Mute | Jaeyong

[ 3 ]

The end of the day has arrived and students were already pouring out the front door.

"I will see you tomorrow Tae!" Haechan shouts as he waves through his car window with his mum and dad in the front smiling just as brightly. Now Tae knew where Haechan got his big smile from.

Tae waved and watched his friends car disappear in the distance before he took a deep breath and started walking towards the town.

Tae looked around at all the small brick buildings that were either side of the streets. Market stalls were everywhere with the fresh smell of bakers food lingering in the air, battling the smell of fresh fruit and vegetables outside.

Shops filled all the downstairs of the buildings, eitherside of the street, while homes stood above them.

This place is far different from what he's used to. He's used to seeing towers of metal overhsadow small buildings where most walls are made of glass. Massive buildings stand as proud structures symbolising the rich and wealthy who own anything they overlook.

Whereas here, where he walks now doesnt have a mark of someone belonging. They don't have people towering over eachother. No grumpy people walking in streets with neck ties up to the throats, hanging themselevs in richness and drowning themselves in their own achievements. No one walks in the shadows of others.

Everyone here walks in the sunshine with their heads held high, smiles on their faces and chatting to people they come across. The sun shines down on everyone and there is more lushious greenery that Tae has always dreamed to see in person.

As Tae exits the town he is now greeted with feilds that stretched far and wide, further than the eye can see. He walks along a dirt road, surrounded by trees and feilds until he comes to an opening where a wooden fence that surrounds an large section of land. Two horses, grey and white, stands in the middle of the field.

Both horses graze on the green grass until Tae stands on the fence and claps his hands together.

The horses lift up their heads wearily, looking around and twitching ears until they spot Tae upon the fence. They gallop eagerly towards him and once reaching his side, they rub their noses on his black shirt, coverying him in their hairs.

Tae beamed a wide smile as he reaches down and rubs their noses before opening his bag and pulling out two red, ripe apples. He places one in each hand and extends his hand out kindly, flat and slowly. Both horses slowly accepts the apples and once they had their treats, they give a quick rub before turning back to the green field.

Leaning upon the fence, Tae watched the horses run around, chasing eachother and having fun. He felt happy being alone with nature and the animals, away from the city that was loud and lacked the one thing that is beautiful.

What Tae didn't know was in the distance behind him, someone was watching. A certain blueish black haired boy was made to follow Tae to see what he gets up to and if there was anything he did that could be used to bully him. Jaehyun knew he wouldn't and couldn't tell Mark anything and normally he wouldn't bother following people as it was a waste of his time.

But Taeyong was different. He knew that and everyone else who stared at him in the halls could sense the same thing. Tae gives an atmosphere of happiness and creates a calm mood which is why he suspects it's the reason Mark bullies him.

That's why Mark picks on Taeil in morning class a lot. It's because everyone loves Taeil as he's a happy person with his bright and cheerful personality. That's what Mark finds so repulsing.

But as Tae is so different, he knows it drives Mark mad and so that's why Mark is so interested in Tae. He wants to break Tae.

Jaehyun watches the boy in the distance. His short pink hair blowing in the wind, black shirt flapping in the wind while his red jeans stick to his legs.

There was no denying that Jaehyun also liked Taeyong, but what hurt most is that Mark was making him his victim and Jaehyun is bored and has had enough of his bullying. But he can't leave Mark because he has no one else. And Taeyong wouldn't like him for what he is. He doesn't want to bully him.

What has his life come to? What was all the point of this bullying buisness? What has it achieved?

Nothing.

And now he can't escape it. Even if he tried Mark would only find him and make his life more of a misery than it already is. And he couldn't abandon Mark. Not after what he did to help him when they first met. He is indebt to Mark and this "friendship", which is just that debt being paid.

What now? He can't let this bullying carry on either. But, he doesn't know what to do to stop it. Once Mark's mind was on something you couldn't take it away. He must stop it before it was too late, but how?

Jaehyun glanced back up to see Taeyong was no longer on the fences but further up the dirt road. He didn't notice Tae had left, he was so quiet.

After watching Taeyong's silhouette disappear half way down the country road, he turned around and decided to go home.