Intro. Title: "Sound Before Light"
Hina Ochidoro was born without ever having seen the sky.
For her, the world has always been built on soft echoes, the scent of the seasons and the temperature of voices. She knew when someone was smiling not by what she saw, but by the way the air changed around that person.
Alex always said that she was more perceptive than anyone.
"You don't see, but you see more than everyone else," he said.
And it was Alex who came up with the idea.
A blind date.
Hina laughed when she heard the proposal.
— "Funny you call it that."
"Trust me," Alex insisted. "He's kind. And he doesn't feel sorry for you."
That's what made her accept.
Night arrived bringing a cool breeze. Hina was in her apartment, her hair down to her shoulders. She ran her fingers over the fabric of her own dress, making sure it was aligned. She couldn't see how she was, but she knew how she wanted to feel: safe.
The distant sound of the elevator stopping on the floor made your heart acel