𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 // 𝙥𝙟𝙢

Project

After that event, I've been avoiding him for the past week. He's tried to ask me questions and such with slurred words that I understood but I only answered with short signs that I've tried to pick up out of courtesy of my classmate. Nothing more.

I don't think he was deaf his whole life because even though he spoke slightly slurred, he knew how to pronounce many words as if he was able to hear before.

Or maybe he was only partially deaf but that couldn't be true after the incident. Thinking of it makes my face go hot. It's embarrassing.

I sat on the rooftop laying down on my mat with finished food on the side of me. I waited for the bell to ring and ran my fingers through my hair multiple times in frustration thinking about Jimin.

"Snap out of it!" I exclaim, squinting my eyes and my back arching slightly in frustration. Stop thinking about him! He's merely a classmate since he never said anything in response about being friends.

Speaking of Jimin, mentally, I actually wonder if he would want to be friends with me. I'm not sure if he would like me though, my old friends had their reasons for not talking to me either.

Three words that were spit in my face constantly were blunt, rude and sassy. I honestly don't believe any of those claims, actually maybe blunt but the rest are just simply derogatory. How offensive. Talk about rude right?

I rolled my eyes and heard the school bells ring throughout the building, giving me the cue to pack my stuff and leave.

I packed my small picnic up carefully and put it in my bag, lifting my bag on my shoulders after zipping it up.

I walked peacefully down the halls and into my classroom, looking to my desk and seeing Jimin sitting calmly and looking out the window.

Sitting down next to him, I turned around to him and smiled, earning a smile back. "Hi, Jimin." I said in a sign.

"Hey, Y/N. How was lunch?" He signed back cheerfully, waiting for me to understand his slow signs.

Name...lunch...

"Did you say how was lunch?" I mouthed slowly, letting him read my lips.

He simply nodded with a small giggle, making my face heat just a tiny bit. "It was good. And you?" I signed back after getting confirmation that I knew what he was saying.

"It was okay. I kind of wish I had somebody to talk to during lunch." He signed slowly again, averting his gaze a bit and letting me take my time to figure out what his signs meant.

Actually, even though I like my alone time, Jimin seems like a nice person. "I usually eat lunch at the rooftop by myself. You can join whenever." I said, signing and mouthing words I didn't know how to sign.

He understood and grabbed my hands tenderly, shaking them with a big smile. "Thank you." He said lowly, making me smile back at him just as big.

He must be alone regularly. Nobody really talks to him either or even tries to. I wouldn't say I talk to him out of pity, but it makes my heart hurt seeing how excited he is to just be greeted.

"Hello, class." My somber teacher said, slamming her large books on her desk. The class responded disinterested, the same as every day.

My school is practically broke so they aren't able to afford somebody who can sign for Jimin. So, after she teaches the lesson to everybody, she gives him papers upon papers explaining what she said.

This is also why I'm so willing to learn sign language.

For this to not happen.

Whenever I see the teacher give him the stacks of papers, his face drops into evident frustration. He watches the teacher as she explains as much as he can. Most likely so he doesn't have to read so much.

I feel bad for him.

I tap his shoulder while she's talking about something useless and he turns, a half-hearted smile appearing on his face.

"I know it's probably hard doing work like this. If you ever need help, ask me please." I signed to him with a small frown. I couldn't stand watching a disabled classmate be treated like this, and especially a fond acquaintance.

"Thank you so much." He signed back, his half-hearted smile turning into a full one.

"And so class, with that, you will have a group project with whoever sits next to you." The teacher said, turning around sharply from the board.

I looked to my side, seeing Jimin staring blankly at the board. I tapped his shoulder again, "We're going to have a group project together, Jimin." I informed to him, getting simply nod from him.

I looked back at the teacher, wondering when she was going to be done.

With that simple thought, the bell rung loudly. I let out a sigh and grabbed my stuff quickly, getting ready to leave.

"Class is dismissed." Ms. Song said, slamming her book closed. What does she gain from being so snobby?

I stood up and tapped Jimin's back on the way out, signaling that school was over. He waved at me, still sitting because the teacher still needs to give him the papers.

Sighing again, I turned and walked away to the outside of my school, looking around for Namjoon's car to pick me up.

"Y/N, over here" My brother shouted from the left of me, making me snap my neck toward the black BMW waiting for me.

I ran toward the car and jumped in, ready to get home after such a long day of productivity that I don't like the slightest.

"Hey, butthead. How was work?" I said to my brother as he drove off, looking up in thought.

"It was okay. I'm slowly progressing to be the top." He said pridefully but also calm, making my heart clench in small admiration.

"That's good. You know that deaf kid I told you about?" I said to him, earning a nod from him. "My school is like dead beat broke but we know that. But! The fact that he has to get stacks of paper to explain the lesson sucks ass." I said totally informally, making expressions while telling the short story.

He was my brother, and if anything, he didn't care the slightest knowing I was the only thing he had left. I could see it in his eyes, he enjoyed my rants.

"What a poor boy. Does he have any parents that would pay for a person who could sign for him?" Namjoon said, turning to look at me while he pulled in our gated community.

"He's never said anything about his family or parents. I mean I've only known him for a week so I wasn't expecting much either." I replied, grabbing my stuff and jumping out of the car when he slowly got out.

"Hmm, alright." Namjoon said, stretching a bit and walking toward our large building. I followed, looking around and seeing familiar faces of older and middle-aged people.

Where we live was mostly with older people since it was on the more suburban side. People liked living in the quiet and so did my brother.

I walked into our elevator and waited for us to get to the fifth floor, leaning on the metal bars of the glassy elevator.

"Finally." I exclaimed, grabbing the keys from Namjoon's hand and jumping out the elevator doors, opening our door that was right on the left.

I looked inside and sniffed in the smell of pure cinnamon and sharp mint, making me immediately happy. Our place was mostly modern but with my artistic abilities, I made sure to make this place as homey as possible.

Home sweet home.

///
1313 words :3