"Mira, you're not saying anything. Are you angry?"
Kaito asked anxiously. At their usual break spot, Mira silently looked at her phone.
Hiyori whispered, "Silence also has meaning."
"What meaning?"
Sora observed. "Look at Mira's posture. Her body is turned away from Kaito."
"True. She's farther than usual."
Hiyori explained. "This is nonverbal communication. Messages beyond words."
"Mira, did I do something?" Kaito asked directly.
Mira didn't answer, concentrating more on her phone.
Sora wrote in her notebook. "Avoidance behavior. Not making eye contact, taking physical distance."
"Is that a sign of anger?" Kaito asked.
"Could be anger, hurt, or discomfort," Hiyori analyzed. "Silence doesn't have just one reason."
Sora questioned. "Kaito, did you say something to Mira recently?"
"Umm... yesterday I said, 'You've been gloomy lately.'"
Hiyori's eyes widened. "That might be it."
"What was wrong?"
"'Gloomy' is a negative label. You're evaluating the person."
Mira reacted for the first time. She nodded slightly.
Sora continued. "'Lately' creates a temporal frame, treating it as an ongoing problem."
"I didn't mean it that way. I was just worried."
Hiyori gently said, "But what was conveyed might have been 'criticism' not 'concern.'"
Kaito turned to Mira. "Sorry. I was worried. But I said it wrong."
Mira looked up for the first time. But still said nothing.
Sora explained. "Silence has multiple functions. Rejection, thinking, emotional processing, protest..."
"Which is Mira's silence?"
Hiyori observed. "Look at her expression. Eyebrows slightly lowered. A sign of sadness."
"She's hurt," Kaito understood.
Sora added. "There's also possibility of protesting through silence. Like 'You hurt me with words, so I won't use words.'"
Kaito tried to approach, but Mira pulled away.
"Physical distance widened," Hiyori pointed out. "A sign she doesn't want closeness yet."
"Then what should I do?"
Sora suggested. "First, respect the distance. And accept the silence."
"I don't need to talk?"
"Right now, don't force conversation."
Hiyori added. "Wait for Mira's pace."
Kaito repositioned himself. "Okay. I'll wait."
Silence continued for a while. But this time, not aggressive silence—silence for thinking time.
Eventually, Mira said quietly, "I was hurt."
"Sorry," Kaito immediately apologized.
"But I had no energy to argue back."
Sora showed understanding. "So you chose silence."
Mira nodded. "I thought putting it into words would hurt more."
Hiyori gently asked. "How would you have liked me to say it?"
"I wanted you to ask, 'Seem down lately? Did something happen?'"
Kaito reflected. "A question, not evaluation."
"Yes. Ask without deciding, please."
Sora wrote in her notebook. "Evaluation: 'You're gloomy.' Question: 'Are you okay?'"
Leo passed by and joined after seeing the situation. "In nonverbal communication research, about 70% of messages are conveyed beyond words."
"70%?" Kaito was surprised.
"Tone of voice, facial expressions, posture, gaze, distance... all carry meaning."
Hiyori supplemented. "'Saying nothing' isn't 'conveying nothing.'"
Mira smiled slightly. "Silence is also communication."
"Yes. Different from ignoring," Sora acknowledged.
Kaito asked. "From now on, how should I be careful?"
Leo answered. "First, observe. Notice changes in expression, posture, distance."
"Next, confirm interpretation," Hiyori added. "Not 'Are you angry?' but 'Did I say something offensive?'"
Mira looked at Kaito. "Now, I'm okay."
"Really?"
"You can come closer."
Kaito carefully approached. Mira didn't pull away.
Sora smiled. "Distance narrowed. A sign of forgiveness."
Hiyori said, "Don't fear silence. There's a message there too."
Leo concluded. "Silence is sometimes more eloquent than words."
The four gazed outside. Unspoken messages fly through the air. Even invisible, they can be felt.
"Thank you," Mira said quietly.
That was the most beautiful word after silence.