{A/N: Please remember:
"Phrases between quotations are spoken."
"Phrases in bold are written."
[Phrases between brackets are ASL, American sign Language. ]
<<Phrases between thin thingys are thoughts.>>
The story contains all of them.}
Wellcome to Part T of Love UnHeard
"Hongjoong?"
"Jongho?!"
-
"How long has it been?" The shorter asked.
"Three? Four years maybe?" The red-haired tried to remember.
"You moved out of town when I was 15. You told me you were going to Daegu! What are you doing here dude?"
"SNA brother, performing arts. Remember I told you how much I loved acting and singing when we were kids?" The two sat in the coffee's back yard, it was Jongho'a break. Hongjoong had a late and the younger an americano.
"No fucking way..." Hongjoon's jaw dropped. Jongho looked at him confused. "How come we didn't saw each other? I also go there!"
Jongho's eyes went wide open. "For real?" the shorter just nodded with the biggest smile on his face.
Now, this was a fresh new start. With his childhood friend with him, having apologized to Seonghwa and a new shining smile, Hongjoong walked down the halls on Monday ready to face the day.
The door to the painting class opened revealing a joyful short boy, with his striped yellow and black jumper and his old vans. Seonghwa looked at him, he was literally shinning.
Hongjoong walked to his seat waving hello to the older, who greeted back a little surprised. Even though he didn't go to the campus Halloween party that weekend, he was the happiest in the room.
On the other hand, Seonghwa's eyes carried big eye bags from staying two whole nights--almost, he passed out some hours after drinking too much.
"What's wrong with him?" Wooyoung asked San quietly.
"I think he's on drugs." He replied. Yeosang picked from behind to clear.
"He said sorry to Hwa hyung already, so no need to be mean anymore." The two looked confused at him. But as the teacher entered they lost their opportunity to ask.
Even when Hongjoong's smile faded at the end of the day, that happy aura was still there. Seonghwa was to approach him at the dining hall, but the sight of an unknown boy made him stop on his tracks and go back to his place. <<Maybe he is happy because he's got a new friend>>, he thought.
"Okay, so who are these people you're introducing me to?" Hongjoong raised an eyebrow. He was leaning back on two legs of his chair, hands on his pocket.
"You remember the tall guy I told you I befriended when I first came?" the other nodded "So it's him and an even taller boy, he's my roommate."
Hongjoong sighed, "Why do you make friends with tall people? We'll look like minions".
"Hey, it's not my fault they're built like giants and you like a hobit. I'm even taller than you now." He laughed, Hongjoon almost falling from the chair.
"Hey, Jongho!" A big hand waved coming to their seats, a boy with light blue hair followed by a scary-looking guy.
"Eyo Yunho, Mingi. This is Hongjoong"
-
"Hwa" Yeosang tapped his friend's right shoulder. He got no answer.
"Seonghwa" he kept going. Nothing. "Hyung!" this time he smacked the back of his head, finally making him turn around. [You okay? You look out of it today.] Yeosang signed, San and Wooyoung were doing their own thing and having dinner so this could be an intimate conversation. The two didn't keep secrets from each other. q
[I'm just tired, yesterday was a rough day.] Yeosang knew he was lying. [Okay, okay... I want to talk with Hongjoon.] In sign language, to avoid having to spell someone's name all the time you want to talk about them, you pair a unique sign. Some time ago Seonghwa decided that Hongjoong's was going to be slightly scratching the back of the head, like if you were petting his mullet.
[Why don't you then?] Yeosang asked.
[He's with new friends.] Seonghwa pointed to his direction, him eating noodles with the other three. Hwa's expression looked like a sad cat.
[Just talk after dinner, he goes to smoke outside every night.]
Just like the blondie said, Hongjoong was on his usual spot on the bench at the park, lighting up a cig. Seonghwa hesitated for some seconds but decided to sit next to him. The shorter, a little surprised, turned and exhaled all the smoke on his face. The taller coughed.
"S-sorry" <<Hong you are still dumb>>, the shorter thought. Seonhwa gestured it was okay. There was an awkward silence, the taller just looked at him. "Why are you here?"
Seonghwa recalled and took out his phone. The shorter noticed how Seonghwa had this habit of sticking his tongue out while writing, it made him smile.
"Do you wanna sit with us in anatomy?? You're always sitting alone."
Was he for real? Hongjoong couldn't believe it. As Yeosang said, he is too good. The shorter nodded excitedly, he has friends now. <<What is something friends should know about each other?>> Hongjoong's brain was listing various questions already. "Can I ask you something? You can ask me back so we get to know each other!" Seonghwa smiled as yes. The shorter dragged from his cig and asked.
"How old are you?"
"20 lol, I'm older than you."
Hongjoong shook his head, "I'm turning 20 this Saturday." Both of them were one grade below their age level (they were in 2nd year instead of 3rd). Hongjoong failed class when he was 17 and Seonghwa's teacher decided he should repeat a year when he was still 8. That's when he met Yeosang.
It was Hwa's turn now. "Fav color?" He taped Hongjoong's shoulder to make him look at his hands. [Mine, black]. The sign for Balck was as if you slid your index from one eyebrow to the other. He mouthed the word, so the other knew what he meant.
"Mines are yellow and red, how do you say it?" Seonghwa laughed and started writing, focused, his tongue was out again.
"There is this Australian friend I have, he is always doing this thing with his hand, with the thumb and the pinky out and shaking it. It means yellow in ASL so it's funny every time he does it :p"
Hongjoong looked up to see a smiley Seonghwa, he giggled too. "So this is yellow?" He did the motion, the other nodded and then did as if he was scratching his lips with the index. Hongjoong looked strangely at him. Seonghwa mouthed the word 'RED'. The shorter opened his mouth understanding.
The questions continued.
"Cat's or Dogs?"
"Cats obviously."
"I see you have taste."
"Cereal or Milk first?"
"I hope my answer doesn't ruin our short friendship... but cereal first"
Seonghwa laughed, mute, and mouthed a 'YES!' knowing the shorter had breakfast like he did, cereal before milk. Somehow Hwa's action looked super cute in Hongjoon's eyes.
Without realizing it, the time run, it was almost midnight. Both went back to their respective rooms, a smile on their faces when they threw themselves to the bed. What an amazing day.
<<Is life going to be this easy from now on?>> Hongjoong thought. <<If so, please make it last.>> He doesn't want to feel homesick anymore, he wants to enter his 20's like a nice human being, he wants to be a good artist, he wants to be able to portray his ideas clearly to the world. The only place where they were going to teach him these things was here, and now.
<<Are my days going to be lighter from now
on? >> Seonghwa thought. <<If so, please make the weight be gone forever.>> His parents' perfect expectations were built on his back like gigantic castles. His life has never been a perfect one, his parents haven't been the greatest. But all that was now the inspiration for his work, his art. That's why he ignored their unreachable standards and was here.
Art.