This story takes place after the manga. I do not own A Silent Voice or any of its characters. Many times in the story, there will be different types of quotes, so they will be explained briefly.

In the context of dialogue, regular quotation marks are used. In the context of being between dialogue or on its own, a thought will be denoted by quotation marks as well as italics. The same applies for sign language, so be sure to notice the words that follow, such as "Shoya thought," or "Shoko signed," to avoid confusion. There will also be texts and emails; these will be denoted by italics without quotation marks.

Shoya Ishida had spent months' worth of his life thinking about the past. Back when he was in elementary school, he would think back to the days before he had to learn anything. When he fell out with his friends, he would think back to the days before things were tense at school. When he felt lonely, he would think back to how he used to have friends, but they turned their backs on him. When he wanted to commit suicide, he would think back to how he tormented a certain girl, to the point of them brutally attacking each other. He thought back to how he had loose ends to tie up.

When he finally tied up those loose ends, he thought back to the same girl. When they hung out, got close, became good friends, and even went around on what one may call a "date," he thought back to the same girl. When she, herself, was on the brink of suicide, and he was holding her with all of his might to prevent it, he thought back to the same girl. When he, instead fell, and was comatose for weeks, he dreamt of the same girl. Everything ultimately brought his thoughts back to the same Shoko, the one from so long ago. Things had been so much simpler in the past.

However, Shoya Ishida was living in the present. And in the present, Shoko Nishimiya, the girl that he had thought of for so long, was standing right in front of him.

At the door and on his phone, texting Shoko, Shoya briefly glanced at his mental checklist. He knew that he had a certain criteria to meet; he had to hold Shoko's hand, kiss her, and most importantly, confess to her. He could not decide which of the two latter that he was most scared of, so he would hold her hand before either of them. Before anything else, however, came something he had not planned out- words. So, when he texted her, trying to get her to open the door, he could only muster a "Yo!"

Shoko, on the other hand was speechless. Seeing Shoya after so long, face to face and out of the blue, reminded her of what transpired at the bridge. Reminiscent of this, Shoko shakily pointed her index finger towards Shoya, not trying to determine whether or not he was a ghost (since it was entirely possible that Shoya could have died at the time that they had met at the bridge), but trying to determine whether or not she was merely dreaming. Shoya stared at it blankly, not sure why she was doing it, so he matched her actions, lightly poking her index finger with his own.

"Uh!" Shoko exclaimed, surprised. She had actually thought that she had been dreaming, since Shoya's request was so odd. "Shoya!" she said, happily. Shoya noticed how she said his name so well, despite not knowing what it actually sounded like. "Cuh in, cuh in! (Come in, come in!)"

Shoya politely, being led inside by his sleeve, which Shoko was excitedly holding. She had him sit down, but Shoya had no intention of staying seated. "Shoko." he said while getting her attention with a shoulder-tap. "You sit, I'll make some tea." he said while signing. He had a vague idea of where things would be, since he had spent so much time at her apartment back in town. Shoko stared at him. For a second, everything seemed unreal. Shoko hesitated before sitting down. Shoya looked at her, into her eyes. Again, they both seemed incredibly close to confessing right there. Shoya broke the silence, though. "U-uh, I woke you up at this late hour, so I definitely owe you a cup of tea, right?" he asked while signing, rubbing his neck nervously.

Shoko sat down, watching as Shoya worked. He managed to get the tea going relatively briefly, so he brought the cups over, placing them on coasters. He took his seat on the floor, sitting on his knees as politely as possible. Despite already having done all this, he still had yet to explain anything to Shoko. "Ah! By the way! How are you?" Shoya asked. Shoko just stared at him in return. Shoya had signed at her, so she definitely could understand him- that is, if she even was looking at his hands. Again, Shoko found that her eyes were locked with his.

"Shoya… whadd a goincidenz…. (Shoya... what a coincidence…)" Shoko began, after sipping some tea. She was taking extra care to not sign, despite the fact that it would make it significantly harder for Shoya to understand her. Shoya was not the same Shoya as the one in the past, though. He was not so misunderstanding, there would be no other "moon," moment, Shoko was sure of it. "Ah was agdally about do see uh! (I was actually about to see you!)"

