Earphones• Vkook

15

[Flashbacks still in italics]

"Of course I missed him, but maybe meeting up with Ricky won't be a good idea" Taehyung said looking at his feet, his old black vans showing signs of wear.

"Is meeting up with a friend really something that could be a bad idea?" Mark asked, his hands deep in his jean pockets as the wind hits them.

Taehyung thinks about the past and him and Mark's conversation the night they went to Ricky's house. Ricky was sick and didn't show up to school for days, wouldn't answer their text messages or calls for days, but Mark being Mark took Taehyung out of his house and a few minutes later they found themselves right in front of Ricky's house.

"It's what friends do" Mark added before he knocked on the front door.

They have now arrived at Jungkook's apartment.

"We really wanted to come sooner, but we didn't know where you were" Ricky says to Taehyung but he wasn't paying attention. His phone vibrates in his pocket and he takes it out reading the text Jungkook sent him with the words Ricky just said.

"Oh, you guys didn't have to go through all this trouble" Taehyung says nervously mentally thanking Jungkook for sending him that text.

"Its what friends do" Mark says sending slight shivers down Taehyung's spine, he's heard these words from him before. These are his real friends, the same as the last day he saw them. He knew deep down that one day they would find him again, the moment just came a lot sooner than expected.

"How have you been? Whats the full story of you being here?" Hoseok asks, Taehyung feels his chest get tighter. He tugs on the blanket that is half on the floor and half on the arm of the couch he is sitting on.

This is the first time he has been in Jungkook's apartment. No flickering lights, no red lights, actually not many lights of any kind. Jungkook's apartment is very messy, theres a blue dirty sock on the kitchen floor, the tv remote is hidden between the couch pillows.

Taehyung looks around scared he will miss something directed to him. He nervously picks at the blanket that he tugged all the way onto his lap. Mark,Ricky and Hoseok are in front of Taehyung on the floor while Jungkook is next to him on the couch.

"Taehyung?" Mark asks looking at him.

They know, Taehyung thinks to himself, no they can't.

"Are you okay?" Hoseok asks but hes not looking.

"Jungkook gets up with heavy footsteps, hoping somehow Taehyung's toes from his left foot thats lightly brushing the ground will feel the vibrations. Casually Jungkook playfully pats Taehyung's shoulder.

"Do you want water?" He asks as Taehyung looks up at him

"I'll get you water" Jungkook's eyes look over to Hoseok, signaling for Taehyung to look at him.

"You haven't been talking much? Aren't you happy we are here?" Hoseok asks

"Sally was so attractive" Mark said as they sat on the soccer field avoiding the noisy cafeteria.

"But then she just had to wear those pants instead of a skirt" Mark added

"Are you really judging her fashion right now? That shouldn't change a person" Hoseok said and Taehyung agreed silently by not not making comments to either of them but knowing that Hoseok is usually always right.

"If I fall asleep, wake me up when the bell rings" Taehyung said as he closed his eyes and laid down on the warm grass. He pretended to sleep as he listened to Mark and Hoseok talking.

"Also wake me up" Ricky said as he laid down beside Taehyung, he started to snore.

Mark laughed, "I don't know she seemed to change once she put those pants on"

"You make fun of outfits, in the end thats you're choice. I disagree but I will respect your opinion" Hoseok said and Mark started to rethink every judgmental thing he had ever said.

'Hoseok is really nice', Taehyung thinks after rethinking the memory. 'I will just say it'.

He waits a few more seconds staring blankly at Hoseok and then he looks over at Mark who is saying something to Ricky that he cant grasp.

"I'm deaf" Taehyung says very loudly not being able to look anyone in the eyes. He ends up just closing his eyes.

"I'm deaf, I can't hear a thing, I can't hear your voices, laughs, sneezes, coughs. I can't hear anything...Not even myself I don't know if I'm yelling or whispering, I don't even know if my voice exists anymore" Taehyung says and everyone stays silent taking in his words.

Taehyung takes a shaky breath.

"That is why I moved. I didn't tell you guys because I was...I am... Scared"

Hoseok touches Taehyung's hand. Taehyung hesitantly opens his eyes to look at him.

"We are here for you" Hoseok says reassuringly.

"Tell us everything" He adds and Taehyung smiles a wary smile.

Taehyung tells them about the moment he started losing everything. The last words he heard, the hospital visits.

"My parents got me a place here, I thought it was because my dad didn't want me around. But theres actually some places here for me to get check ups, learn more signs and other ways to make life easier for me and adjust, I hide without much human contact well that was..is my plan."

"Its like you've held the world in your hands, and then pieces of it start melting and you're confused, is this global warming's fault? Or is it mine, was I holding the world too tightly in my warm palm that it started to melt... I blamed myself, I thought it was my fault that everything was changing. I mean I know its stupid obviously I didn't do anything to make myself deaf. I just.... I'm stupid, thinking no-one would want to hang out with me. At school I didn't even want to make friends, Jungkook, some how was very smart and found out I was deaf in less than a week..." He pauses, "and I realized there are nice people like that in the world who will accept me" Taehyung feels warm tears going down his face. He isn't sad, he isn't pushing these tears to come out, they are flowing naturally and he can't stop them. All his pent up emotions pouring out.

"You guys accept me right?" He asks, he looks over at mark who nods, speechless. He looks at Ricky who gives him a thumbs up. Jungkook walks over and uses his thumb to wipe away the tears as he puts a glass of water in Taehyung's hands.

Taehyung looks at Hoseok who smiles brightly. Without saying a word he wraps his arms around Taehyung, almost tipping the glass of water, but Taehyung's strong grip on it keeps the cup perfectly in place.

"Ricky, Mark join the group hug" Hoseok says, "Wait Jungkook you too" He adds and Mark hesitantly puts his arms around them, Ricky goes inbetween Hoseok and Mark while Jungkook gives Taehyung a back hug.

Taehyung's head on Hoseok's shoulder, Mark resting his head on Taehyung's. Hoseok lets go off taehyungs back and grabs onto Jungkook's shirt pulling him closer into the group hug. They stay like that for a few good minutes as Taehyung starts crying even more tears going onto Hoseok's fake Gucci shirt. Happy tears, tears of relief.