White Whisper: A TinCan story

Author's Note:

I had to write this story to get the ideas for this story out of my head. Otherwise, I won't be able to concentrate on finishing the next chapter for my other work. Anyway, enjoy the story!

PS: You're also welcome to check my other story called "Lunar's Touch." :))

Thank you!

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PART ONE

[Mom: Just be sure to take care of yourself, okay? Don't forget to eat right.]

[I know, Mom. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine, I can take care of myself.]

[Mom: I believe you can. I just can't help worrying about you, Cantaloupe. I'm your mom after all.]

[I know. I love you, Mom. Just send my hugs and kisses to Dad and that crazy Lemon.]

[Mom: I will, and I love you too, Son. Just don't forget our video chat date tomorrow!]

[I won't, Mom. I got to go now. Love you! ♥]

* * * * *

Can shakes his head lightly with slight amusement after he put his phone back inside his jeans pocket. His mom is a lost case, really. He knows that there's no stopping his mother from worrying about him or his sister's well-being, no matter how old they are now.

Can will turn 21 this year and it's been exactly 1.5 years now that he's been living alone, in a place some thousands miles away from home. Can is a student of an art therapy program in New York University for the past years. He can remember that he always have this huge interest in drawing cartoon characters and such when he was a child. Whenever he was home after school, and after he's done with his homework, Can would always spend some quality time with his drawing book and crayons or coloring pens - drawing anything and everything he feels like drawing. Other than drawing, what he loves the most when he was very young was playing football with his friends. Even when he hurts himself from falling down hard during football practice, Can would only stand back up and shows his toothy grin before running back again like it was nothing.

Can was always a bright kid growing up. His bubbly personality made it easy for him to make friends at school. It was not until Can turned 10 that his little world turned upside down. One day after he was back from a school trip to the country side, Can was struck with a high fever. He was hospitalized for more than 5 days already but his fever didn't get better, not even a bit. The doctor who first took care of Can told his parents to relocate Can to the bigger hospital in Bangkok. After some treatments he went through in Bangkok, Can finally got better. But when he finally regained his consciousness after his fever went down, Can and his parents were devastated to learn that Can have lost his hearing ability. The doctor said it was due to some kind of a virus that struck Can's immune system. But even after some therapy and medical treatments here and there, Can still can't regain his hearings.

Can was a completely different kid after he was discharged from the hospital. The bubbly and bright Can was no longer. Can might not cry when he realized that he's going to be hearing impaired for the rest of his life. But he was changed into a quiet and gloomy kid after the devastating incident. He kept to himself and spent more time inside his room than anything. When it was time for him to go back to school after his long absence, Can struggled with adjusting to the school life now that has hearing disability. He also had to quit his football practice because it's only going to hindered his teammates and put him in danger of getting seriously injured now that he can't clearly hear what his teammates were saying when they're in the field.