Not So Silent, a romance webtoon, focuses on the relatable lives of teenagers struggling to fit in amidst academic stress, social expectations, and peer pressure. Packed with endearing and heart-melting moments, Not So Silent emphasizes finding strength in friendship amidst the chaos of uncertain emotions and unwanted drama. The webtoon also promotes inclusivity, accommodation, and accessibility in classrooms for students with disabilities. Previously, in Not So Silent, London went too far and announced Lewis’s house party to the entire school. As their relationship fractures- possibly even permanently- Lewis turns to Fern for help. Chapter 20 concludes as the duo, along with Atlas, put a stop to the out-of-control house party. What happens next? Let’s explore Not So Silent Chapter 21-30 to find out!
Not So Silent Chapter 21: Fern Helps Lewis Clean Up
Not So Silent Chapter 21 begins as Lewis expresses his gratitude towards Fern. ‘What can I say? I like crashing parties.’ he signs in response. Lewis offers to drive him home, but Fern refuses, saying that he’d help him clean first. Lewis insists that he doesn’t need assistance, and Fern stubbornly disagrees.
In the hilarious scene that follows, Lewis tries to drag Fern (who’s completely uncooperative) by his leg. Defeated, Lewis sighs and compromises to let him help for ten minutes. Fern, finally satisfied, nods his head in agreement.
Later, the duo, both fully equipped with a broom and mop, make the most of their time while cleaning the house. “There’s no way you can do that. Nobody can bring their knee to their face.” Lewis tells Fern disbelievingly. Accepting the challenge, Fern easily raises his leg in a single, graceful movement. At the sight of his perfect leg extension, Lewis’s jaw drops open. Then, recovering from his shock, he decides that it can’t be too hard. He tries to do it himself… and tremendously fails.
Fern doubles over, rolling with laughter. ‘Sorry, sorry. I probably sound really annoying,’ he apologizes, wiping his tears. Remembering how Fern previously confessed that people had laughed at his voice, Lewis signs, ‘I don’t know why people said that- your voice is literally beautiful!’ Not So Silent Chapter 21 concludes as Fern stares dumbfounded, cheeks pink at the unexpected compliment.
Chapter 22: Fern Can’t Believe Lewis
Not So Silent Chapter 22 begins as Fern, still incredibly flustered, tells Lewis he doesn’t have to lie about his voice. Lewis counters, saying that wasn’t lying, “Your laugh is the nicest and most genuine I’ve ever heard in my life, Fern.”
Fern immediately turns away, fiercely blushing, and thinks, ‘It has to be a pity compliment. There’s no way!’ Lewis becomes worried that he signed something wrong (again) and begins to repeat his statement slowly. Fern abruptly clamps his hand over his mouth. As both of their faces flush deep red, Fern removes his hand and decides to just focus on cleaning instead. They turn away from each other and quietly get back to work.
Daylight filters through the house. Soft golden rays fall on Lewis and Fern, passed out in ridiculous positions in the living room. Fern snores against the handle of the mop in his hands and suddenly loses balance, falling off the sofa (well, if he was ever really on it). He wakes up, groaning and holding his head. The mop whacks Lewis square on his head. He wakes to attention, ready to chase off a group of dangerous burglars- or wild, partying high schoolers- with his broom.
After being rudely awakened, both of them sit up. They notice each other’s sleep-deprived faces and begin laughing. As they celebrate successfully tidying up Lewis’s house, Fern’s stomach begins to loudly rumble. Since Lewis’s fridge is empty- a consequence of throwing a chaotic high school house party- Fern suggests they eat breakfast at his house, concluding Not So Silent Chapter 22.
Not So Silent Chapter 23: Fern’s Cat Approves of Lewis
Not So Silent Chapter 23 begins as the duo pulls up to Fern’s house. As they walk up to the porch, Fern tells Lewis he should’ve let him drive. Lewis jokes that he doesn’t want a speeding ticket (don’t you remember last time, Fern?) As he playfully nudges him, a voice suddenly begins yelling in Spanish. Fern’s mother appears and takes her son’s face into her hands, commenting on how he looks like he hasn’t slept in days.
Lewis awkwardly begins to tell her not to blame Fern, when suddenly, she presses her hands to his face too. “Look at you both! My god, you didn’t sleep either!” she says. Sofia, Fern’s mischievous little sister, pops up in the doorframe, delightedly asking if her brother is in trouble. Mrs. Montalvo shooed all the kids inside and told them to talk over breakfast.
