Earphones• Vkook

23

Taehyung's eyes are closed and he can't see any of the conversation. 

"You know what, call me when you guys decide not to keep secrets from me, whats next you're gay and you're in love with him too?" Namjoon gets all of his stuff and leaves the table. 

"He will come around" Yoongi says with a shrug. 

"You guys aren't dating right?" he adds jokingly Jungkook doesn't answer

"So soon? Are you guys that close?"  

Jungkook justs nods in response not knowing what to do or say to the boy next to him who is acting like the spawn of satan 

----

Taehyung changes into his gym clothes and walks onto the basketball court later than everyone else. 

"Finally, you're here, join Namjoon's team" The teacher says and Taehyung shrugs as he walks to the side where they don't have to wear jerseys. 

"But coach I didn't pick him, let him be on Kyungsoo's team" Namjoon complains but the teacher isn't having it. The two team captains for the day are Namjoon and Kyungsoo and they got to pick who would be on their team, one by one they picked the people they wanted, and looks like Namjoon is left with Taehyung.

Taehyung half in a mood half actually trying to play looks around trying to get the ball. He loses sight of where it is. 

"Taehyung watch out!" Jackson says loudly from behind but Taehyung can't hear. Jungkook goes wide eyed as he tries to get people out of his way so he can move Taehyung out of the way but its too late Taehyung gets hit in the back with the ball. Namjoon goes in front of him. 

"Could you not hear Jackson, why can't you be a good player? Do you even know how to play?!" Namjoon says anger in his voice. 

"Namjoon stop" Jungkook says and everyones dead silent as Taehyung bites the inside of his cheek trying to stop himself from saying what he is about to say but hes had it, his emotions are off the wall and he can't take it anymore

"No I wont stop, hes new here and should know what to do"

"This is just gym class" Jungkook says 

"You want to know something Mr. I can play basketball and everyone else fucking sucks, I actually used to be okay at this game but why am I so bad now? You want to know why I suck at this game, they say listen to your team mates, listen to them" Jungkook stands next to namjoon and tries getting Taehyung's attention without making it obvious. 

"Taehyung you don't have to say it" Jungkook says once Taehyung looks at him but he looks right back to Namjoon.  

"You know what, I couldn't hear Jackson, I couldn't and you know what you talk too fucking fast and all I get from you some times is just small bits of judgmental remarks, I can't even hear your voice so why do I bother listening to you right now, I'm deaf, okay I'm fucking deaf I can't hear you, I can't hear Jackson, I can't hear the sounds of the basketball. I can only even find out where it could be by vision or by the feeling of the dribbling on the ground. This is my first time since I've lost my hearing that I've attempted playing. You can pass it to me if I can see it, if you yell at me, 'Taehyung go left' that message will never fucking reach me, stop being an asshole and think before pointing fingers",  Taehyung explodes . He grabs the basketball from the ground and looks at Namjoon 

"Go left" He says throwing the ball then he turns away, tears trying to come out but he holds them in. 

"You know, its hard being deaf, and moments like this make it so much harder" he says looking back over his shoulder

"I'm... so.. sorry" Namjoon says his words spaced out

"you don't have to spread words out like that, and you don't need to apologize, you know what, I'm the one who's sorry"   

He looks over at Jungkook and with a tear going down his face he signs "don't follow me", he excuses himself from the basketball court. He walks his way inside the school and doesn't even bother changing back into uniform. He sits alone in the locker room. Feeling like screaming but doesn't want to cause a bigger scene than he already has. 

He takes out his anger by kicking the locker next to him, but realizes its a big mistake as his foot starts hurting. I shouldn't have said anything, I shouldn't have been upset and disappointed I shouldn't have been so cold and distant today. He thinks to himself as he rethinks all of his actions, making himself feel even worse. He sits there for what feels like hours before he realizes any minute everyone could be coming back in. He leaves, his white gym shirt stained from the small tear drops that went down his face. 

He walks to the bathroom and locks himself in a stall. It might be the first place they'd check if they came looking for him. But he won't react since he wont hear that they are there.  

Back on the basketball court.The game stopped, the teacher went inside possibly to talk to the other teachers about the new students confession. All the students are sitting on the gravel. Namjoon sitting with the basketball in his lap, he hasn't tossed it away since Taehyung gave it to him.

"Is it true?" Namjoon asks Jungkook who is laying on the warm gravel, the only student who's laying down. 

"Yeah" He says slowly

Everyone starts chattering amongst themselves. 

"Taehyung's deaf?" "The new kid?" "Is he lying?" "what was that thing he was doing with his hands?" 

Jungkook jumps to his feet having enough. 

"Can you all just stop?" He says loudly over everyones voices. 

"He can't hear you, but I can. Who would lie about this every day? That thing he did with his hands, its a whole language how people speak, and I don't mean peace signs, or that sick hand movements you horny people do to signal a blow job, yes Minki I'm talking about you. But I'm not trying to turn this into a joke, that whole language is a way of speaking without words actually being said out loud, its a way to communicate with people in an easy way for individuals who can't hear. They learn a whole new language just to be able to communicate in an easy way, its beautiful." Jungkook without thinking signs the word 'beautiful' with his hands as he says it out loud. 

"I'm not deaf, but I'm learning how to sign" he adds,

 "I don't know what you all are thinking, but I've heard some things the past few minutes, Taehyung is normal, so why are you all talking about this like hes some kind of con artist" Yoongi says, he stands up, the attention moves from Jungkook to him.

"You all better treat him normally or I'm going to come for you" he adds before walking away.

"I'm going to find Taehyung" he says as he passes Jungkook, "he said not to follow him" Jungkook says trying to stop Yoongi.

"you're going to let that get to you? Well fine, if you want to obey him, he said that to you, not me" Yoongi storms his way into the school. 

Usually when someone is on the lookout for their friend they yell their name like a mad man, but how can I find a deaf person since I cant do that?  Yoongi thinks.