Not So Silent is an endearing romance webtoon centered around the everyday trials faced by high school students amidst the crushing expectations, rigid status quo, fake friends, teenage crushes, and parental pressure. As the characters navigate the unknown (and possibly perilous) waters of school life, they try to fit in, make new friends, learn new things, and discover themselves in the process. Highlighting the struggles of those with disabilities, the webtoon strives to advocate for the accessibility of quality education and inclusivity in classrooms and beyond. Let’s get started with Not So Silent chapter 1-10!
Not So Silent Chapter 1: First Day of School
Not So Silent Chapter 1 begins with the familiar chaos of the first day of school. The morning bell rings, jolting every student into a rushed frenzy. In the pandemonium, a girl collides with Lewis, the force knocking a paper out of her hands. As she apologizes, her vision focuses on the blonde-haired guy, Lewis, in front of her. Ever the friendly helper, he picks up her paper and points her in the right direction.
Lewis turns around and walks through the hallway. He’s instantaneously recognized by a number of students who enthusiastically greet him. His friend, Silas, sneaks up on him from behind, saying, “Hey there, Mr. Popular.” Atlas, with her bright blue hair, appears behind him, too. Completing the group of friends, London grabs his hand and exclaims, “We missed you! We barely saw you all summer!” They immediately begin to plan a meet-up after school (after a tight group hug, obviously), and Lewis apologizes, realizing he won’t make it due to a student council meeting. Disappointed, they try to find a way around his packed schedule… and fail. London asks him to take a break for the day, but as soon as the second bell rings, he’s already gone. Not So Silent Chapter 1 shows Lewis tries to please everyone around him (a lot like Akihiko from Our Walk Home)
Lewis Meets Fern
‘I have to make time for them soon..’ he thinks, as he walks to meet the new student he’d promised to give a campus tour. Charming the secretary (not really), Lewis quickly learns of the new student’s deafness. He panics, realizing that although he’d said he was fluent in ASL, he’s nowhere near qualified enough.
Deciding to just roll with the punches, Lewis (and all his glorious knowledge of sign language) moves to welcome the seated boy. Clumsily, he signs his name. The new boy, who’s at least half a foot taller, signs back, ‘Fernando’. They shake hands as they’re joined by his mother. Lewis warns them of his rusty signing and apologizes in advance for any mistakes. Not So Silent Chapter 1 ends hilariously as Lewis, instead of saying thank you, accidentally swears at Fern and his mother.
Chapter 2: Lewis Kicks A Ball… At Himself
Not So Silent Chapter 2 begins as Fern notifies Lewis of his error, who, completely embarrassed and flustered, apologizes immediately. After momentarily forgetting where to go (it’s a common mistake!), Lewis begins the tour.
As Lewis shows Fern the gym (although he forgets the sign), a ball speeds towards them. Before it can strike its target (which happens to be Fern’s face), Lewis adeptly reaches out and catches the ball. Fern looks at him with astonishment and disbelief as he reprimands the careless players. However, his impressive display of dexterity tarnishes quicker than his reflexes as he aims to send the ball back, and kicks it right into his own face.
At the nurse’s office, Lewis holds a tissue to his bloody nose and goes on mumbling his apologies for being a terrible guide. Fern, unable to understand a single word, gets up to sit directly in front of him. He tells him not to cover his face, so he can lip-read. As Lewis becomes increasingly worked up about his mistake, Fern signs ‘calm down’. Not So Silent Chapter 2 concludes as Fern brings up his ‘nice smile,’ making Lewis do a double-take at the words.
Not So Silent Chapter 3: Lewis Gets Fern’s Number
Not So Silent Chapter 3 begins as Lewis’s mind strays to Fern’s freckles and ‘fluffy’ hair. The nurse walks in, jarring him from his thoughts, and gives him a brief check-up. She hands him the ‘perfect remedy’, a bright blue lollipop. At the childishness, Fern unsuccessfully suppresses his laughter. Blushing fiercely, Lewis asks for a red lollipop, at least, to save his dignity. The nurse refuses.
Later, after the tour ends, Fern tells him that he hadn’t laughed so hard in a while. Before Lewis can ask for his number, Philomena, carrying a giant stack of books, interrupts them. She asks Lewis for help and begins to take him away to the yearbook room. Just as he begins to walk away in disappointment, Fern taps his shoulder and gives him his number. ‘And if you accidentally sign a curse word again, text me,’ he signs, playfully.
Meanwhile, Atlas watches them from a distance. “I guess we’re the only ones he doesn’t have time for…” says Beanie. Not So Silent Chapter 3 ends as London scrutinizes them with envy.
Chapter 4: Fern Leaves Class
Not So Silent Chapter 4 begins as Lewis’ friends discuss his constantly busy schedule, each of them hurt that he seems to have no time for them. Meanwhile, Lewis walks with Philomena. She asks him about his swollen nose, and he unconvincingly says, ‘Heh… uh. Allergies?” He gives in, explaining how he kicked the ball into his own face. “I’m sorry, what did you say?” she says coyly. Lewis begins angrily chasing after Philomena, who laughs evilly.