Shoya sipped his tea. "I wonder if it was for the same reason…" he thought. He smiled. "Then it was really lucky that I got here when I did!" he said while signing. Right now, the two were simply sitting across each other, enjoying their company. This was the perfect situation; going to get food would mean they would be in public, going out, even for a walk, would mean they would be in the dark (and Shoko would have trouble understanding him).

Shoko looked at him intently. Her expression, which had before been one of happiness, changed to deep concern. "Shoya!" she exclaimed. She signed, first pointing at her own eye and then pointing at his. Shoya stared at her, confused. It then clicked for him. "I'm crying?" he thought to himself as he wiped his eyes dry. "Ahh, sorry! I'm alright!" he said reassuringly while signing. Shoya was crying from joy. He had yet to make any sort of move, but just being in Shoko's presence after so long of not seeing her was enough to move him to tears. It was much like the overwhelming sense of relief one may receive after, having been traveling for hours or even days, their destination at last comes into view.

Shoko did not take Shoya's tears lightly. She, too, had been so happy to see him after so long of only seeing him through photos, but it pained her deeply to see him cry. Shoya tried his hardest to reassure her, but Shoko was no longer so easy to pacify. Of course, a year ago, Shoya's reassurance would have been enough to calm Shoko down, and she would simply smile and move on. However, soon after her attempted suicide, she began to stay true to her feelings and respond to them, for her own sake as well as the sake of those around her. She would no longer simply hide behind a smile for everything. Right here and now, seeing the love of her life crying in front of her, she could not accept a plain, "I'm alright."

"Shoya!" Shoko said loudly, interrupting him from any attempt at an explanation. Shoya, who had already been staring at Shoko's face, now focused on her eyes. "Zomedin's wrogg… please dell me… (Something's wrong… please tell me…)"

Shoya hadn't expected this from Shoko. Because he wasn't actually sad, and his tears had been those of relief, he smiled at her concern. "Shoko… you're getting so much better at talking…" he said with a bright smile, his eyes now dry.

Shoko stared in shock. Shoko didn't know what type of response Shoya would give, but she certainly didn't expect him to say something like that. "A compliment…" she thought with a flushed face. She thought back to a few nights ago, when the two went back and forth, complimenting each other, both seemingly on the verge of confessing. "I don't care how many compliments I say or am given… I have to confess tonight…" she thought as she stared into her tea, steeling her resolve. She stared back up at Shoya, who was gazing into her eyes. Her resolve wavered as her heart melted. "He's so cute…"

Shoya's face lit up as he was reminded of what he even showed up to do. He certainly loved drinking tea with his soulmate, but that was not his intended or original goal. He went to see her to confess. He thought back to so long ago, around the time they first met. Shoko had reached out and grabbed his hand, as a way to tell him that she wanted to be friends. She did the same thing again, around a year or so ago, after Shoya returned her notebook and asked to be friends with her. Shoya looked at his hand. "This isn't just for a regular friendship… this is for more…" he thought as he gulped hard and reached his hand out to Shoko.

He briefly thought back to the high school festival, which was only half a year ago. He had just recovered from his coma, and everyone at the school was talking about him. This was much to his dismay, as Shoya hated being the source of any sort of attention at the time, and he couldn't look people in the eyes. After explaining this to Shoko, she offered to drag him around so that he didn't have to hold his head up and see everyone. He held out his hand for Shoko to grab. "She only grabbed my sleeve back then…"

There was a crash, and the two's gazes shifted from each other to the source of the crash (which Shoko felt, not heard). As Shoya had been so entrenched in thought, he accidentally knocked over Shoko's tea instead of grabbing her hand. "C-crap!" he said as he jumped up to get something to clean it with. Shoko stared, feeling more confused and amused than anything. "He's acting so strange today…"

Shoya cleaned up the tea and swept up the broken ceramics. "I'm very sorry." Shoya said while signing. He averted eye contact with Shoko now, feeling like he just missed his one and only shot with her. Luckily for him, Shoko was, for the moment, oblivious.

