THE PATH TOWARDS THE EXIT || BTS

ROOM #2: Kim Seokjin (5)

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"She's your girlfriend?" Mrs. Kim asked as soon as she opened the door for Seokjin and Nabi.

Mrs. Kim surveys her from top to bottom. She's decent and beautiful. "Hello, it's nice to finally meet you, I'm Jin's mother." She introduces herself but find it odd how the lady turned to Seokjin as if asking for help. Mrs. Kim raised her brow.

"Mom, she can't greet back... She also didn't hear you, she's deaf." Seokjin explained.

"Jin?!"

"I know mom! That's the exact reason why I never liked anyone you set me up with. They talk and Nabi doesn't, but that doesn't make her less than them... She's even more educated than those ladies who didn't know anything, but to bad mouth other people, yet Nabi only home schooled." Seokjin finishes off.

Of course it wasn't easy. It took him and Nabi a week before finally convincing Seokjin's mother to never try to get Seokjin into blind dates again. Seokjin was indeed a great actor as he fool his own mother that he's in love with a mute. Although that wasn't a complete lie anymore, he isn't that dumb to realize that he's growing attached already.

"Can I talk to you?" Dr. Kang asked Seokjin as soon as he went out of the office with Nabi looking down with a frown on her face.

Seokjin surveyed her before nodding and joining the doctor inside his office. He took the patient's seat and gestured the doctor to speak.

"Since you're the person who took her here, as the doctor you are paying for I should let you know about my findings."Dr. Kang started. "Nabi wasn't born deaf or mute."

Seokjin was baffled. "What does that mean? What happened then?"

Dr. Kang sighs. "I know she must've not told you, but she's not actually deaf. Nabi is suffering from a trauma. That trauma wants her to escape reality and make her believe that she's not hearing anything, her brain declines sounds, she do not want to hear anything because she went through something that she doesn't want to be reminded off."

Seokjin was more than confused.

"Mr. Kim, I'm not only an ear doctor, I'm also a psychologist. My patient is not deaf and just traumatized, she does not want to speak for some reason and she refuses to hear anything. Please try to find out what happened and come back to me next week."

Seokjin has been thinking about what the doctor told him all day. Something else is going on with Nabi and she's not even deaf. She's just too stubborn.

"Nabi." He murmured her name as they both sat in silence inside his car.

Odd, how Nabi instantly look his way despite his voice being too soft to hear. Thinking about it, she always hear whatever he's saying but she doesn't hear most people.

"Dr. Kang told me you aren't actually mute." Seokjin stated but in a gentle way to not frighten her.

Nabi looked down. Biting her bottom lip, her eyes started to blur. She's not ready to be found out. Nabi wasn't prepared for this. She didn't want anyone to know.

Noticing her behavior. Seokjin took the initiative to not hold back. He placed his hand on top of her and took them inside his. Slowly, Nabi looked at what he's doing and cautiously look at his face. Seokjin didn't look mad or like someone who would harm her.

"Please tell me, Nabi." He whispered.

He didn't need to write them down. He knows that she heard what he said. Her eyes tell. Her eyes glimmered under the moon, they show sadness and mysteries that she've always wanted to show someone but no one would want to learn them.

What if Nabi told him and he turned away? She likes how it is now. Someone is there to talk to her despite of, someone is caring for her despite of, someone is enjoying their time with her despite of, she's suddenly useful despite of, she finally found someone who likes her for being like that despite of. Seokjin is her butterfly. He suddenly perched on her finger, showing his wings and beautiful characteristics. She wanted to keep him to himself just like that and never want to let go, she's afraid that once the butterfly finally finished eating all of the flowers she planted, it would leave.

She's afraid that once Seokjin already knew everything and once she's finally healed, he would finally soar away from her, leaving her behind where she could only run and see him but won't be able to reach him anymore. Like a butterfly.

"Nabi, I just want to help you." Seokjin's voice  pulled her out of her dark thoughts. "I know I said I find your disability useful, but you're my friend now. I want to hear you speak as well, nothing would change how important you are to me now. Please let me help you."

Nabi contemplates, never have there been a person that told pleads her to speak. Everyone wanted her to be silent.

She trust him. She always do, even though she's afraid that he might fly away, if that means getting healed and finally being able to hear him sing without fearing sounds, then she will risk.

She took out her notepad and started scribbling, her tears dropping on the light pink paper smudging the ink written by her pen.

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