Later, Fern attends his first class. He sits in the front row to better understand the teacher. Optimistically, he begins following the teacher’s words… until she turns her back to write on the board. Bored, he scans the room for ‘some redeeming accessibility quality’. His eyes land on a button, used to automatically open the door, placed at a height that makes it completely accessible to a standing human, and completely inaccessible to someone in a wheelchair. He slaps his forehead, ‘okay… never mind.’ Fed up, Fern stands up and leaves the class, seeing no point in staring at his teacher’s back.
In the storage room, Lewis and Phil drop off the stack of books. She asks for his help to find the 2014-15 yearbooks. “Phil, it’s literally the first day. You’re already worried about the yearbook?” Lewis says. ‘You can never get started too early,” she says, lunging at the books like a starved animal. While she ravenously goes through the books, Lewis catches sight of Fern walking through the empty hallways.
Fern sits down, disappointed with the school’s poor accommodation. Unable to hear the teacher calling out to him, he remains lost in thought until she taps him with her foot. Chapter 4 concludes as the teacher angrily looks down at Fern.
Not So Silent Chapter 5: Phil Uses ASL
Not So Silent Chapter 5 begins as Lewis hurriedly rushes to Fern’s aid, telling the teacher, “He’s with the yearbook class.” She accepts the alibi but warns Fern not to ignore teachers. Irritated, he points to his hearing aids. “Oh! Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry!” she exclaims, finally understanding. The teacher turns away and leaves them to their yearbooks. With a wide smile plastered to his face, Fern graciously gives her the finger behind her back.
He turns to Lewis and signs, ‘That was crazy rude of her. ‘ He also mentions that he should be used to it because of his little sister, who frequently jumpscares him. Seeing the sign for ‘sister’, Lewis immediately sympathizes, stating he has an older sister of his own.
Phil comes up behind them, and Lewis introduces Fern to her. The second he uses sign language to greet her, Phil’s face lights up, ‘Dude! You sign?’ She tells him of her deaf dad and, consequently, her fluency in ASL. As they have their own conversation, Lewis, unable to keep up, asks them to slow down. Phil tells him she’ll help him practice. Before they leave, she tells Fern to call her for help anytime. “And this guy too, I guess!” she says, ruffling Lewis’s hair. “Yeah, whatever. You asked for my help, Ms. Editor-in-Chief of the Yearbook,” he says to her. “Eh. Tomatoe, tomatoh, Mr. Class President,” she retorts.
Watching them mess around, Fern begins laughing loudly. Entranced, Lewis stares at him. Phil notices, thinking, ‘Well, well. That’s new.’ As they bid farewell to Fern, Lewis makes eye contact with him. Not So Silent Chapter 5 concludes as Lewis asks Phil if they can start practicing ASL as soon as possible.
Chapter 6: Cynthia’s Letters
Not So Silent Chapter 6 begins with Lewis resting on his bed, staring at his sister’s letters. Each one of them is signed ‘Love, Cynthia’. He thinks of his sister, her big dreams and bigger promises. ‘I’m gonna travel the world, learn tons of new languages, try new foods, and I’m gonna bring you with me, little bro. We’ll travel the world together,” she said to him. Saddened by this thought, he trudges to his computer and opens ‘Gewgle’ to research ASL.
The next day at school, Lewis presides over an early student council meeting. He gives them instructions (and they complain about planning the homecoming so early) and then leaves to put up student club flyers. Grumbling about becoming stuck with the chore of stapling posters, he suddenly trips over someone’s outstretched leg. Chapter 6 concludes as Fern grabs Lewis before he can fall.
Not So Silent Chapter 7: Lewis Keeps Guessing Wrong
Not So Silent Chapter 7 begins with Lewis realizing he’d stumbled over Fern’s leg in the hallway. He thanks Fern for saving him from a humiliating faceplant while Fern apologizes for tripping him up in the first place.
“It’s funny, every time I see you, I seem to fall, trip, or injure myself in general,” Lewis points out. “I guess you could say- you keep falling for me?” Fern signs. After failing to decipher the sign language, Lewis asks him to repeat. Embarassed, Fern immediately brushes it off as a stupid joke, while internally chiding himself for signing something ‘so dumb’.
Fern picks up the scattered club posters and offers to help Lewis. As they begin working, Lewis asks him what he’s been doing so early at school. Fern signs that he’d wanted to look around, and afterwards he’d been stretching on the floor. ‘I didn’t really take you for the yoga type,’ Lewis signs. Fern scoffs, signing ‘Oh my god, no!’ Unsuccessfully, Lewis tries to guess what he was stretching for. Fern gracefully bows with pointed toes to give him a hint (a very obvious one!). “Oh! I got it!” Lewis says, “You do parkour!”
‘Nope. Wrong again,’ Ferns signs to a baffled Lewis while slipping his shoes on. ‘I will forever remain spooky and mysterious!’ he teases. Chapter 7 concludes as London walks in (Phil sees her, calling her ‘kinda cute in an extremely irritating way’) and sees Fern and Lewis joking with each other.
