Earphones• Vkook

It was half a year ago when Taehyung fully heard the last clear words he'd ever hear. "Our son can't even spell an easy word right! What are we going to do?" his dad yelled to his mom. They were a room away from Taehyung who was in his bedroom sitting at his desk with his math textbook open and a calculator in his hand he slowly dropped it on the floor as he heard his dad basically calling him an i***t. "I'm surprised he can even spell his own name" his dad said in a quieter voice before laughing. Taehyung never got to hear the laugh, his hearing slowly faded away after that day, it was like his ears had enough of what his dad had to say about him. His dad had so much hope for him that when he ended up being the child who wasn't as good at math as everyone else and who didn't understand enough English for his liking, he turned to talking bad about him. Open about how much of a disgrace his son turned out to be, and how he 'gives a bad name to the family'. That night there was a ringing in his ear. He thought he was going crazy and was hearing noises to tune out his dad's voice. When it stopped he heard less and less until he couldn't hear his dad anymore but he just thought his dad stopped talking. It wasn't until he put his earphones in and clicked play on a random song that he started noticing something was wrong. Those earphones were brand new they couldn't have been broken. He tried playing the music out loud. Nothing. It was gone. His hearing was going away and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He waited, his skin pale he started feeling sick. He'd feel nauseous then it would stop and then it'd continue back up again. His mom had to take him to get checked out at this point. She couldn't stand how fragile and ill he looked, she took him to the doctor's and when it was confirmed he was going deaf. His dad couldn't look at his son, not after what his wife told him was his son's last moments of hearing.Most people would keep their newly deaf child close and help them as much as they can. But his dad had other plans he bought a small apartment for Taehyung. Taehyung's mom did more for him, she made sure to put lights around the house that will go on when the bell rings, she got the idea when she looked up on the internet how to accommodate a house for a deaf person. The lights in the house made her feel so much better about her son's living conditions if he's cooking something and it finishes the lights will go on to let him know, when the doorbell is ringing and most importantly lights that go on durning emergencies. All alone Taehyung moved all his stuff into the small place. He learned to adjust to the lights. His mom comes over once a week to check up on him and make him a nice meal. The hardest thing for Taehyung is getting up early in the morning. He's scared he'll be late so he stays up all night which makes him wake up late. It's his first day at a new school today. He puts on his uniform. Walks around making sure everything is okay, small TV is off, nothing in the kitchen is burning, nothing dangerous still running. The shower is off. The iron is unplugged. He grabs his shoulder bag and rushes to catch the bus. He puts in earphones and holds onto the railing, standing in the moving bus since all the seats are taken. He looks out the window knowing the school would be out that side. When the bus stops he walks out and walks into the school. "December 19th, last day before break." Is written in big white letters on the chalkboard to help the students get motivated to get through the day. ----- Jungkook looks out the window watching the small snowflakes struggle with the wind as they are trying to get to the ground to join the others. "We have a new student, Kim Taehyung he moved from Daegu" Mrs.Lee says and Taehyung just shyly bows before being pointed to his seat next to the boy looking out the window. "Jungkook, please help Taehyung with anything he might need" She adds making Jungkook look away from the window and to the shy boy who sat at the desk touching his. As Taehyung puts his books inside his desk he accidentally elbows Jungkook's arm, "I-I'm sorry" he whispers almost too quietly. He doesn't look over to Jungkook and doesn't hear the, "it's okay" Jungkook mumbles in return. Taehyung is too busy being on alert, looking at the front of the room, he has too look closely to learn, or else he will miss a lot. Jungkook notices how Taehyung never looks away like the other students do. On the other side of the room a classmate named Yoongi is using his arms as a pillow for his head sleeping, not paying attention to the teacher at all. The bell rings singling lunch and Taehyung doesn't move. He sits there watching everyone get up slightly confused until he sees a student grab an apple from her backpack. Jungkook taps his shoulder making him jump in alert. "Follow me" Jungkook says ignoring how alert the boy looks and Taehyung follows without question, like a dog and his owner, he follows Jungkook to the cafeteria. His brown paper lunch bag at his side. He made it this morning last minute before rushing out the door. Jungkook sits at a table near the window and Taehyung sits in front of him. They make eye contact and Taehyung keeps his eyes on Jungkook's just incase Jungkook said something. Jungkook clears his throat with a cough and smiles noticing he is being stared at he decides to break the silence realizing Taehyung wouldn't. "We never did officially meet, I'm Jungkook" "I'm Taehyung, it's nice to meet you" he says hesitantly "You talk quietly, never met someone like you before" I'm sure you haven't, Taehyung thinks to himself before taking a bite of a sandwich that almost tastes like nothing, he has never been good at making anything but at least he tries. "Why did you move here?" Jungkook asks, Taehyung doesn't hear him but when he looks at Jungkook who has a questioning gaze he asks him if he can repeat himself so he does. "Oh well" Taehyung stops not knowing what to say, his real answer would be that his dad kicked him out to live by himself an hour almost two away after finding out he was now basically deaf. Completely shunning him from the family. Plus there was a good place here to help him adjust to being well, deaf. "Better school system" Taehyung lies with a smile. "And the day before break?" Jungkook questions as he takes a sip of his water Real answer, Taehyung took along time to get the basics of his new life down, the lights, to be aware, he still isn't that good at being safe and not running into the middle of traffic, he tries his best to avoid being in dangerous situations like bumping into others. "My school made me stay a little longer before letting me transfer" he lies and shifts in his seat uncomfortably. Wondering if his voice still sounds like it used to. At the end of the day Taehyung gets up quickly to avoid human contact and gets into the bus that just arrived. He puts his earphones in and closes his eyes for two minutes knowing that his stop is in about twenty minutes. Jungkook is the last person to enter the bus, he stands holding the railing, a few rows in front of Taehyung, watching Taehyung open his eyes and turn his head to look out the window. He must be shy or something, Jungkook thinks wondering why Taehyung didn't talk so much to him. He finds himself interested in what's in Taehyung's mind. Or maybe he just doesn't like me? It's Jungkook's stop and he looks away from the boy and gets off walking towards his apartment complex. Not knowing Kim Taehyung was a few feet behind him going to the same place.