Earphones• Vkook

24

It was years ago when Yoongi had his first panic attack, he felt like he was dying, he felt like he couldn't breathe, once it was over and he calmed down, he wen't to cry. Jungkook helped him and he was grateful but so ashamed someone saw that part of him. Every time someone sees it he cries. He could only imagine how Taehyung feels. 

"He can't hear, but he can feel..Wait how would I do this" Yoongi looks at all the lockers in the locker room. He knocks on a locker and listens closely to see if their are any movements inside. He goes through every locker trying to see if Taehyung hid inside.  

Taehyung looks around the bathroom stall reading all the comments written around, some vulgar, some nice and sweet, while others are just simply advertisement for social media platforms. 

Yoongi walks into the bathroom as his next stop. Knocking on every stall, saying 'Taehyung' even though he knows Taehyung can't hear him, he just wanted to make sure he didn't look into a stall with a stranger inside.

Taehyung not knowing Yoongi was outside walks around in the small stall running his fingers along the letters carved in the wall. 

Yoongi stops walking and hears all the footsteps being made. He looks at the floor, looking for feet. He finds the pair of black worn out nike sneakers pacing back and forth in the stall.

Yoongi knocks on the door of the stall making the door vibrate. Taehyung stops walking. Someone is out there and he knows it. 

Yoongi gets on his toes and looks in the stall, He sees Taehyung who is fixated on his feet, standing as still as he can hoping no one can see him. 

"Come on I'm not athletic I can't jump over this door" Yoongi says and he shakes the top of the door, Taehyung finally looks up.

"You scared me" Taehyung says and he puts his hand over his heart as if he is trying to calm himself down.

"Open the door? Please" Yoongi asks and Taehyung nods and Yoongi gets off his tip toes, standing firmly with two feet on the ground, breathing deeply from all the 'exercise' he did trying to look over the stall door. 

Taehyung unlocks the door and Yoongi welcome's himself into the small stall. 

"Want to talk?" Yoongi asks and Taehyung shakes his head no, 

"Those tear stains talk for you" Yoongi says pointing to Taehyung's cheeks, Yoongi gets out of the stall and waves Taehyung to go with him.

"I got you" Yoongi says and he runs his hand under the water and wipes it on Taehyung's cheeks wiping away the dry tear stains. 

"thanks" Taehyung says in a whisper. 

"So its out" Yoongi says and Taehyung shrugs, "can't go back now" Taehyung says. 

"You don't need to beg me to go to class, I will go there myself, I will walk into the class, I will take my seat and I wont listen to anyone" Taehyung laughs a little, "well you know what I mean" he adds 

"I wasn't going to beg you to go" Yoongi says and Taehyung smiles before looking away. 

"Is gym over? Tap my shoulder twice for yes, once for no" 

Yoongi taps Taehyung's shoulder once. 

"I'm going back to class" Taehyung looks at himself in the mirror in front of him. Gym clothes still on, his tear stains gone, he smiles. 

"Going back to class" he repeats and he walks out leaving Yoongi behind him. 

Taehyung walks down the hallway, heavy footsteps. He takes a seat at his desk, the room around him filled with messy desks without students seated in them. He sits there in silence, actual silence and the silence he always hears. 

The bell rings and all the boys rush into the locker room to get changed, the girls have no idea of what happened on the basketball court. They leave the tennis court and go into their locker room and are the first ones back to class. They look inside and are surprised Taehyung is all alone. 

"Hey Taehyung where is everyone?" A girl asks and he doesn't answer, not knowing hes being talked to.

"We are here" Sehun says putting his hand on the girls shoulder. She just nods before going back to her seat away from the quiet Taehyung. 

Girls silently question why the guys aren't talking and why Taehyung is the only one wearing gym clothes, but no guys step up to answer them. They all know what happened and they all don't know what to say.  

"Taehyung, can you please go to the office" A teacher says and Yoongi rolls his eyes.

"Mr.Nam I think you should go over and tap his shoulder or something, he's in his world and I don't think he is trying to be lost in it"  

"Oh you're right Min Yoongi, I apologize" 

"You cant really apologize to someone who doesn't..Never mind" Yoongi keeps to himself and Namjoon sits down next to him.

The man from the front desk in the office, Mr.Nam goes over and taps Taehyung's shoulder waving him to follow him. Not knowing how to talk to the deaf individual. 

Jungkook sits down just as soon as Taehyung gets up. Not being able to get a world out to his boyfriend. 

Taehyung follows behind Mr.Nam like a bad kid who is on his way to questioning. He has his arms crossed over his chest not knowing where to put them. Once he gets in the office Mr.Nam leads him to the principal's office. He sits down across from the principal. 

"Why..Didn't you...Say...Something?" The principal asks slowly, making it hard for Taehyung to make the words out. 

"It makes it worse if you talk slowly" Taehyung says in the nicest voice possible. 

"I'm sorry" 

"I didn't want people to know, I told my mom that and she must've not wanted me to be uncomfortable. You can call her if you wan't, she is hearing" 

That phone call was made right in front of Taehyung who is sitting awkwardly, not knowing what was being said. His principle talks to his mom and then calls over to Taehyung's doctor. They talk for a little while and they came up with a solution, the school will pay for an interpreter to sign to Taehyung durning class. Then once they get a hearing aid that works they can get the teacher a FM system that can be connected to the hearing aid so Taehyung can only really hear their voice. 

"You can go to class" The principal says and Taehyung ends up going to the locker room to change back into his uniform, he changes is worn out sneakers to his nicer black shoes. 

He fixes the collar of his shirt before he walks back into his classroom. Everyone turns to look at him as he walks through the door near the end of the classroom.  He doesn't notice any of them. He sits down into his seat next to Jungkook. By this time tomorrow, he'd have an interrupter following him around school, and then everyone would know-if they didn't already-that he is deaf.