"Wha was that? (What was that?)" she asked. She giggled a little, but after seeing Shoya's nervous face, her expression grew worried. "Yoah aggding funny, Shoya (You're acting funny, Shoya)"

Shoya was still sweeping and staring at the ground, which was already clean. He looked up at Shoko and set the broom aside. "Shoko… silly me! I came here to do something, and I'm too clumsy to do it properly…" he began to say out loud, before becoming choked up and moving to sign language. "I only hope that it works out… I guess that's selfish of me…"

Ever since elementary school ended, Shoya felt like he had been incredibly selfish. As an even younger boy, he was taught by his sister that life was a "constant war against boredom." So, he realized that he had only been acting out in class and getting in trouble, jumping off of bridges and getting soaked, and bullying Shoko and making her life miserable as ways to simply avoid boredom. He realized that he wanted to get rid of his guilt and tie off loose ends. He would, among other things, pay his mother back and return Shoko's notebook before finding a tall bridge to jump off. He would end up more than soaked though.

Now, things were different. He didn't exactly end up paying his mother back, he didn't end up killing himself, and he didn't end up simply returning the notebook. He stayed alive, being there for everyone around him and growing as a person. However, the simple fact that he was benefiting from any of this made him feel as though he was being incredibly selfish. Even now, as he was preparing to confess, he couldn't help but feel like he was only acting for himself.

Shoko shook her head. "Yoah the leezt shelfish pershon ah know! (You're the least selfish person I know!)" Shoko stood up abruptly, almost jumping out of her seat. She began to list off everything that Shoya had done, ranging all the way from helping Shoko and her family bake a cake to saving her life. "You gan't say yoah beeig shelfish!" She breathed hard and clenched the bottom of her shirt in her fists. "Why does he still feel so guilty?" she thought as she stared back up to an awestruck Shoya.

Finally, it happened. With no warning that either of the two particularly noticed, Shoya's hand darted forward, enveloping Shoko's hand within. He gulped hard held it for a few moments. His eyes were shut, since he was terrified to see how she reacted to this. Depending on how she reacted, he would either stay there to confess in person or leave to confess over text. Either way, he planned on confessing that night.

Shoya, who had his eyes shut, slowly opened them to gauge Shoko's reaction. Shoko was in shock. Her face was red, her mouth was agape, and her expression was blank. Shoya took this blank expression as a result of disgust. He slowly loosened his grip and let her hand fall back down to her side. He signed an "I'm sorry." and turned around, prepared to go back home in shame. Shoko snapped back to her senses and stopped him. She ran to him, grabbing the hand that was on her doorknob with her own, preventing him from turning it. Instead, he turned towards her. "Sho...ko?" he said as his face began to burn. She had yet to let go of his hand or break eye contact with him. Each of their free hands went into fists as they balled them up, steeling their own nerves.

Shoya and Shoko stared into each others' eyes, unmoving and silent, yet brimming with passion. It seemed as though they were telepathically communicating their words of love toward each other, or perhaps even transmitting it through touch. Shoya put his other hand to use, placing it on Shoko's shoulder. "Shoko… I…" He began to speak, but he stopped himself, wanting to sign instead for clarity.

Shoko shook her head. Whether she said it clearly, or they could understand each other perfectly now, Shoya didn't know. The fact is that Shoko spoke up, stopping Shoya from letting go of her hand, and saying, "Don't sign… let me hear your voice…" Her expression radiated love as she leaned in close to place her good (not one hundred percent deaf) ear closer to Shoya's mouth.

Shoya gulped hard and continued what he was going to say. "Shoko… ever since the time at the balcony, I've been kicking myself for not trying to be more open with you… I've wanted to know how you feel, like, about me… 'cause, you see, I feel…" Shoya trailed off for a moment. Shoko looked up at him. "...I feel like actions speak louder than words." Shoya placed the hand that had been on her shoulder onto her other hand, gripping it firmly, but not anywhere near firmly enough to cause her pain. He was delighted to feel that she gripped back, with both of her hands.

Brief flashes of all the little moments they had together came over Shoya's vision. Shoya was returning Shoko's notebook, and Shoko was helping him stand up after he tripped and hit his face. Shoya was actively searching for Miyoko so that Shoko would regain missed childhood opportunities, and Shoko was comforting Shoya after he had a brief falling out with the friend group he had built up. Shoya was complimenting Shoko's hair, and Shoko was giving him a gift that she hoped he would enjoy. Shoya was saving Shoko's life, and Shoko was solidifying herself as his life.