Chapter 8: London Confronts Lewis
Not So Silent Chapter 8 begins as Phil unenthusiastically notices London in the hallway, thinking, ‘Oh boy, what’s she up to?’ London rushes towards Lewis and Fern. She offers to help them put up the flyers, but since they were already done, Lewis has to politely apologize. As Fern finishes with the last posters, he thanks him for his help. ‘Second time you signed that correctly. Nice job.’ Fern signs, playfully nudging Lewis.
‘My timing is pretty useless, huh? Getting here right as you guys are done.’ London jokes, slightly miserably. Lewis tries to console her, and she turns away, saying, “I just… I thought you said you had too much work to do to hang out with anyone.” She further expresses how she feels neglected by Lewis, and says, “It just kinda feels like you’re pushing Silas, Atlas, and me away, or like you’re trying to ignore us.”
Lewis feels terrible and misunderstood, drowning in the weight of the pressure on him. Meanwhile, Fern feels uncomfortable during their quarrel. Phil, the saviour, rushes out and breaks the tension. She asks them to take a step back, saying, “It’s pretty early for this.” Lewis apologizes and promises to make time for Silas, Atlas, and London. Overjoyed, London drags him away and begins talking of a party. Fern waves goodbye.
After school, Lewis walks towards his car, deflated. Even though he’d promised to hang out with his friends, he had no time for it. If he skipped his homework, his mother would be angry. His mind races as he tries to cope with the stress. Not So Silent Chapter 8 concludes as Lewis’ thoughts are interrupted by Fern, who sits on the roof of his car with a lollipop in his mouth.
Not So Silent Chapter 9: Fern and Lewis Do Donuts
Not So Silent Chapter 9 begins as Fern slides down and offers Lewis a red lollipop (he remembers!). Lewis begins politely declining, stating his busy schedule, when Fern pops the lollipop into his bun. Frowning, Lewis pulls it out and gives him a challenging look, ‘Okay fine. I’ll stay for a minute.’ Fern matches his expression with a triumphant smile.
As they relax (well, Fern does), Lewis asks him about his plans for the day. He signs that he wants to go for a drive, but in his mind, he glumly adds that he needs to write to the school administration for better accessibility in the classrooms. “You know, Fern, I really admire you. I wish I could be as relaxed and confident as you are,” Lewis says. Fern tells him that, in reality, he gets nervous all the time.
Suddenly, he gets an idea and asks Lewis to drive with him in the parking lot. “The lot? That’s not really much of a drive…” Lewis says. ‘Oh, I’m not talking about a regular drive. I’m talking about donuts.’ Fern signs, mischievously. After the “relaxing” drive (Lewis was holding on for dear life), Lewis says, “Just don’t do that when the teachers are watching.” Fern, feigning shock, signs that he’d just gotten permission from the student council president to do donuts in the school parking lot. Lewis laughs, “No, you jerk! Stop!”
Satisfied that he’d gotten Lewis to ease up, Fern smiles. Lewis begins to tell him that he doesn’t have any fun hobbies because, according to his mother, they’d distract him. Not So Silent Chapter 9 concludes as Lewis’ phone rings with a call from his mother.
Chapter 10: Fern’s Sister Steals His Phone
Not So Silent Chapter 10 begins as Lewis hastily rushes home. His mother calls out to him, telling him to sit with her. “I have something to tell you! Plus, I made you dinner, and it’s getting cold!” she says.
At the dining table, Lewis tells her of the homecoming plans. His mother reminisces about her own school days, when she was Homecoming Queen and student council president. Lewis nods, nervous with the weight of his mother’s expectations. She tells him to try becoming Homecoming King, and he begins to explain that things work differently these days. “Oh boo. They seem to be changing all the good things these days. I was hoping you’d at least try,” she says, with her arms folded.
Then, she tells Lewis that she would be leaving him in charge of the house while she and his father left for a weekend. She tells him not to throw a party, although he begins thinking about inviting Atlas, Silas, and London over. She ruffles his hair and says she doesn’t have to worry since he isn’t a party animal like his sister.
Fern’s Personal Interpreter
Meanwhile, at his house, Fern flicks through Lewis’s social media page. His sister sneaks up behind him and pesters him about Lewis’ identity. When he doesn’t tell her, she steals the phone and begins liking every single post. “Sofia!” he yells in anger.
“Aw… are you mad because you like him?” she teases as Fern snatches his phone back. She reminds him of her quinceañera and that she wants him to bring a friend with him. “You want me to invite him?” he asks quizzically, pointing to Lewis on his screen. Sophia shrugs cryptically.
The next day at school, Fern ponders the e-mail he sent to the school requesting a notetaker. They hadn’t responded, so Fern decided to talk to his teacher about it. As he remains lost in thought, a teacher shows up and introduces him to… his personal interpreter. ‘Hello Fern! My name is Mr. Burns!’ he signs. Not So Silent Chapter 10 concludes as Fern thinks, with dread, ‘Personal… interpreter…?’
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