate, homework due." "Little Desk Mate, help me out." "Little Desk Mate, can you hear me?" "Little Desk Mate."
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