He was mute. Though he could understand others, he could not speak his own feelings. She was his neighbor, a girl who lived with her grandmother, and she always called him "brother."
He truly acted like an elder brother, taking her to school, playing with her, and listening to her cheerful chatter with a smile.
He communicated with her only through gestures, yet she seemed to understand his every glance. From the way he looked at her, she knew how much he cared.
Later, she was accepted into university and was overjoyed. He began working tirelessly, sending her money continuously. She never refused.
Finally, she graduated and started working. Then, she said to him firmly, "Brother, I want to marry you!" He fled like a frightened rabbit and refused to see her again, no matter how she pleaded.
She said, "Do you think I pity you? Do you think I want to repay you? No, I've loved you since I was twelve." But she received no answer.
One day, she was suddenly hospitalized. Terrified, he rushed to see her. The doctor said a tumor in her throat had been removed, but her vocal cords were damaged. She might never speak again. On the hospital bed, her tear-filled eyes met his gaze, and they were married.
For many years, no one heard them utter a word. They communicated with their hands, with pens, and with their eyes, sharing joy and sorrow. They became an object of envy for other couples. People said, "What a happy mute couple!"
Love could not hold back death. He passed away, leaving her behind.
People came to comfort her, fearing she could not bear the loss. At that moment, she withdrew her vacant stare from his portrait and suddenly spoke: "He's gone."
The truth was revealed.