Glitter Glue’s Verdict
Inside, she scolds Fern for leaving the garage door open and says that ‘Glitter Glue’ could’ve gotten out. Sofia explains to a confused Lewis that Glitter Glue is Fern’s evil farty cat that he named when he was little. As if on cue, a grumpy black cat stalks up to Lewis. Sofia tells him not to move so Glitter won’t bite him. However, Lewis gets lucky because the ‘Fart Lord’ deems him worthy of a snuggle. Sofia and Fern watch in utter amazement as Lewis cuddles the docile cat. “He usually hisses or tries to bite new people!” she exclaims.
As Fern stares at Lewis while he plays with his cat, Mr. Montalvo yawns and shuffles into the room. Fern’s father, having hearing impairments too, signs ‘What’d I miss…?’ Angrily, Mrs. Montalvo explains how Fern was absent all night. She waits for him to justify her temper, but he takes the matter casually. To avoid the glowering stare that follows, he changes the topic and asks, “So, who wants pancakes?” Not So Silent Chapter 23 concludes with Fern introducing Lewis to his father, and Lewis greets Mr. Montalvo by signing ‘Hello’.
Chapter 24: Lewis Describes Fern’s Voice
Not So Silent Chapter 24 begins as Fern brags that Lewis is the student council president and ‘basically runs the whole school. Although Lewis dismisses the statement, he tells the family that he’s in charge of the homecoming dance. Sofia asks about the theme, and Lewis declares that she’ll love it. “Stu co and I decided on…. Wonderland,” he reveals. He excitedly explains the idea, including the ‘weird trippy tea party stuff’.
Mrs. Montalvo is impressed and says that his parents must be proud of him. Lewis avoids her eyes and mumbles nervously, “Maybe.” Then, Fern’s father swoops in with a stack of pancakes and announces that the menu is ‘all you can eat’.
After breakfast, all three kids slump on the table, feeling overstuffed with food. Fern signs that he needs a nap, and Lewis agrees, saying he’ll head home. Mrs. Montalvo cuts him off and firmly says that neither of the sleepyheads should be driving in their exhausted state. She leads them to Fern’s bedroom, where he immediately falls asleep on the floor. Lewis thanks her for the hospitality and assures her that Fern’s snoring is less of a nuisance and more soothing like white noise.
He lies down on the bed, scratching Glitter Glue when Fern, who’s apparently still awake, suddenly appears beside him. Fern shifts to face Lewis and asks him to honestly explain what his voice sounds like. “When I hear your voice,” Lewis begins, “it sounds bright. Confident? Deep, but not too deep. Really charming, almost princely? But reserved and guarded.” Fern thinks about how he’d been bullied for his voice in the past and had stopped believing any compliments. Not So Silent Chapter 24 concludes as Fern realizes that he trusts Lewis’s opinion.
Not So Silent Chapter 25: Phil Interviews London
Not So Silent Chapter 25 begins as London, walking in the hallway, sees Lewis lost in thought. Realizing she doesn’t know what to say or do, she quickly passes by the classroom. She muses over her actions and regrets asking Lewis out; she’d never thought of him that way. ‘I failed him. I truly failed him,’ she thinks.
She’d always been told that there was only one reason a boy would be friends with a girl. London criticises herself for running away from her problems. Her self-deprecating thoughts, inked out in bold red ink, occupy her mind as she walks.
Suddenly, she runs into Phil, who asks her if she has a minute to talk. Phil explains that she wants to interview her for the yearbook. Anxious, London asks if it has something to do with Lewis and begins to apologize. Surprised, Phil says she just has questions for the music page. She begins recording the conversation on her phone and asks her about being the school band’s only female drummer. London looks away and admits that she’d quit the drumline. Phil looks worried, puts her phone away, and tells her that she’s available to talk off the record. She tells her to find her at the Faraday Farmer’s Market in the evening. Not So Silent Chapter 25 concludes as London realizes with dread that she’d received a message from Atlas asking to talk.
Chapter 26: Atlas Reproaches London
Not So Silent Chapter 26 begins as Atlas impatiently waits for London with her arms folded. London approaches her with her head down.
Without much greeting, Atlas asks her what she was thinking when she invited the entire school to Lewis’s house. She furiously explains how they’d stopped the party and the tragic state of the house afterwards. “And after all that, he asked me not to be too harsh on you! After you left him to clean up your mess, he was still trying to be nice to you!” Atlas exclaims to London. She expresses her disappointment, stating that the friend she knew never would’ve done this a year ago.
As the terrible red words of disapproval float up in her mind again, London swallows her tears and acknowledges her mistake. Atlas tells her to apologize to Lewis and that she’d begun reconsidering their friendship. London begins to panic inside, but just nods in understanding.
