Earphones• Vkook

26

Taehyung's phone vibrates over and over again under his pillow making him wake up. He sits up and turns off his alarm. 

"Today is the day, the day you didn't want to happen" he thinks to himself dreading meeting the new person who will be following him around and signing for him. "What if the person signs too fast, too slow. What if he uses signs a word I don't know" he thinks before changing into his clothes and looking into his bathroom mirror. He looks at himself and he signs out his name trying to picture how it would look to others who don't know sign language. He just shakes his head and leaves.

Grabbing his bag by the door he takes out a pair of earphones from it and puts them in.His class knows but no one else knows. He takes a deep breath. Leaving his house earlier than normal he doesn't go to Jungkook's place. He rushes down the stairs to catch the bus, making it right before the doors closed. 

He texts Jungkook telling him that he already left. He plays with the phone in his hand nervously putting it from one hand to the other. The bus jolts to a stop and he looks outside to see the school, he lost track of time. He gets off the bus and walks slowly into the building. No teacher is outside watching the kids walk in, its too early. He walks straight into the office.  The lady at the front table doesn't even look at Taehyung as he walks by. He sits at a chair next to the principal's office door and swings his legs nervously back and forth. 

A hand gets placed on his shoulder snd he shivers before looking up to see the principle wave him in.  He sits next to a boy he's never seen before in his life. He doesn't look much older than Taehyung. The boy smiles widely, his blonde hair sucking in all the light from the room. 

Taehyung looks at his principal to hear the words he was expecting. 

"Taehyung, this is Tao he will be your interpreter"  

Taehyung looks over again at the boy. 

"Hello" Taehyung says out loud, louder than he would've wanted to say it. He wanted to prove he could speak and could deal with not signing. 

"Hi Im Tao"  The boy signs and Taehyung fakes a smile.

"Nice..To meet you" Taehyung says slowly.

"He wants to talk to you" Tao signs signaling to the principal 

"So Tao will meet you in the classroom every day, let him know what you think will be more helpful to you" he talks to fast and Taehyung looks at Tao, "I missed the last few words" Taehyung signs admitting defeat. 

"let me know what would be more helpful to you, in terms of how I sign.. Things like that" Tao signs and Taehyung nods. 

"Thank you, both" Taehyung says shyly.  The two are dismissed to go into the still empty classroom. 

Taehyung sits at his desk putting his bag on the floor, he takes out a book and puts it on his desk. Tao knocks on the desk. Taehyung looks up.

"We should get to know each other" Tao says and Taehyung nods

"How many languages can you speak?" Taehyung signs

"Counting sign.. Three" Tao signs 

"Three?"  Taehyung's mouth drops open 

"Yes, Chinese, Korean and sign" 

"So cool" Taehyung signs wide eyed 

"why so many?" he adds

"Chinese is my first language, then I moved here and learned Korean, oh and I learned sign because my friend is deaf" 

Taehyung got confused over the signed for moved, he does the sign with his hands and asks what it means Tao signs out the characters for moved and Taehyung nods. Learning a new sign he could use.