After the visions exited from his field of vision, Shoya acted. "Actions speak louder than words!" he thought, pumping himself up for this moment. He leaned down and kissed Shoko on the lips, very briefly. In those two seconds that their lips met, either one of them would do anything to live in that moment for eternity. Shoya opened his eyes and stood up slowly, again, gauging a response from Shoko. Shoko's eyes were still closed, but they darted open. With them came tears. Initially, Shoya was terrified that he had, indeed, made a grave error, but he found this fear to be unfounded soon after. Shoko's hands freed themselves of his own and were placed on both sides of his face, pulling him back down. Their lips met once more. Shoya's hands moved to wrap around her frame, pulling her close in a loving embrace. Without knowing it, the two were thinking the exact same thing. "I've waited so long for this… finally…"

Their lips broke apart again. Shoya again felt tears stream down his face, but Shoko didn't worry so much about it like she did several minutes ago. Instead, she simply caressed his face with her hands, using her thumbs to dry the tears from his damp eyes. "I…" Shoko began. She gulped, not wanting to say the wrong thing this time. "I lub you…"

Shoya felt his heart skip a beat. "I lub moo…" he remembered her saying. "Oh, man… I'm such an idiot…" Shoya was thinking back to when Shoko and him determined that they were not merely "fake friends." Naoka had just before then accused Shoya of being "fake friends" with Shoko, as in out of pity. However, the two resolved to get to know each other better because of it. After a brief interaction in which Shoko gave him a gift, Shoko attempted to confess her feelings toward Shoya. Shoya, however, misheard what Shoko meant as "you" to be "moon."

For a second, he was overwhelmingly embarrassed for having misunderstood something so badly back then. He ended up fine, though. He knew that what mattered is that they could understand each other here and now. So, here and now, Shoya would finally be able to reply appropriately to Shoko's confession. He took her hands in his once more. "Shoko, I love you too" as the words escaped from Shoya's lips, he felt a wave of emotion come over him. "I love you! I LOVE YOU!" he exclaimed, louder each time. He collapsed to his knees, as if he was fatigued from exercise. "I love you…" he said with a huge grin on his face. He had never imagined that he would actually say this in person.

Shoko came down to her knees, and the two embraced each other for some time. Neither of them had ever felt happier. Shoya was too nervous to do anything other than that, but Shoko was feeling all over Shoya's back with one hand and running her hands through his hair with the other. After a few minutes, the two moved to be on seats, instead of still being in front of the door. They talked for hours about little things, like how their days went, little compliments, and cute anecdotes they remember from spending time with each other. After a few more minutes, it became clear that they were about to pass out from exhaustion (since it was late/early, neither had slept much, and crying makes people tired).

Shoya offered to sleep on the floor, but Shoko shook her head and lifted up her blanket for Shoya to crawl under. Hesitantly, Shoya did so. He didn't regret it one bit. He wrapped an arm around the person he loved the most, pulled her close, and held her tight. The idea of being so close to Shoko was enough to make him cry from joy, but the warmth being so close to Shoko caused his drowsiness to overpower him, and sleep followed soon after. The last thing he remembered before closing his eyes was resting his chin on top of her head and noticing how soft her hair was. "I'm the luckiest guy ever..." Shoya thought as he drifted to sleep.

The next morning, the two slept in until late in the afternoon. They would get up to use the bathroom and brush their teeth, only to return to the bed to cuddle with their soulmate. Neither of them could fathom a better way to wake up than waking up right next to the person that they hold closest in their hearts and in their arms.

So, when they finally got up, they spent some time getting used to the idea of being a couple. They were already a little flirty when they were just friends, so conversations wouldn't be a whole lot different. Now, though, they would hold hands, go on dates, and even sometimes kiss. Thankfully for them, these were all things that they had wanted to do for so long anyways.

The two got ready to leave for the train station, where they would board a train to take them back to town. However, they would no longer just be the two teenagers who everyone wanted to see end up together. Shoya held the door open for Shoko. No, they would be the teenagers who everyone sees end up together.

The door shut behind them, and Shoko locked it. Their hands met as they walked down the hallway and to the elevator. They left the dorm building completely different from how they each entered it. They each entered the building sad, anxious, and longing. They left the building happy, excited, and fulfilled. But more importantly than any of that, they left together.

*** The End! ***