After Atlas leaves, London runs away to her locker and buries her face in her knees. She remembers the time when she was a drummer, she’d started throwing up due to dehydration, and had to be rushed to the hospital. ‘Get it together!’ she tells herself through the tears, ‘This isn’t about me!’ Not So Silent Chapter 26 concludes as London reaches her breaking point and decides she needs to talk to someone. She makes up her mind to meet Phil.
Not So Silent Chapter 27: Fern Has An Enemy
Not So Silent Chapter 27 begins as Fern unsuccessfully tries to sneak up on Lewis. Lewis points to his wheelie shoes and explains that they click. Fern promises to get him next time and then asks Lewis if he wants to accompany him to the Farmer’s Market in the evening.
Suddenly one of the high-schoolers from Lewis’s party intently storms towards them (target: the ‘blue-haired bozo’). Fern had intimidated him into leaving Lewis’s house, making him look cowardly in front of his girlfriend, who broke up with him soon after. He begins yelling at them. Lewis sees him approach, with the furious gait of a charging bull, and taps the oblivious Fern.
Fern realizes who it is and tells Lewis to ignore him. The boy is enraged and shoves Fern in anger. While Lewis tries to break them up, Fern adds fuel to the fire. He picks up a notepad and hands him a letter (and it’s not very nice). Not So Silent Chapter 27 concludes as the boy sees a bottle of juice and pours the purple liquid over Fern’s head.
Chapter 28: Fern’s Ballet Class
Not So Silent Chapter 28 begins as Fern, totally drenched in juice, stares down the boy. As Fern balls his hands, he closes his eyes and braces to be hit. On the contrary, Fern glamorously slicks his hair back and asks Lewis how he looks. Furious, the boy calls both Fern and Lewis ‘freaks’. He runs out like a child while saying, “I hate you both!”
They watch him go for a moment, and then Lewis points out Fern’s ruined clothes. Ever the optimist, Fern says that he’d never liked his shirt, and his hair had protected his hearing aids from damage. Lewis pushes him out of the class, saying he needs to clean up, but Fern makes him promise to come to the Farmer’s Market first. Grudgingly, Lewis agrees.
Later, at a dance studio, Fern attends his ballet class. A teacher shouts out instructions at a red-haired boy, Gage, dancing with Fern. She corrects his posture and tells him to get into character. Then, she signals Fern, who gracefully lifts Gage up into the air. They hold the pose for a second before Gage loses balance. Not So Silent Chapter 28 concludes as Fern neatly catches him before he falls.
Not So Silent Chapter 29: Farmer’s Market
Not So Silent Chapter 29 begins as Fern’s ballet teacher, Mrs. Briggs, slaps her forehead at Gage’s clumsy fall. The red-haired boy tries to thank Fern for catching him and then remembers his deafness. Mrs. Briggs dismisses class, and before he can leave, Gage catches up to Fern. He asks him if he wants to go to the Farmer’s Market together. Fern tells him that he’s already going with a friend (Lewis), but he’s welcome to join. Gage changes his mind and declines. Fern shrugs his shoulders and then waves goodbye.
Gage’s older sister slyly walks up to him and says that he’d have to learn much more than just ASL to get Fern’s attention.
Later, Lewis stands beneath the fairy lights at the Farmer’s Market, chewing on his hair. Fern approaches him and compliments his hairstyle. Calling him ‘Rapunzel’, he leads him away to ‘find some trinkets for his tower’. As they walk past the stalls, a cat keychain catches Fern’s eye. Not So Silent Chapter 29 concludes as Lewis immediately notices Fern’s moon-eyes and asks the shopkeeper for the price.
Chapter 30: Fern Bonds with Phil’s Father
Not So Silent Chapter 30 begins as Lewis buys a cat keychain for Fern. He gifts it to him as a way of expressing gratitude for his help with cleaning up after the house party.
Suddenly, Lewis notices Phil among the crowd and calls out her name. She notices them and tells them she’s here with her father, who has a booth to support his new dance studio. Fern immediately perks up and asks her what kind of dance she means. Phil explains that it’s tap dance for tonight, and her father is inviting people to try it out. Smiling, Fern rummages around in his bag and produces a pair of tap shoes. Phil shouts in glee, grabs them, and takes them to her father.
Phil’s father greets his daughter and her friends. He notices Fern’s hearing aid- similar to his own- and fawns over his custom-made tap shoes, solidifying their bond. He invites Fern to dance, she practically jumps in excitement. “Lewis, you’re so not ready for this,” Phil says.
Lewis watches Fern pull on his shoes and stretch himself. “I’m not ready for this,” he immediately agrees, concluding Not So Silent Chapter 30.
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